Rowan Autumn 2017 newsletter

Autumn Newsletter 

AUTUMN 2017 

1

Hello and welcome to our new look quarterly newsletter! 

As we are busily getting to grips with the new Autumn Winter 

collections, we are also excited to have recently launched a brand 

new look to our website, www.knitrowan.com. It certainly has 

been a busy few weeks and months here in Yorkshire. 

This issue, we bring you all the details of new yarns and designs, 

including Knitting & Crochet Magazine 62 – we’d love to hear 

your thoughts of the new edition and which of the designs you 

are tempted by! We also catch up with enthusiast Andrea from 

Fruity Knitting about her and her husband’s fabulous podcasts, 

take a look at emerging fashion trends this autumn and hear 

from two promising Royal College of Art students, who are 

creating works of art using Rowan yarn. 

This season, we are excited to release a brand new tweed yarn, 

spun in Yorkshire, the heartland of Rowan. Read on to find out 

about the process of how the yarn is manufactured in Albert 

Mills, a historic building just a few miles away from the Rowan 

design office in Huddersfield. 

We are also focusing on the fairisle technique in this issue 

and we bring you a helpful how-to article, including step-bystep 

tips and images. Finally, we hear from the talented Jane 

Crowfoot about a brilliant charity auction she is offering at the 

moment for a very special and rare prize. 

As always, we hope you enjoy your new issue. We’d love to hear 

what you think of the new website and collections, why not 

visit our Rowan Yarns Facebook page to tell us your thoughts! 

The Rowan team 

Cover: Sweeting 

by Lisa Richardson 

Knitted in Kid Classic 

Knitting & Crochet Magazine 62 

Rowan Yarns 

17F Brooke’s Mill, Armitage Bridge, 

Huddersfield, 

West Yorkshire, HD4 7NR 

CONTACT 

All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or 

any part of all material, including illustrations 

and designs, in this publication/pattern is 

strictly forbidden and is sold on the condition 

that it is used for non commercial purposes. 

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. Yarn quantities 

are approximate and are based on average 

requirements. Images and shades are for 

guidance only as colours may not display 

accurately on screen or in printed format. 

Contact your local stockist to view a fringed 

(not digital reproduction) yarn shade card. 

© Copyright MEZ Crafts UK Ltd., 2017. 

MEZ Crafts UK Ltd., 17F, Brooke’s Mill, 

Armitage Bridge, Huddersfield, HD4 7NR, 

Web: www.knitrowan.com 

2 ROWAN

CONTRIBUTORS 

……………………… 

Katie Calvert’s background is 

in fashion and textiles, with 

previous experience in trend 

forecasting, public relations and 

events before joining the closeknit 

Rowan team as a freelancer 

in September 2015. Although 

her knitting skills leave much to 

be desired, she loves fashion and 

writing for Rowan means that 

she is able to pass that passion 

onto you! 

Andrea and Andrew Doig are 

Australians who moved to 

Germany in 1999. Andrea has 

been knitting since she was 6 

years old and comes from a 

very crafty family. Andrew is a 

beginner knitter and, coming 

from a family of academics, had 

no exposure to crafting before 

Andrea sat him on the couch 

with a ball of wool and a pair of 

needles. 

Jane Crowfoot studied textile 

design at Winchester School 

of Art in the UK, where she 

specialized in knitting. Following 

graduation, she worked as a 

freelance textile designer and 

worked as a Design Consultant 

for Rowan Yarns. She tutors many 

knitting and crochet workshops 

across the UK, offering handson 

advice to knitters through 

teaching and demonstrations. 

Katherine Lymer is a knitting 

tutor, designer and writer based 

in the inspirational countryside 

of the Scottish Borders. She 

enjoys travelling throughout the 

UK, giving workshops on all 

aspects of knitting and teaching 

people of all ages and skill levels. 

Find Woolly 

Ewe! 

Somewhere in this 

newsletter, a shy ewe is 

hiding! Find her and click to 

reveal an exclusive surprise. 

Good luck. 

Follow us on Social Media… 


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……………………… 

Contents 

40 

24 

22 

Exclusive Free Pattern 

- Skipness 6 

New Season 

- Autumn Winter ‘17 8 

Retailer Focus 

- Uncommon Threads 22 

August Members Pattern 

- Carlton 24 

September & October Members 

Patterns Preview 25 

Behind the Scenes 

- Brierley Brothers Ltd. 26 

Trends 

- Autumn Winter ‘17 30 

Retailer Focus 

- Black Sheep Wools 38 

Royal College of Arts Students Interview 40 

Crochet Club Giveaway 

- Knit for Peace 44 

Lisa Richardson Crochet Along 46 

Tips & Techniques 

- How to Fairisle Knit 48 

This Season We Love 

- Fruity Knitting 54 

Events 57 


5

FREE PATTERN 

……………………… 

Skipness 

By Martin Storey 

Knitted in Cashmere Tweed 

DOWNLOAD 

6 ROWAN


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8 ROWAN

NEW SEASON 

……………………… 

Autumn Winter ‘17 

Dusky Scarf 

by Martin Storey 

Knitted in Felted Tweed & Kidsilk Haze 


9

NEW SEASON 

……………………… 

Knitting 

& Crochet 

Magazine 62 

For the main collection for 

Autumn Winter, two themes are 

perfectly highlighted throughout 

two iconic design stories. 

Kinship 

A story inspired by Rowan’s 

original roots, housed in a 

beautiful old woollen mill and 

the surrounding landscape of 

the stunning Yorkshire Dales. 

Featuring 22 iconic designs for 

women, the collection showcases 

stunning cabling, colourwork 

and texture, worked in yarn 

favourites such as Kid Classic, 

Felted Tweed and Big Wool. 

Pieces range from cosy sweaters, 

to textured scarves and an 

intricate fairisle cardigan. 

Top left: 

Cowlam 


Knitted in Hemp Tweed 

Top right: 

Bradshaw 



Opposite: 

Greenwood 

by Galina Carroll 

Knitted in Felted Tweed 

Far page: 

Gransmoor 



10 ROWAN


11

NEW SEASON 

……………………… 

Knitting 

& Crochet 

Magazine 62 

Dawn Till Dusk 

Dawn Till Dusk is inspired by 

knitwear that can take you from 

the office to evening drinks or 

slouchy layer pieces that can be 

worn for an afternoon stroll or 

as a cover-up over evening wear. 

Pieces are stylish, yet versatile 

and range from a neat cabled 

sweater, to an elegant beaded 

cardigan and a pretty lace detail 

wrap scarf. 

VIEW 

COLLECTION 

Top: 

Evening 



Opposite: 

Mellow 

by Sarah Hatton 


Far page: 

Hutton Scarf & Twilight 


Twilight knitted in Kidsilk Haze & Fine 

Lace 

Hutton Scarf crocheted in Felted Tweed 

& Kidsilk Haze 

12 ROWAN


13

NEW SEASON 

……………………… 

Journeyman 

A collection of truly modern 

classic knits, Journeyman 

showcases the best qualities of 

the popular Hemp Tweed yarn, 

and features Martin Storey’s 

signature nautical cables, slip 

stitch checks and simple rib and 

stocking stitch designs. Twelve 

relaxed pieces range from stylish 

polo neck jumpers, to elegant 

cabled sweaters and a ribbed 

beanie hat. 

