Among Stones blog tour

At TNNA this past June, when we were both exhibiting with our US distributor (Deep South Fibers) I got to see Carol Feller's new collection in the flesh. Among Stones is a beautiful book, so well thought through with gorgeous photography and a strong earthy theme. 

Carol asked if I'd like to be part of the blog tour for this new book, and so here we are! It's always a pleasure to talk to Carol, to pick her brains and hear the process behind her well executed designs.

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'Among Stones' has an amazingly organic and tranquil feel about it, noticeable in both the photography and the designs. Can you tell us a little bit about the theme behind the book? How do the patterns and/or yarns relate to each other?

The book started off almost accidently. I had a few designs I was working on at the same time and I realized that they had a very similar feel to them. I suspect that sometimes when you create a book it reflects the headspace you want to be in (not necessarily where you actually are!) so it’s almost aspirational in its mood and tone. Life is very hectic here so I think I find my work often reflects the tranquillity I want in my own space.

Once I realized the direction the patterns were going in I then stepped back and decided it might actually make a nice book theme so I laid out some pattern ideas and combined yarn choices and requested a few yarns to fill the holes in the book. This is one thing I love about planning a book in advance. You can have all your yarn swatches and sketches gathered together so you can see how it will work as a whole.

Dacite

Construction and texture are key themes to your work, and both are especially apparent with this book. Can you tell us a little bit about your favourite piece, and your most challenging piece?

My favourite piece is probably the simplest, Dacite, the book cover. It is a grown up version of a child’s cardigan I designed a few years ago and I was eager to create an adult version with a few grown up ‘adult’ tweaks. It’s one of my favourite colours and yarns and the simplicity is something I would wear day after day.

In terms of complexity the hem of Gabbro was probably a section of the pattern that took the longest to wrap my head around. It’s created as a series of short row curves that is worked in sections all around the hem. It makes a very unique finished piece but it was hard to picture exactly how it was going to work until I got it on the needles. Knitting is so often like that, what you see in your head takes on a life of it’s own once you knit it!

Basanite Hat

Of course, I'm going to ask about the Hat! Basanite Hat is sideways knit, with short rows at the crown - one of my favourite construction methods for a Hat. Can you tell us a little bit of the background to this design?

This hat design was something that has been brewing for a while. I had the super chunky Quince yarn in my stash for a year or two and this herringbone slipstitch pattern is something I’ve always loved. Initially I tried to combine the two as a vest but it just didn’t work properly. When I turned it all on it’s side a sideways hat and mitt set was perfect. The vertical compression that you get from the slipstitch band created a nice snug fitting brim and the top of the hat could then be worked in garter, which is somewhat easier to work short rows in. I like the end result; the yarn is so fat that the garter looks dramatically textured for such a simple stitch!

I'm always fascinated by the process of putting a book together, especially a self-published book - it's a very personal and rewarding experience - and for those reasons I love to hear a little about it. This is your second self published book - how did the process of developing this book compare with your first? Did you find this one easier (not that self publishing a book is ever easy!) or did it bring about a whole new learning curve?

This book flowed much more smoothly, I think with every book you do (no matter how it’s published) you learn new ways to organise yourself and make the process flow more smoothly.

Always the hardest part of self-published books is that you’ve got so many plates spinning at once. Designs are being written, tested and knit, photo locations are being picked, layout and editing has to be finalised, print decisions to be made (batch print or print on demand) and then of course the real work starts after publication when you have to market it!

So I guess the book design get easier but marketing gets harder each time.

Gabbro

What does the future hold? Another book perhaps, or something different?

I’ve got a few different projects on the go this year. I’ve joined up with the yarn shop ‘This Is Knit’ to do an Irish Yarn Club for the first half of 2014. This should be opened up this Wednesday (23^rd October) and I’m enjoying putting some custom colours together with some patterns that the are going to work well with. This is a new venture for me so I hope it’s well received.

As well as that I’ve got another big book idea brewing in the background. This would be a much bigger book so I’m still at the planning stages with this one.

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Thank you Carol! You can find out more about the book on Carol's website Stolen Stitches, and there's plenty more photos on Ravelry. Among Stones is available as eBook or as a print+PDF combo.

These gorgeous photos make me miss Ireland. Maybe next year we'll all get back over?

Photos copyright © Joseph Feller, reproduced with kind permission.

