Hunting Knitting Instead of Trends

Have you ever thought about the fact that in the fashion world sometimes it is a bit like the weather report? Constantly a new trend on the way – supposedly indispensable, but felt also disappeared as quickly as it appeared. And we? We are not impressed by it, perhaps look up from our knitted piece and think: Aha. Nice for you. I'm just going to knit ten more rows.

Knitting is perhaps the most charming way to say: “I just wear exactly what I like.” Without seasonal stress, without trend panic, but just with a knit test – which we theoretically always do well. As a knitter, your style doesn’t have to be based on anyone. You can dig up a guide that came out ten years ago, and if you still love it today, it’s obviously not old, it’s just good.

And then this thing with the colors. In the fashion world, we like to be told what we have to wear when: in spring please Lilac, in summer butter yellow, in autumn then absolutely rust brown and in winter of course ultramarine blue. Quite honestly? That is simply too exhausting for us.

Fortunately, knitting in terms of colors has complete freedom from escalation. The spring can also be dark green, the winter bright pink and the summer just the blue that we have not been thinking about for weeks. Without any trend specification, without “do you still wear it this way?” We can choose our very personal dream colors – even those that would probably never exist off the shelf, because they were stamped somewhere as “out of fashion”.

Some of you may now say: “But in the knitting world there are always new instructions!” Would we never deny – after all, we are your number 1 knitting dealer. The subtle difference is only: knitting instructions do not hang fixed and finished on the clothes bar. They are just an idea on paper or screen. For it to become a piece of clothing, it takes you, your time and, above all, your decisions.

For many, instructions are more loving recommendations than strict rules anyway. You can stick to anything. But it doesn't have to. Maybe the sleeves get longer, maybe a little pattern comes along because it laughs at you. Maybe you just change a little thing and feel like a rebellious knitting designer.

This is exactly how the model from the booklet quickly becomes a sweater according to your rules. And that is exactly where the difference lies: trends set. Knitting leaves room.

This self-knitted clothing style is also pleasantly slow. Not in the sense of “you will never finish” (even if we all have this one project, which has felt already experienced two phases of life), but in the sense of consciously. Every stitch goes through your hands. And even if you are one of the turbo knitters who just knock out three parts a month – it is still planned, selected and made with heart. No spontaneous shopping accident.

In the end, you don’t wear a fast-paced trend or a logo that may be out of fashion again in six months. But your favorite colors, your favorite cuts and yes, maybe also one or the other charming knitting mistake. But that's exactly what it is.

When we philosophize about very personal styles here, Stephen West comes to mind pretty quickly, or should we say: the superguru in terms of knitting designs. He designs exactly as he pleases.

His designs sometimes seem like abstract paintings that have decided to simply live on in wool form – lots of color, exciting lines, unusual combinations. Parts where you first think: Wow. And then right afterwards: How, please, do you knit this?

And that’s exactly the beauty of it: it looks much more complicated than it is at the end. Behind the apparent creative chaos lies a logical guide that can be worked wonderfully. You literally grow into it and wonder a little bit about yourself in the end, what you suddenly can do everything.

Currently, there are three of his guides in German, and we are honestly quite excited to see how these designs arrive with you. One thing is definitely certain: it will certainly not be boring.

Well, actually this is our great advantage as knitters: it never gets boring with us anyway. There are always more ideas than time and that is exactly how we secretly like it a bit.

For example, you can leaf through the new spring booklets by Lang Yarns and Lana Grossa and look for projects that you might be starting this year or just in five years. We are not judging. After all, knitting plans have their very own sense of time.

We were particularly impressed by Lana Grossa’s NERA magazine, which, by the way, is the successor to the first NERO Winter magazine. Then there is also the FAM 288 by Lang Yarns with around 60 new designs. So really enough inspiration to bridge the next few years quite easily – of course a bit of irony included.

Finally, we have two nice news from the yarn shelf for you: a whole new yarn and an older favorite yarn, which is finally available again. And as always: In the wool world, you alone decide which yarn, which instructions and which color can be brought in with you.

Now we wish you a nice knitting weekend. And in 14 days we will contact you again with new or rediscovered knitting ideas. Until then: lots of joy & lots of success.

_{PS: For all those who have been looking for the missing colors of CaMaRose Snefnug: The yarns are already in post-production and should arrive back with us between the beginning and the end of March. Until then, unfortunately, we still have a little patience.}