Twinkle's Weekend Knits

I was supposed to review this title a while ago. Just didn't get around to it! This is Wenlan Chia's second book. She's focused on making really fast and easy projects. There tends to be a lot of scarves in this book, not as many styles of garments like the first one. I like the style and format of the book. But if you're after Twinkle's most stylish, go for the first book, which has far more interesting designs. This second one is really meant for quickie projects.

Be My Friend!

Are you on Ravelry yet? If so, add me as a friend! I just joined recently. Would love to get to know who you are, dear readers! My screen name is atung. See you soon!

Look Ma, I'm in a Japanese magazine!

It came as a bit of a surprise that my photo appeared in a Japanese magazine this month. The magazine is called Keitodama. The article is about the Knit-1 course I took. That's me on the far right, the lovely tutor, Catherine, and Yean, my course mate.

The Knit-1 Experience

Here are a couple of photos I took during the Knit-1 course. You can read about it here.



Every week starts off with a mood board relating to the technique we are working on.



This is my classmate, Yean, working ona design.



Every week, we explore a new technique and just play with it, coming up with all sorts of crazy ideas and then we'll working on a garment sample.

Free Pattern in Canadian Living

It's funny when you go away for a while and you stop paying attention to the internet so much. I googled my own name and found out that my publishers have been working PR on my behalf. Check out the pattern from Hats, Mittens and Scarves featured in Canadian Living!

Pitti Filati S/S 09

During the course, Knit-1 was showing at Pitti Filati, so I took the liberty of attending the show as an extra part of educating myself about the knitwear trade. Pitti Filati is known as the best show to see regarding fine Italian yarns and innovative kitting technology. This year;s theme was called "Water Line". Because industry works far ahead of time, this show was for spring/summer 2009! Here are my some of favorite images from the show.




This was from a display from one of the yarn spinner's booth. Reminds me of a certain Jean-Paul Gautier piece!



One of the show displays was focused on ecologically-friendly yarns, they had samples of garments hanging on display set against a background of a wood area.



And they have tables with yarn and fibers so that you could touch and jot down the sources . Meant for buyers to do their shopping more efficiently.





They also did a display regarding the theme of the show. So the displays were made of yarn from the spinners at the show and took form of under water sea creatures!



Cia, bella! I learned some Italian while I was in Florence.

Attention Aspiring Knitwear Designers!

Ever wonder where some of the ideas come from for a fabulous sweater from Kenzo or Top Shop? It may have come from the likes of a swatch design company like Knit-1, a top seller of copyrighted knitwear designs to fashion houses and fashion retailers worldwide.

I've been living in Brighton, Uk for the past three months taking an intensive course in knitwear design offered by Knit-1. What makes this course different from your average college or uni course is that it is truly intensive—full-time, to be exact, course hours are 10 am to 5 pm! I think this makes it the best value for your tuition fees! (Knit-1's course fees are about one-tenth the price of a degree corse, but covers much more in a short period of time). Not to mentioned if you might have already completed a degree elsewhere and don’t want to attend school again, this is the perfect solution. Also if you don’t live near a school offering a short course in knitwear, it is hardly worthwhile to purposely move there to take a course that is only 6 hours a week! You can come into the course with little to no experience and come out with the skills and confidence to become a professional knitwear designer, so long as you are motivated to do so. The people who come to this course are not coming here for the certificate of completion, but rather with a genuine interest and desire to learn.



What the course is like on a day-to-day basis
As mentioned, the course runs full-time. We spend the first portion of the week learning the specific technique designated for that week. The tutor, who is also a designer for Knit-1, demonstrates and gives us exercises to grasp the concept of the technique. The middle of the week is spent experimenting, crating swatches of knitted fabric using the technique taught to us. The end of the week is spent designing garment samples from the swatches we made. Fridays mornings include a review with Knit-1 owners, Sue and Richard. They look over the work to track your progress and offer valuable feedback to help you along. Also, on occasions, a short excursion in the Brighton area is taken to places of possible inspiration!