VIEW 

COLLECTION 

Top left: 

Hudson Scarf 



Top right: 

Dean 



Opposite: 

Brando 



14 ROWAN

NEW SEASON 

……………………… 

Brushed 

Fleece Knits 

This is a clean collection of easyto-knit, 

signature cables and 

simple stocking stitch and texture. 

Designed by Quail Studio, pieces 

range from cosy sweaters, to 

long-length cardigans and a 

comfy snood and bobbly hat set, 

all worked in the beautifully soft 

Brushed Fleece yarn. 

VIEW 

COLLECTION 

Harper 

by Quail Studio 

Knitted in Brushed Fleece 


15

NEW SEASON 

……………………… 

Cashmere 

Tweed 

Inspired by the styles and 

patterning of Scandinavian and 

Icelandic knits, this collection of 

seven modern knits is worked 

in the brand new Cashmere 

Tweed yarn. Showcasing eyecatching 

colourwork and simple, 

yet elegant shapes, this collection 

features designs from cosy winter 

accessories to versatile sweaters 

and a short-sleeved tunic. 

VIEW 

COLLECTION 

Top: 

Lang 



Opposite: 

Carron 



16 ROWAN

NEW SEASON 

……………………… 

Timeless 

Cocoon 

Designed by the Rowan 

favourites, this is a truly versatile 

collection of six staple wardrobe 

pieces such as warming winter 

sweaters and a beautiful cabled 

wrap, all worked in the super soft 

Cocoon yarn. 

VIEW 

COLLECTION 

Top left: 

Nevada Scarf 


Knitted in Cocoon 

Top right: 

Nieve Sweater 



Opposite: 

Snowy Cardigan 




17

NEW SEASON 

……………………… 

Timeless 

DK 

Worked in the new Alpaca Soft 

DK yarn, this brochure showcases 

simple and clean silhouettes to 

suit any wardrobe. Designs range 

from simple cardigans to a roll 

neck sweater and a cabled jacket. 

VIEW 

COLLECTION 

Top: 

Nordea 


Knitted in Alpaca Soft DK 

Opposite: 

Bibbi 



Opposite right: 

Stockholm 



18 ROWAN

NEW SEASON 

……………………… 

Timeless 

Worsted 

Worked in the classic Pure Wool 

Superwash Worsted yarn, this 

collection of seven designs for 

women features easy-to-wear 

and versatile pieces ranging from 

a colour block sweater to a stylish 

cabled cardigan and a statement 

design using chequers and letters. 

VIEW 

COLLECTION 

Top left: 

Malmo 


Knitted in Pure Wool Superwash 

Worsted 

Top right: 

Holm Cowl 



Worsted 

Opposite: 

Rowan Yarns Cardigan 



Worsted 


19

NEW SEASON 

……………………… 

Valley 

Tweed 

This stunning collection of seven 

designs for women was designed 

using the brand new Valley Tweed 

yarn, sourced and spun near the 

home of Rowan in Huddersfield, 

Yorkshire. Rustic and timeless, 

pieces range from a striped wrap 

to a fairisle cropped jacket and a 

simple v-neck sweater. 

VIEW 

COLLECTION 

Holme 


Knitted in Valley Tweed 

Opposite top: 

Bradfield Scarf 



Opposite bottom: 

Colne 



20 ROWAN


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22 ROWAN

RETAILER 

FOCUS 

……………………… 

Uncommon 

Threads 

USA 

Settled in the centre of Los Altos, 

California, a small city in the Silicon 

Valley region, surrounded by larger cities 

who boast businesses like Apple, Facebook 

and Google, Uncommon Threads is a yarn 

store whose roots are wider and deeper than 

its high-tech neighbours. 

Founded in the 1980s as a handweaving studio, 

Uncommon Threads added yarn and needlepoint 

over the following 30+ years to mirror their 

customers’ needs. The shop has consistently been a 

destination for yarn crafters in the community and 

beyond through mail order and consumer travel. 

Current owner Stephanie Hein purchased the store 

in 2009. Formerly a project manager for a webdesign 

firm, Stephanie was a long-time customer 

whose children had just started school and who was 

looking to fit a career that focused on creativity into 

her personal and professional life. The previous 

owner, Louise Spangler, was looking to retire and 

with an experienced staff, a supportive customer 

base and a wonderful location, the time was right 

for Stephanie to make her career change. 

Today, Uncommon Threads focuses on the current 

trends in knitting and crochet. Stephanie uses her 

sales floor wisely with fashionable sweater and 

accessory displays rotated throughout the seasons. 

This way, it is always the right time for customers 

to start a new project! 

The store’s class schedule highlights several skillbuilding 

classes to educate consumers about how 

to make their own sweaters. From beginning the 

sweater, to intermediate projects, including crochet, 

as well as following socks, KAL and CALs, and 

one-time small projects – the store is always busy 

with activity. Stephanie is also pleased to offer Amy 

Herzog’s Custom Fit pattern design system in her 

store, which allows customers to adjust patterns to 

their own measurements. Best of all, Uncommon 

Threads now offers weaving classes – truly returning 

to the roots of their store. 

Uncommon Threads was one of the first stores in 

North America to offer Rowan Yarns, appearing 

as a stockist in every Rowan Magazine since 

issue Number Four, when the store lists began. 

Stephanie continues to keep Rowan in the forefront 

at Uncommon Threads, noting the history of 

customer trust in the brand and the high level of 

anticipation each season for the new magazines. 

Her customers appreciate the timeless, yet current 

look of the designs, so that the knitter can feel good 

about wearing the garment for several years to 

come. Stephanie appreciates the wide coverage of 

design themes – women, men, children, accessories 

and home; as well as the current and upcoming 

designers such as Sarah Hatton, Martin Storey and 

Lisa Richardson, who set the forward trends for the 

yarn line. 

MORE INFO 


23

AUGUST’S 

MEMBERS PATTERN 

……………………… 

Carlton 

By Marie Wallin 

Knitted in Felted Tweed Aran 

DOWNLOAD 

24 ROWAN

Upcoming in 

September & 

October 

SEPTEMBER’S 


……………………… 

Dawn 

By Martin Storey 


OCTOBER’S 


……………………… 

Diffuse 

By Galina Carroll 

Knitted in Kidsilk Haze & Fine Lace 


25

BEHIND THE 

SCENES 

……………………… 

Brierley Brothers 

By Sarah Brook 

Nestled just off the main 

ring road which snakes 

around the Yorkshire town 

of Huddersfield, Albert Mills 

is quite a formidable sight. 

