Behind The Pattern KAL with The Loom Shed!

I'm super-excited to team up with Liz and Louise from The Loom Shed for a "Behind the Pattern" Knit-A-Long (KAL)! Join us in January on zoom to knit my Merrow Berries Shawl over four 1 hour sessions. At the start of each session I'll be talking about the design decisions "behind the pattern" and I'm really looking forward to interesting discussions about topics such as yarn and colour choices and shawl shaping!

This KAL is the perfect opportunity to use 4ply yarns from your stash, including sock yarn and mini-skeins. This can be as one ball/ skein or as smaller amounts of yarn as long as the total meterage is a minimum of 380m/415yds.

You may wish to make your final yarn choice and colour order after session 1 when I'll describe how I customised and extended my shawl to a larger size using multiple mini-skein shades.

Here's a little bit more about the shawl pattern. The Merrow Berries triangular shawl is inspired by branches and berries in the rain. The shawl is knitted as a long right-angled triangle with a series of stitch patterns that are gradually extended as the shawl grows. The shawl is worked as a right angled triangle, knitted from tip to wide cast off. The outer shawl edges are knitted in garter stitch, with the cast off edge worked in a picot pattern. The stitch pattern begins with a wrap stitch, which is knitted by drawing a loop of yarn through from the back of the work to the front, creating a small diagonal knitted line. In the second pattern section, this is extended with a large double-eyelet. The third pattern section includes textured garter stitch rows.

Booking is now open on The Loom Shed website and I hope to see you in January!

Recent Patterns in The Knitter Magazine!

I’m really delighted that over the last few months several of my designs have been published in The Knitter Magazine!

Here’s a round-up of the patterns, starting with my Avebury Cardigan in the current Issue 182. The Natural History Museum in London is full of geometric, decorative details, and this design was inspired by one small wall section. The stitch pattern is knitted as a series of blocks placed next to each other, joining the zigzag cables and creating partial shapes. These shapes are separated by horizontal lines of reverse stocking stitch ridges. The cardigan is hip length, knitted flat from the bottom up and is knitted in Rowan's gorgeous Softyak DK yarn. The lovely yellow shade is called Jaune!

My Mezereon Top was published in issue 180. This cap-sleeve top combines twisted stitch cables with a large eyelet openwork pattern to create a geometric design. The diamonds alternate between narrow and wide shapes, with each diamond containing a single large eyelet. The offset placement of the diamonds creates an impression of movement within the zigzagging twisted stitch lines. Mezereon is knitted in The Fibre Co.’s Cumbria, a beautifully soft yarn which has a subtle gleam and a heathered look. This gorgeous shade is called Calluna.

Issue 179 featured my Epidote top on the cover! This design was inspired by the bubbles contained in a lava lamp! The two sizes of circle-shaped bubbles are knitted using twisted stitches. Each bubble centre is knitted in stocking stitch and is surrounded by reverse stocking stitch - this creates an impression of a layered pattern with multiple moving bubbles. The bubble pattern emerges from the lower border, and partial bubbles blend into the stocking stitch sides. The gorgeous yarn is Cascade 220 Heathers in the wonderful shade of Lake Chelan.

All images are from The Knitter Magazine and were taken by The Shed Photo Studio.