Pattern Previews for Laine 27
Laine 27, Dawn, features fifteen patterns by an international group of designers: Andrea Aho, Joanna Filip, Lindsey Fowler, Saysha Greene, Jonna Helin, Henna Ketonen, Raina Kruus, Sara Markkula, Rebekka Mauser, Camille Romano, Selena Shepard & Abbye Meiklejohn (Wool & Pine), Eri Shimizu, Elena Solier Jansà, María Uzquiano and Maaike van Geijn.
Andrea Aho – Morning Light
Inspired by quiet winter mornings, Andrea Aho designed the Morning Light sweater to bring that calm indoors. The sweater is roomy and comfortable, perfect for pulling on over pyjamas — but refined enough for life outside the house, thanks to a drop hem and sculpted, billowy sleeves. The sweater is knitted from the top down. Once the body is complete, you shape the drop hem at the back using short rows. The simple but striking colourwork motif echoes sunlight filtering through snow-laden trees.
Yarn: Sunday Morning DK by Sonder Yarn Co.
Joanna Filip – Evening on the Loire
The palette of the Evening on the Loire cardigan was inspired by art, namely a painting of the same name by Félix Vallotton, a Swiss-French painter. The cardigan is very simple, but the colours bring it to life, making it feel fresh and interesting while still relaxed and cosy. This oversized garment draws inspiration from high-school cardigans, reimagined with a modern twist. Evening on the Loire is all about lines: raglan lines, plackets, a double-knitted horizontal hem band and bold stripes combine to create a fresh, modern look.
Yarn: Le Petit Lambswool by Biches & Bûches.
Lindsey Fowler – Clement
Lindsey Fowler’s fluffy Clement shawl was inspired by the textures of the fleeces at the New York Sheep and Wool Festival. On Sundays at the festival, Lindsey always makes an effort to spend time in the sheep barns, enjoying all the beautiful breeds on show there. Clement is a side-to-side triangle shawl with slow increases and decreases for a narrow shape. It has a garter stitch border, with the rest worked in stockinette stitch and loop stitches.
Yarn: Alpaca Fingering by Zeezee Textiles.
Saysha Greene – Rivulet
The Rivulet sweater features a classic shape with an engaging cabled texture. The pattern was inspired by the order and symmetry of geometric shapes; diagonally stacked cables on a stockinette background create converging lines that never cross. This modified drop-shoulder pullover is worked from the bottom up, and the shoulders are seamed with a decorative i-cord join. Short rows at the shoulder and top of sleeves provide shaping while reducing bulk at the underarm. The deep garnet colour is perfect for a cosy winter knit.
Yarn: Highland by Harrisville Designs.
Jonna Helin – Haworth
For her Haworth design, Jonna Helin wanted to create a cardigan that felt both cosy and structured. Haworth is a textured raglan piece knitted seamlessly from the top down. The cardigan features a relaxed, boxy fit and clean lines. Neat, double-knitted button bands give the design a polished finish. Named after the Yorkshire village where the Brontë sisters lived and wrote, Haworth evokes a sense of windswept solitude. The village is also close to West Yorkshire Spinners, where the Laine x Novita yarn used in the design was spun.
Yarns: Laine x Novita DK and Mighty Mo by The Farmer’s Daughter Fibers.
Henna Ketonen – Tresse
The super-cosy Tresse hat is worked with five strands of yarn together: one strand of Merino and four of silk-mohair. Bold cables run along the front and centre back, while the rest of the hat is worked in rib. When working the brim, the crown is turned wrong side out so that the brim sits with the right side facing. All sizes have the same stitch count; the hat size is adjusted by changing the needle size. The name comes from the French word for a braid.
Yarns: Merino and Soft Silk Mohair by Knitting for Olive.
Raina Kruus – Kuuse
The Kuuse shawl (named after the Estonian word for spruce) is inspired by the traditional Estonian Haapsalu knitting. The shawl’s delicate leaf motif mimics the texture of spruce branches. Kuuse is worked with two strands of yarn held together — a delicate blend of wool and silk-mohair. This classic top-down shawl consists of two identical triangles with a single spine stitch running down the centre. To add a touch of rustic charm and structure, the design finishes with sturdy garter-stitch rows.
Yarns: Tvinni and Silk Mohair by Isager.
