This week the first garment pattern I designed was published and as another couple of firsts it's one I created for a yarn company rather than for a magazine and it's also available in French from their website!
I created this design back in October 2021 and really fell in love with it. I think it was a little too complex for most magazines, as patterns need to be fairly concise to fit in the allocated pages of a print publication. I didn't feel completely confident to publish this independently either, which would mean applying to a suitable yarn supplier, finding a technical editor and marketing the design well so people would find it and be able to enjoy making it. A yarn company was the perfect answer. The publish their patterns as individual digital downloads so the patterns can be a little longer and more detailed and of course beautiful yarns must be the focus, which I think was important for this design.
I was excited to see that Biscotte Yarns had a call out for designers to work on their summer collection. I hadn't experienced their yarn in person but have friends in the US who really love their colours and textures and told me how lovely they were to work with and to wear. When I heard my design was chosen and saw the wonderful combination of yarns the team at Biscotte were recommending for the project, I really couldn't wait to start. And I can promise you that it was very hard not to share the details with my friends who were fans of their yarn!
I came up with the design and called it the Candy Floss Cape because it was inspired by childhood memories of watching in awe as sugar crystals were spun into fluffy strips of sweet candyfloss and wound onto a stick. The centre back panel has a swirling eyelet design to mimic this and the kid mohair and silk blend yarn brought the texture to life perfectly. The addition of the cashmere silk blend contrast yarn for the borders was a great suggestion from the team at Biscotte that helps the unusual shape and structure of the garment and the star shaped stitch pattern to stand out better. The yarns felt amazingly soft and easy to work with didn't slow my work down like some fluffy yarns can although the way they combined both fluffiness and a smooth sheen that catches the light tempted me to sit smiling at the project a little more than I should. I am very excited to think of perhaps creating a small project with the leftovers!
Pattern: Candy Floss Cape
Published in: Biscotte Yarns Summer 2023 Collection
This flowing, wide-sleeved cape is an ideal extra layer for summer. The lightweight nature of the suggested yarns, crocheted on a large hook, produces an almost floating garment, plus simple eyelet repeats for each section and the light airy natural fibres ensure it won't be too hot for summer days while the fluffy yarn will surprise you with its ability to keep you warm in cooler seasons. A kid mohair silk blend is my favourite to wear as an overgarment for eveningwear in winter and I've often been surprised at how warm I feel when wearing it with a thin outfit in cold weather. It's an easy, enjoyable to make garment that will help keep the wearer the right temperature without compromising on glamour or luxury.
Biscotte have styled this beautifully as beachwear but I can also picture it in bolder colours for a festival or in white/ivory/a contrast shade for a cold season bridal outfit.
I found this an enjoyable make that I couldn't put down. Of course that was in part the lovely yarn but it grew so fast and always changed technique a little before I could get bored with it. In fact, I wouldn't be at all surprised if I don't make another one before long. My fingers are itching to make it again and I really want one to wear too! The cape is also a great portable projects because the yarns and work in progress pack down into such tiny project bags for anyone who likes to crochet on the go. I loved commuter crafting when I travelled daily to central London and these days I still get the chance for a few minutes spent crafting when I'm on the bus or waiting for the children's dance class or a friend's party to finish.
Although I loved every stage of making it, you might be surprised at the part I liked best which was the seaming! Seeing it come together was breathtaking. It looked just as I wanted and all the seams seemed shorter than I thought too! Maggie the mannequin seemed very taken with the design which fitted her very well and fluttered about in the breeze just as I'd hoped!
The pattern is quite flexible too. You can work just the back panel or just the sleeves, which offers the chance to create a shrug or a squarish scarf.
Candyfloss Cape is on sale now on the Biscotte Yarns website.
Do let me know if you make the cape. I'm always so excited when I see that someone has used one of my patterns!