ConnieLene – KnitDesigner

The 987 stitches are spread over 3 circular needles size 6mm x 80cm. A longer length could be easier – but I don’t have one. Next increase row will give me the scary sum of 1597 stitches. Will need 4 circular needles I think.

Can you see the capelet to be?

Let me know please!

Just a little.

My knitting was not actually intended to be such a close rendition of a wing shape. I am working on a scarf or shawl depending on my mood and my ability to count and then to knit what could be 610+ stitches with umpteen short rows.

Fibonacci is such a surprising sequence, this knitting does have short rows of 2 stitches – not the Fibonacci Sequence at all, but all the increases follow the Fibonacci Sequence.

I hope someone out there has other ideas for knitting with the Fibonacci Sequence for shaping – and they will let me know the secrets – soon before my brain shuts down.

Please please

still needs Crochet and Beads to finish the piece

What on earth can one do when a thought process will not disappear into the ether and let one rest. Right now I am knitting the Fibonacci Sequence again and again.

Why?

Well, I first knitted the sequence back in June 2011 in the Netherlands, not long before we started our journey back to New Zealand. In the past 12 months it has crept into my consciousness a number of times and I have allowed it to waffle away and managed to ignore it and it has gone away again. But recently it came back and in a moment of weakness I decided to work on it again. Now this is not a sequence of colours, or stitch patterns in the sequence, but a piece knitted using the sequence for increases. What I am doing is knitting starting with 1 stitch and increasing on each other row the next number as per the Fibonacci Sequence, which means that one gets to a huge number of stitches rather quickly and the result doesn’t make any sense to me.

I want to see a flat knitted piece displaying “The Golden Mean”, but it doesn’t do that. Now when you look at the figures it is really obvious why – I mean you start with 1 and on row 37 if you follow the sequence as an increase in the number of stitches, you would have 10,946 stitches on your needles and lots of waves and spirals and floating seaweed type knitted fabric when you cast off.

Why on earth would you do that? My first Fibonacci sequence went to 2,584 stitches (I think) and that was an inelegant sufficiency of stitches. Would you do that? Well, I won’t again, but the sequence won’t shut up.

I am on my 4th sequence now.

Sequence 1 – increase the numbers over the left hand side of the stitches (twice now), knitted in garter stitch.
Sequence 2 – increase the stitches over the centre group of stitches (didn’t like the result), knitted in garter stitch.
Sequence 3 – increase the stitches as per sequence 1, with short rows between the increase row and the full return row. Knitted in Stocking stitch.
Sequence 4 – I haven’t decided how yet – I have decided on the yarn (the ball has no band so I cannot tell you what it is) It will probably be knitted on size 4.5mm circular needles, although that could change once I settle down to it.

How will I apply the sequence?

I haven’t a clue!

Help!

Please don’t ask why I am bothering – it is simply cause the numbers will not go away – so my hope is that if I explore it, the Fibonacci Sequence that is – it will go away. If you know how to knit this as a lovely flat but curly piece that presents “The Golden Mean” – please tell me so sequence 4 is the last one I will ever need to do.

Maybe it should be Entrelac, maybe endless short rows, maybe I should be writing my pattern for the sleeveless jacket that many have asked for. Maybe that project will make Fibonacci go away.

Maybe

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?

Sweet Shawlettes Blog Tour

Here I am down under in New Zealand in Miranda, the Waikato leg of this fantastic world wide blog tour.

The book “Sweet Shawlettes” is by the creative designer Jean Moss and the timing is just right for us here in the Antipodes to be knitting shawls, shawlettes, capes, capelets, cowls and scarves. Why would I say that? Well, we are just heading into autumn after a rather grey, wet and miserable summer. We need something to brighten our evenings and cover our shoulders for the autumn and winter ahead.

So thank you Jean for asking and thank you for the opportunity to review your lovely book.

Now I don’t know Jean personally but you can read about her here but I do know her work and in Sweet Shawlettes I am a true kindred spirit. I love shawls, capes, capelets, scarves, cowls and in this lovely collection of accessories which range in style from hip to elegant I can see a style for everyone that I know, and that is silly because I generally don’t knit other peoples patterns, I buy them, read them, enjoy them, flick casually through the pages, and then I create my own designs.

Having said that I have decided to cast on from this book and I think it will be something for a very special woman and it has to be Enigma, very suitable for a strong special woman with its simple but elegant design, sensual yarns and it will be so easy to create.

Enigma

I am digressing aren’t I – the book, “Sweet Shawlettes”; Each piece is very IN, all are smallish projects, easy to carry with one, and they cover a great range of techniques and the delicious yarns range from the very very fine Kidsilk Haze to bulky Cocoon. There is a design for everyone.

Hooked yet?

Just in case you haven’t gone and checked out Jeans website, she designs for Rowan and is published in “The Knitter” and “Vogue Knitting” (now “Designer Knitting” in Europe) as well as writing her own books including “Book Of World Knits: Design Traditions From Around The World”, “Contemporary Classics” and “Wandering Spirits”.

You can also see the full gallery of projects Jean’s Sweet Shawlettes project gallery and if you do so and come back here and leave a comment you will go into the draw for your own free copy of Sweet Shawlettes.

So now you are hooked, aren’t you?

Remember there are twenty-five designs (gallery here) all of which are made to go around your neck in some way.

What does impress me about this collection is the range of styles within the categories; Country, Couture, Folk, and Vintage and yarns are fine to bulky, and goodness then there is the entrelac, intarsia, fine lace, stranded colour-work, bead-work, cables, knit in the round, and more. There is a full range of techniques and stitches with good clear instructions and charts.

As well as sending me a copy, Taunton Press have also offered a copy of Sweet Shawlettes to give away to one of my lucky readers. So to be in to win please visit the Project gallery on Jean’s website, and come back here and leave a comment on this blog post telling me what you think of the book, or the piece you would create from it. The winner will be chosen at random from all comments on this post. Taunton Press will be sending the book, so please include your email address in the email address field so that I can contact you if you win (it won’t be published and only I can see it). The only prize is a copy of Sweet Shawlettes by Jean Moss.

The comments will remain open for 7 days and the winner will be announced on Monday 26th March, so come back and see if you were the lucky reader/commentor!

Places to buy Sweet Shawlettes include Whitcoulls Link and Paper Plus link and of course Amazon

New Zealand Yarns Stockists – Rowan and Sublime yarns include:

Wild & Woolly, 38 Victoria Road, Devonport, Auckland

Knit World New Zealand wide including Hamilton, Wellington, Christchurch, Dunedin

Tauranga Knitting Centre, 8/152 11th Avenue, Tauranga

The Apple Basket, 1914 State Highway One, Kaiwaka, Northland

Creations Unlimited, 118 Hardy Street, Nelson

New Zealand Yarn Stockist – Louisa Harding:
Creative Outlet, 53 Grey Street, Tauranga

Berroco stockists close to New Zealand, in Australia

Tangled Yarns

Mosman Needlecraft

and tomorrow the tour continues with Just Call Me Ruby who is the featured designer in the new knit mag “Knit Now” with a capelet no less. Perfect don’t you think?