Sandra's Designing Blog

This is an exclusive area of my web site where you can find out more about my knitted designs, what inspires me, how I work and what I like (and don't like) to design. 
 
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  1. Festival Finale & Rainbow Rays

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    Festival Finale 

    This weekend marks the end of the WoveninKirklees festival and I've been busier than ever! Getting reasy for the yarn market, creating new kits, sewing up bunting etc etc. Hope I get to see some of you in St Georges square this weekend. Sounds like it's going to be fun!  

    I really enjoyed going back to Huddersfield Railway station a few days ago to help with a facebook live video. If you can spare 3/4 of an hour to watch and listen to the video it really explains the inspiration and thought process that went into the installation. You can view the video here - Exploring the Big Rainbow Knit in Huddersfield.

    I was responsible for the design of the Rainbow Rays, the panels that adorn the planters in the square and the 3 bigger pieces that are on the station gate and the bus shelter. All these pieces again were made from knitted squares that were brought together in special unique designs which I created. The 2 coloured squares were used as a basis, utilising a rainbow colour and either black or white. The Big Rainbow knitters were really happy to experiment in their knitting and wanted to do more than the simple garter stitch square. As the 2 coloured squares came in to the Big Rainbow knit HQ, I starting to pull them together in to my 6 x 4 squares designs.  I designed over 25 original pattern layouts, half of which were sent out to our Big Rainbow sewers to sew up!
    In fact the whole Rainbow Rays idea was inspired by the blocks (a series of repeated shapes) that go on to make quilt patterns. These will be explored in the ebook, to give you ideas as to how you can use the 6 x 4 and 4 x 4 squares repeated to make interesting throws and cushions.
    Pre-order the Rainbow Rays pattern eBook here
    I also created a number of slips stitch and fair isle patterns that were knitted up in to squares too by our Big Rainbow knitters.  The slip stitch patterns were developed to look like illusions, inspred by the Rainbow being one big illusion. The Fair isle patterns were developed to be squares or triangles within the bigger square and then when brought together they give a checkerboard effect.
    If you live or travel through Kirklees you may have seen yarn bombings popping up all over the district. A few of the sites have used the same idea of utilsing the 2 coloured squares to develop their own patterns. 
    Bradley by Yak & Yarn
    Meltham by Meltham Knit & Natter



    The Rainbow Ray panels and the individual knitting patterns are documented in my ebook which you can pre-order now at a discounted price of £5 from my web site or Ravelry. The patterns within the ebook will be available and emailed to you AFTER the woven festival that takes place from 5th June 2021 to 27th June. This is so official WOVEN photographs can be included in the ebooklet. I imagine that the ebooklet patterns will be ready for emailing sometime in July & August 2021.  

    [Discounted price is for the duration of the festival]

  2. 156 Pairs of Gloves

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    Probably wondering what ! what is Sandra on about now? 

    Well today I'm mixing and matching, which is exactly what we all do with our knitted accessories. Pulling similar colours, textures and patterns together as well as making sure that they are functional too.  
    All the gloves (knitted, kits and patterns) you find in my web store are all fingerless. There are 2 main reasons for this, 
    1. I can't knit fingers, they are too fiddly for me. I'm one of those knitters who enjoys knitting large pieces of fabric, fingers, toys, even tiny baby garments can be too fiddly for me, I get in a mess, the needles and yarn become entwined. I know my limit.
    2. I prefer wearing fingerless gloves!, yes even in the midst of a cold winter I'd rather have my fingers free.If they get too cold I simply put my hands in my pockets.
    ISSUE 156 of THE KNITTER (October) had 2 of my designs in it !!

    If you fancy knitting one of these designs sometime, then if you wait 6 months I will be supplying the individual patterns on Ravelry and on my web site.
    A sample of the Fingerless Gloves available in Sandra's store
    Stokesay from Issue 156 of The Knitter is probably my best design to date. I made my own modification to the  lace tulip pattern so that the twisty stems could continue right up the sweater. I love the sleeve lengths and the neckline. If I was knitting this for myself (and I will one day) I would make the body longer, but otherwise perfect.
    A sample of the Fingerless Gloves KIT's available in Sandra's store.  A variety of cables, fair isle and lace, some knitted in the round, some knitted flat. 

    Great to knit up for Christmas gifts or why not gift the kit! 
    Lightwaves from Issue 156 of The Knitter is a lovely slip stitch square cushion. Using natural colours of West Yorkshire Spinner Illustrious yarn in a geometric pattern. Not an easy knit, you do need to follow the instructions row by row but well worth it. Finishes with tassles on the back.