May Madness! 25% off!

May madness is here!

Dress from Noro Jewels by Claudia Wersing, knitted in Noro Tokonatsu

 

Until 26th May, you can get a massive 25% off everything using the code MAY15 when you spend over £20 (ex VAT).

Why not treat yourself to a pair of socks in Arne and Carlos’ gorgeous new sock yarn for Regia?  We love the cleverly planned colour changes in this stunning yarn!

Or how about a lovely lace weight cardi?  This cute pattern takes just one or two balls of Juniper Moon Farm Findley!

Happy Knitting!

Knit.Purl, Knitscene and Knitting Traditions now in stock!

Three gorgeous new magazines from Interweave Press have just been delivered into our eager hands!

First up we’ve got Knit.Purl (Spring/Summer 2015):

Full of stylish understated knits with thoughtful details and a modern edge, Knit.Purl always proves popular, so don’t wait to long to get your copy!

We love the gorgeous Featherfall Cardigan by Jenifer Dassau, which would look stunning knitted in Louisa Harding Grace Harmonies.

Next, we’ve got the latest issue of Knitscene (Summer 2015):

We love the Taffy Cowl by Faye Kennington:

We think it would look fabulous in Fyberspates Vivacious DK, best of all, you’d only need one skein!

Last but not least is Knitting Traditions:

With lots of interesting articles on the history of knitting in various cultures, Knitting Traditions is a fascinating read, with plenty of knitting patterns too.

Happy Knitting!

Kim Hargreaves Echoes now in stock!

The latest gorgeous new book from Kim Hargreaves has arrived!

Featuring 21 designs for summer, this book is packed full of the classic wearable shapes that Kim is famous for.

Here are our favourites (it was pretty hard to choose!):

Wave by Kim Hargreaves shown in Rowan Kidsilk Haze #642/Ghost
To fit bust: 32 (34: 36: 38: 40: 43) inches
Yarn Required: 6 (7: 7: 8: 8: 9) 25g balls

We love this sheer cardi knitted in kitten soft Rowan Kidsilk Haze held double. Perfect for snuggling into on a cool evening, this is the kind of thing we’d end up living in all summer.

Coral by Kim Hargreaves shown in Rowan Panama #325/Darkness
To fit bust: 32 (34: 36: 38: 40: 43) inches
Yarn required: 6 (7: 7: 8: 8: 9) 50g balls

This cute cropped cardi in Rowan Panama would make a very chic extra layer for summer days and is easy to dress up or down.  Subtle textured stripes keep things interesting and the viscose, cotton and linen blend Panama yarn is perfect for warmer weather.

Shell by Kim Hargreaves shown in Rowan Summerlite 4ply #419/Duck Egg
One Size
Yarn required 2 x 50g balls

If you fancy a smaller project, why not try this pretty cabled hat for a quick knitting fix?  Knitted in Rowan Summerlite 4ply, choose one of the soft chalky shades available in this yarn to really show off the delicate details.

Tide by Kim Hargreaves shown in Rowan Handknit Cotton #347/Slate
To fit bust: 32 (34: 36: 38: 40: 43) inches
Yarn Required: 16 (17: 18: 18: 19: 20) 50g balls

Last but not least, we adore the stunning cables and texture in this relaxed fit sweater.  Knitted in Rowan Handknit Cotton, this design really makes the most of the wonderfully crisp stitch definition of this yarn.

Which is your favourite?

Kim Hargreaves Echoes is available to buy here.

Happy Knitting!

20% off Rowan Yarns!

We like to give our customers a little treat every now and then and this weekend we thought we’d give you 20% off all full price Rowan yarns until Tuesday 31st March!

Just enter the code ROW2015 at the checkout to receive your discount.

So why not treat yourself to a new knitting project for spring?  There a plenty of gorgeous things to choose from in the new Spring/Summer ranges, such as this pretty tunic from Rowan’s Summerlite 4ply book.

Or why not try a bit of crochet?  The Rowan Crochet Along has started this week and the patterns are free to download on the Rowan website (click the picture above to download the first set of patterns).  The project uses Rowan Summerlite 4ply and there are three colour schemes to choose from, which you can read more about in our blog post here.

If you fancy a cardi for summer, we love this design by Sarah Hatton from the Rowan Cotton Lustre book. We have this sample in our shop and it’s proved very popular thanks to it’s gorgeous drape and flattering lines. Cotton Lustre is a tape yarn which knits up into a beautifully smooth fabric with a wonderful drape and subtle sheen. It has lovely stitch definition too!

Our last (but not least) favourite pick is this top from the Rowan Tetra Cotton book.  Knitted sideways, it has an interesting texture thanks to the columns of slipped stitches running horizontally across the garment.  A DK weight cotton yarn with a surprisingly lightweight construction, Tetra Cotton is a lovely yarn for summer, knitting up relatively quickly, but producing garments without too much bulk.

So go on, treat yourself!  Don’t forget to use the code ROW2015 at the checkout to receive your discount.

Happy Knitting!

Interweave Crochet Spring 2015 is here!

Spring has sprung and it brings with it the latest issue of Interweave Crochet magazine!

Filled with intriguing techniques and beautiful projects, this latest issue of Interweave Crochet is a real treat.

We love this pretty summer sweater by Doris Chan, which would look just as good with your favourite jeans or a summer dress.  Why not try it in Sirdar Cotton DK?

