Meet the designers for Laine Issue 10
In Laine Magazine 10, we present designs from 11 outstanding designers from around the world. Meet Denise Bayron, Aleks Byrd, Maxim Cyr, Midori Hirose, Julie Hoover, Natasja Hornby, Mieka John, Tif Neilan, Rievive, Veera Välimäki and Sylvia Watts-Cherry.
DENISE BAYRON
Denise Bayron is a designer and patternmaker whose work spans the fiber arts to include knitting, sewing, crochet and macrame. Her work has been widely recognized and she has been featured in and collaborated with brands, such as Nordstrom, New York Magazine, Martha Stewart, BeLatina News and more. As an Afro Latina, Denise strives to make the slow fashion industry a more inclusive space through representation and education. She travels to do public speaking engagements and to teach classes with partners such as Vogue Knitting and Soul Craft Festival.
Denise designs modern garments that are practical, minimal and most often geometric. After 15 years of working as an executive in the fast fashion industry in NYC, she transitioned to patternmaking as a means of reconciling her love of fashion with a desire to live more sustainably. Making a wardrobe by hand enables one to source materials more sustainably and control the waste that is produced in the process. By designing patterns, Denise hopes to empower the home knitter and sewist with the tools, knowledge and autonomy to create the handmade wardrobe of their dreams.
For Issue 10, Denise designed the Grounded Ponchette.
@bayronhandmade
Ravelry
bayronhandmade.com
ALEKS BYRD
When it comes to designing and illustrating knitwear, Aleks Byrd loves to work with many different strands. With a heritage tied to three countries – USA, Estonia and Canada – she has plenty of ideas and inspiration running through her, but tends to play with her Estonian roots in particular, weaving it into new patterns in order to produce modern and unique designs with a connection to the past. As a knitting ambassador for modern traditional Estonian knitting, Aleks has shared her knowledge of the little-known traditional techniques by putting a fresh twist on them for wearable designs. She also teaches these methods in her popular workshops. It's her design background in illustration coupled with her unique ideas and love of colour that shine through in her collection of designs that are fun and rewarding to knit for all levels of knitters.
For Issue 10, Aleks designed Seli which comes both in a sweater and a cardigan version.
@aleksbyrd
Ravelry
aleks-byrd.com
MAXIM CYR
Maxim Cyr (or Max) almost has a dual personality: children’s book author and illustrator during the day, and knitter in the evening. He has been knitting for more than 5 years, but it is only in December 2018 that he launched his first pattern, the For Fox Sake sweater. What he loves most is inserting his illustrations in knitwear patterns for a traditional look with a modern touch.
With his partner, Vincent, he has created the brand and online shop Les Garçons where they offer their own Dyed by Delz yarn, knitting patterns, haberdashery and more.
For issue 10, Max designed the Snowfield cowl that is also featured on the cover.
@maxtheknitter
Ravelry
boutiquelesgarcons.com
JULIE HOOVER
Recognized for her minimal aesthetic and attention to subtle details, Julie Hoover designs timeless knitwear that is simultaneously casual and elegant. Her signature style evolved over many years of work as a visual merchandiser, art director and freelance designer. An enduring passion for fibre led her to earn a degree in Clothing & Textiles. Nearly two decades later, she turned her focus entirely to hand-knitting. Inspired to create pieces that will anchor a wardrobe throughout a lifetime, Julie draws on her background in sewn garment construction to create perfectly understated sweater designs that are effortless to wear and style.
Currently based in Ann Arbor, Michigan, Julie spends her time designing for her independent label. You can also find her work in the pattern catalogs of Purl Soho, Brooklyn Tweed – and now Laine!
For issue 10, Julie designed the Skog sweater.
@juliehoover_design
Ravelry
juliehoover.com
MIDORI HIROSE
Midori Hirose is a knitwear designer born in Kyoto, Japan. She studied Architecture and Design, then Fine Arts (Sculpture & Media Art) in Japan, UK and Germany. Knitting since her early days, she designed her first pattern in 2013. Midori is known for creating garments with fascinating shapes, textures and fibres. She often presents her designs in different versions and options for modifications to make them truly yours. Midori currently resides in north Germany.
