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The next talented Indie Designer I would like to introduce is Mary McCall of Wool & Fiber Originals. Mary lives in the Willamette Valley in the beautiful Pacific Northwest state of Oregon. Mary’s love of cables and lace has been translated into beautiful works of art for us to enjoy. Her amazing Orchid Leaf Pi Shawl was featured in Joslyn’s Fiber Farm’s Shawl of the Month Club in July 2004 and her cabled socks were featured in the Heels & Toes Gazette.
Mary was born on April Fool’s day, so she has quite an auspicious birthday to live up to. A drafter by trade, she tries to spend as much time as possible with her fiber-related hobbies which include spinning, knitting, sewing and quilting as well as horseback riding when the weather permits.
Mary learned to spin on a wheel that was given to her as a gift and she soon learned that “her” yarn didn’t match the gauge on any commercial pattern. Not willing to waste any of that precious first handspun, she decided to design her own sweater pattern. Luckily, she found Elizabeth Zimmermann and the pattern came easily.
One thing led to another, and she wanted to learn to knit lace, but the written, line-by-line instructions just didn’t work with her graphics-driven brain, so she started charting the motifs on the computer. When other knitters saw the shawls and socks, they requested patterns, and so W & F Originals was born.
Mary offers even more of her designs for sale on her website W & F Originals, where you’ll also find many of her patterns for Free, a great way to sample Mary’s work and pattern styling’s. You may also visit Mary at her blog, Cat’s Fiber Adventures. Mary always welcomes questions and feedback and loves to see pictures of the projects made from her patterns, she features them on the Customer Gallery at her website.
Next in my showcase of new Indie Designers to join my website is Chrissy Gardiner of Gardiner Yarn Works.
Gardiner Yarn Works is the creative outlet for otherwise full-time mommy Chrissy Gardiner. After learning to knit from her grandmother at age 10, Chrissy dabbled in the fiber arts (including knitting, crocheting, cross-stitch and needlepoint) for the past two decades before discovering her local yarn shop and the lovely luxury yarns therein. Knitting became her new obsession after discovering that wool is not always scratchy.
Chrissy’s designs have been published in Cast-On, Knitter’s and Knitscene magazines as well as the on-line magazines Mag-Knits and Spun. Look for her in the Fall ‘07 issues of Interweave Knits and Knitscene as well as in the upcoming books Big Girl Knits 2, Stitch n’ Bitch 3: An Advanced Knitting Manual, Just Socks, Just Gifts, Maternity Knits and Handpainted Knits. She is a member of The Knitting Guild Association, The Association of Knitwear Designers and The National Needlearts Association. You can also find her busily designing for Classic Elite, Blue Moon Fiber Arts, The Sweet Sheep, Hip Knits UK and Y2Knit when she’s not working on new patterns for her Gardiner Yarn Works line or fetching a sippy cup of milk for an impatient child. You may also visit Chrissy on her blog, Knittinmom.
And as if this isn’t enough, Chrissy is planning a very special sock knitting adventure, Sea Socks 2008! May 9, 2008, 7 nights round trip Seattle Alaska Inside Passage Cruise. On board you will have sock knitting fun, take new classes AND Meet Amy Singer of knitty.com, party with Mama E hand dyer of C*EYE*BER Fibers, learn with Chrissy Gardiner herself and chat with Brenda Dayne the delightful voice behind Cast-On.
All Gardiner Yarn Works patterns have been tested by multiple knitters and professionally tech edited, including any of their free patterns. Chrissy recommends her free patterns as a great way to “try before you buy” and see if the style and instructions in her patterns meet your knitting needs. Besides being a multi talented fiber artist Chrissy is thoughtful and kind! I am very lucky to be able to offer you Chrissy’s wonderful designs.
Please visit my site to see Chrissy wonderful work…Autumn In Oregon Socks, Lazy River Socks, Lobster Pot Socks, Underwater Basketweaving Socks, Walk In The Woods Socks, Winter Branches Pullover and Passport Pouch.
My Favorite Websites for Free Patterns and Knit & Crochet instruction!
