Jane Gottelier, cofounder of the British fashion line Artwork, shares her passion for denim yarn and the look of the sea in Indigo Knits: The Quintessential Guide to Denim Yarn from the Founders of Artwork.
The book explores a variety of ways to work with denim yarns including how to shrink them after knitting and ways to distress the surface with bleach to make your projects look like instant lived-in favorites.
Playing with Denim
Indigo Knits is a book inspired by the seaside villages and islands of Cornwall as much as it is a book inspired by the denim knitting yarns used in its pages. The projects reflect the easy going and casual feeling of a weekend at the beach while at the same time capturing the hard-working durability needed in clothing worn in working fishing villages.
The book opens with a brief history of indigo and its use as a dye, different characteristics of indigo yarn (maybe this is my nerd coming out, but I could have used more detail in this section about why one type of yarn is better than another) and how to care for projects made from the yarn.
There's also a detailed section on methods of distressing and bleaching projects, covering everything from rubbing the surface with sandpaper to dipping, tie-dyeing and painting on bleach.
The pattern section is divided up into different towns and areas where the photos were shot, and each section provides a bit of basic information about the area and its history, as well as recommendations for restaurants and cultural activities should you ever find yourself in Cornwall.
The Patterns
Indigo Knits includes 29 patterns using either blue or white denim yarn. There are lots of sweaters, cardigans, jackets and frocks, as well as some bags, blankets, cushions and projects perfect for the beach including a grass skirt, bikini and fancy flip flops (actually, those last three are all crochet patterns, but most of the book is knitting).
The yarn choice and style of the projects will remind you of lazy weekends at the beach (or the lake, if you don't happen to live near an ocean), lounging around, shopping at the farmers' market and other lazy day activities.
There are patterns for men and women as well as one child-sized sweater and a bunch of accessories that would look great in a beach house or a bright living room anywhere in the world.
Some of my favorites include the Lady Dona Ruffle Top, one of the white selections, which is a basic scoopneck sweater with a ruffled neckline; the Flippy Top, a tank top with a fitted top that flares into a more relaxed piece toward the bottom; the Pirate-Stripe Guernsey knit in two shades of blue; and the Artist's Satchel, a simple, sturdy bag for knitting or art supplies.
There's a good range of sizes in the patterns, and a mix of classic designs and a few trendier pieces.
If you love the look and feel of your favorite pair of blue jeans and would like to have that feeling in more of your wardrobe, you're sure to enjoy this book.
Publication date: November 2007.
