The long awaited release of Cirilia Rose’s book Magpies, Homebodies and Nomads: A Modern Knitter’s Guide to Discovering and Exploring Style (2014 Stewart, Tabori and Chang) finally came at the beginning of the month – and it’s a stunner.
Cirilia was the Design Assistant here at Berroco from 2008 to 2011, where she designed a few of my favorite sweaters of all time: Aidez, Americano and Jingu from #308 Berroco Vintage DK & Vintage. She styled the photoshoots for the pattern collections as well.
In her book, Cirilia brings us all along for the ride as she explains her thought process for translating inspiration to design and using handknits to cultivate personal style…or break out of a style rut. She includes tips on how to organize your wardrobe, revamp your old handknits and choose your next project wisely.
The book is beautifully shot by Jared Flood and the presentation is spectacular. This is a book to pick up and flip through again and again – every time something different will catch your eye.
WIN: We’re giving away a copy of Cirilia’s book, along with 2 skeins of Berroco Lustra, the yarn used to make the felted Raven Bag pattern (on page 116).
ENTER: Leave a comment below sharing something about how you find your inspiration.
RULES: All comments must be posted by Sunday, November 30 at 11:59pm EST. One winner will be picked at random and announced in my next blog post on Monday, December 1. You must be 18 years old and a resident of the U.S. or Canada to win.
I just kind of absorb the sights, smells, and feelings around me for true inspiration. However, I am also prompted by who I want to do something for and what I think they would most appreciate.
I am inspired by the colors found in nature…sometimes you wouldn’t think the colors go together, but they work beautifully. Taking a step out of your comfort zone can be scary, but you’re safe if you count on the inspiration of natural things.
I find inspiration from my family and nature.
R-A-V-E-L-R-Y!!
My inspiration comes from the great styling in the pictures of the finished item. From Jared Flood’s wonderful photos for various designers to sites like Berroco, I really really get jazzed about knitting an item or even adjusting it here and there starting with the photo given. I know that in the end, I want the same feeling when I put on the item as when I saw the photo.
Berroco was my first LYS yarn and Cirilia was in residence when I started visiting the site. She has been an inspiration for quite some time. I am so excited for Cirilia’s book with Jared’s photos!! Fingers crossed 🙂
When I need inspiration I always head to nature–for color and patterns. Thanks for the giveaway!
I find inspiration in the pages of fashion magazines, as well as on Revelry and blogs like yours! Love Cirilia’s sense of style and would love to win the book and the luscious yarn.
I find inspiration in my environment and in the books I read.
I get a lot of inspiration from the city where I live! There’s gorgeous color and texture everywhere you look, once you start paying attention 🙂
I find a lot of color inspiration in nature. Design inspiration usually from magazines.
I mostly get inspired by nature or my stash. I love finding just the right project for yarn I already have. : )
wahoomerryf on Ravelry
I find my inspiration at my knitting guild meetings and on Ravelry, and by reading blogs. I see the lovely things others have made, and then I want to make them too.
I find my inspiration at my knitting guild meetings, on Ravelry and on blogs I follow. I see the lovely things others have made, and then I want to make them too.
I am inspired by the yarn as it tells me what it wants to be!
Inspiration is everywhere. I am especially touched by color and texture.
The beautiful country of Canada that I live in is my inspiration. I have travelled much of it, and it is so beautiful and majestic. Right now the clean white snow on the green evergreen trees is my inspiration for a design I am currently working on. I enjoy the crisp, cool air and flittering flakes of snow as they fall from the sparkling sky and land on my hair, hands, and clothing. Nature is such a beautiful thing!
most of my inspiration comes from looking at old vintage patterns
I find my inspiration randomly – sometimes it’s visually – a pattern that I just love, and I’ll queue it up, sometimes it’s tactile – dangerous to touch yarn at festivals…. that’s probably why I have a fairly large stash (by my standards – about 9 containers right now) waiting for the matching pattern inspiration and the time that never seems to be there to do all the crafting I want.
I most often find inspiration from creative works in other mediums – fine art, poetry & song.
I most often find inspiration in other works of art like paintings or sculpture.
My LYS and my wonderful knitting group give me a lot of inspiration.
Lots of inspiration from my urban twenty-something daughter
I love to travel and feel the atmosphere, then I always have tons of ideas that need to be organized. That is the moment in which I simply daydream and put everything in order.
I find inspiration primarily from the natural landscape; colors, forms, shapes. I also visit Pinterest frequently to get a sense of the latest styles and new ways to interpret old classics.
