IndieGAL 2023

This year, like a few before, I am taking part in the awesome IndieGAL. It’s a great event hosted on Ravelry promoting the talents of many independent designers of knitwear or crochet. At the start of the event you can get 25% discount on 20 of each participating designers’ patterns, but the best part of this event is the knit a long that follows over the next month. Knit as many of the eligible patterns as you wish and you have a chance of winning prizes galore. The code to claim your discount is indiegal2023.
Are you planning on taking part?

Here are some of my favourite patterns from designers taking part. These are all direct links to Ravelry.

This is some of the adorable patterns by Affiknity Knits. Anjali creates cute designs for kids and great accessories for adults! Here’s a link to her pattern store on Ravelry: https://www.ravelry.com/designers/anjali

Very sweet designs from Patchwork Moose. If I ever learn to crochet, these will be at the top of the list! Here is a link to their pattern site on Ravelry: https://www.ravelry.com/designers/kate-e-hancock

Susanne of SOSUknits has an amazing eye for colour. I just adore the combinations in her images! Check out more of her work on her Ravelry designer page: https://www.ravelry.com/designers/susanne-sommer

I’ve never been one for designing shawls so it’s good there are other designers that are really good at just that! Check out Leela’s awesome work here: https://www.ravelry.com/designers/leela-frankcombe

Socks are also beyond me, but there are so many amazing designers that create brilliant patterns to make socks. Amongst them is Nicole Simmons and her work can be viewer here: https://www.ravelry.com/designers/nicole-simmons

Want to make your own Christmas decorations? Check out these cute crochet patterns! Everything from reindeer to Santa to tiny elves. We’ll be ready for you, Christmas! https://www.ravelry.com/designers/jennifer-percival

Just wow! Such gorgeous use of mosaic knitting and absolutely elevated through the choice of a natural neutral colour palette. More patterns can be found on Cheryl Faust’s Ravelry page: https://www.ravelry.com/designers/cheryl-faust

I really like Amy of Barouqe Purls’ designs and the little tree cones she just realised are really quite something. Check out all her work here: https://www.ravelry.com/designers/amy-van-de-laar

I’ve long been an admirer of Faye’s work. Those bunny ear slippers are just incredibly adorable. My daughter might just need a pair for Christmas. And maybe I do too… https://www.ravelry.com/designers/faye-kennington

Gorgeous, size inclusive designs from Kat, the designer behind Mooreville Chalk. Check out her colourful and interesting designs here: https://www.ravelry.com/designers/kat-riddell

I hope you feel inspired to take part in the event. Come join the chat, take part in a competition and maybe even win a prize! Hope ti see you there! https://www.ravelry.com/groups/indie-design-gift-a-long?s=tab

FO - Maddie Dress for Alma

With the beautiful weather we had a few weeks back I decided to take my daughter out for a little photo shoot. She loved twirling and running through the buttercup fields and we had a great time! The photos turned out pretty good too!

The dress is Maddie Children’s Dress and it can be found here

The yarn is Yarnadelic in colour Pink Moon by John Arbon Textiles and can be bought here.

New patterns - Melanie

It’s been a while, but finally I have got something new to show you! It’s a bit like with busses, you wait and wait and wait and all of a sudden two come along at once. The two patterns are Melanie Jumper and Melanie Child’s Jumper; a mini version of the big one!

Both the jumpers have become firm favourites in this house, I wear both the pink and the white one a lot and Alma does her shocking pink jumper. She wears it with dresses or jeans and thinks the colour of the MillaMia yarn is fantastic!

You can read more about the adult Melanie Jumper here and the kids version here. The patterns can be found in my own Payhip store, on Ravelry and on LoveCrafts.

Snow Lantern

Have you ever seen a snow lantern before? These little pyramids of snow and light are a common sight in Norway in the winter, but I have come to realise that they are not so common here in the UK. Snow is a rare sight here and I always try to make the most out of the precious snow days we get. On Sunday it snowed, beautiful big flakes and it settled just long enough to allow us a little bit of play time in the garden. Alma and I had a snow ball fight and then we made a lantern. If you would like to try make one, here’s how. Make snowballs. Quite a lot of snowballs. Place them in a circle and then start making a cone shape by placing new snowballs on top. Once you are about half way up, place a candle or a couple of tea lights inside and light them. Finish building the cone until it is closed. Sit back and watch the beautiful light display you have created! Perfect for making dark and cold nights feel a little less dark and cold.

