Forming a carefully curated library of timeless patterns is as essential as building up your own yarn collection. The patterns that make up my own tend to be those that first come to mind when I’m thinking about gift knitting, and more often than not, they are also the perfect solution to that age old question, “what can I make with this single hand dyed skein that I couldn’t do without?”
I went in search of a classic fingering weight ribbed hat to cast on ahead of my long journey on the Megabus to Yarningham last July and found ‘Ribbed Toque #120’ by Michelle Porter (Fondle Designs.) Then I had a good rummage in my yarn collection before picking out a skein of ‘You Can’t Seee Meee’ by Lime & Violet. Completed long after I made it home, and following my turn to catch The Virus, it’s snug and ready for the chilly Scottish winter ahead:
Since that time I’ve made one for My Favourite Person, who needs functional garments as he works in all weathers all year round. His was made from a cone of JC Rennie Shetland Bluestone which I found in a local charity shop for the princely sum of 50p!
But I didn’t stop there. My third – and maybe not – final version of the year is this one in ‘Bride of Frankenstein’ by BuzzinYarns, which will be given to a friend as a winter gift alongside a pre-loved book next month.
For more about the pattern
Ribbed Toque #120 by Michelle Porter is available free* from LoveCrafts here: ribbed-toque
For more about buzzinyarns
BuzzinYarns is Karen, a Scottish yarn dyer, and recipient of the Spirit of the Festival Award at the 2022 Perth Festival of Yarn. You can find her current collections here: buzzinyarns