Indie Designer Revisit

Designer: Lucy Hague
Blog: Designs by Lucy Hague
Rav ID: lucyhague
Some Great Designs: lucyhague's Rav Designer Page
Original Indie Designer Post: August 10, 2011

In her original profile, I talked a bit about Lucy Hague's lovely organic forms.
She's continued this aesthetic, and displayed a particular strength with a beautiful riot of cables.

Here's just three of my favourites.

The pictured Morvarch speaks for itself. Diving in and out in such intricate ways, the cables on this complex wraps just might be the most interesting and attractive ones I've ever seen. Morvarch is part of Celtic Cable Shawls.

One of her most recent patterns is the Fallyn Cardigan, published in Knit Now. Cables are a little more understated on this piece, but still present; decorating the edges of the front panels and neckline.

And I hope you've seen her cabled cowl from Knitty 2012, Nennir. This pattern in particular seems to show off the stark contrasts of bright and shadow that you get with a really great cable. Need something (and impressive?) for the holidays? This knit might just be it.

Indie Designer Revisit

Designer: Jennifer Thompson
Blog: Fern Knits
Rav ID: fern1knits
Some Great Designs: fern1knits' Rav Designer Page
Original Indie Designer Post: February 10, 2012

Three and a half years ago, I described Jennifer Thompson's designs as delicately beautiful. That quality is strong and present in her work today, and I want to share with you some of my favouites.

Resonance (pictured) is one of her more recent designs. The intricate colourwork that dances across the front of this cardigan is modern and eye catching. I love the dynamism of the colours she chose, though this could be in a muted palette and be equally eye catching.

And as it happens, I have an example of just that! Check out Umbra & Penumbra from Knit Picks' Fall collection last year. I LOVE the gentle gradient from brown to creamy white. And the best part about this? Because of the slip stitch pattern she chose for the sweater, it takes only 6 different yarn colours to create 16 different colour stripes. Isn't that fantastic!

Finally, I want to show you all the pretty and delicate Larkspur. This pattern is from a special six pattern collection that Jennifer designed just for Knit Picks. It's a lightweight cardigan with dolman sleeves in fingering weight, featuring a lace panel detail at the waist and overall garter stitch.

Jennifer has plenty more patterns to see! Just hop on over to her Ravelry designer page!

Indie Designer Revisit

Designer: ANKESTRiCK
Rav ID: fallmasche
Some Great Designs: fallmasche's Rav Designer Page
Original Indie Designer Post: November 11, 2011

Four years ago I profiled this talented designer; since then, she's been filling the knit world with fantastic designs that speak to her quiet, cozy aesthetic.
Check out these gems:

Whippet is a lovely lightweight cardigan pictured here. It's so lightweight, using a fingering yarn, that you can easily ball it up and tote it around with you on your journeys.

Mute is another lightweight knit (I love those!), made to match the Mutation cowl. It features a reversible honeycomb colourwork brioche, and looks like a wonderfully classic accessory that would complement a wardrobe for many years to come.

Summerhill, available in English, German, and French, is a top-down contiguous construction with attractive openwork decorating the shoulders and back. The leaf shaped lace is perfectly placed and complements the garment wonderfully.

Indie Designer Day

Designer: Valeria Kerkkä
Rav ID: nettlefly
Some Great Designs: nettlefly's Rav Designer Page

This week's designer Valeria has impressive, seductive, colourwork.

I'll share three with you:

Harjakset (pictured) are a traditionally-shaped pair of mitts with contemporary colourwork dancing across its surface. I particularly love the wee detail on the thumbs.

Kesärenkaat is a funky, free pattern for a knit bracelet. Now, normally I'm not huge on knitted jewellery, but you need to check this one out. It's a very clever combination of the curling tendency of stockinette, use of those beautiful scraps of yarn we all have, and fanciful functionality.

Sironta is also a free pattern that uses colour in a fun way. This time it's in a cowl, with a solid background and striking pops of slip-stitches that give a textural wonderland of chevron shape and bright hues.

And please check out her Ravelry designer page for more. She does indeed do more than just cool colourwork!

