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La GeKka is feeling the Blues....

25/8/2018

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...the fishermen's blues of Magasin Duett, that is!
The new collection under that name by the quality oriented Swedish yarn company is out as by today - and I had the luck and honour to be asked to participate with a garment pattern.
La GeKka pullover by La Maison Rililie Designs
La GeKka pullover by La Maison Rililie Designs
You can check out the whole gorgeous collection in the complete video at this link.
(The perfect aesthetics of these images are effortlessly transporting us to a tiny, picturesque Swedish fishermen's village - it is all made possible by Jesper Orrbeck's filmmaking with the special soundtrack by Thomas Hagby)
​

I am truly very happy to have been part of this wonderful collaboration.
​Thank you so much, Petra!
Find more info about the pattern itself on the site's La GeKka shop page or directly on ravelry.
​And take a look at the complete Fishermen's Blues collection at this link.

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An excuse to doodle or How To Knit A Colouring Book: Mitsouko

16/1/2018

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Mitsouko + Mitsouko's Lover by La Maison Rililie Designs
Who is in the mood for drawing and painting?
Who wants to play with yarn and colour?
Imagine a fun and yarny colouring book experience: But with absolute freedom of abstraction.


If, like me, you are a bit bored of the usual motifs used in Fair Isle knitting, Norwegian colour-work or traditional embroidery throughout the world and want something you created by yourself, you can get inspiration from any shape or form around you - try to see the lines and surfaces in an abstract design.
There are so many different ways that colours can interact with each other that go beyond what we already see in knitting..
​..but I digress...
​let me start at the beginning:
After travelling back from a super fun workshop in Italy, last autumn (where the lovely owner of the Unfilodi Knit-House, Luisa gifted me the perfect tukuwool in the most gorgeous rusty shades), I strolled around in the perfume section of the Malpensa airport and re-discovered an old love of mine: Mitsouko! Guerlain's famous perfume from 1919.
When I got the yarn a couple of hours earlier I knew that it was perfect for a colourwork hat, but I also knew that I wanted to escape the ubiquitous, repetitive and small motifs and explore something a bit more experimental, large-scale and abstract.
Mitsouko pattern by La Maison Rililie Designs
​Now, by looking at the early 20th century perfume bottle, I had my answer:
​I allowed myself to get influenced by the delicate scrollwork pattern from the label design and played with it to create an interesting motif that also provided a gradient of colour, deliberately set up to go from light to dark. I'd like to think that you can still see a bit the influences of Art Deco and Japonesque elements that were the rage when the perfume was launched!


This pattern tries to explore stranded knitting by tackling the subject with a different approach:
Mitsouko wants to explore something a bit more experimental, large-scale and conceptual.
The idea is mostly influenced from abstract large scale paintings in general, while only the specific interpretation is drawn from the famous scrollwork pattern. 
You can knit this Mitsouko pattern as is and I have prepared charts that match three standard sizes to create these colour interactions with your yarn and colours of choice.
But if you’d like to go a bit further and be a bit experimental and unleash the abstract designer or graphic artist inside, I have also provided empty charts in three sizes for you to play with, without having to bother to do all the math or think about construction.

​This could be a design or 
drawing of your very own. You can customise this hat while getting an excuse to doodle… and get to unleash your (inner?) kid!

So how would this work? Well you can choose something you want to make as a pattern. Like me, you can allow yourself to be inspired by any form you find intriguing. You could blow up and digitise a photograph that has interesting colour interactions. You could take up crayons and have some fun. You can blow up a segment of a design you like or even a lace design and transform it into colour-work. You can also give the provided charts to your friend, child or loved one and have them come up with a colour design for a unique custom knit they have put their own creativity into.
And then you can knit their custom-motif up for the perfect gift... a project that came out of your very own creative collaboration.

You can use this as a fun experimental place to try out something new. Take a walk on the design side, or the fashion side and come up with a fresh take on your knit-work for a truly one-off hat nobody else has – this way, you are the master of your project.

