The Rowan Project

 

 

First of all, I hope that everybody is having a good festive season and that nobody has been driven too mad by annoying relatives.

I wanted to explain a little about my “Rowan Project”; I’m not calling it a challenge or anything daft like that as that has slightly odd connotations. My aim is simply to knit only patterns from my Rowan books and magazines throughout the next year. I have over 20 in my Ravelry queue though there’s no way I’m going to be able to make all of them in the space of 12 months. I am quite a slow knitter and often just put my knitting down and leave it for weeks, if not months, as something else grabs my attention. If I can complete half a dozen I’ll be thrilled with that. I’m going to share some of my favourites from the queue, the ones that I am most likely to have a go at.

These are in no particular order by the way, I have no idea where I’m starting to be honest.

Salina by Kim Hargreaves, there are quite a few Kim Hargreaves designs here, I really like her style and I’ve knit one of her jumpers before. I really like the Henley neckline, which is something I’ve done before so it shouldn’t hold any nasty surprises.

Salina

 

Demi, also by Kim Hargreaves. This one features a shoulder fastening, which I haven’t done before but I can’t see it being too different from a Henley.

Demi, this is a duffer of a picture, sorry about that but I nicked it off Ravelry so blame them.

 

Cassis by Kaffe Fassett. I love the styling here and can see a black shirt and skirt combo with Cassis in lovely dark jewel tones. The main issue here will be my patience, though I have knit a larger item before and got through it quite quickly, for me anyway.

Cassis, I love everything about this.

 

Jojo by Martin Storey is a smaller project, I would like some little vest tops to wear as underlayers when the weather is cold, like now.

Jojo, isn't this cute? ©Rowan

 

Ravenscar by Sarah Hatton is a lovely little ribbed cardigan, perfect to go over a little vest top in the Summer.

Ravenscar, there were a few in this coastal set that I liked and have queued but I've had to rein myself in a bit. ©Rowan

 

Betty by Amanda Crawford is another little cardigan, I like the asymmetry of this one.

Betty ©Rowan

 

 Eowyn by Theresa Venning looks like a very quick knit, I could use those now, it’s freezing here.

Eowyn ©Rowan

 

Miranda by Leah Sutton, now, I have actually started this. I started it in July 2023 (good Lord, I thought it was last year until I looked it up) and it is currently hibernating but I will get it out again to finish it because I really like it and I want one. It’s the p2togtbl that is really off-putting though.

Miranda ©Rowan

 

Flighty, it’s Kim Hargreaves again and another cute little vest top.

Flighty, another cute vest top.

 

Lambrook by Martin Storey, he is another designer that I really like and he’s from Hull! Or ‘Ull as we say it up North. This has pockets! Pockets!

Pockets!

 

Stella by Chloe Thurlow, this is from the most recent Rowan magazine so hopefully the recommended yarn won’t have been discontinued yet. 

Stella, I do like a bit of chunky ribbing.

 

Enchant by Lisa Richardson is also in the latest magazine, another long cardigan with pockets. I know what I like.

Enchant moar pockets!

 

Also from the latest magazine is Vera by Georgia Farrell, I loved this as soon as I saw it and it has the same name as my Nanna who taught me to knit in the first place.

Vera, I'm almost tempted to knit this in the same colour. Almost.

 

That is quite a long list and there’s no way I’ll manage all those but they are my most favourite from the queue. I’ll have to learn to knit faster which is one of my aims for the coming year; I’m going to try and learn to knit Continental style, I can about manage the knit stitch but purl is escaping me. I was taught to knit English style as a child and trying to get my fingers sorted for Continental is proving awkward but I’m determined to get there as it is much faster. I couldn’t crochet for long enough due to finger positions but I found a way that works for me and I’m hoping the same will happen here.

 I've included the Ravelry links, by the way, in case any of these take your fancy and you want to queue them up yourself.