Aureus

Aureus, my latest design, will be featured in Pom Pom Quarterly's Issue No. 7, "Fading Light".  It is their Winter 2013 issue, and available for preorder on their website, or with Karen at Fringe Supply Co.  I believe the issue is dropping in early November, so just days away!

It is always such a pleasure when a design is released.  Not only are the photographs and styling usually a very pleasant surprise, but the designing of the piece happened so long ago, that I get to see it again with fresh eyes.  I confess; usually when I'm done working on a design, I'm sick of it.  I'm tired of thinking about it, looking at it, fussing with it.  And when I send it off to the publisher or yarn company, I usually mutter a "good riddance" and toss it into the mailbox.  But then suddenly, enough time passes where I start to think back on it fondly.  Absence does make the knitter's heart grow fonder.  And all of a sudden I start reminiscing about all the good times we had together... like how did this all come about?

After seeing a few issues of Pom Pom, I knew I wanted to work with them.  What a refreshing new publication for the knitting world!  Digest-sized, matte paper, fun styling, bright glorious colors that remind me of Mexican and South American crafts, and brand new - not something we see often in the knitting world.  So I decided to use their personality, their essence as inspiration.  I kept flipping through their back issues, visiting their website, poking around on their Ravelry group, and decided whatever I came up with had to be feminine, vibrant, youthful and fun.

These are things I don't necessarily keep in mind when I design.  So it was very interesting working outside of my comfort zone.  My design proposal for them contained a swatch in a very bright, deep pink.  This was my idea of feminine and pretty.  I don't think it necessarily wasn't, but talk about literal.  I can be a very blunt object sometimes.  Anyway, thankfully after speaking with Meghan at Pom Pom, she decided on the final color and yarn - Cricket yarn in Curry from Anzula.

When the box of yarn came from Anzula, I felt like I was opening up the briefcase in Pulp Fiction.  I stood there and the color just glowed up at me.  The name for the pattern came to me as soon as I saw the color and I was so excited to cast on.

The cardigan has a little bit of an a-line to give it a bit of swing.  And the sleeves are just a hint of being lantern sleeves.  I thought these little touches would add to its femininity, along with the high closure at the neck.  Here are some more detailed shots of the cardi.

Pom Pom decided to replace the buttons, but you can see how you can have a lot of fun picking them out!  They choose wooden ones while mine were a little bit more ornate.  Anything goes!  I really loved the idea of using bigger buttons to make a statement.  Can't wait to see what you choose!