March 2022

Newly-published books

Nora Gaughan's Knit Fold Pleat Repeat is a fascinating exploration into making garments from rectangles of knitting. She starts with plain rectangles and then folds and pleats them to make new shapes that can be turned into sweaters and cardigans. Later, she uses these same techniques with more traditional sweater constructions, i.e. those which are shaped to fit.

The result is 36 patterns, from everyday sweaters to designs worthy of the catwalk! There are many that I would make, like Ladder, Ruche and Rib Jacket:

Some of them are too unusual for me, but I would admire them on others, like Afloat, Tilt and Pyramid:

The lovely patterns aren't the only attraction. Gaughan also shares insights into her design process and suggests further areas to explore. For each pattern, she talks about why she chose certain techniques, what worked and what didn't work.

She explains how she simplified some overly-complicated techniques to make them more fun and achievable. For example Floret, a scarf made of highly folded fabric, incorporates guide stitches so you're not left guessing where to sew in order to pull the fabric together.

This design also leaves a fair number of ends that would normally need to be sewn in, but instead of that, they're left as a feature!

I've found the book a useful reminder of how much new knowledge can result from applying methodical curiosity to seemingly simple ideas. It prompted me to go back to my explorations of the shaped intarsia technique, which I've been doing for the last few years but that I'd sort of put on the back burner recently. As soon as I started to think about it again, solutions to some of the problems that I'd been facing started coming to me.

So while I love the designs and the techniques, it's the insight into Norah Gaughan's methodical process and enthusiasm that I found most inspiring in Knit Fold Pleat Repeat—and that might be worth even more than the patterns.

New and discontinued yarns

New

Austermann
Bio Cotton 125 – Worsted – 100% Organic Cotton – S on S plied – Solid colors
Cool Linen – DK – 67% Tencel / Lyocell, 33% Linen – Loosely plied – Solid colors

Bendigo Woollen Mills
Cotton Splash 8-ply – DK – 100% Cotton – Plied – Solid colors
Marble Glow 8-ply – DK – 100% Wool – Plied – Self-striping (gradient marl)

Bernat
Blanket Tweeds – Super Bulky – 100% Polyester – Chenille – Tweed colors

Big Twist Yarns
Freelance – Bulky – 100% Acrylic – Plied – Self-striping
Spice – Aran – 100% Acrylic – Plied with a soft haze – Solid colors

Cygnet
Jellybaby Chunky Chenille – Super Bulky – 100% Polyester – Chenille – Solid colors
Jellybaby Glitter Chenille – Super Bulky – 92% Polyester, 8% Metallic – Chenille – Solid colors with metallic
Kiddies Supersoft Aran – Aran – 100% Acrylic – Plied – Solid colors

Estelle
Alpaca Whisper – DK – 54% Baby Alpaca, 24% Mulberry Silk, 22% Superkid Mohair – Fuzzy – Solid colors

Ice Yarns
Basics DK – DK – 100% Acrylic – Plied – Solid colors
Gonca – DK – 100% Acrylic – Plied – Solid colors

Isager Strik
Sock Yarn – Fingering – 40% Alpaca Easy-Wash, 40% Merino Eco-Wash Wool, 20% Nylon – Plied – Solid colors

K+C
Essential Cotton – Worsted – 100% Cotton – Plied – Solid colors, Semi-solid colors
Pearl – Worsted – 70% Tencel / Lyocell, 30% Viscose – Plied – Solid colors

King Cole
Cottonsmooth DK – DK – 100% Mercerized Cotton – Plied – Solid colors

Lana Grossa
Cara – DK – 57% Baby Alpaca, 33% Cotton, 10% Merino Wool – Plied – Semi-solid colors
Piú Bella – Aran – 59% Baby Alpaca, 20% Nylon, 15% Cashmere, 6% Merino Wool – Brushed bouclé – Semi-solid colors

Modern Daily Knitting
Atlas – DK – 100% Rambouillet Wool – Plied – Solid colors

Naturally Yarns
Big Natural Colours Chunky – Bulky – 100% Wool – 2 ply – Solid colors

Premier Yarns
Eyelash – Bulky – 100% Polyester – Eyelash – Solid colors
Momenti – Aran – 58% Cotton, 42% Acrylic – Chained – Self-striping

Queensland Collection
Coastal Cotton – Aran – 100% Cotton – Plied – Solid colors, Multicolored

Rowan
Kidsilk Haze Colour – Lace – 70% Kid Mohair, 30% Silk – Brushed bouclé – Gradient

Schachenmayr Original
Catania Glamour – Sport – 98% Cotton, 2% Metallic – Plied – Solid colors with metallic

Sesia
Flora Paillettes – DK – 95% Cotton, 5% Polyester – Sequinned – Solid colors with sequins

Stylecraft
Life Tweed DK – DK – 75% Acrylic, 25% Superwash Wool – Tweedy – Tweedy colors

West Yorkshire Spinners
Elements – DK – 60% Tencel / Lyocell, 40% Falklands Wool – Plied – Semi-solid colors

Woolfolk
Fleck – Sport – 90% Merino Wool, 10% Viscose – Tweedy – Tweed colors

YarnArt
Luxor – Sport – 100% Mercerized Cotton – Plied – Solid colors

Discontinued

Aalta Yarn
Cloud – Super Bulky – 100% Nylon – Fleece style – Solid colors
Core – Worsted – 70% Acrylic, 30% Superwash Wool – Plied – Solid colors
Truth – DK – 80% Merino Wool, 20% Baby Alpaca – Plied – Solid colors

