Janelle Martin’s Interwoven Blanket made in Bare Naked Wools Stone Soup Fingering
Janelle first met Anne in 2009 when she invited her to guest judge for her local knitter’s guild show. She had just started designing, so you can imagine that having the opportunity to spend time with a designer that she really admired was the chance of a lifetime. It was during this visit that Anne mentioned a new endeavour; one featuring all natural yarns. Hence, the creation of Fall in Full Color and Bare Naked Knitspot.
Janelle Martin’s Every Which Way in Bare Naked Wools Confection
The first designs Janelle ever created using Bare Naked Wools, were the Every Which Way Collection.
“The first time I touched Bare Naked Wools ‘Confection’ I knew two things: 1) I wanted to wrap myself in the yarn and 2) the amount of “spring” in the yarn would make it a dream to knit with.”
GIVEAWAY!
Janelle is graciously offering not only an Every Which Way Set ebook but ALSO an Interwoven Blanket pattern to all of our blog readers! Winning is easy; go to Janelle’s designer page and check out all of the beautiful pieces she’s designed since 2009! Won’t you tell us what pattern you love!? Winners will be selected Tuesday May 19th at midnight, (so getchur comments in!) We’ll announce the winner on Wednesday! Happy commenting!
***
This past summer, Janelle traveled to New Foundland, specifically, the arctic coastal tundra region where the Vikings had the first European Settlement in North America. This stunning landscape inspired her upcoming collection. “I find the remote and stark landscapes inspiring – nature has such beautiful lines and movement.”
Janelle’s collection will offer 30-40 pieces (shawls/stoles, scarves, hats, cowls, blankets, and possibly socks.) If she can squeeze them in! I mean, that’s A LOT of knitted goodness!
“I knew right away that the beautiful, natural colours and textures of Bare Naked Wools paired perfectly with this landscape. The collection also features indie dyers, focusing on colours drawn from New Foundland and it’s geographical cousins in Iceland and coastal Ireland.”
The collection is being offered in three parts. Part One will be released this August. Part Two comes out at the end of this year and Part Three will be available in Spring of 2016. Each part of the collection will be offered as an ebook or individual patterns.
Secret Society by Janelle Martin, coming in July 2015
Secret Society is a “teaser” pattern from the upcoming book. The pattern calls for either Stone Soup Fingering or Mrs. Lincoln’s Lace. It’s a bottom up, triangular shawl inspired by rocks found in The Burren, Ireland.
***
Janelle described her design process to me. I find this aspect of knitted garments extremely interesting. All too often, I’m wondering how a designer envisions a concept and thus, turns it into art:
My favourite items to design are shawls and stoles. The large amount of space allows me to incorporate multiple stitch patterns. I call my design aesthetic “organic”. I like there to be continuous lines in my work, for the stitch patterns to grow out of each other. Often this means I have to create transition charts to move from one stitch pattern into the other. My complex lace designs, such as Cartouche Shawloften have five or six charts to handle these transitions, but the result is worth it.
Cartouche Shawl by Janelle Martin Knitted by Mari AKA rapelleykset on RavelryJanelle offered Cartouch as a Knitty pattern in Knitty’s Winter 2011 edition.
I’m drawn to the complexity of Japanese stitch patterns. Their stitch dictionaries show stitches that are combinations of smaller elements joined together and there is such beauty and complexity in their presentations. These stitch dictionaries approach knitting with a different eye and that is what I’m drawn to. I tend to combine patterns that share elements and can build cohesive designs out of these stitch patterns. An example of this is my Flower Bell Stole.
The cohesive element in this design is the raised flower bud. It appears in the attached edging, the bottom border, two different sizes in the left/right borders and in large form in the centre panel. The use of this element in various sizes creates cohesiveness of design. Of course, these stitch patterns “eat” yarn just like cables do and so I had to work through several iterations of this design before I found a final version I liked that didn’t require excessive amounts of yarn.
Here at Knitspot HQ, we are so excited to see what Janelle has in store over the next few months! Her 3 part series is sure to be a treat for the eyes and a joy to knit. We’re thrilled to be in collaboration with her and we wish her incredible success!
She wishes to mention one last thing:
I owe a lot to the incredible support, encouragement and mentorship provided by fellow designers like Anne Hanson and Kate Atherley, indie dyers/designers such as Kim McBrien Evans (Indigodragonfly) and Tabi Ferguson (Sericin Silkworks), industry professionals such as Amy Singer (Knitty) and Sanguine Gryphon who included my early designs in their publications, and Karen Crouch, the amazing owner of my LYS Shall We Knit? I would not be where I am today without the invaluable resource these incredible women have been and their excellent advice.
69 thoughts on “Designer Spotlight: Janelle Martin”
i just love Janelle’s work! this is such a great idea for a collection; landscapes are so inspiring. i cannot WAIT to see what she’s going to knit with our yarns!
