ConnieLene – KnitDesigner

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.

There are various versions of this jacket and the pattern will be for the sleeveless option only. The first pattern will be in English only, and I will follow with a pattern in Danish, and maybe in Norwegian. Danish is quite possible, Norwegian is much more difficult. But the first edition of this pattern will be in English only.

The way the jacket is knitted takes advantage of the varigated yarns to create the look of free form intarsia. This makes this a garment which satisfies one of the winter trends for 2010/2011 because it looks like a patchwork of colour and Patchwork is in – or so they are saying. Me, I just like the colours.

Gallery on Facebook

All the jackets above are created from my original basic pattern for the sleeveless jacket – believe it or not.

Refined sophistication – buttoned up collars
Military / aviation
Lingerie as outerwear
leather clothing
the cut out / cutaway – with the cut out pieces worked directly on top of skin or ‘filled in’ with sheer fabrics, detailing can be subtle to sexy
Knee high socks or over the knee socks, or even thigh high socks
White tights
Women’s camel coat
Velvet clothing
Neo double breasted jackets
Sheer clothing /cut outs – mixed with fine laces, the sheer trend mixing elegance with sex appeal
Capes
Thigh high boots
Shoes with socks
Socks under heels
Fur boots & mukluks

I know fashion is fun, I absolutely love fashion, but I don’t wear fashion. How bizarre is that. I guess it is that fashion clothing like all clothing should be fit for purpose, and is not the purpose to keep warm in colder times?

I want wool, mohair, alpaca, knitting, crochet, weaving, colour, color, yarn, garn, woll, felt, filt, layers, and I want warmth, pleasure, comfort, and a little usefulness. I am going to create something for WoolOn that will be fit for purpose, created mainly of wool, and in many colours, and a style or shape or design which is edgy and out there. It must also be in Vogue – Somehow.

You see we are having house guests (son and family), they are arriving from Switzerland on Sunday. Should I be preparing our small Dutch house for the influx, or should I just knit – which is what I feel doing? I am knitting capelets, I have 2 more on the needles right now as well as that shadow knitting bag (still not completed) and the red socks that I owe son and Best Beloved – that old IOU, you remember it, don’t you?

I bought son some New Zealand merino socks whilst in New Zealand recently, as a salve for my conscience – such tardiness I am expressing with regard to the knitting of socks. I didn’t discover the new “Red Socks” campaign that was held in New Zealand on July 2nd (while I was there), until today when researching “Red Socks” yet again.

Darn, I could have bought son and Best Beloved Red Socks and not have to consider knitting those all elusive socks for them myself.

And then there is the cardigan for Angelica, the poncho/capelet for Elaine, pattern for gorgeous waistcoat, and a vest for….. Damm – I would much rather knit.

Today is a cool 21c which is a remarkable temperature to be working on knitting, designing and writing. Crosby Stills & Nash are singing loudly. All is good, I have had a great coffee. I have found the connector plug to attach to my iron’s plug so that it can work here in the Netherlands. The big problem is that it wants me to hold it to do the ironing. Will son and family care if the pillow cases are ironed or not? Probably not.

While in New Zealand, I posted to myself, here in the Netherlands some more of my yarn stash – I need to sort it, work out where to store (hide) it. Well maybe I don’t need to hide it anymore – Best Beloved knows how much yarn I have . Well I think he has a general idea that there is enough yarn to knit for the lifetime of a fanatic – trouble is I have the yarn, but am running out of lifetime, having reached nearly middle age as you can tell having just raced to 63 whilst in New Zealand.

Thing is – house guests for 2 weeks – I have to be able to knit while they are here, or I will forget how, maybe (they say you forget things as you age, so maybe I am forgetting things, I just can’t remember if that is so).

So I think I will sort yarns to knit the wedding gift that I have mentioned in earlier posts. Once the yarns are sorted, it will be a doddle to knit. I don’t have to write anything down for it, I just knit.

That could be a perfect solution, sort yarns today, and then prepare somewhat for the guests.

Too bad about the ironing

This Multicolour Capelet is easy to knit – being all garter stitch. The shaping is created by knitting short rows.

It will be great worn over jeans and a Tee or Camisole, or over a party number. Warm and interesting with unique colour and fibre combinations. There will never be another exactly like the one you knit. It is a great pattern for creating a piece from your stash yarns.

Or you can knit the capelet in one colour only in a delicious sensuous yarn created to wear for that very special occaison or as a gift for a special person in your life.

Remember – Capes / Capelets / Shawls and Cloaks are in in 2010 – and when you knit this capelet using all your favourite colours and yarns – your creation will be unique.
This pattern is available on Etsy – click the link below.

Many many years ago – I attended my first Kaffe session on colour and knitting in New Zealand. I purchased a Kaffe videotape at that time, I do not have it with me here in the Netherlands & cannot recall the title – the subject was knitting with colour, as in many many colours, and viewing your world for ideas to create new knitted pieces using many colours and shapes.

When Kaffe came to New Zealand then I had already been knitting & crocheting using many colours in freeform intarsia since the early 1970′s. I found as everyone does great inspiration in listening to him then & I continued to knit with many colours and yarns even though I was informed by others that my knitting was not normal, nor was my passion for playing with colour. I do however feel quite quite normal.

I have searched the Kaffe Fassett listings in Youtube and cannot see my video tape there. But the concepts in this new video apply to knitting as well as quilting, mosaics and other art and textile art forms.