coltsfoot flower

When I submit designs to a magazine or yarn company, I don’t give them names. However,  when a design is selected for use, the publication – or yarn company – may ask me to name the design. I find it difficult to come up with something original, but it is better than forever after being known as ‘striped jumper’ or ‘lace blouse’ – even if that is a more appropriate description!

More often than not, the client will name the garment themselves. It’s often happened that the name they give to my design is unfamiliar to me and I’ve had to look it up – as I did with Coltsfoot. I guessed it’s probably a plant of some kind and sure enough it’s a pretty yellow flower from the daisy family. So now I’ve learned something new!

I wasn’t sure about the colours when I was first sent the yarn for this top, yellow isn’t a colour that suits me, so I never use it. However I’m really pleased with the images of the top in the magazine.

Inspiration for the design came because I had wanted to design a striped top, but to make the stripes more interesting than simple stocking stitch. The stitch pattern I’ve used – Scroll Pattern – makes the stripes wave slightly, and gives an interesting texture to the knit. The yarn is a really lovely nubbly silk and wool blend yarn called Samite from Blacker Yarns