That favourite 80s icon, the legwarmer, is back.

But these over the knee reflective cycling legwarmers are so stylish an warm and perfect for cycling.

I've spent the last two months developing a range of over-the-knee machine knitted cycling legwarmers.It sounds like a long time for development but I went through 5 different types of elastic, two ribbers and multiple yarn types and tensions, developing, wearing and washing up to 10 legwarmers till I was happy with the result.  

The first design is made on the knitting machine and ribber and all are available in 100% wool.

The leg is tapered and has elastic knitted into the top so that it stays up over tights or stockings.

It incorporates the 1mm reflective thread at the top and bottom.

These come in a range of colours (below) and will retail for $49AUD + postage

I am uncertain of what the final colourway should be. Any thoughts?

You can purchase them online from here 
If you're in Australia and looking for a Mother's Day gift, I can guarantee delivery by Friday 11th May if order is placed by 5pm  Wed 9th May.

The second design is also machine knit but in a finer stockingnet stich and is knitted in the round.

This means that there isn't a seam but as they are tapered and rather skin tight, there is a slightly noticable decrease in the leg. I probably notice it more than anyone else would.

This design uses a .375mm refective thread top and bottom. It has elastic handsewn into the top and bottom seam so that they stay put over tights.

This design will be available from CycleStyle as of next week.

Dr BehoovingMoving of CycleSpace has a plan.

This Tuesday between 6pm and 7pm, he's asking that we cycle - just for the sake of it!
No protests, no organised rallys, just cycle.

Why?

Well, in his words,

"We have ride to work days, ride to school days, critical mass rides, world naked bike rides, so why now do we need Bike Hour? It is because the rides I have mentioned have failed to mobilise the vast majority of people, who own bikes, and wish it was safer to use them." 18 March 2012

It's a great initiative and one that I look forward to being part of. I'll be wearing this crochet, highly reflective mohair shawl with the new cycling legwarmers that I've been developing.

I bought a second hand knitting machine and ribber and have spent the last three weeks testing weights, tensions, yarns - and the odd design. I'm almost ready to go except that I need to have some user-testing, something that I'll organise later this week.

In the meantime, take the opportunity to be part of the inaugural Bike Hour on 20th March!

I've just had a funny conversation with my mum. She's 71 this year, still cycles every day and is one of the most skilled and innovative people I know.

I was asking her about machine knitting. She's an expert. My earliest memory is of lying in bed listening to her knit on her big industrial machine. With 4 kids (at that time - and four more over the next few years) she didn't have much time to herself so knitting in the wee hours was her time.

Luckily, she taught me, and a half a dozen of my sisters, how to knit, crochet, sew, pattern make, embroider and any of the other traditional arts that I may have left out. In hindsight, she may have missed the 70s copper art movement, but I may have blotted that from my memory. As a side note, Wikipedia doesn't have a page on Copper Art so if you're an expert, hop to it!  Anyway, I digress.

So I was asking her about a knitting machine that I'm following on ebay. I've been thinking about broadening the scope of products to include cycling base layers and bespoke recreational club tops. To do that I need a knitting machine which accepts punch cards. In preparation I found a job lot of 3ply wool for $20 (and it's all wool - I didn't have the heart to tell the seller) on ebay.

I have a truck load of reflective yarn and thread in different weights but I couldn't remember whether I would need a machine with a ribbing attachment.

So she took me on a tour. She described the starting stitches in different thread, change to proper yarn and tension, knit 20 rows, loosen tension, knit one row to create fold, change to proper tension, knit next 20 rows then unravel starting thread and pick up original stitches, loosen tension bit and knit one row, then change to proper tension and off you go. What you end up with is a hem pocket. Not quite ribbing but more than satisfactory.

So much so that I actually saw a lovely example of it on See Jason Sew, although it's not quite the same as he has actually ribbed the Machine Knitted Laptop Sleeve.

I have to take my hat off to him. If he's only just come to the traditional arts and he's already achieving this quality then there is hope for us all!

So, mum's chat and Jason's laptop sleeve came together when I read this article in the New York Times, Don’t Mock the Artisanal-Pickle Makers

As an avid reader of a certain Brooklyn-based cycling blogger and author  I'm quite familiar with the artisinal bent of the East coast of the USA. I even discovered an artisinal recumbent bike on my last trip!

But back to the article. It says
"More significant, we’re entering an era of hyperspecialization. Huge numbers of middle-class people are now able to make a living specializing in something they enjoy, including creating niche products for other middle-class people who have enough money to indulge in buying things like high-end beef jerky. "

I have to admit, with all the hand craft skill I have, expertise in social media (or so I'm told) and impetus to earn more money (kids will do that to you) I've yet to find a way of replacing my academic income with my love for making, but I can dream...

So I watch the ebay auction and in the meantime, think about the products I can design and make with reflective thread. If you're watching the same machine, hands off, I have an early memory (and about a decade of practice) to sate!

I've had to cancel the Cycle and Design tour this weekend.

I'm not too happy about it but the Bureau is predicting thunderstorms on Sunday morning and after Thursday's sudden storms, I'm not willing to take the chance.

