I’m beyond excited to be back to YouTube with a making vlog! I’ve been feeling called to share more long form videos like this for some time and I’m looking forward to finally getting it off the ground and hopefully getting into a regular flow in this medium.

Below are links, pics and descriptions for everything I talk about in this week's video and if you have any questions at all about anything I chat about please don't hesitate to reach out to hello@knitcollage.com. We're always happy to talk about yarn over here! Okay, let's dive in:

Walking on Sunshine Sweaters

Time Stamp: 1:05

Pattern Designer: Cheryl Kubat

Yarn: Daisy Chain in colors "Secret Garden Green" and "Grand Prismatic"

This design was part of our Fall 2024 Knitalong and it will be coming back this spring once we get more Daisy Chain yarn in stock, either as part of the KAL if folks vote for it or as a standalone release. Check out the Ravelry page here.

Le Triangle Granny Shawls

Time Stamp: 3:56 (Original) and 5:32 (Knit Collage Version)

Pattern Designer: Aimée Gille (pattern)

Yarn: Chelsea Yarns Après Ski Advent and various Knit Collage yarns (see this blogpost for a detailed list of yarns and color order used)

For my original version, I think I made it a bit bigger than the pattern called for because I wanted to use all of my advent yarns. I didn't think too much about color order because the yarns all went so well together. For my version in our yarns, I went with a rainbow of course!

Stay Cozy V-Neck Sweater

Time Stamp: 7:08

Pattern Designer: Shaina Billow (pattern)

Yarn: Summer Camp Fibers Boucle Dk in "Summit Turquoise" and Dream Suri in "Palooza"

Katie from Summer Camp fibers helped me put together this color combo for this sweater at Cakepalooza in 2023 and I'm obsessed. These specific colors were limited edition but she has lots of other great options on her site! My gauge is a bit off so it has a super oversized fit that I love as a layering piece for traveling. It feels like a fancy version of your favorite sweatshirt.

Sunbeam Stripe Cardi

Time Stamp: 10:16

Pattern Designer: Cheryl Kubat (pattern)

Yarn: mixed Knit Collage stash yarns

I've knit this sweater a few times but this time I was going for a muted rainbow gradient and I love how it turned out. There are two sleeve options for this pattern. I went with the larger bubble sleeve but there is also a tapered option. 

Easy Street Sweater

Time Stamp: 12:39

Pattern Designer: Amy Small and Susan Hislop (sweater kit and pattern)

Yarn: Knit Collage x Moondrake Co Collab Spun Cloud Light in Ultraviolet Unicorn

I designed this sweater in the fall and have been living in it ever since. I love it in our limited edition collab yarn that we did with Moondrake Co back in August. The neon sherbet rainbow vibe just feels like me. It feels like an instant outfit without having to think too much and it’s a really great layering piece since it's so lightweight. 

Bonfire Shawls

Time Stamp: 14:13 (OG version), 16:20 (Light Version), 17:10 (Stash Shlanket Version)

Pattern Designer: Annie Lupton of Boho Chic Fiber Co

Yarn: Knit Collage Spun Cloud in "Bodacious Pink" and a Mini Skein Sampler Kit in "Bouquet"; Knit Collage Serenity Boucle in "Fatigue Green" and "Surfs Up Blue" and Wildflower Yarn in "Reflection Pool"; Knit Collage Spun Cloud in "French Vanilla" and handspun yarns from Little Fern Fibers and She is Marguerite.

I made these three versions of the Bonfire Shawl as part of our knitting Challenge that just wrapped up on March 14th. I love this pattern so much. It feels like a quintessential Knit Collage pattern that is great for yarn mixing and creative modifications. For the challenge, I re-filmed the classes for the original version because my teaching style has evolved a lot in the last 5+ years since I first created the course, and I also created a video course for the Light worsted weight version. For my stash version, I wanted to do a much larger shlanket (aka shawl/blanket) version so I'm using at least 10 contrast color rows instead of the 5 called for in the pattern. The yarn from Little Fern Fibers was gifted to me and made using my yarn scraps that I sent her to spin. I got the gorgeous handspun from She is Marguerite this fall at Rhinebeck.

