Remember this post?!
This gorgeous Feather Sweater by Pickles in Norway has been a long. Time. Coming.
Knitting
All things knitting and knitwear, at the heart of what Shortrounds is all about!
Brooklyn Tweed Capsule collection
Can we just quickly talk about the most exciting news in my knitting calendar so far this month!
Brooklyn Tweed have just released their first ever printed knitting book – Capsule. A beautiful collection of knitted pieces designed by one of my favourite knitwear designers, Olga Buraya-Kefelian.
In what looks set to be the first of many similar projects, Brooklyn Tweed have given one knitwear designer centre stage to design a range of knitwear using their wool. Olga Buraya-Kefelian is unique in her construction and use of geometry in her patterns, a perfect way to kick off BT’s new series!
Personal favourites of this Capsule collection are the Cusp geometric cabled poncho and the stunning Tatara mitts. You can check out the entire collection here.
Which pattern will you be casting on first? Let me know by commenting below.
Knitwear designers 101
Google ‘knitwear designers’ and you get thousands of links directing you to mega fashion houses and large retailers. The large brands that pop into your head every day of the week. Not what I really wanted to see.
When I think of knitwear designers, names like Pam Allen, Jared Flood and Olga Buraya-Kefelian come to mind. Knitwear designers that inspire me to pick up my needles, purchase their wonderful patterns, or even get creating my own. Sadly, Google didn’t agree with me.
I’m not-so-secretly waiting for the day when slow fashion really takes over and these become household names not just for knitters. It’s slowly bubbling under the surface. Non-knitters are beginning to see the influence making-your-own is having over our generation, that even ready-to-wear companies are getting on board. Knowing where your fibres have come from, the farm where the sheep were reared, the dyer that dipped the skeins of wool…the list goes on. And whether I buy my yarn or patterns in the UK or across the pond, provenance is increasingly important for me.
The reward I get from taking time over my own clothing and homewares is entirely the reason I knit. And I’ve rounded up the list of knitwear designers who are (for me) synonymous with the slow-fashion movement.
Michelle Wang
My pick of the yarns
If you follow me on social media, you may or may not have heard that I am on a yarn embargo at the moment. No more ordering, until I’ve cast off a few ongoing projects, and dwindled my yarn stash down to half its current size!
That being said, we all know that as soon as we deny ourselves something, it’s all the more tempting. So I’ve been having a look at all of the lovely yarns I’ll be looking forward to buying once I have permission to do so!
Going forward, I’m definitely going to be more conscious of the types of yarns I buy, and where I buy them from. I also want to work with different fibres, weights and textures to broaden my knitting horizons! I’ve included links of where to buy all of these lovely yarns too, so please go and check them out, and the lovely companies that bring these skeins to our doorstep.
Alchemy Silk Purse
DyeForYarn Tussah Silk Lace
Shibui Knits Linen
Erika Knight Vintage Wool
Eden Cottage Theseus Lace
Stitch & Story Bounty Throw
With autumn having descended so quickly, these last couple of weeks have plunged us into cold spells. Knee high boots and wooly jumpers are the norm, and you absolutely have to carry an umbrella. At. All. Times.
So this seemed like the perfect time to indulge myself in a huge knitted throw for myself! Something that I can tuck my feet up under on these darker, colder evenings.
Stitch & Story’s Bounty Throw fit the bill perfectly. It’s a wonderfully easy pattern, but switches up the stitch patterns frequently enough to keep a seasoned knitter like myself from getting bored! I picked their lovely shade of Olive Pastel, as it’s my absolute favourite!
Five new patterns – baby knits
Knitwear for mini humans has a special place in my heart. Baby knits often take no time at all, and always look super cute no matter the pattern!
I’ve been trawling the internet looking for the latest inspiration for my next baby knits – ready for when the next one of my lucky friends has a(nother) baby! A mixture of goodies for both boys and girls, with a bonus toy thrown into the mix – enjoy!
The Purl Bee – Super Simple Super Soft Merino Baby Hat (free knitting pattern)
Top 10 knitting Instagram accounts
Following on from my previous post on my Top 10 Instagram Accounts to follow, I felt it was only right to dedicate an entire post to my Top 10 knitting Instagram accounts.
My Instagram feed is probably 70% knitting and crafting based, with the other 30% made up of friends, family and any other lovely Instagrammers that catch my eye!
I’ve spoken about the uplifting nature of Instagram previously, and that doesn’t stop here. All of these fantastic knitting Instagrammers make up just a tiny part of the HUGE knitting community that exists on social media. Sharing finished items, works in progress, and even frustrating ‘frogged projects’!!
Here are the knitters that keep me stitching till past 1am on a school night!
WOOL AND THE GANG
Bria Armwarmers free knitting pattern
Often the simplest designs are the most effective. And that’s never more true that with my latest free knitting pattern, my Bria Armwarmers. Knitting on DP needles in stockinette stitch, featuring a very small ribbed cuff at both ends.
A Q&A with Baa Baa Brighouse
This week’s Q&A comes from a company that embodies everything that we should be striving for in knitting – supporting local.
Baa Baa Brighouse was set up by Elaine Jinks-Turner in early 2014, and supplies a beautiful range of British dyed and spun yarns via an online shop. From the moment you click onto the homepage Baa Baa Brighouse’s main focus is abundantly clear – supporting and upholding the traditions of Yorkshire farmers, crafters, spinners and dyers alike.
The majority of the yarns on sale are from Yorkshire based spinners and dyers including Laura’s Loom and West Yorkshire Spinners. What’s more, with local Knit and Natter events and a monthly yarn club, Baa Baa Brighouse is greatly involved in sustaining Yorkshire’s rich textile heritage. Here, among other things, Elaine talks about how and why she set up her own creative business, the importance of supporting local indie traders and explains about the monthly yarn subscription Yan Tan Tethera Yarn Club!
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A Q&A with Stitch & Story
Knitting’s been around for centuries. Literally AGES. It began with the Ancient Egyptians in the eleventh century, then burst onto the European scene in the twelfth and thirteenth century via France, Germany and Britain! So with such a long-standing, rich and varied tradition, how do you breathe new life into a craft that was at one time synonymous with ‘archaic’ and ‘old-fashioned’?!
That’s just what Jennifer Chan and Jen Hoang, Co-founders of Stitch & Story set out to do. Fed up with having to trawl the internet for a decent knitting pattern (we’ve all been there), both Jens set up shop – providing modern and fashionable knitting kits, top-quality 100% merino wool, as well as hosting their increasingly popular knitting workshops!
And I’ve had the pleasure of asking Jennifer Chan a few questions this week! I’m a massive fan of this wonderful independent knitting company, whose sole mission is to bring stress-free knitting to both the ultimate beginner through to the most seasoned of experienced knitters. You can check out Stitch & Story’s amazing offering on their website, as well as follow them on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Continue reading