...If on the other hand you prefer taking the safe route and also don't like the spirals of the original Mitsouko? Then, well... then Mitsouko's Lover is for you...  
MIstouko + MItsouko's Lover hat pattern by La Maison Rililie Designs
MIstouko + MItsouko's Lover hat pattern by La Maison Rililie Designs
Mitsouko's Lover is the cheeky name of the "minimal and simple" striped version which is probably more unisex and easy to wear than Mitsouko, although this all depends on personal style anyway. For this version I tried the Ovelha Negra Victoria yarn for the first time and it really is an absolute joy to work with!
The longer ribbing and slightly larger body of the actual shape of all versions can be worn slouchy or tucked in for a more elegant beanie effect. You get a dense and warm hat, that is still light and easy to wear and to take with you, since it is knitted in fingering weight yarn.

Find the pattern on this site or go to ravelry.
(Until midnight of 23 of January 2018 (CEST), you automatically get a 20% discount)​
Also stay tuned to find out about some news out of Italy.... a surprise collaboration with Unfilodi knit house that will interest all Italian speaking friends and many more...

Check out the KAL:

Since the whole hat pattern is so adjustable and open to personalisation, it is the perfect project to have a fun and interactive KAL together with other colour-drawing-exploring knitters - or to get some help in deciding on how to combine one's own ideas of design, motif and colour - or to just show off different versions from clean-cut minimalism to totally out there, baroque styling!
Check out the ColourOutsideTheLines knit-along (or KAL in knitter's terminology) to find out more...
come and play: Rililie's ColourOutsideTheLines KAL
Click on the Banner above to open up the KAL page and participate in this fun game!
OvelhaNegra yarn prize at the ColourOutsideTheLines KAL. picture©Joana Nossa
OvelhaNegra yarn prize at the ColourOutsideTheLines KAL. picture©Joana Nossa
At the end of the KAL there will be beautiful yarn prizes and project bags to be won and many patterns will be given away, too!
​Thank you so much, Tukuwook and Ovelha Negra!
Tuku Wool yarn prize at the ColourOutsideTheLines KAL. picture©Jonna Hietala

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VANILLA JUST GOT A NEW VARIETY

20/12/2017

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FREE No Heel Spiral Sock pattern by La Maison Rililie Designs
Free sock knitting pattern by La Maison Rililie Designs

MEET THE ULTIMATE - SMART - Adaptive Sock!

But before we dive into this new/old sock wonder, allow me to read to you a passage from "Mary Thomas's Knitting Book" , published in 1938.
​On page 230 it says:
HOSE WITHOUT HEELS
"Socks and stockings are often knitted straight and without heels, the foot finding its own heel by adjustment. This stocking can be very uncomfortable at the instep unless knitted correctly, and then it is as comfortable as any other, the best fit being derived in Spiral Ribbing.
A stocking knitted in this manner is adjusted on the foot by twisting it round until the ribbing appears straight. The heel then takes its position with comfort, and the instep is smooth and smart. Bed-socks made in this manner remain in position all night."
So Mary proposes a scientific, traditional method for an automatic-adjustment-sock, constructed like a Helix that adapts to the shape of the ankle, foot and heel and that does not budge at all, if put on correctly...
Mary Thomas's Knitting Book & Free sock knitting pattern by La Maison Rililie Designs
Mary Thomas's Knitting Book & Free sock knitting pattern by La Maison Rililie Designs
Almost 80 years later our funnily shaped Spiral Sock pattern differs with a contemporary toe-up construction from it's grandpa version and features a fun, striped contrast toe as also a mirrored stitch pattern. It also provides you with all the needed calculation for 6 different sizes. 

