And West is West – Stephen West, that is.  Don’t know what you may have heard about this talented 22 year old designer, but I find his take on the humble shawl new, simple and fresh.  How someone came fashion stockinette, garter stitch and geometry into flattering shape and movement is [...]]]>

Stephen West at Loopy Yarns

And West is West – Stephen West, that is.  Don’t know what you may have heard about this talented 22 year old designer, but I find his take on the humble shawl new, simple and fresh.  How someone came fashion stockinette, garter stitch and geometry into flattering shape and movement is beyond me.  A bit of hyperbole? Maybe. There is, however, no denying the modern beauty of his designs.

One of West’s first designs, the Boneyard Shawl, was my first of his knits as well.  Of course, I had to wear it to his recent book signing and trunk show at Chicago’s Loopy Yarns.  Lanky, unassuming and a bit shy, West seemed grateful for the welcome home after spending the past few months in Amsterdam.  Somehow between studying dance, he published two collections of designs.  The first book focuses on shawls and scarves, while book two branches into hats and mitts.  I do love a trunk show because you can touch the fabric and see how the choices of color impact the design.  You know where I’m going with this.  It also tempts you to a) buy the patterns and b) buy the yarn to make them.

Fortunately, my yarn stash is deep so the problem of yarn-to-knits ratio is moot.  I did gave in to Book One but just so you know, the patterns can also be purchased individually, either through WestKnits or directly through Ravelry.

These three will make it into my Ravelry queue sometime this year:  Akimbo, Daybreak and Pogona. If you like Daybreak or Akimbo, be aware that they were among West’s first design releases and are therefore NOT included in either of his book collections.

There are still one or two things I want to make before any one of these hit the needles.  February may be nearing an end but we’re still subject to wet and cold in Chicago.

WestKnits: Akimbo, Daybreak, Pogona

Oh, the joys of ruching! I hadn’t read through the pattern beforehand so I had no idea that the ruching in Citron was all that easy.  But so it is. The only item of note: do not use kfb (knit front and back) as your M1. Instead, use the pick-up between stitches method. It’ll [...]]]>

Citron-In-Progress

Oh, the joys of ruching! I hadn’t read through the pattern beforehand so I had no idea that the ruching in Citron was all that easy.  But so it is. The only item of note: do not use kfb (knit front and back) as your M1. Instead, use the pick-up between stitches method. It’ll save counting errors later on.

I started the shawlette this weekend and am making surprising progress as I am already in section 3 of 5.  I say surprising because, for the past 2-3 years, using my hands in any consistent, repeated way has been troublesome at best.  Lately though, my renewed knitting desire must be making up for any physical pain.  In fact, I’m searching for my next project.  I know I should pick up the hibernating baby dress started way back in November and at least try to finish it before the child grows out of the  1 year old size.  Naturally, “should” is not the same as “want to”.  If you have other ideas about something fun for Spring, give me a shout out in the comments.

Today’s last little nugget?  I’ve made the pattern available for Lu’s Fingerless Mitts (PDF).   It’s also there for the queueing in Ravelry.  A friendly warning: it has not been test knit except by me.  As per usual, if you find an “oops,” let me know so I can fix it.

My design sketches show a row of buttons on the left, front but it did not fully dawn on me until this morning that I’d been approaching the knitted realization of the sketches from right [...]]]> I seem to have been going about this the wrong way. Literally. And that’s why my neckwarmer in progress looks like this:

My design sketches show a row of buttons on the left, front but it did not fully dawn on me until this morning that I’d been approaching the knitted realization of the sketches from right to left (beginning of row) and not left to right (end of row). The lesson here is that, while you may picture it one way, it cannot be created that way (head > desk).

I’ve been at this for the past two weeks, in one way or another, with very little to show for my efforts except for scribbled pattern notes (with the requisite strike-throughs) and arrows pointing to other parts of the page. As the yarn begins to show signs of wear after being knit and ripped and re-knit several times, so does my patience with my ability to execute these particular design choices. Oh, and before anyone asks, the first item of business was the creation of two carefully measured gauge swatches.

Could lack of sleep or the pressure and pain behind my eyes be playing tricks on my inner deconstruction vision? If it’s not a bout of the galloping sinus crud, my biggest fear is that alpaca released into the air by frequent frogging might be sparking some kind of allergic reaction (cue the screeching “Psycho” violins).

Thus, here the balled yarn sits, gored by a pair of size 17US needles and awaiting new orders. In the meantime, I think I’ll knit an adorable little jumper (free Blue Sky Alpacas pattern) for my neighbor’s new baby girl. After all, Malabrigo chunky hath charms to soothe the savage breast.

Sketch this. Swatch that. What’s the deadline? It turns out that committing to the submission schedules of various publications is hard work, and not a little [...]]]>

Yes, I concur. It’s been a little quiet on the public side of the blog. I have my reasons, not the least of which is that it’s design time once again.