“Taming of the Fox” socks really sings to me…not least because it was deisgned with Sanguine Gryphon Eidos in mind. But really, what’s not to love in all the natural wool colored projects?
Great designs! I like the Amplification scarf/shawl. The pattern is very interesting and the edges are beautiful. Thanks for spot-lighting this designer.
Interesting designs. I found many of the cowls I liked but especially was drawn to The Anna Perenna Shawlette. Thanks for featuring this designer. Looking forwrd to her new designs.
I was speaking with Janelle today and got a sneak peak of a couple of her new designs – knit in Anne’s beautiful yarn. They are amazing. Can’t wait till they are released.
Janelle is a lovely lady. I met her years ago through Bookcrossing not knowing that we both share a passion for knitting. I particularly like her “Cantilevering leaves”.
Stacks socks. My grandmother was a librarian and instilled a lifelong love of books in me. I have memories of watching her knit when I was a child. Sadly, she passed away before I started knitting. Were she still alive I’d make these for her.
I fell in love w/Janelle’s patterns (and Japanese knitting stitches) after making her Cantilevering Leaves pattern (shown on Ravelry, called “DagmarR’s Lily”).
All of the patterns are so lovely, but my favourite is Audrey II, I love that stitch pattern….I have added it to my favourites. Thanks for the chance to win. 🙂
This was so interesting to read about a new to me designer. After looking through her patterns I out a few into my favs. The two that will be matched up to yarn very soon are the Sinuosity Shawl & Cartouche Shawl!
Janelle is a powerhouse of incredible talent that the rest of us can only drool at in awe. I am honoured to be entered into this giveaway. My two fave patterns are: Flower Bell Stole and Taming of the Fox socks. It’s so hard to decide because all of her patterns are gorgeous!
I am always looking for a little something to throw around my shoulders in the office so I choose the Anna Perenna Shawlette with the beautiful lace edge and since I always need a pair of socks on the needles, I also choose Stacks Socks.
Cantilevering Leaves is a lovely shawl, but I think I would start with the Y socks. I can hardly wait for the e-book! It looks full of great ideas to knit!
Wow, Janelle is certainly a prolific designer and her upcoming releases look to be a wonderful collection – I hadn’t come across her before. Hard to choose, but I think the Fosseta set wins by a whisker!
My favorite is the Anna Perenna shawlette. I am looking to do three shawlettes as Christmas presents for close friends. Of course, I always have stash to use up and this pattern is so lovely and delicate and practical.
Janelle, your design are so beautiful it’s hard to choose a favorite. That said, I especially like the Cantilevering Leaves andthe Cartouche Stole. So interesting!
Do you mean Newfoundland, the Canadian province? I don’t think there is a place called New Foundland, and when I Googled it to learn about this new place with such a similar name to a province, Google corrected me to Newfoundland.
69 thoughts on “Designer Spotlight: Janelle Martin”
i just love Janelle’s work! this is such a great idea for a collection; landscapes are so inspiring. i cannot WAIT to see what she’s going to knit with our yarns!
I just checked out Janelle’s lovely designs. It’s great to be introduced to a new, to me, designer. I really love the every which way cowl.
these are all lovely…but the one that catches my eye is the Gothic Forrest Scarf. These seem like such a natural pairing with the BNW yarns.
The Sinuosity shawl.
I love the Pyrenees Shawl.
Gridwork! Glad to meet this designer- lots of great ideas for Bare Naked Wools.
“Taming of the Fox” socks really sings to me…not least because it was deisgned with Sanguine Gryphon Eidos in mind. But really, what’s not to love in all the natural wool colored projects?
So many lovely designs. How to choose just one? I think Amplification has to be high on my list of favorites.
My favorite is the Every Which Way cowl!
All very lovely, especially all of the designs with the Cartouche pattern. These are my favorite.
Great designs! I like the Amplification scarf/shawl. The pattern is very interesting and the edges are beautiful. Thanks for spot-lighting this designer.
Interesting designs. I found many of the cowls I liked but especially was drawn to The Anna Perenna Shawlette. Thanks for featuring this designer. Looking forwrd to her new designs.
I like her Cantilevering Leaves very much. Her designs are intriguing and unique in an inspiring and fresh way.
I like her tiling twist cowl and the beautiful interwoven blanket. I really like knitting interesting patterns for babies.
I was speaking with Janelle today and got a sneak peak of a couple of her new designs – knit in Anne’s beautiful yarn. They are amazing. Can’t wait till they are released.
I love Janelle’s Pyrenese Shawl, very intricate.
Janelle is a lovely lady. I met her years ago through Bookcrossing not knowing that we both share a passion for knitting. I particularly like her “Cantilevering leaves”.
Wow! It’s hard to choose just one! If I HAVE to, I choose Vieux Carré Stole. Janelle has beautiful lace work, and it’s now bookmarked on my computer!
My fav is the Don’t ask Y socks.
Cantilevering Leaves is gorgeous. I enjoyed looking through Janelle’s lovely designs.