​I was immediately smitten with this cool idea and had to try it out to see for myself if it works or not (while adapting it to my favourite toe-up method and play around with colours and the stitch pattern). I loved the result so much, that I had to make my notes on my adaptions available to you guys. 
And since the smart idea was not originally mine, but an old tradition as Mary says herself, I found that it would only be fair to offer my updated version for all my fellow
 beginner / curious or maybe just simply “lazy” sock-knitters out there as a gift for the Holidays!
Free sock knitting pattern by La Maison Rililie Designs
Free sock knitting pattern by La Maison Rililie Designs
This smart sock needs to be tried out by as many needles as possible, because:
➤ It really is the perfect beginner sock, since there simply is no heel to construct at all!
➤ It can be worked as a perfect gift for a person which cannot try the sock on while it is knitted: There is no heel - so no specific foot length we need to know about, while the stitch pattern makes for a very elastic width, which means that an approximate guess on size might be enough for a perfectly fitting sock! Add to this the fact, that everybody is impressed with magical tricks ...and the scientific background will immediately elevate this sock to "cool gift" level!
➤ The toe-up version allows for us to use up nearly any amount of yarn, by just halving the weight for each sock.
➤ And then, after knitting the toe, we work the same, super easy repetition of a stitch pattern: So this is a wonderful project when mindless knitting is needed: not much can be done wrong in this sock.
➤ The only thing that might need adjustment is the width for a smaller or larger sock (although 6 sizes are already included in the pattern!) - it is very easy to work any adjustment in our toe up construction.
➤ And it is really quite hard to outgrow this sock, even for quickly growing children feet!

Finally and because of all the above features, this project is the perfect introduction to sock knitting for any beginner or even advanced knitter that is afraid of knitting a sock.
Free sock knitting pattern by La Maison Rililie Designs
...but stay tuned for an update on this sock next week! Who knows, it might make the smart sock even smarter….
​... and now the update has been published, too! Read it here, if you like.

Find this pattern for free online-viewing, here on this site, as a gift - from me to you!
​Happy Holidays!
Free sock knitting pattern by La Maison Rililie Designs
​On the right you can find a video I filmed - there you can see exactly how the sock should be put  on to make the twisted helix work it's magic!

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GILDA

28/9/2016

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Gilda... The film Rita Hayworth was most famous for.
The 1946 Hollywood drama with this one immortal scene: Featuring a dancing and singing, alluring Gilda and one looong glove!
Gilda Pullover + Armwarmers by La Maison Rililie Designs
Now my take on Gilda has not much in common with the sleek and provocative, red-haired pin-up Rita... But it features long fingerless gloves too, and I would love to think that it would be Rita's choice for a Gilda-esque casual and chill out day in autumn or winter...
... the dancing and singing is optional, of course!
Gilda Pullover + Armwarmers by La Maison Rililie Designs
Apart from the gauntlets or arm-warmers, that were designed as some kind of an extension to the ¾ sleeves of this garment (for days when we just need more warmth, up to the very end of our hand) - this pullover offers a casual and cozy fit with fine, delicate texture in the form of similar stitch patterns.
The diamond and the chevron stitch are quite easy to memorise and held in small scale, so that they don't weigh the quality of the fine fabric down too much.
Finally the extra large stripes give the whole design a more youthful and modern take, while tiny accent stripe allow for a fun play with colour.

To further enhance the striping of this design, different material has been chosen, so as to have a slightly mat fabric for the patterned stripes and a smoother one for the Stockinette sections. Both yarns are of light fingering weight and very affordable, while offering a vast choice of colours and extremely good quality: Mabel & Ivy Supersoft and Mabel & Ivy Coast yarn.
The producer of the Mabel&Ivy label, Tangled Yarn, are offering kits for this pattern, which include all the yarn you’ll need to knit your sweater (with the option to purchase the needed amount of yarn - with or without arm-warmers - to complete the look)!
The GILDA Kits are available on the tangled-yarn site for a limited time: Until October 20th 2016.
I hope that you like Gilda, even if this one isn't even remotely related to her famous and sensual namesake, the "love goddess" of the 40's!
​
You can find the downloadable pattern PDF for the pullover + arm-warmers either here on the La Maison Rililie site or on ravelry.
Gilda Armwarmers by La Maison Rililie Designs
Gilda Pullover + Armwarmers by La Maison Rililie Designs

