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Signatur April 2018 Newsletter 86

Stunning colours shine through for winter 2018 Thank you firstly for a fabulous start to 2018. Designers on show at Turramurra was a huge hit as was Handmade Market Canberra. March was a really busy month.

April & May is a great time to visit the Signatur Handknits Killarney Heights, Northshore of Sydney. Just give me a calll 0427 064 834. April Tuesday 24th knit class from 10am All about Mitres, at Castle Hill. The STYK group  have just 6 seats to fill for more details jane@sigknit.com May 5th & 6th Handmade Market Canberra Saturday and Sunday 10am to 4pm May 19th & 20th Wool Weekend Old Bus depot Market Canberra May 27th Sydney Coal Loarders Market Waverton - An all Australian Made line up about 70 stalls indoor and outdoor, cafe on site. Interesting venue.

Above the Tudor Swingcoat, this shot shows how the fullness falls from the shoulders, yet the shoulders fit. The original swingcoat styling has deep almost Dolman sleeves, this garment has the slim sleeve, new optiona couple of years ago, it does reduce the chest size - but then the swingcoat styling has ample chest ease!

Adding a modern twist to inhertited stiches, with new styling and finishes.

The Shona Jacket in Jacaranda left and below as a sweater look a little traditional with stitch pattern panels between cables. Cables create such fantastic textures, in the Shona the cables are worked as both crab claw cables and what I call OXO cables, which show well in ruby red sweater below.  The Shona sweater was commissioned by a Canberra client at handmade market last year. You'll see in the hemline I have kept the openings, I originally used these in the Jacket to allow the garment ease over the hips instead of an A line shaping, simply way to create a better fit.

Hemline details in Shona and Chaffey Jackets With the Cable Chaffey, in brick red below, I have combined two traditional stitch patterns asysmetrically. Right back with the Diamond pattern and left back with the Zig Zag, the front carries the same two patterns also.

I am very fond of short row shaping, adding length centre front and back into the hemline, very slight in the back. With the Cable Chaffey I have worked the band before the short rows, emphasized by the centre back split. The front bands over lap the back at the side seam and is trimmed with a button.

Knitting sideways - let's the stitch pattern be worked across the garment instead of vertically. It does present a few fit challenges when writting the pattern. So both the pieces below are knitted sideways - using almost the same pattern. The Zig Zag Sweater (yes shown as the vest option) and in Cherry Red the Zig Zag Drape.

The Zig Zag Sweater is new for 2018. It is knitted by a given number of rows cast on to cast off, side seam to side seam, with 5 chest sizes in the pattern. When knitting side ways rows create the chest width and stitches the body length. The body is simply split into 3 sections, commencing with the back from the left side, then the back neck and the right back. The cables and the zig zag create the stitch interest whilst a small basket stitch repeat at the side seam extends across the shoulder, this takes in the shoulder and neck shaping, as well as contributing to the sizeing slightly too. The large basket stitch pattern between the cables creates the chest width and is a 20 row repeat, getting all these elements to play nicely together was interesting! You'll see the picture above right the front is shorter than the back by the depth of one block of large basket stitch, of course you can knit front and back the same length too. I keep calling this the sweater - when we  took these shots the sleeve was still on the needles!

The Zig Zag Drape above, everybody loves how the back kicks out into a fish tail. The large shot left shows that it is actually one long piece with armholes, with a stepped edge. I have used the large basket sticth to create a stepped edge from front to back, so this piece is knitted to a set number of rows created by the large basket stitch again. The only sizing detail is the depth of the armhole and the distance between the armholes. The shot on the left gives a perfect example of the shoulder width, when knitting get a friend to measure you - so when wearing a neatly fitted shirt where the body and sleevehead meet is the width you are after.

Below: Cowls and scarves as knitting kits.

SPECIAL OFFER on www.ozeyarn.com order 3 x 100g balls of Azteca and receive 3 free patterns. Three Patterns are: Circular Cowl, Wave Scarf and Yurt Hat/ Beret

If you'd like to discuss anything in this newsletter - or anything at all, please email Jane. Thanks for your support - Laura, Petra, Philippa, Helen and I look forward to seeing you in the knitting circle!

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