WIP - Maddie Christmas Dress

In October I cast on for a new project. One that I have wanted to knit for a long time! My favourite design for kids, the Maddie Dress, for my own little girl! I have chosen Yarnadelic in the gorgeous pink shade, Pink Moon, and it is just the right amount of pink for Alma and just the right amount of not for me. I am knitting the second size (5-6 years) for my girl who is 4 1/2 hoping it will last her a couple of Christmases. I love the way the leaf pattern flows around the circumference of the skirt and I chose to work one more leaf pattern to get even more leafy gorgeousness.

I love how the body of the dress has turned out. The cute leaf pattern at the central back is so much fun to knit and makes an otherwise simple top half a touch of extra interest, both for knitting and wearing! Alma is excited to try it on, she wants to twirl!
We have decided to spend Christmas at home again this year, as we did last year, and part of me is quite looking forward to it. There is something special about creating our own traditions as a family and hopefully wearing mum’s handmade creations will be part of those traditions for a few years to come.

Just got the sleeves to do now, and as I am sure most knitters can testify to, that can take some time…

GIVE AWAY

GIVE AWAY!!

October is my birthday month and I usually do a little something to celebrate with you all and this year I have decided to do a massive give away! To take part you have to do three things:

* Go sign up to my mailing list (click on ABOUT in the top menu)

*Follow me on Instagram

*Tag a friend in the comments of the competition post on Instagram

If you have already signed up to my mailing list and follow me on insta all you need to do is tag in comments!

You can win everything in this photo; 2 balls of Alpaca Supreme from @knitsirdar, 2 balls of Tynn Alpakka from @dustorealpakka, 2 skeins of Vidalana Oasis from @Knitcrate, 2 skeins of Audine Wools Mellow from @Knitcrate, a weekly planner, a cute notebook, an inspirational fridge magnet and 3 PDF patterns of your choice of my self published designs.

In addition I will post all this to you free of charge wherever you are in the world!

Competition will run until midnight (GMT) 11th of October 2021 and the winner will be announced on the 12th of October.

This give away is in no way endorsed or sponsored by instagram, Knitcrate, Sirdar or Du Store Alpakka. However, the yarn from Knitcrate was given to me as a part of an affiliate program. Should you wish to join Knitcrate, you can find my affiliate link in my Instagram profile. Use code KHRANE20 for a discount!

Good luck, everyone!

Duchess Cardigan

What do you do when you have worn your knitwear literally threadbare? Make a new one, of course! This is my own design, Duchess Cardigan, and I have worn my original version for years and years. When it first got worn under the arms, I mended it with duplicate stitch, but the area has gotten bigger and bigger and it was just getting too much to fix in the end. The only thing to do was to knit a new version!

I chose to make my new Duchess Cardigan in the gorgeous yarn from John Arbon Textiles, Yarnadelic. I had swatched with the yarn previously and new that the tension I achieved with this yarn was similar to that of the original yarn this pattern was written for. Although the wool yarn does not quite have the same heave drape as alpaca, the luxurious softness and drape of Yarnadelic is not far off. The stitch definition is stunning and it even comes in a colour not far from my original one, which I absolutely love.

The shade I chose is called Ordinary Joe and it is gorgeous. The fibre content of this yarn is 100% Falklands Corriedale. The Corriedale sheep are kept on the Falkland islands and the yarn is dyed and spun in the UK. Head over to the John Arbon Textiles website if you would like to learn more about their yarn.

Duchess Cardigan was designed in 2009 and it is still one of my absolute favourite designs to wear. The cropped style goes perfectly with dresses or jumpsuits and the draped fronts are so elegant. The basket weave stitch at the front and the cable pattern at the back makes this such an interesting knit and the texture of the finished garment is just beautiful.

Do you have a favourite design you would consider knitting again? Drop me a comment below to share it with me. I would love to know!

Scoop Shop Cardi

How fabulous is Alma’s “cool pose” in her new cardigan? It’s actually been a while since this project was completed but as with most things this year it has taken me a little while to tell you all about it! Now that autumn is here and knitting season has begun for real, I am getting the urge to share again so prepare for more frequent blogs, social media posts and newsletters (not signed up yet? Do it here!)

