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Newsletter - May 2012
Welcome!
They tell us summer’s coming. It seems to be coming and going in this hemisphere. You never know how you should dress each morning; what will the day bring? It will arrive, likely in full steamy bliss to some, horror, to me, but it will come. So summer tops need to be knitted right now. It’s a summer top issue, plus our first Publisher of the Month, Louet North America.
As always, let us know what you think of this issue. Email me, Gayle Clow, at newsletter.editor@patternfish.com and send any other questions about Patternfish to Phil at support@patternfish.com
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Prime Minister's Choices
You want summery tops, but not a huge swot of knitting (save that for shawls you can wear year-round). Here are some pieces I've loved from the first moment I saw them.
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I have a thing-- you could call it a kind of design fetish-- for tops with any kind of detail at the sides. This is a simple, straight-sided, basic little fine-grained piece (sport tension) graced with one of those charming little eyelet patterns that look like they're cabled but aren't. The back neck is straight across from shoulder to shoulder. A super summer option for almost all women. |
Pursuant to the side detail theme: in our next life we will wear this all summer, every day. Just look at it. It's stunning. If you wish your bust looked bigger, you should be casting on for it as you're reading this. And yet, what is there for the prudish to object to? It's not like you're not covered up to the neck. (Mostly. There is a bit of cutaway at the shoulder. So much the better.) Bond Girl sexy. |
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And then there is the sexiness that you can't even consciously acknowledge, because the look is so classically Greek and pure. Ferociously easy (mostly done in the round). Worship-worthy, even, in a plant-based DK. Would look smashing in a yarn with some interest, or equally in a smooth plain style. In white... the most innocent allurement. |
Sometimes you need a good summer sweater with sleeves, and this is one for year after year. Our favorite thing about it is the neckline (not too low, not too high), and the way it's shaped with a rib, all the very visible full-fashioned decreases. Which are echoed on the set-in sleeves. And the lace patterning is great too. And it's got waist shaping... |
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Some ready-to-wear designs (like designs in jersey) have little or no 'hanger appeal'. This is one of those pieces that looks incredibly plain in the picture, and just plain incredible when you wear it: a bit slidey-off-the-shoulders, a bit like you'd belong in an ad for a $100,000 sports car shot on the Amalfi coast. The most casual, European-style luxe. And the rankest beginner could make it! |
And when you need a sleeveless summer basic, there's nothing better than this. Back-to-front reversible, so you can change the neckline. Easy, easy ribbing. No sewing. Fabulous in any style of yarn. Because of the overall ribbing, it conforms to your body without waist shaping. If we had a TV show called "The Essentials" like TCM does, this would be one of those Essentials. |
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Editor's Choices
It’s May and I’m longing to get out of turtlenecks and cardigans. Pretty garments are attracting me and so is colour. The effect of colour on our choice of designs is more powerful than we know. Why not just give in sometimes?
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It’s the colour on this Sirdar cardigan that first attracts me, then the bit of lace at the hem, the scooped top, and the tiny sleeves. Not much knitting results in a go-to summer sweater on its own or over a printed dress. I’d consider adding a bit of lace to the sleeve. |
Annie Dempsey creates such wearable garments. I love the colour of this cotton knit and the straight fall from the shoulders. Slit sides make for nice body ventilation. It’s such an adaptable top; you could wear it with anything. |
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You could guess the design house from the detail and overt femininity of this design. I love the twisted stitches that pull in the waist, bind the armhole, and extend into straps. It’s just so pretty! |
Jean Chung loves San Francisco and all her designs have an urban, yet laid-back vibe. I don’t know how she manages that but she does, very well, as this beginner’s crocheted summer top demonstrates. |
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I have loved this Chris Bylsma design since it first appeared: the arresting front cable (actually a simple lace stitch, no cable needle required) that becomes self-finishing at the neck and wraps the throat, the slimming effect of the k4 - p1 rib, the applied i-cord armhole finish, and the choice of baby or sock yarns. |
This Kira K summer top has some of my favourite elements: an interesting back design that is not repeated on the front, flattering v-neckline, curve-enhancing waist shaping, no-rib finish at sleeve, neck and hem. The top-down construction makes fitting and lengthening a breeze. |
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In this issue ...A Landmark DesignWe’re delighted that Louet is the first Publisher of the Month to be featured in our newsletter. Louet was pretty happy, too, and to celebrate they have sent us a Trudy Van Stralen design for men, Regan, our 200th Louet pattern. From the Prime Minister's Desk
