Despite loving my role as designer, I find designing to be hard. I often labor over finding the next idea. Part of the joy of knitting as a long process is that I am able to mull future designs over while I am creating the current one. This one, however, was A-typical. I received these gorgeous buttons from one of my favorite artists Ulrike Lea Moorman, and I felt compelled to make something just for them.
The design was for them, inspired by them. I love how the porcelain is shiny and hard looking. The hard shapes with slightly imperfect curves and straight aways. I knew immediately that I wanted to pair them with Qing Fibre's Melted Baby Suri. This color is called Lemon Mochi. The soft fuzzy warmth of the suri in stockinette provides a base without clear stitch definition so that the shapes shine through.
To mimic the hardness and edges of the buttons, I wanted to add an intarsia pattern of a diamond. in several places. Its a little like a playing card, a little like argyle, a little like the symmetry of a butterfly. I like all those things. To create these intarsia shapes, the colorwork technique is paired with increases and decreases so that the edges are smooth diagonals instead of stair steps. Each garter diamond has a border stitch that moves along its edges creating a smooth but defined diamond shape- equally wonky // perfect to the buttons.
I am really looking forward to styling this piece for the fall. It is so warm but light. It can be worn over another tighter sleeved garment, stlyed over a dress, with a turtleneck, or under a jacket.
I suppose this is the most important part but some readers will rejoice to learn that I have finally made my next top down pattern. This garment is knit from the top down in rows. Because it has a center front opening, the body can be worked in long rows which makes the intarsia work easier.
This pattern releases on Friday, September 27th. I hope you'll consider adding it to your queue.
