Get Inspired: Embroider Your Knits

Emma Bradbury Embroidered Hand Warmers with Thumbs, £46.00, via Loop.

Found these lovely fingerless mitts by Emma Broadbuy at Loop in London. They remind me of a Van Gogh painting, Blossoming Almond Tree. My book, Hats, MIttens and Scarves has a pattern for fingerless mitts that could be adapted for something like this.

DIY Scarf Pillows

I first spotted Madeline Weinrib in Vogue. Shown here are vintage designer scarf pillows. I love this idea of using fashion to decorate the home, a beautiful dress hung on the wall, a sculptural shoe in the mantle. This is my kind of decorating! Want to make your own? Check out these links to instructions:

Vintage Scarf Cushions on iVillage
Silk Scarf Pillows on Martha Stewart

News from Knit-1

Knit-1's Design Workshop starts up again in June.They have made a flexible learning schedule, so more students can join. If you're interested, there's still time to enroll! Be sure to tell them I sent you! Or, let me know, by emailing me directly, makingthingsblog@gmail.com, and I'll put them in touch with you.

Have a look at Knit-1's blog for all their current activities from their students. They have also added an online shop, where you can buy patterns and instructions on machine knitting. A perfect start for anyone looking for resources on machine knitting, as they are so hard to come by!

What is Knit-1? Read about it here.

Back To Blog

I've been away from blogging for quite some time now. I want to say a big thank you to all the support from my readers in the past. The news is, I'm getting back to bloggingin full swing. I'm also starting a new style blog soon, meanwhile, Making Things will still get a posting from time to time. My other recent beauty blog has moved here: http://organicnaturalbeauty.blogspot.com.

Thanks again, and watch this space!

My New Blog

Dear Readers,

Many changes in life have occurred and I am now working in a whole new industry to me. I have been appointed the retail manager of the Dolphin House Shop in Brighton, UK. I will be writing a blog about natural beauty and health. I will have a keen focus on what real natural skin and body care is, and why you should be concerned about synthetic chemicals in the person care products you find at the super market and department store counters. Please tune in! I promise it will be interesting and you will learn lots, as I am day by day at this new job. Come find me at:

http://dolphinhouseshop.blogspot.com

Many thanks,

Andrea

So you want to study Knitwear?

I get a lot of questions about where in get training in knitwear design. As many of you reading my blog know, I took the training course at Knit-1 Ltd, a company in Brighton, England. If you are planning to attend a design school specializing in fashion, and you want to study knitwear, these are some schools I would suggest looking into. However, if at all possible, I highly recommend taking the Knit-1, because it will save you so much time in your learning curve, you would be more capable of working productively while attending these schools.


(Central Saint Martins Class of 2008 MA program. Style.com)

Central Saint Martins
This schools is widely known throughout the fashion industry for its famous graduates, Stella McCartney and Alexander McQueen. They offer both a BA and MA course. I know several people that have attended this school. The course structure, is that there is nearly no structure at all. There are tutors and technicians to help you complete your projects, but there is no actual instruction. So if this is still your dream school for completing a fashion education, your training will mostly be self-taught, though not useful for learning machine knitting. If you think you would like to be able to machine knit, I do recommend taking a machine knitting course such as the one at knit-1 beforehand. Two of the current students at the course are coming from Central Saint Martins.


(DKNY Cosy project from RISD)

Rhode Island School of Design
This school offers instruction on knitwear design. The techniques taught are only basic. But you will have the guidance of noted design Liz Collins, and the chance to participate in collaboration projects with Donna Karan's DKNY design team. They offer a summer course, but it only runs for six hours a week for six weeks. Noted graduates from RISD, Lutz & Patmos.

Fashion Institute of Technology
FIT offers knitwear design as one of their courses. I've been told that is only a light primer on the basic techniques. However, you can choose to specialise in this area for your studies.



(Grad work from Academy of Art University)

Academy of Art University
Situated in downtown San Francisco, this school has great connections to the industry. I don't know much about the program itself, but I have seen its graduate work in knitwear. I recall one of the knitwear graduates being awarded an internship at McQueen

Nottingham Trent University
This is one of the first schools in the UK to specialize in knitwear design. One of my colleagues is attending this school, and in the past, many interns here are Knit-1 came from here. When I attended Pitti Filati, many of the student visitors were also from Nottingham Trent. It is a three year course with an extra year taken to do work placement.

Philadelphia University
This is not a fashion school, but a textiles school. This school offers the use of computerized industrial equipment! It's very rare of a school to offer that. So if you are interested in being technically focused, this is a good opportunity. It is an undergraduate program.

Stoll
This is one of the top manufacturers of industrial knitting machines. They do however, provide training courses for industry professional and machine buyers alike. They offer a short training session at their headquarters in Germany and China. Do note that this is NOT a design course. It is merely an instructional course on how to use the machines. For knitwear students wishing to learn the use of industrial gauge machines, this might be an option.

These are just some of the options that I know of. I know there are plenty more! If you're attending one of these schools or one that I haven't mentioned, please share with our readers about your experiences there!

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This is Crochet...

If you are in the London, UK area, go check out this exhibition at the Haywad Gallery. It's called Hyerbolic Crochet Coral Reef. It's free, and there's a crochet night on this coming Monday. The exhibition is up until August 17th, 2008. Or if you can't make it, check out the photos from this Flickr set.

Meet Meredith...

It's always interesting to meet readers of my blog in person! Meredith of Mersh Parade is taking the course at Knit-1 and has been reporting about it and posting picture of her work on her blog. Meredith was working at Urban Outfitters before she came to the course. She's got other cool fashion kit content on her blog.

The new Knit-1 blog and photos from Pitti FIlati

I've been working with Knit-1 to create a blog of their own, and finally we have some substantial content to start sharing. Recently added are photos from the Pitti Filati show in Florence onto the Flickr site. Have a look!

Knit-1 Design Workshops Update

For anyone interested in the Knit-1 Design Workshops, here is an update on the information. Knit-1 is now offering an additional course date in August 2008 for those who only want to only participate in Part 1 of the course (4 weeks). Part 1 of the course will cover the basics of getting started, stripes, jaquard, cables and pointelle. You will learn a great deal just from the first 4 weeks, but you also have the option to complete the reminder of the course at a later time.

2008 Course Dates

18th August- 12th September 2008 (Part 1 only, 4 week course)

29th September - 19th December 2008 (12 week course)

The course is 30 hours per week and runs Monday to Friday, 10 am to 5 pm. Contact Knit-1 for 2009 course dates.

Fees

Parts 1, 2, and 3(12 Weeks) £ 2,700 Pounds Sterling includes VAT

Parts 1 and 2(8 Weeks) £ 1,850 Pounds Sterling includes VAT

Part 1 (4 Weeks) £ 950 Pounds Sterling includes VAT

Accommodation not included.

All yarns and materials provided.


More information is available on
www.knit-1.com

A New Venture...

Dear Readers,

I am pursuing a new and exciting venture out here in the UK. It all has to do with the business of blogging. If you or anyone you know might be interested in hiring a blogger for a fashion and/or design related business, please have a look at my other blog, (leblogpr.blogspot.com) and contact me. I intend to take blogging to the next level and you will soon be finding my writing for other specialty blogs.


All the Best,

Andrea

Lace Knitting to go

Coming soon, my second book. See details on how to pre-order here.

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!