Kitty Pillow knitted by Bridget

Using Patterns as a Creative Jumping Off Point

Using patterns as a jumping off point for your own creations

For ideas of how to use patterns as a jumping off point for your own creative expression, look at what Bridget made with two of the BOBBOL 2013 patterns we’ve used for the monthly knit-and-learn-alongs over at the KnitHeartStrings.com member site.

Bridget: “I loved the kitty pattern for last month, so I knitted it and made it into a pillow. Also wanted to show you what I did with the pinwheel pattern– made a tam and I also made a bunch of pinwheels and sewed them together to make a small nap time baby blanket … I am having fun with the downloads I get from you. Thank you.”

Kitty Pillow

Kitty Pillow knitted by Bridget

Pinwheel Tam

Pinwheel Tam knitted by Bridget

Pinwheels Nap Time Baby Blanket

Pinwheels baby blanket knitted by Bridget

Pinwheels Nap Time Baby Blanket  (seamed side)

Pinwheels baby blanket knitted by Bridget

Me (Jackie E-S): Oh my gosh! How talented and creative you are! I think they are great and deserve applause. 🙂 Thank you for letting me feature you and share your project photos in the “Friends of HeartStrings Gallery” here at the jackie-es.com blog.

Bridget: “I just love knitting and love to think of different ways to use a pretty pattern … I am glad I found your site, it has helped me to be more creative when knitting. I have learned many different stitches. Even I have been knitting for years, I still feel like an amateur. It has been just in the last couple of years I have been pushing myself to learn new knitting techniques, and the patterns you post help.
So thank you and I am glad you like what I knitted.”

I invite you, my readers, to be featured with your HeartStrings-inspired creations here at “Friends of HeartStrings Gallery”. Feel free to email me to make arrangements at jackie@heartstringsfiberarts.com

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4 thoughts on “Using Patterns as a Creative Jumping Off Point”

  1. Thank you so much. So it would knit as a Seamans type scarf, narrowing at neck? I love the different sizes of hearts esp the smaller ones. I will love making it. Thanks for getting back to me.

    1. As I recall, the Seaman’s type scarf narrows at the neck because of the pull-in of the ribbing. But yes, it would be similar idea of having less width at the neck.

  2. I love the idea of a pattern being a jumping off point. I don’t know if it is a character flaw but I seem to always want to change things.
    i love the Cascading Hearts shawl but I don’t knit shawls nor wear them. i’m a small project person. The center panel is lovely.
    I know the pattern is top down so wonder if it is possible at all:

    I would like to know if the center panel on the Cascading Hearts shawl can be knitted in two pieces using the chart, 6 inches wide and grafted at the neck to create a short scarf.
    I haven’t bought the pattern yet but would like your advice.
    I see you do have the Thinking of You scarf which is lovely alsso.

    1. Hi Linda,
      The center panel is not a constant number of stitches. As is typical of the gusset of Faroese shawls, the width increases from top to bottom. Some of the increased stitches are actually done within the hearts themselves, so it wouldn’t be a matter of just eliminating the shaping. However, you could make the 2 pieces as given top-down and join at the center back neckline to make a scarf that is narrower at the neck and wider at the tails. Thanks for the idea!

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