Carol Feller

When Gabriela and I attended Knit Camp in Scotland last summer, one of our "tutors" ( as they are referred to in Scotland), was a delightful young Irish woman, Carol Feller. We had not heard of her, but her class sounded very interesting; a vest, knit sideways, with adjustable short row shaping in the mid section to create a flattering custom fit, fascinating cap sleeves also done with short row shaping similar to a sock heel. The vest was called Raspberry Layers, shown below modelled by Carol herself.

Raspberry Layers

Being EXCELLENT STUDENTS, Gabriela and I, and our new friend Jenny from South Africa, arrived early, took our seats, organized our knitting paraphernalia and were ready to patiently wait for the class to begin. Carol arrived, with bags of yarn and a friendly smile and " Hello, are any of you my assistant for the class?" We answered "Hello, but no, we are students." She looked a little panicked, class was due to start in about 10 minutes. (A little side note: We had a blast at UK Knit Camp, but it became a study in poor organization and a nightmare for many of the tutors) We asked if she needed help which she quickly accepted. Gabriela and I began hand winding skeins of yarn for the class. Carol went searching for the missing class notes which the organizers were to have had copied and ready for her. (A scenario we saw played and replayed all week. The poor teachers.) Gabriela & I hand wound all the yarn, Carol returned with the missing notes and a wonderful class started. Fifteen minutes into the class the missing assistant arrived!! The class was wonderful and really interesting. We got a taste of the unusual structural design elements for which Carol has become known.

Upon our return from Knit Camp , we were delighted to discover Leitmotif, a Carol Feller design on the cover of Interweave Knits, Fall 2010. Karen had fallen in love with it and was planning a KAL.

Leitmotif front view

Leitmotif's beautiful cabled back view

If you are interested in viewing all of Carol designs, her website is stolenstitches.com
Her design approach combines her training as both an artist and a structural engineer, emphasizing seamless construction and clever shaping techniques to create flattering, tailored
garments with interesting shapes and textures. Her patterns for men, women, and
children are widely published in books and magazines, including Knitting in the
Sun (Wiley, 2009), More Knitting in the Sun (Wiley, 2011), Twist Collective,
Interweave Knits, Knitty, and Yarn Forward.

Carol's designs can frequently be found in Interweave Knits. Her little Draped Vest appeared in Spring 2011. Use of short row shaping is common in Carol's sweaters.

Spoked Cardigan was the cover garment for Interweave Knits Weekend 2011. Designs knit sideways are popular with Carol.

A close up of the detail on Spoked

Carol can also be found in Knitty. Below Iced from Knitty First Fall, 2010.

Many of Carol's sweaters are one piece top down designs. Iced is knit top down and then the front bands are picked up and knit later. Carol uses a lot of "seamless construction" techniques so when you are finished knitting you are done!! Iceling Hat & Cardigan, how cute.

You can find ICED at

http://www.Knitty.com/ISSUEff10/PATTiced.php

I have been eying this pattern for some time now because we have several chunky yarns the perfect weight, especially Berroco Vintage Chunky which comes in several great colours.

Iceling is available in pattern version.

The most recent Knitty, Deep Fall 2011 has a great cabled mitten pattern, Ambroso.
http://www.knitty.com/ISSUEff10/PATTiced.php

Carol has also included a fingerless version.

Ambroso mitts can be found at http://knitty.com/ISSUEdf11/PATTambroso.php

Carol also has several patterns. Adrift, knit with lace weight yarn as a vest.

The pattern also includes a 3/4 sleeve version.

Carole is fond of stoles;Maelnad

Centrique with instructions for a large and a small version. Carol has both charts and written instructions for her lace. I have knit the small version of Centrique and it was one of the most well written , clear, patterns I have ever had the pleasure to knit.

Nepal Wrap

Captiva

She is also fond of fine yarns.Talamah below is knit topdown in sock yarn.

