New Patterns for Fenella now available

During the excitement of launching Fenella I omitted to blog about TWO new designs which have both been published in the last week – and both use Fenella.

The first is published in the latest issue of the fabulous PomPom magazine.

I have been a fan and a subscriber of this magazine since issue 1 and greatly admire what Lydia, Meghan and their team have achieved. A convenient A5 size printed on matt paper the mag is reminiscent of a Toast catalogue and indeed has the same high production values. The summer 2014 issues features my design, Flora, a lightweight lacy cardigan-jumper inspired by 1920s sportswear. 

Designed to have a slightly loose fit this feminine and delicate top can be worn by itself or over a t-shirt or blouse.

The lacy panels featured are taken from Flora Klickmann's book The Little Girls Knitting and Crochet Book.

I am a huge fan of Flora Klickmann, and a collector of her books, and if you would like to know more about her, I have also written an article all about this determined lady in the magazine.

Flora is my first design featuring Fenella and the sample is knitted using Porcellana and Delicot but would look equally as effective in many other colour combinations – what about Marriner and Chalk
for a classic summer look

or Myrtle and Jonquil for a real art deco colour way?

The design rights will revert to me in three months time but in the meantime you can purchase a copy of PomPom here.

The second design I released this week is Cresta Dell'onda, an incredibly soft and light, lacy cowl.

Once again knitted in Fenella, the cowl features a highly textured lace stitch which looks strikingly like its namesake, the crest of the wave.

The 10 row pattern is much easier to knit than the finished results suggest with both charted and written instructions provided in the pattern. There are two length options, the longer length using 6 x 25g skeins and the shorter version using only 3. It is the perfect wardrobe accessory for spring and summer evenings. The long version can even be worn as a little bolero!

The design was inspired by the reinterpretations of the Spanish mantilla often seen in 1940s knitting magazines such as this gorgeous example.

A genuine mantilla is of course made of lace where as the mantilla above uses crochet to achieve a lacy effect.  My interpretation is knitted and uses a stitch pattern I found in a 1970s Golden Hands magazine which was simply called Italian Lace pattern, hence my italian design name!  I love the way the 'crests' formed by the bias of the pattern frame the face so beautifully.

The photoshoot was the first we have done on the farm and the photos were all taken by my talented daughter, Charlie – who is normally on the other side of the camera in many of my patterns. Its one of the few times when  I've 'properly' been the model for one of my designs and despite my usual reservations and insecurities, I absolutely love the photographs. I hope you do too.

You can purchase the PDF pattern directly from my website or from my ravelry page

OR

To celebrate the release of Fenella, you can take advantage of a special offer only on my shop – buy the yarn for either the short or long versions of Cresta Dell'onda and receive the PDF pattern completely free of charge. Simply pick either 3 or 6 skeins and choose from any one of the 16 stunning colours to make your cowl.

For now,

Ruby xx