Positioned alongside the fastflowing 

waters of the river 

Colne, the five storey stone 

mill sits proudly and boasts a 

rich heritage. 

Today, the building is home to 

Brierley Bros. Ltd, trading as 

Gardiner Yarns, a trusted spinner 

and distributor of wools from 

all over the world. The premises 

were built originally as a ‘woollen 

manufactory’ in 1863 and later the 

company incorporated in 1896 

in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, 

a town renown for supply of the 

best quality textiles to the world. 

The highly successful spinning 

company Brierley Bros. Ltd is 

now one of the leading spinners 

of specialist woollen spun yarns 

in the United Kingdom. The 

company is proud to spin using 

only the finest wools and fibres 

and we are pleased to have 

sourced our recently-introduced 

Valley Tweed from here, just a 

few miles down the road from 

the Rowan design office. 

The process of creating the yarn 

you see today is one of many steps. 

Initially, when the raw material 

fleece arrives in Yorkshire, it must 

be scoured to remove the wool 

grease and other contamination 

then it is sorted into ‘types’ that 

are graded according to fibre 

thickness and fibre length. The 

most suitable fibres are then used 

for spinning the yarn. 

Individual yarn shades are 

colour matched in a laboratory 

combining many component 

shades of dyed fleece which are 

all skilfully blended together 

to make the final colour. The 

records of the percentages 

used are recorded so that it can 

be reproduced or tweaked, if 

necessary. Once this has been 

completed, the fibres are then 

blended in bulk batches before 

moving on to the carding 

machine stage. 

Complex, noisy and extremely 

dangerous in the wrong 

circumstances, the carding 

machine is responsible for 

mixing the blended fleece. The 

blend is dropped into a container 

set at a particular weight so it is 

only emptied onto a conveyor 

26 ROWAN

1 

2 3 

Photos by Charlotte Briggs 

belt once the required weight 

is reached where it is padded 

down allowing it to be fed 

onto the carding machine. The 

carding machine consists of a 

series of roller sets, upon which 

are sharp needles, which work 

the fleece mixing the blend and 

aligning the fibres into a web, 

first one way and then the other 

to mix it thoroughly. There are 

many rollers each with a name 

and particular function, such as 

‘workers’ and ‘strippers’. The 

positions of these rollers along 

with the weight of fleece fed into 

the machine must be adjusted 

accordingly to determine the 

thickness of the yarn. Carding 

engineers set gears on the 

machines to create different 

outcomes for different yarns, 

a skill which is also worked on 

manually with somebody with 

an extremely fine eye for detail 

and a lot of experience. At the 

end of the carding machine a fine 

web is formed, the tape rubbers 

into a machine which creates a 

‘slubbing’ resembling a yarn with 

no twist inserted. This is wound 

onto a package for onward 

process of the yarn. At this stage, 

there is no strength in the yarn 

and it can be easily pulled apart, 

therefore, if there are any faults 

at this point, the fibres can be reprocessed 

from the beginning. 

Finally, the fibre is ready to be 

spun. During this process, two 

wheels work simultaneously to 

‘draft’ the slubbing to even out 

the yarn thickness further and the 

difference in speed between the 

two wheels is used to determine 


1. Albert Mills 

2. Raw material ready for carding 

3. Carding machine 

27

Worker 

Worker 

Stripper 

Worker 

Stripper 

Fancy 

Doffer Comb 

Feed Rollers 

Uncarded Wool in 

Angle 

Stripper 

Cylinder/ 

Swift 

Doffer 

Carded Wool out 

Taker in 

the level of draft of the yarn. The 

twist is inserted into the yarn 

as it is wound onto a package 

called a ‘spinning cop’ ready for 

the next production process. The 

twist level is determined by the 

different speeds between the 

drafting wheel and spinning cop. 

Meanwhile, a special technology 

called Neumafil is used to remove 

any breakages at the drafting 

process using air currents. This is 

then recovered and reprocessed. 

The yarn now has twist and is 

then wound onto cones from 

the spinning cops. The winding 

machine detects any knots and 

faults, removing them. The 

cones then need to be steamed 

to set and straighten the yarn. 

Each steam cycle is 45 minutes 

long and the machines used are 

simple, the container containing 

the cones is wheeled in and 

the doors are closed to start the 

process. 

The single end of spun yarn is 

then folded together to achieve 

the required knitting weight, 

washed and wound onto either 

hanks, ball or doughnuts to 

create the yarns which we see 

available in stores world-wide, 

all processed and engineered in 

Yorkshire. 

Watch out for Valley Tweed 

in your LYS, you will see a 

wonderful tweedy effect created 

by nepps of colour, harder 

particles which stand up more 

to processing and so create the 

beautiful flecks you will see. 

MORE INFO 

28 ROWAN


29

TRENDS 

……………………… 

Autumn 

Winter 2017 

By Katie Calvert 

30 ROWAN

Knitwear is the main staple 

of a winter wardrobe. A 

knitted garment rests on the 

body, enveloping it and is worn, 

by some, as a simple requirement 

to keep warm. But we know that 

our dedicated Rowan knitter 

treats their treasured pieces as 

something much more than 

that. When you have invested 

your time knitting a garment, or 

accessory, so that it feels uniquely 

yours, you want to be able to 

wear it as much as possible, and 

not always in the same way. This 

season, Rowan’s Dawn Till Dusk 

designs are enlivened by their 

versatility and ability to be styled 

in a number of ways. 

Dawn Till Dusk, in magazine 

62, has been designed with 

a flexibility which suits any 

wardrobe and anyone’s personal 

style. It is about tailored knitwear 

………………………… 

Breakthrough knitwear 

trends include cable knits, 

stripes, polo necks and 

oversized styles, 

………………………… 

that can take you smoothly from 

the office and then to evening 

drinks. Or slouchy knitwear that 

can be worn as a cover-up over 

a multitude of outfits be they 

daytime or evening styles. The 

aspiration is that these pieces can 

take you through the day from 

dawn until dusk, hence the name. 

Many of the garments and 

accessories echo autumn winter 

trends for 2017. Breakthrough 

knitwear trends include cable 

knits, stripes, polo necks and 

oversized styles, whilst fashion 

trends such as embellishment, 

unusual sleeves, the colour 

red and the resurgence of the 

cardigan are also realised. As 

a versatile story with flexible 

styling techniques, much of 

Dawn Till Dusk’s designs feature 

a plethora of these trends, which 

can be styled in various ways 

alongside the looks that you see 

in the magazine. 

At Sonia Rykiel, whose 

eponymous designer was dubbed 

the ‘Queen of Knits’, oversized 

cable knits, enhanced by wide 

necks, were styled with polo 

necks. At Louis Vuitton, polo 

necks were the essential item, 

paired with frills. Dawn Till Dusk 

may not feature any knitted polo 

necks, but Lisa Richardson’s 

styling has certainly referenced it. 

Sunset, with its oversized shape, 

designed by Marie Wallin, has 

a wide neck. This allows for a 

polo neck to stand out without 

detracting from the delicate 

cabling detail along the front of 

the garment and on the sleeves. 