I don't know the origin of this image but it reminds me quite a lot of what happened on Thursday.

I was really looking forward to this tour, not only because of the chance to meet some more cycling enthusiasts, but because I was really happy with the tour itself.

Also, I've spent the past few weeks developing products for this tour. I was going to test my new high vis crochet singlet top

(download)

Click here to download:

thunder-and-lightning-when-not-to-run-a-cycle-tour-mkjsrvzBGjkaznfwaJGu.zip (121 KB)

I'm thinking that I might try the singlet top for swimming. It's made from the same cotton/lycra that I make the crochet knics from

It's finally here!

17 Feb - 17 March 2012

For a whole month you can enjoy all things cycling and discover how  "fashion, food, film, art, design, performance, shopping, community engagement and any number of aspects of city life can be integrated with a life on two wheels".

Some of the key features include:

BikeFest Treadlie Market
17 February, 12-8pm Saturday 18 February, 10am-6pm Sunday 19 February,

Bike Fest Bike Runway
15 March 6-9pm

Better by Bike
biennial national design competition unearthing improvements in bike, infrastructure or accessory design that improve the experience of the bike rider.

This year it includes a People's Choice category - don't forget to vote on the Bike Fest Facebook page  and yes, we have entered our CultureCycle reflective crochet knics. Any"likes" most appreciated!

Satellite Events

These include films, workshops, tours and many others!
We'll be running two satellite events:

Culture & Design Cycle Tour : 19th February 2012

Bike Bling Crochet Workshop: 11th March 2012

Save the dates and enjoy this wonderful homage to cycling. Congratulations to the Melbourne Bike Fest team for putting together such a great program!

It's hot in Adelaide and it's not just the weather!

Bike Art Adelaide caught my eye this weekend. I have to admit to having missed the call for proposals and I wish I could get to the conference but apart from that, I've been following the events on their Facebook page

I started this CultureCycle caper by doing some light yarn guerilla crochet on the Melbourne BikeShare system so I was delighted to see yarn-bombed bike which are locked up somewhere in the city of Adelaide. It seems that apart from some bikes being stolen, the guerilla crochet is getting some great feedback.

I particularly like this blue bike.

It reminds me of the 1970s Gitanes bikes and that famous shot of Laurent-Fignon climbing on his lightweight blue bike.

I also came across a kindred spirit!
Fay Patterson, the convenor of the Australian Cycling Conference is also designing and handmaking reflective knitwear!  The shawls in this shot look lovely.

Bike Art runs from 9-29 January in association with the Santos Tour Down Under.

The Australian Cycling Conference finishes today.
It's a bit warmer than the last time I was in Adelaide so I  hope they're wearing their sunsreen!

Happy new year to everyone!

I do hope you've been out cycling over the break wherever you are. I've been enjoying the lovely weather of Sydney, cycling each day to explore new and unknown places.

We'll be at the Bondi Markets on Sunday 8th January 2012.

We'll be selling a range of crochetwear perfect for any cycling occassion.

Bondi Markets are held at the Bondi Public School on the northern end of Bondi, Campbell Parade, just across from the spectacular Bondi Beach. You can reach the markets via bus (333, 380, 378 and others). You can check the buses from your area at Sydney Buses.

I do hope we will see you there!

By the way, mention this posting or twitter messages and receive 10% off!

Spandex, lycra - I never know what to call it! I have to admit to liking the stuff but I know that for many cyclists, it isn't their first choice.

Having said that, it is a great yarn so I thought I'd have a go at redefining the quintisential cycling garment, the "knics" or lycra shorts.

Here is the first attempt! They are handmade and crocheted from cotton spandex yarn with a highly reflective fine glass bead thread all the way through the leg.

In low light they look like this...

So, would you wear a pair of highly reflective crochet knics?

If you're interested, email me and we can chat. I have many colours in this yarn. The take about 10 hours to make, but the effect is pretty impressive!

I recently found this "home improved" bike in New York. There is was, 16inch front wheel 24inch back wheel, complete with office chair and new and improved single sided handle bar.
For the life of me, I can't work out how you pedal this artisanal recumbent!

Perhaps @bikesnobnyc  can help us out on this one!

Which brings me to two other artisanal services that I've discovered this week.
First up, Snag Stand has opened in Melbourne

It offers artisanal "hand-crafted" sausages and is apparently the home of heavenly "haute dogs". Not being a meat eater I can't comment on the quality but I have to take my hat off to a company that offers a low fat, gluten free, small batch production sausage in Australia - the home of blackened, saw dust filled monstrosities which define our Sunday afternoon barbeques!

Further afield, the artisinal pops up in in Brighton, UK where the Pelirocco Hotel offers "knitted hotel rooms!

This article made me feel quite guilty in some ways. I travel with yarn and hooks and have designed and tested some of my best patterns in hotel rooms around the world. Yet, apart from leaving behind small bits of reflective yarn in hard-to-reach places, I've never made something just for the room. I'm thinking that if my travels continue, I may well take this up! First up would be an artisianl remote control cover - because who would want to touch one of those!