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October 2014
January 2012 - 1
CONTENTS
Welcome Letter
4
Monthly Free Pattern
5
Kaffe Knit-along
6
Retailer in the Spotlight
8
Rowan Supports Designer Talent
10
Celebrate Kidsilk Haze’s Birthday
12
Autumn Days
13
Stitchtopia14
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2 - October 2014
October 2014 - 3
Hello and welcome to the October issue of the
newsletter.
October is a very busy month for us here at the mill, with the start of the Kaffe Fassett
Mystery Knit-along and two exciting competitions for you!
This issue, we bring you details of the above features, hear from UK retailer Born to
Knit and catch up with designer Barbara Cooper.
We hope you enjoy your new edition.
The Rowan team
Front Cover:
Franziska
by Galina Carroll
Felted Tweed
Knitting & Crochet Magazine 56
Keep in touch with us on
social media…
4 - October 2014
Click on the
symbol
where it appears for a link to
further information
EXCLUSIVE
Ombre Wrap
by Marie Wallin
Thick ‘n’ Thin
OMBRE WRAP
For this and hundreds of
FREE patterns exclusive to
members,
click the button below:
October 2014 - 5
Knit-along
Here at the mill, our fingers are twitching in
excitment about our second global knit-along;
this time celebrating colour with Kaffe Fassett!
You already know that we’ll be knitting with the glorious Pure
Wool Worsted. Made from 100% wool, this superwash yarn
is available in 56 – yes 56! – colours, meaning that we’re
thoroughly spoilt for choice. Kaffe Fassett has designed the
Afghan using a selection of these colours in four different variations; brown, pastel,
red and turquoise. With these four fabulous colour ways, you can create a stunning,
yet personalised piece, which, with the yarn’s easy care properties, could form an
heirloom to enjoy now and in future years.
The first square pattern is now available!
Each stage, we’ll release instructions for one of the squares that Kaffe has designed.
In week nine, we’ll provide the two final sets of instructions needed for making-up the
blanket, to complete a truly beautiful Afghan.
Beginner knitter? Not a problem, Sarah Hatton has created some online tutorial videos
to support you.
Share your progress - you’ll be able to ask for help and advice, share your comments
and photos via the Rowan Yarns Forum, on Ravelry and also on our Rowan Yarns
Facebook page.
KNIT-ALONG
r
If the pace of knitting is a little overwhelming for some, we have also created two
smaller cushion designs. Watch out for a competition at the end of the knit-along too!
6 - October 2014
PURE WOOL
WORSTED
October 2014 - 7
Retailer in the
Spotlight…
We hear from Born to Knit owner
Heather.
“It’s not too far from the truth to say I was
‘Born to Knit’! My grandmother taught
me at the age of four, and the knitting
habit has stayed with me ever since. I
rarely leave home without it – travelling
by bus or train, waiting for doctor’s or
dentist’s appointments, or just sitting on
a park bench in my lunch break. These
all provide opportunity to put in a couple
more rows, as well as being a great
conversation-starter!
I’m excited by the colour and texture of
hand knitting yarns, and the process of
creating something beautiful and unique
8 - October 2014
with nothing more than a length of wool
and a couple of pointed sticks. The variety
of yarn available today is greater than ever
before: wool, cotton, silk, mohair, alpaca,
linen, hemp and milk protein to mention
just a few, and there are even yarns made
from recycled clothing!
Although I have knitted all my life it has
been a hobby rather than a job until a
few years ago. I trained originally as
a speech and language therapist, and
later a teacher but worked more recently
as Rowan’s ‘Design Consultant’ in John
Lewis’ Reading branch for eighteen
months before taking the leap of starting
my own business. A small studio workshop
became available within a lovely
converted Victorian grain mill in Salisbury,
and Born to Knit opened in October 2011.
The shop sells high quality, natural yarns
for hand knitting and crochet, and I also
run a wide variety of workshops. Earlier
this year, I was able to expand into the
adjoining studio space, which means that
I now have room for a sofa so I can now
hold workshops ‘in house’. On a trip to Homebase in 2012, I spotted
a roll of chicken wire in the sale and the
idea of making my own bear started to
take shape! The body was sculpted out
of the wire and then covered in several
layers of paper mache, with the addition
of a modified egg box for his nose, and
wood clamps filled with putty for his claws.