It has been knitted in Liqueur, 

a lovely deep red shade, in firm 

favourite Kidsilk Haze. There 

aren’t many trends that this 

design doesn’t feature, with the 

ability to embellish always a 

possibility. But none of it is one 

trend too far! Instead, Sunset is a 

delicate, eye-catching piece that 

can be worked for day, whether 

Top: 

Sonia Rykiel 

Courtesy of www.vogue.co.uk 

Louis Vuitton 


Opposite right: 

Sunset 

by Marie Wallin 

Knitted in Kidsilk Haze 



31

as office wear or as something 

more casual, illustrated in the 

photo shoot, or layered over an 

evening outfit for extra warmth. 

The subtle detail and wide neck, 

mixed with a rich shade perfectly 

demonstrates why Dawn Till 

Dusk is so adaptable without 

taking away from the passion 

that has gone into making such a 

treasured piece. 

Mellow, by Sarah Hatton, is 

another featured oversized knit, 

which also fits into the cable 

trend. Its wide front enfolds the 

body, enabling you to wear it from 

day to night, in informal or formal 

social occasions. Paired with 

Dusty Scarf by Martin Storey, you 

can sense that feeling of warm 

cosiness emanating from the pages 

of the Rowan magazine. 

Sleeves have taken an unusual 

turn this season, with some 

intertwining with the oversized 

trend. Protruding arms at 

Burberry and ribbed effects 

at Prabal Gurung emphasise 

the absurd. Rowan showcases 

more wearable versions that 

are, nonetheless, intriguing. 

Alongside Sunset, Evening and 

………………………… 

Sleeves have taken an 

unusual turn this season, 

with some intertwining 

with the oversided trend. 

………………………… 

Nightfall, both by Martin Storey, 

feature subtly billowing sleeves. 

Evening’s shorter design means 

that it works well contrasted 

Above: 

Prada 


Above left: 

Nightfall 




32 ROWAN

with a longer sleeved garment. 

Nightfall, with its on-trend 

embellishment and long length, 

diverts the eye away from the 

delicate detail towards the more 

unlikely source of inspiration, the 

sleeve. Both designs are simple in 

essence, paired or layered with 

any number of garments, yet they 

stand out in their own right. 

The embellished trend, seen 

at Prada, works not only for 

eveningwear but, by making 

the choice to knit in softer 

hues, it becomes relevant for 

daywear. Eventide by Lisa 

Richardson has been knitted in 

Kid Classic’s Feather shade. The 

embellishment gives it a ‘wow’ 

factor, whilst the shade makes 

it the perfect accompaniment 

either over jeans and a top, 

or layered over something 

smarter and more elegant, as 

demonstrated in the magazine 

by Lisa Richardson. Eventide’s 

length is also significant. It has 

been a while since long length 

cardigans have been seen on the 

catwalk. But, this season, they 

are back, with designer brands 

Trussardi and Chloé wearing 

them casually. At Rowan, our 

designers have shown how the 

long length cardigan is more 

versatile than this with simple 

details such as embellishment 

or unique sleeve shapes helping 

to do this. Although Lisa 

Richardson’s favourite garment 

is Twilight for its mix of yarns 

which make it very lightweight 

yet super cosy, she plans to knit 

Eventide 





33

Gloaming first. Lisa knows, that 

as a staple piece of anyone’s 

wardrobe, she can wear this long 

length cardigan with everything. 

She plans to style it with a polo 

neck, slim trousers and Chelsea 

boots, adding a belt for definition. 

Stripes are often a popular 

trend and Rowan has been sure 

to include it. Eve, by Jennie 

Atkinson, with its wrap detail, 

hugs the body. When designing 

the garment, Jennie envisioned a 

piece of knitwear that, by using 

the long ties, could be converted 

from a loose, casual cover-up, 

worn over a dress or jeans, into 

a smarter top, tied to define the 

waist, that could be worn over 

loose-fit trousers or a long, slim 

skirt. However you choose to 

wear it, Eve stands out for its bold 

stripes and delicate neckline. 

There are two further designs 

which express the stripes trend 

using a knitting technique. 

Daybreak and Subdued’s rib 

detail lends itself to subtle 

striping, whether purposefully 

or not. Subdued also has unusual 

sleeve detail around the wrist, 

highlighting even more how on 

trend Rowan is, whilst never 

forgetting the need to create 

something timeless. Emma 

Wright, who designed Subdued, 

………………………… 

Stripes are often a 

popular trend and Rowan 

has been sure to include 

it. 

………………………… 

imagines her design styled with a 

fitted denim mini skirt and a long 

sleeved top underneath, allowing 

a pop of colour to peek through. 

Tights are also a must. Layering, 

as obvious as it sounds, is a strong 

Top Left: 

Trussardi 


Top Right 

Chloe 


Opposite: 

Eve 

by Jennie Atkinson 

Knitted in Alpaca Merino DK 


34 ROWAN


35

Prabal Gurung 


Opposite page: 

Evening 




trend for this autumn winter. 

Choose to do what Emma would 

do for day or add an embellished 

knit for night. Having the choice 

to layer means having the choice 

to wear more than one favourite 

piece of clothing. It might sound 

simple, but it always works. This 

choice of styling by Emma lends 

itself well to other trends too. 

Oversized earrings are huge this 

season, the bigger the better to 

add a real statement. 

………………………… 

Layering, as obvious as it 

sounds, is a strong trend 

for this autumn winter. 

………………………… 

As for colour, the design team 

at Rowan has chosen a classic 

mix of blues and creams, 

alongside strong jewel tones. 

One of these, red, has been a 

firm favourite on the catwalk. 

However, never forget that, 

just as the shade chosen for the 

photo shoot garment rests with 

the designer, the colour of your 

finished piece is chosen by you, 

the Rowan knitter. You might 

prefer something subtle, such as 

a light blue that suits many of 

your outfits, or you may go for 

something much bolder. The 

beauty of a Rowan design, and 

of this story, is the choice that 

you have in creating your desired 

piece of knitwear. 

We can’t forget accessories. 

During the day in winter, the 

knitted scarf is everywhere. But 

for an evening out you might 

think that choosing something 

more delicate is more suitable. In 

order to make your knitted scarf 

desirable for evening, finer yarns, 

such as Fine Lace and Kidsilk 

Haze, have been selected by 

our designers, or embellishment 

has been added to give it a 

sophisticated feel for evening. 

The word ‘timeless’ can be 

banded about too readily, but 

when garments are so well 

designed that they gravitate 

successfully from one season to 

another, incorporated into trends 

that keep on changing, the term 

is eminently suitable. Dawn Till 

Dusk designs are just that. These 

timeless pieces incorporate some 

of this season’s trends but, more 

importantly, as trends evolve 

and styles change, they have the 

flexibility to move with these 

changes, offering alternative 

looks to what is already available. 

