Monica Knits

Coat PlacketDesign Features: A Cabin Fever Design, this classy A-line swing coat, featuring garter stitch detailing is knitted top-down in the round with Lamb's Pride Bulky Yarn. This garment had simple, though striking styling with knitted-in I-cord front edges, and slip stitch ridges on the sleeves and on either side of the front placket. The underarms have panels that match the front placket styling. The front slip stitch ridges and center front I-cord edges accent each other and create a great focal point for the frog closures. This is a warm jacket, ideal for cooler Michigan weather. My desk at work was in a drafty area, so this kept my cozy. I completed the jacket in 6 days over the Christmas vacation.

I love the jacket and it elicits many complements, which I credit to the styling and color. Unfortunately, it is very difficult to photograph this lustrous yarn and accurately reproduce the color. It is Amethyst colored, but the red highlights don't photograph well.

Red Wing BlackbirdThe red-wing blackbird made me think of the many budding artists and designers I have met at the College for Creative Studies (CCS) over the years. Often the automotive design instructors and students wore black, yes and the ubiquitous turtle neck, but they carried themselves with style and cuts that framed their faces and their personalities. There may have been an accent pin or scarf as well. As a result, you remember the face, the smile, the person, with the clothes serving as a backdrop. This set me to thinking of the needlework designers that have influenced my work either directly or indirectly.