Here’s a very quick post to share a little something I’ve written for Modern Daily Knitting. Entitled ‘A Portrait In Objects’ it’s a new series of profiles where designers and makers reveal the stories that lay behind a collection of personal or meaningful objects.
Well knowing how I love to ramble you can imagine how much I enjoyed writing this piece for Ann & Kay and, I’m even more flattered to be the first person featured.
Ladies, once again, thank you for inviting me to be a part of the beautiful creative world of MDK. To find out which items I chose head on over to the website to read the profile in full here
It’s a very strange feeling to work for so many months on a project and with such intensity, that when it comes to a close, the deadline met and the projects sent off, there’s a slightly empty pause. I wouldn’t call it an anti climax exactly but it’s almost as though finally, there’s a chance to catch one’s breath before the next project comes along.
Well for me, working with Modern Daily Knitting on ‘Field Guide no 15: Open’ came just after the release of Warm Hands which I co-edited with Kate Davies. And, at the start of what was to have been a very busy year: visiting fibre events, teaching classes, promoting BIPOC in Fiber and travelling around the world. And then of course, along came Covid 19.
So it felt a little strange to finally get my hands on #FG15 when it finally launched last Friday and to be honest my feet haven’t touched the ground since. I knew it would be beautiful, after all this is MDK we’re talking about and together with Melanie Falick they are a formidable combination. The book is small in size but packs a bright, beautiful punch. Because despite following in the Field Guide series after the likes of stars such as Norah Gaughan. Kaffe Fassett, Julia Farwell Clay and Carol Feller they encourage each designer to leave their own design signature and that works magically within the guide’s house style. It means the guide is completely me, but it’s also MDK too.
When Ann and Kay first invited me to design for them we quickly established the technique would be lace but from there I was left to follow my own creative path as to the exact projects and whose yarn I”d like to use. And that’s a really exciting prospect. What you’ll find in the guide are four accessories – no surprise there, it’s me after all – and one garment. But it’s not quite as simple as that. There are little twists and turns that, as the theme suggests, invite you to be open. To be open in terms of creating airy fabrics with open textures, to playing with needle size, yarn weight, and open yourself up to learning a new technique. After all, lace really needn’t be scary. I firmly believe that if I can do it, you can too.
The 5 projects gradually grow in size and skill level from a skinny rib scarf with a two row repeat to a cardigan that can be worn either of two ways. There are little tweaks and details that made this collection such fun to design and should make them fun to make. So here’s a little taste of what’s inside.
I’m so tempted to tell you lots more but I’ll be writing much more about the inspiration and design process behind the guide over on the Modern Daily Knitting blog in a couple of weeks’ time. You can buy your copy of ‘Field Guide no 15: Open’ from the Jeanette Sloan Online Shop here
Join me this Saturday August 8, 2020, 18.00 – 19.00 BST (13.00 – 14.00 EDT) when I’ll be over on Zoom talking to Melanie Falick, author of Making A Life.
More of an intimate conversation than a formal interview we’ll be talking about making by hand as a pathway to wellness and fulfilment, diversity in the fibre arts community, and of course working together on MDK Field Guide 15: OPEN which launches tomorrow! (Cue Chaka Khan again)
This is a free event but does requires pre-registration which you can do by clicking here.
The nature of social media means it’s often easy to reveal too much about a project pre-launch so I’ve been very careful NOT to post any spoilers on Instagram. But, I do happen to know you can see all 5 of the projects I designed for #fieldguideno15 if you sneak on over to the Ravelry page here. But where would the surprise be if you did that?
You could just order a copy from the Jeanette Sloan website and wait for the surprise to hit the doormat when it comes through the post. Just sayin’.
To pre-order your copy of ‘Field Guide no 15: Open’ for Launch Day despatch (tomorrow Friday August 7th) click here
jeanettesloan.wordpress.com 