I’m inspired by the seasons… and the need for warm clothing during the cold months of a Canadian winter. Accessories and layers in particular!
Inspiration comes from everywhere! I’ve been eyeing this book since it came out… Cirilia’s designs definitely qualify as inspiring.
I’m inspired when I don’t expect it–from interactions with people, from sights I see in my neighborhood, from nature…
Inspiration comes from so many places – people watching, the world outside, a wide variety of blogs that no one would believe I read – just about any where really.
Thanks for the opportunity to win!
Reblogged this on amy2655 and commented:
My granddaughters inspire me. From a sweet little cardigan to something with fringe, their personalities inspire me.
I find inspiration when the ladies in our knitting club showcase their latest projects, sharing their successes & challenges.
Definitely by color.
I’m inspired when I see the beautiful knits made by the designers and the other members of my knitting guild.
I find my inspiration looking at magazines, and of course ravelry patterns.
Thank you for the giveaway!
Nature walks, museums, architecture, quiet time – inspiration can come from so many places for me!
I find inspiration in books, magazines. catalogs, tv and movies.
I get lots of knitting inspiration from Ravelry. The professional photos that accompany the patterns are great, but I also love to look through the project photos for color and styling inspiration and for creative pattern alterations.
I find inspiration in nature, the changing seasons, and through other knitters online.
Inspiration comes from my everyday life… my girls, my husband, my parents and my friends…
Inspiration comes to me with the color and textures available in yarn and then I look around at nature, sometimes pottery and artwork. Thank you
Adele
My children
My inspiration comes from what surrounds me. If I see colors, shapes or textures I want to see them knitted as fabric.
Usually, the color & texture of the yarn “tells” what it wants to be.
I took a course on two-handed colorwork from Cirilia at the Nordic Knitting Conference this year, and she is as delightful and talented in person as she is in print. Congratulations to her and Jared for producing such a high-quality book.
My inspiration, for knitting (and before knitting, furnituremaking) comes from nature: the patterns and colors I see in the mountains, meadows, rivers and skies around me.
My inspiration comes from color and from the group of friends I knit with!
I find my inspiration randomly – sometimes it’s visually – a pattern that I just love, and I’ll queue it up. I sometime am inspired by a blog or magazine that has a new yarn or technique, and of coarse my grandchildren are and will always be an inspiration to me.
I find inspiration from nature by walking near my home, the artist Escher and his infinity tessellations, and the seaside. Thank you.
Color! I love color, and most of my projects start with a particular color in mind.
I’m inspired by nature: trees, leaves and sky. And by the seasons changing, by music. I think it’d be cool to design knitting patterns to match an album or songs by your favorite musician. Characters in books also inspire me, as do the fashions of those I see around the city.
I usually find inspiration in nature( for colour, patterns, colour-combos,texture), street style, and of course Pinterest and Ravelry. I often refer to old magazines to see if there are any patterns that I was hoping to make and then forgot about. I find blogs an indispensable resource and then I mix it all up …..and create something (hopefully) beautiful!
Would love a copy of this book as I love Cirilia’s designs and sense of style, the title really encapsulate,everything I feel about myself and my how I LOVE to knit.
Cheers,
HC
I am rather lazy and eclectic about style and I love several of these designs!
Can’t wait to read this book and get inspired to step out of my rut!
I am inspired by the local culture in places I visit. Seeing people at local businesses styling pieces in unique ways always makes me feel want to try new looks that I wouldn’t normally be brave enough to try!
My inspiration is the women in my family: so strong, so beautiful regardless of age. They break my heart wide open & I can’t wait to make things to honor them!
I find my inspiration in nature especially for color combinations. I love casual dressing using color and texture to make a statement.
I am inspired by the crisp fall air – each time the weather turns cold I start thinking of different ways to stay warm with wool!
I’m inspired by the yarn. I see a yarn, and find a pattern to work for it. Ravelry and Pinterest are great sites for inspiration.
I am inspired by colour, patterns and yarns in whichever order they grab me
I am inspired by my Grandma’s knitting…she was an amazing craftswoman! Knitting being just one of her skills!
I’m inspired by my knitting circle, Ravelry, and my LYS
I get my inspiration from my daughter… nowhere is God’s Grace for me so apparent than in this gift He game me that is my child. And I love to see her eyes light up when I’ve finished something new for her, or for others for that matter. And when she asks if I can “make” this or that for her and I can say yes, I am so thankful for the gift God gave me in learning to create with my hands and some pretty yarn!
i find inspiration from photos on the internet. They I make changes to what I see to get what I want.