Austermann
Ambra Mélange – Worsted – 46% Superwash Wool, 46% Viscose, 8% Nylon – Chained – Semi-solid colors, Self-striping (long gradient)
Seta Merino – Worsted – 50% Merino Wool, 50% Mulberry Silk – Single ply – Solid colors
Sienna Recycled – Super Bulky – 52% Cotton, 48% Polyester – Chained – Solid colors

Bendigo Woollen Mills
Galaxy 4-ply – Fingering – 50% Bamboo Viscose, 50% Superwash Wool – Plied – Solid colors
Galaxy 8-ply – DK – 50% Bamboo Viscose, 50% Superwash Wool – Plied – Solid colors

Bernat
Blanket Breezy – Heavy Worsted – 100% Polyester – Fleece style – Self-striping
Tweedie – Super Bulky – 83% Acrylic, 17% Cotton – Bouclé – Semi-solid colors, Tonal colors

Big Twist Yarns
Velour – Bulky – 100% Polyester – Chenille – Solid colors

Caron
Baby Cakes – Aran – 82% Acrylic, 18% Nylon – Plied – Self-striping (long)
Cupcakes – DK – 100% Acrylic – Plied – Self-striping (long)
Skinny Cakes – DK – 100% Acrylic – Plied – Self-striping

Euro Baby / EYB
Kid Cotton – DK – 100% Cotton – Plied – Solid colors

Lana Grossa
About Berlin Bulky – Super Bulky – 50% Cotton, 50% Modal Rayon – filled_tube – Solid colors, Multicolored
Fusione – Bulky – 30% Cotton, 26% Merino Superwash Wool, 25% Baby Alpaca, 19% Nylon – Single ply – Heathered colors
Gioia – DK – 50% Acrylic, 50% Wool – Single ply – Multicolored marls
Gomitolo Denim – Sport – 80% Cotton, 20% Nylon – Plied – Gradient
Gomitolo Felice – DK – 70% Cotton, 30% Viscose – Chained – Self-striping
Gomitolo Pazzo – Worsted – 52% Cotton, 48% Acrylic – Chained – Multicolored
Hope – Super Bulky – 52% Baby Alpaca, 18% Cashmere, 18% Merino Wool, 12% Nylon – Fiber-filled net – Solid colors
Lala Berlin Tweedy – Heavy Worsted – 33% Baby Alpaca, 31% Nylon, 30% Cotton, 6% Merino Wool – Fuzzy – Tweed colors
Landlust Merino 120 – Bulky – 100% Merino Superwash Wool – Chained – Solid colors
Landlust Merino 180 – Worsted – 100% Merino Superwash Wool – Chained – Solid colors
Linea Pura A Mano – DK – 100% Cotton – Chained – Solid colors
Linea Pura Romanza Cotone – DK – 54% Cotton, 23% Linen, 23% Viscose – Plied – Self-striping (irregular stripes)
Marisa – Aran – 80% Merino Superwash Wool, 20% Acrylic – Tweedy – Multicolored
Mary's Tweed – Aran – 33% Baby Alpaca, 30% Merino Superwash Wool, 26% Nylon, 11% Silk – Tweedy – Tweed colors
Soft Cotton Big – Heavy Worsted – 70% Cotton, 30% Microfiber – S on S plied – Solid colors

Lang Yarns
Copenhagen – Aran – 100% Organic Cotton – filled_tube – Solid colors

Lion Brand
Basic Stitch Premium – Heavy Worsted – 100% Acrylic – Plied – Solid colors
Bouclé All The Way – Super Bulky – 100% Microfiber – Bouclé – Solid colors
Cotton Candy Blend – Worsted – 52% Polyester, 48% Cotton – Plied – Marled
Ice Cream Cotton Blend – Aran – 53% Acrylic, 47% Cotton – S on S plied – Self-striping (gradient transition)
Misty Nights – Aran – 36% Cotton, 35% Polyester, 29% Acrylic – Sequinned – Solid colors with sequins
Off The Hook Glitz – Jumbo – 99% Polyester, 1% Metallic – Fixed loops – Solid colors with metallic
Wool-Ease DK Cake – DK – 80% Acrylic, 20% Superwash Wool – Plied – Self-striping
Wool-Ease Roving Bonus Bundle – Super Bulky – 80% Acrylic, 20% Superwash Wool – Single ply – Solid colors, Marled colors
Woolspun – Bulky – 80% Acrylic, 20% Superwash Wool – S on S plied – Solid colors

Mary Maxim
Elements Sock – DK – 80% Acrylic, 20% Superwash Wool – Plied – Multicolored
Step Softly Sock – Fingering – 75% Superwash Wool, 25% Nylon – Plied – Solid colors, Self-striping

Premier Yarns
Cinema – Bulky – 70% Merino Superwash Wool, 25% Nylon, 5% Cashmere – Single ply – Solid colors
Mega Tweed – Jumbo – 97% Acrylic, 3% Viscose – Tweedy – Tweed colors
Parfait Layers – Super Bulky – 100% Polyester – Chenille – Self-striping (long)

Schachenmayr Original
Merino Extrafine Silky Soft 120 – DK – 68% Superwash Wool, 32% Tencel / Lyocell – Crepe – Solid colors

Sirdar
Imagination Chunky – Bulky – 100% Acrylic – Slightly felted – Semi-solid colors, Multicolored, Dappled

Sugar Bush Yarns
Bold – Aran – 100% Merino Superwash Wool – S on S plied – Solid colors

Valley Yarns
Monadnock – Heavy Worsted – 100% Cashmere – Tweedy – Tweed colors
Wendell – Heavy Worsted – 100% Merino Wool – 2 ply – Solid colors

If you'd like to get in touch, please send a mail to hello@yarnsub.com (you can simply reply to this mail) or find me on Instagram.

See you in April!

Wendy

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