Featured Designer & Maker: Bernadette Ambergen

I meet a lot of talented knit and crochet designers, but it is rare to come across someone as prolific as Bernadette Ambergen, known also as Bernioli. Her output - in terms of patterns and finished pieces - is quite incredible and puts me to shame. I often wonder if she has the crafters' dream - extra arms that she attaches when she gets home! I had the pleasure to meet up with Bernadette twice last year while visiting the Netherlands and really love her shawl designs. I've wanted to feature some of her work since then - she is truly 'bi-craftual' with a beautiful selection of both knit and crochet designs to her name, and 95 published patterns to choose from.

Dalena is a crochet wrap (lace weight) using 2.5mm hook.
All photos (c) Berniolie, used with permission.

Bernadette Ambergen

Today I've picked just a few of my personal favourites to share with you, which are all available in English and Dutch, and can be found on Ravelry. Before I share those, I'd like to tell you a bit more about the designer who seems quiet and unassuming when you first meet her, but has a mind full of bold colour.

Bernadette has been knitting and crocheting since she was a young child and originally trained as a seamstress and an Arts and Crafts Teacher. Teaching wasn't her calling and she left it to become a costume designer in the circus where she worked for 14 years. Her costumes often included crochet and knitting.  

I learned about Bernadette's background after seeing her work, and it really made a lot of sense. There is something quite dramatic and eye-catching about her designs, and often a fun or whimsical element too, as can be seen in some of the patterns I've included here. 

Hemingway is a classic knitted wrap suitable for light fingering weight yarn and is knit on 5mm needles. Wouldn't this make a lovely bridal shawl? 

Basilia is a fun crochet design made using fingering weight yarn and a 4mm hook.  I just love the dangly bits with the circle motifs at the end - an interesting alternative to fringe (which I'm also partial to).

 

Nita is a knit shawl made from double knit yarn using 5mm and 7mm needles. Based on a standard triangle shape, the deep points give this a dramatic finish. 

The photos of Arrow don't really do it justice. This crochet shawl, worked on 4mm hook with fingering yarn, has an unusual asymmetric construction with four points. It is incredibly wearable and is high on my list of things to make when I clear a few other commitments (I have the yarn ready!)

Finally, I couldn't miss out Circles - a really fun and simple pattern using sock yarn and a 3mm crochet hook, with some Prym crochet circles. It's such a statement piece. I'm wondering if there will be enough yarn left from Arrow to make one of these.... 

So these are just my personal favourites, but there are so many others to choose from. You can find Bernadette online via her website, Ravelry, Instagram, Etsy and on Pinterest, she's a great designer, and a very nice person too, I do hope you'll go and show her some love!