KNITTING HOUSE Atelier × Natur-X: The Story Behind Camille Shells Set
When two creative souls meet…
The Beginning of Something Special
Our collaboration with Natur-X began back in July, when Tina kindly sent me a selection of their yarns to explore. I spent some time working with different fibres and textures, making swatches and paying attention to how each yarn behaved once knitted — how it held its shape, how the texture developed, and what changed after washing and blocking.
As our conversations continued, the idea of creating something together gradually took shape. The Camille Shells Set felt like a natural place to bring it to life: a design where the character of the yarn could be seen clearly in the fabric, while still leaving room for the simplicity of the silhouette.
What I love most about this collaboration is that, over the past few months, it has grown into a genuine friendship. There is something quite special about what happens when two creative minds meet — ideas start moving back and forth, one thing leads to another, and a collaboration becomes much more than the project you started with.
Camille Shells Set
The Camille Shells Set began with my fascination with the shell motif. I wanted the texture to feel delicate and feminine, but not overly decorative. The challenge was to give the pattern enough definition to create a clear visual rhythm while keeping the fabric soft and easy to wear.
From the beginning, I imagined the Top and Skirt as two parts of the same idea. The shell texture continues across both pieces, creating a connection between them, while their silhouettes remain quite simple.The skirt is designed to move with the body and gradually open towards the hem, allowing the texture to change as the fabric moves. The top has a more straightforward shape, which makes it easy to wear on its own. Together they create a complete look, but I also wanted both pieces to make sense independently — something I always try to consider when designing knitwear.
Choosing the Yarn — Noree
What interested me about Noree was the way its composition influences the finished fabric. The blend of 50% Baby Alpaca, 25% Linen and 25% Silk brings together quite different qualities: the softness and warmth of alpaca, the slightly dry and textured character of linen, and the subtle lustre of silk.
For the Camille Shells Set, I chose to work with Noree held double. This was partly a technical decision: I wanted enough density for the shell motif to hold its shape and remain clearly defined. But doubling the yarn also changes the character of the texture itself. The shells become more pronounced, while the fabric still retains enough softness and movement to drape naturally. As I expected, the fabric relaxed and grew slightly after blocking. This is particularly worth keeping in mind when making the skirt, where even a small amount of growth becomes more noticeable over the length of the garment. The blocking process also gave the fabric more drape without taking away the subtle structure provided by the linen.
It is one of those things that is difficult to fully predict from a swatch. The knitted fabric can tell you one thing before washing, and something quite different once it has been soaked, blocked and allowed to settle into its final shape. For this project, I really liked where it landed.
Colour Stories
Colour was probably the part I found hardest to decide on. Noree has a broad palette, and with a textured design like Camille, the choice of colour has a noticeable effect on how the pattern reads. Some shades emphasise the definition of the shells, while others make the texture feel softer and more understated. I went back and forth between several colours before settling on my sample shade. To be honest, my first choice was Juniper. I was immediately drawn to its depth, and for quite a while I thought that would be the colour I chose.
But then I realised that I had never really worked with a soft, powdery shade like Haze before. I decided to step slightly outside my usual choices and I am still very happy that I did. The pale pink works beautifully with the texture of the fabric, and, perhaps a little selfishly, I especially love how it looks with my hair.Natur-X has put together a palette for the Camille Shells Set that moves from soft, muted shades to deeper and more distinctive colours. Because Noree is hand-dyed, there is also a natural variation within the colour itself, which becomes particularly interesting in a textured fabric. The surface catches the dye differently depending on the direction of the stitches and the way the light falls across the shells.
A Little More Than a Collaboration
Looking back, this project became something a little different from what I first imagined in July. It started with a few skeins of yarn and a conversation, and gradually developed into a design, a shared colour palette, and a friendship that I am very happy to have found along the way. For this collaboration, Natur-X has put together dedicated kits for the Camille Shells. You can choose the Camille Shells Top, Camille Shells Skirt, or the full Camille Shells Set, with the required amount of Noree for each size.
The kits are available in the selected Noree colour palette, with the corresponding digital pattern included. You can find the yarn and kits through Natur-X, and I hope you enjoy choosing your colour and making your own Camille Shells as much as I enjoyed developing mine.
Warm hugs,Diane