Although I enjoy designing garments, many of the textile ideas I have when sampling are discarded if I think they may be too difficult to incorporate into a garment. I also rely on designs being chosen by magazines and yarn companies for publication, so only a few of the many designs I do actually end up as knitted pieces.
Recently I have decided to remedy this by using some of my textile ideas for accessories. I can’t think why I didn’t think of this before! For many years (in the 1980s and 90s) I collaborated with a successful fashion hat company Fred Bare Headwear (sadly no longer trading, but see this page on V&A website). They made fabric hats, but together we also came up with some great designs for knitted hats for which I devised the patterns and made the samples.
Writing this has made me realise that a post dedicated to some of the Fred Bare knitted hats is long overdue! That will come soon….
Meanwhile, I’ve designed some more accessory sets, the patterns for which are available in my Shop.
Amelie – a chunky lace hat and scarf – is actually a variation of my design for a Lace Shawl. Knitted in garter stitch lace, on large needles gives a different look to the delicate lace of the original. The scarf and cloche lace hat are inspired by fashions of 1970s.
Valda – a really simple idea which uses ridges of stocking stitch to form a stretchy fabric, is made more interesting by switching colours every few rows, giving a lovely reversible fabric. The cowl is shaped at the front to give a neckerchief effect, which can be tucked into a coat or jacket opening to keep out drafts!
More patterns coming soon…….