For the many knitters who adore Ainur Berkimbayeva’s amazing patterns, it’s not a surprise to hear about the joy she brings to her process. “I love experimenting. I love playing with shapes. I love the geometry in garment design… How lines move throughout the garment.” Her wonderful imagination shines through every choice she makes, resulting in designs that are clever and fun but never fussy… And always beautiful!

Embracing that love for experimentation, Ainur Berkimbayeva’s Carousel Collection is a spectacular set of accessories, all knit up in our Donegal tweed Hedgerow. We sat down with Ainur to learn about the collection’s origin, her design process, and so much more! Read on for insights into this very special designer and her Carousel Collection!

Ainur’s Carousel Collection was born out of a delightful twist on the idea of a capsule collection. Instead of classic, simple pieces that go with everything, Ainur had a mischievous desire to “turn it upside down” and design the kind of accessories you would wear with capsule items, the fun pieces that show off who you are. As Ainur envisions it, “Your everyday coat may be gray or black or what-have-you, and then you put on the fun accessories to make you smile!”

Ainur begins her designs with what she describes as a “main hero,” the technique or idea that is at the heart of the piece. In this case, she wanted to play with simple German short rows to shape her accessories. That first hero idea “just kept sort of birthing more ideas along the way, like the way I use the short rows for the hat and the scarf and shawl are similar, but a little different.”

“Supporting characters” bring more fun and “help the main idea.” In her Carousel Collection, Ainur’s use of stripes and color express and enhance the form, the pops of color highlighting the stripes and keeping things light and playful. Just look at how the short-row stripes point the way to the fun pom poms on the hat and scarf, and how short rows create the curve of the slippers’ toes and allow for a separate color for the sole (Ainur’s favorite part about the slippers)!

From her earliest days in Kazakhstan, Ainur was taught to think of the human body in three dimensions by her mother, a seamstress who instructed Ainur in rudimentary pattern making. With her ability to sew darts and add puffs to the sleeves, Ainur’s Barbies were the best-dressed on the block! Her mother also taught Ainur to knit and made sure she had fully mastered her cast on before she learned the knit stitch at seven or eight. Ainur’s first knitting project was a shirt she created for those same Barbies… A designer from her very first stitch! 

To this day at her home in upstate New York, Ainur designs in paper first. She cuts and shapes, folds and tapes to create a paper version of her idea, all while her brain thinks about how to accomplish the same things in knitting, calculating increase rates as she goes, her love of geometry and math informing her knitwear design every step of the way. 

When we asked Ainur about using Hedgerow for the Carousel Collection, she talked about how well its texture worked for her designs. Even though Hedgerow’s mix of 93% merino wool, 3.5% cashmere, and 3.5% mulberry silk gives it a soft feel, it still has the traditionally grippy texture of a Donegal tweed, giving it great shape-holding properties that complement Ainur’s structural and graphic designs. Ultimately, as Ainur puts it, “I love that it has the farm yarn feel to it.” Indeed!

Ainur also loves the beautiful colors and “tweediness” of Hedgerow, each one speckled with small bits (or “burrs”) of fiber… A lively and playful yarn that’s the perfect fit for the joy of her Carousel Collection.

In the end, Ainur’s greatest concern is the experience of the knitter: “I want them to have fun. I don’t want them to get overwhelmed. But I want them to also experience something a little different, something new… I want them to be engaged with their knitting, but also be able to breathe in between. Life is hard, and knitting shouldn’t be.” Isn’t that exactly what we all hope for in our knitting? Thank you, Ainur, for always finding that sweet spot! 

Pick up your favorite colors of Hedgerow and Ainur’s five-accessory pattern and cast on for something simple and new, engaging and fun… The amazing Carousel Collection!

We had a wide-ranging conversation with Ainur, full of fascinating stories and glimpses into the life and mind of a truly gifted designer. Click below to enjoy the entire interview! 

Please note: There are some typing sounds in the opening minutes of this interview, but hang in there, they don’t last long!

And see more of Ainur’s brilliant designs here at Mama’s Teddy Bear!

Share your progress and connect with the community by tagging your pics with #PurlSoho, #PurlSohoBusyHands, #PurlSohoCarouselCollection, and #PurlSohoHedgerow. We can’t wait to see what you make!

Materials

4 colors (or 5 for Mittens) of Purl Soho’s Hedgerow, 93% merino wool, 3.5% cashmere, and 3.5% mulberry silk. Each skein is 243 yards/ 100 grams. If making more than one piece, determine how many skeins you’ll need by adding up the yardages required for each color, then dividing by 243.

