Star*More

Do you remember the first time you heard the name Alice Starmore?  I'm not sure I do but, it was surely at the Wooly West.  At one time Nancy carried several of Alice's yarns and pattern books.  About 1995 I started hanging out at Nancy's shop on a regular basis.  She offered classes, had a wonderful selection of yummy yarns and all the other things a good knitter needed as supplies and inspiration.  I bought my first Alice Starmore book from Nancy, as something to aspire to, rather than something to 'knit now'.  The hobby of needlework took precedence during my leisure time in the 1990s.  I’m not sure which book was first but, I bought most of them as they were published.  When someone said she wouldn’t be publishing any longer I bought all the books available that I didn’t have.  Most of these books can command very high prices today and I’m glad my aspirations paid of in some form.

At first it was AS's Aran designs that I loved but, Fair Isle and the color blending she did soon took over my imagination.  In 2003 I decided to jump into a FI sweater with both feet.  At this point Wooly West had been sold and turned into Black Sheep but, the fabulous range of classes were still available.  I signed up for a class call 'Fair Isle sweater from start to finish', took my color inspiration from Alice and designed my own sweater.  It was so much fun to knit and the following year I knit a vest. That's about the time I started blogging, too.

The long and short of this is that I had never knit an Alice Starmore design, despite owning her books for over 10 years.  Then someone told our Guild about Virtual Yarns, shared her experience of meeting Alice and buying the beautiful Birdsfoot Scarf, while on a knitting tour of Scotland.  I looked up the web site the next day and ordered the kit.  The scarf was on my needles as soon as the kit arrived with an autographed pattern.

Nearly two years ago, shortly after I started to blog, I ordered Seaweed and Rosarie.  The only reason I didn't start one or the other right away is that Blogland has swayed my attention more than once with Knit Alongs or 'new' patterns.  Seaweed has been in my knitting basket this last few months and I so enjoy knitting the beautiful lace with the tweedy, rich wool.  While I had already thought of knitting Rosarie after the first of the year, it was Kim's StashALong that sealed the deal.  Rosarie is a Jade Starmore design and she has learned how to blend color as well as her mother. Rosarie has been my main project this January and is now just past the third repeat and up to the armscyes. Every stitch is a pleasure as the colors change and the beautiful pattern emerges.

When I ordered Rosarie I asked how much more yarn I needed to lengthen the design.  I was told that Jade wanted to write an addendum for me so the pattern would work out properly.  Each pattern comes autographed by Jade or Alice anyway but, to have Jade write the changes and then sign it…'For Margene, with my best wishes, Jade' was such a thrill. Pleasantly I am on target with a repeat a week. One and a half repeats to go until the body is finished.

More quality time is expected with Rosarie this weekend and Seaweed should get more love, too.

Thank you for your many good wishes.  We do hope to make it 26 more years.  Oh yes, and Smith fixed the camera! For the time being it's working...but the problem may be intermitant. If future pictures have that acid trip look, you'll know I'm camera shopping.

Enjoy your weekend!!

Comments

[Rachel]

Rosarie is looking beautiful. I'm very tempted to buy the kit for either that or Butterfly, but my fear of screwing up the colorwork is holding me back. I think I need to practice on something smaller before making that kind of investment. I'm looking forward to seeing your finished vest. Enjoy your weekend!

[Carole]

Rosarie is absolutely gorgeous, Margene! I'm so impressed!

[Cassie]

Rosarie is stunning! There's something so incredibly seductive about a complex fair isle design like that. Mmmmm.....

[Wendy]

Hee hee. The first time I heard the name Alice Starmore was in the mid-1980s when I took a class in fair isle from her at a TKGA knitting convention. :-) And I remember a convention a couple of years later when Alice brought Jade along. Jade was a little girl back then! I feel old . . .

Your Rosarie is lovely!

[Amy Boogie]

You're making me lust after starmore patterns even more if that's possible. I might just have to move a fair isle higher up on my list.

I'm a day late in reading but I wanted to wish you a Happy Anniversary. I hope you have many more.

[Laurie]

Beautiful Rosarie! And nice history behind your knitting her.

[susan]

So, will it be done by Tuesday? Maybe we'll see you wearing it at Snb.

[Norma]

You just gave me more motivation to come visit you: To come steal your books. I have an eBay account and I know how to use it. :D

[Emma.]

