Perfectly Proportioned Textural Details: The Herbalist Collection
Summer is always a strange season for knitters. If it's hot outside, it can be difficult to know what to knit.
Heavy wool and sweaty palms are not a winning combination, yet many knitters don't enjoy knitting with cooler plant fibres.
It was with this in mind that I designed my first collection of knitting patterns, The Herbalist.
In this collection, you will find a tank, a shawl and a sweater - each knitted in The Fibre Co. Luma, which is a DK weight blend of wool, cotton, linen and silk. This yarn is a wonderful, all-seasons yarn that is comfortable to knit, even in the height of Summer!
The Herbalist: a Three-Piece Collection in The Fibre Co. Luma
It is the first time that I have ever designed multiple garments around one theme and something that I absolutely relished.
If you've been reading this blog for a while, you will know that I am almost obsessive about the little details that make a garment very special. Once again, this played a huge part in these designs.
For this collection, I wanted to explore ways of using simple stitches in clever proportions to elevate a basic silhouette. I wanted the finished garments to feel unfussy, yet absolutely beautiful.
In this blog post, I'll talk you through these brand new designs and show you the details that make them special.
Parsley: a versatile tank pattern with decorative side panels
Parsley is the tank I want to wear all summer long. It looks fantastic with jeans as well as my high-waisted shorts. I can totally imagine knitting this up in a woollier yarn and layering it with long-sleeved t-shirts in the Winter.
It is knitted from the bottom-up, in the round and has no seams. It features a split ribbed hem, tubular selvedges at the armholes and a subtle scoop neck. Wear it with a bit of positive ease (I suggest 4") to allow the tank to drape beautifully over the body.
Of course, the crowning glory for this tank is the decorative side panels. I used a combination of twisted stitches and eyelets to create this glorious faux cable that meanders up the sides. It creates such a graphic stitch with lots of depth, which is certainly helped by the fabulous stitch definition that Luma offers.
Fennel: a large, rectangular shawl with travelling textures
I never thought I was a shawl person, but recently, I've found myself drawn to generous, textural shawls that I want to swathe myself in. Fennel is the kind of shawl I want to wrap around my shoulders when dining al fresco in the evenings, yet I know I would just as easily wear it inside my coat on a cold Winter's day.
This rectangular shawl is knitted flat from one short end to another. It has these satisfying selvedges that make the sides of the shawl look incredibly neat and professional.
Each end of the shawl highlights mirrored stitch patterns that use cables, garter stitch and eyelets to create multi-textured, travelling panels. The centre of the shawl features a relaxing expanse of moss stitch - perfect for TV knitting or visits to your local knit night.
Tarragon: a cosy drop-shoulder sweater with moving stitch panels
This sweater is so pretty and comfortable to wear. I try not to wear my samples anymore, but this is going to take some serious willpower... Dresses, trousers, whatever - this sweater looks good with almost everything I own! I absolutely love the drape, which is down to the gorgeous Luma yarn that I worked with.
Tarragon is a seamless sweater, knitted from the bottom up, and worn with 8" of positive ease. It is split at the armholes and knitted flat, and then joined at the shoulders using a three-needle bind-off. The sleeves and neckband are both picked up and knitted in the round.
We all know I love a drop-shoulder. Half of my sweater designs involve one! I think it's because you can really use that drop to emphasise a beautiful design detail. For this sweater, I had the idea of using a travelling stitch pattern that starts at the centre body and extends onto the shoulders. It creates such an elegant line, especially when lined up with that split hem.
The Herbalist Collection: Out Now!
All three of these knitting patterns - Parsley, Fennel and Tarragon - are now available for purchase from my website and Ravelry.
Your support for this collection, even if it's a simple favourite or queue on Ravelry, means the world to me and my small business.
Every interaction helps to get my designs in front of more knitters and eventually, get paid for the 100s of hours of work that go into a collection like this.
Thank you to the team who made this happen
I would like to give a HUGE thank you to the wonderful team who helped me bring this collection to life: to The Fibre Company who offered me yarn support as part of their Yarn Support Programme, to Nicky who knitted my Tarragon sample, to Esther who knitted my Parsley sample, to Nathalie who tech-edited the patterns, to Joy from Simple Soulful Film who took the gorgeous pattern photos and to my amazing team of test knitters: Helen, Jane, Carson, Alexis, Mary, Cheryl, Juliette, Viv, Crystal, Mary Anne, Meghan, Mia, Alexandra, Zea, Tania, Frances and Jennifer. You have all been AMAZING!
