In their own words is a new series — I’ve invited artists, designers, and creators I know to share what drives their big projects. This time we hear from C.C. & Dami Almon; they talk about what inspired their newest book, Tickled Pink. There are extra photos of their adorable cat, Pink Purl Almon.
We’re C.C. & Dami Almon, the Mamma/daughter team behind JavaPurl Designs and the Geeky Girls Knit video podcast. C.C. has been designing since 2013 and Dami has been designing since 2016. Our pattern design inspirations range from geeky things like Doctor Who and Elementary, to coffee, to colourways that demanded to be something, to the city of Edinburgh, and more.
For over a decade, I (C.C.) have had a love affair with the colour pink. After our first two books, which were inspired by coffee, we felt we had run out of coffee inspired ideas. So where else would we turn for inspiration besides the colour pink?
We love knitting with yarn dyed by indie dyers, and we wanted to highlight some of their beautiful yarns in this book. So we asked four indie dyers (Neighborhood Fiber Co., Suburban Stitcher, Abstract Fiber, and Seven Sisters Arts) to each dye up a pink colourway. Our only instruction was that the yarn had to have pink in it.
We knew each dyer’s yarn would inspire us in different ways. So one of us designed a sock pattern and the other designed an accessory pattern (hat, shawl, cowl, and wrap) inspired by the same colourway of yarn.
In the midst of having the idea for this book & trying to bring it to fruition, we relocated from Scotland back to the US (California & then to Washington) as the Hubs finished his PhD degree & was looking for a new job. We had all the reverse culture shock that is associated with an international move. We had to set up a new home from scratch as we had sold pretty much everything we owned when we moved to Scotland. Our previous books had flowed very smoothly on the time schedule we set up, but this one did not. We ended up needing more time for knitting samples, laying out the book, doing the photoshoot, having the book printed, etc. But in the end, we’re super proud of the book that we put together & the patterns in it.
Our hope is that these pink-tastic inspired patterns fulfill your knitting desires, whatever shade of pink you prefer.
Sleepy Pink Purl & C.C.’s zig zag sock yarn blanket
Tickled Pink celebration cake with Pink Purl
Tickled Pink is available digitally at ravelry and in print through JavaPurl Designs.
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