Sunday, October 16, 2011
Carol Feller and Contemporary Irish Knits
While at TNNA in June, I had the delightful pleasure of meeting the lovely Irish designer, Carol Feller.
And a delight it was. Her enthusiasm, energy, and fresh approach match her lively personality. She had her iPad with her with images from her then-forthcoming book. I was completely taken in by her unique approach to working with traditional Irish motifs.
Her book, Contemporary Irish Knits, is now available--and it is worth adding to your knitting library.
In this book, Carol travels to several woollen mills throughout Ireland and records their history and present-day workings. Using the yarns produced by these mills, she has created a collection of unique knitting patterns.
Each pays tribute to the tradition and history from which they sprang. But Carol adds her own unique touch and makes each worthy of a contemporary wardrobe. Traditional, yes. Modern, yes, that, too.
She uses placement of cables and contemporary silhouettes to create her pieces.
She mixes cables with lace.
I love what she has done here: use a bold central cable panel and separated it with eyelet lace panels and more cables. A brazen use of otherwise conflicting design elements. To add further interest, Carol has used short-row shaping to give this shawl a curved shape.
There are pieces for children and men, too. Like this cabled hoodie:
There is a pattern here, waiting for you to be knitted. Each design has a classic feel and will be wearable for many years to come.
Lately I have been experimenting a bit more with cables and textured knits of different kinds. I know that I will be turning to Carol's book when I need some inspiration.
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