Get ready for plenty of colour and knitting inspiration! Australian knitwear designer Ambah O’Brien has a wonderful eye for colour and a talent for creating thoughtful, wearable patterns that encourage knitters to experiment and make each design their own.
We wanted to learn more about Ambah’s creative world, so we invited her to share the ideas behind her designs, what keeps drawing her back to mosaic colourwork and her advice for choosing colours with confidence.
Read on to discover more about Ambah and the creative thinking behind her patterns.
Has your personal style changed over time? If so, how has that affected the way you see or wear pieces you have made in the past?
A: It sure has, I find I adapt trends to my personal style and it is ever evolving due to these influences. Sewing and knitting my own clothes helps me to experiment more with what fits well and feels good on me. I’ve found my colour preferences change too, from green, grey, red to blues and lately back to green. I’m craving orange in all forms lately too! Black is a consistent base colour for me to build my wardrobe on though.
What is the most important thing a pattern should give the knitter?
A: Confidence to make the item.
What is one colour “rule” you are happy to break?
A: I love a good colour clash, give me pink + red any day!
What advice would you give knitters who feel unsure about choosing colours?
A: Firstly, go with what you gravitate towards, there’s nothing wrong with enjoying making/wearing the colours you love. Some people find it helpful to have their “colours” done to gain confidence in trying new options. If you’re wanting to push out of a comfort zone, try pops of a new colour you want to experiment with, add a splash of neon into some colourwork, a contrasting ribbing in a different colour. Try making a small accessory with a colour that looks fun but is a bit out of your wheelhouse. There’s so much inspiration in other people's projects too, I know I’m continually inspired by the way other knitters have used colour.
How do you know when a colour palette feels complete?
A: It can take some time. I often have piles of yarn out for a few days and keep adjusting the selection until it feels “right”. Sometimes I’ll have an idea and end up with a completely different combination after a few days of this.
What keeps drawing you back to mosaic colourwork?
A: I love that it’s such an impactful effect with a relatively simple technique. It’s a fun way to play with colour. I’m still fascinated by the endless possibilities of this technique. It’s also great paired in combination with other techniques, like lace.
Is there a design decision you still find difficult?
A: Which ones not to go forward with. It’s often a process of prioritising some ideas over others and being realistic about which will be the best to go forward with.
What makes you want to return to a particular yarn?
A: Colours that spark joy, that’s lovely to knit and works well for the end product, be it a garment that will be worn again and again, or a drapey shawl.
What do you hope knitters recognise as distinctively “yours” in a design?
A: This is a hard one as I have so many different designs! I guess I’d like to think there’s a good “vibe” that’s connected to my designs that inspires knitters to get creative.
Is there a technique or type of design you are ready to explore next?
A: I’ve been diving into intarsia lately and have a few more intarsia ideas in my sketch book. I’d like to design an intarsia garment.
Which Bendigo Woollen Mills yarn would you love to design with, and what would you make?
A: I’ve already used the gorgeous cotton and would again, perhaps for a summer garment. I am eyeing off the Wollemi, perhaps for a cardigan design - it looks fantastic and I love the farm to yarn story behind it too.
What question would you like to ask our next interviewee?
A: Which stitch is most like you and why?
If Ambah’s approach to colour has sparked a few ideas, explore her patterns on her website or Ravelry, and follow her on Instagram to see what she creates next!