Innehållsförteckning för 130 från The Knitter

Whether you’re looking for gift ideas to knit for the forthcoming festive season, or fancy treating yourself to a luxurious accessory now that the weather is getting colder, you’ll find lots of inspiration in this issue. Our designers have used a wide range of interesting techniques, from Fair Isle and Celtic cables to marling, entrelac, lace and felting. Along with smaller projects, there are gorgeous sweaters and cardigans, too. HAPPY KNITTING! from The Knitter team Gorgeous gift ideas 15 designs for hats, cowls, socks, wraps & more…

LOVE FOR LORE The Fibre Co.’s newest yarn is a wonderfully woolly DK-weight called Lore. By using pure lambswool from English Romney sheep, The Fibre Co. has produced a versatile yarn that will be ideal for your staple winter knits. The yarn comes in 100g skeins offering 250m, and costing £15.60 each. It’s available in 16 warm, heathered shades. To accompany the new yarn, The Fibre Co. has published The Borrowdale Collection, which is filled with garments and accessories designed for winter walks or cosy afternoons in front of the fire. Patterns include relaxed cardigans by Sarah Hatton, a yoked sweater with delicate mock cables by Kari-Helene Rane, and muted Fair Isle sweaters by Amanda Jones and Emma Wright. Digital patterns are available to buy individually, from £5.50. www.thefibreco.com 017687…

19-21 October Inverness Loch Ness Knit Fest www.lochnessknitfest.com 20 October Melton Mowbray Fair Isle Socks with Marie Wallin www.mariewallin.com 20-21 October Ipswich Wooltown www.wooltown.org.uk 27 October London Double Knitting with Sockmatician www.loopknittingshop.com 020 7288 1160 27 October Altrincham Knitting Techniques www.abakhan.co.uk 0161 928 2178 27 October Solihull Knitting With Colour - Fair Isle & Intarsia www.stitchsolihull.com 0121 314 6888 27 October London Professional Finishing Techniques 020 7734 1234 27 October Leeds Knitting in the Round www.baaramewe.co.uk 0113 278 1788 2-3 November London Yarnporium www.yarninthecity.com 3 November Warrington Brioche Knitting with Juliet Bernard www.blacksheepwools.com 01925 764231 7 November Bovey Tracey Selbu Mittens with Anniken Allis www.spinayarndevon.co.uk 01626 836203 10 November Hitchin Festiwool www.festiwool.com 10-11 November Nottingham Nottingham Yarn Expo www.nottinghamyarnexpo.com 11 November Edinburgh Two Colour Brioche for Beginners https://beinspiredfibres.wordpress.com 0131 629…

HAND DYED YARNS hold a special place in our hearts, and Anniken Allis has used a beautiful example from Scottish-based indie dyer DyeNinja for her lace shawl. The 4ply-weight fine merino yarn has been dyed a dark grey overlaid with cobalt and navy, for a subtly iridescent effect. Anniken’s crescent-shaped shawl features two diamond lace patterns, with a zigzag design of eyelets around the lower edge which is blocked out into scallops. SIZE Wingspan: 154cm (60½ in) Depth: 65cm (25½ in) YARN DyeNinja High Twist Merino Fingering (4ply weight; 100% merino wool; 365m/399yds per 100g skein) Smith & Wesson; 2 x 100g skeins NEEDLES & ACCESSORIES 4mm (UK 8/US 6) circular needles, 80cm long TENSION 16½ sts and 21½ rows to 10cm over Chart A on 4mm needles YARN STOCKISTS…

“THE FUN starts here with these foxy socks!” says designer Lauren Riker. “Full of personality, these cute creatures will delight anyone you knit them for. You can adapt the lettering to suit a child or a man, so you can make matching pairs for the whole family. Alternatively, why not substitute the orange shade for grey or even pale blue for a winter look?” Lauren’s socks are knitted from the toe-up, using Knit Picks’ Stroll Sock yarn. SIZE YARN Knit Picks Stroll Sock (4ply weight; 75% superwash merino wool, 25% nylon; 211m/231yds per 50g ball) A Pumpkin (23699); 1 x 50g ball  B White (26082); 1 x 50g ball (37m of yarn required)  C Black (23701); 1 x 50g ball (6m of yarn required) NEEDLES & ACCESSORIES Set of 2.25mm…

THIS WARM and cosy winter wrap by Sandra Nesbitt features a stylised tartan pattern. This is achieved by working a slip stitch pattern in two different yarns - a solid brown shade, and a self-striping colourway. The yarns used are both aran-weights from West Yorkshire Spinners: the Fleece undyed Bluefaced Leicester, and the Aire Valley Fusions wool blend, which has subtle, harmonious colour changes. Sandra’s design is finished with simple moss stitch edgings which are knitted on to the main piece. SIZE Length: 188cm (74in). Width: 46cm (18in) YARN West Yorkshire Spinners Aire Valley Fusions Aran (Aran weight; 75% wool, 25% nylon; 200m/219yds per 100g ball) A Autumn Mix (862); 3 x 100g balls West Yorkshire Spinners Fleece Bluefaced Leicester Aran (Aran weight; 100% Bluefaced Leicester wool; 166m/182yds per 100g…

