Jane Handknitted...

I NEED KNITTERS!!!

2009-10-12T10:16:00.000-07:00

I need some knitters to help me knit up the garments for my books.

I have so many to do this season and such a short space to get them knitted in.

If you live in the UK and would like to knit some garments for my books please email me directly.

jane@janeellison.co.uk

You do not have to sew up the garment or pick up stitches around the neck. All you need is to have good even tension and can get a garment knitted fairly quickly... I need you!

THANK YOU SO MUCH

2009-10-08T07:14:00.000-07:00

I can't believe my last post was in July!

I'd love to write that I have been away for the last 3 months on a deserted island where the sun shone every day, the sea was crystal blue and the sand soft and beautiful....mmmmmmmm.

Back to reality, I've been working hard with no time for holidays or even weekends off!

I'll post what I've been up to as soon as I organise my time better, I need to get garments out to knitters first.

It would be lovely to say I have a team here who help me write patterns, organise the yarn into the parcels, make sure all details have been written down so we know who has what, and then take the parcels down to the post office...but it's just me.

So please bear with me and I promise to post again soon!

2009-07-03T05:30:00.000-07:00

I was just sorting through my work space to tidy and get it into some sort of organised mess (!!) when I cam across the first initial sketches I did for the mirasol logo.

My inspiration for the logo was the history and naive art of South America. I did a project on South American art when I was an school and have always loved it.

The sun was very central to their life and religion and I wanted to incorporate this into the logo. My own personal thoughts on the sun is that it is life giving and I like the idea that Mirasol is the same...which might be a bit romantic and even dramatic of me!

Here is my very first initial sketch:

And then the neat sketch I did for the layout designer.....

Working, working, working and working.

2009-06-29T08:27:00.000-07:00

I haven't managed to update my blog in the last month because I've been getting together all the information for my next three books.

Information is a really easy word to say and write, but information followed by "for my next 3 books" isn't an easy task.

Anyway, I actually managed to have a day off and I visited an antique shop and found a lovely old book, I like to think its Victorian but its probably from the 1920s.

I love this extract:

Formerly knitting was practically confined to the making of stockings and yet there are numberless other useful and ornamental articles, such as mufflers, motor scarves, shawls, counterpanes, cradle covers, gloves, lace of all sorts, &c. which can be made with knitting needles.

Besides its useful side, knitting is a pleasant pastime that can be resorted to at odd moments and carried on, whilst talking or even reading.

I love the sentence that includes the words 'at odd moments'!

MOTHERS ARE AMAZING!!

2009-05-14T10:22:00.000-07:00

Last Mothers Day (my sister and) I though it would be good idea for me to look after her daughter, my niece, for the day as a lovely Mothers Day treat.

I am in awe of mothers because while having babies must be very rewarding, I think its the most difficult job in the world, and completely under valued.

I looked after my niece by myself for the WHOLE day (maybe it was just an hour but it felt like the WHOLE day)

The day started with reading a magazine...I didn't get past the first paragraph.

and then I tried to do some knitting... my niece wanted to learn....I didn't finish the row.

I *love* my niece, and I *love* being an Auntie. But most of all I love saying to my sister she needs her nappy changing!

I take my hat off to all mothers. You are amazing.

I am very happy waiting for a few more years!!!

...as did Belinda

2009-05-02T09:56:00.000-07:00

The internet and I can have our moments. Some of the tricky ones make me dream of a time when life seemed simpler and Miss Marple solved all the problems in a gentle, quiet way!

However there are other moments when the internet is super. The moments when it is super is when I can see how knitters interpret my designs, I love that!

To me a knitting pattern is something to make personal and to change to your own desires.

Belinda sent me these pictures of her Seymour cardigan from Noro Family.

She knitted it for her husband (whom she tells me loves the cardigan!).

Here are Belinda's explanation of how she changed it:

"I changed the look of the finished garment slightly - found it hung and looked better (probably something to do with my knitting) - folded the shawl collar all the way from bottom left front to bottom right front - thereby making it single breasted, and though not such a wide rib at the front; it made it lovely and thick - hence it hung better. (hope you don't mind). Please find attached a photo of the finished garment and another close-up of the buttons - (although, sadly, the flash on my camera has taken the colour from the buttons somewhat)."

Her husband made the buttons himself from yew Belinda collected. I think that's fantastic!!

"It's a present for my partner and he is making the buttons from a branch of yew wood I

collected. I thought that would finish it off nicely!!"

"I'm really pleased with the buttons - they suit the design. I polished them with burgundy

shoe polish and I think the colour couldn't be better!! We didn't bother trying to make them round - just went with the shape of the branch."

