Towards the end of last year, whilst things were pretty hectic, I rather hurriedly released my Badbury Shawl pattern on Ravelry, but never got round to writing a blog post. I’ve been wearing my prototype constantly since I knitted it last Easter so I thought it was high time I rectified matters and told you a little bit about it, and offered a belated launch discount to celebrate the leap year. Badbury is a crescent shaped … More Badbury Shawl
I’m very pleased to be able to announce the release of my newest shawl pattern, Anthriscus. Launched at Woolfest, Anthriscus is a ‘V’ shaped shawl knit from tip to tip, starting at one end and increasing to the centre, working a contrast central section with short rows then working decreases in the third colour to the opposite tip. Knitted in textured stitches on 5mm needles the Fenella yarn creates a lovely fabric with fabulous drape. The shawl … More Anthriscus
Common’s Drape is my new shawl launched to mark the 175th anniversary of the birth of Thomas Hardy at Higher Bockhampton, Dorset. The name comes from the poem, ‘On a Heath’, I could hear a gown-skirt rustling Before I could see her shape, Rustling through the heather That wove the common’s drape, On that evening of dark weather When I hearkened, lips agape. And the town-shine in the distance Did … More Common’s Drape: A new shawl design
Anyone who read the blog post that accompanied the launch of my Lewth shawl will be aware that I am a fan of Thomas Hardy. Tomorrow, 2nd June 2015 is the 175th anniversary of Hardy’s birth and I will be marking this occasion with the release of my newest shawl. Here’s a little teaser of what is to come. But today, I thought I’d share another of Hardy’s poems. Hardy published over 900 poems in … More That Kiss in the Dark
The Heywood Hill shawl takes its inspiration from the use of bold colour blocks and simpler cuts and shapes characteristic of 1920s and 1930s fashions. Influenced by modernist avant-garde artistic movements, such design features were a stark contrast with the Edwardian pastels and more complex, structured garments. It is perhaps this degree of contrast that slowed the move from innovative turn of the century haute couture, to wider adoption. Although the relative speed of change … More Knits for a Cold Climate: Heywood Hill