As a creative type of person I am often asked what inspires me or “How ever did I come up with that idea?”
Unfortunately, “Why not?” and “Just because!” are not suitable answers and “Everything!”, while covering it all really doesn’t say anything. Now how is that for convoluted?!
If you are a creative person you do not think in a straight line. We quite often don’t really know how we got “here” from “there”!
Our thought patterns will spiral or jump or simply fly from one concept to the next, creating links that no one else saw and remaking what we saw into something we can replicate with our hands.
Quite often I start with one idea in mind and watch it change as I knit. Right now I am working two circular shawls. One, is created with Elizabeth Zimmermann’s Pi Formula and the other – just started – is worked in a spiral format.
The Pi shawl is going to be painted. I am knitting it in undyed Einband, an Icelandic Laceweight wool. I am adding beads to the last tier and edging. “Garden Gate” started out in my mind as an exploration of spokes and straight lines within the curves. As I knit it changed and became less about straight lines and more about curves and leaves and natural shapes and structural changes in lace knitting. My mind flowing as I knit.
This new shawl is going to be more linear. It is already in mind, fully formed, just waiting to be knit. Lightning like zigzags, floral motifs and a ribbon of colour and shimmering beads between the body and edging. I want it done now! I am working with Buffalo Wool Co.’s Sexy yarn.
Sexy is a 50% bison and 50% silk blend. The variegated yarn was hand-dyed by Lorna’s Laces, especially for them. I love the name “Annie Oakley”! The semi-solid is the Buffalo Wool Co.’s own hand-dyed – in Sexy – the “Wicked” colourway!
How does your mind work? Are you a linear thinker? Or are you a little more curves and darts than straight lines? Do ideas get formed and discarded or amended within seconds and move on?!
Happy Knitting – Thinking – Dreaming!
Lynette