FOUNDATIONS REVEALED COMPETITION ENTRY
September Coat
(click images to to enlarge)
Other Credits
inspiration design by Kaffe Fassett
Outline the story …
“September has come, it is hers
Whose vitality leaps in the autumn “
These lines, written by Louis MacNeice, are a perfect description of my dear friend Amy. She revels in autumn in all its glory. When she fell in love with a photo of a knitted coat designed by Kaffe Fassett, I thought that she should have one like it. The pattern was released twice but neither was exactly like the one that she saw. Yarns had been discontinued, color palettes were different and the entire shape of the garment had changed.(link to the original garment photo in the inspiration image) I had no idea of the challenging times that were ahead of me. The main technique is called Intarsia knitting, ( a technique I had never successfully done , and which caused one project to be hidden unfinished in a closet), and the color changes are much more random than my urge for control usually allows. The sheer size of the garment was daunting, but it’s amazing what one will do for a true friend .
Outline the construction…
Recreating a designer original knitted coat , started with finding the versions of the pattern that were released to the public, which were not complete.
The color charts for the yarns were useless, because all the yarns were long discontinued and the original view used different colors anyway. I used two strands of wool held together to create each color for each stripe on every leaf. Over 40 shades were used.
I had many issues with the technique of “intarsia knitting “ in the past, due to all the colors tangling on the back of the work.The designer suggested that he just lets the tails hang free which worked perfectly.
The back and fronts were rectangles with a bit of neck shaping. The released pattern was for a drop shoulder coat … with none of the luxurious pleating of the original. The sleeve pattern was therefore only about half as long as it needed to be. I copied additional leaves for the upper portion.
Then thousands of yarn tails had to be woven in, and veins were embroidered on each leaf. I chose a solid colored front band, unlike the original, making it double thick for warmth and comfort.The seams were invisibly joined, pleats sewn firmly in the shoulder seams and top of the sleeve caps. A final fitting showed the need for shoulder pads and a four inch gusset under each arm for freedom of motion. I bordered the entire garment with two rows of red Tunisian crochet
You have a lucky friend indeed! Creating the entire textile from scratch (before going on to make the garment) takes so much work, and I love the brilliant colors!
Thank you, it was a lot of work but she is worth it .
The correct link for the view of the original coat is https://pin.it/1vyNJ26 . Sorry for the inconvenience ❤️
I used to knit a lot and this I know probably took forever. Amazing work love it. Do you sell these? Just beautiful work WOW
I don’t sell my knitting… this one was a special present for a wonderful friend. A small repayment of how wonderful it is to have her in my life. I would be happy to help you if you decide to try to make a similar one…
Thank you for the kind words <3