BREEZE - Lookbook by Making Stories

Jack Kerouac

BREEZE is the second book in our European Nature book series which we created to share our passion for natural, local, breedspecific European yarns, beautiful knitwear designs and the stories of the amazing makers who enable and inspire us to create magic with our own hands. BREEZE includes 11 modern knitwear designs aimed to take you through a gorgeous spring or summer day, from an early trip to the farmers market with a few hours spent in the park to a balmy evening on a balcony with friends. From breezy tops to a cardigan you throw on when it gets slightly chilly at night, you’ll find pieces in this book that are both versatile and wearable as well as incredibly enjoyable to knit. BREEZE wouldn’t be a Making Stories publication though without the stories that inspire us to do our work: We’ve included profiles for every single maker involved in this book, be it designer or yarn company, alongside two in-depth articles that show you the life behind the scenes for both a yarn company and a knitwear design publishing company. Making Stories GmbH is an independent knitwear design publisher based in Berlin, owned and run by Verena Cohrs and Hanna Lisa Haferkamp alongside their small but growing team. Our mission is to spread the love for sustainably, ethically and transparently produced natural yarns, shine a light on knitwear designers from around the world and help knitters create garments and accessories they love and that last them for a long time. We deeply care about our planet and our community. Honesty and kindness are the cornerstones of everything we do. We believe everyone can (and should) make a difference in whatever way, shape or form they can.

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BREEZE

– Sweet life continues in the breeze, in the golden fields. –

BREEZE

Designs by Armenuhi Khachatryan, Elizabeth Tubman, Emily Greene, Imke von Nathusius, Joan Forgione, Morgan Capestrain, Rachel Brockman, Rebekka Mauser, Solène Le Roux, Stella Egidi, Verena Cohrs Yarns by Blacker Yarns, Cambrian Wool, De Rerum Natura, Dibadu, Ginger Twist Studio, Lino Mūka, Sherwood Yarn, Tulliver Yarn, Vänö Ull Contributions by Ani Lee, Ruta Sluskaite-Dittmann & Caroline Frett and our designers and yarn partners

BEHINDTHESCENESATMAKINGSTORIES:PHOTOSHOOT

Piteraq

Pattern on page 86

Design by SOLĂ&#x2C6;NE LE ROUX Yarn by DIBADU

Twisted stitches, stockinette and a geometric lace panel - Piteraq has all the features of your favourite summer top that takes you from brunch in the morning to a long leisurely walk in the evening. Its different elements show off the linen silk blend dyed by Dibadu beautifully and make sure that you want to knit just one more row... and one more...

PITERAQ

Marin

Pattern on page 91

Design by REBEKKA MAUSER Yarn by DIBADU

The cropped, boxy shape of Marin is perfect for summer in our opinion - you can wear it both with high-waisted jeans and your favourite pair of shorts! The overall texture adds an unexpected twist and the two-coloured I-Cord Bind-Off is the sweetest detail that allows you to add just a tiny amount of your favourite contrast colour. The linen silk blend from Dibadu ensures that Marin keeps you cool even on the warmest days.

MARIN

Alize

Pattern on page 96

Design by MORGAN CAPESTRAIN Yarn by TULLIVER YARN

Oh, how we love a good wrap to keep us warm during chilly morning bike rides and evenings spent sitting at the canal with friends! Alize is exactly that - your best friend for all the times in spring and summer where you want a little bit of extra warmth. The mixture of a geometric eyelet pattern and soothing stockinette shows off the beautiful colours of Tulliver Yarnsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; BFL & Masham DK to perfection.

ALIZE

Designer Profile

MORGAN CAPESTRAIN

Could you tell us a bit about yourself and your designs? How did you get to do what you do today? I started Knitcraft & Knittery right after coming home from a life-changing trip to New Zealand. Being surrounded by friends and family in that beautiful country made me realise I wanted to live my life a bit slower, taking time to focus on the things that really matter. I used designing knitwear as my first stepping stone into the fibre arts and I now also hand dye sustainably sourced merino wool as a part of my business. Let’s dive into your design! Where do you draw inspiration from in general and what inspired your design for BREEZE? I draw inspiration for all aspects of my business from nature. The repeating patterns, texture, and beauty in simplicity that nature shows us every day provide so much inspiration for knitting patterns. My design for BREEZE was inspired by walks along the beach with my husband. The simple lace pattern is a representation of walking close to the waves, weaving in and then back out, maybe picking up a pebble or two to skip across the water. Walk us through the process from idea to finished design. How does your creative process look like? I must admit, my design process is not a very structured one! I usually draw up a general idea of what I want, do a quick swatch for gauge and stitch pattern ideas, and then just dive in! I tend to prefer writing my patterns as I’m knitting my sample because the design usually tells me where it wants to go as I’m knitting it. I’m just along for the ride. We’re focusing on local, sustainable, if possible breed-specific yarns for BREEZE. How does this relate to your design philosophy and what do you look for in a yarn when designing? One of the most important things to me as a maker is sourcing ethical and sustainable materials for my projects, so this aspect of design is non-negotiable for me. I choose my materials based on how the fibre will look with my desired stitch pattern and how the fibre will hold up for this piece’s desired use. Instagram: @knitcraftandknittery Ravelry: Morgan Capestrain