We used the following palettes for our samples:

• Main Color 1 (MC1): Heirloom White
• Main Color 2 (MC2): Black Sand
• Contrast Color 1 (CC1): Forest Clover
• Contrast Color 2 (CC2): Persimmon Red
• Contrast Color 3 (CC3): Golden Meadow

and

• Main Color 1 (MC1): Heirloom White
• Main Color 2 (MC2): Gray Ember
• Contrast Color 1 (CC1): House Wren
• Contrast Color 2 (CC2): Cattail Brown
• Contrast Color 3 (CC3): Persimmon Red

HAT

• MC1: 1 skein; 40 (45, 60, 75, 90) yards required
• MC2: 1 skein; 40 (45, 60, 75, 90) yards required
• CC1: 1 skein; 15 (20, 25, 35, 45) yards required
• CC3: 1 skein; 50 yards required

SCARF

• MC1: 1 (1, 2) skein(s); 150 (225, 315) yards required
• MC2: 1 (1, 1) skein; 145 (215, 245) yards required
• CC1: 1 skein; 70 yards required
• CC2: 1 skein; 70 yards required

WRAP

• MC1: 2 (2, 3) skeins; 270 (370, 545) yards required
• MC2: 1 (2, 2) skein(s); 240 (335, 480) yards required
• CC2: 1 skein; 70 yards required
• CC3: 1 skein; 70 yards required

MITTENS

• MC1: 1 skein; 30 (45, 55, 70) yards required
• MC2: 1 skein; 30 (45, 55, 70) yards required
• CC1: 1 skein; 15 (20, 25, 35) yards required
• CC2: 1 skein; 10 (15, 20, 25) yards required
• CC3: 1 skein; 5 (10, 15, 15) yards required

SLIPPERS

• MC1: 1 skein; 25 (30, 45, 50) (50, 60, 70) yards required
• MC2: 1 skein; 15 (25, 30, 35) (40, 50, 60) yards required
• CC2: 1 skein; 15 (20, 25, 35) (35, 40, 45) yards required
• CC3: 1 skein; 10 (15, 15, 20) (25, 30, 35) yards required

You will also need…

• US 5 (3.75 mm), 40-inch or longer circular needles, for Scarf and Wrap
• US 5, 24-inch or longer circular needles, for Hat and Mittens
• US 5, 16-inch circular needles, for Hat (or spare needles for Baby size Hat) and larger size Slippers
• A set of US 5 double pointed needles, for Hat (Baby size only), Mittens, and smaller size Slippers
• A crochet hook and scrap yarn (for Provisional Cast On), for Hat and Mittens
• Stitch markers, including one unique, for Hat, Mittens, and Slippers
• Purl Soho’s Pom Pom Maker Set, Small + Large size, for Hat, Scarf, and Wrap
• A Carousel Collection Pattern

GAUGE

20 stitches and 40 rows = 4 inches in garter stitch

20 stitches and 32 rounds = 4 inches in stockinette stitch, for Slippers and Mittens

20 stitches and 36 rounds = 4 inches in 1×1 rib, for Hat, Slippers, and Mittens

SIZES

HAT

Baby (Toddler, Kid, Adult Small/Medium, Adult Large/Extra Large)

To fit actual head circumference of 14–16 (16–18, 18–20, 20–23, 22–24) inches with 0–2 inches of negative ease

• Finished Circumference: 14¾ (16 ,18¼, 20¾, 22) inches, unstretched
• Finished Height: 6 (7, 8¼, 8¾, 9¼) inches

Samples: Both Hats shown here are Adult Small/Medium.

SCARF + WRAP

Small (Medium, Large)

• Finished Length: 50 (60, 70) inches
• Finished Width (Scarf): 5½ (6¾, 8) inches
• Finished Width (Wrap): 10¼ (12¾, 15) inches

Samples: The Heirloom White + Black Sand Scarf is the Small size and the Wrap is the Medium size; and the Heirloom White + Gray Ember Scarf and Wrap are both the Large size.

MITTENS

Baby/Toddler (Kid, Adult Small/Medium, Adult Large/Extra Large)

• Finished Circumference: 4¾ (6, 7¼, 8½) inches
• Finished Length: 7½ (8¾, 10, 11½) inches

Samples: Both Mittens shown here are Adult Small/Medium.

SLIPPERS

Baby (Toddler, Kid Small, Kid Medium, Adult Small, Adult Medium, Adult Large)

To fit actual foot length of 4½ (6, 7, 8) (8¾, 10, 11¼) inches with 0 inches of ease

Finished Foot Length: 4½ (6, 7, 8) (8¾, 10, 11¼) inches

Samples: Both Slippers shown here are Adult Small.

PATTERN

The Carousel Collection Pattern is available for purchase as a PDF download only.