Tuesday, August 12, 2008
The Guru of Knit-A-Beach
The concept of "knitting a beach", of actually evoking all the shapes and colours and atmosphere of a beach in knitting, is the brainchild of Jane Thornley .
Caught here in action, working together with knitters who have embraced the challenge of knitting a beach this summer, Jane is an endless source of inspiration. Encouraging knitters everywhere to think "outside the box" and put aside rules that restrict, she is not only the "Guru of Knit-a-Beach", but for all forms of adventure knitting.
Advocating the use of colour--lots of colour--and texture and random applications of stitch patterns, her own design work cannot be slotted into any single classification of knitting. Her designs are unique, one-of-kind creations that she does not expect others to duplicate. Rather she calls knitters to explore their individual creativity.
Her designs, then, are road maps, guiding knitters as they experiment on their own. Her "Knit-a-Beach" vest is a case in point.
Her pattern booklet for this vest traces the development of the design and sets out a general template for knitters to follow. Yet where the waves and shoals occur and in what fashion are entirely up to each knitter.
But Jane's reassuring hand, like that of any true guru, is there at every stage.
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