Louet North America is our first Publisher of the Month, as opposed to individual Designer. We know why designers design-- because they have a vocation, or mad unstoppable talent, or a unique vision of knitwear as it should be, or all of that (it's certainly not for the money). Companies like Louet issue patterns to sell yarn. And companies like Louet turn this necessity into a glorious asset. It's like in the Renaissance, where Medicis and Borgias commissioned religious artwork: they needed to do it to announce the depth of their devotion to God. But the resulting art itself was so magnificent in its own right that its subject could be almost irrelevant. So it is with the best of a yarn distributor's or producer's patterns, we think. That they were brought into existence to promote a product doesn't mean that they can't be ravishing on their own terms. But-- and this is a big but-- yarn manufacturers can't afford to continue to print patterns to support a yarn that's gone. A favorite example is 8 patterns that supported Sirdar's Eco Wool DK. To paraphrase the band manager in This is Spinal Tap, the yarn's appeal was very selective, and it didn't last long. But the patterns! Take a look at the Eco Wool Collection. What a tragedy it would be if those lovely designs were lost forever. With us, they needn't be. This is one of the reasons Patternfish came about. You can imagine how expensive it is to produce a pattern. Bergere de France told me that each one of theirs, all in, with designer and pattern writer and model and stylists and location fees all in, costs €2,000. Two thousand euros! And then there's printing, and shipping them all over the planet (they're heavy), and storing them. And 80% of them sell OK and the other 20% go into sales orbit, and of course it's hard to predict what will do what. Patterns are becoming so expensive to produce that I have come to look at them like DVD revenues for a movie studio or HBO. The ancillary income that DVD's provide allows movies or miniseries to continue to be made. So, too, with patterns. Be proud of paying. Charity Selection by the Designer of the MonthThis month Patternfish has selected the Canadian Heart and Stroke Foundation as our charity of the month. For each Louet pattern purchased during the period of the newsletter, Patternfish we be donating $1.00 to the Heart and Stroke Association on behalf of Trudy Van Stralen and Louet North America. Louet will be joining us. Newsletter Archive
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Publisher and Designer of the Month:
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Next Trudy designed a line of superwash merino, with very specific characteristics, working with a Canadian mill. There were many iterations of this yarn as Trudy perfected the spinning, twist and exact fiber characteristics to produce Gems, a fibre now available in five weights from fingering to chunky.
So the yarn definitely arrived before the designs and patterns. We tried selling the yarn with a few patterns inherited from Euroflax but soon discovered that without fresh new pattern ideas, we were having little success.
Where did the designs come from? Trudy felt we needed to work with a "name" designer so we started on our pattern design process with a local fashion design expert. Trudy converted the designs into knitting patterns and Louet North America's pattern design process was born.
A year later, Trudy realized that her own abilities were more than sufficient, and she took over design and pattern writing. Over the years, we added a tech editing process, for as Trudy said, "I design in Dutch, and North Americans don't understand Dutch patterns". Lynda Rossetti joined Trudy's team in the late 90's, initially as a test knitter, but soon to become her right hand. For the last 5 years Lynda has been doing all the pattern writing and aiding in the design process, meeting weekly with Trudy.
Today, Trudy's health is too poor to continue in the capacity of Creative Director for Louet North America. Without our knitting, spinning and weaving expert, Louet is reaching out to other industry experts to help us fill the void, which is a monumental task, proving to be quite difficult.
What is your vision for Louet? What are your goals for the future? I took over as President of Louet North America in 2008. Today, my vision is to forge a strong working relationship with independent pattern designers. We offer yarn support for this purpose as well as use of designs in fashion show garments at TNNA and Stitches events. We maintain an archive of Trudy's designs, which we will continue to release over time.
My goal is to continue offering the yarns Trudy developed, continue finding beautiful and creative designs, and maintain the high quality and standards that Trudy set in pattern design, publishing, and yarn creation/selection.
Trudy's favorite design in Euroflax is Sasha and others are Kirstin, Erica, Lily, and the new Savannah; and in Gems her favourites are Shauna, Gwen, Sabrina and Harmony.
Other yarns were the result of Trudy’s careful assessment of the yarn properties she was looking for and a judicious combining of fibres. MerLin is a blend of Gems merino and Euroflax linen. We plied these two yarns together as a means of creating a linen yarn that was a little softer on knitters' hands. Paige and Pamela is Patternfish’s best selling Louet design.
KidLin was created by plying Kid Mohair and Euroflax. The linen gives the Kid Mohair tremendous drape and body. One of our best selling patterns is Cia, a KidLin cardigan.
