This is the last week that we are touring the creative spaces of several designers from our new fall collection, Burnished and Jill Wright is the final contribution! Jill is both a knitwear and crochet designer and has been a part of several exclusive Knit Picks collections. For Burnished, she designed the Aspen Pullover Knitting Pattern – a classic staple for any cool weather wardrobe. Let’s hear what sparks Jill’s creativity and what inspires her designs.
where all the magic happens…in Jill’s recliner!
design inspiration: We have huge, tall Ponderosa pines as well as Colorado Blue Spruce, and Aspen trees whose leaves flutter beautifully in the gentlest breeze. Aspen leaves turn the most gorgeous shades of yellows, rusts and reds in the fall, and silhouetted against the deep blue Colorado sky the views they produce on the hillsides are just stunning. I liked the idea of having sparks of interest all over this sweater by having the central stitch pattern worked up both center front and back.
The Aspen Pullover from the Burnished: 2014 Fall Collection
must-have workspace tools: I have to say, I’d be lost without my collection of stitch dictionaries, my computer and printer. But, aside from those necessities, of course I love to have my full set of crochet hooks & knitting needles handy, and my Namaste buddy case – that goes everywhere with me – it carries stitch markers, scissors, sewing and yarn needles and a tape measure. Also essential to designing are my squared notepads, pencils, and erasers – yes, I’m an old fashioned pencil & paper girl when it comes to working things out. Oh, and don’t forget my handy calculator for those tricky gauge calculations!
absolute favorite fiber: It’s a really tough choice, but if you MAKE me choose just one, then I think my favorite just has to be merino. The reason being is that it’s just so versatile. It can be spun to any yarn weight and it’s natural and renewable. It’s super soft and dyes wonderfully, as well as it playing really nicely with other fibers in blends. It felts beautifully (or not, if it’s treated to be washable), and works equally well in knit or crochet projects for everything from lace shawls to heavily cabled sweaters. The perfect all-rounder!
current color crush: Oh, I’m absolutely a blues & purples kind of gal! My favorite is probably periwinkle blue in any depth of color – the blend of the 2 colors into a purple-ish blue, or bluish-purple is just complete Heaven for me. In a shaded yarn, if you pop in a dash of turquoise and denim too, you’ve absolutely won me over!
top down or bottom up: I’m a lover of the bottom up and seamed construction of garments. I like seams because they give structure to a garment wherever they are placed. That’s not to say I enjoy sewing seams, I don’t, but, I have learned to do it well because seams can really make or break a garment. I’m not saying that I don’t like top down garments either…I simply prefer knitting on straight needles, as they afford me the speed I don’t yet have on circulars. I do love playing with different constructions too, ie. sideways, and different angles. Designing in general is just so much fun for me. Whatever I can imagine can be made – I love that idea!
You can find Jill’s design here:
Aspen Pullover Knitting Pattern
And you can find the collection here:
Burnished: 2014 Fall Collection printed book
Burnished: 2014 Fall Collection ebook
Newcastle Upon Tyne, England was Jill’s birth place. She was pretty much born with knitting needles in her hands. Her Mom taught her to knit (both hand and machine), sew, and embroider, and a kindly neighbor hooked Jill on crochet. Crafts have always been a big part of Jill’s life. Having dabbled in many crafts over the years, Jill always has gravitated back to the yarn arts, and claims a stash which could rival a small store! You can find Jill on Ravelry as Woolcrafter and you can discover more of Jill’s online endeavors at www.woolcrafting.com and scarffinity.com