36 ROWAN


37

RETAILER 

FOCUS 

……………………… 

Black Sheep 

Wools 

UK 

“Black Sheep Wools are proud to announce that 

our award winning Craft Barn, in Warrington, is 

now THE Rowan flagship store of the North West. 

We have a dazzling display of all of Rowan’s yarn 

and books nestled within the Craft Barn and you 

can snuggle up on the sofa in the cosy corner and 

soak up the inspiration for your next project. 

Another new addition will be our instore Rowan 

Consultant Melanie Boocock. Melanie has been a 

Rowan workshop tutor for many years and we are 

delighted that she will be joining us as our Rowan 

Design Consultant. Melanie will be in store two 

days a week to advise and help with all your Rowan 

queries. 

On 30th September, we will be hosting a special 

launch event to celebrate this great new addition. 

Two of Rowan’s finest designers, Martin Storey and 

Lisa Richardson will join us for the day to share 

their passion and expertise. There will be goody bags 

for the first 20 customers, a charity raffle, glasses of 

bubbly, and lots of yarn to squish and admire! We’d 

love you to join us.” 

Click the button below for more information. 

MORE INFO 

38 ROWAN


39

INTERVIEW 

……………………… 

Royal College 

of Art Students 

40 ROWAN

We talked to promising Royal College of Art Students 

Beth Ranson and Winnie Yeung about their first year 

of study and why they decided to work with Rowan yarns on 

their portfolio. 

What is the inspiration behind the collection? 

Beth - The inspiration behind the sourcing of my materials is most 

important to my practice. I follow a sustainable, responsible design 

ethos that explores the most creative ways of excelling in using zero 

waste production methods, using closed loop design processes and 

making everything I create with natural materials and natural dyes. I 

create all my colour palettes using natural dyes and every project I do 

incorporates this research led process. 

Everything I knit is inspired by my drawings and collages. Visually, I 

am inspired by my own photographs taken from travelling around the 

UK and Europe, little snap shots of details that aren’t too obvious but 

they inspire surface pattern, texture and colour ideas. I always love to 

draw. 

Nostalgia also has a key role in my practice. Childhood photos inspire 

silhouette and garment ideas, colour palettes and trim details for 

every sample I knit. I try to achieve a balance of contemporary design 

and beguiling nostalgia. Preservation of memories translates to the 

creation of luxury knitted samples and garments. 

Winnie - My main inspiration is mainly from Braille. I use to attend 

a project which was about how blind people see, feel and create art. 

It touched me and I think art is not the privilege for just sighted 

people but also for those people who cannot see. Thus when I am 

designing my art work I usually put my effort both into the texture 

and colour of my pieces. Moreover, I used a piece of research about 

the link between tactile impression and colour, for example, for most 

people fluffy texture reminds them of the colour yellow. The purpose 

of this research is to let blind people feel the colour from touches in 

their mind. 

Opposite: 

Naturaly dyed samples with Kidsilk 

Haze and cashmere blends 

by Beth Ranson 

What led you to choose Rowan yarns for the project? 

Beth - My sustainably led process focuses on the use of natural, 

compostable fibres. Rowan yarns were therefore an obvious choice. 

I use natural coloured yarns and dye them with natural dyes such as 

home grown Woad and Weld leaves, and food waste such as Avocado 

stones and onion skins. 

To create the blurry texture changes and soft luxurious contrasts 

within my collection I chose to knit with Kidsilk Haze. The 100% 

natural yarn is a beautiful texture, and once knitted can be brushed 

to create areas of extreme delicacy. Rowan is one of only a few 

companies that makes a 100% natural kid/silk mix yarn, as often they 

are mixed with a man made fibre to strengthen them and this means 

they cannot be used within my natural palette. Kidsilk Haze is the 


41

perfect component for every single sample I knit and I can’t imagine 

any of my samples looking complete without it. 

Winnie - I first used Rowan yarns for an art project four years ago 

and the main reason for me is because Rowan has the best reputation 

in this field with its use of natural fibres in its range. The reason for 

me to keep using it for the last four years is because Rowan gives me 

the range of choice from the texture, colour and size of the wool and 

yarn to fit my projects; also the quality of the wool or yarn is the best 

compared to what I have used before. 

How was it to visit Pitti (International trade fair for knitting yarns)? 

Beth - Visiting Pitti was such a brilliant experience! I was lucky 

enough to be able to visit some appointments with the head of 

The RCA Yarn Resource, and she was so generous in sharing her 

knowledge with us and teaching us whilst we were there. Learning 

about the creation methods and origins of so many raw materials and 

yarns was super interesting, and I hope I to go back again in January! 

The inspiration gained for my collection was a little overwhelming, 

as there were so many beautiful yarns, so it will be really exciting 

designing my final collection with all these options in mind. 

Winnie - My recent visit to Pitti provided me with a lot of 

information on what types of yarn are going to be trending next 

season and also gave me the chance to meet the manufacturers of 

those yarns to broaden my personal contacts. 

What does the second year at the RCA hold for you? 

Beth - My first year was spent exploring the potential of my theory 

of sustainable knitted textiles design, and researching a lot to push 

the boundaries of what I could achieve. My second year will see 

this research and experimentation culminate in more defined ideas, 

realised in final knitted samples and garments. I hope that this year I 

will continue to learn, but I will also be able to put my knowledge 

into my own unique practice and truly define my own aesthetic and 

ethos. 

I hope to continue to run my Natural Dye Workshops, have a really 

successful exhibition at the end of the year and eventually publish my 

book on using natural dyes within knitted textiles design… a draft of 

which I am already working on! 

Collaboration with Marianne Bauer 

and product designers Katrine 

Hesseldahl and Victor Strimfors. 

Yarns sponsored by Rowan. 

Exhibition at Royal College of Arts 

Show 2017. 

by Winnie Yeung 

What support and recognition have you received for your work at the RCA? 

Beth - I was awarded a Company Award from the Worshipful 

Company of Haberdashers, in recognition for their view of my 

potential within the textiles industry. This was hugely encouraging 

for me. The bursary I was awarded means I will be able to order some 

of the amazing yarns I saw at Pitti, which is exciting! 

42 ROWAN

Winnie - I have won Bradford Textile Awards:The Clothworkers’ 

Foundation Award, UK 2017 1st Prize and The Woolmark Company 

Award, UK 2017 2nd Prize (by using the Rowan alpaca yarns). 

How would you describe your first year? 

Beth - Overwhelming, challenging and totally inspiring. I haven’t 

yet produced anything that is complete because I am constantly 

encouraged to question an challenge my ideas and concepts. This first 

year forced me to elevate my work and justifications for it to the 

next level and I am now really excited to see how much more I can 

develop next year. This first year has provided the groundwork for 

what will hopefully be a creatively defining year for everyone in our 

year group. 

Winnie - The first year of study at RCA is basically an adaptive phase 

of my textile design. During the last four years, I have tried a lot of 

different projects to find the one that suited me the best. In this case, I 

focused on interior design and I used knitted textiles to decorate the 

sofa. Also, I tried to distinguish which knit patterns could be done by 

knitting machine and what has to be knitted by hand to create my 

unique pattern. 


