Scarlett17Knits
  • Home
  • Blog
  • Pattern Shop
  • About
  • Contact
  • Terms and Conditions

Getting all your ducks in a row

21/11/2015

0 Comments

 
The next Gift-A-Long pattern I'd like to feature is a sock pattern by Amy Kenagy (KnittingAmyK on Ravelry), a designer who hails from Spokane in the Pacific Northwest of the USA. I do like patterns that allow multicoloured sock yarn to shine. It's so easy to be tempted by the beautiful colours of the yarn in the skein, the bright rainbows or the exciting hand-dyes, but then it's not so easy to find a pattern that doesn't disappear into the colours or make them look like brightly-coloured splodge.
When I saw All of my Ducks in a Row I knew it would be perfect for some of the multicoloured Wollmeise Twin skeins that I love to admire but rarely knit with because, you know, clown barf! There's only so many plain vanilla socks a girl can make from loud sock yarn! 
The pattern uses slipped stitches to bring to mind the mother duck shepherding her babies in a row along the pond, leaving a trail of little bubbles in their wake.
​
Picture
photo copyright Amy Kenagy
I wanted to know more about the designer who had created this fun sock pattern, so I asked Amy a bit about herself and her designs.

Me: How did you first start designing knitting patterns?

Amy: I first got into design when I had first started knitting and couldn’t find a baby skirt pattern that fit my needs. Having only boys and not wanting to pay for something that wasn’t quite what I wanted for a gift, I knit and wrote my Girly Girl Skirt pattern. Being a math teacher, I love the logical and mathematical side of knitting so it was fun to combine that with creativity.
Picture
photo copyright Amy Kenagy
Me: Finding inspiration for multicoloured sock yarn can be tricky. Where did you get the idea for All of my Ducks in a Row?

Amy: I am always finding myself attracted to multicolored yarns but don’t always love the way they pool. I wanted something that had cool texture but would work well for both variegated and semi solid yarns. This fit the bill. At first I was thinking it reminded me of flower buds but then the idea of little ducks zigzaging in the water with the little bubbles behind them seemed more appropriate.

​Me: Which is your favourite of your designs, and why?

Amy: 
I am going to take the cop out answer here and say that I love all of my patterns for different reasons. I love the practical Bubbly Scrubber or the stylish Broken Up Boot Cuffs for a quick gift. I love my When You Wish shall for sentimental reasons. I adore the All of My Ducks in a Row for the textures. Each pattern has a texture I love or is a quick knit with a practical use or has a mathematical approach that I appreciate.

Me: What is your favourite type of item to design?

Amy: I love making my patterns a teaching piece. I want them to be approachable for all knitting levels and try to incorporate quicker ways of doing common techniques into my patterns, like cabling without a cable needle, short rows with no wraps and turns, etc. So I wouldn’t say I have a favorite item, but more a passion for passing on discoveries I have made that make knitting easier or yield a cleaner, more finished looking project.

Me: Finally, any sneak peeks of your future design plans?

Amy: 
I am the technical editor for 6 Bits Storybooks, which is a beautiful new knitting publication. I will also be a design contributor for the issue coming out this Spring. It will be an accessory that I am still working out the details for but I am honored to be included.



Thanks, Amy, for telling me about yourself and your designs. Now I must be off to wind some sock yarn ready to cast on for All my Ducks in a Row!!




0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    About me

    I love to knit, to design patterns and to talk about knitting!

    Archives

    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    July 2020
    June 2020
    March 2020
    November 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.