It’s really exciting for us to see what a knitwear designer is inspired to do when working with our yarn. There is so much talent in the design community right now.
This relaxed, oversized, cable cardigan by Carol Feller is great worn as an outer layering piece and is knit in The Fibre Co. Arranmore Light. We thought we’d ask Carol to tell us a little more about her new design Cozy Puzzle.
Carol Feller who lives and works in Cork, Ireland combines her training as both an artist and a structural engineer in her work as a knitwear designer and teacher. Her designs marry seamless construction and clever shaping techniques to create flattering, tailored garments with interesting shapes and textures. Carol tells us that her latest design, Cosy Puzzle is, “at its heart, an oversized wrap that you can snuggle into on cold winter evenings.”
“It seems like a long time ago now, but back in June at TNNA, Kate from The Fibre Co. introduced me to their brand new yarn, Arranmore Light. It was love at first sight and I just jumped at the opportunity to try it out! I loved the fact that the yarn is produced in Donegal but what’s extra special about it is the weight. Traditionally Donegal Yarns produce heavier weight yarns but for more delicate work you sometimes need a finer yarn. This yarn is a great combination, all of the beauty of a Donegal yarn but in a lighter weight.
With this design I wanted to try a few different things, both with cables and with construction. So first for the cables; the cardigan begins with a cable panel that’s worked all the way from the edge of the neck right down to the cuff. The cable isn’t too complex, especially when it’s worked all by itself. It means that you really get comfortable with the cable before you move on to the back panel.
The second cable is across the back panel. It starts at the top as a simple loop that then opens out and moves apart in both directions. I love cables that move across the work. They are tricky to write in a pattern though as it takes a lot of extra space! Finally these two travelling cables transition into two panels of the same cable that you can find on the sleeves.
The cardigan itself is an unusual construction. I wanted a loose, flowing garment that could be worn over anything. You start with the cable panels at the top of each sleeve, next you pick up stitches for the back from the cables on each side and cast on across the neck. This allows the batwing sleeves and the back panel to all be worked at the same time with rapid decreases for the sleeve. When the back is finished I moved on to the front, working the sleeves in the same way as for the back but also working increases along the front panel to slope it outwards. Finally, the sides are seamed and the front edging is worked.
The oversized sleeves and wide front panels allow this wrap to be worn in many different ways. I’ve shown it open but it works great fastened with a shawl pin or shawl stick. In winter I keep warm by layering, the wide body and oversize sleeves mean that you can use this wrap effectively as a shawl with sleeves. Keep it close and throw it on over other sweaters for an extra layer. I’ve designed it with lots of positive ease for just this reason. In the photos I’m wearing Cosy Puzzle with around 8.5 ” (21.5 cm) of positive ease.
Have fun knitting and wearing this wrap, may it bring you many cosy evenings!”
Isn’t it interesting hearing about the creative process behind a design? Thanks so much for sharing Carol. You can find out more about knitwear designer Carol Feller and her collection of patterns, including Cosy Puzzle, on Ravelry. Details for your local or online Arranmore Light stockist can also be found on the Stockists page.