CLARA’S JOURNEY
Yarn reviewer and knitting icon, Clara Parkes,
shares her latest adventures in her new book,
Vanishing Fleece. She visited shearing sheds,
scouring plants and woollen mills around the
USA, meeting a colourful cast of characters
who are dedicated to keeping America’s wool
industry alive. Hilarious, heart-warming and
honest, Clara’s tales are a must-read for
everyone who is passionate about wool.
£17.99, Abrams PressIsland Blend, Rowan’s
all-new yarn, is wonderfully
cosy and lustrous. It’s a
DK-weight mix of Falkland fine
merino, baby alpaca and silk,
and comes in 10 warm colours
and soft neutrals. It costs
£14.95 per 125m/50g skein.
http://www.knitrowan.com 01484 668200
Joli bébé Find beautiful knits for
babies in the new pattern book from
Bergère de France, called ‘Layette’
Mini Mag No. 30 costs £4.40 from http://www.bergeredefrance.co.ukQ
Can you explain how to add
thrums to my knitting?A
Thrumming is a technique where
lengths of unspun fleece are
knitted in to certain stitches on a
project. The result is a thick, cosy fabric
with a fluffy layer on the reverse.
1 Start by create some thrums to
work with, using unspun combed wool
or roving. Pull off a 10cm length of fibre- never use scissors - then pinch off a
thin wisp of fibre from this length. Fold
the ends into the middle so that they
overlap, then give the thrum a twist.
2 Insert your knitting needle into the
stitch, wrap your yarn around the
needle as normal, then place the thrum
on the needle on top of the working
yarn, with the tails at the back.
3 Pull both the yarn and the loop of
the thrum through the stitch. When
you come to work the thrummed stitch
on the next row or round, knit/purl the
stitch and the thrum together as if you
were working a single stitch, then give
the ends of the thrum a little tug.
Helen Spedding
shows to add thrumsFinnish yarn company Novita has launched Q&A
two new pattern booklets, which have been
designed with relaxed weekends in mind.
Country Calling includes a beautifully
patterned stranded colourwork turtleneck
sweater and matching skirt, both knitted
seamlessly from the top down.
The booklet also has a pair of delicately
cabled socks, cosy knee-high socks, and
a quick-knit sweater in Hygge Wool. It’s
available from LoveCrafts, Deramores and
Wool Warehouse.
Nordic Country Life, meanwhile, is available
exclusively at John Lewis, and has eight
patterns including designs for a lace sweater,
a shawl, and a pair of colourwork mittens.
http://www.novitaknits.com
Fair Isle with a
Finnish flavour
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2
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The Knitter 18 Issue 144