One of the happiest things about publishing the KNITSONIK Stranded Colourwork Sourcebook is that it has opened up more teaching opportunities for me.

Quotidian Colourwork class at Purlescence, February 2015

I thoroughly enjoy running workshops whether the subject is creative uses of sound in radio or translating everyday inspirations into stranded colourwork.

Teaching radio students with Valeria Merlini at our Tuned City Workshops in 2013, Brussels

Teaching Music Theatre Practice to undergraduate students was one of the highlights of my year-long post at Oxford Brookes University because I led that module and was allowed to create the content myself. We performed all kinds of scores and had all sorts of discussions. My students made wild performances – including a very messy food-based performance with field recordings of which I was especially fond…

…teaching is all about finding forms for sharing ideas.

So when Sarah from Purlescence invited me to lead this steeking workshop I was totally jazzed. I began thinking right away how best to use the available workshop time to explore cutting knitted fabric.

I wanted to design a very small, low-investment type of project… but I also wanted to design something which would serve as a daily reminder that STEEKING IS EASY AND FUN!

Cutting up a coaster worked in the Lemon colourway

I also remembered that everybody likes cake.

Fruitcake explored in stranded colourwork for the KNITSONIK Stranded Colourwork Sourcebook

I really wanted to work with the palette that I developed through working with Fruitcake for my book but it uses many, many shades of yarn! A tiny pattern should not use such a wide variety of shades. After all I cannot assume that everyone is like me and wants to have 10 million shades of Jamieson & Smith 2 Ply Jumper Weight Yarn on hand at all times.

The sliced cake motif from the Fruitcake swatch in the KNITSONIK Stranded Colourwork Sourcebook worked in just three foamy latte shades of Jamieson & Smith yarn

I always find constraints helpful for creative projects. In this case the project had to

• be manageable within a day
• use a maximum of 3 shades
• feature a small everyday object for daily use and joy
• sweeten the terror of CUTTING THE KNITTING with the promise of CAKE

I tried many things, and…

Different design iteration and ideas… creative mess

…Voilà: I give you SLICE! A pattern which includes a coaster in which a knotted steek is worked and a latte glass warmer in which a crochet-reinforced steek is worked.

SLICE! Cutting up your knitting is a piece of cake with SLICE!

In customary KNITSONIK style there are chart options for baking/brewing your own colourways, but I have also suggested 4 different colourways including Victoria Sponge, Fruitcake, Latte and Lemon. None of these use more than 3 shades of Jamieson & Smith 2-Ply Jumper Weight Yarn – the most reassuring of yarns with which to confidently steek.

SLICE! worked in Latte colourway

I’ve been really enjoying working away on this design and it will go on sale on Ravelry on May 10th. For now the only way to get your mitts on a copy is to sign up to the Steeking Workshop at Purlescence for which the pattern was specially designed! There will be CAKE and CUTTING UP THE KNITTING and COFFEE and TEA and I very much hope to see you there!

Cutting up your knitting is a piece of cake with SLICE!

YOURS IN CAKE, COFFEE, KNITTING & SOUNDS,
Fx

PS
Thank you for all your wonderful comments on my last post. I feel many of you have shared in the ups and downs of my decade with Mark and it was lovely to celebrate the milestone with you.