Thank you for showcasing Janelle’s lovely patterns and so many new patterns for our Bare Named Wool stashes. I like the Tiling Twist Cowl.
Bare Naked Wool stashes was what I meant.
Stacks socks. My grandmother was a librarian and instilled a lifelong love of books in me. I have memories of watching her knit when I was a child. Sadly, she passed away before I started knitting. Were she still alive I’d make these for her.
I fell in love w/Janelle’s patterns (and Japanese knitting stitches) after making her Cantilevering Leaves pattern (shown on Ravelry, called “DagmarR’s Lily”).
The Sinuosity Shawl.
I’ve been admiring Cartouche for a while. Beautiful.
All of the patterns are so lovely, but my favourite is Audrey II, I love that stitch pattern….I have added it to my favourites. Thanks for the chance to win. 🙂
This was so interesting to read about a new to me designer. After looking through her patterns I out a few into my favs. The two that will be matched up to yarn very soon are the Sinuosity Shawl & Cartouche Shawl!
All of the patterns are lovely, but may favourite is Audrey II, so pretty! I have added it to my favourites. Thanks for the chance to win. 🙂
So sorry, it said it didn’t work so I re typed it, and then it showed up twice! Oops.
There are so many lovely patterns, it is hard to pick one! I really like the Flower Bell stole 🙂
Hard to pick one pattern..The Perenna Shawlette.
Love the designs & yarn.
Taming of the fox socks are faved in my Ravelry favorites. Pyrenees shawl looks pretty fantastic, too. I like the interesting spine of the wrap.
Janelle is a powerhouse of incredible talent that the rest of us can only drool at in awe. I am honoured to be entered into this giveaway. My two fave patterns are: Flower Bell Stole and Taming of the Fox socks. It’s so hard to decide because all of her patterns are gorgeous!
What a lovely collection of designs, especially the Sinuosity Shawl and I love how the inspiration connects with the patterns
Susan
what wonderful textures in her designs…I love her cowls and would knit any one of them!
I really like the interwoven blanket. Love the texture there.
I love the Vieux Carre Stole. It is beautiful.
I am always looking for a little something to throw around my shoulders in the office so I choose the Anna Perenna Shawlette with the beautiful lace edge and since I always need a pair of socks on the needles, I also choose Stacks Socks.
Cartouche shawl and Interwoven blanket are tied as my faves!
Cantilevering Leaves is a lovely shawl, but I think I would start with the Y socks. I can hardly wait for the e-book! It looks full of great ideas to knit!
Wow, Janelle is certainly a prolific designer and her upcoming releases look to be a wonderful collection – I hadn’t come across her before. Hard to choose, but I think the Fosseta set wins by a whisker!
The Cartouche shawl hits all the right notes for me. That’s definitely going into my Rav queue!
Love nearly all her designs, but the Valencia Fall Wrap really jumps out at me!!
My favorite is the Anna Perenna shawlette. I am looking to do three shawlettes as Christmas presents for close friends. Of course, I always have stash to use up and this pattern is so lovely and delicate and practical.
Love the cantilevering leaves…and all the others too!
I love all the cowls! All of them!
Wow! I really Like the set Every Which Way cowl, hat and mitt set – but I love wraps, so my fav would be Sarcago shawl. Love it!!!
i love the Anna Perrana shawl!
Janelle, your design are so beautiful it’s hard to choose a favorite. That said, I especially like the Cantilevering Leaves andthe Cartouche Stole. So interesting!
I love all the shawls, but especially Sargoco.
I love the Interwoven Blanket. Her designs are lovely.
I love the Herzblut scarf!!
I love the Flower Bell Stole. I like the open pattern, and the finished size of it. 🙂
The Anna Perenna Shawl is my favorite. Perfect!
They’re all beautiful but I really like Gridwork!
Do you mean Newfoundland, the Canadian province? I don’t think there is a place called New Foundland, and when I Googled it to learn about this new place with such a similar name to a province, Google corrected me to Newfoundland.
I love Vieux Carré Stole!
Yes, it is Newfoundland, the Canadian province. I sent Laura an email on Saturday to let her know the correction. Thanks Heather!
So what is the new collection going to be called?
I love the Secret Society pattern, how cool to knit a pattern from rocks! Looking forward to seeing more!
Hard to pick, but I am especially drawn to the Sinuosity Shawl.
Hi Amber, I haven’t finalized a name yet but I will let people know through my blog.
I’m sure my choice would change depending on the time of day! So many beautiful patterns. My favorite at this moment is Vieux Carré Stole!
The Cartouche Shawl is amazing, but Janelle has so many beautiful designs that it’s hard to choose.
So pretty things! I like the Stack Socks and many of the large socks, but what made my fingers itch for next fall is the Cartouche Slouchy Beret.
All of her patterns are gorgeous! I especially love the vieux carre stole.
The Interwoven Blanket looks so cozy — They are all so beautiful!
The Vieux Carre Stole is just gorgeous!
Newfoundland.That is all.