43

FEATURE 

……………………… 

Crochet Club Giveaway 

- Knit for Peace 

Jane Crowfoot 

‘Crochet Along’ or ‘CAL’ 

A project is a much-liked 

concept and the impact of them 

has had a massive effect on the 

popularity of the craft over the 

last 5 years. CAL projects usually 

run over the course of a few 

weeks or months and offer the 

(often solitary) home crocheter 

the chance to work through a 

project in bite size pieces. As you 

may be aware, we are now part 

way through our Lisa Richardson 

Crochet Along 2017, a beautiful 

blanket using Felted Tweed. 

By working through a CAL 

project, crocheters are not only 

given the chance to learn new 

techniques and increase their 

skills, but, in many cases, they can 

also engage in on-line discussions 

and form new friendships by 

working alongside others in 

virtual groups via personal blogs 

and social media platforms like 

Facebook and Instagram. Crochet 

is recognised as a therapeutic and 

cerebral activity, encouraging 

44 ROWAN 

hand eye coordination and the 

use of the left side of the brain. 

Jane Crowfoot designed and 

released her first limited edition 

CAL project in 2011 when 

crochet along projects were few 

and far between. Jane continued 

to release limited edition CAL 

projects via her exclusive 

‘Crochet Club’ label until 

2014. All Jane’s Crochet Along 

projects included yarns from the 

Rowan range and Jane designed 

the projects to push the skill 

levels of crocheters in order to 

create fabulous crochet throws/ 

hangings. 

Since 2014, Jane has gone on to 

design many crochet projects for 

the home and is well recognised 

within the craft field for her use 

of colour and technique, indeed 

2017 has seen her recognized 

as Motivational Designer of the 

Year within The British Craft 

Awards and as runner-up in the 

Favourite Crochet Designer of

2013 Complete Blanket 

by Jane Crowfoot 

Opposite Page: 

Bloomsbury Garden. 

the Year Category in the British 

Knitting and Crochet Awards. 

Jane’s Crochet Club projects are 

massively sought after, as they 

were released as limited edition 

kits and are no longer available. 

Jane and her studio team are 

asked for kits and patterns for 

past clubs on a daily basis, but 

kits rarely become available and 

the patterns are now archived, so 

those seeking kits are often left 

disapointed. However, Jane has 

recently been given a complete 

kit for the 2013 Crochet Club 

project which she has decided to 

offer as a prize giveaway in order 

to raise funds for Knit For Peace, 

a charity that supports needy and 

vulnerable people all over the 

world through knit and crochet 

projects and initiatives. 

The kit, which includes 31 balls of 

Rowan Cotton Glacé and 3 bags 

of Debbie Abrahams knitting 

beads, originally belonged to 

Crochet Club member Sally 

Smith who sadly passed away 

recently. Sally’s sister Jayne has 

very kindly agreed that the kit 

can be raffled in Sally’s memory, 

so, to be in with a chance of 

winning the kit, which also 

comes with the PDF download 

patterns, all you need to do is go 

onto the Knit For Peace website 

and follow the link to make a 

monetary donation. A donation 

of just £2 counts as a raffle entry, 

but you can pledge however 

much you would like to and 

you can enter the draw as many 

times as you want, with each 

individual donation counting 

as one entry. The raffle runs for 

four weeks between August 

7th and September 4 th and the 

winner will be notified later on 

in September. 

We are sure that this will be an 

incredibly popular raffle prize 

and hope that the draw will raise 

lots of money for this worthy 

charity, however, if you would 

rather not enter, or are not lucky 

enough to be the winner of 

the project pack, then you may 

be interested to know that Jane 

will be releasing an exciting new 

design, which features yarns from 

the Rowan range, later on this 

year. We are also looking forward 

to seeing more of her work using 

our yarns in 2018….watch this 

space! 

KNIT FOR PEACE 


45

Lisa Richardson 

Crochet Along 2017 

Release 4 

We are now into the fourth stage of our 

fabulous Felted Tweed blanket Crochet Along! 

For those of you who have joined us on this 

colourful journey, don’t forget to update us on 

your progress on our Facebook and Instagram 

pages! 

Missed the start? Don’t worry, there’s still plenty of 

time to catch up. Download the shopping list here! 

DOWNLOAD 

46 ROWAN


47

48 ROWAN

Tips & Techniques 

……………………… 

How to Two 

Colour Fairisle 

by Katherine Lymer 

Thackerey Scarf 




Fairisle knitting is a form of 

stranded knitting where different 

coloured yarns can be worked at 

any point on the row (as set by the 

pattern) and the yarn not in use is 

carried, or “stranded”, across the 

back of the work. Traditionally 

worked in the round, traditional 

fairisle is unique from other 

stranded fairisle knitting as it 

only uses two colours in one 

round (or row) and its designs 

include diagonal lines – hence 

our familiarity with such patterns 

as Norwegian stars, used to such 

beautiful effect in “Kintyre” from 

Magazine 52. 

Fairisle knitting is best worked 

with one ball of yarn in each hand: 

It helps the stranded yarn to lie 

flat and prevents the balls of wool 

from tangling around each other. 

Knitters who mainly work the 

“English way” (using their right 

hand to hold the working needle 

and throw the yarn) may find 

holding the yarn in their left hand 

awkward. Ditto for “continental 


knitters” unused to holding yarn 

in their right hand. To overcome 

this, try knitting a swatch, in a 

single colour using your “other 

hand” (so “continentally” if 

you’re usually an “English knitter” 

and vice versa if not) - without 

worrying about tension and 

colour changes. If you’re going to 

be working in the round, where 

you only need to knit to create 

stocking-stitch fabric, work your 

flat swatch in garter stitch. If, 

however, knitting plain swatches 

isn’t your cup of tea and you’d 

like to practise all the techniques 

described below, consider a small 

project, such as Martin Storey’s 

“Snowflake Coaster” from his 

timeless “Nordic Knits” collection. 

When you’re ready to work in 

two colours, hold the main colour 

yarn in your most familiar hand 

to help create a smooth, even 

fabric with any discrepancies in 

tension – arising from the newer 

method of knitting – restricted to 

the fewer, contrast-colour stitches. 

49

a 

b 

A traditional fairisle pattern will 

have frequent changes between 

the two colours, thus producing 

short strands (or “floats”) that 

are neatly locked into the work. 

