Dawn Brocco's Life and Design Blog

Of the 4 yarns sent to me (as a member of the Association of Knitwear Designers) to swatch for TNNA's GWOY, I used 3. The last was 85% cotton and I just can't get myself to want to knit with cotton yarns. Most cottons do nothing for me.

So, here's the 3 mini samples and backgrounds.



Though a handpainted yarn (which ya'll know I don't like), this was dyed in short color lengths, so the overall effect was less sharply variegated, more subtle haze, like a daydream. I had a whole 100 grams and immediately I knew I wanted a mini coat or jacket from it.

So I designed a kimono-style jacket, with waist shaping, shaped sleeves and a deep collar/front bands. For a closure (that would be less likely to be snatched while on display!), I found an assortment of colored safety pins in various sizes, at Joann's.

This yarn took a bit of thinking. I had no spontaneous design idea, as when I held and saw the Misti Alpaca yarn. Though a GREAT fiber blend, it's less soft than it could be, as it's more firmly spun than one usually sees. This, however, should be good for wear.

In the end, it was the color that decided the design - a long red stocking cap with a cabled fold-up cuff.

This yarn is handpainted, as well, but also in fingering wt., which I never use - a double whammy for me! I (briefly) considered a mini sock, but I really don't like to knit with US 0's or 1's, even for a small sample, so I doubled the yarn and made a stockinette watchcap with a twisted ribbed cuff. Doubling the handpainted yarn further softened the changes in color.

The photos are not as good as I'd like, but after retaking them several times, I got weary! Here's one last photo showing the size of the samples against a ruler.


Onward.

Labels: GWOY

As a member of AKD (Association of Knitwear Designers), I signed up this year to do a few swatches for the Great Wall of Yarn (GWOY), which is displayed at the January TNNA show. The yarns came in today and they're all lovely. I can't be at TNNA, but at least some swatches will be.

In the box is 1 hank each of (right to left in the photo):


Now to come up with some fab ideas, which I'll post as they're done, and design some really neat hang tags.

Working on the tea cozy photos - only a matter of days now....

Labels: AKD, GWOY, TNNA