Wednesday 6 April 2011

Featuring: Asa Tricosa Designs

I'm being something of a lazy blogger. Between Blog Week and podcasting I've been nailed to my laptop every spare minute. So this week I've made others do the work- ha! The lovely, lovely Asa not only agreed to be featured but is also offer you gorgeous readers a chance to win a design! Also, excuse the formatting, I've got that early tingle and very painful tingle for RSI so I'm not fussing over the fact this isn't showing up how I want.

All you have to do is peruse her delicious patterns either on Ravelry,
www.ravelry.com/designers/asa-tricosa or on her very own website, www.asatricosa.com. Choose your favourite and comment here with it to let me know you'd like to win!

But wait, there's more opportunities to win:
1. As above, comment, telling me which pattern you like best for ONE entry.
2. Comment again if you are a follower for TWO chances to win.
3. Comment to let me know where you have mentioned me or Tricosa on a blog, podcast or something similar for a THIRD opportunity o win. 

You ave one week- winners will be announced this time next week so comment before midnight GMT Thursday 14th April 2011. Don't forget to check back to see if you've won!



What are your favourite hobbies?
I bake enormous sourdough breads. I also love to sleep. Then there’s the extremely slow running.
Favourite Childhood Game? OR playful pursuit that you still can’t resist
I must have suppressed this. Maybe brännboll in forever-twilit Swedish summer evenings. Thwaaack!
Where do you find inspiration?
Other knitters.
Seeing a “problem” and working out a solution. For example, I dislike abrupt transitions from one stitch pattern to another unless used as a distinct and cool feature. I also like to minimize the tedious  tasks (fastening loose ends, seaming), so I try to make designs without tediousness and with interesting solutions. One problem I haven’t quite found a solution to is that what I most like to wear are fairly plainly knit things, so some tediousness may be unavoidable. As in life.
Beholding fantastic yarns in all their colourful glory is another important source of inspiration. Probably that’s where it really begins, often Posh Yarn (three shawl designs started with Posh Yarn). I also love Fyberspates, ArtFibers, Blue Moon, and, more recently, Yarn Addict, Alchemy Yarn and Sanguine Gryphon.  Mmmm…
Are you an early bird or midnight owl? 
Owl, definitely. I can see the beauty of early, quiet mornings, but they hurt.
Comfort Food of choice? 
Good bread with stinky, Danish cheese – all sorts of interesting cheeses, really.

When you dream or daydream, where do you tend to end up?
My dreaming takes place at night. Often filmic, lots of water and snow or waiting tables. I wake up exhausted, wondering whether I could perhaps sleep some more to recover.

How did you first start designing?
Illicitly. I mean, I was avoiding writing a dissertation (aka The Monster).
So I did two designs for p/hop, a fund raiser for Médecins sans Frontières (Doctors without Borders). I think that’s what made me actually write out a pattern about a year ago. Then there were two particular colourways of a sock yarn, Clan (a Yarn Yard yarn), that inspired a glove because I failed to make gauge with glove patterns I had bought. And then came the shawls. And that’s where I’m stuck at the moment.
What have been the highlights/ what’s your favourite design?
My life in design is too short to have highlights, really.  But OK,  I’m going to pick not my most popular pattern, but the one where I felt I was really on to something, and that was Galathea. I thought (still think!) I was a perfectly annoying clever-clogs smarty-pants with its unusual, cast-on, one I haven’t seen anywhere else. It keeps the symmetry of a traditional edging pattern – and with only two yarn ends to sew when done.  While on the home stretch of knitting my own Galathea I stumbled upon a Galathea statue in a park in Germany. A good omen.  (OK, I’m also inordinately pleased with the smartly designed baby kimono, stina.)

Finally, any plans for the future?
Yes! I have just (very) recently decided that The Monster and I had to walk our separate ways -- I’ve made the switch from being a stealthily knitting pseudo academic to a knitting designer who reads and knits openly and freely. So I aim to knit. Lots. And submit patterns wildly and incessantly to those cool & lovely online pattern sites we all know.


42 comments:

Unknown said...

Well - I thought Atalanta was my favourite but now I am intrigued by talk of clever-clogs,smarty-pants cast-ons! So I am going for the above Galathea!

Chrissy said...

I think Poppea is my favourite. It's really beautiful.

Chrissy said...

Oh and I'm a follower so I get another entry!

Unknown said...

Just popped over to Tricosa's patterns in Ravelry and I'm horrified to find I've only got three - I clearly need everything else, starting with Alceste and Dido.

Unknown said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Carroll said...

Love a contest! Love the Semele pattern. Thanks for offering this.

Mezzamay said...

I enjoyed reading the questionnaire!
I like Atalanta, because of the design but also because I built the tower of Xerxes for my rabbits so that they can peep in through the window at me!

Mezzamay said...

And I'm following you... but I'm not a stalker, honest :-)

Tilly said...