What did you have to learn to make your business successful? It’s funny to say this, but the biggest thing I had to learn, and I think Trudy would agree, was for the two of us to work together. A mother and son have a certain relationship. It is difficult to turn that into a business relationship. Trudy and I worked hard at this over the years. We worked with consultants to find a way to maintain a personal relationship and a business relationship, without sacrificing either. It was our biggest challenge, and for me it is my proudest achievement. Trudy’s and my personality are very similar. I am who I am in large part, due to what I have learned from her.
Where do you think you and your business will be in 10 years? I see the industry continuing to grow globally. The need to translate patterns into many languages will become more important. I see the Internet being the commerce media of the future and our willingness to embrace it will create opportunity.
LNA is going to continue to grow and be a supply chain partner in this industry. If we are successful in filling Trudy's creative void, we will again become a creative force as well.
How did you decide to list your designs on Patternfish? LNA puts all of its self published patterns on Patternfish. After a 3 year trial of our own online pattern distribution system, finding a home within Patternfish has been a great decision. These types of strategic partnerships are critical for successful business, in my opinion.
Many pattern publishers with yarn lines change them from time to time. Why have you chosen to retain the ones you have? LNA believes in sustainable product lines that customers can grow to love, enjoy and count on. We believe in high quality products and strong customer service. For these reasons, we feel maintaining the same yarn lines, season after season, is a strong business model. We wish to be considered a supplier of staple yarns, yarns retailers and consumers can count on and turn to for their classic designs and creations.
The longevity of our yarn also plays into Trudy's design process. She designed in a way to be sure your garment will look the same after 10 years of wash and wear as it did when you first made it.
These principles allow for a strong, sustainable business.
Find all the Louet North America designs here.
Our Newest Designers and Publishers
In April we welcomed seven new publishers and designers.
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Briggs & Little, the famous 155 year old woolen mill, asked Patternfish if we would post their designs on-line and we were delighted to say yes. Patterns range from the iconic to the up-to-the-minute. Here’s the Classic B & L that those of us of a certain age remember and many of a younger age are discovering anew. Check out the other Patternfish designs using Briggs and Little yarn, too. |
Therese Chynoweth debuts her new label, Ink and Wool, with her first self-published design, Diamonds Royale, a worsted weight lacy vest. Diamonds Royale would be a good choice for a beginner level lace knitter wanting to go to the next level. Everything you would expect from a seasoned designer is here including both written and charted lace pattern and lots of notes. |
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Sarah Louise Alderson of Wessenden Woollies launches with Blakely, a beautifully constructed seamless tee. It’s great for curvy girls and the not so curvy with strategically placed front cables and back waist shaping. Alderson’s provided a terrific size range, too, from 28”-62”. |
Jane Schwartz of Emerald Isle Designs begins with Peek a Boo, a delightfully lacy and feminine sweater with ruffled body and sleeve hems. Happily, the ruffles are included in the garment pieces, not sewn on later. Schwartz designed Peek a Boo from 36.75” to 61” bust. |
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Anniki Leppik debuts at Patternfish with her Romantic Lace Gloves, inspired by the widely known and somewhat intimidating traditional Estonian lace patterns with airy texture and numerous bobbles. Build confidence with these fingerless gloves before you launch into a Haapsalu shawl. |
Robin Melanson launches her new label, di Corvidae, with 5 designs, available only on Patternfish. You’ll have seen Melanson designs here at Patternfish and many other places. She continues to wow with this first collection from her personal label. This is Vivika, a beautifully shaped, Aran-inspired sweater. See the Collection for more. |
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New publisher James C. Brett debuts with this Coat, a swingy A-line cardigan. It’s neat and fitted above and flowy below. Cables back and front grace the bodice. The armhole fits but still has room for a shirt or sweater underneath. This cardigan is the first of many designs from this British yarn manufacturer. |
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From the Ambassador's Desk
- Gayle Clow
I’ve been reading a terrific book called The Culture of Knitting by Joanne Turney, a British academic at the Bath School of Art and Design. The Culture of Knitting is scholarly, but it has much to offer the unscholarly. I recommend it.
From the book’s concluding chapter, “The ordinariness of knitting and knitted objects seemingly defines its discussion or analysis. Too easily it is dismissed as ‘just knitting’. But it is precisely this ordinariness that makes it special…Knitting allows makers to not ‘just’ make things, but to communicate ideas, forge relationships, and make sense of and comment on the world around them.”
Amen.