Scoop Shop Cardi is a pattern by Jennifer L. Parroccini Designs. It is sized from 2-12 years and it is a really fun knit. The pattern has some of the most detailed instructions of any pattern I have followed and it was a joy to make. It included some techniques I had not tried before and the step by step instructions made it straight forward to try. I loved the tubular cast on technique but I must admit I omitted the stretchy bind off using a sewing needle. At that point I really just wanted to finish and the bind off was just taking me too long to do. Good news though, the good old cast off worked just fine, just be careful not to make it too tight as you’ll lose the elasticity of the rib.

Alma really loves the cardigan. Like most 4 year olds she thinks poo is hilarious. For some reason she has decided that the bobbles are little poos and for that reason she loves the cardigan even more! She also got to pick her own buttons which included one of her favourite activities; rummaging through my buttons box! She chose these pretty leaves from Textile Garden, in my opinion, and excellent choice!

I’ll share a few more finished objects with you over the next few weeks as I actually have a few to show off so stay tuned! For now, head over to JP Knits and check out this fabulous pattern alongside many more!

WIP - Scoop Shop Cardi

I recently joined in a new event called the Uplift Make Along. It’s a make along with a focus on smaller, independent designers. When joining you chose a porject to work on from a designer you feel need a bit more promotion and attention. You share your project and hopefully in doing so, create a buzz around the designer and their work. Anyone can join in and there is a good mix of knitters, crocheters and designers taking part. It has been running for a while already but it is not too late to join in still! It runs until the end of June.

My chosen project is the Scoop Shop Cardi by JP Knits and I have been loving it! As with most things at the moment it is taking me forever to finish, but I am enjoying the process and as Alma most likely won’t need it until autumn, there’s no rush!

The design has a nice mix of textures and techniques making it a challenging and interesting knit. I have picked up some new skills too, a hand knitted tubular cast on was not something I had done before and I have enjoyed getting to grips with it.

If you fancy giving it a go, here’s a link to the designers website.

DIY wedding dress?

This last year has been a tough one. So many events have had to be changed, cancelled or postponed. With things seemingly taking a turn for the better in the UK, do we dear to start planning again? A huge part of any wedding is the bride’s outfit. Having undertaken the task of making my own wedding dress, I can definitely confirm it can be an emotional rollercoaster! The tears I shed over planning and making it made me question my choice of making my dress, but the joy and pride I felt wearing it made it all worthwhile.
Over the years so many of you brave knitters have taken on the task of knitting your own wedding outfits using one of my knitting patterns as a starting point. I can’t even begin to explain what an amazing feeling it is for a designer that someone chooses to make one of their designs, let alone for such a special occasion. Thank you , one and all!

Nora from Bergen, Norway chose to make a Maddie Dress for her elopement to the Faroe Islands. She loved the look of the styled photo from the cover photo of the dress and purchased a black petticoat from Vivien of Holloway. Using a timer for the camera, Nora and her husband even took their own wedding photos! An incredible DIY effort!

The woman behind the instagram account @ethjerteavull knitted herself a version of the Icon Dress for her wedding day. The off white yarn she chose really makes the cables pop and the wedding photos taken in the woods are just so atmospheric!

Irene chose a dusk grey version of the Duchess Cardigan to compliment her vintage 1920’s wedding dress. The contrast between the woolly alpaca yarn and the delicate lace made this outfit truly special!

Feel inspired? Check out my Payhip store for more inspiration!

KnitCrate Affiliate

This blog post contains affiliate links.

I know I am not the only one to have found this last year a bit of a rollercoaster, both personally and professionally. Having to juggle constant changes and many roles is not easy. One day I am a freelance designer working from home, the next day I am a full time mum creating collages with a three year old. I have found my time with my daughter very rewarding but I have missed being able to focus on work. My work is an important part of me and I enjoy what I do. When my daughter went back to her childcare setting at the beginning of March I was again looking forward to getting stuck back into some work so you can imaging my disappointment when I promptly developed tennis elbow in one arm and thumb pain in the other…

I have come to realise over the course of this pandemic that my well being is very much a wholistic approach. I need some time to myself, some quality family time, some time to exercise, some time to cook (and eat!) and some time to work. The exercise part has definitely been the part taking the hit and I have gradually lost muscle tone. This has contributed to my arms not being able to handle as much knitting as they used to, so being thrown back into full time knitting was not ideal.

Now I am coming to the headline topic of this post, KnitCrate. I have realised that my work is very focused on one thing; knitting and writing patterns, but what happens when I am not able to knit as much anymore? I have realised that broadening the ways I work is a good idea and when KnitCrate contacted me about being a brand ambassador it seemed like the perfect fit! I have previously worked with KnitCrate designing three patterns for one of their boxes. You may recognise Apex Wrap and the Litz set? KnitCrate has always been a brilliant company to work with and I am really looking forward to testing some more of their products!

