Nat Raedwulf says her designs typically arise from a specific need – often one identified in the midst of an adventure. Whether she’s at home or on vacation, she’ll drop everything else and follow that inspiration. It almost always leads her to a local yarn shop!
Nat’s Wildlings Toddler Leg Warmers are the perfect example of her process. Named and designed for Nat’s “wildling” toddler, the leg warmers are intended to be as cute as they are practical. They are knit in the round from the top down in Vintage DK – a machine-washable wool blend. The top cuff is ribbing, which transitions into bamboo stitch for the body. The bottom can be finished with more ribbing, or a straight or picot edge bind off.
How did you come up with this design?
My daughter and I spend a lot of time in the forests and beaches and, living in a rain forest, I wanted something I could use to help protect her from the damp, mud or thick underbrush during our travels. It’s also a versatile accessory that could dress up her outfits and be used all year round. Creating designs that are applicable to both genders is also important to me, so I created a couple of bind off options to appeal to people who wanted a less feminine detail.
Is there any story behind the name?
My daughter is very much a wild-ling, exploring the woods and beaches in our area with great enthusiasm. I created these leg warmers with the intent of them keeping up with her wild adventures.
How did you decide on the yarn?
I knew I wanted to use Vintage DK from the beginning of my design because of how many colours were available (to suit a variety of preferences… the heathered colours are always a favourite of mine!) and the durability of the fibre. As a mom to an active and messy toddler, I appreciate yarns that are easy to care for and able to withstand the rigorous activity my toddler will put it through, but are beautiful with natural fibre content at the same time.
What’s your favorite project you’ve ever made? Why?
It’s really hard for me to pick out a ‘favourite’ because all of my big and memorable projects come from a place of love for people who mean a lot to me, and each of them have a story and significance behind them that are really special to me.
I’m really excited about my current project. My boyfriend is an amazing photographer, and he and I recently went on a ‘Full Moon’ date to photograph the full moon rising. The colours he captured were so beautiful, I decided to design a shawl based on the colours of his photograph. It’s a very fun, challenging and inspiring project to be working on.
Do you have a cool design you want to share? Or did you recently finish a project with Berroco yarn? You can email Ashley: apalumbo@berroco.com or post it to the Berroco Lovers forum in Ravelry.