Course contact
The course is taught using domestic knitting machines. I know from experience how terribly written the machine manuals are, so I jumped at the opportunity to learn from an expert. Though I recommend taking the full course, you can take parts of the course in 4 weeks, 8 weeks, or 12 weeks. This is how the weeks are split up, and what techniques are taught.

Weeks 1 to 4: Stripe, Jacquard, Pointelle (Lace) & Cables

Weeks 5 to 8: Fashioning Contours, Fairisle, Intarsia & Crochet.

Weeks 9 to 12: Customer Project (with Top Shop) and Portfolio preparation.

Why this is best way to learn?
Because you spend all day at the studio learning, trying, practicing! There is nothing worse to distract the learning curve than having to write research papers or taking four other courses all at once! From my own experience, the first couple weeks can be a real challenge to learn to use the knitting machine. But like playing the piano, once you know where all the keys are, and exactly what you need to do, it will come naturally. This approach is a very good way to learn and challenge your self as a designer. It is this very process that helps you come up with original ideas (having worked in design studios, I know that many times the thought process can become stale and unoriginal, as we are often encouraged to simply copy from what is trendy). After the course, I felt that my confidence in my skills was restored. I've never filled up a sketchbook so fast!

Working with industry
Knit-1 is first and foremost a swatch design business; their focus is on maintaining industry standards. Being in such an environment is vital to understanding the business. The last three weeks are devoted to creating samples according to a design brief set out by top UK retailer, Top Shop. Many design colleges may have a similar project in that you design a collection for a specific retailer in mind, however, the difference in this case is that this a true test of your design skills; the buyer at Top Shop comes in to view the works and possibly buys works made during the course! I had two works sold to Top Shop that will be in the shops this coming winter! The feedback given by the buyer is vital to understanding what works and what doesn't from a selling point of view.

How to apply
You don’t have to be a design student to attend this course, what you need is the interest and desire to learn. If you are interested in coming to beautiful Brighton and learning about designing knitwear, please contact me directly. Space is limited! Feel free to email any questions about the course and course fees. Accommodation is not included, but assistance is offered in finding a place to stay, which is especially important if you are coming from far away, like I did.



More photos here!

Dog in Scarf

Every once in a while, I get the pleasure of receiving your letters and photos. This one I just could not resist. This is Mandy's pup begrudgingly wearing a scarf that she made based on the baby blanket pattern. I love the expression on the pup's face. It reminds me of the dog in the Disnay's Peter Pan. Having spent the holidays living with a dog, I have a real fondness for them, but I still hate dog slobber.

The Good Life

Sorry for the lack of photos thus far. I haven't been coming across any inspirational knits as of late. But rather I think it is far more interesting to reflect on my "new lifestyle" for the time being.
So today I got the book, Jamie At Home, Jamie Oliver's latest book (not yet available in North America, the last time I checked). I am a fan of his, but have to admit, I've never bought a book of his before. But now that I am living on my own for the first time, I'm going to have to cook! The subtitle says "Cook Your Way to the Good Life". That caught my attention at the bookstore. Later at home, when I read the intro, this phrase was referring to the fact that Jamie grew up watch a show called The Good Life; about a relatively poor couple that grew everything in their garden, but were content, and their neighbor, a posh couple that had everything, but were not happy. He pointed out that everyone aspires to be like the couple that has less. He then went on to talk about "luxurience", experience as being a form of luxury that money can't buy.
While I am away from home, I am a student again after 4 years from finishing college. My budget is limited, but I have concluded that I want it all. I want to eat healthy (all organic if possible), and I want to still be posh, but not a snob in the elitist sense. And of course I want to be happy. Is this possible? I hope so, I am attempting to be.
About being Healthy...
If you ever wanted to lose inches off your waist- really fast, I suggest moving to a city with many steep hills like where I am, Brighton. Walk to the market, get the groceries and climb up the hills to get home. I swear, I have lost the fat I gained from eating at my relatives' house and then some. I have also chosen not to eat out, unless I have been asked out. I buy fresh items to prepare myself rather than the almost ready to eat frozen foods (I hate microwave food, expensive and hardly tasty). This way of eating also lends to saving money, which can facilitate my wanting to be posh.
About being Posh...
After staying over at my extended families, I have realized how much I hate the scent of synthetic fragrances. I hate plug in air fresheners, and I hate the strong smell of laundry detergent. I was going to just buy shampoo at the drug store, but that turned into a splurge at SpaceNK, when I spent 15 pounds on a bottle of Kiehl's shampoo! Mind you, it smalls incredible (in the natural sense), and is gentle to use. Am I mad? It's going to come out at about $30 US! I hope my mother never reads this! I feel that this purchase can be written off if I just don't eat out or buy some other ridiculous thing I don't need.
I think being posh is about taking pleasure in the experience of everyday things, not necessarily spending a lot (not all the time at least!)
About being Happy...
I think, therefore I am, right? I keep coming back to the personal development course I took back in college. In Buddhist teachings, it says that your own suffering comes from within, I think this is very true in life. Some people like to dwell on the less perfect aspects of their lives and blow it up to extremes. They don't want to change, so they blame others. I propose that if you are not happy, perhaps it is time to consider a change from within? Sometimes a change from within. It can mean a change of environment too. This year, I started a new chapter of my life in a city that is new to me. So far, I like it.