So is Eilonwy

I was thrilled to see Carol publish her first book. If you enjoy cables, you will love this book. In addition to the 20 patterns for garments and accessories for men women and children, Carol shares the rich Irish history of knitting and tweed yarns.

From her blog, Carol at Trunk Show and book signing in her home town of Cork, Ireland.

Carol has four sons. CONTEMPORARY IRISH KNITS has patterns for all ages, several nice children's designs. Now that I have a grandson, Caherciveen below is very tempting. It is sized from 2 years to 12 years.

Dangan below is either a shawl

or smallish lap blanket.

I have totally fallen in love with Glengesh below. As soon as my Christmas knitting is done, I have some beautiful red tweed just waiting.

One of customers has a lucky granddaughter who will be receiving a gift of Listowel from Grandma.

The cover garment , Kilorglin has some of the most beautiful cable combinations I have ever seen. Carol does love cables.

As I was drafting this blog, Interweave Knitscene winter 2011 arrived. Among its many beautiful designs, Wragby Cardigan from Carol Feller. Wragby on Carol.

Wragby in Knitscene.

Looking over the pattern for Wragby, Gabriela discovered that Wragby is more or less a worsted weight version of Iced (knit in chunky). Other than the yarn weight there is only a small difference in the shaping of the front band. Gabriela will be offering a class on Top Down Knitting in the new year which offers Iced and Wragby as a choice of class projects. Winter 2012 classes will be posted very soon.

I haven't knit a sweater in a long while. I think that might change soon.

If you are interested, we have Carol's book and several of her patterns available.

Beth

KOLLAGE SOCK-A-LICIOUS

A few months ago, we discovered the incredible square needles from Kollage. They have become a customer favourite, especially among sock knitters. Browsing their website, Karen & I both fell in love with their Sock-a-licious sock yarn. It is 70% Fine Superwash Merino, 10% Mulberry Silk and 20% Nylon. Their colours are mostly soft, tonas style handpaints.

7807 Grape (in stock)

7812 Indian Rose (in stock)

7801 Mango (on the way)

7814 Purple Heart ( on the way)

7813 Sangria (in stock)

7811 Stormy (in stock)

7815 Sycamore (in stock)

7807 Heather (in stock)

7810 Blue Mist (in stock

7809 Blush (in stock)

All the patterns from our original order for Sock-a-licious have sold out but the patterns for the following designs are on the way.

Bellingrath Shawl in Blush

Sanoma Socks

Keegan Hat & Socks

Lover's Knot Socks

Normally, Serenity Knits does not announce yarn or patterns "on the way", but we wanted you to know about a unique opportunity to participate in a Ravelry KAL with one of Kollage's designers, Anne Hanson, using Sock-a-licious. For details on the KAL connect to this link

http://kollageyarns.com/kal_anne2.php

You have a choice of 2 shawl projects - Little Iris or Leaf Prints pictured below.

Leaf Prints (front & Back)

Little Iris (front & back)

The KAL doesn't start until September 5th. We have ordered both patterns a couple of new colours of Sock-a-licious which we expect to arrive just in time to join the KAL. If you want to check out Kollage their website link is

http://kollageyarns.com/index.php

Beth

Elizabeth Zimmerman

It is impossible to guess how many knitters have been inspired over the years, by the patterns, books and teachings of master knitter, Elizabeth Zimmerman. Gabriela and I are both teaching classes focusing on two of her famous patterns, the Baby Surprise Jacket and the Pi Shawl. I thought I would tell you a bit about this remarkable lady.

Elizabeth was born in England in1910 and attended school in Switzerland & Germany. She and her husband Arnold Zimmerman, whom she affectionately refers to as "The Old Man", moved to the United States and eventually settled in Wisconsin. Their home, a converted schoolhouse, became Schoolhouse Press; a mail order knitting business, still based in the original schoolhouse and run by her daughter, Meg Swansen, herself a master knitter, teacher and designer.

Schoolhouse Press publishes several books based on Elizabeth's designs. They are all wonderful.