Faye Fringe Minis

Time Stamp: 12:31

Pattern Designer: Amy Small based on the original Faye Fringe bag by Anna Skala (mini pattern)

Yarn: stash yarns or 1 mini skein sampler kit

These miniature versions of the Faye Fringe Bag were definitely some of my most loved projects from 2024. They only take about 2-3 hours to knit so I went a little crazy with it. They're the perfect size for your phone, keys, wallet, lipstick—the essentials. They feel like candy when you make them and each one is an experiment with color and texture.

Enchanted Forest Sweaters

Time Stamp: 22:18

Pattern Designer: Cheryl Kubat (pattern)

Yarn: Knit Collage Serenity Boucle in Periwinkle, Polar Bear and Ice Green; Knit Collage Serenity boucle in Parchment Heather, Polar Bear and a one-of-a-kind skein dyed by Jake Kenyon

Cheryl and I bought this sequin skirt in Telluride last summer and she designed this sweater to go with it. It's a perfect match! I love how you can dress it up or down and I love the statement snowflake. I made my first (the periwinkle one) as part of the Fall Knitalong so I made it exactly to pattern, but for my second one I modified the neck by binding off more stitches on the shoulders for a smaller neck opening and picking up less stitches for the neckline. The snowflake yarn is a one of a kind color that Jake Kenyon dyed for us when he dyed under the moniker Kenyarn. It was a test skein for a collab yarn we did. We didn't end up going with this color but I almost wish we had because I love it so much.

Mixtape Sweater ~ Long Sleeve + Scoop Neck

Time Stamp: 25:07

Pattern Designer: Susan Hislop and Amy Small

Yarn: Knit Collage Mixtape yarn (coming spring 2025!) in Wild Child

I designed this sweater in partnership with Susan Hislop to go with our new Mixtape yarn that is coming out this spring. Mixtape is a funky mix of our Serenity boucle, Spun Cloud Light and Wildflower cotton yarn, all together in one ball of self-striping color explosion. We designed this pattern to have lots of customization options. For this sample I chose to do a long sleeve and a scoop neck. This colorway is going to be called Wild Child and for some reason it reminds me of leopard print but like, a hippie version of leopard print if that makes sense.

Mixtape Sweater ~ Short Sleeve + Mock Neck

Time Stamp: 27:00

Pattern Designer: Susan Hislop and Amy Small

Yarn: Knit Collage Mixtape yarn (coming spring 2025!) in Kaleidoscope

This is the short sleeve and mock neck version of the Mixtape sweater in the super bright color "Kaleidoscope". We'll have this new yarn coming out in April in 4 colors (pictured below clockwise from top left): Wild Child, Kaleidoscope, Alchemy, and Ocean Calm.

Needle Felted Spun Cloud Light Raglan Cardi

Time Stamp: 29:48

Pattern Designer: Amy Small (Pattern coming Spring 2025! Name TBD)

Yarn: Spun Cloud Light and a Needle Felting Kit (coming Spring 2025)

I designed this sweater heavily inspired by the fit and silhouette of our Everyday Yay Cardi, which uses our bulkier Spun Cloud yarn. It's a simple top down raglan cardigan with a tailored fit, and it's the perfect canvas to get wildly creative with the needle felting kits we have coming out later this spring. The kits have 16 different fiber colors so you could go bold and bright like me, neutral and everything in between. Think painting with wool––it's the best.  I got the special buttons I used at Vogue Knitting Live (VKL) from a maker called Of June and they're covered with this really cool vintage fabric. Love.

Alpine Bloom Hat

Time Stamp: 33:20

Pattern Designer: Caitlin Hunter aka Boyland Knitworks (pattern)

Yarn: kit from Barrett Wool Co in the "Pear and Brink" color

I love this hat and wear it all the time. Flowers AND bright colors? It's the perfect hat for me. I got this kit from Barrett Wool Co and it's still available! Link above. 

