Where did September go? In my case mainly workshops! Not only the workshops themselves, but also planning them. For example, even though stranded colourwork has been a favourite pattern technique of mine for some 30 years I actually haven’t taught it before. High time!
I do enjoy all aspects of workshops: the best thing is meeting the
participants, of course, but I also really like planning content, writing and
rewriting instructions, and swatching. To the extent that I often swatch
swatches... (“Hmm, in this case 96 stiches would be even better than 100” and so
on.) Also, I’m grateful I get opportunities to be a teacher, which was my
profession for some ten years but which I quit a couple of years ago. In short,
I miss the teenagers and my colleagues, but not the school system. Don’t
worry, I won’t bore you with details. I'll write about some sweaters instead!
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| Hanne Falkenberg's Bellis |
I finished the "Bellis" sweater, a design by Hanne Falkenberg, just in time for a friend's birthday. Funny - and how typical - that I suddenly had only some ten days to finish it considering I cast on at least half a year ago. Well, at least I managed - and it was even dry when I wrapped it up.
With a sweater off the needles I felt ready for My friend Lena and I decided we'd both knit Alice Starmore's sweater Na Craga,
which is on the cover of her book Aran Knitting. Confession time: I'm
being unfaithful to Alice Starmore, using Cascade 220 instead of her
Hebridean 3 ply.
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| Alice Starmore's Na Craga |
Another highlight in September was a book release: "Sagornas stickbok" by Celia B Dackenberg. She used illustrations in children's book as her
starting point, turning them into real garments in a kind of reverse process.
She did a similar thing in "Ylle & bläck" - wool & ink - a
few years ago, a book about writers and their real and fictional knitwear, and
I have been hoping for a sequel since I first came across it. My sweater Thorsten fiskares tröja was based
on a pattern in "Ylle & bläck".
To brag, I found the book release extra thrilling since I actually made one
of the garments in the book, a brownish grey brioche sweater. It was quite a
challenge using a picture instead of a pattern to make a sweater that not only should be
true to the illustration but also possible for others to knit. And hopefully
comfortable to wear. I learnt so much from it – thank you, Celia, for inviting
me to take part in this project!
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| an old in-progress picture of my sweater interpretation |
