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Knitting Inspirations with Elena Dimchevska and the Rising Star Sweater
Welcome to the first official launch from our SS23 collection, the beautiful Rising Star Sweater from Elena Dimchevska!
Designed in The Fibre Co. Cirro, the Rising Star Sweater is a beautifully textured pullover that looks fabulous in our brushed yarn. Light and airy, this piece would make a great addition to any Spring Summer wardrobe!
In this interview with designer Elena Dimchevska, we find out more about their creative design process, knitting in our Cirro yarn, and of course their knitting inspirations.
Could you tell us a bit about yourself: how did you get into knitting and designing knitwear?
“My name is Elena Dimchevska and I am a knitwear designer from Bulgaria. I am happy to meet the knitting world under by brand – Elly’s Knitting Days on Facebook, Instagram and Ravelry.
I remember when I was a little girl being taught knitting by my grandma … so, the usual suspect. But the interesting part is that since then and until I entered my thirties I never remembered this craft. Just on the contrary – I was more into science, studying extensively, including a Ph.D., becoming Chief Legal Officer for a big international company … And then it suddenly came back to me, not so surprisingly, with my firstborn child…
Well, less than 10 years later I am the proud owner of more than 180 kg of different yarns, thousands of bags with swatches, a couple of projects on the needles and a safe place reserved only for me and my imagination. I am still exploring legal management in the tech field, I look after my family of two boys and their father but my mind finds peace and ease from the frantic everyday life in knitting and designing knitwear. I love the intricate patterns and designs because these provide a challenge to my restless mind. I love the way it all looks chaotic in the beginning and then it becomes a fine piece of art!
To be honest I do not like mindless knitting! Knitting is the problem of the mind – calculate, control your fingers and wrists, do this strange move, pick that stitch 5 rows below, slip the yarn over over the needle, decipher those alien symbols in the chart… “dangerous” and “requiring” but so rewarding! Probably that is why I love textured and lace patterns and often search for ways to combine these in my designs.
I never stop learning new techniques and patterns which I often cannot wait to implement in my next project – this is like an obsession. There are thousands of designs in my head and so little time to work on these.“
Tell us about the inspiration for the Rising Star Sweater.
“The Almanac Series was so appealing to me – the initial series based on farmer’s guide was really something fresh. But what triggered my imagination was the idea of looking up at the heavens for the second series of the Almanac! I contemplated the stars in the night sky, but everything just cleared out the moment I looked through the window one morning before getting up from bed. And the Rising Star was there, just shining through the thick clouds around, to greet us with this new morning, to shine with expectation and hope for the new day. That was the moment the idea of the Rising Star Sweater was born.
I have worked with several of The Fibre Co. yarns and know that each one of them is a star itself. But Cirro is something different, something really challenging. It is a slightly furry yarn, which is very required with respect to patterning. This is brushed yarn with a wonderful fluffiness that spoke to me – it just radiates the idea of the ethereal sky, and the clouds. Another plus was the fabulous palette of colors that fitted so well into my design idea – I had the fluff feel and the ethereal visualization in the subtle bluish green I needed for my rising star to be born. A perfect match it proved!“
Rising Star Sweater is a delightful drop shoulder, wide crew-necked sweater with lots of beautiful texture. The ‘rising star’ of the pattern’s name is revealed in the single lacy motif panel that runs up the front of the sweater. Knit in Cirro, this sweater is incredibly light and so soft, you will have to feel it to believe it! With three to five inches of positive ease, Rising Star might just be the cosiest sweater you ever make.
What inspires and influences your designs?
“What really inspires me are the endless possibilities of different techniques. The more intricate, the better. The more unusual – even better!“
Could you share your design process with us?
“In my design process, the yarn is the star. I think it is not possible to reveal your design idea if the yarn you chose is not the perfect fit. So often I start with an idea and look for the perfect yarn to implement. Sometimes it is vice versa – I want to work with a specific yarn and look for that perfect pattern to make it shine. Those are the two sides on one and the same coin – you cannot separate them!“
What is your favourite knitting technique and why?
“Not sure I have one, actually, but if I had to choose one I’d say colourwork, being either intarsia or stranded knitting. I love these techniques because they are a great means to create gorgeous designs with a lot of colours. You might need some patience to realize them, I know, but these techniques are amazing if you want to use a lot of colour in one design. I wish I had lived in the ’80’s!“
What is your desert island knitting project?
“Honestly, I never knit a project twice. There are so many ideas, so much to explore, that there is never time to repeat. I just look ahead. And ahead often lies the unknown, which is so inspiring! Like the waves you see around the island – they never come to the shore twice, right?“
About The Almanac Series
The Almanac Series is based on the original farmer’s Almanac guide to the seasons, this collection acts as a seasonal guide to knitting with The Fibre Co. and celebrates each month of the year with an ascribed Yarn of the Month, paired with a new design launch in that yarn. For this year’s series, we looked to the heavens for inspiration, letting the beauty and grandeur of the night sky guide us. In the first half of this year’s series, we cover the Autumn Winter season, where each month’s yarn has been specifically chosen for its qualities to complement colder conditions in the northern hemisphere. Erika Knight’s Zodiac Sweater was the first design in The Almanac Series II collection, in which you can read our interview with Erika here.
Knitting the Rising Star Sweater?
If you are knitting the Rising Star Sweater, 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. You can also follow us on social media by clicking the icons below.
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