HOBBII MYSTERY MAKE-ALONG INTRO
HOBBII
MAL
INTRODUCTION
Sonia Delaney
Rachel Hayes
Hobbii Project mood board
SOMETHING EXCITING IS LAUNCHING!!!
I have been cooking up something super exciting since September and it’s finally time for Part 1 to launch! I have been working on a new Make A-Long with Hobbii! And I say Make A-Long as this is not just a CAL it is also a KAL! Yes, the design comes in both Crochet and Knit! So this is my first official Knit pattern release too!
Hobbii got in touch and challenged me to create a cardigan design for a Make-A-Long that could come in both Knit and Crochet, and that would use lots of different colours- now how could I say no to that challenge! I then set my mind on making one design- so the final look is similar- but you could make it in either Knit or Crochet.
This project also has a new element to me- it's a Mystery! I hadn’t heard of a mystery make-a-long before this, but after a bit of googling apparently they are quite popular! How it works is that the project stays secret to the end, and each part only gets revealed week by week as the project grows. So just to add to the nerves of a big project I was now also nervous that the design had to be super amazing as everyone making would be trusting me in this make without seeing it- but it was that excited anticipation nervousness, so I was very up for the challenge!
So where to start, when you’re given a pretty open brief- colour inspiration, that's always my start. I was tasked with working a large colour palette, and I wanted it to look new and fresh, not a palette I had used before. So I looked to some of my favourite artists for inspiration, in what colours and shades work well together. I very quickly honed in on the work of Sonia Delaney. Sonia Delaney was a french artist who co-founded the Orphism art movement, which is known for its use of strong colours and geometric shapes.
Sonia’s work with colour and shapes started with a Quilt made for the birth of her son- which is now in the collection of the Musée National d'Art Moderne in Paris. This quilt-like way of painting and putting colours and shapes really stood out to me, and this is where I wanted the project to start. I loved the tones that she uses and from here I selected my colour palette of 10 colours. I was very excited to use Hobbii’s new range so I was able to have different fibres for each project but match the colours the same. Focusing in on this quilt aesthetic I also used the work of Rachel Hayes as a colour guide. Hayes is a textile fine artist who makes huge sheer coloured sails, patched together like ethereal quilts- which are often suspended in amazing places. I wanted to mix the rich colours of Delaney’s work with some of the softer tone of Hayes’s pieces.
After this I fully ran with the Quilt theme - I have been lusting after Lady Lancaster or Psychic Outlaw jackets which pop up on my instagram feed for the last 2 years- so I thought why not channel that vibe into my crochet and knit cardigan design. The Fashion and Textiles museum in London was also having an exhibition of Kaffe Fassett’s quilts- this was perfect timing! This exhibition couldn't have been a better springboard for immersing my brain into the world of colourful quilts!
From here I started to think about the design, how many parts I should break it down to- how did I want the MAL to flow and what techniques I could work on both in Knit and crochet…. Lots of sampling later I came up with some elements I wanted to include, but at this point I was still thinking of it as a flat textile and now I needed to think- how would this become a garment.
I wanted the piece to have size options that run from a XS-5XL so decided to break this down into 3 different size options for the MAL. My next decision was how to grade the piece, I didn’t really want a design where the larger sizes would need to make lots more elements. So with this design each of the broken down elements of the design are sized- this means the overall look of the piece stays the same and doesn’t change for the sizes. The final fit of the piece is similar to the quilt coats I LOVE so much, a boxy bomber like cut.
The MAL is broken down into 6 parts, with the first 3 elements being separate block motifs to work on. Each week and each part is different so the design builds in skills and techniques throughout the course of the MAL, so if you are newer to knit or crochet you can learn as we go. I have also made a How-To video for each instalment so these can guide you through the project step by step. Plus Hobbii has a Facebook group where you can share your progress with other makers working in the MAL!
This is definitely one of my favourite designs and I can’t wait for it to be revealed over the next 6 weeks! And if you are joining in- Ii hope you LOVE it too!
If you want a little bit more of a visual teaser you can check out the intro video!
Hobbii also put together a Blog Post which has more info on the Make-A-Long that you can check out HERE
Love Katie
xxxx
I also did a couple of Instagram Lives with Hobbii that you can watch back to find out more about me and the project!
Take a peak through the campaign images for the new project! I can show you everything BUT the actual project- that has to stay a mystery!
Photos by the amazing Rachel Manns who has worked with me on all the visual for this project.
WHAT YOU WILL NEED TO JOIN:
The Pattern is Free for the duration of the MAL and has been broken down into 6 chunks. The pattern will get sent to your email weekly- just select if you wish to recieve the Knit or Crochet patterm- or both! Sign up over at Hobbii
Yarns - you can order the Hobbii MAL Knit or Crochet kit or if you are using your own yarn or stash the yarn quantities will be listed on the pattern when the first instalment is sent out.