Needlecrafts - Knit, Cables in a Twist

Pitti Filati 2016-17 Trend Report | weconnectfashion.com

As you can see from the inspiration images, there's a new twist on working cables, literally.
The Pitti Filati is the main international event for the knitting yarn industry, a research lab and an observatory on global lifestyle trends. This industry trade show held in Florence, Italy occurs twice a year giving directional ideas for innovative yarn fabrics, stitches and yarns for knitwear.
Designers in both the hand knitting and machine knitting industry need to have a pulse on what innovations are being presented.
The forecast page illustrates how to give a modern twist to cables. Knitted i cords in contrast colors can be threaded through the holes created when working cables, knotting around cables creating a more dimensional, tactile fabric.
Several designers have used this idea creatively in designs for their Fall and Winter 2016/17 collections.
Simple cable designs can be given a whole new look by using some of these methods.
Practise with a good size swatch to see what works and perfect your cabling skills.

Images above | flicker.com

All designer images above | style.com and pinterest

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Happy Knitting!

Needlecrafts - Crochet, Beginning to Cable

Taupe headband | free pattern available here
Black hat | free pattern available here
Pink hat | free pattern available here
Bow Pattern - be sure to read complete tutorial | here

Cables in crochet can be quite simple and easy to understand. Unfortunately, so many patterns, especially afghan or throw patterns have complex combinations which, quite frankly, can be scary. When you break down the individual patterns, some are less intimidating. Another reason to look at throw patterns for inspiration. The simple bow cable is easy to make and great for embellishing other projects you may have made. Practice makes perfect as they say. Swatches are terrific for trying out a new stitch as you can see by the brown swatch I made taking a simple 4 stitch cable and working it into an uncomplicated pattern. Helpful videos and a step by step tutorial are featured further on to walk you through the front and back post stitches and how to work the front cross of the cable. Gifts for the holidays are the perfect way to perfect your crochet skills with quick to crochet accessories and how to get a new twist on the simple cable.

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Needlecrafts - Crochet, Aran Style

Copenhagen Jacket | free pattern here

It amazes me how many women solely crochet or knit. Yet, there are a few of us that enter the "dark side" and do both.
This may also be the reason why I'm not a master class knitter or crocheter. I dabble in both and am pleased with my "dabbled" accomplishments.
Aran garments have predominately been designed for knitters who love the challenge of beautiful and complex cable patterns.
Crocheters have always had their pick of aran afghan and pillow patterns but not many garment designs.
Perhaps this was due to the finished bulk of the fabric and that crochet patterns are quite long when written in words.
Finding simple, yet interesting patterns with some detail and a bit of challenge, but not so overwhelming that you got a headache looking at the pattern wasn't easy.
Hopefully, you'll find the five patterns I found interesting, useful and fun to crochet.

Read further for the other four free patterns besides the one featured.
Video tutorials show how understanding post stitches and how they work will help when working any cable stitches you attempt in the future.
Also featured are several simple cable stitch patterns to add to your library.

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Needlecrafts - Knitting Stitch Primer

Large Image | here
Side Images | style.com

Ever since Mark Fast and Tess Giberson presented cables in what looked to be fresh and new, I became fascinated with open cable stitch patterns.
The stitch pattern can be as simple as separating the parts of the cable creating a hole between the twists or knitting strips and twisting them into cables between solid fabric.
Mark Lupfer has used the open cable throughout his garment, while other designers have used this stitch as an accent border.
Read further to get more inspired, tutorials on different versions of the open cable stitch pattern and two knitting patterns that feature the open cable pattern .

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Needlecrafts

Phildar Yarns, free pattern available | here

When I first started designing my own garments, I looked for inspiration and examples to learn how this was done. There were plenty of traditional shapes, mainly looser bodies both long and short with a cinched rib. This type of standard design did nothing for my body shape. Like so many other women I need to have some definition at the waist, not a ballooning top cinched at the waist or worse, at the hips...ughhh!
I did everything to stretch the rib portion so that at least it would hang straight. At that point I didn't know that adding more stitches for ribs would do just that.
As I grew more comfortable with taking risks in design, it hit me that shaping to create an A-line was similar to sewing in that you shaped by cinching with darts. These darts can be cables used stategically where you would naturally want to take in fullness.
This Phildar tunic design is appealing on so many levels. The design shows perfectly how a cable, wide at the bottom, narrows to it's smallest point and then widens again achieves that flattering A-line shape.

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