ConnieLene – KnitDesigner

11 Aug:
Knitting a skirt with Touch Magic Merino for socks. Will knit at least 1000 metres or 1 kilometre & up to 1,350 metres as that is all I have.

12 Aug:
Skirt is a very short frilly number right now, what to do next. Struggling with the picture in my mind which is not appearing on the needles.

16 Aug:
Sock Yarn skirt – has reached 688 stitches – far toooo many I think.

Skirt for WoolOn at the Alexandra Blossom Festival

4.30pm: A skirt knitted with sock yarn takes a very long time.

10.18pm: I have just tried the skirt on my mannequin – and it is soooo short. Why am I knitting a fullish type skirt in a sock yarn???

10.19pm: Twas the colour of course – “Lake Hawea” I found it in Hastings Knit World while I was in NZ and I was smitten.

10.21pm: I bet Touch Yarns in Alexandra have the same colour in other yarns – where I could have been knitting this skirt on 4mm not on 3mm needles.

@colorjoy – Sockyarn makes a wonderful fabric. It has great drape, is washable, bounces back. Bet you’ll love the finished skirt.

@sewknitty – It’ll be gorgeous and you’ll forget the time (I hope lol)

to @colorjoy – Thank you, just the refocus I need, as it looks lovely, problem is it is for an event in NZ, I need to knit a top, too little time.

So it is back to the needles, but this is a twittering story or is that a story by tweets – there may be more tweets or twittering to come.

I hope the news will be all good – as right now I am not so confidant.

The skirt on my needles is being knit in the round from the waistband. The increases and now the decreases are being managed using the hyperbolic plane method. I have used this for increases many times now, but this is the first time I have used the concept for my decreases. It will be very interesting to see it a little further on as I am unsure just how it will hang. I hope it doesn’t add a twist to the skirt. BUT I will have to continue and wait with you to see the result.

I am knitting with Touch Magic Merino for Socks which is from Alexandra and WoolOn is included in the Alexandra Blossom Festival. It is such a pity that I will not see this skirt on the stage there.

It is jumping the gun a little – I have to finish it first, and then the top, and then the capelet and the beret, maybe. It depends on time really.

I will endeavour to keep you posted.

Life has been rather miserable since I found that the great balls of Haarlem have finally been replaced with a row of boring shiney posts.

Last Saturday, a very grey day indeed, when were feeling very very down having received sad news from home, we decided to go to Rotterdam for the day.

Why? – to see if we could get out to and see the great sea walls there, a wonder of the modern world they say. But we arrived too late in the day (at about 10.30am), and because it is quite a distance to get to the starting place (about 96k’s), and without a car all the more difficult. Yes, there were other options, but they did not really seem to satisfy – so we are going on a Wednesday soon, when we will satisfy Best Beloveds need to know and see on a special all day tour including the sea wall, gates, museum etc. They only run this specific all day tour on a Wednesday.

We must do it soon, so that with a bit of luck the sea itself will not be boiling so hard (It is the ferocious North Sea after all) that I cannot cope with the boat trip. Very soon, like, before the end of summer. Oh and I think we are there already, at the end of summer, I mean. The air has changed, the light has changed, it is dark much earlier, even the birds behaviour is changing.

But as you can see – I found another stretch of water, a safe stretch, a calm stretch – a concrete river with concrete balls – and now I am inspired once more. I have a completed ball cover, and another one 75% done – and now I may have a place to position them.

A concrete river, with round river stones – WOW!

In the heart of Rotterdam.

That is the news from Rotterdam

and the next news might be after a very busy Wednesday, I just might need some help with this.

I need to check properly for the coming winter trends as I have now committed to creating a piece for The Mirror WoolOn™ Creative Fashion Event at the Alexandra Blossom Festival in New Zealand.

Come and celebrate the arrival of spring in Alexandra, Central Otago, New Zealand – 24th September to 9th October 2010. I know here in Europe we are preparing for Autumn and Winter then, so why not participate in an event that celebrates the arrival of spring down under.

It is an historic Festival that has marked the arrrival of spring for over 50 years. The first festival was born out of community spirit and recognition of the special character of Alexandra, and these values remain at the heart of every subsequent festival.

There is still time to register for the fashion event that is “WoolOn” – the late entries close on 15th August 2010.

Back to the work at hand.

I really want to create an edgy out there piece, but I am not really sure what that means.

I have Touch Yarns – 4ply variegated – which I hope to incorporate – and I am thinking of something lacey, covered with something faux furry and a tight little skirt – maybe or something else – so some research is required and as I don’t really think my assessment of the Vogue Trends reports is going to help me very much; I am searching the web for the trends, and not just relying on Vogue for a view point – and I have found the following

These fashion trends suggest a poncho with long fringes and quilted patchwork fabric, over a maxi dress with a turtleneck, which is worn over wide pants which cover the thigh length boots. Finished with gloves and a military style vest with a high collar worn over the dress and under the poncho.

This does not sound like edgy out there fashion, it sounds like 60′s hippy regurgitated for this coming winter season. I am having trouble with my creation based on these trends, and there is no lace – darn; as I was hoping to show the world I can knit lace. At least my favourite knitting method – intarsia can be used to create the patchwork for the poncho.

And then there is the colour – In 2010, camel is the new black and is ready to invade the streets. It really doesn’t work for me – so it is back to the research.

Well Jeanette, The news is all good – I have finished the 2 pieces, well more or less finished the 2 pieces that I have been knitting for you to consider to go with your beret. I am finished the knitting, not quite finished with buttons and things. Now they have not taken a long time because they are big items – but they just kept me playing. You know all about that I know – me playing with yarns.

This little project was one that I planned would be a ribbed piece – with buttons to join, and big enough to double over and wear inside a jacket or over a sweater when you are out on that bicycle of yours. But I couldn’t really stop and now it is a neck piece but it kept on growing as it were – so now it is also a capelet, scarf, neck wrap, some call these things a cowl – I am not sure that that is a good term for it. I might look up the dictionary on that. It has 3 buttons at the neck but the folded over section (collar) will need to be fastened with a knit pin or brooch or even a kilt pin – to the position you wish for it.

However you choose to wear this – it will keep your neck and shoulders warm.

The other one is a single layer ribbed piece to buttoned at the neck – not as big, or as warm because it is intended as a single layer – but it will suit some situations. I haven’t sewn in some of the ends nor have I added buttons – so no photo of it yet. Both contain the colours of your chosen beret and other colours of course – as you will have expected as I created them.

When you decide which you want I will bring the beret and the neck piece to New Zealand with me now that you are there once more and winter is so nearly upon you as well. Posting from the Netherlands takes ages and costs a bundle, so I shall find room in the luggage.

So let me know – okay and I shall add it to the Etsy shop for you.