The way that this collaboration works is that I get to test some of their crates and share my thoughts with you. I have been provided with what is called an affiliate link and a discount code. If you would like to test KnitCrate for yourself you can use my code KHRANE20 to get 20% discount on your first monthly subscription crate. If you use this link to make your purchase I get paid a percentage of the purchase price.

So, I received my first KnitCrate in the middle of realising I had tennis elbow and wasn’t able to work on any of my current WIPs. Along came a skein of bright yellow sock yarn to cheer me up! At first I was ambivalent. Bright yellow and sparkly bits certainly isn’t something I would usually go for. Then my husband reminded me that I have a three year old daughter who loves bright colours AND sparkly things and an idea started to take shape. I saw a fellow KnitCrate subscriber on Instagram who had used the same skein to knit a lovely top for her daughter and I decided this was the ideal project for me. The pattern was Raindrops by Tin Can Knits and I was off. This project provided enough entertainment for a knitting enthusiast like me whilst ticking all the boxes for my recovery. No fancy stitches, no cables and a whole lot of stocking stitch in the round. The project would not end up being heavy on the needles, which seemed to be the main culprit for my arm pain, and the end product would be a perfect spring top for my daughter.

My skein of lovely yellow yarn was beautifully soft to touch and provided me with 365m (400yds) of Vidalana Glam Sock, a blend of 70% Superwash Merino, 10% Silk, 10% Stellina, and 10% Nylon. I have really enjoyed knitting with this yarn and although it never became socks I think the top will become a much loved garment by its recipient. I am planning to give my daughter the top in her Easter egg this year, so I will keep you updated on her response!

My verdict on my first KnitCrate box is that if you, like me, have found yourself lacking inspiration and motivation, a subscription box can provide a lovely little surprise injection to your creativity! Click here to have a look at what is on offer!

Muna knitted by Bambi

This is a stunning version of my Muna Jumper! This one is knitted by Bambi and she looks fantastic in her jumper. Only a couple of weeks ago I shared a knitting project with you of this same jumper made by Olivia and it is so amazing to see how it is possible to make this design just right for you with some very simple alterations. Olivia made the sleeves full length while Bambi has stayed true to the pattern and gone for the 3/4 length sleeve. Olivia made the body of the jumper slightly cropped while Bambi has (I think) added a little length.

Bambi has chosen to work this pattern in full rib rather than the fisherman’s rib and this creates a slightly tighter rib look. I love how Bambi has made this design her own and it really suits her. The yarn she has worked in is Tuscan Air from Plymouth Yarn and the beautiful colour is called Brick Heather.

Muna Jumper is available to buy from my Payhip store, LoveCrafts and Ravelry. The pattern is graded from XS - XL and comes with schematic with measurements. The design is worked flat and bottom up with set in sleeves.

Kids Craft - Embroidery

I don’t know if you are feeling the same, but lockdown 3.0 is definitely challenging my creativity on a whole new level! With Alma’s nursery closing for all but kids of key workers I am again finding myself being a full time mum. During the first lockdowns I found the situation incredibly frustrating, I really wanted to work, but this time round I find myself in a mindset of acceptance instead. I feel like I have embraced the situation much better and I feel much happier for it. However I am definitely finding it tricky to think of new and interesting things to do! When I cam across the fab instagram profile of @minimadthings I was excited! Lots of good ideas that doesn’t require too much stuff and is achievable for a 3 year old to do! Yay!

Today I chose to test one of the embroidery ideas and it was a huge success so I thought I’d share it with you!

You’ll need:
1 piece of card
Yarn scraps
Blunt darning needle
Kids scissors
Whole punch

Cut a circle of card (or any shape you like really) and punch holes all around the edge. Secure the yarn end to the card. I used yarn held double and tied it to one of the holes to begin. Use the needle to work the yarn into the holes in any random pattern the child fancies. Join new colours of yarn by knotting them onto the old yarn. Tie a ribbon to one end to make it possible to hang it up! Alma could do nearly everything her self but needed some help with tying the new yarn on and adding the ribbon.

Hope you will enjoy it as much as we did!

Muna knitted by Olivia

Occasionally when I come across a photo of one of my designs, my heart skips a beat and this certainly happened when I spotted Olivia’s photos of her Muna jumper! Everything about this project is just beautiful!