Indie Designer Revisit

Designer: Boo Knits
Rav ID: Boo-Knits
Some Great Designs: Boo-Knits' Rav Designer Page
Original Indie Designer Post: January 13, 2012

Three and a half years ago I wrote about how this month's revisited designer has "floating, dancing, ephemerally gorgeous lace". True then, true now. Check it out:

One of her most recent designs is Chasing Rainbows (pictured), and perfectly exemplary shawl demonstrating that floating, lovely, lacy aesthetic of hers. This design is part of the 4-pattern Dream Collection, and features a wide crescent shape and beading.

Then there's MORTICIA, another lacy shawl, but one I wanted in particular to point out to you because I really dig the appearance of lace dripping off the edges of the knit. It was originally released as a Halloween Mystery KAL a couple years ago.

And if MORTICIA is any indication, you might want to get in on her current MKAL, Voodoo. If lace and MKALs are your thing, then I'd say Boo Knits is a safe bet for a happy knit experience! The first clue will be sent out on October 1.

Indie Designer Day

Designer: Valentina Strokina
Blog: Danale. Knitwear.
Rav ID: ValentinaS
Some Great Designs: ValentinaS' Rav Designer Page

A gentle, quiet grace infuses all of Valenina's designs.

Fragrance of Meadows (pictured) is her most recent pattern and one of my favourites. A seamless, top-down garment using the contiguous method, this piece is one that is great for the warm weather and also fab for the cooler temperatures. Just imagine layering it over a tee or longer sleeved shirt! Vests are way in for the fall.

Wings has a wonderfully graceful drape and simple shape. I love that the pattern comes with three options for neck and armhole finishing and is a seamless knit.

Finally I wanted to show you Senoir Angler. This design has a fantastic use of simple knit purl textures to create an interested, cozy looking finished sweater.

FYI: Valentina currently has a summer sale for 40% off patterns in her Ravelry shop. It's on until the end of August!

Indie Designer Day

© ElenaMadsenDesigns

Designer: Elena Madsen
Rav ID: haekleri
Some Great Designs: haekleri's Rav Designer Page

Make way for crochet! I love this designer's work. Check out three of my favourites:

Her most recently designed piece is Peplum Shell Symphonie (pictured). I love how this piece is designed in pieces so that you can easily alter it to suit your tastes. Just taking a quick peek at some of the FOs shows you that it can be strapless, have capped sleeves, a blousy waist, a fitted waist, and oh my! That peplum! I love it. Seems like the perfect little piece for the beach.

As you all know I'm generally a fan of the bold and unusual. Or at least, the statement-making. And how better to make a statement than with that staple of the boldly fashionable lady's wardrobe, the poncho. Warm November is a wee crocheted poncho, one that works up quickly and is easy to follow.

Lastly, check out these sweet little One Moment Slippers. They look cozy, comfortable, and totally cute.

Check out her IG feed and hop on over to her FB page!

Indie Designer Day

Designer: Ursa Major Knits
Rav ID: Crizzy
Some Great Designs: Crizzy's Rav Designer Page

This week's designer first caught my eye because of the beautifully bold way she uses colour and shape.
See for yourself in these three designs:

Her most recent design is Lady Liberty (pictured). Scarves/shawls are one of Crizzy's strengths, and this design is a great example of how she creates incredible dynamism using yarn colour and shape. I especially love how the unusual shape drapes in unexpected ways. Just scroll through the pattern photos on the Rav page.

Second, I wanted to show you another of her scarf/shawl designs, New York Beauty. Totally beauty! Look at how fantastically she's utilized a self-striping yarn to create undulating shape in an otherwise simple accessory.

Finally, here's a great display of her design sensibility directed at socks. These might be some of the most interesting socks I've ever seen: Venetian Joker shows that trademark use of shape and colour that Crizzy is so good at. Just check out those cuffs! It even comes with 7 pages of photo tutorials, and bottom up as well as top down instructions. Rad!

ETA:
Want to win a copy of Lady Liberty? Just leave a comment here letting me know either your email address or Ravelry id.
Winner will be chosen August 20.

