Kaleido by Silkie B.

Knitting Designs By Silka Burgoyne

Interweave Knits Presents Six Quick Bags to Knit February 10, 2014

Filed under: Kaleido By Silkie B. Design,Knitting Life — silkaburgoyne @ 9:18 am
Tags: , , , , , , ,

One of my older published pattern, Positano Tote, was features in a new eBook by Interweave Knits called, ‘Interweave Knits Presents Six Quick Bags to Knit’. This ebook is currently available on sales on knitting daily

This eBook included 6 patterns: large bags, small bags, bags of in-between sizes, bags to keep, bags to gift, bags to practice felting, bags for everyone and almost every purpose.

Here are the description of those 6 patterns:
Floral Gathering Sac – combines two shades of hand-dyed yarn and an intarsia pattern inspired by a Turkish floral motif.
Little Pleated Clutch – created with a linen stitch and a simple pleating trick.
Little Green Clutch – utilizes a simple herringbone stitch that gives structure to the fabric.
Steel and Cable Handbag – naturally used with it’s steel, merino, cable and stockinette.
Positano Tote – uses a dense woven herringbone to create a sturdy, strong fabric without felting or fulling.
Petunia Tote – created by purl stitches that bloom into mega blossoms on this roomy tote.

Thanks for checking this eBook out.

Just a footnote: I am currently working on a couple scarf pattern. Stay tune!

 

Hello there?!? November 3, 2011

Filed under: Knitting Life — silkaburgoyne @ 10:22 am
Tags: , , , ,

Just want to drop a quick notes on what’s going on with me lately… I know I have been very quiet…. Not only because I am very busy at work and at home, but also very busy getting some knitting completed. Yes, I am putting out my winter accessory design collection, 2011/2012… The collection will features cowl, beanie, scarf and mittens… The collection will features different weight yarn and for all ages and gender… just in time for winter and holiday knitting. I would also include my previous design ‘Maneisha’ as part of the collection.

I am having pictures taken this weekend and hopefully, I can share them very soon and the patterns will be available sometime next week. Each pattern will be available individually or as a collection. So stay tune for more information!

 

A yarn called ‘tern’ May 18, 2011

Filed under: Kaleido By Silkie B. Design,Knitting Life — silkaburgoyne @ 3:24 pm
Tags: , , , , , , , ,


‘tern’ is a fine weight yarn from Quinco & Co. that consists of 75% American Wool and 25% Silk, and ‘tern’ is my favorite fine weight yarn for the moment. ‘tern’ comes in 12 colors and I love the subtleness of the each color… and to me the best part of this yarn is how easy it is to work with and the way it showcases different stitches.

I leave you now with a couple swatches that I made with ‘tern’ and a little preview on what’s coming for my Accessory Collection 2011 that hopefully will be available by this Fall.

So what projects will I be using these swatches? Gloves? Socks? Cowl? Hat? I would love to keep it a secret for now.

A big ‘Thank You’ to Suzanne from SP Photoart for taking the pictures.

 

A Close Call… April 23, 2011

Filed under: General,Knitting Life — silkaburgoyne @ 5:50 pm
Tags: , , , , , , , ,

Like I said in my previous post that I have not knitted anything for the past couple of months… so last week, I have decided that I should start looking at submitting design again and back to my knitting self… what I am not sure at this moment is to whether I should concentrate on publish pattern on the online magazine or on actual Magazine or just published my design as idie pattern for my own site….

Anyhow, last week, I decided to start with something small… so I naturally decided on a pair of fingerless mittens.. as for yarn.. looking through my stash… I have a few skeins of tern by Quince and Co. already winded in varies color… so I chose one of the more subtle color and cast on… as for the design, I decided to choose a combination of eyelet cable and texture stitch.. the eyelet cable stitch will be featured in the arm and wrist area, eyelet rib as the divider, and the hand potion will feature a simple texture stitch…. After I finished the first fingerless mitten, I am loving the outcome of the design so much that I went ahead and work on the second mitten.. It might sound strange that I said ‘I went ahead and work on the second mitten’.. often time when I work on a submission, I will only work on a sample, so it is not unusual for me not to actually finish a pair of mittens or socks… in fact I have quite a few single mitten or sock laying around… Anyhow, as I was working on my second mitten, I suddenly realized that I might run out of yarn. For a designer, you should always calculate the amount of yarn needed for a project before starting to knit… so what happened to me then? That idea of running out of yarn did not even come across my mind… what a shame…

As I go further along with my second mitten, I saw the ball of yarn kept getting smaller and smaller.. it alarmed me. I just prayed that I would have enough yarn to finish it. I have a few idea in my head of course just in case if I ran out of yarn.. such as potentially work in a alternate color to create a stripe pattern for the upper potion etc… fortunately, I made it through… I finished my second mitten with less than a yard of yarn to spare… that’s a close call…..

