'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!

'AMALGAMATION'

...This dress was an amalgamation of new and previous ideas between my friend Iza and myself. It uses Polish Linen cut on the bias and huge mohair (Charity shop buy a few years ago, and been sitting in a box asking to be used ever since) crochet Irish roses, mixed with net and recycled feathers...

...it was difficult to make the roses big enough to have textural impact without being too heavy, not sure if this was achieved. As one project very often leads to another, I am now working on new items based on this idea.

The dress was called 'Monet' because it reminded me of his famous poppy painting. (A painting I grew up with on my mums wall, which I looked into everyday to find new things)...

Overall an altogether cosmopolitan dress! with Yorkshire, Polish and Irish connections in its making. Enquiries for purchase of this item or similar can be made through http://www.ustrendy.com/angel-hattons-quirky-little-knits/

....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

GRADUATE CATWALK SHOW

In 2008 I graduated, having shown at Graduate fashion week, London. Where I was nominated for The Pringle Visionary Knitwear award. (Please click on the above title to see more images) My collection was titled 'Hung, Drawn & Quoted' which was based on the inside of the body, using bones, cells and brains as inspiration for my knitwear patterns. HD&Q was also a play on words; Clothes are hung, designs drawn and hopefully the collection would be quoted......

.....Thankfully it was and a very lovely review was written on fashioncapital.co.uk (http://www.fashioncapital.co.uk/content/view/9357/)

My favourite collection piece was this handknit frontless cardigan which made use of the backbone in cables. It was part of a twinset in Cashmere, Alpaca and Silk. The garment has now sold.