IT'S ALL GONE A BIT "PETE TONG"

A fabulous find! Just so me , just bought and worn at "The Knit Show" Stoneleigh 2011













Ok so a few weeks ago "The Daisy tearooms "opened at the end of my street, it's very shabby chic; celebrate the war style, opened up on the thee wedding day of the year and my children were amazed at real sugar cubes! comes complete with crochet doillies!














Spoke to the lovely Ruby who runs the place, and we are now planning a knit club on weekday evenings......place to be-when and where to be confirmed...














This leads me to my now project...a "HOME" crochet bunting to welcome her to the village of Mapplewell......not quite sure how it will turn out yet but hey loving the freestyling.















MMMMMM but the first home "O" not good so a work in progress......














Beginnings of a "H" for home but needs to be redone me thinks; too gathered!














MMMMMM so sunday we went to knit cafe, Wakefield.
Started by my Sirdar work pal Nessa at Neros......










..so there we were 3 weeks in the planning to turn up at the right week and it was only us! (Nessa , me and my daughter) but hey all is needed for knit cafe is knit and a cafe, right?



















So what was my project?.....flowers for my crochet shoes because although love them not sure about the bows.
















Nessa and her Sirdar baby garment.


















And so to more cushions (Lol it's been a busy ol week)
Some of my furniture in my move back up north got a wee bit damaged so I am trying to make quick mends, as in cushions, to cover up the damage and utilize seating areas...
...hence cheap Ikea cushions and wee bit of creative knit

Yarns used on my WIP...to be continued!

'POPPY-ROSE DRESS' my favourite design...

(Scan from my Interflora leaflet)

Finally finished! My first real garment from '...in an English country garden' collection. This unique special occasion dress began its origins from a simple beautiful bouquet of bright pink flowers teamed with the natural acid green of its leaves. The fabric was a end of line roll with limited amount of metre-age available, so I had to work with what I had. This inspired me to design a collection themed on English country gardens, and in turn this particular design can be also available in Ivory soya silk as a elegant unusual wedding dress.

....From design illustration to actual garment. The crochet is made from random flower patterns which I have written from Rowan Lenpur Linen, Debbie Bliss cashmere and cotton, and deadstock 100% cotton. Therefore yet another Eco-idealology dress from end of line and natural fibres.

....The main design feature is the back 'bustle' detail, with a montage of textural crochet flowers forming a hip emphasizing shape, enhanced by the curved darting. I am really please by this outcome but GOSH! did it take some work....

The edges of the hem and armholes are trimmed with picot crochet in cotton, which is a pretty good match to the woven satin.

..the front and back waist has been treated to pin-tucking which helps to pull in the waist area. The top is shaped with a scooped neck, reminiscent of Edwardian necklines, it in turn is covered with '...an English country garden'.

...The side view shows how the 'bustle' area is quite textural and stands out from the main dress...

..the side view shows fine lace crochet inserts at the waist area to add interest. Overall this is one of my personal favourites as the dress has such impact both in colour and texture. It will be on a display stand to view at the forth coming Twisted Thread, knit and stitch show at Alex. Palace, London in early October. Please come say hello. x

...This design can be ordered to be bespoke made, in any colour of fabric or yarn and size desired.

'MINI-ME' BACKBONE CARDIGAN

(Cable stitch for back-bone back detail in cashsoft cotton)


Whilst also working towards my products to be launched at the Twisted thread shows, 8th-11th October at Alexandar Palace, I managed to fit in a smaller version of my previously blogged 'Back bone cardigan'. This mini-me was for my daughter for a friends wedding.

...this mini version used padded love-hearts for the fastenings instead of the previous vintage heavy brooch....a wee bit more child friendly!

...the cardigan used mohair, silk and cashmere in a soft mixture of muted pinks to form an interesting mix. The sleeves ironically used old bones rib.

...the back cable detail follows on from the shawl collar and ends underneath the lower rib. This not only adds unique detailing but serves to help anchor the collar.

PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHY FOR DISORDER MAGAZINE

Last year I was lucky enough to be chosen to take part in a photo shoot for Disorder magazine....

....These photographs are just a small selection from this shoot; I rediscovered them when I was in the process of reinstalling my images after my virus...

....The twinset was hand knitted from Cashmere, Silk, Mohair and Alpaca.....and was themed from the images of how beautiful the inside of the body can be for the collection , Hung, Drawn & Quoted...

...I have a wedding invite in a few weeks time, and have decided to finally grant my 8 year olds wish and make her a mini-me version to wear to it....

....I have bought some different yarns for it, this time being a very beautiful yet expensive silk with mohair from knitwitches and pure new wool from Wensleydale sheep shop, I will combine these with my left over yarn when my ROWAN competition pattern writing has been finished which uses Rowan organic pure cotton. This will give me a pretty but more unusual blend of soft and raspberry pinks; my plan is to create a face made up of little raspberry coloured strawberries! for a more suitable fastening for a little girl rather than the vintage brooche utilized in the original catwalk version.....Hopefully I will have time!