Where the pattern requires long 

sections of one colour, it may be 

necessary to weave-in the yarn 

not in use to prevent creation of 

long strands that are easy to catch 

and pull. The exact number of 

stitches in a run of a single colour 

is largely influenced by the type of 

wool being worked: For example, 

100% Shetland wool is “sticky” 

enough to permit stranding over 

seven stitches. When knitting 

with Rowan yarns, our advice is 

not to strand over more than four 

or five stitches. 

a 

b 

c 

Knit weaving LH colour 

a. LH thrown 

b. LH + RH thrown 

c. Weave complete 

Following the strictest definition 

of fairisle knitting, we would 

work in the round - enjoying 

the usual advantages of circular 

knitting: increased speed of 

work and even tension by only 

working the knit stitch, rightside 

of the fabric always facing us 

and elimination of seams - so any 

weaving would be worked with 

knitted stitches: To weave-in 

the colour held in our left hand 

(LH), insert the right-hand (RH) 

needle into the next stitch on the 

LH needle as if to knit. Raise the 

LH colour to lie across the back 

of the RH needle and throw the 

RH colour over RH needle in 

the usual way: The LH colour 

will be caught in the back of the 

new stitch. 

c 

d 

Knit weaving RH colour 

a. RH thrown 

b. RH + LH thrown 

c. LH thrown + RH undone 

d. Weave complete 

50 ROWAN

a 

To weave-in the RH colour, 

insert the RH needle into the 

next stitch on the LH needle as if 

to knit and throw the RH colour 

over the RH needle as normal. 

Pluck the LH colour over the 

RH needle. “Undo” the RH 

colour by pulling it to the back 

of the needle: The RH colour 

will be caught in the back of the 

new stitch. 

a 

b 

c 

Purl weaving LH colour 

a. LH thrown 

b. LH + RH thrown 

c. Weave complete 

However, if we want to work 

back-and-forth, to create a flat 

piece of fabric, (to create, for 

example, “Fishlake” from Mag. 

62), we need to be able to purl 

and weave-in when working two 

balls of wool. To weave-in the 

LH colour when purling, insert 

the RH needle into the next 

stitch on the LH needle to purl 

as normal. Raise the LH colour 

over the front of the RH needle 

and across the top of the LH 

needle. Throw the RH colour in 

the usual way to form the new 

purl stitch, catching with it the 

LH colour. 

b 

c 

To weave-in the RH colour 

when purling, we follow a similar 

process of “undoing” as when 

knitting: Insert the RH needle 

into the next stitch on the LH 

needle as if to purl and throw the 

RH colour under and around 

the needle (i.e. in the opposite 

way to normal). Pluck the LH 

colour over the top of the RH 

needle (as normal). “Undo” the 

RH colour and form the new 

purl stitch as normal, catching 

with it the LH colour. 

d 

Purl weaving RH colour 

a. RH thrown the wrong way 

b. RH + LH thrown 

c. LH thrown + RH undone 

d. Weave complete 


51

Knitters new to Fairisle may find 

tension changes over the stranded 

sections, leading to tight, inelastic 

and uneven colour work. This 

is often due to over-tightening 

the strands, crushing the stitches 

in-between and preventing the 

fabric – and pattern – sitting 

properly in the round (or row). 

The traditional diagonal designs 

are not just aesthetically pleasing 

but are created with this problem 

in mind: By varying the positions 

of the colour changes, these 

inherent points of tension are 

distributed across the rounds, 

rather than forming straight, 

unyielding columns of colour. 

loose!) by regularly reviewing our 

work while knitting each round 

(or row) and, where necessary, 

easing the working yarns through 

the fabric to remove any slack or 

tightness. If the tension between 

the stranded and non-stranded 

knitting remains uneven, it 

might also be helpful to change 

needle size for the colour work 

section(s). However, the relaxed, 

repetitive actions that come 

with a technique well-practised, 

should allow for the creation of 

an even, elastic fabric. 

Fishlake 

by Marie Wallin 



Practically, a more even fabric 

can be created by ensuring that 

our strands are loose (but not too 

52 ROWAN

R O W A N 

S E L E C T S 

r o wa n finest 

6 designs for women 

by Martin Storey, 

Sarah Hatton & Amy Herzog 

using ROWAN Selects 

ROWAN Finest. 

Available now from your 

ROWAN stockist. 

MORE INFO 


53

THIS SEASON 

WE LOVE 

……………………… 

Fruity Knitting 

We caught up with the brilliant Andrea 

Doig, half of popular duo Fruity 

Knitting, about her podcasts and knitting 

background. 

Tell us a little bit about yourself 

Andrew (my husband) and I are Australians and 

have been living in Germany for 18 years now. 

We live in Offenbach (close to Frankfurt) with 

our daughter Madeleine and our dog Jack, both of 

whom regularly appear on the podcast. We released 

Episode 1 in March 2016 and as I write this we’re 

about to release Episode 34. I did a degree in 

Music Performance and taught piano and singing 

for many years as well as regularly performing as a 

singer. I come from a very crafty family, was taught 

to knit around 6 years old and was knitting fairly 

involved garments already in my early teens. I love 

to knit and compared to other things that I’ve done 

in my life, I find knitting very easy and relaxing. 

Andrew is a beginner knitter, having started to knit 

a little over a year ago. He is definitely more of an 

academic than someone who likes to work with 

his hands, so he does find learning new techniques 

challenging. I think he does brilliantly and I love to 

‘throw him in the deep end’ with a new technique. 

He is presently knitting Brioche. 

Why did you decide to start your Fruity 

Knitting podcasts and what were your aims 

for it in the beginning? 

Around 3 years ago I was having problems with 

my voice that meant I couldn’t sing for a while. 

This was extremely distressing for me so to distract 

myself I started to knit more intensively. When I do 

something I often delve into it rather intensively and 

learn as much as I can about whatever I’m focusing 

on. So during this time I was always searching 

for documentaries on knitting or interviews with 

really great designers, anything informative about 

the craft of knitting. I didn’t know about knitting 

podcasts. I found some short films on Shetland 

knitting, a couple of short interviews with Kaffe 

Fassett but not much else. 

I then thought, wouldn’t it be cool to have a knitting 

channel which featured the kind of informative 

interviews that I was really looking for. Andrew 

then came on board, because it’s always much more 

54 ROWAN

fun to do things together than alone. Our aim 

was to produce an informative and entertaining 

program about the craft of knitting. I go into a lot of 

depth about knitting techniques as an experienced 

knitter and Andrew acts as encouragement to other 

beginners as he laughs his way through struggling 

with magic looping, 2 handed fairisle and now 

Brioche. Our guests are a big part of our show. We 

try to cover every part of the knitting and fibre 

world, from designers and very talented knitters to 

yarn producers and experts on sheep and fiber. I 

always try to organise each segment of our show to 

be as content rich as possible (but still entertaining) 

so that our viewers feel they learn something new 

every episode. That was our aim from the beginning 

and we try to improve with every episode. 

You have now released over thirty podcasts 

on YouTube, what have been the highlights of 

your journey so far? 

We have two major segments in each episode. 

One of them is ‘Knitters of the World’ where we 

feature very talented but amateur knitters. It has 

been a huge joy to bring these knitters into the 

limelight to show off their amazing knitting to an 

audience of thousands. The second major segment 

is the interview. In preparing for the interviews I 

have been able to meet some amazing experts in 

the knitting and fiber world. I never take this for 

granted and feel very privileged to have this direct 

contact. It spurs me on to prepare the best interview 

that I can with them. Some of these people are not 

only very knowledgeable experts but are incredibly 

interesting and inspiring people. I am often on a 

high after having done an interview. 

