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Sunshine knits
Elements, the soft, lustrous yarn from West Yorkshire Spinners, is available in eight delicious new hues
£4.50 per 50g; www.wyspinners.com
TIMELESS STYLE
Quail Studio has added more sophisticated designs to its knit + wear luxury knitting kit range. The new sweater collection offers a choice of wardrobe essentials, in styles to suit every knitter and using luxurious alpaca yarns.
Among the new knitting kits is ‘Stow’, a loose-fitting, poncho-style design with raglan shaping and sloped hems. ‘Grove’ is a drop-sleeve design with a V-neck and ribbed sleeves, and ‘Limestone’ is a lightweight jumper with a high neckline. For colder days, there’s the turtleneck ‘Beech’ sweater knitted in Rowan’s Brushed Fleece yarn.
Kits are available as one-time purchases, or you can subscribe and receive a kit every quarter. Garment designs come in a size range of XS to XXL, and prices start from £85. www.knitandwear.co
Rose Cottage is a limited edition bundle of mini skeins from Ginger Pink Yarns, and is a lovely choice for colourwork accessories. The 4ply blend of Corriedale wool and mohair is hand dyed using natural plant dyes, and each bundle contains five 20g mini skeins.
£24; www.gingerpinkyarns.com
SHETLAND STAR
The official hat for Shetland Wool Week has been unveiled, and it’s a beautiful design from the event’s patron for 2023, Alison Rendall. Her ‘Buggiflooer Beanie’ pattern has floral motifs based on the sea campion which grows around Alison’s house on Shetland. The pattern costs £1 for a PDF download, or £2 for a printed copy, and the funds raised will be used to support Shetland Wool Week. www.shetlandwoolweek.com
Allover by Kate Davies Designs
The timeless beauty of stranded colourwork knitting is showcased in the brand-new book from Kate Davies, Allover. Its 14 modern, colourful designs were inspired by the knitting traditions of Scandinavia and Shetland.
Beautiful garments include a seamless sweater with a snowflake-patterned yoke, a classic Fair Isle jumper, a cosy yoked sweater decorated with diamonds and lice stitch, and a neat cardigan with colourwork stripes.
We love the ‘Starnkeeker’ vest with its pattern of stripes and stars, and the ‘Solas Biorach’ open cardigan, which has a modern shape and construction, and colourwork inspired by the phenomenon of St Elmo’s Fire.
The book contains a range of accessories, too; there are two pairs of vibrantly patterned socks, a two-tone hat, and a hot water bottle cover decorated with a large star. ‘Mirlin’
