A summer collection

Our Summer of Mystery involves many things . . . a book club . . . a mystery knitalong . . . a selection of entertaining and thought-provoking essays to illuminate our reading (of which more later) and – of course, a design collection.

Obviously, I can’t tell you too much about all the patterns I’ve created, because it will spoil the club surprise. But I can say that, like other summer collections I’ve worked on previously, this one features our lovely 4 ply (fingering weight) yarn, Milarrochy Tweed.

Milarrochy Tweed is a very versatile yarn: you can knit it at a conventional fingering weight gauge (of 28-32 stitches to 4 inches) for cold-weather colourwork sweaters or hats. Or you can double it up to create a wonderfully plush worsted or aran weight yarn, that works wonderfully well as a marl, or which (when two proximate shades are held together) produces an intense depth of colour.

And you can knit single strands of Milarrochy Tweed at much larger, easier gauges, creating lovely open, airy fabrics that hold their shape while also draping beautifully.

At these more open gauges, the yarn works really well for lace

. . for stockinette . . .

. . . and for a combination of the two

You can get a fairly good sense of the type of seasonal design my Summer of Mystery collection will involve by looking at the patterns which are included in books like Inkling

Or Shore – both of which are Spring / Summer Milarrochy Tweed design collections.

Since creating those two collections, we’ve of course introduced several new shades into the Milarrochy Tweed palette . . .

. . . and some of these shades are very summery (as well as quite delicious)

. . . so you can expect to encounter our new yarn shades in the Summer of Mystery designs.

I have also mentioned taking inspiration from Art Deco and mid-century design aesthetics. . .

. . . as well as from the era’s vintage knits

That said, all of my garment designs are based on much more modern silhouettes (and proportions), and the construction methods and pattern writing are contemporary as well (produced in our usual, straightforward in-house style). . . .

. . . and though I certainly cannot promise you Audrey Hepburn’s New Yoked Jumper, I can provide you with a classic KDD, Margery Allingham-themed yoke design in this collection. Is that enough of a hint for you?

So to summarise, from the Summer of Mystery patterns you can expect:

A collection of colourful knits in Milarrochy Tweed. This will include lightweight tees, airy cardigans, and simple accessories, with bold individual elements and lovely finishing details. Just like Allingham’s novels, many of these designs have a bit of a twist: some like to travel in unusual directions, and in a couple of projects, the yarn is held double and / or marled.

There will be club pattern releases every fortnight, together with the usual knitalong arrangements (alongside the MKAL) in the welcoming and supportive KDD group. There’s no pressure to “keep up” with these design releases, and nor do you have to use Milarrochy Tweed (any fingering weight yarn that knits to gauge is, of course, absolutely fine). As the club progresses, the patterns will be delivered directly to your Ravelry library (or inbox) as PDF downloads, as well as being included in the print book, shipped out to club members in September.

Will you join us? (Sign ups close April 21st)