Icelandic Handknits

Icelandic Handknits is a beautiful new book by Hélène Magnùsson. When I received my copy, I was in awe of all the beautiful scenery and the amazing photography, as well the intricate designs. I was intrigued by how the environment and culture inspired Hélène - naturally my stop on the blog tour has taken a Hattish slant - yet I hope the questions also give you some insight into the history and culture that feature so heavily within this book.

©Arnaldur Halldorsson, reproduced with kind permission

1) When you start a fresh design, is there one part of the construction or a physical point that you start with first? For instance, when I design a Hat I start with the crown, and provided the maths of that works out, I move downwards into the body and brim sections. It may not be knit in that direction, but that's where my thinking starts.

Absolutely. Because I'm mostly working from traditional Icelandic items, in the hope to preserve the knitting traditions by giving them a new life, it is very often a particular construction or motif or way of doing things that will be my starting point. It is quite clear for example with the Checkered beanie: it's all about the crown made from a succession of mitten gusset thumbs. I "just" had to determine the number of repeats according to the yarn I had chosen and the resulting gauge and then calculate my way down to the brim. The lace hood is also a good exemple: I thought I could give a hood shape to a triangular shawl by playing with the central and side decreases. The rest, choosing which shawl in the Museum, which lace motif, which colors, which yarn came later.

 ©Arnaldur Halldorsson, reproduced with kind permission

 2) What was the greatest challenge to you when writing this book?

The little time versus the number of designs, 25 in all but there were originally 30 and 5 were cut down. I usually knit all the prototypes myself making amendments and correcting as I go, especially since I'm not always sure my ideas will work out or how they will work out. But in this case I only had the time to knit myself a limited number of items. So I did knit very many swatches and wrote down all the instructions as precisely as I could from the beginning. Then my sample knitters had to knit blind from those instructions! I made a lot of sketches to help them "see" the items and often the instructions would include in neon yellow: "Here please stop and talk to me, I'm not sure if I should add one or two repeats" then we would talk on skype and I would sometimes let them try the item on to see how it fit and ask many many questions. Communication and trust were the key and I was lucky to work with marvelous knitters who kept me updated regularly of their progresses, never hesitated to ask and made suggestions on how to improve this or that. It was actually very exciting! I remember when I received the finished samples: I was seeing them for the first time!

3) In the introduction to the Lacy Skotthufa Hat, you hint at the headwear traditions of Iceland - can you expand on what it is about the skotthufa that interests you?

The skotthúfa, or tasseled cap, is part of the everyday traditional costume and a very popular item in Iceland. There are many modern versions of the skotthúfa, handknitted but also machine knitted, for men, women and children and for sale in selected stores in Iceland, Museum shops, etc... You will see one version for the great outdoors for example on the Icelandic Knitter website, knitted with very thick lopi wool and felted, and adorned with a modern stainless steel tube. I wanted to make one that would be quite different, very light and airy, and again my starting point were the triangular lace shawls, since you can create a circular shape from triangles.

©Arnaldur Halldorsson, reproduced with kind permission

4) The recipes are such a great addition to the whole collection - how did they come to be included in the book?

It was the editor's idea to include recipes in the book. I loved the idea! Food and clothing are often the first exposure to another country's culture so I found it very exciting to have recipes as well. During the knitting tour to North Iceland and the Textile Museum this summer, beside the knitting workshops, we will also prepare together a few traditional dishes from the book, so it's going to be a complete immersion in the Icelandic culture!

It' s not the first time I've mixed together food and knitting: in the book, you can see the copper cutters I have designed that allow you to make colorful cookies and food with the shape of an eight-petal rose, like the Icelandic shoe-inserts motifs. I worked as a chef in a popular Icelandic restaurant and as a mountain cook before I started as a mountain guide. And I have written a cooking book too: "The secret of good vinaigrette revealed to Icelanders" (Salka 2005, also in Icelandic, German and French)

5) The scenery in the photographs is absolutely stunning - is there a particular moment from the photoshoots that you'd like to share with us?

The photoshoot happened to be in January. At that time of the year, there is very little light in Iceland - only three hours a day - and it's the middle of the winter. There was a snow blizzard when the pictures were taken. Or it was freezing and the wind blowing like mad, meaning it was really really cold. I was never supposed to be on the pictures either, but my models couldn't last long and I had to jump in and use the time with the photographer! I like that the pictures convey a sense of the weather but also reflect a cultural trait of a tough and strong Icelandic woman.

 

©Arnaldur Halldorsson, reproduced with kind permission

6) Which is your favourite design in the book, and why?

