Stepping it up a notch

I'm really lucky to have some great friends. I started getting to know one of them, Melissa of Neoknits, as many people are introduced to her, through one of her great patterns. In my case, it was the Grannie Smith Cardigan, a delicate, fine gauge cardigan in Kidsilk Haze. That first purchase somehow evolved into a friendship; and we try to get together on a semi-regular basis to chat about our mutual obsessions and life in general. Melissa and I came to handknit knitwear design through very different routes. I started designing as a way to escape the daily routine of postdoctoral research. Melissa was trained as a fashion designer (she has a great series about her experiences here) and she started freelancing as a handknit designer as a way to express herself creatively on her own terms. In one of our chats, she mentioned that her sewing experience has really helped her handknit designing. I tucked away that tidbit for a while. I've never touched a sewing machine in my life and my one attempt at hemming pants resulted in a horrendous Frankenstein hem that unraveled after two trips through the washing machine. But yesterday, I finally bit the bullet and with no plans (as of yet) to take up sewing, bought a sewing instructional book to learn more about how garments fit together.

I also bought a set of Prism colored pencils to practice my sketching skills. And inspired by Kat's new blog, I got in touch with her website designer (who happens to be the husband of a good blog buddy) to make my own home on the web.

In the meantime, here's a peek at my next independent design soaking in my sink, waiting to be blocked.


So, stayed tuned!

Edited to add: I just realized I've posted for 3 days in a row. That must be a first for me!