FULLING OR FELTING is the technique of turning natural fibres into a thick fabric, by exposing them to heat, moisture and agitation. This causes the fibres to mat together and shrink, creating a dense, wind- and water-resistant fabric, making it perfect for winter woollens or bags. The difference between felting and fulling is that felting is worked with unspun roving or fleece, which will usually be carded and combed first, while fulling is worked with a piece of knitted or woven fabric. Both produce similar results and tend to be widely known as felting, which is the term used by most designers and publications, ourselves included. Throughout this masterclass we use both terms; however, they refer to the latter process. When considering a fibre to felt or full, it is…

Abbreviations alt alternate approx approximately beg beginning ch chain cn cable needle cont continue dc double crochet (US single crochet) dec decrease (work two stitches together) DK double knitting DPN double-pointed needle dtr double treble (US treble crochet) est established foll following inc increase K knit KFB knit into front and back of stitch K2tog knit the next two stitches together kwise knitwise meas measures M1 make one (see M1L) M1pw make 1 st purlwise: with LH needle lift the strand between next and last st from front to back and purl through the back loop M1L left leaning increase: with left needle tip, lift strand between needles from front to back. Knit lifted loop through back of loop M1R right leaning increase: with left needle tip, lift strand between…

A CHEERFUL colour palette has been used for this pretty Fair Isle cardigan. The yoked design is knitted in the round with steeks that are cut open and reinforced. It uses Nordic Wool from Novita, which offers excellent stitch definition. SIZE YARN YARN STOCKISTS Novita www.novitaknits.com Available in the UK from John Lewis 03456 049 049 www.johnlewis.com NEEDLES & ACCESSORIES 3.25mm (UK 10/US 3) circular needles, 100-150cm long for body, and 80cm long for button bands 1 set 3.25mm (UK 10/US 3) double-pointed needles (DPNs) for cuffs 4mm (UK 8/US 6) circular needles, 80cm long, for body 1 set 4mm (UK 8/US 6) double-pointed needles for sleeves 3mm (UK 11/US C/2) crochet hook for steek Stitch markers 4 short stitch holders or waste yarn 8 (8:10:10:10:10:9:9:9) x 2cm buttons TENSION…

Dario Tubiana Italian designer Dario loves to play with construction and colour to create modern sweaters and accessories that are a delight to knit and wear. This month, he has designed a cosy poncho with a marled colourwork pattern that blends Rowan’s Hemp Tweed and Kidsilk Haze, on page 28. Lucy Hague Lucy grew up in Orkney, and her design work features a strong emphasis on cables, texture and lace. She has produced a number of books featuring Celtic-inspired cables, including Illuminated Knits and Celtic Cable Shawls. Turn to page 45 to find her intricate cushion design. Amanda Crawford Amanda’s knitwear design CV includes work for high-street fashion chains as well as knitting magazines and yarn companies, and her eye for the latest styles always shows through in her work.…

SHAWLS: KNIT IN STYLE Melanie Berg Shawl designer Melanie Berg, aka Mairlynd, has a worldwide following thanks to her beautiful designs. This book brings together 12 of her all-time favourite shawls, along with three brand-new projects. Using lace, stripes, short rows, textures and unusual stitch patterns, the shawls are sure to be enjoyable to knit and wear; all are thoroughly modern, yet offer a timeless beauty. £20 from www.tangled-yarn.co.uk CABLE COUTURE by Knit Picks To mark the start of ‘sweater season’, Knit Picks has released an e-book of nine cabled sweater patterns for women. The gorgeous designs include a figure-hugging cable and rib jumper, a relaxed honeycomb cable turtleneck, a sweater dress with a cowl neck, and a neat raglan jumper worked in cables and a colour gradient. There’s also…

A SHELL LIKE stitch with a vintage look decorates this jumper by Amanda Crawford. The lace pattern incorporates cluster stitches to form the bands of shell motifs, which are separated by lines of garter stitch in a contrast colour. The body and sleeves are knitted separately in the round, then joined to work the yoke; the neck also features a band of lace. Amanda’s design uses Illustrious by West Yorkshire Spinners, which is a cosy blend of wool and alpaca. SIZE YARN NEEDLES & ACCESSORIES 4mm (UK 8/US 6) circular needles, 80cm-150cm long Set of 4mm (UK 8/US 6) double-pointed needles (DPNs) Stitch markers TENSION 21 sts and 30 rows to 10cm over pattern on 4mm needles. 22 sts and 40 rows to 10cm over garter st on 4mm needles.…

