Credit: Chimney Corners Camp

I’ve mentioned before that Fall is my favorite season.  The apartment smells like apples for the third week in a row (the applesauce is done, the apple butter and apple pie filling. We’ve moved on to dry apples).  I’ve pulled out my comfy sweatshirts and my slippers.  I’ve moved away from socks (my go-to summer knitting) to a snugly rug for in front of my bathroom.  And every day as I go for a walk or travel to and fro, I stop and look at the leaves to see the color gradually change (I can’t help feel competitive; the camp where I grew up is already in a glory of color).

For me, I see echos of nature wherever I go, and they come to roost in the back of my brain, to slip out weeks or months later when a design call has need.  But sometimes it’s fun to do different things to get yourself inspired about nature.  Below is a list of different exercises I sometimes use when working on a design call.

1. Capturing lines: go for a walk with a camera or sketchbook.  Get really close to things and
   

   by PictureWendy

   sketch them.  Use only the most basic lines.  I love looking at butterfly wings, veins in leaves, whorls in seashells or patterns in broccoli.  Could you replicate those patterns or lines with stitches?

2. Unexpected color: I love going to the farmer’s market and finding unexpected color combinations.  Go to the zoo or hop on pinterest.  What colors does nature throw together that are unexpected or stunning?  Try pairing green with practically anything.  Flowers in all colors pair well with green. Try to replicate that in your own colorwork.
3. Touchable texture: there are so many different textures you can encounter in the great big world!  Find something nubby, bumpy or three-dimensional.  How would you capture that in knit or crochet?  What would you do?
   

   by klugi

4. Fractals or repeating patterns: I love going on pinterest and finding cool or interesting patterns.  There are so many repeating patterns in the water, in the air, or represented in flowers.  Could you take that pattern and put it on a hat, shawl or other creation?  What about the radiating lines of a palm leaf – would you capture that in intarsia, stranded knitting, or Irish Crochet? What about the interwoven patterns of exposed roots or rock – is that cablework, knotwork, or something else entirely?