Hot New Patterns To Knit

Here in England the temperature continues to sizzle, which gives us Brits lots to talk about on our stereotypical favourite subject - the weather.

Whilst it may be too hot for some to dig out the wool and get ahead on knits for Autumn when we'll be swapping summer shorts and dresses for a cosy jumper, that hasn't stopped some of our favourite designers bringing out covetable patterns.

So find a shady spot, accessorise with an iced glass of lemonade, and decide which pattern is going to grace your needles next.

Tin Can Knits

Image courtesy of Tin Can Knits

Boardwalk is Tin Can Knits' latest pattern. As you'll see from the picture it's a back to front cardigan, although you can go rogue and wear it the conventional way round if you wish to!

Alexa Ludeman, one half of Tin Can Knits' design team, describes Boardwalk as 'a simple little cardigan with crisp raglan lines and sweet little split hem, made in DK weight yarn. No matter how you button it, it's the perfect addition to any wardrobe.'

As with all Tin Can Knits patterns the cardigan is available in the full range of sizes from little tots to fully-grown adults.

Download the pattern for £6.56 from Ravelry.

Linda Shearer

Image courtesy of RSPB

OK, so there's no way anyone needs to wear a woolly hat in this sunshine, but the Curlew Hat, using Shetland wool, raises awareness for the RSPB's Curlew Crisis appeal and if you cast on now it will be ready to wear once the nights start to draw in.

The pattern is free to download but Kate from Northern Yarn is offering to donate money to the RSPB for every set of Jamiesons of Shetland Spindrift wool bought from her online shop to knit the hat with. Each ball is £3.50 and you'll need six in various colours to complete the pattern.

Visit Kate's Facebook page to see how she's getting along knitting her own version of Curlew.

Renée Callahan

Image courtesy of Baa Ram Ewe

Look at the gorgeous intarsia pattern on the back of this Josephine cardigan that costs £6 to download from Ravelry.

Callahan, who lives in East London, says that her design was 'inspired by and named after my grandmother ... Josephine is a timeless style, with an elegant waterfall front, and an ususual construction.'

Yorkshire wool shop Baa Ram Ewe has promoted its own brand Titus 4ply wool, which retails at £17 per 100g hank. The shop says that the pattern is a great way to use up left over Titus from your stash.

Alternatively, for £3.50 each you can pick and mix 12g small balls of Titus - a more cost-effective way of creating the lovely colour pattern rather than buying a full 100g skein.

Marie Wallin

Image courtesy of
Marie Wallin/Baa Ram Ewe

Sticking with the Baa Ram Ewe theme, ex-Rowan designer Marie Wallin has gone from strength to strength in her freelance career and has chosen Baa Ram Ewe's Dovestone Natural Aran DK for her latest pattern launch, Brambling.

Brambling is on sale on Ravelry at a download for £5. Wallin has informed me that the pattern will soon also be available on her own  website.

With its roll-neck and slightly oversized fit Brambling will keep you warm in winter. Wallin recommends the design as a good first Fairisle garment to knit.


Whistlebare

Image courtesy of Whistlebare

New from Northumberland family-farm yarn company Whistlebare is this T-shirt-style top to whip up and wear before the balmy weather changes.

Designed by Kirstie White, Mermaids Pool (sic - no apostrophe!) is knitted in the round from the top down in Whistlebare's Cheviot Marsh 4-ply. You'll need two skeins to knit the small and medium sizes or three to knit large or extra large.

Whistlebare says Mermaids Pool is named after a pool near Coldingham Sands in Berwickshire. The pattern and yarn kit costs between £33 and £49.50 plus £4.50 P&P.



Blacker Yarns

Image courtesy of Blacker Yarns

Finally here's freebie. Blacker Yarns is offering its latest pattern, Trym Vest, as a free download.

There are three versions, depending on whether you want to knit it in DK, 4-ply or 3-ply. The DK version uses Blacker Yarns' Lyonesse linen blend, the 4-ply version Tamar Lustre Blend, and the 3-ply version in Samite Silk Blend.

The top is designed to be work over a shirt or blouse. Blacker Yarns suggests that if you want to wear Trym on its own then you may want to decrease the depth of the armholes by working fewer rows before beginning the neck shaping.

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Which is your favourite pattern? Are you too hot to knit or are you using the summer holidays to catch up on your works in progress?

Let us know on the A Woolly Yarn Facebook page.