Sara Markkula – Anette
The inspiration for Sara Markkula’s Anette dress can be summed up with one word: ribbing. When Sara was thinking about this design, she saw boldly ribbed garments everywhere and remembers thinking: how wide can a ribbing be, and still be considered a ribbing? Anette is a boldly ribbed, top-down raglan dress with generous proportions and a simple turtleneck. Narrower ribbed panels run down each side from the underarm, flowing into overlapping slits at the hem. A blown yarn with alpaca and wool keeps the dress light.
Yarn: Kos by Sandnes Garn.
Rebekka Mauser – Nika
Nika is a modern take on a classic woollen pullover, with a loose fit and drop-shoulder construction. Inspiration for this design came from a stitch pattern book from the 1980s. The simple “knit one, knit one in the row below” stitch pattern creates a soft and lightweight fabric that looks almost crocheted. The sweater is worked from the top down, both flat and in the round. It starts with an i-cord, which creates a beautiful detail across the back shoulders. Dark green and light pink create a harmonious contrast.
Yarn: Woolia by Gepard Garn.
Camille Romano – Hojicha
Camille Romano has been interested in the tradition of tartans for a long time, and she wanted to find a way to translate this woven fabric into knitwear. In her Hojicha intarsia sweater, the colourwork creates a checkered pattern on the body and sleeves. Hojicha is knitted flat from the top down in stockinette stitch. Two strands of lace-weight yarn are used throughout: the alpaca’s thinness counterbalances its fuzziness and still provides a clean finish. The name Hojicha comes from one of Camille’s favourite teas.
Yarn: Halo Brushed Alpaca by Kaos Yarn.
Selena Shepard & Abbye Meiklejohn (Wool & Pine) – Frostline
The cosy Frostline mittens are worked from the cuff up. The back of the hand is worked in a luxurious cable pattern, where the cables wind up like bare winter branches, while the palm features stockinette stitch for functionality. This pattern works best with a tonal or solid yarn with good stitch definition. The golden orange shade adds warmth and ties in with the wintry feel. On the Wool & Pine website (woolandpine.com/frostline-mittens), you will find a video showing you how to knit the cables without a cable needle.
Yarn: SW Merino Worsted by Fidley Dyeworks.
Eri Shimizu – Hiekka
The Hiekka sweater is knitted from the top down with unusual shoulder shaping. The shoulder panel is worked first from one shoulder toward the other, and the back and front body stitches are picked up along the panel. The high neckband is knitted last, completing the sweater. The sleeves and body are deliberately long for a relaxed look, but you can always shorten them to suit your style. The pattern reminded Eri Shimizu of an hourglass or flowing sand, so she decided to name it Hiekka, which is Finnish for “sand”.
Yarn: Unspun by Soil Yarn.
Elena Solier Jansà – Herbari
Herbari is a cabled jumper featuring three botanically inspired embroidered flowers — the icing on the cake for this delicate and soft piece! The sweater’s inspiration came from an image of an old wardrobe, where flowers had been painted inside framed reliefs. Herbari is knitted top-down using the contiguous set-in sleeve method. Elena Solier Jansà named the sweater “Herbari” (the word used in Catalan for a herbarium), because it reminded her of those albums of dried and classified plants used for botanical study.
Yarn: Pastoreta by Xolla.
María Uzquiano – Lempeä
Lempeä is a cosy sweater with a minimal but feminine silhouette, inspired by the wavy organic shapes found in nature. The sweater is worked from the bottom up, and no difficult techniques are involved. The textured pattern is created simply by combining knit and purl stitches. The collar stitches are worked in 1 x 1 ribbing. Lastly, a standout frill is worked in neat double knitting. The sweater is fluffy and warm, as the name also suggests — “lempeä” is the Finnish word for “gentle”.
Yarn: Sensai by Ito.
Maaike van Geijn – Dons
The Dons cardigan is worked in The Wandering Flock’s new yarn base, Fluff, made of baby Suri alpaca and wool blown into a Pima cotton core. It is knitted in one piece from the top down in stockinette stitch. You start with two rectangular pieces — the saddle shoulders — and build the cardigan from there. A contrasting neon colour is used for the saddle shoulders, collar and cuffs, giving the cardigan extra character. In Dutch, the word “dons” stands for something very soft, light and warm — a fitting name for this feather-light, boxy cardigan.
Yarn: Fluff by The Wandering Flock.
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