YOKES! – KDD & Co

Claire’s sarkle

By: Kate Davies Designs October 17, 2021October 17, 2021

amazing knitters, design, Kate Davies Designs, knitting, YOKES!Claire, featured, grey, grey hair, horkel, knitting, ooskit, sarkle, twisted stitches, yarn, yoke20 Comments

We popped over to Edinburgh to photograph Claire in her new Sarkle

Good morning, and happy Friday, everyone! I’ve a new design to show to you – Lilias Day I knitted two pullovers over the festive period, featuring the same Selbu motif. In Orchle, I used the motif as an allover pattern around the bottom of the pullover . . . . . . and in Lilias…

a whole lot of yokes

By: Kate Davies Designs October 29, 2020October 29, 2020

design, Kate Davies, Kate Davies Designs, knitting, publishing, textiles, YOKES!business, design, featured, publishing, sweaters, yoke sweaters, yokes23 Comments

We’ve been waiting for the new edition of YOKES to arrive from our printer, and I thought I’d go back through my records and check exactly how many copies we’d sold, in total, since the book was first published in December, 2014. I discovered that the total number of YOKES we’ve printed and sold is…

Coofle

This is a very cheerful sweater And to accompany it, I’m wearing the most cheering pair of shoes I own. . . Yes, even someone with a dropped foot and appalling balance can gad about in these ridiculous ruby slippers! Back to the sweater, whose name is Coofle: an old Scots word for a puzzle,…

Finnich

By: Kate Davies Designs September 22, 2018September 22, 2018

Kate Davies Designs, KDD originals, knitting, Scotland, YOKES!design, finnich, Harley of Scotland, JC Rennie, Jokkull, KDD originals, knitting, knitwear, yokes28 Comments

Now I can introduce the second of the two yoke styles we’ve developed with Harley of Scotland – Finnich. Like Duntreath, the garment is knitted using Harley’s innovative seamless technology and, like Duntreath we’ve used JC Rennie lambswool, but worked at a heavier weight and gauge. Finnich is a super-cosy aran weight sweater, featuring simple…

Duntreath

I’m so pleased to be able to introduce you to Duntreath! After we successfully launched our lambswool snoods last year, I really wanted to develop a line of garments. Having researched and written a book all about the history of yoke sweaters, I knew I wanted to make yokes, and I also knew who I…

making things “locally”

As my business has grown over the past few years I have learned a lot about making things locally. Working with Scottish, Irish, and English producers, I’ve made my own books, and yarn, and knitwear. I’ve collaborated with many different types of manufacturers, from printers and spinners to dyers and wool producers. Being able to…

Gotiska Fönstret

By: Kate Davies Designs October 25, 2015October 25, 2015

Bohus stickning, knitting, YOKES!Bohus, Bohus Knitting, Bohus Stickning, Bohuslan, Gotiska Fönstret, Kerstin Olsson, knitting, yoke46 Comments

As you might remember, a major highlight of 2014 for me was visiting Sweden, doing some research on Bohus knitting, and meeting Kerstin Olsson. When I visited Kerstin in her studio, she was kind enough to show me some of her own collection of objects and swatches relating to her time at Bohus Stickning. Among…

yokes totes!

By: Kate Davies Designs February 15, 2015February 15, 2015

making, YOKES!making, manufacturing, printing, totes, yokes totes10 Comments

As you may know, my multi-talented friend Felicity Ford (aka Felix) frequently helps me out by producing illustrations of my designs, for reproduction in my patterns and books. I found her Yokes drawings really pleasing, and particularly so when they were illustrated collectively, as they are on page 5 of the book, and above. So…

a precious gift

By: Kate Davies Designs December 29, 2014December 29, 2014

design, knitters, knitting, YOKES!Angora, Bohus, Bohus Stickning, desing, EJA, Emma Jacobsson, gift, Kerstin Olsson, knitting67 Comments

The day before Christmas eve a wonderful package arrived from Sweden. This was inside. Kerstin Olsson – who you may remember I had the pleasure of meeting a few months ago, and about whose important work for Bohus Stickning I devoted a chapter to in my Yokes book – had done me the honour of…

Epistropheid is out!

By: Kate Davies Designs December 19, 2014December 19, 2014

design, wool, yarn, YOKES!design, Epistropheid, Epistrophy, knitting, Toft, yokes10 Comments

With massive thanks to my pal Rachel and her superlative & speedy editorial skills, Epistropheid is published! Just like my Epistrophy yoke, Epistropheid is knitted in TOFT Ulysses DK – a lovely British wool – and is topped with an alpaca pompom, also available from Toft. I’ve found this hat to be quite an addictive…

EPISTROPHEID!

By: Kate Davies Designs December 16, 2014December 16, 2014

competition, design, knitting, YOKES!Cootie Williams, design, Epistropheid, Epistrophy, Fly Right, Greek, knitting, Monk, Rhetoric, Thelonius Monk35 Comments

Dear amazing, wonderful knitters! I’ve had such fun reading through your comments on the last post! As many of you guessed, the name I’d had in mind for this hat was, of course EPISTROPHEID but there were so many fabulous, interesting suggestions I have been sorely tempted to change it . . . For example,…

Guess the name of my hat

By: Kate Davies Designs December 14, 2014December 16, 2014

Bruce, competition, design, knitting, YOKES!competition, hat, knitting, snow, walking, yokes303 Comments

Good morning! This week I have news other than logistical matters from Yokes dispatch central (though I’ll return to these things in a moment). For example, we had our first snowfall . . . I do find that snow affords me a welcome shift in perspective on the winter months. The world of relentless grey…