Clothes for Thought

Are you sick of the holidays yet? I sure am, holidays are nice but when you get too much, it can be soooo boring. And holidays for a traveler means delayed flights, closed attractions and shopping at its worst (the shops are lined with the overstock they want to be rid of), That is why I found this story so inspiring. Prominent Canadian fashion designer, Lida Baday teamed up with Taxi Canada's executive director, Steve Mykolyn to produce a gift that would warm the homeless. This year, instead of throwing a Christmas bash, they have produced an innovative coat for the homeless. The coat is made of breathable waterproof material, designed to be stuffed with newspapers doe insulation, like what marathon bike racers do. Read the whole story here.

Making Things in the UK

For the next couple of months I will be reporting from the UK. Making Things will become more of a travel blog as I spend less time cruising the internet for inspiration.

 

Cheers, Andrea

 

 

DIY Q&A: Mesh Scarf

Dear Andrea,

I am an avid reader of your blog and love all of the DIY info and projects you share! Thank You!

I am a very basic knitter, having not experimented past scarves or hats, but really love the look of big knits. I have included a picture I have found online, of a knitted halter top. I really like the look of the large holes, and want to incorporate it into a big basic scarf. I was assuming that this was a stockinette stitch, using big needles? Is this correct? If it is a stockinette stitch, why are the sides not rolling? I just tried to make a scarf with that particular stitch, but alas, it has curled up into a tube! Are big needles necessary? Any thoughts or suggestions?

Any help would be much appreciated! And once again, thank you dearly for your wonderful blog!

-scarfless knitter



Dear scarfless knitter,

While working in Stockinette with larger needles will give a mesh like appearance, it will indeed curl up no matter what needle size is used. I do believe I have a pattern that is exactly what you are looking for. The pattern is published by Blue Sky Alpacas, but it is no longer available on their site. I was able to find a copy posted here. It uses a basic lace stitch. If you want larger or smaller holes for your scarf, just experiment with needle size until you get what you want. I also want to note that I have made this scarf several times over, and I prefer to cast on 23 sts instead of 22, and instead k1, *s1pwise, yo, k2tog, rep from * to last stitch, k1 for both rows. You ca also make the scarf wider or narrower by increasing or decreasing the stitch count by multiples of 3.

Happy Knitting!

Andrea

Backlund is back

(The latest from Sanada Backlund, via)

I am a great admirer of Sandra Backlund's work. She is unlike any other knitwear designer out there, she is more of an artist. Her work is unlike the type of knit work I prefer to do, but she is endlessly fascinating!

Errata for Hats Mittens & Scarves

Something I neglected to describe for patterns Irina Mesh Scarf and Impressionist Beret from my book, Hats, Mittens & Scarves:

Note: When working knit stitches, insert right needle as if to knit, but wrap yarn over and under right needle. For yo, wrap yarn over and under, instead of brining yarn to front.

This method is a bit strange, but it is was makes the pattern the way it is. I didn't quite realise that at the time.

