Fall Knitting Inspiration

We’ve had a spell of cooler weather this week after a period of very hot summer weather, and that has me thinking about fall. I write a lot about knitting and design, but I’ve realized I haven’t written much about where my design inspiration comes from.

I get a lot of my inspiration from my materials – which, after all, is the reason I spend so much time talking and writing about all the wool breeds. I love when a yarn tells me what it wants to be. But I also enjoy looking at other sources to inspire color combinations, silhouettes, and design motifs. Plus, I’m a child of the 80s and early 90s, and I spent a lot of time clipping images from magazines and trying on different clothing combinations.

Given the above, it’s surprising that I’m a bit of a latecomer to the idea of mood boards. I was a bit resistant to them when I first started designing. But for the past couple of years I’ve been using Pinterest to make a fall and spring mood board. It serves as both personal inspiration and inspiration for my designs – I also keep a general inspiration board, which you can see here. Below is my current fall/ winter mood board – it’s still a work in progress, and I won’t really consider it done until I’ve moved on to the next season. (If it doesn’t load for you, follow this link to view.)

I also went through my closet and had a try-on session, testing which items still fit, which I still want to wear, and what I need to set aside for mending or to donate. That helps me to decide what gaps in my wardrobe I want to try to fill, and informs my design planning.

Here are some things that are inspiring me right now:

• I’m still loving the rich, warm fall colors, as you can see in my choice of palette.
• Charcoal gray is always a favorite, but I’m especially drawn to it just now.
• V-neck sweaters – there’s something so classic about them.
• Turtleneck sweaters – there’s nothing more appealing on the coldest winter days.
• Cables and texture – these just scream ‘cozy’.
• More fitted silhouettes – not extremely fitted, but not boxy. Just a relaxed, but streamlined, look.
• Denim and chambray, paired with the aforementioned fall colors. I’m especially into light- to mid- tone denim washes rather than dark rinse denim just now.

What’s inspiring you right now? Do you enjoy planning your knits for the season ahead? And finally, what would help you to get more joy out of wearing your knits? Hit reply and let me know.