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Le Scarabée bleu

25/2/2016

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There is a new bug in town and it's a fun little cardigan with lots of special details!
Le Scarabée Bleu Cardigan by La Maison Rililie Designs
I have been working on this design since last fall and I am so happy that finally I can share it here with you. There was a lot of thought put into the whole coordination of all the different aspects, and if you like I can tell you some things about them:
We have a prominent textured bottom half that features a fairly easy stitch pattern to give an effect that is reminiscent of old brocade, which I absolutely love. 
Then there are the folds of course - two smaller ones at the front and one that draws all the attention at the back side. These are held in place without distortion by a contrast coloured slip-stitch band right above them and they are responsible for the quirky shape, since they drape at all the right places and counterbalance the fitted top section with instant ample volume.
The yoke is shaped to follow the natural slope of the shoulders, that is different at the front and back side, for a better fit. It is also worked with short-rows to lower both fronts and to construct a diagonal empire waist line. The hemline follows the continuation of the folds and hangs lower at the sides than at the centre back, while at the same time it pulls the shape together for a more elegant look, so as to avoid it flaring out too much in an unflattering way. Last but not least there are some fun stripes thrown in at the lower sleeves in a playful sequence - just to bring all the colour-blocking of the body together in an accelerated fashion.
Le Scarabée Bleu Cardigan by La Maison Rililie Designs
It was the shape of the lower part of the body that made me think of colourful scaraboid wings and surprisingly I found that they looked good on human bodies, too!
Of course there were some knitters that were a little afraid that it might not look as good on their larger sized projects, but since I like to take these differences in body shapes in account for the larger sizes (as far as this is possible in standard sizing and pattern writing), I was able to reassure most of them. We discussed that a darker colour at the bottom part (or a single colour at both top and bottom sections) can result in a slimmer looking version. Further the length of the cardigan would be crucial to achieve a different style, as also the choice of the yarn quality of course, since a drapier yarn falls differently than a stiffer one.
Le Scarabée Bleu Cardigan by La Maison Rililie Designs
All those factors are actually the easiest to alter in hand-knits and of course of a really crucial importance, since they have the power to change the look of a design completely.
If you like, you can see the results on different body types in the gorgeous projects of the test-knitters and others, on ravelry. ​
Shetland Wool by L'échappée Laine, France (on the knittingtherapy blog)
Shetland Wool by L'échappée Laine, France (on the knittingtherapy blog)
The yarn used in this cardigan is called Shetland from L'échappée Laine - and it was the perfect choice for this project.

​Spun in France, the Shetland is made from 100% wool of French origin. The carded  yarn helps in keeping warm and the smooth twist of four strands together can give you the most beautiful stitch definition. A quality that is very appreciated in textured fabrics like the one of the Le Scarabée Bleu Cardigan!
​Shetland is a rustic and matt yarn, that will soften after washing and bloom nicely to fill any possible gaps in your knitting. This makes it quite suitable for stranded knitting, fair isle or other colour-work.
It is available in 22 beautiful colours. Most of them do have a subtle heathered quality that looks great in simple stocking stitch, too.
If you like to check the yarn out, click here.
And to download the Le Scarabée Bleu pattern you can either find it on my site or go to the Ravelry pattern page.

Update: 31. March. 2016:
The pattern is now also available in French, thanks to the lovely Sandra of l'echappée laine!

Shetland Wool by L'échappée Laine, France (with love, on the knittingtherapy blog)

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A New sock for you...

