“During one of my visits to Walnut Tokyo, I bought some light grey amirisu Parade, and that was the beginning of my obsession with Parade as even the simplest ribbing and stockinette stitches in the design looked beautiful. When I was invited to design for issue 20, I used the remaining Parade yarn to make swatches. In my mind, I wanted my design to look cool and minimal, like concrete buildings by Ando Tadao, often characterised by clean lines and surfaces that interact with light and shadow.
Bearing in mind how beautifully Parade radiates simplicity, my design direction was clear. There would be clean lines and subtle textural play. Under the guise of simplicity, I was interested in creating an engaging knitting process around the back, shoulders and neck, the geometry of which I figured out with the help of paper models. It was not easy to write the shaping for different sizes. However the effort was worthwhile.The best feedback I received from knitters was that they felt like they were knitting a puzzle, enjoying the process.
Many knitters loved the way the design began with an i-cord on the back. They have been supportive with feedback on how much they enjoy wearing Hikari. To know that Hikari remains well-loved was not something I envisioned. I just feel blessed all over again every time I see another Hikari being knitted.”
Photo courtesy of yamagara.