I'm deep in another knitting project - this knitting business is oddly addictive - but inbetween that and reading for the 1938 book group I've also spent the weekend reading my way through the blog section on Kate Davies Designs right back to the beginning.
I've followed her for a while, she's a name that keeps popping up in relation to the kind of knitwear that particularly interests me, she writes beautifully, takes great pictures, and has a lovely looking dog (that's every box ticked) so reading her blog sometimes makes me feel more than a little envious of this tremendous looking lifestyle, so being able to read back and see how much work has gone into achieving a really interesting business is fascinating.
My guess is that anybody reading this who is interested is already a follower of her work, but just in case you're not it's worth exploring. I came to it because of her innovative use of Shetland patterns which take traditional motifs and an understanding of their context, and then re use them in contemporary ways (there is a book of haps on the way which I can't wait to get my hands on). There's also a philosophy behind her knitting that I really appreciate.
Maybe it's because you can see the work that goes into making it all work, or perhaps it's the sense of community - a network of knitters all collaborating and inspiring one another, or history, or the sheer creativity but I found it addictive reading, and really inspiring. Maybe one day I will manage to knit a jumper after all
You will do it, if you really want to. I have been reading Kate almost since the beginning of the blog and I must say that I envy the clothes she buys. I am not quite so keen on coloured knitting, I think it is the images of the owls in the jumpers that puts me off but I do agree that she does an awful lot of work in her designs.
ReplyDeleteI tried replying in my work iPad which doesn't like blogger - that was a lesson in how frustrating trying to leave comments here can be... Never mind.
ReplyDeleteThere is quite a lot of me to cover with a jumper and I like them roomy and long so apart from the technical challenges I'm wondering if I have the patience to see such a project through. One day. I agree about the owls, I think they're quite cute, but not at all my style. I do love fair isle/ stranded knitting though and open work too so there's a lot that I find quite inspiring on there. I like the nod towards the Shetland traditions too, i like the idea of having a sense of where I'm from in the things I might make so seeing how she plays with those traditions is interesting. As was seeing a brand developed as I read back through the posts!