Olivia chose a stunning, bright blue for her jumper and it really makes the jumper a stand out piece. The yarn she used is from Knit Picks and it is 100% Peruvian wool. It seems to have the perfect mix of loft and drape making it a great yarn for this design.

One of the great things about knitting is that you can make the design unique to you by making small changes and Olivia has done just that. She omitted about twenty rows of length in the body making it a slightly cropped jumper and it really works! She has also added length to the sleeves giving her the perfect sleeves to wrap her fingers up in when it is cold. Paired with her checked, high waisted trousers it makes a fab look.

Olivia has chosen a great location for her photo shoot. The blustery wind and the grey sea in the background gives us the perfect atmosphere and I can honestly imagine what a joy it must be to wrap up in this cosy jumper! I am so grateful Olivia let me share her photos with you and if you want to read more of Olivia’s helpful project notes you can find her finished project over on Ravelry where she is @oliviahoak. You can also find more of Olivia’s projects on her instagram profile @icastmending.

If you would like to knit your own Muna Jumper you can read more about it here or just head straight over to my Payhip store where you can purchase the pattern. The pattern can also be bought on LoveCrafts and Ravelry.

Gumnut by OGE Knitwear Design

In October whilst on our mini break in Scotland we met up with some good friends for a walk and a chat. Our dogs played nicely together and although the Scottish weather was giving us rain and wind it was a real treat to be able to catch up with someone in person. We learnt that they were expecting a baby in January, such brilliant news, and they asked if I could knit a romper for the new arrival. Of course I agreed and after much research (who doesn’t like looking at adorable baby clothes on instagram!) I landed on Gumnut Cardigan and Romper from OGE knitwear designs. I really like OGE knitwear designs and have knitted some of their designs before, the favourite being their Norwegian Fir Cardigan.

I used yarn from my stash for this one; Tynn from Du Store Alpakka. I started with the cardigan. It is a top down construction with raglan increases for the sleeves. The lace pattern is simple and intuitive but I would highly recommend reading through the entire pattern before starting to understand when to work the chart.

The romper is worked from the bottom up and in two pieces. The lace pattern from the cardigan repeats in a panel at the front of the romper and it is a really cute detail! This knits up very quickly and the finishing is minimal; sew up side seams, work the bands for the leg openings and sew on the buttons. I found a selection of buttons from my stash that worked perfectly for this project and I am very pleased with the end result.

You can buy the yarn here: Linde Hobby

You can buy the pattern here: OGE Knitwear Designs

My buttons were from here: Textile Garden

I made the smallest size of the romper (0-6 months) and the second size of the cardigan (3-6 months) and it fitted the 1 month old baby really well with some room to grow. I will definitely be knitting this design again!

Skiddaw for The Fibre Co

In 2017 when I started my change from business owner to freelance designer, The Fibre Co was my very first client. I worked on two designs for their collection called Borrowdale, one sweater, Skiddaw, and one sleeveless top, High Lorton. The sweater proved to be a huge success and did very well! In fact, it has been doing very well ever since and this year with all the restrictions we have had to battle with, The Fibre Co decided it was time for a “best of” collection. My Skiddaw sweater was selected to be a part of this!
The Fibre Co has remade their best designs in different colours for the Spring/Summer 2021 collection and I think they have done a great job. The original Skiddaw was knitted in a bright spring colour and photographed on a windy mountain. This photo shoots gives a totally different vibe and it’s nice to see this relaxed look working so well with my design.

Skiddaw is an oversized design with a generous amount of positive ease meaning that the jumper is wider than your body. This gives the garment a nice drape. The design is worked from one cuff and sideways across the body to the other cuff, a fun and interesting way to knit a jumper! The cable runs all the way from one cuff, across the body and down the sleeve to the other cuff.

My jumper has been knitted in Arranmore Light in this stunning teal colour called Kinnego Bay and for the photo shoot they decided to photograph the design with the cable to the front. The design was originally made with the cable running over the shoulders and back, but it looks really stunning this way too, don’t you think? One of my favourite things about designing for other people is seeing how they choose to style and photograph my work.

When reimagining these designs The Fibre Co also made the decision to add a few more sizes to the grading of this design. I worked with them on doing the maths for this and the design now comes in 9 sizes to fit chest: 78-81 [86-91: 97-102: 107-112: 117-122: 127-132: 137-142: 147-152: 157-162] cm (30-32 [34-36: 38-40: 42-44: 46-48: 50-52: 54-56: 58-60: 62-64] in).