That's a tough question! I don't know, I like them all ! Some I would certainly wear more than others. The Halldora scarf is special to me because I'm using my own Icelandic yarn, Love Story, a fine artisanal lace made of pure Icelandic wool. I select the wool very carefully, it is not bleached not treated and it is very soft compared to other Icelandic yarns. It really makes the difference for this design: the shawl is so light and airy, almost like the old ones!

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Thank you Hélène for sharing your thoughts and asnwering my questions! The book really is stunning, and I'm sure it's going to be very popular.

You can purchase the book from Hélène’s website, and here's the linky to the Ravelry page.

And finally, here are the blog tour details, so you can follow along:

April 11th, 2013: Donna Druchunas – sheeptoshawl.com
April 18th, 2013: Woolly Wormhead – www.woollywormhead.com/blog
April 25th, 2013: Mary Jane Mucklestone – maryjanemucklestone.com
May 2nd, 2013: Susan Crawford - justcallmeruby.blogspot.com
May 9th, 2013: Terri Shea – spinningwheel.net
May 16th, 2013: Alana Dakos - www.nevernotknitting.com

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The book's publisher, Voyageur Press,  have very kindly donated a copy of the book as a giveaway to one lucky winner! To take part simply leave a comment here and I'll randomly select one in a weeks time, on 25th April. Don't forget to leave your email address in the right field when leaving your comment, so I can get in touch!

ETA: this competition is now closed & the winner has been notified. Thanks so much for your interest!

Blog tour: Bare Naked Knitspot!

We're all familiar with Anne Hanson and KnitSpot designs, yes? I hope so, 'cos you should be! Anne is a much loved established indie designer, and rightly so. I've met Anne a few times now and she's such a lovely, warm and friendly person; someone you can't fail to like. And that comes across in her design work, too.

If you're not familiar with Bare Naked Knitspot here's a little rundown, in their own words:

Here is an appealingly different yarn and knitting club, in which we explore and knit a variety of yarns in their natural, undyed state. Through the knitting patterns offered and our clubhouse discussion threads, we'll learn to appreciate the unique characteristics each yarn brings to a Knitspot design.

Yarns will include a range of animal and/or vegetable fibers (sheep, goat, camelids, yak, silk, and cotton are some possibilities) in natural shades from cream to khaki to gray to chocolate—as close to the farm as knitting yarns can get. Some yarns will be soft, some will be lustrous, some will have stout, sturdy character that softens over time with long use (like vintage blue jeans). Each month's yarn and pattern is a surprise; yarn weights will vary and designs will focus on knitted accessories, scarves, shawls, and home items that feature fun to knit stitch patterns and/or interesting shaping.

Bare Naked Knitspot premiered in 2012 - it was such a success that there had to be a 2nd year, which starts on February 1st in a few weeks time. All of the forthcoming patterns are secret, and for my slot on the blog tour I thought I'd highlight some of the patterns from the previous year to give a taste of what is to come, and as is my thing, I'm gonna look at the Hat patterns.

March 2012 saw the release of 'Sky Cap' - a wonderful textured beret. The natural colour of the yarn really allows all that detail to stand out - I particularly like the striking crown detail. The cabled brim works well too - my own Sloochie uses a similar idea - the cable/rib stitch adds fresh interest to an area of a Hat which invariably is neglected, whilst still providing a practical edge. Each part of this Hat design has been considered carefully - and there really is so much to see! I imagine this Hat is a fun knit.

One of the things I really like about Anne's Hat designs is the sizing range. Y'all know I harp on about how one size doesn't fit all, and Anne knows this too. Sky Cap comes in a full 8 sizes, covering newborns up to large adults. So many sizes in one pattern guarantees there'll be something for everyone, and it makes it pretty good value, too.

The next Hat release in the 2012 club was the Peu Bourgeons Hat. This slouchy Hat makes the most of the natural drape of the yarn. The subtle detail on this one is a winner - the soft brim edge feeds into the diagonal lace pattern, which enhances the fit of the Hat perfectly. There's a lovely star detail at the crown, incorporating the lace pattern of the body, and you know the crown detail is something that makes or breaks a Hat design in my mind ;) Quite contrasting in style to the Sky Cap, adding variation to the designs from this club. The design of Peu Bourgeons Hat is perfect for the yarn choice here - a perfect combination.

Another winning aspect of Anne's designs - if you're a knitter who loves their accessories to be matching, then you'll be happy here. This Hat comes with matching mitts AND neckwarmer. 

