ConnieLene – KnitDesigner

Curiously “Peplum” has two distinct and almost separate definitions. Its early origins are Greek, and peplum was simply the word for tunic. The peplum, a term dating back to the 19th century, is also a short overskirt that is usually attached to a fitted jacket. My jacket is certainly a fitted jacket with a short skirt.

Is this the jacket you would like the pattern for? It has pointed sections over the hand and at the back of the peplum skirt. There is no collar and is very fitting in 12ply mohair. The mohair was black with sections of rich blues and is no longer available.

Jacket Pattern Brewing for rather a long time.

or one of these designs below?

Sleeveless with 2 button fastening and lapel collar, the peplum does not have a pointed section at the back.

Sleeveless again with pin fastening, no collar, but includes lapel flap. (not sure if that describes it or not – the lapel does not continue around the back of the neck). The skirt or peplum is much fuller and longer and without the pointed section.

I have created 4 different skirts using hyperbolic plane increases so far.

What is that you say? – All the increases for a skirt created using the Hyperbolic plane method are carried out after knitting exactly the same number of stitches continuously for the entire skirt.

One of my skirts had an increase at 80 stitches and another at 60 stitches. My skirts are knitted in the round and the increases are always at the same position for the whole skirt, no matter what. Sixty stitches apart makes a marvellous floaty, flirty skirt.

I use a stitch marker at every increase and remove as I knit to it each and every time.

Cast on for your waistband which should be knitted in a circular fashion. So far mine are all knitted with a row or two of yarn over holes so that a ribbon or elastic or even an I-cord belt or tie can be used.

Then I decide on the number of stitches between increases. The larger the number of stitches between increases the less full the skirt will be. You will decide on the rate of increases depending on the yarn, the wearer and the purpose of this skirt.

For Example – every 60 stitches.

Complete the waist band, change from rib or whatever construction you have decided for the waistband and continue in stocking stitch.

Knit 60, PM, increase a stitch
knit 60, PM, increase a stitch

If your waistband had 120 stitches then you would increase 2 stitches on the first row. Continue to increase after every 60 stitches until the skirt is the right length for your proposed wearer. You will be sitting there counting from 1 to 60, PM, increasing a stitch, count to 60 again etc.

If you are interrupted in your counting simply count again from the last marker and you will never lose your position for the increases. Always remove the marker when you get to it and reposition it again when you have knitted your next 60 stitches. There will be times when you have an increase directly above an increase for a previous row. Still do it – the increase I mean, it will work, and it doesn’t look wrong in the shaping of the skirt.

The end result is elegant, or flirty, or cheeky depending on the number of stitches between the increases and the yarn you have chosen.

There is another great thing about knitting a skirt this way – you could add to the length if you ever need to. So if you knit it for a child, as she grows the skirt can grow with her. If you knit it for an adult – they may change the length simply because fashion changes.

Knitted skirts can seat – but because this skirt doesn’t have a front or back or sides dictated by the increases – this skirt can be turned to protect one from that drama.

Link to Wool On Gallery 2010 and my skirt is in there.

I have spoken at times of the cloak that I created back in 1992 – very nearly 20 years ago. This cloak has been in exhibitions, it has been tried on by many people, it has been photographed on many people. Sadly it is showing its age.

I am attending the knit retreat “Knitting in Nature beginning tomorrow, and I am taking my “Island” The Great New Zealand cloak with me to show to the other knitters there. Why? Well I am teaching a workshop on Intarsia Knitting and this is one of the best examples I still own of my intarsia creations. I hope that seeing it will still inspire someone of the group to try freeform intarsia knitting after they complete the workshop.

In late 1992 or early 1993 the cloak was in an exhibition at Victoria University in Wellington, New Zealand. The judges there decided that it was not suitable to be sold due to the fragile nature of the creation. I think 20 years of display and wearing is not bad for a creation of a fragile nature, using around 90 or so different yarns from wool, mohair to linen and a variety of fancy fibres. I actually think it has done rather well. And I am so glad it was not listed for sale as my family and I have loved it and worn it, as well as exhibited it.

I think “Knitting in Nature” may well be its last journey because it is rather thin and frail in some sections now, and we will store it away gently on our return to New Zealand and hope that we can still bring it from time to time and say “we remember this piece very well” and put it away again.