Knit Night Chat with Morgan What do you do when you make – watch a movie, read a book, nothing, …? I usually either watch TV with my husband or watch him playing video games. It provides that small bit of extra stimulation for seas of stockinette, but still allows me to focus if an unexpected design element shows up that needs a bit more concentration. Are there any making / crafting challenges you are excited to tackle? I would love to knit a big, intricate, colourwork sweater. What is your favourite making memory or tradition? My favourite making memory is of my husband’s first time knitting. It was just recently that he let me teach him to knit for the first time and he was annoyingly good at it from the very start, but it was so lovely to get to sit together, passing the time stitch by stitch.

ALIZE

Yarn Profile

ELKE from TULLIVER YARN

Could you tell us a bit about yourself and your designs? How did you get to do what you do today? My love for textiles started in my teens when I learned how to spin yarns, did my first experiments with natural dyes and of course knit the yarns up into garments. I was so obsessed with it that the only option for me after finishing school was to study something related to textiles. In the end I went to England because it had so many really good textile degree courses to offer. I studied Fine Art/Textiles at Goldsmiths´ College in London. During those years I learned all about traditional textile techniques like printing, embroidery and weaving and how to translate this knowledge into modern times as well as how to develop my own techniques from there. After college I spent some time in Mexico studying the wealth of the traditional textiles of that country. While there I was given the opportunity to work with indigenous women teaching them how to dye with their own regional plants in an attempt to save and revive a knowledge that had once been very rich. It was an experience beyond words. While my daughter was young it suited my life better to work as a translator for which I am also trained. Luckily I was given the opportunity to translate books on textiles. But there came a point where I did not want to just write about textiles anymore. I wanted to do things with my hands again. I started renting a studio in a village south of Berlin and there it was again: A space to be creative. At first I allowed myself a time to experiment with all sorts of materials but slowly I gravitated more and more towards creating colours from natural sources again. It was simply an urge to do it. So I started my company Tulliver Yarn a few years ago and feel I will never tire of learning about natural dyeing. What do you love most about your job? What is your favourite stage of your work process? There are many things I love about this job. One is the connection to nature, keeping my eyes open to see what is growing where, watching the different seasons, watching which weather conditions lead to a certain species of plant growing in abundance. It keeps me grounded and it makes me happy. Another is developing new colours. There is never an end to finding new colours! It can be quite frustrating when a colour does not turn out the way I was hoping for. But it is so great when you have achieved a wonderful colour and you are capable of repeating it. And thinking that all those colours are provided by nature never stops to amaze me. And then the colours themselves: They have so much depth, they glow from within, they change their aspect in different light conditions, and they allow the yarn itself to show through the colour.

Walk us through the process from “growing” the fibre to the finished yarns. Who is involved and how does your production process look like? I buy the yarn directly from the spinning mill in Yorkshire, England. It is then dyed with natural dyes in my studio. As colours created from natural sources consist of a mixture of differently coloured pigments, they are never completely solid, anyway, but have a certain liveliness. Some colours are already perfect when having been dyed once but others are created by layering two or more colours on top of one another until I am satisfied with the result. It is a bit like painting with water colours. It sometimes means dyeing the yarn several times. It´s a long process at times, but it creates such a wonderful depth, so it´s totally worth it!I only use non-toxic fixing agents (mordants). For dyes I use either extracts from a German producer, which are mostly GOTS certified, or I collect the dye stuffs myself. I am particularly interested in using dye stuffs that are usually considered as waste, such as pomegranate peel, walnut husks, rhubarb leaves, onion skins, carrot green or that are invasive weeds like Canadian Goldenrod. They all yield fantastic colours, why should we waste them? tulliver.de

Knit Night Chat with Elke What is your favourite knitting spot? It is my sofa in a cosy corner of my flat. This is where I settle down in the evening, usually with a big sigh of relief, especially after a long day of running around at the studio. What is your favourite making memory or tradition? My “cloud pullover”: At about 15 I saw this pullover in a crafting magazine. It was in different shades of blue with lots of clouds on it, made with the intarsia technique. It really was far too difficult for the very basic knitting knowledge I had at the time, but I loved it so much that I managed to do it somehow. It turned out pretty wonky but I wore it every day for ages. The sad thing is that I really don´t know what has happened to it! Are there any making / crafting challenges you are excited to tackle? If there were more hours in a day I would love to learn how to print fabrics with natural colours. I would also love to get back to weaving which at one stage I was quite good at, but haven´t had a chance to do for many years.