Belated anniversary congratulations ! Wishing you many more years of happiness.
Such gorgeous knitting,as always. A feast for the eyes.

[Sarah HB]

I first heard Starmore within the past month. Funny, I have been knitting for almost 20 years and only heard it recently.

[Kim]

I too am fortunate enough to have most of AS books and I cherish each one. Your seaweed is looking wonderful and Rosarie....what can I say, it is stunning!

This year after all the puppies go to new homes, I am going to treat myself to a kit from Virtual Yarns. I will have earned it by then.....LOL

[Kim/Chef Messy]

Rosarie is gorgeous! I can't wait to see it finished! That is some very impressive knitting.

[Tracy]

Personal patterns now that is really special and shows a fantastic amount of customer care. Just goes to show that you can read all sorts of things on the web about them which make you think they're a little stand offish and then you come across your story which tells a completely different tale. Happy Anniversary for yesterday too!

[Vicki]

Wowie. Gorgeous and on schedule!

[Ruth]

I'm craving a kit (or two, or three) from Virtual Yarns. I'm going to buy one (or two, or three) to reward myself after the Stashalong is over.

Rosarie and Seaweed are beautiful ... and belated congratulations on your anniversary! I hope you had a nice celebration.

[stitchnsnitch]

I also have begun to buy things to knit later--when I'm more experienced. It gives me something to aspire to. ;)

[Rachel H]

I'm saving up for the Juno/Cara 36th birthday Great Big Virtual Yarns purchase tradition I'll be eligible to take part in later this year. Hee.

[Pumpkinmama]

Sigh. Just so, so pretty. I'm happy it is giving you so much pleasure.

[kate]

I am so jealous of your custom autographed pattern! I also have a love affair with AS but I do the arans (I'm not so good with the colorwork).

[Stephanie]

ALL her books? You have them all? Wow. Color me green with envy. Rosarie is looking fabulous - I just love the colors. And thanks for the link to the Birdsfoot Scarf. As much time as I spend on that site, I've never seen it before. Thanks for the wonderful story and have a great weekend.

[Sneaksleep]

Both Seaweed and Rosarie are looking amazing! One of these days I'll get around to some fair isle. When I do, something like Rosarie will be just the ticket!

[Chris]

Rosarie is completely stunning. Sigh. And I think it's VERY cool that you have a personalized and autographed pattern!

Looking forward to some pictures of Seaweed, too.

Now, Margene's camera, you behave and don't give Margene any grief, ok?

[Snow]

I think my goal for the coming months will be to get my debt under enough control that I can justify buying a Starmore kit for an entire sweater like Laleli. I've had my eye on her for a while.

[Laura]

Gosh. It choked me up a little just thinking of what an honor it must be for you to have the custom altered and autographed pattern. I know, Alice and Jade are "just people" but they're really not. Charts and a signature from "just anyone" wouldn't make you feel that way. That's really awesome and surely makes you treasure Rosarie even more (as well as the fact that you pulled her from your stash!). :)

[Wanda]

Rosarie and Seaweed are such beautiful knits. I love the colorwork and the colors in Rosarie. It is such an honor to have the pattern amended and then signed by Jade. Since doing some colorwork on my Fair Isle Jazz scarf, I can see me attempting this on a larger garment. It's really fun.

[Kim]

All of the Starmore books? You are very lucky--I didn't start knitting until 2003 so the Aran and Fair Isle books were already premium purchases--maybe someday I'll get a deal on one of them :) You'll get sick of me saying this but I just love Rosarie--it's a stunning piece. I think I remember you posting about the FI you designed for your class or maybe it was the vest. Have a great weekend and happy belated Anniversary :)

[Peg]

I love today's blog, Margene. I wonder when I will get the courage to try something like Rosarie? What an absolute treasure you have in having Alice's daughter, Jade, add to the pattern for you and then be kind enough to sign it. Lucky girl! You have been doing her pattern justice!

[christine]

I still covet your Rosarie! Do you remember how it took to get your kit after you ordered it? I'm starting to get nervous that my Fern won't get here in time to study for the Olympics!!!!! I must swatch....and study....and train........

[Kit Knits]

You're doing as much of a beautiful service to the Starmores with your lovely Rosarie as they've done in making the pattern. Amazing how that balances, isn't it?

