Most of her designing is done on the needles as she swatches a chosen yarn with graph paper beside her, making notes as she knits. Once Kristin decides a stitch is "right," she translates it into a set of knitting instructions for one of her talented test-knitters to work up into the first sample garment.

Ethnic Inspiration
Kristin's use of color has developed over the 20 years she has been knitting and designing. She is especially inspired by ethnic textiles. Favorite sources of inspiration are Indian saris and embroideries, Turkish and Persian carpets, Peruvian knitwear, and embroideries from the Bukhara region of China. Her colorful knitwear is recognizable for unusual color combinations and interesting edge treatments for borders and necklines.

Cable Knitting
Kristin is also a master of cabling and stitchwork. While many of her designs contain cable stitches of her own creation, she also refers to favorite dog-eared, tattered "stitch dictionaries" to translate classic cables into contemporary knitwear.

Favorites
Here are a few of Kristin's all-time favorite designs.

Better Homes and Gardens Knit It

Better Homes and Gardens Knit It

Interweave Knits, Winter 2003
Photograph courtesy of Chris Hartlove

Vogue Knitting, Winter 2003
Photograph courtesy of Vogue^® Knitting International

Vogue Knitting, 20th Anniversary Collector's Issue, Fall 2002
Photograph courtesy of Vogue^® Knitting International

    
Interweave Knits, Summer 2000 (featured on cover)
Photograph courtesy of Chris Hartlove

Interweave Knits, Winter 2000/2001
Photograph courtesy of Chris Hartlove

Vogue Knitting, Fall 1997
Photograph courtesy of Vogue^® Knitting International

Evergreen Arans
From Knitting the New Classics, Sterling/Lark publishers, ©1995 Classic Elite Yarns