The striped Zen Sweater by Natasha Robarge has caught our eye too, we love the subtle lace stripes and the pops of colour amongst the grey background!  We think it would crochet up beautifully in Debbie Bliss Rialto 4ply or Fyberspates Scrumptious 4ply.

If you fancy trying a new technique, why not have a go at the Dogwood Scarf by Suzann Thompson?  This scarf uses a crochet technique based on freeform crochet and Irish crochet, called crochet charm lace.  A fascinating and very detailed tutorial is included, allowing you not only to make the scarf exactly as pictured, but also giving you the knowledge needed to branch out and make a crochet charm lace project of your own design.

Really inspirational!  We can’t wait to try it out.  If you fancy making your own Dogwood scarf, Fyberspates Vivacious DK has some beautiful hand dyed colours similar to those shown, or you could try Debbie Bliss Rialto DK or even Juniper Moon Farm Moonshine.

You can find Interweave Crochet Spring 2015 on our website here.

Happy Crocheting!

New from Debbie Bliss: Eco Baby Prints

The latest fun new yarn from Debbie Bliss for babies and children is the gorgeously soft new Eco Baby Prints!

There’s also a lovely new book to accompany the yarn:

Filled to the brim with super-cute patterns for babies and children, we’ve had trouble choosing our favourites from this book, but here are just a few:

We love these tiny buttoned bootees!  They would make a lovely gift for a new and take just one ball.  The perfect opportunity to try out variegated yarn on a small scale.

This little chevron patterned dress using Eco Baby Prints and Eco Baby is great for layering with colourful leggings, pretty but still perfect for running around in!

We adore the elbow patches on this jumper, a little detail that makes this sweater bang up to date.

…And last but certainly not least, this simple dress with pleated neckline is both pretty and practical.

Want to see all the designs in the book?  Check them out here!

Made from the same beautiful fairtrade organic cotton as Debbie’s popular Eco Baby yarn, Eco Baby Prints is available in ten fabulous variegated shades and knits to the same tension as Eco Baby and Baby Cashmerino, so you can also use patterns for those yarns too!

Happy Knitting!

 

New Yarn: Debbie Bliss Delphi

Fancy a quick knit ready for summer?

Then Delphi, the new yarn from Debbie Bliss could be just the thing for you!

A quick knit on 8mm needles, Delphi is a beautiful cotton tape yarn available in gently shifting tonal shades.

The accompanying book, Delphi is full of stylish summer knits that will fit easily into your summer wardrobe.

Here are some of our favourites:

This beautiful sweater uses slipped stitch colour work to great advantage, achieving a stunning effect using only one colour at a time!

If you prefer knitting lace designs, how about this pretty leaf lace sweater?  We love the way that the leaf pattern creates gentle ripples of colour when knitted in a shaded yarn like Delphi.

If you fancy something a little more simple, this stylish waterfall jacket is a chic option and would go with anything in your spring/summer wardrobe.

Debbie Bliss Delphi yarn can be found on our website here and the book can be found here. Want a closer look at the designs in the book (including more that we couldn’t feature here)?  Take a look at the pattern index!

Happy Knitting!

Filigree by Marie Wallin

Filigree, Marie Wallin’s latest beautiful collection of designs has arrived and this time the collection focuses on light summery crochet pieces.

Worked in new Rowan Summerlite 4ply, a beautiful matt cotton yarn, in shades of crisp white and elegant pale dove grey; Marie’s third collection as an independent designer is full of delicate designs perfect for summer layering.

Half of the designs are worked in just crochet, but the other half use a clever combination of knit and crochet stitches to create interesting effects.

The patterns feature ethereal lacy crochet stitches and the pale colour palette lets the stitches do the talking.  We love this pretty crocheted cardigan, just the thing to throw on when the Great British Summer (frequently) takes a cooler turn!

Or how about mixing knitting and crochet?  This cute little top with a knitted body and crocheted sleeves really uses the different properties of knit and crochet fabrics to their best advantage.

Our final favourite pick from the book is this lovely jacket made from square crochet motifs with knitted rib sleeves and collar, another great summer cover up, this would look just as great with jeans and a camisole or with a light summer dress.

You can find Marie’s latest book on our website here and take a look at the other designs in the collection here.

Happy Knitting and Crocheting!

Out now! Debbie Bliss Magazine Spring/Summer 2015

The latest issue of Debbie Bliss Magazine (issue 14, Spring/Summer 2015) is available now!

Featuring 30 patterns for women, men, children and the home, this issue has a great variety of Spring and Summer projects to suit everyone.

From the pretty light summer top on the cover in Rialto Lace (which only takes 2 – 3 balls!) to cute knits for kids, there’s plenty to keep your needles busy!

Get your copy here!

Happy Knitting!

New in: Louisa Harding Anise

Our next new arrival is Louisa Harding Anise:

Anise is chunky cotton blend tape yarn, printed in a stunning array of spice inspired shades.

The accompanying pattern book contains a range of free spirited and flattering summer knits from stunning waistcoats (like the one above) and dresses to beautiful shawls and sweaters.

We love this poncho, a perfect cover up for the change in seasons:

…This lace edged top hits that sweet spot between interesting to knit and simple enough to be relaxing to make:

….and we love the cabled neckline on this relaxed sweater:

Which will you make?

Happy Knitting!