Alpine Bloom Sweater

Time Stamp: 34:21

Pattern Designer: Caitlin Hunter aka Boyland Knitworks (pattern)

Yarn: Limited Edition Hand dyed sock yarn from Hellomello 

For my Alpine Bloom sweater I went super bright and used some special yarn I got at Rhinebeck this fall from a maker called Hellomello. The yarn is limited edition hand dyed, milled in New York, and I love how vibrant it is. It's making me so happy to knit and, soon, wear. I'm doing the lightweight Alpine Bloom pattern but adding long sleeves. There's also a sport weight version of this sweater called the Autumn Alpine.

Pope Basic Yoke Mohair Sweater

Time Stamp: 37:14

Pattern Designer: Pope Vergaras (pattern)

Yarn: Dk Mohair from Lili Loops

This WIP is bittersweet because I'm actually going to end up ripping it out due to size and gauge issues. It's bigger than I ultimately want it to be so I'm going to go down to a size 1. I'm definitely going to reknit it though because I truly love this pattern in this happy, super bright pastel yellow from Lili Loops. I got this yarn at VKL and their booth was a standout experience for me (pics above.) I loved so many of their colorways and I highly recommend. 

Larkin Baby Sweater

Time Stamp: 38:46

Pattern Designer: Larkin Knit Baby Sweater by Park Williams (pattern)

Yarn: TBD but I'm choosing between Manos Del Uruguay Marla and Spin Cycle Dyed in the Wool for the color shifting yarn held with fingering weight and mohair yarns from Camelia Fiber Co.

This pattern is a go-to gift knit for me and I'm about to cast one on for my son's woodshop teacher who is due very soon. I love this pattern because you can make it with almost any yarn and it's a very quick knit.

Book Recommendations

Finally, here are two books that I'm feeling super inspired by at the moment. The first was recommended to me by our tech editor, Pia, and it is Alice Starmore's Charts for Color Knitting. I finally got my hands on a copy and I feel my design brain exploding just flipping through the pages. I find this book so beyond inspiring. I would love to spend an entire day with it and a pile of yarn, just knitting swatch after swatch. I think that would be my perfect Desert Island activity.

The second book is The Sock Project by Summer Lee. I'm really drawn to this book visually and love the idea of challenging myself to knit outside of my comfort zone with some of these designs. The snowflake colorwork socks are really calling out to me and I can just picture them with my brown Arizona Birks in super bright colors. I’ve never done a colorwork sock but it feels like an exciting challenge to keep up my colorwork momentum from my Alpine Bloom projects. I love Summer’s eye for color and her photography. I’m super into the whole vibe and even if I don’t end up casting on soon I’m just enjoying being inspired and dreaming up potential color combos from my stash.

Thank you so much for tuning in and I hope you found some inspo for your next cast on. I’m hoping to get more regular and consistent with this. I’m even creating a little knitting nook in my house to be a future filming space. I’m diving all in! Thanks for coming along for the ride. Happy Knitting!

This blogpost is a sampling of our Weekend Inspirations newsletter where I like to shine a light on community members, designers, shops and events that inspire us - all related to the creative yarn world we hold so dear. If you enjoy this post, subscribe to the Knit collage Newsletter here for more stitchspiration sent straight to your inbox!

Hi there and welcome back to another edition of the Weekend Inspirations email! This week it’s all about feather and fan stitches that create waves or zig zag patterns in our knitting. I’m forever in love with these fancy looking, yet so simple to knit, stitches. How about you?!

I recently pulled out my Willow Cardi from storage and fell in love all over again (see above). Then I went down a feather & fan rabbit hole. Apparently it’s a thing we love around here that we keep coming back to! As usual, the community projects are beyond amazing. Fill your cup and be inspired by these radiant makers!

First up, how stunning is ChiWei from One Dog Woof’s finished Willow Cardi? I was so excited to see her rocking it on the hill at Rhinebeck this year. That pop of neon Firefly is my favorite.

Equally amazing are these two versions by Leigh, one of our Creative Knitters members, and Kristen, shared with us by Henny’s Yarn Shop who is running a knitalong for this pattern in March.

Leigh used one of the curated kits we have available on the site but subbed in a grey boucle yarn in place of the polar bear Serenity for a more cool toned affect.

Kristen used her own yarn stash and the result is epic! This pattern works up beautifully with a mix of worsted to Aran weight yarns.