Indie Designer Revisit

 Designer: Ágnes Kutas-Keresztes
Blog: Agnes Kutas Knitwear Design
Rav ID: AgnesKutas
Some Great Designs: AgnesKutas' Rav Designer Page
Original Indie Designer Post: September 23, 2011

Four years have passed since I first profiled Ágnes, and she's still creating pretty, textural knits. She's been self publishing, and has had her worked featured in great places like Interweave Knits, Knitscene, and Knitty. I'm just going to highlight three for you here.

There's a lot of shawls out there, but most of the ones I see are light and lacy. I like it when I encounter a Serious shawl, one that I can wear almost like a cape, to keep me warm when the temperatures drop. Ágnes' Oversized Crescent Shawl is one of them. It's thick. It's got great texture. And it's inspired by old stone castles. Yes.

I'm also keen on Cinnamon (pictured). This cardigan is seamless, bottom-up, and has more of that eye-catching texture that's well placed across the entire piece.

And finally, want to talk about great texture? Check out her Neyera Cowl. The gull-stitch texture running along the outer edges gives a fantastic depth, creating shadows between the ridges. A generously sized cowl, Neyera can be looped around your neck twice (and I even wonder if it could be worn as a wee poncho? A ponch-ette??)

FYI: she has a Lacy Summer Sale going on until TODAY. So hurry on over to her Ravelry store to grab the deals!

Indie Designer Day

Designer: Sarah Ronchetti
Blog: Sezza Knits
Rav ID: sezza
Some Great Designs: sezza's Rav Designer Page

This New Zealand designer has designs for the whole family! All pieces are stand out in their classic, comfortable, shapes and styles. I'll show you three.

She has a lot of fun socks, but I think Summer Strawberries (pictured) are my favourite. The pretty lace detail running down the leg and on to the toe, coupled with the texture surrounding the leg and ankle, make these appear to be a fun knit and great FO.

My sister just had a baby, so all those fun baby knits are getting my attention! I particularly like Jamie's Hats because it has that super fun shape (and DOUBLE pom pom). I will refrain what I always seem to when I see cool baby/kid knits: I need this for me. Kids don't get to have all the fun!

And hey, this might be the first (one of the first?) men's knits to be featured on an Indie Designer post, Alec XL. This is a classic men's henley pullover, with some handsome texture and instructions for optional collar.

Indie Designer Day

Designer: Tonesen design
Blog: TonesenDesign
Rav ID: tonesen
Some Great Designs: tonesen's Rav Designer Page

I think this designer's work is best stated by the designer herself! Here's a quote taken from her Designer Page on Ravelry:

"A Norwegian who is very interested in kofter (cardigans) and their history. Because of this interest I started the Norwegian group “Koftegruppa” on Facebook in 2013.
I am huge fan of patterns and typical shapes from decades before the 80’s. That is what inspire me in my designs and my redesigns."

She has seven designs right now on Ravelry, all sweaters with beautiful colourwork. I'm going to show you two.

First up is the pictured Kvistymre. This is her most recently published design, and I think it shows off her vintage and traditional sensibilities quite well.  

Second, I want to point you to Skogstjerner. This is a colourwork yoke sweater, as opposed to an overall colourwork sweater like Kvistymre above. The reason this sweater really caught my attention was her fun choices in yarn colour for the sample. Greens and orange a white!

Head on over to her Ravelry Designer Page to read and see more!

Indie Designer Day

© E. Cummings

Designer: Katy H. Carroll
Rav ID: Katinka
Some Great Designs: Katinka's Rav Designer Page

There's lovely accessories from this week's designer, each with eye-catching texture.

Here's just three:

The Carver Scarf (pictured) is one of Katinka's most recently published designs. I'm a great proponent of scarves, though I know many people aren't super keen on them. But check out this one! It's got such great surface texture, adding visual interest to a piece that could easily be unisex.

Her Emmeline Wrap is designed with knitting and wearing ease and comfort in mind. Worked from tip-to-tip, there are never too many, cumbersome stitches on the needle. You also get the pleasure of seeing that lace border block out, and turn into gently rolling waves of yarnny texture!

