The Evolution of the Twin Rib Collection – or – Inside the Mind of a Knitting Designer

The other day one of my knitter friends was visiting my studio, and she wanted to see the actual garments from VERSACIKNITS twin rib collection. As I pulled each sweater out from its cubby, I launched into an explanation of the various ideas and techniques I used in coming up with the collection. Her response:  “You have to write about this on your blog! It is just so interesting.” So here goes!

The collection began with the intersection of two events.

The first event was my discovery of the twin rib pattern, which I first used in my lobster(woman) sweater design.

I had been looking for a rib that was linear enough to be matched with an aran-type pattern but that would lie relatively flat so that it wouldn’t pull in the fabric. When I found twin rib stitch, I knew immediately that it fit the bill and that I wanted to use it in other designs.

The second event that set the collection in motion occurred while I was sitting in bed in the morning drinking coffee and reading the paper — yes, a real, hard copy paper, which is very old school of me, I know!  It was one day last fall during fashion show season in New York City when I sighted an image that spurred on my creative juices — a stiff metallic circle skirt paired with knit pullover. To me it seemed like a fashion take on military garb and my imagination just took off with the concept.  Thus a la mode was born.

A la mode is by far the most complex design I have created to date. It is a mix of pattern stitches:

• Twin rib is used on the bands and up the center of the arm to symbolize a uniform epaulette
• Pebble pattern ornaments the bodice
• Lozenge pattern (repeated triangles) is used to juxtapose the allover pattern of the bodice and linear pattern up the arms.

And it’s also full of design elements:

• Short rows are used above the hem to create a curved hem (the back is longer than the front) and create added shaping along the back of the sweater
• The back panel is wider than the front panel to enhance the billow effect 
• Saddle shoulders add to the military uniform look.

The choice of yarn was another design element in a la mode. The first time I knit it in a hand-dyed wool in a camouflage colorway.  But while it looked great, I really wanted to replicate the metallic vision from my initial inspiration, so I went on a quest for the perfect yarn.

When I sighted Berroco Captiva in silver coin, I knew I had struck the perfect balance. Cotton wrapped in nylon, the yarn has less give than wool, and the nylon creates a shimmer effect, making a la mode look a bit like armor. Perfect!

It had been several months since I had seen the photograph that inspired the sweater — a small black and white photo among many others in the print edition of the New York Times from February 9, 2012.  I hadn’t cut it out. I hadn’t gone back to it at all over the course of developing the design. When I went back to the Times archives to find the photo, I was amazed at the differences and at the similarities between my original inspiration and the design for a la mode.

While I was in love with my first twin rib sweater, I realized that it was SO full of design elements that few knitters would dive in.  How could I take pieces of what I loved about a la mode and maintain the “look” while creating a more accessible knitting experience?

It was deconstruction-reconstruction time!  I decided that the new design would have the following elements:

• Twin rib for bands and cuffs
• V-neckline
• Some pattern stitch to add visual interest
• Cardigan, since that is my favorite to wear

Thus was born boyfriend — a simple, straightforward cardigan with just enough pizzazz to make it interesting to knit and a go-to daily fashion choice.

 

I view boyfriend as a workhorse sweater — a wardrobe basic.  A number of my designs fall into this category, including raglan cardigan, ribbed turtleneck, Kodachrome, and tranquil.  These sweaters are less about making a fashion statement and more about everyday wearability. Don’t get me wrong, they each have unique design elements, but they are built to wear any day, anywhere. So while boyfriend was indeed a riff on the twin rib theme, I didn’t include it in the twin rib collection, which, at least in my mind, has a real fashion twist.

In the next post we’ll move on to the next design in VERSACIKNITS twin rib collection’s evolution… hello tiramisu!

To be continued…

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