CHUNKY CROCHET SLOPPY JOE

...This is a work in progress....Crochet using chunky and D.K yarn in cotton and unusually for me some Acrylic. I am working on staple pieces to embellish with my Harajuko style dolls heads for the Leeds Fashion show 2009. The sampling has seen use of crochet ribs and stocking stitch knit using variable needle sizes.

... I found how to create mock cable in crochet by use of bobbles and relief crochet chain stitch for the lower top.

The upper egding makes use of a overturn shawl collar; which again has crochet rib and mock cable. I am happy with the textures created, something a little different for me from my delicate knits, but need to work on the silhouette now....to be continued!

....I will be launching my designs at the forth coming Twisted Thread, Knit & stitch shows 2009. http://www.twistedthread.com/pages/exhibitions/listExhibitions.aspx

...IN A COUNTRY GARDEN-new collection

One of my many ongoing projects! Finished title 'In an English Country Garden...' A collection inspired by the lovely flowers of England and the way the images of cells of the body can often mimick flower style. Crochet plays a huge part in this collection with Lily, Rose, Poppy, Daisy, Bluebells (my favourite flower along with Poppies) and Foxgloves all having a say.


...I am working on this project to have finished A3 size samples and 1-2 finished garments for my launch at The Knit and Stitch Show at Alexandar Palace, London in October. But its hard going as I am also working on 3 other collections to have samples made for this. Including Bridal, Vintage (inspired by iconic figures) and Harajuko dolls (Younger funkier collection, which if I have enough time! will take part in the Leeds Fashion Show 2009). So far at least on this 'In a Country Garden...' collection I have all the 9 design boards finished and am working on the A3 swatches.

...The collection includes use of curved seams and natural fibres, with silk, bamboo and milk yarn crochet details.

...This image shows my workings so far on Poppies, Roses, Daisy and Bluebells, all in crochet in Sirdar Juicy bamboo on a 3.5 hook.

...Image depicts mood board for the collection.

....I will be launching my designs at the forth coming Twisted Thread, Knit & stitch shows 2009. http://www.twistedthread.com/pages/exhibitions/listExhibitions.aspx

RECYCLED CROCHET BRACELET

Today I have mostly been working on.......recycling my left over cabbage! yarn. This also makes use of the inside of certain spun yarns around inner cardboard tubes...

...Take one inner cardboard tube and Crochet a 4 treble width band until it is long enough to wrap around the tube, inside and out. Once long enough wrap around the tube which has previously been painted in a corresponding tonal colour. Then slip stitch using a darning needle the ends of the band together to secure on the tube.

...Then pick up (using a mixture of your left over yarn ends) a stitch of the wrapped around band and make chains, anchoring at random points up and down, around the bracelet. On this one I have made a focal point by creating a circle of chains at one point which has been reworked into to form a free style flower. The chains can then be reworked if desired with rows of doubles and trebles to form a sculptured look.

....I will be launching my designs at the forth coming Twisted Thread, Knit & stitch shows 2009.
http://www.twistedthread.com/pages/exhibitions/listExhibitions.aspx

WHEN IS A KNIT NOT A KNIT?!!!!

One of the things I love experimenting with is the mixture of knitwear with wovens, to construct a new idea which is not what one would necessarily preconceive as being knitwear...


....Also I wonder why there seems to be very little mixture of crochet working with handknit???? Yes we see knitwear with finishings (sealings) of crochet but not when both are implemented into the main..... On my collection 'The Line of Beauty' (Which is a phrase used to describe the sinulous 's' shape formed by the female ideal) I used basic Treble crochet with basic stocking stitch hand knit with knitted and crochet bobbles. Debbie Bliss 100% pure silk was used along with reminants of cashmere, Alpaca and mohair Silk

The 2 work really well together and by doing this it makes for half the work as the seams are joined during the making and not at the end, which are much neater and less bulky.

Slight mixing of the needle size can also add texture without over complicating the pattern writing.

This image depicts a swatch sample using knit , crochet and wovens, albeit the woven in this case being flesh, naked; to give the appearance of the knitwear floating.

....I will be launching my designs at the forth coming Twisted Thread, Knit & stitch shows 2009.

http://www.twistedthread.com/pages/exhibitions/listExhibitions.aspx

PRACTISE MAKES PERFECT?

Artistic first interpretation or developed work practised upon? When I first started out I worked with the ideas in my head and used all the ideas....

...before going back to University I began a European discussion on a new site which sparked many a international comment: Being that does education in the arts make creativity staled and institutionalised?...


After being in the University environment I now find free form style knitwear much harder than before and tend to work from a swatch samples design side...

...results being that although I now can quite quickly produce a plethora of knit samples/ knit swatches, which conform to industry standards...the question remains within me have I sold my soul to the devil?!!!!!

( I will be exhibiting at the Twisted Thread, knit and stitch shows, England In 2009, dates to follow. Please come visit me)