In this interview with designer Oksana Dymyd, we explore her stunning Cassini Sweater designed in our Luma yarn!
If you’re searching for a comfortable and stylish piece to add to your wardrobe, look no further than the Cassini Sweater from Oksana Dymyd! Her latest design features in The Almanac Series II and features four vibrant shades of The Fibre Co. Luma yarn.
Join us as we find out a little more from Oksana on her knitting journey, winning awards, and of course, knitting with Luma!
Could you tell us a bit about yourself: how did you get into knitting and designing knitwear?
“My journey with knitting goes back to when I was only 6 years old. It is my mother who thought me how to knit. I was fascinated by how it is possible from long straight yarn in a ball to be able to make garment?! In my time it was very difficult to buy a magazine or book with all knitting instructions, and that led me to be more experimental.
In the UK I have won awards for my exhibited work from the UK Hand Knitting Association and Love Wool. Afterward, I worked as a designer in Sirdar. Currently, I am practicing as an independent designer, specialising in ladies, babies, home wear, and toys. Some of my designs are published in knitting magazines such as The Knitter.“
Tell us about the inspiration for the Cassini Sweater. What makes your design special?
“The intention was to create a garment that can be suitable for casual or elegant occasions, to represent flexibility and lightness in fabric. The Luma yarn with its great stitch definition allowed me to use bigger size needles at the bottom part, yet maintain good quality, it also eliminated having fewer stitches on the needle.
The choice of colour is divided into three main segments in a gradual shading from darker to lighter, this gives an additional choice for styling. The bright orange works as a little detail on stocking stitch fabric, the simple thin lines were intended to draw an eye into a whole composition.”
Cassini Sweater is a flattering A-line yoke sweater worked in four shades of Luma. Striking thin lines define the neck, sleeve and hem edges, and mark each block of colour. The sleeves are knit flat and seamed with shoulders that have beautiful lace detailing. Our Luma yarn’s unusual blend of organic cotton, linen, silk, and fine Merino, has an extensive palette of delicious shades which will make a colourful addition to your handmade wardrobe.
What type of stitch and construction method is used for the Cassini Sweater?
“I like to experiment with all types of stitches to create distinctive textures, incorporating different details either through colour, shape, or stitch definition to convey a certain mood for each knitted project. I strongly believe knitting is an art.“
The Cassini Sweater uses stocking stitch, which is RS rows knit and WS rows purl. The pullover is knitted bottom up, seamlessly in the round to the underarm where the work is then divided for back and front and put on hold. Sleeves are then worked flat to the underarm and are joined with front and back to work yoke seamlessly in the round. After joining front, back and sleeves, the eyelet pattern panels are set at each arm and worked throughout the yoke. The neckline trimming is picked up last, folded over and sewn to the inside around the neck.
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 Cassini Sweater?
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