His fur was knitted in Kid Classic yarn (in
shade ‘bear’!) and ‘Willoughby Brown’
now stands at the entrance to Born to
Knit in his role of Customer Relations
Manager! Earlier this year, I read about the UK
Hand Knitting Association’s knitted textile
competition, which cited “originality” and
“hand knitting in all its guises” as criteria. I
thought a knitted bear probably ticked the
right boxes, so sent off a photograph...
and am thrilled to have been selected as
one of the finalists! So, Willoughby and
I are travelling up to London in October
(and Harrogate in November) and will
be on the UKHKA’s stand at this year’s
Knitting & Stitching Shows.
KNITTING &
STITCHING SHOW
As well as a selection of fine yarns, we
run workshops and we offer advice, oneto-one tuition and knit & knatter sessions
around the city centre.”
Heather Drage
BORN TO KNIT
October 2014 - 9
R O WA N Supports
Designer Talent
“The inspiration for this garment
came from a Yorkshire moor
landscape at the end of winter
and on the cusp of spring. The
burnished bracken, with roots and
shoots poking through the peaty
earth and herdwick sheep grazing
on the dry grasses.
The fabulous Fine Tweed yarn
offered a perfect colour and tonal
blend, which created the organic
feel I wished to achieve. The
construction was inspired by the
crafting of the dry stone walls.”
- Barbara Cooper
To view more of Barbara’s work
click below…
BARBARA
COOPER
10 - October 2014
October 2014 - 11
Celebrate Kidsilk
Haze’s 13th Birthday
It’s still not too late to celebrate the
landmark birthday of our exquisite Kidsilk
Haze yarn by entering our two fabulous
competitions.
The Designers Kidsilk Haze Competition
gives you the chance to vote for your
favourite of thirteen iconic Kidsilk Haze
patterns, selected by some of our most
famous designers. The winning pattern
will be made available for FREE on
knitrowan.
If that’s not enough, why not Create a
Shade of our best-selling yarn? Simply
12 - October 2014
send in a picture of your desired shade
along with a short description of why you
have chosen this particular colour to win!
For full details on both competitions, click
here.
FAVOURITE KIDSILK
HAZE COMPETITION
CREATE A SHADE
COMPETITION
To view the full shade range of Kidsilk
Haze, click here.
KIDSILK HAZE
!
k
c
u
l
d
Goo
Autumn Days
Celebrate autumn with rich, rustic shades in your favourite yarns!
Here is our pick of the best.
Fine Art
Oak 312
Frost
Dale 097
Rowan Tweed
Bainbridge 588
Pure Wool Worsted
Gold 133
Felted Tweed
Jaffa 188
Kidsilk Haze
Brick 649
To view all shades click the link below…
SHADE
RANGE
October 2014 - 13
Stitchtopia
Can’t put down your needles even when on holiday? Then these short breaks
and holidays from Stitchtopia could be ideal for you.
Northern Lights Knitting and Crochet Cruise
If you’ve ever fancied experiencing the Northern
Lights, Stitchtopia’s cruise on a Hurtigruten ship is
a knitter’s dream come true. The ship will set sail on
20th March 2015 for an eight day voyage alongside
the spectacular Norwegian coastline, stopping off
on the way at pretty seaside ports and towns. The
tour will give you a chance to learn new crochet
and knitting skills with our on-board experts Carol
Meldrum and Jane Crowfoot. The tour is priced from
£1895.
CLICK FOR MORE
INFORMATION
Stitchtopia Festival
For those wanting something a little closer to home,
our Stitchtopia Festival will be taking place between
20th – 23th March 2015 at Wyboston Lakes,
Bedfordshire. The Stitchtopia Festival includes four
days of workshops and talks for all abilities with
top experts. Learn new skills, hone existing ones,
try out new sewing machines and spend time with
likeminded people in a friendly environment – more
details coming soon!
14 - October 2014
Stockists
To find your local stockist view our
store locator at www.knitrowan.com by
clicking the button below
STORE
LOCATOR
Workshops
To view a full list of workshop dates
visit www.knitrowan.com by clicking the
button below
WORKSHOPS
All right reserved. Reproduction in whole or any part of all material, including illustrations, in this publication is strictly
forbidden. No part may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic,
electrostatic, magnetic tape, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without prior permission of the copyright
owners having been given in writing.
The designs in this publication are copyrighted and must not be knitted for re-sale. Reproduction of this publication is protected by copyright and is
sold on the condition that it is used for non commercial purposes. Yarn quantities are approximate as they are based on average requirements. Colour
reproduction is as close as printing will allow.
First published in Great Britain 2014 by Coats Crafts UK LTD Green Lane Mill, Holmfirth, West Yorkshire, England, HD9 2DX
E-mail: mail@knitrowan.com Web: www.knitrowan.com © Copyright Rowan 2014
October 2014 - 15
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