Yarnologue

Dear knitters,

The other day, I noticed that a lot of trees are no longer in their grey winter stage; birches whose branches had turned purple and willow crowns with a yellow sheen. Are they announcing the approach of spring?

Otherwise, my new book The Sugar & Spice Collection could possibly do just that. It is brimming with projects for the upcoming warm season, projects for women, children and the home.

I have used one of my all-time favorites, Hempathy, for the majority of projects; some really sweet, like Saffron, a girl’s dress and Christening Gown (with matching cap and socks) and Oregano, a shawl that can double as a table runner.

Saffron can be a Christening gown

Others are more on the spicy side, like Cardamom, a knitted hat, and Allspice, tote bag, bottle carrier and placemats in easy striping and with very spicy colors, both using the yarn held double.

The Allspice tote would make a great project bag.

But most of the projects could fit in both categories, such as Chili, a girl’s vest with a cute heart fringe, and depending on version and how it’s worn, a dress named Paprika, and a lace top, Mint, that can be transformed into a shopping net with a pull of a string.

Mint can be a top or a net bag.

There are also designs in Visilk, my cool, elegant viscose and silk blend; where Anise would be more on the sweet side with its feminine collar and Olive more towards the spicy end of the spectrum.

Tank version of Anise

Finally, two designs in Cool Wool, my wool and cotton blend which feels like cotton but knits like wool. Nigella, a vest which is both sweet and spicy, and Ginger, a cardigan with a classical shape, which is less spicy and just barely sweet.

As usual, the skill requirements range from easy to advanced, with most of the designs in the intermediate range.

The book offers inspiration to sweeten the wait and a slew of designs to spice up the warm season – all in all, plenty of projects to keep your needles warm.

Happy Knitting!

Elsebeth Lavold