New Pattern Release

Can you imagine a better project to celebrate a knitting milestone than using all the leftover yarn from your past projects? The Flashback Top marks my fifth year as a self-published knitwear designer and includes bits of most of the yarns I've used in my designs.

Each strand has its story, connecting back to the original projects and creating a web of memories.Working on it was a delightful trip down memory lane, all condensed into this quick, versatile top. It's probably the most sentimental project I've ever completed, yet one of the simplest and most timeless designs. The simplicity is intentional—I wanted to ensure that no stitch pattern or construction detail detracts from the yarn's story.

What made it even more exciting was that I pre-wound the yarn before starting. This approach meant I didn't have to worry about picking colours or their placement while knitting—I left it all to chance, adding an element of surprise. This unpredictability kept me engaged and eager to see where the next colour change would appear and how it would look in the overall design.

For this top, I chose two contrasting fingering weight yarns and alternated them independently. One yarn was always a neutral light shade, providing a consistent background, while the other was a darker or brighter hue but similar to the previous shade to avoid stark contrasts. This careful selection ensured a harmonious blend of colours throughout the garment.

This top is worked seamlessly from the top down, making it easy to try on as you go and make it as short or long as you'd like. It also offers two sleeve options to suit different preferences:

• As seen in my version, a short-row-shaped armband provides a sleek and modern look.
• A set-in sleeve featuring a short-row-shaped sleeve cap offers a more traditional and structured fit.

Additionally, a detailed pattern deep-dive video is available on our YouTube channel. This video covers the construction, techniques, and tips in greater detail.

Join our Slack community to connect with other knitters on this project. Look for the #flashbacktop channel and share your journey!

You can unlock the discount with the code FLASHBACK at Ravelry or zaneteknits.com to enjoy 20% off. Offer will expire on 30th June at 23:59 BST.

New Test Call

The day is finally here! We're ready to test the Pink Lotus Cardigan. 

This sport-weight cardigan will be the latest addition to the Floral round yoke collection. It was created with Myak Fibers using their beautiful Tibetan Cloud yarn. It's perfect for colourwork and steeking.

Heads up that this design does not offer a pullover option. The pattern repeat is large, so I couldn't fit whole repeats in some sizes. The cardigan opening acts as a natural break to allow partial repeats.

To be fair across all time zones, the registration form will open at 3PM BST.

This cardigan features extensive colourwork on the body but none on the sleeves. While I love colourwork, for some reason, I don't particularly enjoy working it on the sleeves. You can also choose between a shaped waist or a straight fit.

As an exciting twist, this design has another experimental feature - it lets you move the sleeves back by an inch when splitting the yoke at the underarm, which could be helpful for those with a relatively larger chest. If you're interested in testing it out, check out our blog post for more details and to register.

In other news...

Are you eager to know what's coming in our next newsletter? Here's a preview of what we have in store.

Brooklyn Memories Socks

It's been a while since we added to our Memories Sock Collection, but the wait is almost over. In just one week, we'll be launching the Brooklyn Memories Socks. This design is a nod to our unforgettable day trip to Brooklyn during our VKL visit in January. One of the highlights was crossing the iconic Brooklyn Bridge, which I've incorporated into the leg of this toe-up sock. It also features a sole gusset and a reinforced heel flap.

We used yarn from the Brooklyn General Store, along with their exclusive Spincycle Yarns Dyed In the Wool colorway, to pack as much Brooklyn spirit into the design as possible. According to one of our long-time test knitters, this pattern is one of the easiest in the series. So, if you haven't started with our sock series yet, this might be the perfect one to kick things off.

Stay tuned for the release announcement!

Testing the last summer design this year

We can't have a pattern release without a new test call announcement, can we? This camisole has no name yet as it was a spontaneous idea that hit me when I found the perfect yarn. 

During my recent visit to Knit With Me for Knit In Public Day, I came across this gorgeous linen base. When I shared my idea with the owner, she kindly gifted me the yarn to create the pattern. Huge thanks to Carol, as I'm trying out a new construction, I appreciate your trust! 

And I couldn't be happier. So far, I've only had to frog it twice, and I think we're almost there. If you're into a fingering weight camisole worked top-down and ready to experiment with adding short-row bust darts, keep an eye out for the test call in the next newsletter.

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