My favorite designer

In my last post I talked about the Knit Wit at the Shores knitting retreat that I went to this summer up in Searsport, Maine. Had a total blast. Met some amazing people and made a couple of new friends! I also had the opportunity to take a couple of classes with Bristol Ivy, a knitting design goddess. Bristol questions the traditions and conventions of knitting…she will never say something like, “Well, that’s the way it’s always been done”. I have, however, heard her say, “Question everything!”. And, for the record, Bristol is not only a total design goddess, but she is a fantastic knitter with mad skills, and in possession of an incredibly kind and generous soul. Yes, you heard me right. I am totally #fangirling over here.

One of Bristol’s published books, Knitting Outside the Box, contains 15 of her amazing patterns that each explore different concepts. For example, taking elements from different things and combining them into something new and wonderful (affectionately known as a “mashup”). Or, using different rates of increases and/or decreases to get some interesting shapes, often combining different rates in the same piece. The list goes on. I knew that I had to have this book, and, unlike every other pattern book I’ve ever seen or bought, I wanted to make everything in it. 

Since I’ve only been knitting for not quite three years and designing for all of four months, I thought I’d set myself a goal of working through every pattern in this book.  I am 100% confident that this will make me a far better knitter and a more creative designer. If you look at my current designs, you may notice that they are straightforward and conventional in both shape and method. My earliest designs have been all about doing fun stuff with color in a very standard shape. If I want to be a better designer, I need to up my game and expand my arsenal of design tools.

So. Over the next 30 months, I plan to make all the designs in Knitting Outside the Box. As I go, I will apply a concept or technique that I learned to my own designs. And I will write about it. Best of all, Bristol herself will help me along the path.

As I continue my design journey, I cannot think of a better teacher and mentor than Bristol Ivy. First project is already on the needles – the Harjo Shawl. It explores combining different triangle shapes in one project, using different rates of increase to change the shapes. It is beautiful and really unique. And at the risk of revealing my inner nerd…the shape kind of reminds me of the Millennium Falcon…which makes it even cooler!

So, stay tuned, dear readers. I hope you’ll follow me on my journey into Bristol Land!