The Willow Wrap is the Willow Cardi's sister pattern and such a pretty one for a night out on the town! Michelle, another Creative Knitter, shared this stunning neutral version she made with us as part of the KAL. It’s similar to the version I made too - that’s all the way at the end of the email!

True to my roots, I love chunky yarns and the Chevron Sunrise Shawl is our answer to a bulkier weight version of the feather & fan stitch. This pattern is perfect for mini skeins and stash diving. Gauge isn’t crucial and you can just have fun. I love the blue gradient version that Laurel Gervitz created and the mixed mini skein version that SunRay Knits shared over on Instagram. This is one of my forever favorites and makes for a great gift too!

Another chevron lace fave is from one of our very first knitalongs, the Garden Party Cardi by Cheryl Kubat. It’s all about the mix of the Spun Cloud with our Wildflower in that lacy zig zag stitch. A huge shout out to Jamie of Knitosophy for sharing the beautiful version on the right with us.

Kelly of BohoKnits shared her mind blowing blue gradient version with us and WOW is it gorgeous! I see pops of Spun Cloud, Dreamland, Daisy Chain and Cast Away in her dreamy  version.

Kelly also made a gorgeous Carpe Diem Cardi, which features an epic chevron sleeve. I had completely forgotten about this beauty and now I’m thinking that I really MUST knit this! And we may need to bring it back for a future KAL because the mix of all the stitches and yarns is speaking to me. I love the mixed yarn and patchwork vibe.

The Glow Girl Cardi that Cheryl on the team designed for us a few years back, is another statement version of the feather and fan stitch in action! How absolutely gorgeous is our friend Jo Wadler’s blue version (pics above!). I love how it feels a little more city / sleek in black and blues.

That’s it for today! I plan to be back with more inspiration every weekend for you if we can keep this momentum going. If you’re enjoying our weekend emails, I’d love to hear from you! If you have a question about any of the links I shared or want to share a fav wavy stitch pattern of your own, hit reply and let me know. Happy making!

Amy

Last Wednesday, I shared about the knitting challenge headed your way so soon. If you missed that last video, take a quick minute to check out all the details right here.

If you are just looking for the available Bonfire Shawl kit colorways, click here for the original super bulky version and click here for the lighter weight worsted/Aran version.

If you're here for all the details though, read on!

In our Bonfire Shawl challenge, you’ll have the opportunity to grow your knitting skills, connect with other makers and dive deep into your own creativity. You’ll finish with a stunning statement shawl to wear with joy and pride because YOU MADE IT! In today’s blog, I share all of the available color combos (there are over 30!) we’ve put together for you so that you can decide which one you like best before we officially open up registration on Wednesday, Feb 19th.

Ok first up, the color combination details for the original version of the Bonfire Shawl! For this pattern, you'll need one skein of either Spun Cloud or Sister yarn and one Mini Skein Sampler Kit. Our Spun Cloud yarn is a bulky thick and thin wool yarn that is spun with two tiny strands of silver and gold lurex plied around it. The sparkle is ever so subtle but if you prefer to go sparkle free, Sister has the same gauge and fiber content without the glam! We mix the Spun Cloud/Sister with 5 contrasting colors that come packed together as a Mini Skein Sampler Kit. Inside each of these kits you get one mini skein (17 yds each) of five different yarns (Spun Cloud, Cast Away, Wildflower, Dreamland, and Daisy Chain). These contrast colors give you the opportunity to play with both color and texture to your heart's content. Just knitting with this yarn is a happy little adventure!

Peruse all of the available color combinations at the link below.

Bonfire Shawl Color Combinations ~ OG Version

We have very, VERY few Spun Cloud skeins and Mini Skein Sampler kits left, in some cases less than 10. If you have your heart set on a special kit, please order early to ensure you get what you like! No more is slated to arrive until April. Please feel free to reach out and ask me any and all questions in the blog comments below.

