Feral Sweater Stories

Visit of the Angel, from the right wing of the Buxtehude Altar, 1400-10 (tempera on panel) by Master Bertram of Minden (c.1345-c.1415); Hamburger Kunsthalle, Hamburg, Germany; German, out of copyright

This 14th century painting depicts Mary finishing up the neck on a garment that’s been knitted seamlessly. This is my favourite way to knit! Over the last thirteen years, I’ve designed tools and jewellery for knitters. Feral Knitting is all about fluid ease—from adorable stitch marker sets specifically for top down knitting to brooches for cardigans without buttons, I’ve made things for knitters that I use myself and swear by.

Take 20% off Feral Knitting in February! (No coupon necessary.)

I’m a feral knitter. I’ve gone rogue and hardly ever use a pattern—but I got to this point by learning certain concepts ‘by heart’. There are great resources on the internet that teach you seamless knitting, which is my favourite way to go, (and clearly Mary’s, too! It’s literally divine.)

Here are some pattern ideas to get you in the mood to customise and wing it, seamlessly, using a Feral Stitch Marker Set and Brooch with the finished design.

New Stitch Marker Necklaces of flash knitters!

Stacy Perry’s Easy Cardigan is designed to close with one of my brooches. You can find the pattern here: https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/three-rectangles-two-triangles

Here’s Stacy’s Video showing you how to wear one of my brooches and how to knit her beautiful pattern. (If you’re wondering how these pins work, Staci shows you at around 3 minutes in.)

Knitting a top down raglan is one of my favourite methods to knit on the fly, and there’s websites by amazing knitters out there to help you:

The Simple Sweater from Tin Can Knits is so good.

Super Cardigan pattern from Tin Can Knits takes you step by step through the process from planning to blocking. It even has a cute pocket how-to. Instead of a button band, you can always close your cardigan with one of our pennanular brooches.

KT’s slow closet takes you through the process with lots of pictures:

How to improvise a top-down sweater: Introduction

Here are some classic books to inspire your seamless knitting: Barbara Walker’s Knitting from the Top and Elizabeth Zimmerman’s Knitting Around and Knitting Without Tears–with her conversational style–approach knitting in a fluid narrative way.

For the past couple of decades, I’ve only knit seamlessly. I make it up as I go along, and I call this method the Sweater Story. I’m working on a PDF download that I hope to offer in the future which will be all about Sweater Stories!

What’s on your needles?

Here’s a few photos of Feral Knitting from long ago–though it feels like only yesterday:

Brooches Galore in the Upcoming Shop Update

We are back on schedule for a weekly shop update after our move– I’ve forged an exciting selection of pennanular brooches, all a variation on my best selling simple brooch which has been featured in one of Staci Perry’s (Very Pink Knits) patterns.

These variations have semi-precious stone adornments– labradorite, amethyst, moss agate and carnelian. Another is in a playful snake shape and another has scrollwork that is reminiscent of a moustache!

Like all my brooches these are cold forged, pantina’ed in sulphur and then tumbled to harden and polish them. Lastly, they are hand polished to bring out the detail in the work and the warmth of the copper.

After moving to a chilly part of the world (Northern Scotland) where on midsummer I was wearing a hand-knit cardigan, I have realised that my knitting is going to become an even more important part of life. Knitting styles have a strong tradition here and I am looking forward to sharing what I learn. These designs were fuelled by the excitement of living somewhere where even the summer climate is sweater weather!

Very Pink Knitting Tutorial Feature

It’s Thanksgiving and this year I’m really thankful to the rush of new customers who have found me through Staci Perry’s lovely knitting tutorial which features my Anglo Saxon Pennanular Brooch. I’m also thankful to Staci herself– who has been professional and inspiring to work with. She’s using her talents and skills not only to make us all better knitters but also to support small makers and independent businesses like myself.

This cardigan pattern pairs well with the brooch, and it’s exactly the kind of design I had in mind when I forged these brooches. I love to wear cardigans but don’t like the fuss of buttons or belts so I’m always wearing my hand-knitted cardigans with these pins. Staci’s pattern is the perfect weight for the Yorkshire winter, too!

A simple, endless circle inspired by the moon, ouroboros and archeological finds. This penannular brooch is based on an Anglo Saxon design discovered in North Yorkshire. My version is cold-forged in copper. Cold-forging means no heat is used to form the metal– just hammering and sheer force of will! The bottom edge of the ring has been hammer-finished, the small facets giving the piece an ancient, earthy feel. The pin comes in two sizes– the larger one for bulkier knitted garments and the other for finer, lace-weight shawls and scarves. – See more at: http://feralstrumpet.indiemade.com/product/anglo-saxon-penannular-brooch#sthash.Y9xN339u.dpuf

I am now a marketing demographic

I am now a marketing demographic, originally uploaded by velvetdahlia.

No doubt many a Londoner has seen these billboards around town. Knitting has hit the mainstream. The other day I was in a pub wearing a scarf I’d made and this beefy punter actually turned his attention away from the footie long enough to admire it and say, “Why, that’s a lovely scarf.” and then with a knowing, conspiratorial wink, “I wonder who made that.” When big rugby-player looking guys knit-flirt with you, you know knitting has reached some kind of pop-culture pinnacle.

I am an avid knitter– I knit while on the tube and while watching telly or having tea. If I don’t have a project going to keep my hands busy I often feel bereft. I am one of these “new knitters” who picked up needles again as a social activity. Even though my mother taught me how to do it thirty years ago, I didn’t actually start knitting until I saw it as a community building endeavor.

In five short years knitting has taken off– if you blog your knitting you might get a book deal– you might become famous just for casting on. I’ll be glad when all this knitting-related ambition passes and we can just make cozy things in peace without wondering who is the next big knitting star to rise from our rows.

The trade off is that more people are learning about the craft from this resurgence, and in turn they are appreciating labor of this kind. If it can get more football fans to turn away from the game for a moment to admire something handmade– why, that’s a very good reason to wink back at the punters.