Yesterday I made a last-minute scramble to interview British knit designer Jean Moss via Skype. I had previously agreed to be part of her blog tour for her new book “Sweet Shawlettes: 25 Irresistible Patterns for Knitting Cowls, Capelets and More” and had planned to post a Q&A with her today.
But then I started reading her bio and thought better of it. I wanted to hear her tell her story and thought you might enjoy that, too. It worked out for all of us that Jean has a fun and spontaneous spirit, otherwise I don’t think this podcast would have happened on short notice. (A special thanks to my husband, Jeff, for helping with the speedy turnaround.)
Jean has been a knit designer for 30 years and her career was launched after a chance meeting with one of Ralph Lauren’s agents. What happened next is quite a story that you’ll have to tune in to hear.
Since her big break, Jean has gone on to design for the likes of Ralph Lauren, Laura Ashley and Benetton. She contributes regularly to Rowan Knitting, Crochet Magazine, The Knitter, and Vogue Knitting. She also writes a “Ask Jean” advice column for the U.K. magazine Knitting.
When she’s not knitting, Jean likes to cook, lead tours, garden and sing. And this episode includes a musical treat. We let Jean play us out with her song: “More Yarn Will Do the Trick.”
She has written 10 books and is currently promoting “Sweet Shawlettes” ($21.95 US), a book filled with 25 patterns for beginner and advanced knitters. The patterns are divided into four categories: country, couture, folk and vintage, so there’s a nice variety of projects to pick from.
Lovely photos by Alexandra Grablewski as well as detailed charts and illustrations accompany the written patterns. A helpful “techniques and stitches” section at the back offers knitters additional information to get them clicking away on the projects right away.
When I get my next non-work related knitting break, I want to make the Harlequin Cape, shown on the cover.
I also like the Arabesque Scarf on p. 64. (above) It can be made in two sizes and makes lovely use of the feather and fan stitch pattern.
And while I will probably not get time to knit the challenging leopard print Kitty Capelet on p. 84 anytime soon, it’s very cool and would be fun to sport around town.
I could go on about “Sweet Shawlettes” but I’ll stop here and give you all a chance to win a copy of the book.
ENTER TO WIN: Post a comment below about your favorite stitch or technique and we’ll get you in the random drawing for a copy of “Sweet Shawlettes”. The deadline to enter is Sunday, Jan. 15, 2012. Good luck, everyone!
BECOME A PODCAST SPONSOR: This episode was sponsored by CraftSanity Magazine. That’s right, I sponsored it myself. : ) If you’d like to sponsor the next episode, you can find sponsorship info here.
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- You can check out Jean’s other blog tour stops here:
Mon 2 Jan More Yarn Will Do The Trick – Jean Moss
Tues 3 Jan Wendy Knits – Wendy Johnson
Wed 4 Jan Knitgrrl – Shannon Okey
Thurs 5 Jan Yarnagogo – Rachael Herron
Fri 6 Jan The Knitter – Rosee Woodland
Sat 7 Jan Rhythm of the Needles – Joanne Conklin
Sun 8 Jan Knit Purl Gurl – Karrie Steinmetz
Mon 9 Jan CraftSanity – Jennifer Ackerman-Haywood
Tues 10 Jan Planet Purl – Beth Moriarty
Wed 11 Jan Sunset Cat – Stephannie Tallent
Thurs 12 Jan A Really Good Yarn – Julie Schilthuis
Fri 13 Jan knit 1 chicago – Lynn Coe
Sat 14 Jan Go Knit In Your Hat – Carol Sulcoski
Sun 15 Jan Redshirt Knitting – Erika Barcott
Mon 16 Jan In The Loop – Cheryl & Ellen
Tues 17 Jan WEBS – Kathy Elkins
Wed 18 Jan Zeneedle – Margene Smith
Thurs 19 Jan Knitspot – Anne Hanson
Fri 20 Jan Urban Yarns – Alexa Ludeman
Sat 21 Jan A Friend to knit with – Leslie Friend
Mon 23 Jan Tentenknits – Margaux Hufnagel
Tues 24 Jan Fancy Tiger Crafts – Amber Corcoran
Thurs 26 Jan The Panopticon – Franklin Habit