DIY Q&A: Shaggy Knits

Dear Andrea,

I am desperate beginning knitter in need of "yetti coat". But i cannot for the life of me find any instructions for how to knit shag? Back in 2005 your blog posted this post, where you describe making a yetti type shag rug. Are their any references for where you learned this method of construction ? What is the method?

DESPERATE KNITTER


Dear Desperate Knitter,

I hope knitting is nothing to get too desperate about! It should always been enjoyed, and some times challenging.

Actually, creating shag is only one part knit, the other part involves a bit of what rug hooking must be like. The trick is you must create a stable knit base out of a chunky yarn using a seed stitch pattern. You would then cut strips of "thick and thin" yarn. Selecting an appropriated yarn is most important for this type of project, you want something that has a consistent thick and thin pattern through out the yarn, and you want the thick part to be fairly puffy. Otherwise if you use regular bulky yarn, you need to shape the ends. I used Louet "Bouffant", but I think it's been discontinued. Cut the yarn in the middle of every other thin part so that the middle part of the strand is thin. Then using a crochet hook, fold the yarn strand in half and pull the "loop" through the purl stitches of the knitted base, pull the ends through the formed loop. Continue to do this until the knit based is completely covered.

Using this method, you could create things like home furnishings like rugs or throws, shaggy handbags like the Fendi one, or a yetti fur coats like Balenciaga.

Good luck and happy knitting!

Andrea

Aspen Neck Cowl

(Aspen Neck Cowl, originally published in Spun)

Materials
3 skeins of Fable Handknit Pure Baby Alpaca [100% baby alpaca, 132m per 50g skein], #06.
4mm/16" circular needles
Tapestry needle
Stitch marker

Size
Women's, one size

Gauge
22sts and 30 rows= 4"/10 cm in stocking stitch

Directions
Using long tail cast on method, co 130 sts and join in the round, taking care not to twist sts. Place marker at join.

P 10 rounds
K 2 rounds

*P 8 rnds, K 2 rounds; rep from * 12 times

P 10 rounds, cast off

Weave in ends

DIY Q&A: Hair Bands and Pleats

Dear Andrea,

I'm so excited I found your blog this morning! I've been perusing your older posts but will have to postpone more for later. i love your mix of fashion coverage and knitting advice/know how...However, I was wondering if

1. you have a pattern for making a knitted or crocheted headband (and by that I don't just mean a strait across band but rather something tapered which can be tied underneath the bottom of the head.

2. if you've done any "pleated" knits or if this is even possible i.e. a knitted, pleated skirt. I think that would be adorable but have no idea how such a thing would be executed...any ideas?

Thank you and good luck on the forthcoming book, I'll check it out when it comes out!

Lydia


Dear Lydia,

Thanks for reading the blog, I'm glad you like it. To answer your questions...

1. I think I have what you're after. I don't have a pattern, but Interweave Knits does. From their Summer 2006, they have a free pdf file. See page 4.

2. Yes, it's possible to pleat in knitting, but it's not quite the same thing is seen in pleated woven materials. Read about knitted pleating here. Blue Sky Alpacas has a pattern for a pleated skirt. Fellow blogger, Olgajazzy has made this skirt.

Happy Knitting!

Love, Andrea

Hats, Mittens & Scarves

The book is out! Check it out here.

An Intimate Look at Marc Jacobs

(from November 2007, issue of W. Marc Jacobs via)

The November issue of W features an article and photo tour of Marc Jacob's Paris home. I think the photos themselves are art-like and serene. They remind me of Sam Taylor-Wood's photographs.

Cause and Effect

(Baggue holds more than just groceries, via)

No weather experts are speaking out about the recent weather's abnormality is directly caused by the greenhouse effect, but today's overly warm weather for a Canadian Thanksgiving is rather alarming. I decided that I need to advocate environmentally friendly solutions. The most obvious and possibly the most publicized solution is to refuse plastic bags from the grocers. The Anya Hindmarch "I'm Not a Plastic Bag" bag caused a stir. But did it really change the consumer's habits? Such a cute bag that you would probably only buy one of, and is a collector's item, would you use it to carry you veggies?