SLANTING STRIPES make an impact on this unisex scarf design by Nicki Merrall. It is knitted in rows using the entrelac technique. Stitches are cast on for the length of the scarf, and then the triangles are worked one at a time along one side, before changing direction and working the triangles along the second side. The triangles are striped, with the number of stripes in each colour changing along the length, so that pink is the dominant colour at one end and grey at the other. Finally, an i-cord edge is worked around all four sides. SIZE 150cm x 19cm (59in x 7 in) YARN Baa Ram Ewe Winterburn DK (DK weight; 50% Bluefaced Leicester wool, 50% Masham wool; 230m/252yds per 100g skein) A Coal; 2 x 100g skeins…

INSPIRED BY the checkered flags used at motor races, this men’s sweater has a smart colourwork pattern in grey and black. It has been designed by Pat Menchini to fit chests of 36in-54in, and has a classic round-necked shape. “The contrast armhole edging not only gives a sleek look, but also gives the illusion that the design appears to be a slip-over tank when it isn’t!” says Pat. It’s knitted in an aran-weight wool blend from Rico. SIZE YARN Rico Design Creative Soft Wool Aran (Aran weight; 75% acrylic, 25% wool; 300m/328yds per 100g ball) NEEDLES & ACCESSORIES 1 pair 4mm (UK 8/US 6) knitting needles 1 pair 4.5mm (UK 7/US 7) knitting needles 1 pair 5mm (UK 6/US 8) knitting needles 2 stitch holders Stitch markers TENSION 22 sts…

MARY HENDERSON has used a range of Fair Isle motifs for her cowl and tam set, including the popular OXO pattern, a three-colour checkerboard, and tiny crosses and squares. Both accessories are edged with speckled ribbing, for a pretty touch. Mary has knitted her set in Kelbourne Woolens Andorra, a soft and smooth wool-mohair blend that comes in a choice of vintage-inspired colours. SIZE Tam Diameter after blocking: 28cm (11in) Depth from cast-on edge to top: 22cm (8 Rib circumference: 52cm (20 in) in) Cowl Depth from cast-on edge to cast-off edge: 22cm (8 in) Circumference: 72cm (28 in) YARN Kelbourne Woolens Andorra (Baby/sport weight; 60% merino wool, 20% Highland wool, 20% mohair; 169m/185yds per 50g skein) Tam 1 x 50g skein of each: A Blueberry; B Haint Blue; C…

I loved the neat silhouette of Kate Davies’ ‘Deco’ cardigan the moment I saw it, and couldn’t wait to cast on. All went well with the body and sleeves - even my first try with short-row sleeve caps, which seemed so complicated at first, but were so well explained that they went smoothly. After a series of mishaps including picking up and knitting too few and then way too many stitches on the button bands, I got in a bit of a huff and stuffed the whole thing in a cupboard for two years. I finally picked it up again this spring, only to find the rest of my lovely green yarn had gone missing in a house move! I used a grey yarn for the bands, and I’m pleased…

MARLING IS a technique where two or more strands of yarn are knitted together, either in different colours or yarn types. Dario Tubiana has used this technique on his bright poncho, to create a sequence of attractive speckled stripes. It’s knitted seamlessly in the round from the top down, using a variety of shades in Rowan’s Hemp Tweed and Kidsilk Haze yarn ranges. SIZE One size. Poncho measures 41cm (16in) around the neck, 150cm (59in) around the hem, and 47cm (18 in) long (excluding neck) YARN Rowan Hemp Tweed (DK weight; 25% hemp, 75% wool; 95m/104yds per 50g ball) A Granite (136); 2 x 50g balls 1 x 50g ball of each: B Teal (131); C Denim (133); D Plum (132); E Willow (146) Rowan Kidsilk Haze (Lace weight; 70%…

SARAH HATTON’S circular yoked jumper features a pretty stranded colourwork pattern worked in soft greys and pinks. It’s complemented by colourful corrugated ribbing; the neckline is finished with a pink garter stitch band. The CoopKnits Socks Yeah! DK yarn offers well defined stitches and a fantastic handle. It comes in 10 shades, and is machine-washable at 30°C. SIZE YARN NEEDLES & ACCESSORIES 3.25mm (UK 10/UK 3) circular needles, 80cm long 1 set 3.25mm (UK 10/US 3) double-pointed needles (DPNs) for cuffs 4mm (UK 8/US 6) circular needles, 80cm long 1 set 4mm (UK 9/US 6) DPNs for sleeves Stitch holders and markers TENSION 22 sts and 30 rows to 10cm over st st on 4mm needles YARN STOCKISTS CoopKnits c/o Fyberspates www.fyberspates.com/retailers CHART For general abbreviations, see p81 KEY BLOCKING…