Elizabeth was a fascinating woman. She was very funny. Interspersed with patterns and knitting techniques, are funny personal stories about her life. One page you are reading a description of one her unique knitting techniques. The next page is stories of how she knits on the back of a motorcycle without the old man being aware she is doing so. He evidently didn't want her to knit while on the motorcycle, feeling it was enough of a distraction she did not lean into the curves properly.

I enjoy her book "The Opinionated Knitter". It contains Elizabeth's newsletters, "Wool Gathering". Additional text and photographs were added by her daughter Meg. Treat yourself to this book. You will learn and you will laugh, a wonderful combination.

In addition to being funny and creative, Elizabeth was obviously a very intelligent woman. The structure of her designs suggests a mathematical mind with a thorough understanding of geometry.

One of my favourite EZ designs is the Baby Surprise Jacket from the Opinionated Knitter. Knit in one piece with strategically placed increases and decreases, it looks nothing like a jacket when finished. See above. After two strategically placed folds and two short shoulder seams, you have the cute little jacket you see below, knit in Kureyon Sock Yarn

The Baby Surprise Jacket is the Number One most popular Jacket on Ravelry with 14,973 projects posted.

Another great book is the Knitters Almanac

Where you find patterns for several more of EZ's now famous designs.

The February Sweater, the #4 Cardigan on Ravelry with 6131 posted projects.

The #1 Cardigan on Ravelry is the adult version of the February Sweater with 11035 projects posted. The pattern for the February Lady Sweater is a Free Pattern linked on Ravelry.

I love her Ganomy hat above, and below with matching Mitered Mittens and Scarf

Gabriela is doing a class this summer focusing on Elizabeth's Pi Shawl, also from the Knitters Almanac. With her knowledge of Math and Geometry, Elizabeth was aware that

Pi = Circumference of a circle divided by the diameter.

I won't bore you with all the theory on Pi. What is important to know, and Elizabeth obviously understood, the ratio between a circle's diameter and its circumference remain constant. So if you want to knit a circular garment, every time the diameter(ie number of rounds) doubles, so should the circumference(ie the number stitches). The increase in the number of stitches can be done as you go along, or all at once in one round. The all at once in one round option makes it easy to place various patterns within the "rings",with out having to worry about incorporating stitch increases into an existing pattern

A quick check on Ravelry and you will find hundreds (1597 to be exact) variations of the Pi Shawl.

A little fluffy felted one as a cat blanket or chair seat cover, I'm not sure.

Gorgeous lace shawls with elaborate lace in single colours.

Each one with different lace patterns placed within the rings.

With a bit of Math & Geometry, the formula can be used to create a semicircular half-Pi shawl.

Just plain stocking stitch with special colour placement is very effective.

The designer of this Pi aptly named it Eggplant Afghan and created it with a number of subtly varying shades of yarn.

Kureyon Sock yarn

More Kureyon Sock Yarn

Rainbow Kauni

Tonal Handpaint.

Ranco Sock Yarn

One of the really neat options available for a Pi Shawl or Afghan is a border that can be knit on joining as you go and cast off.

A Stash buster with simple eyelet rounds

An elegant shawl done is lace weight yarn.

My absolute favourite was the lovely bride who used a lace Pi Shawl as her veil. How beautiful is that.

Gabriela has been working on samples. A lace skirt knit with 4 shades of Bamboo

There is still space in both classes and we do have a few of Elizabeth's books. And just arrived, a new book of Elizabeth Zimmerman designs

Knit One Knit All

Elizabeth had evidently wanted to publish a book of garter stitch designs which was not done before her death, Her daughter Meg has published this book of her mother's garter stitch designs. Some samples came from patterns Elizabeth had written but never published. Other patterns were created by deciphering pieces Elizabeth had knit but for which no pattern could be found. The designs were carefully analyzed, reknit and patterns developed. If you are a knitter who enjoys unusual structures, you will love this book.

Beth