16/2/2016

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Free ShellSock Recipe by La Maison Rililie Designs
My fancy-lacy-fun socks were started ages ago... and I found them in a forgotten project bag last month. As it happens so often, I fell in love with the stitch pattern all over again and finished them in no time... and even worked a second pair since.
I thought that you might like them too, so I wanted to share this little sock with you.
Mind you, it's not a complete pattern with multiple sizes. It's a recipe style thing - where you get the numbers for a European size 38 foot and some pointers on how to adapt the pattern for another size.
I hope that you like it!
Free ShellSock Recipe by La Maison Rililie Designs
In my opinion this stitch pattern looks its best in one single colour (an easy to wear, light grey is my own preferrence as you can see).

​But I had to let loose on colours for the toe and the heel construction - like this I can have seemingly sombre and wearable socks to go with my monochrome outfits, while the real craziness is hidden in my shoes (and open only for private viewings…).
You can find the ShellSocks recipe/pattern for online viewing by clicking here 
(I am sorry that there is no option to download the PDF at this time, just the possibility to read it via the blog. Free patterns get pirated and sold quite often it seems and I wouldn't like this to happen).

​Make sure to check on the tips below before you start:
Free ShellSock Recipe by La Maison Rililie Designs

Some Tips for ShellSocks (or any sock knitting)

The STITCH PATTERN featured in this sock design is having yarn-overs before a purl stitch and before a knit stitch. Often you find that the yarn overs that are worked before the purl stitch end up to be much bigger in size than their sisters before the knit st and that results in an uneven lace fabric.
There are two ways to remedy that, depending on the look you like:
  1. if you like small yo holes on both sides, then work the yo before the knit stitch as usual (from front to back) and the yo before the purl stitch from back to front. This will result in a twisted yo, that needs to be worked tbl in the next rnd.
  2. if you like larger yo holes on both sides of the decreases (something I prefer for my socks, to make the lace design pop out more), then work both yo’s normally (from front to back), only give some extra slack to the ones before the knit stitch. You can achieve this by pulling the already worked yo a little bit forward with your index finger, while working the knit stitch.
Choose the best option depending on your own knitting style (if you are a tight or loose knitter) - or try both out to see what suits you best.
As you probably know already, I always like to design simple stitch patterns that are easy to memorise and where one can quickly find back into the repeat, even after having left the project quite urgently in the middle of the row, repeat or stitch pattern.
Read your knitting to find each new pattern repeat (ShellSocks by La Maison Rililie Designs)
In this case it is really obvious to find when one needs to work the single patterned row of the stitch pattern: Just take a look at the stitches and if you see that there are 3 rows of knit sts on top of the yarn overs, it’s time for the next patterned rnd. If there are less than 3, than go on and continue to knit around.
And it's even easier to count repeats here: Just count each yarn-over-hole and you know how many repeats you worked already. 
In this pattern I use my favourite HEEL CONSTRUCTION that I like best in terms of fit and which is fairly quick to do: A gusseted short row heel, worked with german short rows.
I like to redistribute all the newly increased gusset stitches towards the instep needles on both sides and then put all the insole stitches on one single needle before working the short-rows on the heel, so that especially the wrong side rows are worked much more comfortable, without having too many needles in your way.
Short row heel in contrast colour for the Shell Sock by La Maison Rililie Designs
Put all the insole stitches on one single needle before working the short row heel (ShellSocks by La Maison Rililie Designs)
​As a bonus you also get a guaranteed ladder-free heel in this way!
Afterwards, when you work the stripes on the heel flap and also on the toe section, don’t forget to twist the yarns to avoid holes at the colour-change (put the new colour over the old one from right to left once, before starting the round in the new colour).
The Shell stitch pattern has double decreases that tend to pull upwards and that can warp the stocking stitch stripes at the heel. This is why we end on the patterned row, just before working the heel. That way, when resuming working all around in pattern at the leg again, we continue with knit rows over the heel section in the next rnds, to avoid distortion on the striped heel.
This tip can be handy in all sock patterns with similar lace pattern repeats: You might want to make sure that the knit rnds of a stitch pattern (one that has stocking stitch rows in between decrease/yarn over rows) will be positioned right above the heel section.
Store your unused colour inside the sock while working the contrast coloured heel (ShellSocks by La Maison Rililie Designs)
And another GENERAL TIP which I am sure you all know already is this last one:

