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Last month I wrote about gauge. This free download is so invaluable I am including it at the beginning of this article. This software enables you to take your own gauge and plug it into a pattern thus enabling you to use a favorite pattern with new yarn. I had the opportunity to work with this very simple but effective tool yesterday as I drafted a pattern for the Fall 2002 line at K1C2. Using a classic cardigan pattern and some very interesting yarn and stitch patterns, I was able adjust a well-fitting pattern to accommodate a new design. I highly recommend this tool which I believe can also be used for crochet patterns. The Knitting Companion is an invaluable tool. Use it with great creativity!!!

This month's Fashion Forecast will discuss a current trend in the ready-to-wear industry and how you might incorporate it into your fiber art. One of the joys of writing this column is that I get to surround myself with fashion magazines and glean the trends. While sweaters are well represented in all the major spring lines, it is Missoni's use of a retro zigzag pattern that captured my interest.

Using this Nordstrom advertisement as inspiration (hey, am I advertising for free?), you can get a good idea of the spring color palette and design trends. Aqua, green, shades of tan, and white are hallmarks of the spring fashions. The zigzag pattern mirrors the 60's influence that is infused with femininity.

This pattern and colorway can easily be mimicked in knit or crochet. While I do not have a good resource for the Zigzag afghan stitch in crochet (crochet friends, feel free to recommend a resource!), the Feather and Fan stitch from Debbie Bliss's book, How to Knit is the easiest interpretation that I've found:

Feather and Fan
Multiple of 18 sts + 2 sts.
Row 1 (right side): Knit.
Row 2: Purl
Row 3: K1,*[k2tog] 3 times, [yf, k1] 6 times, [k2tog] 3 times; rep from * to last st, k1.
Row 4: Knit
Repeat these 4 rows.

Multi-colored Feather and Fan
Worked as Feather and Fan.
Work 4 rows of however many colors you choose.

Once you've created a swatch that contains a pleasing color combination, you can continue to insert the swatch measurements into the Knitting Companion using the dimensions of your favorite sweater as a guide. (Note: The Knitting Companion does not calculate shapes sleeves). You can also do this same thing with the Sweater Wizard from Patternworks and this more sophisticated software will not only draft shaped sleeves, it will also enable you to place where you want the zigzags to fall.

Creating garments that reflect current trends is as easy as that! Your first time out, you may want to experiment with yarns that are not your favorites... just because soon you will realize how very easy it is to draft a pattern that is uniquely yours! Have fun and let me know how you do!

Sue@yarnxpress.com