Finally I came across Baggu. A simple idea, but ever so effective. It is my belief that when something is designed properly, its purpose will be fulfilled and human habit can change. I bought 3 of them as soon as I found them on the Teen Vogue site, and have been avoiding plastic bags since.

Baggu is designed exactly like your typical grocery bag, but done in durable rip-stock nylon. Folds up easily and comes with its own pouch and takes up minimal space in your purse. Each Baggu holds what 3 plastic bags would. But I think its best merit is its good design, well-styled, practical, and easy to commit to-- it serves its function well. So I hope this catches on. I've seen grocery chains issue their version of a canvas tote, but it hardly holds much and not to mention lacking in style.

Let's not make Live Earth a cause done in vain.

A little update

( A fun project I did over the summer, a cocktail hat with a knitted base, then felted with cream mohair yarn that has Swarovski crystals spun in, and then encrusted with more Swarovski crystals and pearls. Copyright 2007 Andrea Tung.)

It's been quite some time since I last posted, a lot has been since. I almost feel hesitant to post as I haven't been doing much scouting for new knitting items of interest, nor have I found any when I was. This past summer I was busy working on my second book to be published by Chronicle Books for next Fall. And I still had to add my contribution for Yahaira's second book out next year. It's really funny how long it takes for a book to be released, by then, I am already totally jaded and have moved my focus onto the next thing. So I can hardly match the excitement that other people are feeling for me when I show them my advance copy of it. A reminder that Hats, Mittens & Scarves will be available later this month! Makes a really lovely Christmas present, or to knit presents from!

Some even bigger endeavors coming in the new year, so I've been busy making plans for those. Meanwhile, pop over to Melissa's blog to see her latest pattern made with Fable Handknit Pure Baby Alpaca.

The Last Knit

Ever feel like you can't put down your kitting? Here's a short cartoon that depicts the addictive nature of knitting.

An apple a day...

(Cunning knit jackets by Jacqueline Dufresne for apples, peaches or any round fruit keep Granny Smiths from being bruised in your handbag — or just look delicious on the kitchen table ($12.50 each at roseandradish.com) via New York Times)

Impressionist Beret: sample sale!

(Hand knit over-sized alpaca beret, $90 CAD. From Hats, Mittens and Scarves, photograph by Susie Cushner.)

I am selling sample of my Impressionist beret. This pattern will be available through my upcoming pattern deck in October. But if you're not a knitter, you can get one knitted by yours truly. The fit is over-sized and the yarn is triple strand pure baby alpaca.



Colors available, from right;
Peachy/Suede/Grey
Black/White/Grey
Deep Navy/Mist/Grey
Violet/Lavender/Grey
Chocolate/Suede/Grey

Email me to order.

Baby Blanket Pattern

This pattern will make a textured mesh blanket that is about 29" wide after blocking. You can also make it wider and longer to make a throw (lightweight and cozy, great for long flights). This pattern would also work as a head scarf (just fold diagonally and tie it around!).

Yarn
Fable Handknit Pure Baby Alpaca, 100% baby alpaca, color #04, approx. 6-7 skeins.

Needles
4 mm circular needle, 24" or longer

Gauge
21 sts x 16 rows on 4mm needles in stitch pattern
Gauge is not crucial for this project.



Directions
1. Cast on 132 sts. Work in garter st for 3 rows.

2. Work in stitch pattern as follows:

Note: When working knit stitches from *, insert right needle as if to knit, but wrap yarn over and under right needle. For yo, wrap yarn over and under, instead of brining yarn to front.

Row 1: K2, *yo , k3, slip third st on right needle over first 2 sts, rep from * to last st, k1.
Row 2: K2, purl to last 2 sts, k2.
Row 3: K1, *k3, slip third st on right needle over first 2 sts, yo, rep from * to last 2 sts, k2.
Row 4: K2, purl to last 2 sts, k2.

These 4 rows form stitch pattern. Repeat until length measures 28" or until desired length.

3. Work 3 rows of garter st beg on WS. Bind of.

4. Block blanket, stretching it on all directions.