It has also been wonderful to receive feedback from 

our viewers that we have inspired them to take on 

new challenges with their knitting, like knitting 

a garment for the first time or trying out colour 

work and most recently cutting and grafting their 

knitting to fix mistakes. 

What is the process of planning content for 

the podcasts? 

To make sure we always have enough content 

for each episode I plan out the segments weeks 

in advance. This process of planning and creating 


55

is now my full time work. Sometimes a 5 minute 

segment has taken 5-6 hours in organising, filming 

and editing. 

My inspiration is based on what I was originally 

looking for - high quality documentaries about 

knitting. When I’m planning content and editing, 

I am always thinking about how I can make it as 

interesting, varied and informative as possible. I am 

also always looking at what I can cut out to keep it 

lively and to the point. I have a musical background 

so I love to choose music that best represents the 

designs, the mood or something in the personality 

of each of our guests. That part is a lot of fun. 

Do you find that you have a truly global 

audience? 

Yes and no, there are still many people who don’t 

understand English, even in countries that have a 

heritage of knitting. There are many wonderful 

knitters in Russia and some parts of Asia who are 

doing incredible work but the language barrier 

means they wouldn’t watch us and unfortunately 

because they can’t speak English, I am unable to 

feature them on our show. However, we do have 

viewers from an extraordinarily wide range of 

countries around the world, and we really love it 

when someone tells us they are watching from 

somewhere exotic. In the last month we had a few 

viewers from Ethiopia. Apparently there is a group 

of Indian women in a very remote mountain village 

who gather to watch us. Only one of them speaks 

English and she translates to the others. They find 

it very funny to watch Andrew knitting me socks. 

What’s next for Fruity Knitting? 

For the first eight to ten months I was working 

weekends and every evening to produce the 

podcast and supporting website around my normal 

teaching work. That wasn’t something I could 

sustain long term so we set up a Patreon campaign 

(a crowdfunding platform for artists) so I could stop 

my teaching work and we could continue with the 

podcast. Our immediate goal is to stabilise that so 

we can confidently keep going. 

We have noticed that you sometimes have 

projects from the Rowan collections on the 

go, which was the last one you undertook and 

how did you find it? 

At the moment I don’t have a Rowan design on 

my needles but my daughter Madeleine is knitting 

Lantic by Sarah Hatton. She loves it. For her, it’s not 

too difficult, the design is classic and elegant and 

the recommended Softyak DK is a totally gorgeous 

yarn to work with. 

I have knitted a lot of Rowan designs. I love how 

Rowan supports really top, highly qualified designers. 

On Ravelry and in some other publications, there 

are a lot of basic knitting patterns available that 

are aimed at the intermediate knitter but very few 

patterns that showcase the extreme end of advanced 

knitting. I love how Rowan includes these designs 

in their collections. It elevates the craft of knitting 

to an art form and serves as inspiration. 

Do you have any tips for those people who 

are considering starting out with a vlog or 

podcasts? 

This is a hard question because everything on the 

internet is changing very fast and people have 

different motivations to podcast or vlog. I think 

the main thing is to have a clear vision of what 

you would like to do and not to feel like you have 

to copy a certain format or that there are hidden 

rules that you must follow. Be yourself and bring 

something new to the table. 

Click below to view Andrea and Andrew’s 

latest podcast issue. 

PODCAST 

56 ROWAN

EVENTS 

……………………… 

UK 

Liberty Sewing School 

Saturday 9th September 

Learn to Crochet with Donna 

Grossman 


Design, Knit and Fit! With 

Georgia Farrell 

Saturday 23rd September 

Quilt as You Go with Lyn 

Scoulding 


Introduction to Brioche 

Knitting with Suzanne Strachan 

Saturday 28th October 

Hand Sew a Christmas Gift 

with Karen Roger 

MORE INFO 

John Lewis Oxford Street 

Knit Club 

Monday 4th September 

Lisa Richardson Crochet Along 

Monday 2nd October 

Timeless Collections - Cocoon 

and Worsted 

Mon 6th November 

Essential Accessories 

The Knitting & Stitching 

Show, Alexandra Palace, 

London 

11th – 15th October 

MORE INFO 


57

EVENTS 

……………………… 

USA 

August 

3rd - 6th 

Stitches Midwest, Shaumberg, 

Ill 

8th - 13th 

I-75 Yarn Crawl, Interstate Rt 

75 Tennesse to Michigan 

13th - 20th 

Alaska Cruise with 

GalinaKhmeleva and Cheryl 

Brunette, Alaska 

17th - 20th 

Rocky Mountain Men’s 

Knitting Retreat, Estes Park, CO 

19th - 20th 

Twist Fiber Festival, St. Andre- 

Svellin, Quebec, Canada 

19th - 27th 

Yarn Along the Rockies Yarn 

Crawl, Colorado Front Range 

31st -3rd September 

West Coast’s Men’s Knitting 

Retreat, Federal Way Seattle 

September 

7th -10th 

Vogue Destinations Sonoma 

Valley with Nicky Epstein and 

Debbie Macomber, Sheraton 

Sonoma County, Petaluma, CA 

9th 

Kitchener- Waterloo Knitter’s 

Fair, Kitchener Memorial 

Auditorium, Ontario, Canada 

14th - 17th 

Greater Boston Yarn Crawl 

Boston, MA area 

14th - 17th 

Stitches Texas, Irving 

Convention Center, Irving, TX 

14th - 17th 

San Diego Yarn Crawl 

San Diego, CA 

15th - 17th 

New York City Yarn Crawl 

Manhattan to Brooklyn 

31st - 1st October 

Knit City, PNE Forum, 

Vancouver, BC, Canada 

58 ROWAN

® 

® 

October 

6th - 7th 

32nd Annual Knitters Day Out, 

Central Pennsylvania College, 

Summerdale, PA 

6th - 15th 

Best Little Yarn Crawl in TX, 

Hill County, TX 

20th - 22nd 

Knit East Fibre Fest, St. 

Andrews by the Sea, 

New Brunswick 

26th - 29th 

Southeast Men’s Knitting 

Retreat, Cleveland, SC 

® 

VOGUEKNITTING 

LIVE! 

VOGUEKNITTING 

LIVE! 

VK Live 

Seattle 

3rd - 5th November 

VOGUEKNITTING 

LIVE! 

MORE INFO 

FINAL Didot HTF M16 Medium Gotham Bold 100K 40%K 


59

R O W A N 

AVAILABLE 

SEPTEMBER 

S E L E C T S 

CAMELLO 

8 designs for women by Lisa Richardson & Sarah Hatton 

using ROWAN Selects Camello 

Visit www.knitrowan.com in September for more information

Rowan Autumn 2017 newsletter

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