Sketch this. Swatch that. What’s the deadline? It turns out that committing to the submission schedules of various publications is hard work, and not a little bit expensive. For one project alone, I’ve purchased 2,000 beads in 3 different sizes because the yarn selected by the publisher was of a different weight than I originally anticipated. For another submission, the proposal book and overnight shipping to meet the deadline ended up as a not-inexpensive proposal itself.

Then there’s the research into color trends, construction techniques and materials. And oh, the brouhaha over contracts, reasonable fees and intellectual property rights. It’s a hornet’s nest, I tell you. Even for the established and well-known designers, it’s hard to make a living. So why bother? Because I’m driven! I get such a buzz from throwing around ideas and seeing them come together into the realm of the possible – even if it’s just on paper.

The hard part comes when it’s time to write an actual pattern that people will a) want to knit or crochet, and b) be able to use to successfully reproduce your design without pulling their (or your) hair out. I’m learning that pattern writing is an art unto itself, especially since so many things are open to interpretation with the written word. And the software that helps you create patterns, charts or schematics only takes you part of the way down the road. Eventually, you have to do your own maths and instructions, particularly if you’re doing something out of the ordinary.

So when do I get to call myself a designer? I ask myself this when, of course, there is no “right” answer: whenever I darn well please? whenever I start to sell my stuff? whenever someone actually buys it or everybody’s making it or I have my own knit-along? I’m still on the fence on the answer that feels right to me. In the end, I suppose that’s all that really matters.

Aside from the usual blah-blah (doctor) blah-blah, there’s been quite a bit of design thinking (and sketching, planning, coloring, procurement) [...]]]> Sadly, for the past week or so, I’ve been doing everything but. I’ve done a few more repeats on the ZigZag scarf but nothing that bears a photo update: “Oh, look! It’s longer than last time.” Yawn.

Aside from the usual blah-blah (doctor) blah-blah, there’s been quite a bit of design thinking (and sketching, planning, coloring, procurement) going on. That Ravelry is both a font of information and a cattle prod when it comes to pursuing what I’ve come to see as possible. Heck, at least it’s forcing me to do proper drawings and come up with construction models for the designs. I love how the colored sketches look but can’t share them with you. It’s that old “first publishing rights” thing.

I did receive a special post-holiday treat that I can share with you. My friend Y stopped by for a visit and graciously let me take her photo as she modeled the hand knits I made for her.

Thanks, Y. Rarely do I get to see my gifts in action. You really made my day.

In my own childhood, creativity was [...]]]> There are plenty of articles positing that the way to your adult career passion is through careful examination of your beloved childhood activities. Upon reflection, I suppose this makes a certain amount of sense: did you like Legos? Maybe you’ll find career satisfaction as an architect or a builder.

In my own childhood, creativity was the common denominator of things that made me the happiest: writing, reading, singing, acting, drawing, painting, knitting, crochet and clothing design. The ship may have sailed on my becoming a star of stage and screen, but I may yet discover success through some of my other passions.

I can’t say what or where specifically, but a friend and co-conspirator may have just dragged me toward a future that I thought was just a dream. The beauty part? This venture relies on nearly all of the things I thought of as “child’s play.” Here I was, spending years wishing there were more dimensions of “me” in my work life; then perhaps I’d enjoy investing so much time – and so much of myself – in it.

It was less than a week ago that I first said, “Nah, there’s no way. Maybe next time.”, fully aware that I’d probably concoct some other excuse then too. Luckily, we’d been tossing around a few details of a design idea and just last Thursday, this friend made me believe in myself enough to give it a try. December 5th was the deadline and we made it! Thank Rufus for overnight delivery.

Moving on. I thought I’d do something a bit different today and review some of the high (and low) points of Nicky Epstein’s third book in the series, “Knitting Beyond the Edge“. [...]]]> Yes, the Chicago Bears closed out this terrific season without bringing home the prize. Like our baseball teams say, “Wait ’til next year!”

Moving on. I thought I’d do something a bit different today and review some of the high (and low) points of Nicky Epstein’s third book in the series, “Knitting Beyond the Edge“. The quick and dirty take on this book? I really liked it from the inspirational design perspective. There are some things that are, at best, impractical and, at worst, shall we say not the best use of good yarn. I know. Eye of the knitting beholder.

At first, I thought Ms. Epstein would really have to stretch to find material for another book on edgings and embellishments. What I found was not rehashed work from the first two books, but some really original implementations of that work in the cuffs & collars, necklines and edges from this latest tome. The majority of the book’s 155 pages is devoted to beautifully photographed cuffs & collars, with corners and necklines occupying second and third place, respectively. Those looking for extensive examination of “closures” (the last title chapter) will be sorely disappointed as this consists primarily of button-band treatments.

Since one of my goals is to awaken the creative design beast within, I was happy to see quite a few things to enjoy and adapt as takeaways. I’ve photographed a couple of my faves from the book for this review.

If you’re at all uncertain, borrow the book or check it out at a local bookstore before you make the buy decision. That way you’ll know if your money will be well spent.