Voracious and Indiscriminate Absorption = Inspiration
So, I've been combing our library catalog for knitting books and devouring them. Most of the are older - from the 80s and early 90s, so the styles, colors models and such are not particularly current feeling. BUT...
They are incredibly inspiring. I've loved Kaffee Fassett's work since I first got a copy of Creative Dressing by Kaori O'Connor when it first came out, perhaps the early 80s. In it was a stunning sweater done up in creams, pinks and dove taupes and such, in Fassett's Turkish Carnation pattern. I lusted after that sweater so much back then. And it was heightened by the fact that the model had red, curly hair (like me)...
Anyway, our state library system seems to have an abundance of Fassett books, and I've been combing them diligently. Hadn't found anything I wanted to make, particularly, because I'm not much of a fiddly knitter - preferring the sort of knitting that offers long stretches of meditative work punctuated by bouts of concentration. And then I found his section on circle patterns. They remind me so incredibly much of the Gustav Klimt paintings I adore (esp. The Kiss, where his robe is done in lovely shimmering golden, black and brown rectangles, and her's in gold, blue and red circles). The first circle print in his Glorious Knits book is done in a few different color combos, all beautiful. And 23 different colors!...and then there was the Persian Poppies...done in 23 colors, but only 2 balls of yarn. You divvy up your colors between background colors and poppy colors, then pull off random lengths of yarn and knot them together in graduating values but differing colors. Then you just knit like regular using the 2 balls - intarsia, I suppose. And the effect is stunning. Delicate gradations of color, a background composed not of a single tone, but of a whole spectrum of, say, greys, tauped, creams and beiges, perhaps punctuated with a delicate almond green or heathered lilac or duck's egg blue. Then the poppies, in muted, rich shades of persimmon, pink, rose, eggplant and mahogany tones, with little magenta centers...
Stunning, I tell you. Simply stunning.
And suddenly I am thinking of what colors I'd want, and what shape garment I'd like to overlay this breathtakingly beautiful pattern on. And I'm dizzy with possibility.
Anyone else pull out something past its moment and get drawn up short?
They are incredibly inspiring. I've loved Kaffee Fassett's work since I first got a copy of Creative Dressing by Kaori O'Connor when it first came out, perhaps the early 80s. In it was a stunning sweater done up in creams, pinks and dove taupes and such, in Fassett's Turkish Carnation pattern. I lusted after that sweater so much back then. And it was heightened by the fact that the model had red, curly hair (like me)...
Anyway, our state library system seems to have an abundance of Fassett books, and I've been combing them diligently. Hadn't found anything I wanted to make, particularly, because I'm not much of a fiddly knitter - preferring the sort of knitting that offers long stretches of meditative work punctuated by bouts of concentration. And then I found his section on circle patterns. They remind me so incredibly much of the Gustav Klimt paintings I adore (esp. The Kiss, where his robe is done in lovely shimmering golden, black and brown rectangles, and her's in gold, blue and red circles). The first circle print in his Glorious Knits book is done in a few different color combos, all beautiful. And 23 different colors!...and then there was the Persian Poppies...done in 23 colors, but only 2 balls of yarn. You divvy up your colors between background colors and poppy colors, then pull off random lengths of yarn and knot them together in graduating values but differing colors. Then you just knit like regular using the 2 balls - intarsia, I suppose. And the effect is stunning. Delicate gradations of color, a background composed not of a single tone, but of a whole spectrum of, say, greys, tauped, creams and beiges, perhaps punctuated with a delicate almond green or heathered lilac or duck's egg blue. Then the poppies, in muted, rich shades of persimmon, pink, rose, eggplant and mahogany tones, with little magenta centers...
Stunning, I tell you. Simply stunning.
And suddenly I am thinking of what colors I'd want, and what shape garment I'd like to overlay this breathtakingly beautiful pattern on. And I'm dizzy with possibility.
Anyone else pull out something past its moment and get drawn up short?
posted by Your Style Muse at 6:57 PM
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