Sometimes just a color will start the creative ideas flowing
I am inspired by nature and any form of art especially if there are rich colours involved.
I browse Ravelry and all the print mags I buy. Inspiration isn’t the problem, it’s trying to decide which “inspiring” project to start next!
I am inspired by the yarn in my stash and by patterns on Ravelry and other sites.
I see inspiration all around. I get inspired by books, textures and my daughter and her crazy friends. Their creativity is so inspiring.
My inspiration comes from whatever pattern I find to be soothing, calming, distracting, therapeutic, and/or challenging at the time.
I’m inspired by Ravelry and the finished objects of my fellow knitters!
I love free pattern e-mails!
I get inspired by my customers! It might be something they have made and brought in to show me or a problem they are having where I have to put on my thinking cap. Either way it’s always fun to interact with my customers and broaden my own horizons!
I’m inspired by the season as well as the people around me. My nieces, nephews, & daughters have forced me to stretch beyond my green and grey pallet and forced me to embrace the entire rainbow.
I get most of my inspiration from talking to my family and friends.
And, well, Ravelry.
Inspiration generally hides when you’re actively searching for it. It’s when you aren’t looking that you find the most amazing ideas. Listen to the yarn…it will generally tell you what it wants to be.
I am inspired by the people in my life. I am drawn to colors and textures,Sensory details helps. The patterns that I see.
I find inspiration in beautiful colours and the wonderful projects people share.
Inspiration usually comes to me at the weirdest places and times. Many times when i am already in bed. I should force myself to get out of the bed and note them down more often…
I get so much of my inspiration on ravelry. Love to see how different yarns make the same design look completely different.
I love the vest! I am inspired by seeing knitted garments.
My inspirations come from nature usually. I see great patterns and colorways whenever I wlk the neighborhood, parks, and trails.
I find inspiration looking at the way other people wear clothes. I also look to nature for color inspiration, all the colors of rocks and hills, waves and sky, they inspire me over and over again.
I am inspired by talking with other yarn artists…about their projects, ideas and especially the challenges and problems they’ve encountered.
The color and texture of the world around me (from simple leaf shapes to massive architectural elements) are an unending source of inspiration.
Ravelry and architecture. I am addicted to texture and architecture provide, whether in close up or wide shot, splendid texture.
In nature, and people
Magazines from Great Britain all about living in the English countryside are the BEST for inspiration. There’s always at least one or two amazing sweaters in those pages.
I find inspiration everywhere! It could be pretty landscape colors that I want to absorb into a project or the latest fashion trends and creating a project that I love based on that.
Inspiration in great yarn and great photography (like jared’s) – I also love seeing a finished project in a store – so helpful!
I’m inspired by the intersection between function and art; I love the creation of a practical, useful piece that serves a day in day out function in my world while also being beautiful.
I find inspiration by reading and looking at things on the internet and in the changing of the seasons. I’m so excited for Cirilia’s book!
My inspiration comes from my son. He makes me laugh and think and overall just makes me want to be the best person I can be and the best parent I can be for him.
Ravelry mostly!
I find my inspiration in colors and textures. I’ll find a stitch pattern I love and track down the perfect yarn in the perfect color to create a new design. Once I’ve nailed down my design, it’s a perpetual search to find a new color or texture to make it better. Not everything goes to plan, because sometimes, the yarn wants cables and the pattern is lace… Knitting has forced me to learn to go with the flow. The yarn wants what the yarn wants, and I’m not going to be the one to argue that.
I am still a novice and need a pattern, but I love looking to nature and the culture for color inspirations and that makes the pattern my own.
I am inspired by color and texture, and must have both.
I find a lot of inspiration on Instagram. The pictures of neighborhoods, landscapes, people, and moments in time inspire the colors and textures that I put together for my fiber crafts and other artistic pleasures.
I find my inspiration from my family and a variety of Internet sources.
inspiration comes to be while riding my bike along the country roads where I live – I will see something like a beautiful barn with the sun hitting it just right or the fall foliage or color of the lake.
I am inspired by people.
I try to visit the Baltimore Museum of Art as often as I can. I find endless inspiration there!!
I stare at people in the stores or at work, studying their knitwear wonder about the construction. 🙂
I find inspiration in the colors around me – which change with each season.
I love getting my inspiration from Pinterest and fashion magazines/blogs!
I love browsing blogs & sharing ideas and patterns with my friends and mom. I also get a bunch of great ideas from my lys.
I find my inspiration from the person I’m knitting for at the time.