Interweave Knits Winter 2016

For me, winter has always been a time for reflection and new beginnings. I love the quiet of winter—the stillness, the peace and beauty of a frozen landscape. None more so than this winter in my new home, Colorado, where the snow-capped Rockies loom majestically over the Front Range. In their shadow, I have picked up the pages of a new life and job as editor of Interweave Knits. It is my honor to take over the stewardship of this great publication, which represents the best of heritage knitting, education, design, and technical excellence. In this time of reflection, I want to thank those who have come before me—all the women who have pioneered this magazine to new and progressive heights. Most of all, I thank Lisa Shroyer, my predecessor,…

1 Learn the ins and outs of dyeing fiber naturally with Kristine Vejar’s brand-new book, The Modern Natural Dyer: A Comprehensive Guide to Dyeing Silk, Wool, Linen, and Cotton at Home (Abrams, 2015). Also included in this visually stunning book are dyeing and pattern directions for modern knitting and sewing projects. www.averbforkeepingwarm.com 2 Halcyon Yarn z Kits are perfect for someone trying out dyeing for the first time. Choose from the Indigo Starter or Botanical Natural Dye Kits, which include the materials needed as well as instructions to create dyes in your own kitchen. Any other necessary tools, such as jars, spoons, kettles, and towels, are items you can find easily in your own home. (Bowl not included.) www.halcyonyarn.com 3 Ashland Bay offers ecru yarn skeins in a range of…

Color Knitting 1 With Laura Bryant’s DVD A Knitter’s Guide to Color, you can learn all about colors, including their relationships and interactions, how to use them to design your knitwear for greater visual impact, and so much more. The DVD also comes with a free pattern for the shawl featured in the video. www.bit.ly/BryantColor 2 The Color Grid from The Kangaroo Dyer, Gail Callahan, is an inexpensive, easy, and fun way to select colors for any type of project. Used with the included template, the color grid lets you experiment with many options that will help make your project cohesive, as well as help you find the best color for a “spark” of contrast. www.colorgrid.net 3 Learn how to knit with color in Simple Color Knitting by Erika Knight…

One sunny day in August, my friends and I were lucky to tour Jagger Brothers Mill and JaggerSpun in Springvale, Maine. Jagger Brothers Sales Manager Scott Grey, who has been with the company since 1987, guided us around the mill while he expounded on textile manufacturing, fiber, spinning, and the mill’s history. It all started in 1884, when Uriah B. Jagger, a yarn spinner, moved his family from Bradford, England to Sanford, Maine. Jagger Brothers was founded in 1898 by Uriah’s two sons, Samuel and Fred, and in 1956, after several locations, Samuel’s sons, Allan, Winston, and Robert Jagger, moved the company to Springvale, Maine. More than one hundred years after it was founded, the worsted-wool spinning mill still resides in this same location on Water Street. Our tour began…

We all want to do our part to lessen our impact on the environment. Choosing yarns made of organic, natural wools and other fibers is one way for knitters to do that. These yarns do not utilize any pesticides or chemicals throughout the life of production, all the way from what the sheep eat or how a plant is grown to the material with which the yarn is dyed. Here, we review just a handful of high-quality, certified organic yarns of today’s market. For more information and ideas about earth-friendly knitting, find Knitting Green by Ann Budd (Interweave, 2010) at www.bit.ly/KnittingGreen. 1 DEBBIE BLISS ECO BABY Content: 100% organic cotton Put-Up: 137 yd [125 m]/1¾ oz [50 g] Construction: multi-ply Care: Machine wash cold, dry flat Recommended Gauge: 25 sts…

Cables and textures create heritage knits that will keep you warm through short days and long nights by the fireside. The Inverness Sweater, a classic Aran, has a becoming A-line shape. Twisted rib stitching introduces twisted long cables that are divided by ray-of-honey and moss-stitch side panels. Linda Marveng. PAGE 26. YARN Plymouth Yarn Galway Worsted Finished Size 31½ (33, 34¾ , 39½ , 42¾ , 47½ )" bust circumference. Pullover shown measures 33", modeled with 1" of positive ease. Yarn Plymouth Yarn Galway Worsted (100% wool; 210 yd [192 m]/3½ oz [100 g]): #1 natural, 8 (8, 9, 10, 10, 11) balls. Needles Size 6 (4 mm): 16" and 24" circular (cir) and set of double-pointed (dpn). Adjust needle size if necessary to obtain the correct gauge. Notions Markers…