A Design is Born

We've been working hard on creating a video library for Planet Purl with lots of knitting and crochet skills. These will link to our fabulous new pattern upload section for designers and manufacturers. Thousands and thousands of patterns available, free and for sale, and searchable about ten ways to Sunday. The "Earl of Purl" is directing, shooting and editing the videos. He was here last week in my home video studio (read -- corner of my office totally light blocked and draped in Planet Purl blue)to film another block of how-to's. All well and good, except every time I film something fun or technically interesting, I end up with yet another new design project.

This time, it was double knitting. I taught myself how to do this technique a few months ago when I got a crazy idea involving a felted project. The experiment was a total washout (no pun intended), but I found the technique really interesting. It's one of those things that if you think about it too much it doesn't seem like it should work, so you just have to do it and trust. So while we were filming, it reminded me how much I like making a two-sided design while I can only really see one side. Every time I turn it over, I'm a little surprised the design is still working out!

Hmmmm, so where was I going to use this skill for Deep South Knitting. I've been tumbling that around in my head since we filmed last week. Out of the blue this morning, it struck me that a design I've been tinkering with for my Gilded Age Table Runner (inspired by the beautiful Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina) would be doubly beautiful knitted in a reversible pattern. The runner is going to be knit in gold and silver Berroco Metallic FX, which just may be the softest metallic yarn on the planet. I'm planning a crocheted trim in Berroco Lumina and sparkly faceted Czech glass beads.

Now I'm having a hard time making myself finish up my sections of the August Planet Purl newsletter before I re-chart my table runner design. Patience is definitely not my strongest virtue. Oh, I guess I should probably work on the patience thing...I just doubled the amount of stitches in the Gilded Age Table Runner design!