I'm glad the camera is fixed (for now). :)

[Katherine]

I also wish you a happy anniversay (a day late). I don't do up special occasions too much either, and suffer from some feelings of, I don't know, inadequacy? guilt? for not making these times a bigger deal. But it just doesn't ring true for me to do it, and I'm glad that someone else out there feels the same way. Fortunately for me, my SO does, too!

While I have certainly heard of the Alive Starmore, I do not own any patterns/yarn and did not know about Virtual Yarns. I just visited the site, and ah .. I'm so in love with Fern. So beatiful. So. In. Love. Oh yeah, I was glad to take a look at Rosarie too. Lovely. You can be sure I bookmarked the puppy, and I think the story about Jade altering and signing your pattern is also lovely. Thanks for sharing!

[Susan]

Thank dog for blogland, Margene, so that I could read your beautiful story. Your experience has added the most recent and positive anecdote about the Starmores that I have heard. We tend to think of them as being litigious souls, and they really haven't done much to refute that. It rather seemed that both Jade and Alice have withdrawn from public knitting life, but your story has demonstrated a few things. First, that they are alive and well and still very much involved in their knitting business. Second, that they really do care about and support the knitters who so love their designs. Thank you so much for sharing this story.

[Imbrium]

One of the things I've loved most about my knitting experiences is just how personal much of it is. I've found that many designers are delighted to talk to you about their patterns and help you figure out any bits that might be confusing. Getting involved in knitblogging has certainly heightened that personal experience. It's a wonderful and precious thing to be involved in a group that is composed of individuals rather than a nameless, faceless crowd.

[Anne]

I love the Starmore gals' patterns! Just looking over the patterns is pretty gratifying without even knitting the actual garment. :)

[Nanette]

I love it!

[MJ]

What a great story on Alice Starmore! I wish the books would be reprinted, they are such great patterns. I just keep borrowing them from the library. I love that they do care about the knitters who purchase their patterns. I think this post has edged me closer to knitting an AS soon. Very soon.

[jenifleur]

I'd give my eyeteeth for her Fair Isle book. My eyeteeth, but not the $150 it usually commands on ebay. She could make a killing if she reprinted it.

You're doing her design justice, as is the Margene Way!

[Kris]

Rosarie is beautiful. You are doing a wonderful job.

[Joan]

You never fail to awe me with your knitting. Beautiful Rosarie.

[jacqueline]

i love this story. for over 12 months now I have been looking at the st colomba kit by jade staremore, and thinking that i should buy it. problem is the neckline is a little bit too high for me and i want it more scooped out. same with the armbands. this fear, has been putting me off...alter a starmore - who do i think i am!! i will probably stuff it up. but in light of your post i am tempted once again to buy the kit.

[casey]

Rosarie is beautiful!! That's so cool that's it's altered and signed by the designer! You're knitting is beautiful.

[terby]

Both Rosarie and Seaweed are really lovely. I'm impressed that you can work two challenging projects like that at the same time. I like the colors you use in your knitting very much. The beautiful Utah landscape is very clearly an important part of your life - in your blog photos and your knitting.

[michele]

Rosarie continues to delight...it's so pretty.

[Birdsong]

What a lovely post about the Starmores... I am very glad I have a few of the early books, having looked at what they cost these days. Missed your anniversary yesterday, but still want to wish you and Smith a lovely weekend of celebrating.

[lynne s of oz]

Happy Anniversary! And love that Rosarie - so pretty! I am almost inspired to do a complicated fair isle again now. Almost.
The stramore patterns - sigh. If only.

[JessaLu]

Rosarie is amazingly beautiful!

[Lana]

A happy belated anniversary! Many more years of wedded bliss! Beautiful Rosarie!!!

[Mandella]

Everytime I see a Starmore Sweater in production I want to make one. One day I will succumb. Yours is gorgeous.

[--Deb]

Ooh, that sweater looks SO gorgeous! I've done Scandinavian sweaters, but not actual fair-isle . . . yet! I do have one A.S. book--the Celtic designs--and think they're pretty stunning. I just wish I'd gotten those other two when I had a chance . . . see, I thought they were expensive when they came out . . . clearly, I had no idea!

[claudia]

Margene and Smith, Happy Anniversary! There is no need for a gift if you have each other, but a new camera is always a good thing.

;-)

[Kim]

Just passing through on weekly Stashalong patrol--I hope I got everything. You(and everyone else) have been very busy this week :) Happy knitting!