ALIZE

Meltemi

Pattern on page 98

Design by VERENA COHRS Yarn by BLACKER YARNS

Socks for summer? Why, yes, of course! After all, we want to make the most out of the beautiful weather outside which sometimes means layering up in the evening to spend that extra hour on the balcony or on a blanket in the park. Then, a pair of socks is just what we need. Knit in no-nylon, non-superwash Blacker Yarn Tamar the Meltemi Socks are not only perfect as an on-the-go project, but will also wear extremely well and last for many summers to come.

MELTEMI

SUMMER KNITTING - TIPS & TRICKS

Sahel

Pattern on page 104

Design by ARMENUHIK KHACHATRYAN Yarn by BLACKER YARNS

A decidedly modern shape and texture for days - we love Sahel for its uncompromising approach to summer knitwear! Wear it with a high-waisted skirt or jeans and itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most definitely going to help you stay cool even on the hottest days. Blacker Yarnsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Lyonesse linen blend has the perfect stitch definition for an overall pattern like Sahel, plus it works up like a dream!

SAHEL

OROSHI

Solano

Pattern on page 111

Design by STELLA EGIDI Yarns by SHERWOOD YARN & LINO MŪKA

Speaking of wardrobe staples - we love seemingly simple designs with a surprising detail that you can pair with anything and everything. With Solano, we’re proud to present a tunic that works both with and without sleeves: one version for colder days and another one to get you through those hot, hot summer nights. Both versions get really exciting in the back: a v-neck with a box pleat add that little bit of interest that we love for basics! Sherwood Yarn’s BFL & Masham 4ply keeps you warm in the 3/4-sleeve version and Lino Muka linen helps you keep your cool in the sleeveless one.

SOLANO

THE STORY OF A BRAND NEW LINEN YARN

Coromuel

Pattern on page 115

Design by JOAN FORGIONE Yarn by GINGER TWIST STUDIO

Who doesn’t love a top-down raglan sweater? In Coromuel it’s made even better with the addition of just the right amount of lace both at the raglan increases and the side of the body. With its three quarter-length sleeves and hourglass shape it’s wonderful for those days with the first rays of a strong spring sun that are not quite warm enough yet to venture out in a T-shirt. Knit up in Ginger Twist Studio’s Masham Mayhem, Coromuel lends itself to both strong, vibrant colours as well as lovely neutrals.

COROMUEL

Joran

Pattern on page 119

Design by RACHEL BROCKMAN Yarn by LINO MŪKA

Linen, like good wine and cheese, only gets better with age - the more often you wear and wash it, the softer it gets! Joran fully uses this to its advantage as it’s a design we would want to wear for years to come. With a beautiful neckline, split hem and textured border at the bottom of the body, this summer top is one of those garments we always reach for when we’re getting dressed in the morning. And with Lino Muka’s Lithuanian linen yarn, we think we’ve found the perfect match for it!

JORAN

Norte

Pattern on page 124

Design by IMKE VON NATHUSIUS Yarn by VÄNÖ ULL

When we thought about which garments we wanted to include in BREEZE we immediately knew we needed at least one cardigan that you could throw on over summer dresses, tops and t-shirts. Something that you’d wear in the morning when it’s still crisp outside or for those walks home after midnight; something just like Norte. Knit up in Vänö Ull’s Finnsheep wool it’s the perfect layering piece!

NORTE

Mistral

Pattern on page 127

Design by EMILY GREENE Yarn by CAMBRIAN WOOL

Last, but very certainly not least - meet Mistral, your new favourite sweater! Oversized with sleeves that sit close to the body and a V-neck that is just deep enough to be a tiny bit revealing, we can see us living in this for those spring and summer nights. The combination of stitch patterns make it a joy to knit and they showcase the Cambrian Wool yarn beautifully! It also makes for the perfect combination piece with any of the summer tops and accessories from BREEZE.

MISTRAL

#MYMAKINGSTORY