The best of collection consists of 7 different designs by some amazing designers. The designs are:

Rathbone by @holliyeoh, Newlands by @pipandpin, Glykos by @dawn.landix, Irish Sea by @talviknits, Lingholm by @thehareandthecrow and Brandelhow by @moonstruck_knits. Tell me which one is your favourite in the comments below!

You can purchase the collection from The Fibre Co website with 30% discount when you buy all patterns together! You can head over to The Fibre Co website to take a look at all the different designs and to purchase the patterns.

Bjelle Top

One of my most favourite things about knitting is that you can repurpose yarn from old garments and turn them into something completely different! The yarn I have used in this top has a long and lovely story. In 2001 I lived in Oslo and worked as a sales assistant in a large haberdashery. One of the perks of working in this store was discounts on yarn and fabrics and I purchased a few lovely things while I worked there. One of the treasures I bought was a pack of black alpaca yarn from a Norwegian label called Du Store Alpakka. The only issue was I had never really knitted anything for myself yet. My only attempt at this point was a jumper I started when I was 14 which my mum ended up finishing for me!

In 2022 I moved to the UK and moved my stash of yarn with me. I started studying fashion design and my love for knitting started to evolve. I came across a book of vintage knitting patterns and fell in love with a plain cardigan. This ended up being my very first knitted garment for myself. I wore it lots. So much in fact that over the years the edges wore thin and eventually I stopped wearing it as it just didn’t look very nice anymore.

Last year I decided I needed to do something about it and unraveled the cardigan. There was actually quite a lot of useful yarn left and I pondered what to do with it.

For Christmas this year I finished my gift knitting with a bit of time to spare so I decided to knit myself a gift too! I landed on a Bjelle Top to wear for Christmas Eve and I got started. I made good and steady progress but with a sleeve still left to knit when Christmas Eve came round I had to admit defeat and changed the deadline for New Years Eve. This deadline I managed to keep and I wore it on New Years Eve with my bright orange Dries Van Noten skirt that I picked up on a 75% sale at Liberty many years ago. We were only having a stay at home party, the three of us making a three course meal together, but it still feel nice to dress up! The top was perfect and I am so pleased the yarn get to live on for a little longer.

If you would like to make your own Bjelle Top you can find the pattern here. The sleeves have an interesting construction creating the puff sleeve effect. The body is worked in two pieces with side seams and the neckline is picked up at the end and worked in the round.

Frida Scarf in Knit Now

I’ve got a new design out! It is called Frida Scarf and is a chunky knit using 7 mm needles and Rowan Cocoon yarn. This is just the thing if you need to wrap up against the cold over the next few months. I named this scarf Frida with my sister in mind. Frida lives in the very north of Norway where the winters can be incredibly harsh and cold. The temperature can drop to -35C and there’s snow from October to May most years. This scarf would be just the thing for her to keep warm!

If you have got some gift knitting left to do for the holidays a chunky knit might be just the thing! Issue 123 of Knit Now is in the shops right now or you can purchase it from the comfort of your own home through the website. Check out this blog post for details on all the great designs in this issue by clicking here.

Shawl designs for Sirdar

I think, as a designer, it is easy to get comfortable with what you know and what you are used to creating. That’s why I found the latest design brief from Sirdar a real challenge but one I found inspiring and interesting to work on. Sirdar has just launched a brand new yarn called Shawlie dedicated to shawl knitting and I have had the pleasure of working on a selection of designs for this yarn.
The yarn is space dyed in soft colours and the yarn content is a mixture of acrylic, alpaca and wool. I’ve not worked with acrylic a lot previously, but this yarn has a nice soft feel and a slight halo that makes it really lovely. I am usually a big fan of bamboo needles but with this yarn I found that using metal needles made the stitches flow better than on bamboo.

I worked on a few swatches and design ideas and sent off my suggestions to the design manager at Sirdar. They made their choices and I got to work on the details. I ended up designing four different designs; one small triangular shawl with leaf patterns, one large triangular shawl with peacock stitch, one rectangular wrap with lots of texture and one large, relaxed snood with cables and diamonds.
With this project, I created the patterns, but did not make the samples so it was really exciting to see how the designs turned out! They have all just launched on the Sirdar website alongside two designs by Emma Wright. I really like the striped crescent shawl she has designed using two colours, the yellow and grey look fab used in this way!

Which one is your favourite?