The new super cosy autumn cowl, In The Flow, was designed by a long-time friend of the Fibre Co. Becky Baker. We caught up with her to discuss her new design, and what inspires her to knit.
Could you tell us a bit about yourself: how did you get into knitting and designing knitwear?
“I have been knitting since childhood and was taught by my Granny and Great Aunts. I then studied fashion design and have a degree in Fashion Knitwear Design & Knitted Textiles from Nottingham Trent University.”
Becky has designed many patterns for The Fibre Co. including the cornerstones to our One Series collection, the One Sweater, One Sweater DK, One Sweater Texture and One Sweater V-neck.
Her design, In The Flow, is a generously sized cowl. It is knitted bottom-up in the round and consists of four stripe sections, with purl stitch rounds to create a gradient effect. In The Flow is available as a kit in three yarn options, Acadia, Lore and Luma.
Tell us about your recent design in The Fibre Co. yarn—what inspired this design and what techniques, make it special to you?
“In The Flow was created from a brief sent to me by Daphne. It was key to have a project that would be fun to knit by knitters of any skill level but especially one that would appeal to beginner knitters and a great project to try out working with more than one colour. I love cowls that have a generous size and therefore will be nice and cosy around the neck.”
What inspires and influences your designs?
“It depends on the brief; I feel that my knitting style is quite mixed and eclectic. I don’t really just stick to one thing, I have my favourites but I feel quite versatile and can come up with something depending on what the brief requires.”
What is your favourite type of knitting project?
“I love brushed and hairy yarns and like to knit these off gauge so that the fibers really have a chance to open up and become beautifully fluffy.”
Could you share your design process with us?
“I quite often design on the needles and start with the yarn. I usually have an idea in my head and then just start knitting some practice swatches. Then the rest comes from there.”
How does the yarn you use influence your design?
“The yarn can be my main starting point, I often look at this first to determine how it will behave and then decided what I can create shape or texture-wise.”
What is your favourite knitting technique and why?
“I would have to choose Intarsia and colorwork projects. I love plotting and designing the graphs and seeing the pattern or image come to life whilst knitting.”
What is your desert island knitting project—what could you knit again and again and still enjoy?
“My Seacross sweater was designed for The Fibre Co. With 5 colours in some areas it takes some concentration so perfect for some focused knitting time.”
Becky designed the beautiful yoke sweater Seacross, as part of the Foundations AW19/20 Collection. The pattern includes two sets of instructions for the colourwork: one for knitters who are comfortable stranding several colours at once and one with swiss darning instructions for those who are less comfortable.
What’s your first knitting memory?
“I remember my Great Aunt teaching me to knit and using an empty toilet roll tube to show me in a large scale each step of how the yarn interlaced. I then remember having a Sylvanian Family bear who sadly had no clothes, so I knitted her a little pink apron.”
Knitting In The Flow?
If you are knitting, In The Flow, please do share it with us! We would love to see it.
If you are sharing on social media, please use the hashtags #MadeWithTheFibreCo and tag us @thefibrecompany so we don’t miss it!
Interested in hearing more from Becky?
Becky’s most recent designs for The Fibre Co. feature in our new &Make Spring Summer collection and feature the Hair Necessities, Pillow Possibilities, and Style-it Eyelet Shawl.
You can also find out more about Becky’s latest designs for &Make via our most recent interview here.