Thursday 19 April 2018

The Knitter Magazine Issue 123

This issue of the Knitter Magazine is a very special one for me! My pink cardigan design, using John Arbon Knit by Numbers (KBN) 4ply, is in this issue and so is my "Inspirations" interview!

Sukie Cardigan for The Knitter Issue 123
Images from The Knitter Magazine

Sukie Cardigan for The Knitter Issue 123
Image from The Knitter Magazine
My Sukie cardigan is knitted with two shades of KBN 4ply pink. The stitch pattern is a combination of garter stitch, rib and eyelets. The lower half of the cardigan is worked with the darker shade of pink as the main colour and the sleeves and the upper half are in the lighter pink.

Sukie Cardigan for The Knitter Issue 123
Image from The Knitter Magazine
The cardigan is fastened using buttons and the buttonholes are made while knitting the right front. The lower cast on borders have a scalloped edge that is made by working extra rows of the stitch pattern. The John Arbon KBN 4ply yarn is very light and soft and a pleasure to knit with. There are so many shades to choose from in this range. Sukie would look great in any combination of colours!

My interview from The Knitter Magazine!
Images from The Birlinn Yarn Company and the Knitter Magazine

I was absolutely delighted to be asked to take part in the Knitter's series of interviews exploring designer's inspirations. The interview gives a flavour of some of the inspirational themes that I have been looking at over the last few months. One of my favourite recent collaborations has been with the Birlinn Yarn Company (BYC). I loved working with the beautiful 4ply range of Hebridean wool and I have designed a shawl and a long cowl, both of which are available through the BYC website. Another exciting project that I have been a part of involves a fascinating stitch sampler from the Knitting and Crochet Guild Collection. I'll be writing more about this project over the next few months. Look out for an e-book of patterns inspired by the sampler being released very soon!

Friday 6 April 2018

Shimmer Cardigan for The Knitter Magazine

My new cabled cardigan design is in the Knitter Magazine, Issue 122! This elegant cardigan is knitted with mirror-imaged cables and a wide pleated rib pattern. Subtle diagonal lines are formed by the layout of the cables on the back and the fronts. The lower section of the cardigan begins with wide pleats, before flowing into the upper cabled areas.

Shimmer by Emma Vining in The Knitter Magazine
The shimmer cables are worked using two cable needles to re-order the stitches. This helps to create a smooth surface on both the right and the wrong sides of the knitting. Each row of cables is set on a reverse stocking stitch ridge.

Detail of Shimmer Cardigan stitch pattern by Emma Vining
The front bands are knitted in a rib pattern at the same time as the fronts. I particularly enjoyed working with this beautiful blue yarn, which is Yarn Stories Fine Merino DK, in shade bluebell.

Shimmer by Emma Vining in The Knitter Magazine