I have wanted to design a project based on Delft pottery for a long time and so today I am really pleased to be able to tell you about 2 new patterns which are hot off the press! The projects are both blankets - one is quite large and is called Delft Blanket and the other is a cot blanket called Willow Blossom.
I remember lots of blue and cream pottery from my childhood so it has always brought back nice memories and then a few years ago lots of Delft Ware inspired items began to crop up on the catwalks and I really fell in love with dresses like these below by Preen.
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| Preen Pre Fall 2012 |
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| Preen Pre Fall 2012 |
Around about the same time (2012/13) blue and cream pottery inspired knitwear began cropping up too. If you have never seen Persian Dreams by Jenise Hope then prepare to be amazed at it's beauty - the original is multicoloured, but there are some amazing blue versions around like this one below:
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| © liesbraam |
When I was a child we would often visit my elderly Auntie for afternoon tea and were used to seeing the 'Willow Pattern' on sandwich plates and tea cups. The Willow Pattern featured an elaborate chinoiserie pattern that was popular towards the end of the 18th Century. Despite having an oriental style of design, china featuring the Willow Pattern originally came from Stoke On Trent in the UK, but a lot of pottery featuring the design also came from India via the East India Company.
Check out these Willow Pattern inspired socks by Lisa Grossman. They are called Willow Ware and you can see images of them on Ravelry. Lisa sadly passed away last year, but you can still see all her amazing sock designs on line.
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| © Tsarina of Tsocks |
Delftware
from The Netherlands, which also features cream and blue designs, was in
existence far earlier than it’s Stoke On Trent counterpart. Delftware often
features flowers and birds and is famous for it’s quality and intricate
designs.
As I already said I have wanted to use Delftware as the inspiration for a crochet design
for a while, but until now it wasn’t easy to find enough good shades of blue
within a yarn range, so I was really pleased to see so many blues make an appearance
in the Millamia range. This beautifully soft Merino yarn, with it’s slightly
matt appearance and quality feel is just perfect for the design and I am so
pleased with the outcome of these blankets.
The patterns for Delft Blanket and Willow Blossom are available to download via our web site and via the Love Crochet web site where you will also find a yarn pack for the Delft Blanket and the Willow Blossom Cot Blanket to accompany the design. Love Crochet have very kindly offered a fabulous reduction on the retail price of the yarn if you purchase the packs - you will get a 10% discount on the Willow Blossom pack and a whopping 25% discount on the Delft Blanket pack - yay!
Both blankets will be on display at The Knitting and Stitching Show at Alexandra Palace next week so if you are planning to come along do pop onto our stand to take a look - we will be in the Textile Gallery this year and our stand number is TGD10.