Dear Knitter,
Despite a slow start to spring we were able to get out on a wonderful first photoshoot of the season on the Ayrshire Coast. We took along some old favourites plus some new designs and recent projects, as you can see here with a Ruabhal Hat Set in blues (made in Summertide with contrasts of Driftwood, Pebble Beach and Golden Plover) which looks beautiful with a Peigi Cardigan.
You can also see the grey Ruabhal worn with a Mountain Hare Jacket and Whin Eagle Collar, glowing in the early morning spring sunshine.
This month I am also delighted to bring you my first patterncard kit for weaving on a rigid heddle loom. The Oiseabhal Wrap from my St Kilda Collection is a wonderful way to use colour and make a beautiful accessory to complement your knitted pieces or any items in your wardrobe. This design can be made in your own colour choices as well as those I've made in four very different colourways: they illustrate how the interplay of colours in the design shift and change throughout the weaving. I made the Gabbro version first, with fresh blues, golds and greys; you can see it here worn with the Hirta Hat Set and a Linne Belt.
The Dolerite version is a rich, dark wrap with warm contrasts, designed to complement my Oregon Autumn Cardigan and Hat Set.
The Granite version shows how subtle contrasts allow the design to almost disappear and reappear once more.
The Feldspar version uses reds against dark shades for a dramatic wrap which looks perfect with the Marina Cardigan and hat set. You can find the Oiseabhal with its many options here, where you can buy it alongside my Beginners' Weaving Class if you would like to learn how to weave on a rigid heddle loom.
For another look at how different colour choices from our Hebridean yarn range can create a wide variety of effects, we have a new example of the Polaris Cardigan. This very subtle palette of Bogbean, Pebble Beach and Sea Ivory softens the sharp edges of the star-like flowers and creates a very different mood from the previous versions.
I have also been working on more colour variations of the Linne Belt and Sporran Bag. All of the design, knitting, writing, filming, audio, styling and photographic work is now coming together, and next month I hope to show you all five example versions and the new Creative Course.
