Pattern Previews for Laine 11

Laine 11 features eleven knitwear patterns by an international group of designers: Stella Ackroyd, Christelle Bagea, George Cullen, Jonna Hietala, Gudrun Johnston, Marianne Munier, Paula Pereira, Eri Shimizu, Nataliya Sinelshchikova and Stephen West. Below, we have gathered information and photos of each design. You can also find them with pattern specs, such as yardage and sizing, on Ravelry.

Stella Ackroyd – Visiting

Visiting comes in two different versions: a cardigan and a sweater in a beautiful textured pattern. Stella Ackroyd wanted to create a perfect all-rounder – the one piece you would take for a weekend away.

Visiting has a high V-neck for warmth and a semi-shawl collar for snuggle. The boxy shape lends plenty of ease for layering, while the clever shaping techniques eliminate excess fabric. The body is worked flat from the bottom up. The shoulders are seamed with a 3-needle bind-off before the sleeves are worked downwards to the cuff.

Stella wanted to use an aran weight yarn so that the design would be warm but not too bulky. Sew your buttons on with a single ply of the main knitting yarn to give your garment consistency.

Featured yarns: Winterburn Aran by Baa Ram Ewe and Alpakka Ull by Sandnes Garn.

Christelle Bagea – Litha

To Christelle Bagea, the scent of ripe wheat ready for harvesting will always be the scent of summer. Her parents’ home is surrounded by wheatfields, and long summer evenings in the Normandy countryside were also the inspiration for her Litha socks.

The socks are worked from the toe up using the Magic Loop method, with a special short row heel Christelle invented called the “Talon Souligné”. The wheat ear pattern runs gracefully along the foot and leg of the sock. Two simple lace panels on each side make the pattern easily adjustable for different sizes.

The pattern needs good blocking to fully reveal itself. Use solid or semi-solid fingering weight sock yarn in a light earthy colour.

Featured yarn: Extrafine Fingering by Tricot & Stitch.

George Cullen – Sea Mist

Sea Mist is an asymmetrical triangle shawl that alternates between ribbed lace and brioche. George Cullen was inspired by the rugged Cornish coastline, where he spends many holidays. He loves the way the sea mist rises up and hugs the edge of the cliffs and wanted to capture that image in his design.

This shawl is all about fibre combinations – textural, earthy yarns sit against light and floaty ones. The different blocks of the shawl are fairly straightforward to knit once you get into the rhythm. Be mindful of the stitch count when moving from one section to the next to make sure the rows line up.

If substituting yarn, choose one that has a pleasing texture. Contrasting colours work beautifully, but you can also embrace the texture and keep the shawl monochrome.

Featured yarns: 2ply Jumper Weight by Jamieson & Smith and Silk + Kid Mohair by Onion.

Jonna Hietala – Lento

Lento is a simple and timeless sweater that reminded Jonna Hietala of homey landscapes: pine forests, cottage docks and sand roads. Jonna knitted a few different swatches for the sweater but she ended up using loose stockinette stitch – that way the sweater is light and warm at the same time.

Lento is knitted from the top down in the round with raglan increases. The yoke is shaped with short rows. After the yoke is completed, the work is divided into the body and sleeves, which are then worked separately in the round.

The sweater is knitted with two yarns held together. Choose your own favourite shades and play with different colour combinations!

Featured yarns: Merino Singles and Kumo by La Bien Aimée.

Gudrun Johnston – Blåsippa

Blåsippa is a boxy cropped sweater with three-quarter sleeves. Gudrun Johnston came across the stitch pattern in a book – the pattern felt delicate and striking at the same time.

The back and front of the sweater are worked bottom up in pieces and the sleeves are picked up from the body. Rapid decreases before the ribbed cuff create the blouse-like sleeve shape. As the lace is worked with a reverse stockinette background, some of the stitches are more easily achieved with a particularly pointy needle tip.

Although the sweater is intended to be oversized, choose a yarn that won’t grow too much after blocking. This particular shade of blue is a favourite of Gudrun’s, and Blåsippa is the Swedish name for the common hepatica (blue anemone).

Featured yarn: Loft by Brooklyn Tweed.

Marianne Munier – Yöllä

Yöllä (Finnish for “at night”) is a cardigan knitted in reverse stockinette stitch with cables in twisted stitch running down the shoulders and sleeves. This cardigan is all about the construction. It has a positive ease and looks good on many body types.

Marianne Munier wanted to use a very round and soft yarn with an interesting drape. The beautiful night blue shade of the cardigan is easy to match with other pieces in your wardrobe.

Featured yarn: Merino Sport by La Bien Aimée.

Paula Pereira – Trelissa

Trelissa is a seamless sweater worked from the top down with textured stranded colourwork on the body. The yoke is worked in the round in stockinette stitch. The pattern uses mohair as a contrasting colour and simple purl stitches to create a textured effect. The strands of the main colour behind the mohair motifs make sure that the sweater isn’t too transparent.

The style of the sweater is “petite boxy”. The body has a certain amount of positive ease – but not as much as a traditional boxy top – with fitted yoke and sleeves. If you prefer a longer sweater, just work more rounds before beginning the colourwork section or more rounds of the colourwork pattern.

Featured yarns: Merino Singles and Fuzzy Mohair by Fru Valborg.

Eri Shimizu – Keseran Pasaran

Eri Shimizu gets ideas for her designs from nature and everyday scenery. For Keseran Pasaran – a raglan yoke sweater worked from the top down – she was inspired by a spring meadow. Eri imagined a light, airy and delicate sweater like dandelion fluff.

The main body of the sweater is worked in 1x1 twisted rib, and the texture of the sweater was intensified by combining two yarns that are held together throughout the pattern. Keseran Pasaran looks lovely over a dress or with a pair of jeans or chinos. Finish the sweater carefully, and you can wear it inside out, as this stitch pattern also looks nice from the wrong side!

Featured yarns: Kinu and Sensai by Ito Yarn.

Nataliya Sinelshchikova – Theia

Theia is an oversized short sleeve top with beautiful slipped stitch colourwork. Lines formed by slipped stitches gather at the shoulders to create an effect of sunbeams – the design was named after the Titan goddess Theia, the mother of Helios the Sun and Selene the Moon.

Knitting starts from the folded hem, then the body is knitted in the round and the shoulders are worked flat. Lastly, folded hems are added to the v-neck and armholes. The combination of silky smooth alpaca with mohair knits into a warm, light and drapey fabric that works well with the drop-shoulder construction. Wear Theia with a blouse or under a jacket.

Featured Yarns: Alpaca Supreme Sport / Heavy 4ply by John Arbon Textiles and Silk Mohair by Isager.

Stephen West – Suriously Holey Wrap

Suriously Holey Wrap is a wide rectangular shawl that combines wool with brushed suri alpaca in brioche stitch – soft, smooth and soothing to knit. The large, exaggerated brioche increases form the large holes that cascade throughout the fabric like waterfalls. Decreases balance the yarn over increases to form the wavy motif.

With its simple shape, Suriously Holey Wrap is all about the colour combination. As the same motif and pattern repeats throughout the entire design, it is the perfect way to practice your brioche skills.

Featured yarns: Yak Single and Melted Baby Suri by Qing Fibre.