(November update: Ok, I accept it. They aren't spiders! Spiders don't have antennae...)
I've been working on a design for a women's pullover, featuring a nifty bit of patterning around the neckline.
There were two inspirations for this design. The first is the charts for spider motifs found in the books of Norwegian knitters Annichen Sibbern Bøhn and Annemor Sundbø.
The second inspiration is a necklace designed by 20th century designer Elsa Schiaparelli.
Schiaparelli was known for her innovations in clothing and jewelry design, and worked with artists including Cocteau, Dali, and Man Ray. Many knitters know of her via the design that started her career--a handknit sweater with collar, cuffs, and a bowknot knitted into the design.
The insect necklace was created in mid 1930's or early 1940's (although it's one of her iconic pieces, I can't find a specific date); I wish I could find a photos of someone actually wearing this back then, just to see how they pulled it off.
My version will be a little easier for the average woman to wear, I think. Just a few spiders circling the neck, with the rest of the sweater knit in plain stockinette. The borders will have some kind of cable or travelling stitch pattern, slightly evocative of a spider web. Exact border pattern TBD.
I plan to have the pattern available by June, as it would make great travel knitting. It's worked from the top down, so the start of the sweater requires some focus (to knit the spiders and work the increases), then there is a lot knitting around, and around, and around...then it gets interesting again at the borders.
For a long plane or car ride, all that plain knitting would be perfect. Or it is for people like me, anyway, who can't really look at their knitting while in a moving vehicle. No trans-Atlantic lace knitting for this kid!
Yarn is Shibui Staccato, in Artichoke and Apple.
I haven't decided about adding any 'zazz to the spiders. That will be decided once the body of the sweater is done. Looking at Elsa's necklace, I have some inclination to add a little duplicate stitch to their apple green bodies. We shall see...
Comments