Now my new fingerless mittens design has finished.. I just need to think a nice name for it.

I am not sure at this point in what I am going to do with this design.. so for now, I will not be posting any picture at this moment. All I can say is that I am extremely delighted with the result and loving the color and the yarn. Now I just need to create a matching cowl to go along with the mittens… it will be a nice set for the upcoming fall and winter season…

 

Behind the Scene action… March 31, 2011

Filed under: Kaleido By Silkie B. Design,Knitting Life — silkaburgoyne @ 10:35 am
Tags: , , , , ,

As I was checking out Creative Knitting website late last night, I found an interesting article talking about the preparation for the upcoming July Issue… When the editor talked about how important the photo shoot session is.. I suddently realized that it was a photo shoot for my Lace Trim cardigan design that the photographer was shooting… it made me smile… here is what the article said about the photo shoot…

“When it comes to working on the magazine, the photo shoot is the most dynamic part of the process because it’s during this time that the magazine comes to life. I’m constantly inspired when I observe our photographers setting up the shot so carefully, making sure that the composition and lighting are just right. Our freelance photographer Matt Bowen started working with Creative Knitting magazine a few months ago, and his eye for design and composition is impeccable. In the shot below, you may wonder why Matt is on the floor. In his quirky way, he may tell you he’s multitasking by trying to fit in a little nap between shots, but in reality, he’s a true artist at work. In the shot below, Matt found a way to create the illusion that the glass behind the model appears like sheets of blue water, all without a sign of an outside streetlight or a car in sight!”

so here is the picture that is featured in the article… and now I am anxiously waiting for the magazine to go live in May, 2011 and see the final version of the design.

Lace Trim Cardigan Photo Session

 

Hello SHELTER October 11, 2010

Filed under: General,Knitting Life — silkaburgoyne @ 9:32 am
Tags: , , ,

It took me long enough to place an order of a yarn that is launched by one of the most talented designer. I never was a fan of wool because of my sensitive skin. But time has changed… a good spun wool yarn should not be the case… I have heard nothing but good review of the yarn and I can’t wait to get my hands on…. and believe me, the first thing I am going to make from SHELTER will be all mine…

Won’t the color, Sweatshirt, looks great in a fitted cable cardigan?!?

 

Me, Myself, Yarn October 9, 2010

Filed under: Knitting Life — silkaburgoyne @ 11:45 am
Tags: , , , , ,

What have I been up to last week or so?
1. got one of the project commitment completed for the magazine and sent out for editorial…
2. Got the pictures taken for another project commitment and have started charting the pattern…
3. One submission done..

Not that I sleep much anyway… but for the last few nights… it was rather brutal… but it’s in a good way… since I am doing something I enjoyed.. I have been spending time.. sketching… playing with yarn.. and working on the swatch… just check out my messy workspace.. basically in the bed in my guestroom… and a pile of beautiful yarns from Quinco & Co, Spud and Chloe and Waterloo Wools… and yes… they are all skinny yarn… and may be a skein or 2 in DK weight…. I am seeing a lot of gloves… sock.. shawl… and lightweight cardi in the next 2 months… btw, I didn’t even take picture of my other corner of the bed.. which have another pile of worsted weight and bulky yarn for a couple of sweater design… yeap… looks like a very busy couple of months before the holiday… not all of them of course are for the magazine… some are just simply projects that I have been putting aside because I am so busy… may be I will finally squeeze in time to work on a sweater for myself….

Cheers!

 

Introducing Bonnie – Accessory Collection 1 September 2, 2010

Filed under: Kaleido By Silkie B. Design,Knitting Life — silkaburgoyne @ 3:16 pm
Tags: , , , , , , ,

Bonnie Mitt


I am very excited that my accessory collection for the Fall is shaping up. I first introduced ‘Victoria’ yesterday and today, let me introduce ‘Bonnie’; a fingerless mitten design.

