Tuesday, January 10, 2012

The story behind the design: book sweater by Leanne Dyck

Many years ago, my husband lent me one of his dearly loved books. I carried it back and forth to work with me every day. Month after month, the book travelled in and out of my backpack for stolen moments of reading. 

One day, my husband asked, "Are you finished reading my book?"

"Not quite yet."

"Well, can I have it back then?" 

I found the book and handed it to him.

He wasn't pleased. The book was damaged beyond repair. 

The disappointment in his eyes haunted and inspired me to design my first knitting pattern—a book sweater.




Designing the book sweater has not only kept countless books safe but also paved the way for my further exploration in knitwear design.
 
My career in knitwear design began in August 2002 and concluded in January 2011. During this time, I was a member of both the Knitwear Designer Association and the Canadian Knitwear Designers and Artisans. My collection consists of 25 designs, and I have sold patterns to knitters in Canada, the USA, the UK, Japan, Israel, and Australia. My designs have been featured in magazines A Needle Pulling Thread and Knit Together, as well as in knitting calendars published by Accord Publishing. I also hand-knit my designs for a juried gallery on Salt Spring Island called ArtCraft. Year after year, my baby sweaters were a popular sale item. My passion is to welcome new knitters to the craft through my designs.