And finally, get a look at her Pollina Cowl. This is a tall, slouchy cowl (one of my favourite types!) in a fingering weight. It uses attractive leaf texture and beading to make this one classy cowl indeed!

Katinka has very kindly offered a coupon for all Canary Knits readers! Now through the end of July you can get 30% off all patterns in her Ravelry store with the coupon code CANARY.

Indie Designer Day

Designer: Melanie Mielinger
Blog: Melanie Strickt
Rav ID: Mellimi
Some Great Designs: Mellimi's Rav Designer Page

This week's designer has a great mix of shawls and sweaters. I'm going to point out three.

First up is Color Bomb (pictured). This is a fun shawl with colour blocking, striping, and the added detail of mesh openwork within the colourful stripes. I really dig this take on the basic shawl!

Second, I want to point out YoHo. This shawl relies on a mix of textures for visual interest. And to add a touch of uniqueness to it, Melanie's included a bobble fringe detail to the edge. Yes! Bobble fringe! I love it!


Finally, there's her Kelli cardigan. This simply shaped, traditional open-front cardigan has a cute lace panel on the back and a pretty, delicate textural detail at the waist.

Check out more of Melanie's patterns on her Rav designer page!

Indie Designer Revisit

Designer: Christina Werge
Blog: herrlicnkeiten
Rav ID: schneefloeckchen
Some Great Designs: schneefloeckchen's Rav Designer Page
Original Indie Designer Post: February 17, 2012

When I first profiled this designer over three years ago I noted that her style focuses on fine detail and texture. Here, I'll give you a sampling of some of the patterns she's published since then, all with the same wearable, feminine aesthetic.

She's been published in several magazines; pictured is her contribution to Knitty Spring/Summer 2013, her Daphne Tank. It's got short rows, smocking at the waist, and is knit sideways. Doesn't that sound like a fun knit!?

She's also had her work featured in Clotheshorse. Carousel is an elbow-sleeve-length summery pullover with super cool openwork and a pretty, dramatic dip at the back neckline.

The last piece I'll mention was published in Hitch: Patterns Inspired by the films of Alfred Hitchcock. Her Annie Pullover is inspired by Annie Hayworth, a character from The Birds. The sweater has a mid-century vibe, with a shaped waistline, 3/4 length sleeves, and a delicate, classic boatneck.

Check out more of Christina's work on her Ravelry Designer Page!

Indie Designer Day

Designer: Jennifer Lysen
Website: Cedar House Yarns
Rav ID: LadyLysen
Some Great Designs: LadyLysen's Rav Designer Page

This week's designer has six pieces up in her Ravelry portfolio, each with a cute, fun vibe.

Taylor (pictured) is a garter stitch shawl with a funky, dramatic ridged edge of points. It's knit from side-to-side and has a dropped stitch, cleverly used to created the illusion of two separate sections.

Her Tulip Cuffs are a happy little project that use lace and buttons to give you a speedy wee FO that is great for an extra touch of warmth on your wrists, and a great use of leftover yarn bits.

She's also got a couple sock patterns, but I'll point you specifically to her Lake Chelan Socks. They were inspired by Lake Chelan in Washingtion, and feature opposing cables which set off eyelet waves, like ripples across the water.

She is also the owner of Cedar House Yarns. Check out her shop here.

Indie Designer Day

Designer: Jenn Emerson
Rav ID: JennEmerson
Some Great Designs: JennEmerson's Rav Designer Page

This week's designer has a mix of women's and kids designs, all really cute, relaxed, and colourful!

First up is Lady Schenley (pictured). HOW CUTE IS THE POCKET! Seriously, you almost have to look for no other reason to want to knit this. But I do have some for you, anyway: there's a kid's version, you have options for pockets or no pockets (choose pockets!), options for sleeve details, and if you so choose, you can have a simple, classic pullover. Super win!

Second, here's an adorable kid's skirt Balletto. Now, I did say kid's skirt, but it does run from size XS - XL, so I hold out hope that perhaps this fantastically be-ruffled riot of fun could fit my grown up self. Check it out at that link. Totally cute, right?

