Stepping outside the comfort zone

Hello, hello! I hope you are well. It's not been too long since you last heard from me, but I have got a couple of things I want to get off my chest.

Firstly, I'm sharing the results of probably the bravest colour choices in my designing history. Meet Austras Koks Pullover, my collaboration with Primrose Yarn Co.

When Kelsey offered to join forces and create a design with her yarns, I immediately got lost in the endless possibilities that her breathtaking Homestead Sport colourways offered. Part of me was thinking: "This is amazing!", but the second voice in my head was screaming: "Have you lost your marbles!? These colours are nothing like you've ever worked with before! Are you sure? I smell trouble!!"

And I really wasn't sure about my choices for a long while. But the more I got to work on the sweater, the more I fell in love, and it didn't take long to convince myself that this would be another design of which I'm proud.

Austras Koks - a concept in Latvian mythology and an often-used symbol in crafts. It is also called the Sun Tree, the World Tree because it symbolises the path of the Sun and the world order.

The pattern is divided into three parts. Just as the meaning of the Austras Koks is explained as the connection between the three realms. The roots are connected to the underworld; the central part is the earthly world, illuminated by the Sun, and the foliage is the kingdom of heaven.

Although traditionally Latvians used earthy tones, I've clearly done the opposite. I hope that I've shown there is a place for anything within these three realms. It's an excellent opportunity to try out different colour combinations and prove that ancient motifs look great in bright colours, too.

Thanks to my fantastic team of test knitters, tech editor, photographer and graphic designer, I'm thrilled to share the pattern with you all. As usual, it comes in 8 sizes and is worked seamlessly from the top down.

Until the 31st of October, please enjoy 20% off when you use code AUSTRASKOKS at the checkouts of www.zaneteknits.com or Ravelry until the 31st of October.

Other news is that I've just posted a new test call up on my Ravelry forum. A colourwork sweater vest (without a name for now) in Aran weight yarn. If you have a few Aran weight skeins in your stash and love a quick colourwork project, have a look at the announcement.

Happy knitting,

Zanete