​To work comfortably with the contrast yarn on the heel you can "store" your main coloured yarn inside the sock - like this it won't tangle with the other two skeins of yarn while you work the longer coloured heel sections. 
Finally if you need more tips on AUGMENTING SIZE for this recipe, you can check out the notes on the second pair I knitted for my mum in size 39 here on my ravelry project notes here.
Free ShellSock Recipe by La Maison Rililie Designs

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Marlon has safely arrived home...

3/2/2016

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MarlOn cardigan, knit pattern by La Maison Rililie
It's been a year now that my cardigan pattern MarlOn was released in the wonderful amirisu winter 2015 issue! The gorgeous Japanese knitting magazine gave me back the rights to the pattern just recently and so it was able to join it's sisters here on my blog. 
It is still available through ravelry of course - I just changed the layout of the English PDF pattern to the "rililie-approved-version" you all know (with yoke charts and so on).
The Japanese translation remains in the original amirisu layout though, since I wouldn't dare to touch it. Yes, my Japanese is non-existant... and sadly will remain so for quite some time!
I have a soft spot for this cardigan. After a bumpy start and lots of fretting I had to restart the whole project, but that gave me the opportunity to work out the construction details in a much more refined manner. This yoke was the result of quite some research to keep stripes intact, while working them in the usual short rows, for a higher back side.
It also got to be a kind of a hybrid between a sloped raglan shaping with some round yoke stuff thrown in at the front side.
MarlOn cardigan, knit pattern by La Maison Rililie
The first couple, narrower stripes are quite at home on the delicate collarbone-area while they progressively get "fatter" towards  the larger neck backside, as you can see above.
And then there is all this play with using denser and spaced out, fine and larger stripes to enhance the feminine body of an otherwise classic cardigan shape. This is all achieved by following a specific marled sequence and the use of 2 strands of yarn throughout.
"MarlOn" is all about having fun in choosing one's very own, unique colouring!
MarlOn cardigan, knit pattern by La Maison Rililie
MarlOn cardigan, knit pattern by La Maison Rililie
MarlOn cardigan, knit pattern by La Maison Rililie
MarlOn cardigan, knit pattern by La Maison Rililie
(and no, I haven't cut my hair - these are all pictures from when I finished the cardigan 2 years ago... just before sending it away from home, to far away Japan!)

An immense thank you to the lovely girls at amirisu for the excellent collaboration!
Starting today, you can find the pattern PDF in English and Japanese for direct download, either here on this site, or as before on ravelry.

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Drawing Straws / Flipping Coins

