ConnieLene – KnitDesigner

I have been cogitating over which words to use for this neck warmer / shoulder warmer / gaiter / cowl etc etc. I have decided to stick with “Cowl”. Why, because in this case it has a nice ring to it and the word rolls off the tongue so well.

I am quite certain; that is I am cocksure that the name of this piece should be ……

what am I talking about?

Well the “Connie Colourscape Cowl of course

And I think it is codswallop to call it a gaiter.

Anyway – it is knitted in the round. It is similar to Sean Sheep Armytage cowl. In the original cowl I started my increases close to the neck edge, in this one I knitted it without any shaping for about 14cm before beginning the increases.

It has been created with one hank of Colourscape chunky, knitted on circular needles. I am still not absolutely certain which colour it is as I left the label on the train, but still think it could be Jungle #447.

Rowan Colourscape Chunky is a roving type yarn with an artisan look and rustic appeal which is spun and made in Britain. Designed by renowned textile artist, Kaffe Fassett each hank gives a single repeat rainbow like effect. 100% Lambswool.

So you too could create a cowl like this one with only 160 m or 175 yards of a chunky yarn.

Angelica is a very tiny lady and this piece was created specifically for her and was intended for Christmas.

Angelica is from Chile, and is the partner of my son Morgan so this neck warmer was to be one of her Christmas presents from us.

Problem was the train to Switzerland was overcrowded. All the seats were reserved on the first train from Amsterdam which we caught because the conditions for travelling were so bad the weekend before Christmas that we couldn’t risk not getting there and so we stood from Amsterdam to Frankfurt. We were not even able to get a coffee, fortunately we had food and water with us. The journey was so difficult that I didn’t manage to finish the piece, nor did I complete it at their home in time for Christmas.

It is done now and I will give it to Morgan for Angelica when he visits Apeldorn in the Netherlands at the end of next week.

Neck Warmer in Feather and Fan stitch

The neck warmer is knitted in the round. The shoulder section is knitted in Feather and Fan stitch, the neck section (hidden) is k2 p2 rib with the folded down neck section is also in Feather and Fan. I began with a provisional cast on and knitted the rib down followed by the feather and fan stitch. I then knitted up from the rib in the reverse direction so the feather and fan would sit correctly when folded down.

I did check the sizing on Angelica while we were there with them in Switzerland – she sat with her eyes closed while we checked it out and it looked great. The colours of it look great against the beautiful colour of her skin, eyes and hair. I hope she likes it when she receives it.

If I receive a photo I shall post it here.

I am still working on the ultimate pattern as have knitted this in 8ply and in 12 ply – one with rib neck and one with Feather and fan neck. I am not sure yet which I love the best.

Neck and Shoulder Warmer / Gaiter

In winter 2008 I had very little yarn here with me in the Netherlands. I had purchased some odd yarns at a fleamarket and had bought some bits and pieces at local shops here in Haarlem and in Amsterdam and Maastricht.

The yarns really were just a bit odd, and I didn’t have anything in mind to make/create.

BUT I was cold.

So I played with a design and created a neck warmer for myself out of these odd yarns. I wore it on my journey to Switzerland for our sons 40th birthday in Dec 2008 and I was very grateful for this very warm item of clothing that I had created. Sadly there are no photos of it as a neck warmer though.

In Switzerland there was an Angelica.

She saw the thing (the neck warmer / my neck warmer) and became rather excited. Now Angelica speaks Spanish, German and some English so it was said with a great deal of excitement and in halting English and dramatic Spanish that she wanted to try it on. We (Best Beloved and I) speak English, a hint of Dutch, me, almost reasonable Danish and no German and NO Spanish.

Fortunately our son who speak excellent German, English and understands some dramatic Spanish – translated.

And she did try it on – only not around her neck but around her body. She was adamant this was a perfect tunic dress.

My Neck Warmer as a dress! WOW

Angelica is a very tiny lady, maybe 4’10″ in her high heels. I said I would knit some straps and send neck warmer and straps to her to attact at the correct position. Which is what I did do.

And this last Christmas 2010 I saw the result for the first time.

Yes I know; Gaiter(s) used to describe a neck warmer does not feel quite right to me as yet. But then language is always developing, as it should. So who am I to say that the leg protector word cannot be used for a neck warmer or neck protector.

Neck and Shoulder Warmer / Gaiter

Anyway this is my gaiter for Natascha or my latest neck and shoulder warmer with my most recently rediscovered favourite stitch – good old Feather & Fan.

When I first knitted with feather and fan it was all baby matinee jackets and shawls and so on. Now I am using it for neck warmers, arm warmers, cowls, waistcoats etc. I love it.

2010 Woolon entry 1

Some of you may have followed my Woolon entry story a little. I kept making mistakes in my knitting; I had problems getting it to New Zealand on time and I didn’t write the patterns properly as I went and so on.

The ensemble was entered in the Out there / Streetwear category. It looks great on the model, the first time I have seen it together as I sent the various pieces to New Zealand in 2 parcels as the top wasn’t completed in time for the first parcel and post from the Netherlands takes an age. WoolOn may have had a topless ensemble. But as you can see I got there in the end.

I am a little sad that the arm warmers were not worn from over the hand to above the elbow as I had intended – in the rush to send the parcel I probably didn’t describe it well enough for WoolOn to work out just what I meant. It would have looked much more funky then.

WoolOn entry 2010

WoolOn Here I come

Sometime Twitter a story makes

Skirt and top were created with Touch Yarns, Magic Merino Sock yarn. Various yarns were used for the Beret / Slouchy hat and the Moebius Scarf/Cowl. And then those funky feather & fan, fingerless gloves / gauntlets – they were in a variegated yarn.

The top does have a dramatic keyhole centre front and is sleeveless, knitted in k2 p2 rib.

The skirt increases were done using the hyperbolic plane method – that is every # of stitches increase 1. now I am writing it I cannot remember how many stitches were between the increases) I do have it in my notes, but I was just excited to get up to these photos this morning. Thank you Karin.

Gosh now I am checking there were many references to the WoolOn event, I won’t add them all here though. WoolOn link