Hello I'm a new follower after finding about your blog on the lovely Knitting forum im a member of (www dot knittingforums dot org dot uk) hope its ok to link :) I love the pattern callisto fingerless mitts, I have thing for fingerless gloves!

I'm also just writing a post about your lovely podcast, I'm looking forward to future episodes, you have a very relaxing voice

Tilly

Miss Elle said...

Galathea is my favourite, and its already in my library to knit :D My next favourite is Agrippina, those sideways shawls are just begging to be knit in some handspun yarn!

Miss Elle said...

Oh! And I follow you, and I'll be mentioning this post and competition in episode 20 of the Miss Elle Knits podcast :D

Louise Tilbrook said...

The Atalanta sideways is definitly my favourite, I love the droplet style edging - very stylish and at the top of my queue.

Louise Tilbrook said...

I'm a follower too :)

Louise Tilbrook said...

I mentioned you on the Phoenix Knitting Forum - a friendly UK based knitting and crochet forum. I also followed your tip and hopped over to the Abstract Cat folksy site. Such beautiful yarns that I just had to buy some - well it would have been rude not too :)

LunaG said...

I love Asa's designs! Hands-down the Semele is my favorite (I have her pattern & 3 different yarns lined up, awaiting cast-on.) I've loved her Moa mitts since the beginning, and as soon as I get brave enough to tackle gloves, I intend knitting a pair. I like her sideways shawls, as a whole, but will most likely download Atalanta next. (Still searching for the perfect yarn for it.)

LunaG said...

I began following your Blog, after seeing a post about mention of the Posh group, on the Posh Forum. Nice podcast, BTW. You have a very soothing voice.

LunaG said...

I posted a link to your Blog on my Facebook wall, since I chat with other knitting friends on there as well. Look for the Galathea adorned statue.
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1490755003

Ness said...

I love the Callisto Glove!

Ness said...

And I'm a follower!

Ness said...

AND! I mentioned you just last week! :)
http://bunniesandbettas.blogspot.com/2011/03/tale-of-two-yarns.html

Unknown said...

My favourite pattern is Galathea(I've knitted 4 already with another planned) with Atalanta(currently on my third with another planned) a very close second. These two patterns alone will take care of most of the Christmas and birthday gifts for my female friends and relatives for a couple of years. Then it'll be a Semele for everyone!
I also like the Tricosa's designs for babies/toddlers as so different from the usual boring patterns for that age group which have hardly changed since I was a baby.

Nancy McCarroll said...

Now following you and I like the Atlanta Sideways! Cheers!

Fay Lynn said...

I love the Atalanta shawl, if I have to choose one. I also really love IO flip-tops. I am pretty sure I will be doing those for one of my sisters in wild colors. I love that I can knit wild colors that I would never wear myself.

Fay Lynn said...

I am also a follower

Rzimmerman said...

I have to say I kinda like the new one - pure sunshine - then atalanta and the alceste...thanks for the opportunity to find out about someone new and to win something!
Cheers,
Rebecca

Rzimmerman said...

I seem to be following you now...don't look behind you!

Tecrin said...

I think Moa is my favourite, it's really lovely!

Tecrin said...

And I'm also a follower :)

Cloudberry said...

atalanta sideways is my favourite.
One entry for me :)

isabelle304 said...

I've got most of Tricosa's patterns in my queue, and own a few of them already, so it's hard to choose which one I like best. I've never knitted any though - how criminal is that?! I can never remember the names she gives them though... hold on... off to check Ravelry... right... my faves are the Semele shawl (often affectionally referred to as the Smellie), followed by the shockingly ignored Fia mitts.

isabelle304 said...

OK I am following you now. Is that good? Although... am not actually a blogger... so I've also subscribed to the blog via Google Reader. And I've subscribed to the podcast via iTunes. Right. Can't think of any more ways of stalking you.

Gracey is not my name.... said...

I like Atalanta. I also really like the yarn, gorgeous!. The Io gloves are just cool looking! I also liked Galanthea!

And hey, I got a lot of traffic from your blog today, so thanks!

Anonymous said...

I think my favorite would be the Atalanta but it is very close between that and Galathea. Gorgeous designs!

Anonymous said...

Following as Suddenexpressn!

Unknown said...

I am all into lacy shawls right now, and the sideways ones have been calling to me. I love Semele - a bit of lacy leaves - fabulous!

Unknown said...

Oh, and I am a follower! I'm excited for your next podcast to come out - hurry please! :)

Unknown said...

Mentioned you, Tricosa, your contest, and your podcast on my blog: http://hickorieswanderings.blogspot.com/2011/04/spring.html

Occidental Tourist said...

I haven't made a Tricosa shawl yet, but I knit her emil(ia) sweater pattern for my granddaughter, and it is so fun, I love the striped bit going down the front.
Cornelia

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