November 2009

Color by Kristin: How to Design Your Own Beautiful Knits by Kristin Nicholas. Sixth&Spring Books (November 3, 2009).

Color by Kristin is a knitwear design book with extraordinary vitality and depth, in both the finished designs – colour and surface texture – and in regard to the insight into the the creative process. The introduction to the book, and the pragmatic and creative approach to design which are described in detail are incredibly useful for those new to knitwear design. Allowing the reader/knitter to either use the patterns as they are offered but also to take the patterns and alter them for their own purposes – lots of charts and indepth instructions help the knitter to really understand the designs – and both new and advanced knitters will appreciate these – together with gorgeous and clear photographs you get a real sense of what you are making.

Kristin Nicholas’s designs show a strong sense of both depth and surface – with colour being the main protagonist. Her use of colour is quite extraordinary – but it works. I asked Kristin a few questions about her design approach and this is what she said:

The designs in the book are all so bright and cheery, inspired by ethnic textiles – where does this love of ethnic designs come from?
I am a second generation American. My paternal grandmother was really involved with helping to care for my 4 sisters and me. She had come from Germany in the early part of the 20th century and retained all of her German customs – stollen and roladen at Christmas, handmade matching nightgowns for us all every Christmas and needlework all over every surface of the house. My grandmother was an amazing crocheter, sewer, quilter, embroiderer, and home cook. She and her German friends had a weekly sewing circle where we saw what all the other German women were sewing, knitting, crocheting, mending, and quilting. Because we spent a large amount of time at Gram’s house, it was just natural that as my sisters and I got older we learned to sew and stitch.

When I went to university, I studied “textiles and clothing” where I combined both sewing and pattern-making with weaving and fiberart. I became interested in the anthropological crossover with cultures, clothing and decoration and took classes on “World Textiles” and “History of Costume”. … When I began designing knitwear for myself and for the yarn company I worked for, I was able to bring my love of ethnic, historical, and handmade textiles to the knitting world. By living with the ethnic textiles in their saturated clear colors, the spirit of the makers from foreign lands has oozed into my work.

Can you tell me how you decide on the colours for each design – where does your inspiration come from?
I have my own line of yarn, named after my daughter Julia and distributed by Nashua Knits, a division of Westminster Fibers. The Julia Yarn is dyed into the colors I love to work with.

As for how I develop the colors for each design, I work project by project. I start with a base color yarn and then choose other colors that I think will work with it. My knitted swatch is where it all happens…. I keep trying different color combinations until I get a suitable collection of colors in a particular motif for the project. I also think about the overall look of the finished book and try to give many different color combination options throughout the collection.

What would you say is your favourite colour pallette?
I think I am best known for my spicy, autumn shades although there aren’t many colors I don’t like. That said, I’m not a huge fan of pastels – I prefer colors with a degree of complexity. I think that may come from mixing up too many paints! Since my daughter is such a huge fan of pink I am learning to use it in ways I never thought I could.

Photos by John Gruen, reprinted from Color by Kristin, copyright 2008 by Kristin Nicholas, with permission from SixthandSpring Books. All rights reserved.

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