The BMC (Betty Mouat Cowl)

March 18, 2012 By Kate in design, Kate Davies, Kate Davies Designs, knitting, Shetland Tags: Betty Mouat, Betty Mouat Cowl, BMC, cockleshell lace, Kate Davies, Kate Davies designs, North Berwick, Shetland 40 Comments

At last! I can now show you the BMC (Betty Mouat Cowl).

You may remember my cockleshell lace obsession , which resulted in the soon-to-be released Betty Mouat Sweater? One can never have too many cockleshells, I reckon, and this design is a veritable showcase of ‘em.

Cockleshell lace is traditionally knit back-and-forth in garter stitch. When used on a stole (which is how you’ll most often find the pattern used in Shetland) the lace pattern is generally worked across the fabric, so that the shells and scallops lie horizontally, like this:

(Cockleshell stole in the Shetland Museum)

The BMC does a couple of things differently: first, it is knit in the round (using Susan Stevens’ innovative no-purl garter stitch method) and second, the lace pattern is worked along the fabric, so that the shells and scallops frame the full length of the cowl.

The BMC is worked in two pieces, using a colour scheme which is mirrored along the centre. The two pieces are then grafted together, and the end result is a cowl/ wrap / snood / infinity scarf / [insert your preferred garment moniker here] that is both dramatic and versatile!

I don’t know about you, but I am very tired of Winter’s browns and greys. I had a strong hankering for bright colours that POP in the Spring sunshine. The shades I chose for the BMC (in Shetland lambswool Albayarn) certainly do that!

I thought of beach huts and deck chairs; seaside rock and pistachio ice-cream.

The BMC is an infinitely adjustable garment. You could make it longer, or shorter; you can wear it many different ways.

I am sporting it here on the beach at North Berwick – a logical choice to photograph this most nautical of designs on a lovely, sunny day!

The BMC now has its own Ravelry pattern page and will be released, together with the Betty Mouat Sweater, on Wednesday 21st March as part of Textisles, issue 2, where you can also read my newly- researched piece about the namesake of these designs . . .

BMC AHOY!

winter afternoons

January 22, 2012 By Kate in landscape, photography, poetry Tags: 258, bass rock, East Lothian, Emily Dickinson, landscape, North Berwick, photography, poetry, Seacliff, tantallon 40 Comments

There’s a certain Slant of light,
Winter Afternoons –
That oppresses, like the Heft
Of Cathedral Tunes –

Heavenly Hurt, it gives us –
We can find no scar,
But internal difference –
Where the Meanings, are –

None may teach it – Any –
‘Tis the seal Despair –
An imperial affliction
Sent us of the Air –

When it comes, the Landscape listens –
Shadows – hold their breath –
When it goes, ’tis like the Distance
On the look of Death –

Emily Dickinson

V8468

May 3, 2009 By Kate in dressmaking, landscape, sewing, walking Tags: bass rock, dress, dressmaking, hand-made, hill walking, North Berwick, North Berwick Law, sewing, vogue, vogue patterns, walking 27 Comments

. . . is the pattern number of my new dress. It is an ‘easy’ vogue pattern, and, having worked myself up (or perhaps down?) into the the zen-like state that I must be in to cut out fabric and sew at the machine, I knocked it up over a few hours yesterday. I used some remnants of hedgehog fabric, the remainder of the liberty tana lawn I used to line these ties with a while ago, and just over a metre of linen for the dress’s main section. I was pleased I actually managed to get a front and two backs out of that length of fabric, as it was touch and go when laying out the pattern pieces. In this instance, it is clearly good to be short. I didn’t include the pattern’s pocket-flaps (without pockets!), but added my own patch pockets instead.

. . .with buttons from Duttons. I think the fabric of the dress is brown, but Tom and my knitting buddies say it is green. I’ve always had a bit of an issue with colours on that olive-grey-brown boundary. Anyway, I’ve been wanting to experiment with some home-sewn summer clothes that are good for walking in, and this was the prototype garment. This dress seems designed for maximum ease of movement. There’s enough space in it for striding along at speed, but, it does not flap about. I can happily confirm this last, as, to test its walk-ability this morning, I ascended a small hill.

Here I am at the top of North Berwick Law. That white blob behind me out at sea is the Bass Rock, home to seventeenth-century prisoners and twenty-first century gannets. Tom had to move about a bit to get the right angle, as on a few earlier shots I appeared to be wearing the bass rock like a jolly hat. And in this next pic, the wall and I seem to have more or less the same palate.

interesting.

Anyway, I would recommend this pattern both for straightforward sewing and ease of movement. I like the cut and fit and it has some neat, simple finishing details (yoke facing catches all edges &c). And whatever colour that linen actually is, I like it too. And very lucky that I already had a cardigan in exactly the same indeterminate shade . . .

Kate Davies Designs

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The BMC (Betty Mouat Cowl)

winter afternoons

V8468

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