Knititude

Wrought Iron Tote

Tanis Gray's recent book Knitting Architecture includes one of my patterns, the Wrought Iron Tote. The book contains a lot of great patterns over a wide range of styles; some of my favorites are the King's College Pullover by Mari Muinonen, the Fisher Building Mittens by Jane Dupuis, and Tanis' own Bird's Nest Shrug.While the sidebars on architectural inpirations are fun and informative, this is not primarily a book about the architecture and construction of knitted garments, but rather includes garments inspired by classic or well-known examples of architecture and architectural ornament.

I created the stranded motif for the Wrought Iron Tote when I was working up a number of stranded patterns for use in my self-published collection, Ferrovia. Like the motifs included in the Brandt Cardigan, Renee Pullover and Quotidiana Hat, the motif I used for the tote was inspired by wrought iron designs from the Exposition des Art Decoratifs in Paris in 1925 (the exhibition which gave rise to the term "Art Deco").

This project was really the first of its type for me (the only other bag I had ever designed was the Rose of Sharon bag, which is very different!). So I was very conscious of practical considerations, such as the ideal size of the bag (roomy, but not so wide it couldn't fit comfortably under the arm), how to stabilize and reinforce the bottom, and how to make sure the strap did not stretch out with use. I thought about felting the fabric (the yarn was Brooklyn Tweed Shelter, which can be felted), but when I felted a swatch to see what happened, the stranded areas felted unevenly, and after talking it over with Tanis, we decided to use a non-stretchy lining instead. So the interior and strap are lined with canvas, and the bottom is reinforced with a plastic needlepoint canvas panel, sandwiched between the knit fabric and the lining. You could also add feet to the exterior of the base to prevent scuffing; another handy addition would be to add an interior pocket or two to the lining.

(All photos courtesy of F+W Media.)

Ferrovia patterns are finally done!

Posted in Brandt Cardigan, Design Process, Ferrovia, Inspiration, Original Pattern, Quotidiana Hat, Renee Pullover, on 4 June 2012 - 11:52am

After many months from concept to execution, the patterns in the Ferrovia booklet are finally finished and ready for purchase.

It was while we were living in Como, Italy that I started to take note of the many examples of decorative wrought iron around the city: gates, fences, transoms, railings; many were simple or oft-repeated, but occasionally I would spot a unique and/or particularly striking specimen. However, the inspiration for this first booklet came from the Exposition des Arts Decoratifs, an exhibition of architecture and decorative arts held in Paris in 1925, and which gave rise to the term "Art Deco;" after my interest in wrought iron was piqued by our time in Como, I found a book which included photos of many of the unique wrought iron pieces from this exhibit.

I confess that much as I love the results of stranded knitting, for me it is a slow process, as I have not yet learned to carry a color in each hand, or two colors in one hand; I pick up and drop the separate strands of yarn each time there is a color change. So I decided very early on to use stranded motifs as accents rather than an allover pattern.

Technically the stranded portions of the two sweaters are a bit challenging; although the swirls within the motics do mirror each other, they are linked in such a way that the overall designs are asymmetrical. The hat motif is simpler, and clearly symmetrical. The longest floats span 7 stitches in the Renee Pullover, 6 stitches in the Quotidiana Hat, and 8 stitches in the Brandt Cardigan.

The Renee Pullover, Quotidiana Hat and Brandt Cardigan can be purchased as separate patterns (all patterns are sold in the form of downloadable PDF files); each individual sweater pattern is $7, and the hat pattern is $4. But the Ferrovia booklet, at $12, is a substantial savings (33%) over the total price of the individual patterns.

Now that these patterns are finished, I can turn to an extensive library of photos of wrought iron I took around Como for further inspiration; and then there is all of the wonderful Art Deco ironwork in New York City; Paris; San Francisco; the gorgeous Niagara Mohawk building in Syracuse, NY (where I grew up); and then I can envision not only stranded, but cabled and textured designs using wrought iron as inspiration... so perhaps someday I will get around to Ferrovia booklets II, II, IV....

Ferrovia series: another sneak peek

Here is a sneak preview of the Quotidiana hat, the next design in the Ferrovia series, inspired by wrought iron architectural accents. The large-scale stranded border was patterned after a wrought iron grille from the Exposition of the Decorative Arts in Paris in 1925. I added garter stitch earflaps, spiraled tassels, and a contrast rolled edge-- but these can also be easily omitted for a simpler cap. Pattern coming soon!