The inspiration of ‘Bonnie’ came from my dear sister ‘Bonnie’. Bonnie is my rock. I know that I can tell her anything and she is always there for me. Bonnie is always there to listen and provide her honest opinion and support. It have been a very tough year for me and without Bonnie’s support, I might not be able to pull through. I chose a rather simple lace motif with twisted curvy border; the curvy border between each lace repeat looks like the gentle wave in the water… I love the water, living in West Michigan, I am lucky to be so close to Lake Michigan.. the curvy border reminding me the wave by the lake.. it’s so beautiful and calm and relax… and my sister Bonnie, is like the gentle wave in the lake, she can always calm me down and give me an ease feeling when I am stressing out… although Bonnie is rather tense and stress out sometime.. and very intense in some occassion or many occassion.. but she will always be my calming wave. In addition, her chinese name means ‘smooth, wave, round’ so the lace motif certaily represents her well.

Bonnie


So to my dear sister, Bonnie, this post is dedicated to you by your always busy and stress out sister… and with your support.. I know I will always be OK. Thanks for being so supportive and being such a great sister.

Cheers!

 

Introducing Victoria – Accessory Vol. 1 September 1, 2010

Filed under: Kaleido By Silkie B. Design,Knitting Life — silkaburgoyne @ 7:58 pm
Tags: , , , , , , ,

Victoria

As I have finished my urgent project commitment and have a little bit of time (a week to be exact) before next rounds of design submissions. I decided to start working on my first Winter Accessory Collection that I would like to be completed by fall. I am very excited to introduce ‘Victoria’ – A lace gloves and socks design features two of the Waterloo Wools; a fingerweight yarn composes of 50% merino Wool and 50% Tencel for the gloves and merino and nylon for the sock.

I wanted my 1st accessory collection to be driven by someone I know and I care about. For ‘Victoria’, I got the design inspiration from my sister, Vicky. Vicky lives in beautiful vancouver, Canada. She is a free spirit and fun loving person, a caring and a compassionate friend; a person who might look tough on the outside and often time not so easy to deal with; a stubborn person but with a delicate heart. We don’t see each other often, but I know she is always there for me when I needed her. I could not ask for a better sister. A lot of people might not think an overall lace motif will represent Vicky; but we just need to look through her outer appeal and look inside; then you will see how soft and delicate Vicky is. The tightly twisted cable inside the lace representing the tie between us.

Victoria - Sock


To my dear sister Vicky, I wrote this post on your birthday.. however, I wanted to have the pictures to come with it.. so this post is a little bit late… anyhow, this post is delicated to you by your also very stubborn little sister even though I might look more mature then you and have 3 kids.. but I am still your little sister. Cheers!

 

Meeting Lindsey…… August 4, 2010

Filed under: General,Knitting Life — silkaburgoyne @ 2:10 pm
Tags: , , , , ,

When you think of yarn, wool will most likely be one material that come into most of the people’s mind…. wool indeed a common material that make into yarn… as yarn evolves through time… nowadays almost everything can make into yarn… alpaca, camal, soy, bamboo, cotton, silk etc are very common… then comes some items that I don’t think can be possible to make into yarn… think sugarcane, seacell and even milk… Milk? How could it be possible? I have my doubt until I actually touch a skein of yarn that is 80% milk fiber… looks and feels absolutely wonderful!

But I am here not to talk about yarn evolution, I am here to talk about meeting Lindsey Ligett.

A couple days ago, with a connection from Shirley, a lady from my knitting group, introduced me to her niece, Lindsey, who happened to be in town for a visit. Lindsey is the owner of Waterloo Wools, a small business that locates in Waterloo, Ontario that specialize in hand dyed, handspun yarns and spinning fibers. I enjoy working with all type of yarns, of course everyone should know that by now.. but I am totally clueless on how yarn is made. I always admire people that can spun and dyed their own yarns… and meeting Lindsey who specialize in those 2 things is such a wonderful experience for me.

During our meeting, Lindsey has graciously given me a few skeins of her hand-dyed yarns that I attached in this post. Don’t you think the yarns look amazing? Lindsey did such a great job on the colors and they are absolutely beautiful. Amongst my goodies, one of the skein is made with 80% Milk Fiber and 20% Merino Wool, one skein is made with merino wool and seacell.. and there is one that is made with merino wool and Tencel. Of course I can’t just take the yarns and not do anything with them. In return, I will put myself into the design gear (soon after I finished my other project commitment) and design a few items that will features the yarns that Lindsey has given me so that she can showcase her yarns in the trade shows that are coming up in the middle of September and late October in Canada. It is also a good opportunity for me as an indie designer to reach out to other knitters using a different channel. So please stay tune for my designs in the next couple months that features Waterloo Wools.

Thanks again to Lindsey for the beautiful yarn and I am truly grateful.