I *love* it! I have a Seymour that I wear in my attic when working and it gets a little chilly. It's great to know that while my Seymour is the same colour as Belinda's husband's we still have individual hand knits!

..and so did Kimberly

2009-04-16T08:46:00.000-07:00

Kimberly just emailed me with this fabulous attachment.

It is Beck from my Queensland Book 9 and she has knitted it for her husband.

She says it fits him perfectly and has been knitting for just 3 years.

It is so beautiful and perfect.

I am so pleased she sent me a picture and I wanted to share it with everyone!

Well done Kimberly, thanks for emailing me!

...cables

2009-04-09T12:07:00.000-07:00

For the last week, every evening I have been trying to design a beautiful easy-to-knit cable pattern. Every night I have been with the gorgeous yarn (this helps as it is a deliciously soft yarn to knit with) and my needles in front of the TV trying to get a good cable.

Sounds like it should be easy, I thought I would have the patterning done on Sunday....nah, nah, nah.

I try to design swatches that have a little bit of interest but once you have the rhythm you can just go for it without looking at the pattern too much. This is not happening this week!

I usually do my knitting in the evening because I like my stitches to be simple, so you can knit while watching TV, or chatting with friends, or while waiting for dinner to cook. I sometimes do the ultimate test, while having a glass of wine, I purely do this for my knitting research of course.....!

Best get back to this cabling.

...for new books

2009-04-07T08:19:00.000-07:00

The last couple of weeks have been manic!

Has anyone tried to design for a deadline without any yarn??

I once was explaining everything I do to a friend and she said you must love it. I do. I love designing and because of that I will try everything I can to make sure I get my designs together on time.
However I am so glad that the Easter holidays are coming up this weekend as I soooooo need a break (for break I guess I mean just knit a few items for the books....??)

....while on Ravelry

2009-03-24T04:16:00.001-07:00

I am a member of Ravelry....and if you have been emailing me through Ravelry please excuse me for not replying.

I have been having trouble sending emails through Ravelry. Me and computers are still strangers, we are still finding out about each other, and when they go wrong I don't know how to fix it!! I've been trying for the last few weeks.

There are a few people who I need to reply to and if you are one of those who has emailed me, I am so sorry I can't reply, I am trying to fix this! If anyone has any advice....

And knittingwithgrace if by ANY chance you are reading this, please email me directly, I do really want to reply to you!!

...swatches for her new books.

2009-03-23T08:22:00.000-07:00

I am designing, knitting, swatching, sketching, organising yarn, organising knitters, choosing colourways, writing patterns, answering emails...... one lovely knitter I am emailing asked me how I was, this is what replied:

I am just trying to get together some designs for my next books.
I feel like I am trying to swim against the current in a river of yarn! If I stop swimming I might drown!!!

……..a mini version of my hat from Mirasol Book 5 for my niece.

2009-03-17T10:30:00.000-07:00

I love being able to share knitting with others.
I used to work in a haberdashery and I always encouraged the customers to come back with their finished garments.
I loved seeing how the colours we had chosen together worked in the garment.

I remember one knitter, who really wanted a striped tank top but we couldn’t find a pattern anywhere, all we could find was a plain st st tank top, so I told her she could simply do a striped pattern with this. She looked at me in fear, she didn’t believe she could do that.
I helped her and I still remember her coming into the store wearing her striped tank top. She was so excited and proud that she coudl create her own garment.

Anyway, as I mentioned this season I managed to knit for my family.
And I love sharing so here is a mini version of my hat from Mirasol Book 5.
My niece refused to wear a hat in this cold weather, but she always tried my hat on. So I thought I would knit her a mini version and she wears it every time so goes out!

(I tried to get a good picture of my neice but she was refusing to smile to the camera!)

My mum also knitted her Cooper from Noro Family. Not even two years old and she is in hand knitted designer items!???!

This the image of Nelly from my Mirasol book 5.

This is the image of Cooper from my Noro Family.

……a cardigan for my nephew.

2009-03-05T10:10:00.000-08:00

As I only did the Mirasol Book 5 last season it meant I had some time to knit for my family.

(that’s not going to be happening this season! I’m busily knitting away in some of the lovely new Mirasol yarns already…..they are so addictively soft and I was involved in the colour choices, some of them were accepted without change, that I am getting so excited about all the colourways I can do.)

Anyway my sister had a new baby boy and I have knitted him a few items.
One of them is from Queensland Book 8, the baby’s book. Here it is in the book:

And here it is on my nephew:

.......while creating a new blog.

2009-03-04T07:40:00.001-08:00

My blog on the website has been playing up. It hasn’t posted and comments are not showing. Which means I can not reply to some of the knitters who have contacted me.So I’ve joined blogspot and hopefully it will be much smoother from now on…….