Finally, I'll show you guys her latest design, Collina. This is a simple and striking wrap that uses an overall texture to create interest and a feel of coziness. It seems like the perfect thing to have on hand for snuggling under in chilly times.

Check out the rest of her patterns on her Ravelry designer page!

Indie Designer Day

Designer: Lynn Di Cristina
Rav ID: LynnDsStudio
Some Great Designs: LynnDsStudio's Rav Designer Page

Cowls, hats, scarves, oh my!
This week's indie designer Lynn Di Cristina has 40 published patterns on Ravelry, each of which demonstrate a bright playfulness with traditional shapes.
I'll point out three for you.

First here's the pictured Molly Walker, Lynn's most recent design from 2015.
Ever wonder what to do with all that fab variegated yarn you have? Well, this wrap was made for showing it off. I love the boldness of the colours and that edging that just POPS.

Second is Ohyes. I like this hat because it's simple, attractive, light, airy, wearable, and comes with a touching story about loss and courage. A portion of the proceeds goes to raise awareness and give hope for those who suffer from depression and addiction.

And third, I couldn't help but point out one of her patterns inspired by a bird, Gularis. It's a cowl (which I love), and it's designed in a super beautiful colour palette of yellows to oranges.

Indie Designer Revisit

Designer: Kristina Vilimaite
Rav ID: AnimaKnits
Some Great Designs: AnimaKnits' Rav Designer Page
Original Indie Designer Post: January 6, 2012

This month's indie designer revisit is still going strong with her intricate shawl designs.
I'll point out two to you!

Seeds to Flowers (pictured) has one of the greatest pattern descriptions I've ever read. Check it out:

You will be knitting a flower garden. In the beginning you work a bit of stockinette adorned with a decorative border. And then the magic starts. You plant some beads for seeds, and as you knit they sprout into stems, then leaves of Japanese lace start growing. Then Estonian lace buds appear to open into fully blossoming flowers sprinkled with beads like dew drops.

Cool eh?

There's also Luck Lilac, which I had to include because lilacs are one of my favourites. Perfect, as they're blooming right now and smell so damn good. I like her inspiration for this shawl, which draws on the fading colours of the flowers and the ombre effect that she's worked in to this design.

Both of these patterns are part of her Inner Gardens ebook, which includes seven shawl patterns and is available for download on Ravelry for $19.99 USD.

Indie Designer Day

Designer: Janina Kallio
Blog: Studio Kallio
Rav ID: JaninaKallio
Some Great Designs: JaninaKallio's Rav Designer Page

On her designer page, Janina's bio says,

I design patterns for knitters who love simple knitting with gorgeous results.

And that says it best! Here's a run down of three of my favourite pieces from this talented designer.

Gravitate (pictured) is a slightly asymmetrical shawl that uses dropped stitches instead of lace for a sense of airiness. I think what I love best about this piece is her creative styling. Now that's a shawl I can totally see myself wearing!

Possibly because I currently have a bit of a fringe fixation, I've included Flirty on this list. A shawl with a basic triangular shape and bottom point up constructions, this piece is worked with alternating stripes of fishnet lace and garter stitch. A great one-skein project for that fingering weight you might have kicking around.

And Asterism shows another thing I think this designer is great at: texture. This is just garter and eyelets, by holy cow, this is pretty garter and eyelets!

These are just a few of the fantastic designs she has available. Check out her designer page on rav for more!

Indie Designer Day

Designer: Ela Torrente
Blog: Modish People
Rav ID: KnittingEla
Some Great Designs: KnittingEla's Rav Designer Page

This week's designer has a great array of pattern types, but for this post I'm going to focus on her most recent three sweaters.

First is the pictured Burton Vestigan. Comfy, with inviting texture, a great cowl neck, and voluminous fabric, this garment is knit with bulky yarn which makes it a fast project and adds to the textural wonderland.

Second is Soft Stones.  This pullover is in fingering weight, and has some fun asymmetrical colourwork happening on the sleeves.

And finally, have a look at Black Forest. A cardi in DK with some lace! I like the i-cord closure (I'm always a fan of non-button closures). She has a lot more to see, so pop by her designer page for more!