Hand Knitting e-mail Artika order knitting designs order needlework designs
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Hand knitting New site from February 2008
Need a grid for a special design?
I can produce a grid for a design of your own, or any image that is not copyrighted. Perhaps you want a grid for a picture of your house, or a club logo or something general like a tractor, say. My rates are by the hour and designs usually work out very affordable. The fewer the colours and the less detailed the design the quicker I can do the grid. Contact me on Artika@compuserve.com.
please note: I cannot do copyrighted images such as Mickey Mouse, Rupert Bear etc., unless you have permission from the copyright owner, nor will I produce grids for other people's designs you have seen on internet pages without their written permission.
Design chart collections
These books are for knitters looking for exciting hand knitting designs and who want something a bit different from those usually found in commercially-produced patterns. Unlike many patterns which are designed primarily to promote the use of a particular yarn, Artika's patterns are for the hand knitting and design enthusiast! You can use nearly any yarn depending on the the weight your prefer to knit with, the availability of your chosen colours in a particular range or even what you have got left in your yarn cupboard!
The books show all the designs in colour on the front cover, are spiral bound for easy use and have clear diagrams to follow. The stitchpatterns are planned so that there are only two colours in a row and many of them have short enough “floats” - lengths of yarn carried behind the work - that you can keep yarn twisting behind the work to a minimum, making for easier hand knitting.
(new site from February 2008)
Hand knitting design books:
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Optical Illusions Click here for picture The designs in this collection share the common feature that they are not what they appear! The designs follow in the footsteps of the Japanese optical tradition as well as American patchwork designs which delight in forming squares which when pieced together illuminate circular or other shapes or objects. Many designs in the Optical Illusions change shape depending on the way you look at it. Different shapes come to the fore at different times, and sometimes all are perceived at once so that you might be seeing a series of circles, yet a series of squares or triangles at the same time. Alternatively you might see a series of blocks stacked up at first glance, but a series of flowers when you look again.
All the fabrics are easy to knit if you are a fairisle knitter, as they are designed to be used with a total of two colours throughout, so there is no need to change yarns. (Optional colour changes are given for a few of the designs).
In addition the designs double up as textured fabric designs which can be knitted by following the same charts as for fairisle, but using knit and purl stitches instead of the two colours. A selection of the textured versions are illustrated in the book.
Optical Illusions costs £6.50 (approx 9.75 USD) + 50p postage in the U.K. See ordering information for overseas postage.
Art Deco Designs for hand knitting click here to see pictures The Art Deco style evolved during the 1920’s and 1930’and celebrated clean, even stark lines, new shapes and incorporated a feeling of power and movement Art Deco sits well both with classic and minimalist themes and now seems to have come full circle. Once again at the beginning of the new century we have come to appreciate this unfussy, sophisticated and slightly quirky design style.
The 20 Art Deco designs are varied, some linear or angular, some circular, rounded or oval, some designs incorporating a feeling of movement and energy others reflecting calm and order. There are a number of border designs as well as the full complement of all-over textile designs
Materials
You can use nearly any yarn to knit these designs. Your choice will depend on personal preference, the weight you prefer to knit with and possibly the availability of your chosen colours in a particular range. As long as you knit a test swatch before you start to check that the finished result is acceptable, you can even mix yarn weights and combine yarns of different compositions, though there are plenty of experts who will tell you not to do this!Special purl-row charts
Pattern charts can be difficult to follow when knitting a purl row. If you knit “right handed” you are knitting from right to left on the purl rows while following a chart from left to right. This means that chart-following is counter-intuitive so you are much more likely to make mistakes. This is why I started providing smaller mirror image charts for all the designs which you can follow on purl rows if you prefer.
Colourways 40
This collection is an eclectic selection of Artika’s knitted textile designs, ranging from a Japanese-style willow design, stylized florals, sophisticated checks and tweedy-looking designs, optical illusion and abstract designs echoing traditional tapestry and brocade. There are small designs suitable for children, as well as interesting abstracts with a masculine feel, and last but not least the beautiful rose design- a sohpisticated flower motif with an art deco feel. Many are perfect for using as cushion designs blankets and throws. All of them use repeat widths which fit neatly into a 40st. wide block - hence the title Colourways 40.
