ConnieLene – KnitDesigner

Over these past months – in fact it is since the end of July 2011 I have not had the right situation to be creating in yarn as I love to do. I have been creating a garden, an orchard, taking care of our grandson and so on.

I just have not had the time nor the head space to be knitting – well not too much that is. I have knitted a few beanies for people who needed them and created a piece which is still a secret. I managed that only because there was a completion date.

Now the weather is much cooler, the garden earth is very wet, and I need to be creating something new, something different and to start my brain off on this task I have been doing research on the internet.

Now you may remember that I am Danish born and that in the last 3 years while we were living in the Netherlands (till end July 2011), I have visited Denmark a couple of times and I attended a workshop by Danish knitter/designer/artist Christel Seyfarth in de Afstap in Amsterdam.

Why am I telling you this?

Well I have been looking at knits for 2012 / 2013 autumn and winter and I have been looking at the Missoni collections in particular and those collections are full of Danish shawls. Now that is a real surprise to me. Danish shawls in an Italian knit collection! And I may not have realised that had I not been to Denmark and seen the Danish Shawls at the Gamle By (The Old Town). Danish Shawl at the Old Town

The Danish shawl does have a wide triangular shape – true. The Missoni Shawl doesn’t – but what is in common is that the shawl is wrapped around and tied at the back. The true Danish Shawl ties the ends of the shawl together at the back, the Missoni shawl has a clasp attached which holds the shawl in position at the back.

Isn’t it great that the old Danish Shawl has a new lease of life as a fashionable modern garment on the runways of the world?

The cape is the fall winter season’s biggest story according to Gill Hart Women’s Fashion Feature Writer on Suite 101. The Cape Coat Trend
I knew that already.

Knitted or crocheted Capes are part of that fashion trend and there is time to create your own, or to create one or two as gifts for the season ahead.

Your cape can be anything from a standard cape or caplet, to a cape jacket with frills or ruffles and fur detailing or anything shawl like that will sit nicely like the Danish Shawl or ……

The cape looks like it will be one of the biggest trends of the 2010/11 autumn / winter season.

Your cape can be of a superhero type to dramatically wrap and conceal, or a sexy sultry piece. What about a cape with hood included, it doesn’t have to be a Red Riding Hood, it could be the Snow Princess with lots of white or silver fur fibre. Your cape could be an intarsia knit design with faux fur edging. In short a cape can be anything that can be tied around the neck or fastened between the breasts and flows over the shoulders to the length you wish. You could also consider the Sherlock Holmes Cape/Coat. But if you are knitting your cape consider creating your cape with any of the numerous faux fur yarns knitted together with gorgeous mohair, or other luxury yarns. Create your own is the order of the day.

For a pattern see Kiwi Cape There will soon be a Kiwi Cape Version or Unique Multicolor and mixed fibresCapelet.

For a hand knitted cape see: there are 3 capes or capelet available here. They all include postage and packaging and there will not be any more added here in the short term anyway.

I have just finished a little black shawl/scarf.

I had only one 50g ball of Naturally Woodland 12 ply (100m), colour 08 (black with tiny little flecks of bright colours – pinks, turquoise, blues, orange etc) for the body which I have knitted it as per my Danish shawl pattern. I had decided to add the frill / flounce at the point where the one ball of Woodland was knitted up and that is just what I have done.

I was quite unsure at that point if it really would be wide enough to use as a scarf. But I carried on and added a flounce using 2 strands of Naturally Mist Mohair in black, knitted together. The flounce is also in Garter stitch like the body with Yarn Over increases used to create it. At the side edges of the flounce I continued the increases as per my Danish shawl pattern.

The final two rows and the cast off edge were 1 strand Naturally Mist knitted together with another yarn which has a black main thread with tufts of yarn in pinks, purples and greys. I do not know the name of the yarn.

It looks great and fortunately is wide enough to wrap as a scarf, and also big enough to wear over the shoulders as a mini shawl.

There were 2 reasons I decided to knit this shawl now.

One is that my friend in New Zealand who is testing my Danish Shawl pattern was having trouble with my written pattern. We have discovered during this process that she is a visual knitter – and needed a chart, which I have created and she is winging her way through the shawl. My knit 2, Yarn Over, knit to marker, Yarn Over in knit – shorthand was not suitable for her. It has been great for me because I am much clearer now on writing the pattern and also I now have the chart which I will include with the pattern. She cannot be the only person new to yarn overs / eyelets that cannot see what will be created following my written instructions.

The other reason was that I needed a simple edge – and I have created a funky, but simple flounce or frill for the Danish Shawl to include with the pattern as well as the crochet edge option.

Something I had not considered is just how useful this pattern will be for a funky scarf / shawl, in this small size.

Naturally Woodland is 77% mohair, from New Zealand.

but I have reviewed all my draft posts, updated them and published them. They have been published as of the date I was writing them so you may find something you have not read before.

Red Socks

New Zealand Cloak

Sleeveless jacket pattern

Fitted jacket with peplum

I have written the pattern for the Danish Shawl and that is being tried and tested by a dear friend in Auckland, New Zealand. Photos of my Danish Shawl and others from Den Gamle By.

I have nearly finished the English version of the Sleeveless Jacket pattern.

And of course I do have many UFO’s on the needles as well. But I am not going to talk about UFO’s anymore. I will only talk about completed pieces – could slip on that as it is not New Year so is not a New Years resoultion. In one sense it is New Year – this is the beginning (August 1st) of the last year we have here in Europe. Best Beloveds contract ends on July 31st 2011.

That is all the news for now for this website – now I have to do the same for our Travel and living in Europe website.

It has been two months of family time, some fun, some sadness, some reminiscing, and some very good times. Grandson loved having us in New Zealand as I hope did our daughter and other family members.

Son and family visited from Switzerland and Granddaughter of my Danish cousin came from Denmark of course, so here in the Netherlands on our return from New Zealand we had a houseful for nearly 2 weeks, very tiring and busy, but a great deal of fun as well – that is apart from my pizza on the Pizza Cruise on the Amsterdam Canals. My Pizza had so called Salami or some other meat – which was nearly shocking pink – I hate to think what had been done to it. I shall not eat another Domino’s Pizza whilst in Europe, not that I ever have done so before, but I will not do it in the future.

It certainly has been an excellent time for me – but knitting, designing, writing patterns, finishing pieces all went by the board.

I am now in serious catch up mode with peace and quiet in the house, other than my music that is.

Off to knit or maybe to write – not sure.

I also have a date for a bike ride this evening when Best Beloved arrives home.

But I have started a project – The Family Tree – trying to find my extensive family from all over the world. We are so widespread – over Denmark, New Zealand, Australia, the Netherlands and the USA, and there may be other places to add where the family has or is still – such as a hint of link to France and there are some who may have gone to Sweden. Who knows what we will find out there.

I am still knitting – but the family tree has become a little obsessive – so this little post is to get me back on track.

So as I am looking at Danish things on the internet, that is the family connections and so on – What shall I do about my knitting – that is the question? I need to complete the knit projects that are on the needles – before I fly to New Zealand for a month very soon – like within 7 days even. Don’t I?

Well I could add some hints to things Danish in my knitting, like my Danish Shawls – to pull me back, to refocus me, couldn’t I?

And I could also list what needs to be done in the knitting part of my life again. I could, couldn’t I.

The trouble is the list is too long just now. Maybe I will have to take my knit obsession with me to New Zealand as well.

Now that could work.