Next on my list of the new Indie Designers to join my website is the extraordinary Sivia Harding! You may be familiar with this talented designer’s work from Knitty.com where her Rolling Thunder & Reptilian Lace Socks and Tendrils & Frill Stole patterns are offered for Free.
Sivia Harding is a designer with a growing following who dabbles in lace, beads and most recently socks. Besides knitty.com her work has been featured in several books: No Sheep For You, Big Girl Knits, Knitgrrl 2 and the soon to be released Big Girl Knits 2. She has been featured in the Australian magazine, Yarn, and has two designs currently available with Blue Moon Fiber Arts, with more projects planned for the future.
Lately, she has been busy developing new designs and sharing her love for beads, lace, socks and Moebius knitting by teaching Classes in the Vancouver, BC area yarn shops and guilds. If you’re lucky enough to attend one of Sivia’s classes please share your experience with us! You may also visit Sivia at her Blog, Siviaharding.
I am delighted to offer you Sivia’s Journey Cable Socks, Gothic Leaf Stole, Diamond Fantasy Shawl & Shetland Garden Faroese Shawl, all available as instant PDF Downloads.
Allow me to introduce Renee Leverington of Goddess Knits, another Indie Designer who has agreed to allow me to bring you her simply divine Shawl & Sock patterns!
Renee actually taught herself to knit from a book. Her first project was a pair of mittens with double points, she claims she was feeling adventurous and I would have to agree! She began designing knitting patterns a little over three years ago beginning with an online Mystery Shawl group on Yahoo. She has since hosted more Mystery groups and now designs specifically to sell her patterns. Currently she is hosting a Mystery Shawl and a Mystery Sock group, visit her at Goddessknits.com to learn more.
Renee was also a winner of Cherry Tree Hill’s design contest for their new Sugar Maple Colorway. Her Carnival Glass Shawl won second place and is also available on my site. Renee is married with one daughter, one grandson and 3 fur-kids!
Please enjoy Renee’s Designs. Shawls…Butterfly Wings, Desert Sun, Diamonds Are A Girl’s Best Friend, Emerald Isle, Flowing River, Mystery Diamond, Ocean Tide, Petticoat, Spring Garden and Summer Into Fall. And Socks…Cable Medallion, Cerridwen, Mabon Harvest and Rhiannon.
Emerald Isle Shawl
Cerridwen Socks
Diamond Mystery Shawl
I was really glad my husband I were able to get to New York City in time to see the Museum of Art & Design’s Radical Lace and Subversive Knitting exhibit. It was a provocative and timely exhibition featuring 27 artists using fiber in unexpected and unorthodox ways. It was wonderful to see these artists take knitting and lace making beyond a hobby & make political, social, economical and even historical statements with their works, it gave me new food for thought about these crafts!
The Museum of Art & Design said it best…”A burgeoning body of contemporary art derives its timeliness and its provocative impact through the artists’ choice of mediums identified with traditional craft. In recognition of the vitality and impact of material- and process-driven art making, exhibitions of art made in fiber appear at major art museums and galleries around the world; at the same time, popular interest in knitting, lace making, and crocheting is at an all time high.
Early in the 20th century, such artists as Annie Albers and Marcel Duchamp validated the artistic merit of craft-based mediums. Later it was the bold and transgressive actions of artists like Judy Chicago, whose mid-1970s “Dinner Party,” blasted away the foundation of the wall between art and craft. Since that time, craft mediums have played an increasingly prominent role in the visual arts. Lately, lace making and knitting in particular have both experienced a renaissance; dozens of artists from around the world have become skilled practitioners of these beloved traditional handcrafts. The work being produced, however, is far from traditional, often radical, and sometimes socially, politically, and artistically subversive. The artists in this exhibition are experimenting with forms never before dreamed of, are using techniques in the most unorthodox and exciting ways, exploring new relationships between structure, design, color, and pattern, and using the materials and techniques to examine pressing contemporary issues that range from international politics and global problems to concerns of gender, race, and religion.”
As for me my favorite work was Althea Merback’s microknit garments (1/144 scale), a pair of gloves and doll size sweaters one with an Egyptian and the other a Roman theme. They made me reminisce about my early knitting experiences, my sister and my mom knitting Barbie Doll clothes for me.