For issue 10, Midori designed the Snowy Forest pullover. The design is presented in two different versions: one knitted in worsted weight wool yarn and the other made in a combination of sport weight merino and lace weight silk mohair.
@knit_cafe_midori
Ravelry
knit-cafe-midori.com
NATASJA HORNBY
Natasja Hornby is passionate about working on her PhD, art, knitwear design and Amsterdam (not necessarily in that order). As far as knitting is concerned, she has come a long way from that first bright red garter sweater she made when she was eight years old. Through patterns such as Calla (from issue 7 of Laine), Maan and Letho, Natasja has become a well-known designer in the knitting industry. She devours stitch pattern bibles, and her designs are modern, wearable and elegant, but always with a twist.
For issue 10, Natasja designed the Portia shawl which you can also see on the cover.
MIEKA JOHN
Mieka John enjoys the many facets of being a knitwear designer and teacher. She delights in finding new applications for familiar techniques and building them into wearable and versatile items. Often the techniques featured in her classes become the central focus of her designs. Originally from NYC area, she now lives in beautiful Amsterdam. Mieka spends her days preparing designs and classes, singing around the apartment and biking around the city with a basket full of WIPs!
For issue 10, Mieka designed the Breukelen sweater. Breukelen is the first knit Mieka ever designed and this pattern has been long in the making. Finally, you are able to knit this unique sweater for yourself too.
@saltandstoneknits
Ravelry
saltandstoneknits.com
TIF NEILAN
Tif Neilan is a knitwear designer, formerly interior designer, based in New England, Connecticut. A self proclaimed "knitaholic" work-at-home mom of two, Tif loves to knit everything from socks and hats to wraps and sweaters and never has empty needles. Tif strives to design knitwear items that play with colour and texture and are often inspired by nature. Holding multiple strands together (marling) and working with herringbone stitch are absolute favourites for Tif – more often than not, at least one of those properties will show up in a Tif handknits' design.
For issue 10, Tif designed the Ascend pullover which is presented in two different versions: with low and high contrast.
@tifneilan_handknits
Ravelry
tifhandknits.com
RIEVIVE
Rievive used to work in galleries and related publishing, but after her son was born, she left the field to work mostly from home. At the same time, she took up knitting. “It's very different from the clothing I learned in fashion school, and I've become obsessed with knitting garments and creating the fabric from scratch”. The inspiration for her designs come from her love for vintage fashion and antique lace, as well as the nature she sees every day, like the trees in the mountains and the sky. Rievive lives in Japan with her two sons and her cat.
For issue 10, Rievive designed the Dyyni sweater.
VEERA VÄLIMÄKI
Veera Välimäki lives and designs in a very small village in Southern Finland. Her designs focus on simple and clean lines with small fresh details. She loves simple yet modern knits that are both easy to knit and easy to wear – year after year. Shawls and sweaters are Veera’s two favourite things to knit. Veera is truly a master of casting on for new sweaters, but one can never have too many of them, right? Veera adores garter stitch and all kinds of short rows.
Her two books are published in Finland, but the majority of Veera’s work is self-published. Since 2014, Veera has worked on the yearly book series, Interpretations, together with Joji Locatelli (published in print by Pom Pom Press). She is currently working on her third hardcover which will be published by Laine Publishing in 2021.
For issue 10, Veera designed the Tiny Pebbles sweater.
@veerarain
Ravelry
rainknitwear.com
SYLVIA WATTS-CHERRY
Sylvia Watts-Cherry is a UK designer who loves bold patterns and striking colours. She learned to knit at the age of 8 and is a prolific knitter, using her African heritage as well as her Scottish upbringing for inspiration in her knitting. After appearing in the UK Channel 4 TV programme, Kirstie’s Handmade Christmas Jumper in 2018, Sylvia ventured into professional knitwear designing. Sylvia also teaches Intarsia colourwork and other knitting techniques.
One of her most known and loved designs is the Nubian Queen Pullover which you have probably seen all over the internet (and in this photo too!).
For issue 10, Sylvia designed the Akwa Miri cardigan.
@withcherriesontoptoo
Ravelry
withcherriesontop.com
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