I am feeling rather sad that this piece that has been such a big part of my life is not going to be worn again BUT that does mean that it is time for another creation.

I recently did a bit of a rave about Grannyg. She, that is Grannyg has a mission to save the world – one craft at a time, and she is doing very well at it, even on her own – she knits, spins, weaves, sews and bakes (I am told gloriously well). Oh, and she drinks coffee. I guess she must also drink tea given that the website is called Crafternoon Tea with Grannyg or maybe the name was a decision born to fill a rhyming need as Crafternoon Coffee with Grannyg does not work at all well.

Well Grannyg and I had a long talk a couple of weeks ago and today the podcast is up and ready so if you are at all curious about podcasts on crafts in, or to do with New Zealand and New Zealanders then do listen to it.

episode 36i – ConnieLene Johnston

Now I am Danish born, but I certainly sound like a New Zealander as you will hear. It is not so surprising as I have lived in New Zealand since December 28th 1948. Of course it is possible that it was the 29th, I just can’t quite recall, it being a wee while ago and at that time I was of an age where dates were not quite so important to me.

We established I have a long history with New Zealand including the craft / art / knitting world and as such am qualified to be interviewed, and what a fun interview that was. It did run on a bit, as it does when you are discussing stuff dear to your heart and it was great fun. Fortunately Grannyg being a very technically au fait granny, she has edited it a bit.

And if you think I laugh and sound like a smoker – believe me I am not and have never been. I spoke to Best Beloved about that and he reminded me that on the day I had a bad air day. What do you think of that – he noticed my bad air day, never ever notices my bad hair days. He was downstairs while Grannyg was interviewing me, or was that while we were talking about stuff we both love. No, it really was an interview.

Isn’t technology great – we spoke across the airwaves, and now I can, and I hope you do as well, we can listen to it over the airwaves – clear as day.

Sorry – I forgot say – we are living in Haarlem, in the Netherlands, In North Holland, which is why this was an interview via the ether. I am calmer about ether today you will note. We have been here in the Netherlands just over 2 years and will return to New Zealand late next year. In the meantime my Best Beloved is working, and I am designing and knitting, just filling in the days with yarn, ideas, colours and even patterns.

I hope these patterns and I probably have several hundred partially written or connie knithand notes that will become patterns. These here patterns are to be sold so I can continue my passion for yarns. I will quietly curl up my toes as the New Zealand pension is unlikely to be sufficient to cover my yarn needs.

Unique Boutique Knits – with my knit patterns

Please go look and then listen. It will help Grannyg with her quest and with luck it will also help me with mine – and please forward the link.

There it is, I have been blithering on about communication and I missed a really great question from a lovely artist/designer on Facebook. Today I did something I have not done on Facebook before – I checked the tab “Just Others” and there was the question from May 2010.

The question was “Where can I learn more about your method of intarsia freeform knitting?”

Now that should have sprung out and said “Hey, Here I am”!!!, and I missed it.

There are books out there and much on the internet explaining Intarsia, but my free form Intarsia, there is no resource available as yet that I am aware of.

And so there is no single easy answer to the question, although I am working on an answer to it as I am putting together a book proposal.

For the design on the piece I consider the shape of the canvas, which might be a sweater or a cloak, or a jacket; and the person or exhibition for whom this piece is being created, and then I work to the idea or concept. In other pieces I might simply change the colours and yarn types as I feel, as I view what I am creating.

Very very basically, I sort yarns by colour, texture and weight (more or less as I don’t let the weight drive my work) and then I knit (play) always with the idea or concept in my mind or on the sketch.

The biggest hurdle for most knitters is to plan too much, and while I do plan, that is I have a canvas, which is the shape of the knitted piece, and concept and colour group, then I just knit.

I would love to run workshops on working with intarsia generally and including freeform work, or on “Playing with colour and yarn”. I hope I will have the opportunity to do that when I return to New Zealand.

I am working on a proposal for a book which will have basic knit designs, Instruction on working in the Intarsia method, a planned intarsia design for each knit design, as well as exercises to play with the yarns and colours and so go on to work on a free form intarsia design within the knitted design.

There is a lot work even in putting together a proposal as I am sure you all know, and of course I have to convince a publisher that it is worth their while.