Sea Water, Sun and Yarn
Now the autumn/winter proposals have been handed in, it's time for a little late Spring sneaky peeking. Add in a mini yarn review, "sea water" and "sun", and it feels like we're heading for a great summer.
Yesterday I handed in a stack of autumn/winter design proposals. Now I just have one or two more things to try out for the Emmy + LIEN label, and then I think I can draw a line under all things dark and wintry. Only until the sample making starts, of course, but the initial head-scratching part is done. The result: a stack of swatches. About a month's worth of work. Doesn't look like much does it?!
One late summer design has snuck in there, and I wanted to pull it out for a little sneaky peek. And a yarny drool.
Meet my new crush: Pickles. They're based in Oslo and, oh my, don't they ever produce deliciousness. I ordered two types (for now!), Summer Wool and Thin Organic Cotton.
Summer Wool consists of 70% organic cotton and 30% fair trade Peruvian merino. Plant-dyed, entirely scrumptious, and swiftly set aside for a knitted cardigan for Yours Truly (more on that another day).
Thin Organic Cotton isn't actually that thin - it works up almost like a worsted weight rather than a DK - but it is very lovely. It feels much softer than 100% cottons usually do, and so it's perfect for a summer to mid-season vest design I've had in mind. Though I normally get lead times spectacularly wrong, this *should* be coming out fairly soon. Swatch done, colours picked, mood board fun had. First test subject: the Bean (though I think it'll be a child to adult pattern - I want me some of this too!).
I'm waiting for the rest of the yarn I need to make up the sample to arrive. I settled on this muted "sea water" blue, and added a yellow called "sun". Sounds like a perfect summer of making to me.
Just so you know: I have not been compensated in any way for writing this post.
New beginnings and almost finisheds
When we lived in Milan, we knew winter would be more or less finished by the end of February. In the south of Sweden, however? Not so much. We're well into March now and I've just woken up to snow outside the window again. Still, Spring is a time of new beginnings, which means new colourways and patterns chez Emmy+LIEN.
When we lived in Milan, we knew winter would be more or less finished by the end of February. The warmth would return, by mid-March the magnolia would be in bloom. In the south of Sweden, however? Not so much. We're well into March now and I've just woken up to snow outside the window again.
I don't want to whinge, because, d'uh. We moved to Sweden. Of course Spring was going to take longer to spring here and of course we were going to catch all sorts of new-to-us viruses. But still, I am a little desperate for more sunlight and colour, and so very glad we've seen the back of February. I'm clinging on to the sight of all these little yellow flowers that I don't know the name of, and a few timid snowdrops, and dreaming...
Because doesn't Spring make you dream of new starts? Much more so than the beginning of a new year, when my only resolution of any sort is usually to continue hibernation, continue eating, continue politely declining opportunities to excercise. I don't do New Year's resolutions.
I do, however, do Spring Resolutions. Spring cleaning, Spring walks, Spring decorating. A good thing, then, that at the end of the dreaded F-month my new VAT registration came through. I am now officially self-employed in Sweden. It took a wee while and a fair amount of bureaucratic cajoling, but it's sorted, I'm here. And that, dear friends, means new beginnings on an entirely different scale: Emmy + LIEN as a design brand. Something I have been wanted to do for the best part of a year is now a posibility. Hurrah!
That brings me on to what I almost have ready for you:
Lavender Skies
This will be a 3-in-1 pattern for a skinny scarf, a slightly wider fringed scarf, and a cowl that is a little wider still. It's the perfect mid-season accessory and I cannot wait to release it! If the health-gods cooperate I hope to have it ready by the end of the month. There will be a free tutorial on the Woven Shell, the main stitch for this pattern, so look out for that too.
Pretty In Peach - a sweater dress
Another pattern I have been saying I will release in multiple sizes for aaaages (the 18M size is available as a sample pattern here), but there's a good reason for my snail-like pace: I want to improve the instructions, to help you be sure you're buying a pattern you can execute. I've also been sent a few organic cotton samples to play with, which will ensure I can recommend a yarn that will look and feel just perfect. It's almost finished. Ish.
The Bretonbone Top
Finally, a sneaky peek at a new top worked in the herringbone stitch. I've become completely obsessed with both this stitch (although doing an entire jumper in it may just cure me of that) and the idea that it ought to be possible to create stylish, wearable knitwear - in the most general sense - with crochet. I just need to figure out the construction of the cap sleeves, and we're good to go.
So that's what I'll be up this month. Here's to March, to Spring (soon) and all sorts of colourful new beginnings.