I've been seeing so many pictures of Rhinebeck since last week, and I am so jealous! Everyone seemed they were having a great time, and the Rhinebeck sweaters were just awesome. My dream is to go there one day.
So, now that one of the big event is over for 2017, why don't you join our KAL for amirisu Issue 14? Anything from this issue is eligible, so pick your favorites, and share your projects with us. Please join amirisu group on Ravelry, and there will be prizes drawn for the FOs, when the KAL ends at 20th Dec.
Maybe this pattern is your favorite? Today, we are going to introduce Ayano Tanaka, a Japanese designer behind Sunday Market. It is a simple stockinette sweater, yet the slipped stitch details give it a character, and the flared shape gives a hint of sweetness. Ayano lives in Saitama, which is just outside of Tokyo, and spend every spare time knitting and creating something from her ideas. So, let's ask her some questions.
amirisu: Where did you get the inspiration for Sunday Market?
Ayano: I wanted something that you can relax and knit, and a little bit on the sweet side. Actually, I saw a lady wearing a simple bulky stockinette vest on the train, and thought that stockinette alone could be really cool. So on the way home, I bought a heavy weight yarn, and started thinking about a stockinette pattern. amirisu: If you were to knit with another color for yourself, what will it be? Ayano: I tend to go for neutral colors, but seeing the pink in the magazine, maybe colors like yellow, light green and orange would be nice for a change.
amirisu: When did you start knitting?
Ayano: It was when I was in high school that I found my mother's old knitting magazine, yarn, and some needles. This magazine covered the basics of knitting, and I tried out all of the techniques that were featured. I left it at that, but started knitting again after I graduated from school.
amirisu: Were you knitting with the Japanese patterns at the beginning? And if so, has anything changed after you got to know the foreign patterns which is so different from the Japanese ones, and also after finding Raverly?
Ayano: Since I discovered Raverly, I can't stop trying out new patterns! Before that, I was knitting from Japanese knitting books, but Raverly expanded my world so widely. I was surprised to know that there were so many patterns and knitting techniques. Many patterns are free, so it was easy for me to try them out. But even though I managed to knit them, I had trouble with modifying stitches to make the perfect fit, so I started to learn the Japanese way of drafting too. I feel that the traditional knitting in the foreign countries has wits and techniques, but at the same time you are free to indulge on your ideas. I am constantly learning something new from the knitting community, and I think it will continue to be that way.
amirisu: What are you recently knitting/designing?
Ayano: I am having so much fun knitting something inspired by shapes and colors around me, and recently I finished a lace cardigan which I had in mind for a long time. And the next goal is to write up the pattern. The other thing that I'm knitting is mittens for the trunk show that I'm planning with friends next year. Mittens are so wearable, and so fun to think about designs that could fit in such a small dimension. Also, I'm trying to think up a design for an accessory with a technique that everyone would be interested in, for a workshop. Last but not least, I am knitting a fair isle sweater for my husband in my spare time.
Thank you Ayano, for answering these questions, and I think this would inspire many designers-to-be in Japan!
こんにちは。10月半ばのRhinebeck Sheep& Wool Festivalが終わってからというもの、インスタグラムで皆さんの写真を見るたびに羨ましい気持ちでいっぱいです。参加者がとても楽しそうで、Rhinebeckの為に編んできたというセーターもどれもとても素敵でした。私もいつの日か行ってみたいと思っています。
今年も残り2カ月となりましたが、2017年最後にamirisu 14号のKAL（みんなで一緒に編もう！という企画です）に参加してみませんか。14号に載っているパターンならどれでも良いので、1つ選んでRavelryで写真を見せて下さい。最終日は12月20日、それまでに投稿して下さった方の中から抽選でプレゼントをお送りしますので、是非ふるってご参加下さい。
さて、今日ご紹介するのはSunday Market のデザイナーのAyanoさんです。このセーターはシンプルなメリヤス編みですが、引き上げ模様が良いアクセントになり、Aラインの裾が少し可愛らしさを足しています。Ayanoさんは埼玉県在住で、隙間時間には常に編んだり、思いついたアイディアを形にしたり、という毎日を送っています。 それでは、彼女に質問をしてみましょう。