4/9/2015

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I am sure that you all have experienced similar indecisiveness when knitting your own garment:
Do I want a pullover or a cardigan?
Will I go for long or cropped?
Boxy fit or siren-style waist shaping?
Long or short sleeves???
DrawingStraws Pullover Pattern, by La Maison Rililie Designs
I just wasn't able to choose which length I preferred, since the sleeves do change the whole look of a garment so much. I couldn't decide if I wanted to counterbalance the wider bands of the body with playful short sleeve-cuffs in the same colour - or if I wanted to enhance the texture of the shoulder stitch pattern by adding a longer sleeve. One that would end with a new take on the body stripes without really copying them...
The result is a pattern that proposes both versions - longer, ¾ sleeves or short ones - so that I am leaving you guys to answer this (oh, so very hard) question for me!
Choose what you like best (or what your climate is suggesting to you) and go for either the fun short or the sophisticated ¾ length.
DrawingStraws Pullover Pattern, by La Maison Rililie Designs
The design is mostly shaped by short-rows. I wanted to experiment with the shaping of the body and to make it comfortable and ample, but still with an interesting form reminiscent of bells and tulips and the classic blouse shape of yore...
The same short rows are also providing some cute details in the width of the stripes at the end of the yoke (giving the impression that they just flow out of the ribbon stitch pattern of the sleeves) and at the body, where they transform the horizontal stripes into diagonal shapes near the sides.
The detail I love most in this design though, is the textured slip-stitch pattern on the shoulders and sleeves. It really is a very simple stitch and easy to memorize, but with such an interesting result when paired with classic (or not so classic) stripes!
DrawingStraws Pullover Pattern, by La Maison Rililie Designs
DrawingStraws Pullover Pattern, by La Maison Rililie Designs
The hem in moss stitch is worked with two strands of yarn held together, to provide a heavier and slightly rigid bottom border.
I already used this little feature in Funky Grandpa and Cocktail(Dress) before and I find that it is helping to "pull" a flowy and ample garment together, so as to avoid it looking frumpy or shapeless.
Very loose knitters, or people that want to use a non-elastic yarn like cotton, should go down one or two needle sizes for it to stay firm and not to flare, though.
DrawingStraws Pullover by La Maison Rililie Designs
DrawingStraws Pullover Pattern, by La Maison Rililie Designs
DrawingStraws Pullover Pattern, by La Maison Rililie Designs
The yarn used for this project is called Leinen Los from Schoppel-Wolle.
After knitting, washing & blocking it, I can tell you that it definitely gets softer and smoother than it feels in the skein.
Thanks to the linen, It has very nice stitch definition and incredible drape.
If you tend to be extremely sensitive, you probably might not want to wear it next to your skin, but for my taste it is wonderful to wear...
Leinen Los by Schoppel Wolle, on knittingtherapy blog by La Maison Rililie

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Magazines and Yarn (=Life Is Good)!

13/2/2015

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I am totally late for this post - but I wanted to share with you the lovely amirisu winter 2015 issue that arrived early January in my mail. 
I had the incredible honour to participate with a cardigan pattern of mine, called MarlOn. 
Amirisu issue 6, Winter 2015
Amirisu issue 6, Winter 2015
In this lovely issue 6 you can find six other beautiful patterns, from talented designers like Hiroko Fukatsu, Bristol Ivy, Thea Colman, Amy Christoffers, Rie and Claudia Eisenkolb.
And there are great articles to read too: like a very interesting interview with Madeline Tosh's Amy Hendrix, an other one about a technique called "Weaving with Nature", a "Report" of Germany and an ongoing series explaining Japanese Patterns!
For my own cardigan I had fun playing around with the combination of two strands in sligthly different hues, to achieve something like a hand-dyed effect and to be able to gradually change the colours of the stripes, so as to enhance the different sized striping in some sections.
What interested me most while designing this piece was to try to emulate the female body shape with the use of horizontal striping and slight colour-changes.
It’s a top down seamless knit (as I like them most) and I am especially happy with how the short rows at the very top of the yoke produce larger stripes at the back while keeping them small and delicate at the front of the shoulder.
MarlOn cardgian, by La Maison Rililie Designs
You can find the magazine here on ravelry to download digitally - or here on the amirisu shop for a “real” physical copy of the magazine (and together with this magazine version you even get a coupon for the digital one, too).
And there is a KAL just starting in the amirisu-ravelry group here! So, if you would like to have some company while knitting this pattern you can post there. I will pop in from time to time myself to answer questions and to see what everybody is knitting up.
Amirisu issue 6, Winter 2015
I also have gotten quite a lot of yarn in the last month! So I would like to share some pictures of my goodies: Take a look at the beautiful hand-dyed 100% merino wool I got from Nice & Knit!!!
The small family business is producing high quality yarn for some years now and the two sisters, Kara and Katie are really passionate about everything that has to do with fibre and colour. 
Something that is immediately visible upon opening the parcel...