The final Hat from the 2012 club will have pleased lovers of stranded knitting! The Apples in Clover Tam is worked up in natural shades of light fingering/3ply and is shown here in opposite colourways. Stranded designs don't always lend themselves to such a full range of sizes, yet here we see Anne include a generous 4 sizes. The motifs on the Hat work with the gentle natural shades of each of the yarns, creating a beautiful, warm Hat.

I'm sure you'll agree that these 3 Hat designs from the 2012 club not only show Anne's design skills to the full, but also show a great variety and skill level across the patterns in the club. We've seen textures and cables, lace and stranded colourwork. Each design is so intrinsically linked with it's yarn, making the most of the properties and natural colours.

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The patterns for the 2013 club are top secret - not even those invited to join the blog tour know what Knitspot have planned! That said, we can all be certain that the new club designs will be as rich and as detailed as those we've seen here. One of the great things about clubs like this is the element of surprise from a trusted and favourite designer - each month will bring a special yarn and a unique design to go with it.

Sign ups for the club are still open - you can read more about it on the Knitspot website, through the Ravelry group and on the Knitspot blog.

Enjoy!

All photos copyright © Knitspot, reproduced with kind permission.

Boys' Knits

'Boys' Knits' by Katya Frankel

I'm lucky enough to have several designer friends; friends with whom I can sit down and chat about the ins and outs of business, our design processes, what makes us tick, and all sorts of other non - design related topics. Katya Frankel is one such friend. We've met up for the day a few times now, and I always enjoy those get togethers.

Katya has a unique design style - timeless pieces with distinctive lines which result in modern classics - and when she first told me that she was putting together a book of knits for boys, I knew it would be a great book. And it is. Boys' Knits is now touring blogland, and for my stop on the tour, I thought it would be interesting to share some of that insight about her work, and so I asked her a few questions.

Without much further ado, here is Katya in her own words!

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1) When you start a fresh design, is there one part of the construction or a physical point that you start with first? For instance, when I design a Hat I start with the crown, and provided the maths of that works out, I move downwards into the body and brim sections. It may not be knit in that direction, but that's where my thinking starts. 

Almost every time I start at the underarm, somewhere in the early rounds of the armhole shaping to be precise and then figure out the yoke construction and shoulders. Usually it's the yoke construction and the the widest point on the chest and arms are the ones setting the final look of a sweater. They always have to come together before I venture off with any finishing details.

2) What was the greatest challenge to you when writing this book?

The actual writing was one of the biggest challenges for me, I haven't written anything of size in a long long time and was really worried whether I could manage it. In fact, originally the book was meant to be a pattern-only book. But as I progressed through the patterns, it became quite obvious that there had to be a good how-to section included, to cover sizing/re-sizing issues and finishing techniques at the very least. Organising the patterns by their styles and techniques helped a lot when I needed to decide what else should be highlighted in those how-to paragraphs.

'Trantor'

3) How did the experience of working with a publisher go for you? Cooperative Press bridges a gap between indie publishing and mainstream publishers, and it's a new and fascinating project. I'd love to hear more about how the project was managed, compared to the roles a publisher may traditionally take.

I really enjoyed the creative freedom I had with the book. With regards to putting a collection together it felt much like self-publishing - I was in charge of choosing the designs to be included, yarns, techniques. I was pretty much given a license to do as I pleased with anything relating to designs while Cooperative Press handled editing, tech editing, layout, organising promotion of it, etc. For a person who needs that creative control it is quite perfect in my opinion. I worked with both the editor and the tech editor closely through the editing processes which was also fab, and the fact that the book conveyed my vision very well speaks for itself!

4) Where does your love of timeless, textured knits come from?!

Good question, I suppose the timeless part stems from my own attitude towards clothes. I wouldn't be the first person to say that if I knit something for myself then I want it to last. And not just physically but something that can stay on-trend for a few years and put together with different outfits without looking odd. I love knits that never age, classic, functional and comfortable above all. But the texture is just something that I love working on at the moment, it's fun to knit. I go through periods of being completely taken by a particular technique, about 3 years ago, for example, it was all about cables on stocking stitch background. I tend to wear them out obsessively until it feels that I worked every possible combination of whatever technique I'm engrossed by at the time. Then move on to the next one!

'Runaround'

5) Which is your favourite garment in Boys Knits, and why?

Most of my favourites are to do with either the satisfaction I got from the way stitch patterns clicked together painlessly or those bordering on a love-hate verge because I loved the design and it took a lot of effort to make the sweater look like I wanted it to. I really like Runaround, which falls into the first category, for its pattern transition from a wider repeat to a narrower one, those concentric circles with shaping incorporated into the pattern were super pleasing to work on.

