Brand new from Denise Bell of Lost City Knits, the Bougainvillea Vest uses traditional colorwork techniques to create an explosion of color. Denise used four motif colors and one background color from Jamieson & Smith Jumper Weight of the Shetland Islands for the original. The vest can be made cropped, as seen on Gabriella above, or hip length,…
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Denise’s latest is the Crystal Visions Pullover, knit from Plötulopi Icelandic yarn. This unique fiber makes the sweater both incredibly light, and also vary warm — warm enough for Icelandic sheep. The idea for it came about during a light snowfall here, as flakes piled up on our pasture. Denise used two shades of blue to…
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Using some motifs from the Sonoran Sarape, and adding new ones, the Saguaro Vest is the latest pattern from Denise of Lost City Knits. A stately Saguaro motif dominates the vest, accompanied by a stylized setting desert sun. A diamondback band introduces the repeat. The garment is worked in the round from the…
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We’ve hinted at this before, but now we can announce that Denise’s newest design is for sale at our website, on Ravelry, and will be on the runway at STITCHES SoCal November 1st. It’s the Sonoran Sarape, inspired by the flora and fauna of the deserts in Arizona. The garment features motifs of a setting sun, a saguaro cactus,…
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Léttlopi is an Aran weight Icelandic wool spun as a single. These skeins measure 109 yards, weigh 50 grams, and have a light twist. It’s denser than the Plötulopi we’ve been carrying, and of course it has some twist. The Icelandic wool is naturally dual-coated, meaning that the fleece has both short and long fibers.…
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Although it is not quite ready for prime-time, we want to give you a peek at something new from Lost City Knits. This design features southwestern motifs worked with contemporary Fair Isle techniques.
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Plötulopi, the original unspun Icelandic wool, is made from the soft and insulating inner fiber and the long, glossy and water repellent outer fibers of Icelandic sheep. The fiber, sourced from directly from Icelandic farmers, creates a lofty wool yarn that is breathable and ideal for soft lightweight garments. It’s not hard to work with…
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We’ve been quiet lately, but busy. As a follow-up to Ultima Thule- Patterns Inspired by the Shetland Islands we have turned our attention to the vast tallgrass prairie of central Kansas. For two years we have been making trips to Chase County, Kansas, finding inspiration, getting to know the people who live there, and knitting a lot.…
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One can get to the Applecross peninsula of western Scotland two ways — over the Bealach Pass with its 20% grades and tight switchbacks, or around the Coward’s Way, which winds through coastal villages but has its share of tight turns and narrow passages, too. Either way is a delight. Once to the shore, wander…
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In May of 2014 Denise and I took a trip to the Shetland Islands of Scotland. Denise, as she is wont to do, saw potential for patterns everywhere. In the year and a half that followed she designed five patterns that were inspired by Shetland. I returned to Shetland in the fall of 2015 to…
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