THIS SOPHISTICATED cable cushion by Lucy Hague is worked in three pieces. First, the cabled front panel is worked in the round and from the centre out. The stitches of the front panel are cast off with an i-cord edging. Then the envelope-style back panels are worked flat, by picking up stitches along the i-cord edging. Finally, after blocking, the back panels are seamed at the edges of the cushion, and buttons are added. The cushion is worked in The Croft Shetland Colours Aran, a new yarn from West Yorkshire Spinners, which comes in a palette of 12 warm shades. SIZE 41cm x 41cm (16½ in x 16½ in) (to fit a 50cm/19¾ in square cushion pad) YARN West Yorkshire Spinners The Croft Shetland Colours Aran (Aran weight; 100% Shetland…

SIZE YARN Baa Ram Ewe Pip Colourwork (4ply weight; 100% British wool blend; 116m/126yds per 25g ball) Note: only a very small amount of yarn C is required, for working the flowers in duplicate stitch. NEEDLES & ACCESSORIES Set of 2.25mm (UK 13/US 1) double-pointed needles (DPNs), or circular needles, 60cm long, for Magic Loop method Set of 3.25mm (UK 10/US 3) DPNs, or circular needles, 60cm long, for Magic Loop method 3 stitch markers Waste yarn Tapestry needle TENSION 32 sts and 32 rounds to 10cm in stranded colourwork using 3.25mm needles YARN STOCKISTS Baa Ram Ewe 0113 278 1788 www.baaramewe.co.uk CHART KEY SPECIAL ABBREVIATIONS K1A/B: K1 in yarn A/B. For general abbreviations, see p81 DESIGNER SOPHIE McKane loves to use colour in graphic, unusual ways, and these mitts…

“THE DESIGN of this bag and its name were both inspired by a friend,” explains Barb Brown. “Her personality is electric and energized, plus she owned a yarn shop of this name. Electric sparks, electric shafts, mixed with traditional flowers, and not exactly identical from the left side to the right, all evoke her inspiring personality!” Barb’s bag is knitted in the round from the bottom up, and then felted. SIZE 30cm (12in) wide x 41cm (16in) tall, excluding handles, after felting YARN Cascade Yarns 220 (Worsted/heavy DK weight; 100% wool; 201m/220yds per 100g skein) A Red Wine Heather (9489); 2 x 100g skeins B Straw (4010); 1 x 100g skein NEEDLES & ACCESSORIES 6mm (UK 4/US 10) circular needles, 60cm long 2 stitch markers 1 toggle button TENSION 15…

SIZE 191cm (75in) long and 22cm (8½in) wide YARN Rowan Alpaca Classic (DK weight; 57% alpaca, 43% cotton; 120m/131yds per 25g ball) A Charcoal Mélange (102); 3 x 25g balls B Snowflake White (115); 4 x 25g balls C Soft Satin (116); 3 x 25g balls D Feather Grey Mélange (101); 2 x 25g balls E Noir (103); 1 x 25g ball NEEDLES & ACCESSORIES 1 pair 3.25mm (UK 10/US 3) knitting needles 1 pair 3.75mm (UK 9/US 5) knitting needles TENSION 26 sts and 28 rows to 10cm over patterned st st on 3.75mm needles YARN STOCKISTS Rowan 01484 950630 www.knitrowan.com For general abbreviations, see p81 CHARTS KEY THE FAIR Isle patterning on this scarf by Lisa Richardson has a modern, appealing look. It’s knitted in five neutral shades…

BARB BROWN, from Alberta in Canada, loves to create socks, bags, and other accessories influenced by folk textiles, and patterns inspired by the handknits of her Shetland-born great-grandmother. We chatted with Barb about her knitting life. Who inspired you to take up knitting? “I grew up surrounded by women who knitted - it was just one more job women did. I started to learn when I was around four years old, and sold my first hat when I was 12. It was around the same time that I began being interested in the history of my family, especially my great-grandmother Jeremina who came from the Shetland Islands. She emigrated to Canada in 1885, with her spinning wheel. My family still owned (and wore) sweaters she had made from her hand-spun.”…

SCANDINAVIAN style has been hugely popular around the world in recent years, and no one captures the ‘New Nordic’ aesthetic better than Finnish yarn company Novita. The brand launched its yarns in the UK this autumn through John Lewis stores, and its design team combines traditional and modern elements of Scandinavian knitting to offer patterns that are cosy, stylish, practical and fun. Based in Helsinki, the Novita design team is incredibly hard-working, producing more than 500 patterns each year for its magazines and website. “All our in-house designers are from Finland, although we do also work with Swedish and other European freelancers,” explains Erika Appelström, Novita’s brand director. “We plan to cooperate more and more with Scandinavian and European freelancers in the future, too - we are always looking for…