We were also amazed with Piper Shepard’s lace panels, she cut each intricate piece of the pattern with an Exacto Knife!
And my husband loved David Cole’s huge American Flag knit with two John Deere excavators and 20 foot knitting needles made out of telephone poles! The photo below is just a 1:50 scale model!
Here we, waiting for the doors to open! If you missed the show, hopefully you’ll have another opportunity as it truly is worth a visit.
I have some very exciting news! I’ve just met a number of Indie Knitwear Designers who would like to make their remarkable designs available to you on my website! I’m going to start the introductions of these talented knit & crochet artists by first introducing Melissa Wehrle of Neoknits. I think you’re going to fall in love with Melissa’s original design, the Granny Smith Cardigan. A fresh, yet romantic design in lace that you’ll enjoy knitting as much as the compliments you’ll get while wearing it.
Meet Melissa Wehrle: My Grandmother taught me how to knit when I was seven years old. However, I quickly lost interest making Barbie tube dresses and put down the needles for several years. My passion was renewed when I moved to New York City. I graduated from the Fashion Institute of Technology in May 2002 and have worked as a knitwear designer in the industry ever since. Currently I am the Junior/Contemporary designer for a sweater manufacturer in New York City. In my free time, I design handknit patterns for Neoknits and a number of small yarn companies such as Sundara Yarns, Hipknits, Black Pearl Yarns and Lanas Puras. I am also the Creative Director for One Planet Yarn and Fiber.
I am delighted that Melissa has agreed to make her patterns available, as PDF instant Downloads, on my site. I look forward to her next garment, she tells me she has many ideas on the needles.
One of my customers, Rita, just launched her own line of Knitting Greeting Cards, Knitwit Designs! Each pack has 4 cards with different drawings on front and blank on the inside.
Meet the Designer: “Rita is a knitter and had an idea to create some fun note cards to give to friends & family along with their hand crafted gifts. Then she realized these whimsical cards would also be great for birthdays, thank you, thinking of you and more. Elisabeth Markus, a designer/illustrator was able to create Rita’s ideas on paper. These whimsical note cards will bring joy & a smile to those you share them with. Be creative and use them for any occasion!”
Congratulations Rita!
Its a perfect fit, summer’s hot weather just puts you in the mood for little, light weight projects that are portable and won’t sit heavily in your lap as you knit. Between Debby Ware’s adorable baby garment & accessory Kits, Wendy Bernard’s new Bounce skirt & Pat Feeley’s animal inspired scarves, you’ll find just the right idea for the little ones awaiting the magic of your needles.
I’m pleased to announce that the fabulous designs of Debby Ware have been added to my website. Debby is famous for her love of designing baby garments! She thinks the best part of dressing babies is they can’t argue with you so you can let your imagination fly! And she does…
Just in time for Spring & Summer, here’s Wendy Bernard’s cute and easily knit skirt, Bounce, for girls ages/sizes two to 14. Knit in the round in one piece from the top of the waist down to the ruffle, you can work Bounce in random or even stripes, or in one color only. Come to think of it, you could knit it in a single color and work the ruffle in a contrasting one. The waistband has an elastic band that’s sewn in after the fact so the skirt stays put.
And get a head start on those Stocking Stuffers with Pat Feeley’s, of High Country Knitwear, fun, animal inspired scarves the Bison and Raccoon.
I experienced my very first Yarn Crawl! The Austin Knitting & Crocheting Meetup Group hosted a yarn crawl of 10 knitters visiting 5 previously unknown yarn shops in the Austin area, and I was very happy to be chosen as one of these shops. This fabulous group of knitters arrived and proceeded to SHOP! They had a ball, asked lots of wonderful questions and I was sad to see them go. Word is they’ll be back again in the Fall. If you’re interested in joining this fun bunch of knitters visit them on Meetup.com
This is me, sitting down, with Nicki the organizer & ”Van Driver” & Carroll, we’re all admiring Carroll’s new Susan Todd Recycled Knitting Bag.
The Gals busy Shopping!
Lynn admiring Schaefer. BTW: She knit her Shawl & it is gorgeous!
The Whole Gang in front of my house!