Next up we have the color combination details for the reimagined lighter weight worsted/Aran version of the Bonfire Shawl! For this version, we use two skeins of our Serenity yarn as the main color, one additional skein of Serenity in a contrasting color, and 2 skeins of our Wildflower yarn for an additional pop of color and texture. Our Serenity yarn is a brushed boucle yarn that's unlike anything else in the Knit Collage family. The cozy texture it creates is reminiscent of your favorite fleece jacket or a worn in sheep skin throw. The fiber content is a blend of 85% wool and 15% nylon. Our Wildflower yarn is a fabric tape yarn made of 100% cotton that is screenprinted by hand with unique patterns in Jaipur, India. The prints are inspired by vintage treasures both from India and the states! After the fabric is printed, it’s sent up to our team of spinners who then laser cut it into long strips. The strips are knotted together to make yarn and viola you’ve got Wildflower. The mix of these two textured yarns together makes for a super interesting fabric both visually and tactilely.

Peruse all of the available color combinations for the Bonfire Light at the link below.

Bonfire Light Color Combinations 

Okay, that's it for color info! Here are the rest of the pattern details and Challenge info in case you missed the post the other day. As Always, please feel free to reach out in the comments with any Qs you might have or shoot an email to hello@knitcollage.com and we will be sure to get back to you asap.

Bonfire Shawl Original Version

Pattern Details:

Skill Level: Beginner to Intermediate Knitter

Materials: 

1 skein Spun Cloud or Sister yarn (MC) and 1 Mini Skein Sampler Kit (CCs)

Needle Size:

Size US 17 (12.75mm) circular needles, 40” length or size needed to obtain gauge

Gauge:
6 sts and 12 rows = 4”/10cm in stitch pattern in the MC yarn, steam blocked

Finished Measurements:  

79.5” / 202 cm at widest (bottom edge before Picot Bind off) x 14”/35.5 cm deep at center point

Pattern Designer: Annie Lupton of Boho Chic Fiber Co

Bonfire Shawl Lightweight Version

The original version of the Bonfire Shawl Light was created as a limited edition collab with Handspun Hope using our Serenity boucle yarn, their worsted weight handspun yarn, and our Daisy Chain yarn. We have reimagined the Bonfire Light into an ultra-wearable 4-season accessory that uses our Serenity Boucle yarn for both MCs and our Wildflower cotton yarn for the CC. Updated photos to come later this Spring!

Pattern Details:

Skill Level: Beginner to Intermediate Knitter

Materials: 

Needle Size:

Gauge:

8 sts and 12 rows = 4” / 10 cm in MC (Serenity), wet blocked

Finished Measurements:  

Pattern Designer: Annie Lupton of Boho Chic Fiber Co

The Kit pricing is $128 for the OG Bonfire Shawl and $168 for the light version (more yarn AND a slightly larger finished shawl!). 

If you would like to use your own stash or handspun yarns, that is AWESOME. Make sure your yarns are similar yarn weights to our yarns listed here and that they will work with the needle size and gauge listed. 

Virtual option pricing: $26 (our yarn kits include pricing for all the challenge deliverables like the pattern, video classes, zoom help sessions and that awesome bonus bundle!)

Inside the 14 day knitting challenge you’ll get:

• Easy-to follow video courses on how to knit both the original Bonfire Shawl pattern AND the light weight edition from start to finish. You just need to know the very basic knit and purl stitches to join in! The courses are yours forever, all hosted within our Knit Collage App
• Techniques you'll learn: garter tab shawl start, how to knit the Linen stitch, double increase stitches, a picot edge border, and so much more!
• A downloadable workbook with both patterns and our best tips and resources for knitting success.
• Seven live zoom sessions with me, your teacher, and one of the Knit Collage coaches to help answer in the moment questions.
• Access to our private Challenge community space within the Knit Collage App to answer all of your questions and receive technical support. We are a welcoming, energetic, and kind community of members to hold you accountable and keep you motivated to actually complete your project.
  
• You have the option to order a yarn kit from us or use your own yarn and join in with the virtual option.
• Finish with a closing celebration party and community fashion show!

Bonus:

10 bonus tutorial videos valued at $32 where I teach how to wind yarn, the best tools to support your knitting practice, how to needle felt ends so that you can save yourself time finishing your project and so much more!

We open up registration on Feb 19^th at 10am ET for both the virtual option, priced at $26 and the yarn kit option at $128/$168 and we would so love to have you join us!