The Something to Knit Together Winter Edition is a fabulously cosy confection of knits – and one of my all-time favourite design collaborations. I absolutely loved working with Jen and Jim Arnall-Culliford of A-C Techniques on this knitwear collection back in 2019/2020.
One of the things I’m proudest of is designing a collection that’s perfect for knitters who want to try knitting cables for the first time. Jen and Jim prepared plenty of tutorials to make the designs in the Something to Knit Together Winter Edition accessible. You can find them on YouTube here.
A customisable knitwear collection
One of the first things I mentioned to Jen when beginning the design work was whether she’d be up for customisation features. What I really wanted to do was let people choose their best bits. Part of this included offering a jumper and cardigan option, but the other part involved the stitch textures. I wanted to make them as interchangeable as possible.
This played out with the accessory designs in particular. I didn’t make them too matchy for the samples, but they still all work together as a group. And if you want to knit all three and have them match perfectly, you can.
And: The beauty of all the textures of Something to Knit Together Winter Edition is the abundance of plain knit rows. Every right side row is knitted. (Unless you include the intermittent cable twists!) So there’s not much concentration required AT ALL.
Assembly scarf
The Assembly scarf pattern needed to be accessible to beginners but also engaging for knitters with more experience. This goes for all the designs – so don’t be afraid of the jumper and cardigan!
Every right-side row is a plain row
With the exception of the cabling, every other row is plain knitting. Actually, there are relatively few purl stitches in this collection! This gives you time off for what I call ‘good behaviour’ ;-).
Once the stitch pattern is set, makes it easier to keep track of where you are. Working the pattern on only one side of the knitting is great for long-term concentration and peace of mind.
All the cables twist in the same direction
If you’re new to the cabling technique, you’ll appreciate this very much. You can absorb the learning and master the cable needle without having to worry about whether it should be at the back or front of the knitting. It will always be in the same position regardless of where you are in the pattern.
Another bonus is that the border cables and internal cables are numerical factors/multiples of each other, which helps with counting rows between cables. The number of rows between twists remains the same throughout, so you won’t have to fill your notebook with many numbers at all!
Fond mittens
You’ll see the textural connection between the Huddle hat and the Fond mittens. The pattern repeat has exactly the same base.
There’s also more opportunity to play with texture and play with the stocking stitch panel that you’ve seen in the Assembly scarf. The rib addition creates a fabric that looks and behaves differently. The increased elasticity is ideal for mittens and hats.
One of my favourite design details on the Fond mittens is the way that the cable splits and brackets the thumb gore increases. It then reunites and continues the rest of the way up the hand to the mitten top.
The large cable trim also makes a reappearance, but this time you’ll be picking up stitches along one edge so you can knit in a different direction for the main part of the mitten. This gives you more elasticity exactly where you need it! Who doesn’t want a beautifully snug cuff that keeps draughtiness away?
Huddle hat
One of my pet hates about hats is not having enough ear coverage, so I made sure there was no chance of that with the Huddle hat! The turn-back is definitely on the generous side.
Like the Fond mittens, the cable trim is knitted in one long strip. You then use the final cast-off stitch as the first row of the main part of the hat before picking up and knitting the rest of the stitches.
Huddle is a speedy knit. So if you want a quick fix or the weather has taken a sharp turn, do yourself a favour! It’s also a great pattern for gift knitting. Especially as you can pair it with the Fond mittens and/or the Assembly scarf.
The stitch patterns in the Something To Knit Together Winter Edition are all interchangeable. You can mix and match to customise your project if you prefer the pattern of the Unite sweater on the Assembly scarf, for example.
Formative influences | Knitting patterns of my childhood
As I grew up watching my mum and grandma make clothes, I got used to seeing how much it was possible to get out of one basic idea. Sometimes, as with the Bellman’s pattern in the top left corner below, this can be as simple as offering different neckline options.
At other times, you’d get one garment offered as a jumper, cardigan, and hooded tunic, like the Studley pattern in the top right corner. The mileage you can get out of these patterns is incredible, and this influence runs through a lot of my design work. What works for me also has to work for other people.
I’m very lucky that Jen allowed me to explore this, and that we were on the same page. This is partly why it was such a successful collection and collaboration :-). And that’s why there’s the option of knitting either a jumper or cardigan for the garment piece.
Reunite cardigan
The A-line shaping of Reunite and Unite makes them wardrobe go-tos. They skim the body beautifully and make the garments more comfortable to move around in.
For example: How many times have you sat down in a cosy warm jumper, only for it to ride up and give you a draughty back? All humans spread out a bit when they sit down. Why not factor in extra width to accommodate this?
So we did!
Unite sweater
As far as stitch patterning, I knew I needed to create a texture that had a smidgen more drape than the accessory designs. The basketweaves and ribs of the hat, mittens and scarf were beautiful, but we’re covering a larger area here 😉
The super-sized waffle stitch you see on Reunite and Unite is related to the earlier basketweaves, but repeats over a shorter number of rows. I added more stocking stitch to achieve extra lightness and drape.
Finally, the shorter pattern repeat (in terms of rows) still has the same easy rhythm of the accessories. There are still plenty of plain knit rows for a relaxed knitting project.
All the patterns for the Something to Knit Together Collection are in my shop. And if you want to dive even further behind the scenes, my design development taster course is for you. The first part comprises collection building, and the second part is all about Swatch Stories. You’ll find out how I developed the stitch patterns for all the designs in this knitwear collection. What’s more, you’ll be able to apply the same techniques to your own design work.
The best thing about collaboration is having time and space to focus on what you’re good at. Having that support in the background made designing and sample knitting an absolute joy! I hope you can feel it come through in this knitwear collection too.
Natalie Warner | Knitting Pattern Designer and 4th Generation Dressmaker
I design size- and shape-inclusive modern knitting patterns for clothes makers who want their garments to fit well. Clothes should serve you, not the other way around. You alter clothes to fit you, not alter yourself to fit the clothes. This is at the heart of everything I do. I also offer a range of online knitwear design courses, covering everything from illustration to pattern grading, and consultancy services.
If you’re enjoying my content, you can get more by reading my blog, which features several articles on garment fitting, alterations, knitwear design and sewing pattern reviews, following me on Instagram or Pinterest @natalieinstitches, or signing up to my newsletter. And you can find out more about me here. Welcome!