6) Where do you see your next challenge?

I am in the very final stages of putting a follow up book on accessories together and once it's finished I am hoping to start working on a small collection in a completely different directions. Beginning with a story-line and exploring a particular wardrobe style. I am quite excited about it. 

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Thank you Katya! Boys' Knits has been published through Cooperative Press, and you can either purchase directly from them for print and/or digital versions, or through Ravelry for the digital only version. More information can be found on Katya's website, which is well worth a browse, as I'm sure you'll enjoy more of her designs.

I'm keen to knit someting for Aran from the book; I'll let him choose which one he'd like and I'll keep you posted with my progress.

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And finally... Katya has very kindly offered a PDF copy of Boys Knits for a giveaway! To be in with a chance of winning the eBook, simply leave a comment here telling us which of the patterns you'd like to knit for the little man in your life and why. You can pop over and browse the individual jumpers through Ravelry, then pop back here and leave your comment. I'll leave the giveaway open until the 2nd November, when a winner will be randomly selected. Good luck!

All images © Katya Frankel, reproduced with kind permission.

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Why not check out some of the other blogs on the tour?

21 September - Kat Goldin of Slugs on the Refrigirator
25 September - Julia Vaconsin of Julia Vaconsin
28 September - Joeli Caparco of Joeli's Kitchen
2 October - Jacqui Harding of Happymaking Designs
5 October - Michelle Miller of Fickle Knitter
9 October - Carol Feller of Stolen Stitches
12 October - Joanne Scrace of Not So Granny
16 October - Anniken Allis of Confessions of a YarnAddict
19 October - Mari Muinonen of MadeByMyself
24 October - Katya Frankel of bingeknitter
26 October - Woolly Wormhead of Woolly Wormhead
30 October - Ann Kingstone of Ann Kingstone
2 November - Ella Austin of Bombella
9 November - Jill Zielinski of Knitterella
14 November - Kate Oates of Tot Toppers

CWT blog & podcast tour is a go-go!

To celebrate the recent release of Classic Woolly Toppers, there is going to be a blog and podcast tour that includes some fantastic folk who love Hats just as much as I do. The line up of those broadcasting and writing about Classic Woolly Toppers is really exciting as there are some very talented writers, designers, podcasters, and bloggers whose work I have enjoyed for some time.

Here is a line up of who you can expect to find talking about Classic Woolly Toppers

9^th September 2012 - The Electric Sheep Podcast hosted by Hoxton Handmade

13^th September 2012 - Subway Knits Podcast hosted by Maria MN

17^th September 2012 - Stolen Stitches Blog hosted by Carol Feller

21^st September 2012 - Tot Toppers Blog hosted by Kate Oates

25^th September 2012 - More Yarn Will Do the Trick Blog hosted by Jean Moss

29^th September 2012 – TheKnitgirllls Videocast hosted by Laura and Leslie

3^rd October 2012 - Sand And Sky Creations Blog hosted by Simone Van Iderstine

7^th October - Susan B Anderson Blog hosted by Susan B Anderson

11^th October 2012 - Dull Roar Blog hosted by Alex Tinsley

15^th October 2012 - rock+purl Blog hosted by Ruth Garcia-Alcantud

19^th October 2012 - Sheep to Shawl Blog hosted by Donna Druchanas

23^rd October 2012- do stuff! leethal Blog hosted by Lee Meredith

25^th October 2012 - Knitspot blog hosted by Anne Hanson

27^th October 2012 - Bricoleur Knits blog hosted by Cirilia Rose

31^st October 2012 - Just call me Ruby Blog hosted by Susan Crawford

Also, listen out for the Paula’s review in late October for the Knitting Pipeline Podcast that she’s squeezing in between lots of travels!

Each host will feature the book in a different way that will really help you to get to grips with what makes this book so special. The variety of different blog posts and type of presentation means that you can learn about the book in new ways and perhaps meet some new bloggers and podcasters along the way. Many of the hosts will be celebrating with discount codes or giveaways of all shapes and sizes so be sure to check each post out so that you don’t miss out on any fun!

Of course, if you cannot wait to get your hands on a copy of CWT, you can purchase the book over here, as well as find out more about the book and the individual patterns. Camden Cap is this months knit-a-long in the Wormhead's Hats Ravelry group - we'd love to see you over there too!