Knitwear Design

     A long time ago, a good friend taught me how to do knit and purl stitches. However, after finding it hopeless to understand the directions to a sweater pattern, I decided to just look at an actual sweater and try to figure out how it was made. I’ve been knitting ever since. I have had well-meaning friends tell me I was “doing it wrong.”  however,  those “mistakes” taught me some exciting new stitches. (By accident, but whatever.)

     Along the way, I discovered that I hate sewing seams. So  now I design sweaters with the least possible amount of seam work. Basically, I cast on and knit the back hem first, work my way up the back, taking surel my design concept looks, and how the different yarns work together. (My designs always contain several different weights and types of yarn.) When I get to the top of the back panel, I simply continue over what will become the shoulders, then keep knitting until I reach the bottom of the front hem. Sometimes I knit sweaters in the round, which also eliminates lots of seam stitching. (Again, I’ve been told that this method is “wrong’” but it works for me.)

     I love making big sleeves that end in snug wrists. I include lots of textures which, in some cases, help with the sweater’s structure.

     Of course, just like my needlework and beadwork, each of my designs includes many colors. Fortunately, my dear husband, Tom, has never said, “Why do you need so many different reds?”

Most of the sweaters shown here were professionally photographed by Randy Batista in Gainesville, Florida. Randy also gave me my first solo exhibition, in his gallery in Gainesville.

Knit your own designs. Start with scarves. Lots of colors. Lots of textures. Be brave. Have fun.

Nan