Nice&Knit Sport yarn, knittingtherapy blog
The yarn is incredibly soft and bouncy (just like one would expect from a perfect pure merino) and the sport weight that I have chosen, is really showing the stitches wonderfully when knitted up. Even before blocking they looked even and firm.
What I like most with this yarn is the range of hues it has: from very light and faded to extremely saturated… it’s all there in the same skein! Especially the blue colourway (Nantucket) reminds me of a loved pair of denim, that you just don’t want to take off - ever! 
The brown (Nutmeg) on the other hand is it's perfect partner, since it strengthens the blue/purple nuances and makes them even more vivid.

In my swatch I loved trying out different ways to pair the colours  (as you can see they always played nice together) and be it stripes or lace or just simple stockinette stitch, the result was always gratifying!
I do look forward to work with this yarn soon! It really is such a pleasure to feel the smooth soft strand sliding through one's fingers…

Nice&Knit Sport yarn, knittingtherapy blog
Nice&Knit Sport yarn, knittingtherapy blog

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Hommage to the Ultimate Dandy!

29/12/2014

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BeauB Cardigan by La Maison Rililie Designs
There is a new cardigan pattern out and about - The BeauB, an ample piece which showcases subtle and understated features with it’s textured striping where the material itself becomes the focus, a simple stitch pattern on neckband, hem and pockets and lots of small decorative finishing details.
Maybe you have heard of it's inspiration, the famous fashion hero and ultimate dandy, Mr. Beau Brummell? 

He was the one to bring the stylish, minimalistic attire to new heights during Regency England and to focus on material, fit and understated elegance instead of overdone ornaments and frills, that were en vogue before this guy came along.

Especially the elaborately knotted neckpiece, that every gentleman of his time eagerly copied, was his statement piece - but Beau was generally concerned about discreet design elements and subtle details that made his clothes stand out without being flashy.
Beau Brummell, the ultimate dandy
isn't he cute?
Although he is more of a men's wear fashion icon, he still fascinates me in regards to attitude and design-philosophy (and also because of his wit, but that's a totally different subject), so that I wanted to make him "my" hero for one of my own designs.
BeauB Cardigan by La Maison Rililie Designs
BeauB Cardigan by La Maison Rililie Designs
In my cardigan, the sloped raglan shoulder was meant to give a natural looking and well fitting shape to the yoke, while a neckband with a fuller volume at the top allows for generous draping at the patterned, reversible neckline and thus following Beau's spirit of enhancing this area. The subtle stitch pattern is repeated at hem, pockets and cuffs, which feature a twisted i-cord edging that is easy to make but with more visual interest than a simple edging.
BeauB Cardigan by La Maison Rililie Designs
The extra long sleeves gradually become transparent and flow into a delicate repetition of the stitch pattern in their lower part. As the neckband, they can be worn folded up too, to show the reverse side of the simple knit/purl stitch pattern.
The whole cardigan is worked seamlessly from the top down in subtle striping, by knitting with two strands of yarn (held together or alone) in sequence to form the stripes, so that we get more of a discreet textured striping than a coloured one. This can of course be worked with a bigger visual impact, if the thinner yarn is knitted in a contrasting colour and not in the same as in my own project shown here.
MissBrummell Cowl by La Maison Rililie Designs


To celebrate the last days of 2014, I thought that a small present would be quite appropriate... so I thought that a contemporary version of Beau's neckpiece would be in order to accompany the launch of the BeauB cardigan. 

The MissBrummell Cowl will be offered for the last 3 days of the year as a gift when you buy the Cardigan. (To make the promotion work you'd need to put both patterns into the shopping cart before purchasing).
This simple cowl has an elongated front piece to keep the décolleté warm and cozy without adding bulk to the back side of the neck. It is a perfect accessory for collarless jackets and open front cardigans: like a turtle neck that can be taken off indoors.

You can buy both the BeauB and MissBrummell here on this site, or go over to ravelry to check them out and take a look at the lovely projects of other knitters.

I hope you like them and I wish you all a wonderful and inspiring New Year!!!

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