Materials
You can use nearly any yarn to knit these designs. Your choice will depend on personal preference, the weight your prefer to knit with and possibly availability of your chosen colours in a particular range. As long as you knit a test swatch before you start, to check that the finished result is acceptable, you can even mix yarn weights and combine yarns of different compositions, though there are plenty of experts who will tell you not to do this!Special purl-row charts
Have you ever got mixed up trying to follow a chart when you are knitting the purl rows? You have probably realised that this is not because you are stupid but because the process is counter-intuitive. In other words you are working against your natural instincts - knitting from right to left while following a chart from left to right (or vice versa for people knitting left-handed). Of course this is why traditional fairisle knitters knitted in the round, so that there were no purl rows. However this is not always practical or possible so I have included a set of miniature mirror image charts for all the designs (in addition to the full-size master charts), which you can follow on purl rows if you prefer.
These designs need only two colours of yarn throughout, making use of toning and shading techniques to create designs using shades of grey and intermediate colours purely by the imaginative arrangement of dark and light stitches. Different colours can be merged into each other, as can dark and light stitches. This is an ideal technique for a knitter because a really unusual garment can be created - perhaps knitted up to chest level in rust, then merging gradually into forest green on the shoulders.
Click here for picture
Special Effects -
a collection of animal skin prints and paint effects Innovative collection including a variety of all-over textile designs for imaginative knitters moving away from traditional designs for knitwear. The new version contains imitation dalmatian, cow, leopard, lion, zebra and giraffe skin designs as well as paint effects like spongeing, stippling and ragrolling. There are also designs for gradual black - to- white and colour-to-colour merges, woodgrain and camouflage designs.
Click here for picture
Patchwork Designs The designs in this collection are inspired by traditional American pieced designs, and mirror the three-dimensional qualities of traditional quilted patchwork. There are optical illusion designs, stylized angular baskets and flower patterns and designs where foreground and background seem to interchange bringing different shapes to the fore.
Click here for picture
Trellis Collection Trellis Collection. A collection of abstract geometric designs based on diagonals. Contains the highly effective Trellis design which seems to be three-dimensional although knitted using just a straightforward fairisle method. Great designs for men.
Click here for picture
Tartans, Tweeds and Checks Contains a library of tartans (plaids) tweeds and checks, traditional and modern which can be used for knitwear and furnishings in a variety of different fibres. The basic designs can be knitted in many different colour combinations and instructions are provided for various colourways.
Click here for picture
Hand knitting books are available from me at Artika Designs
Artika Designs:
from the U.K.: Tel 01297 443918, fax 01297 445029
from the U.S Tel: 011 44 (0)1297 443918. Fax: 011 44 1297 445029
from other countries: international code +44 1297 443918 and fax: +44 1297 445029
e-mail: Artika@compuserve.com
Postal address: Artika Designs, The Old Rectory, Combpyne, Axminster, Devon EX13 8SY, England
Prices:
Colourwash Fabrics, Contemporary Pattern, Optical Illusions, Art Deco Designs and Special Effects £6.50 (approx $12.35), all others £6 (approx $11.40 U.S.) Return to summary
Postage charges are:
POSTAGE U.K. 50p per item, free for orders over £20 Europe outside UK: £1.50 for first item, then 60p each U.S. and Canada £2 for first item then £1 each
(approx $3.80 and $1.90 U.S.)*
Australia, NZ and SA £2.50 for first item, then £1 each *I have listed all the prices and postage costs in pounds sterling and U.S.dollar equivalents where applicable. The rate has been changing constantly recently, so please check if this is important to you. If you are outside the U.K. the most practical payment method is by credit card. I can accept Mastercard (Access) and Visa. I bill you in pounds and the company charge you in dollars (or your local currency), so it's a convenient way of doing the exchange. The U.S. dollar exchange rate can vary between of 1.45 and 1.92 U.S. dollars to the pound. I will add a 50p charge (once per order) for credit card orders.
If you are paying by credit card, you can either fax me the card details or e-mail me and I will suggest an e-mail alternative. I will need:
Name as on the card
Address the card is registered at
Card Number
Expiry date.
Fax number is 011 44 1297 445029 from the U.S., 01297 445029 from the U.K. From other countries, dial the "international calls" code, then 44 1297 445029.
Don't forget to let me have your delivery address if different from the card address. It usually takes between 3 and 5 days after I send out, to get to the U.S, slightly longer to get to Australia, N.Z. and S.A. I aim to send out the same or the next day.
Happy knitting!
Linda Jackson
P.S. If you're desperate I can get things to you more quickly, but carriage charges will be a lot more!
Wholesale enquiries welcome
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