Farm to Needle with Interweave Knits Winter 2024: First Look

In the early 2000s, as I was just beginning my career in jewelry making, I had the pleasure of sharing booth space at art shows with four talented women. Three of those ladies were sheep-to-shawl knitters. This was a few years before I learned to knit, and I don’t think I fully appreciated just how special their work was. Looking back, I’m in awe. To choose a fleece, then scour it, spin it, and knit it into an original shawl design is no small feat. They tried to teach me, but margaritas were involved, and as you can imagine, it didn’t go well.

The knitting industry is a place where tradition and creative talent meet. Like my boothmates, there is so much to admire in the work of farms producing small-batch yarns and companies keeping regional fiber customs alive. In Interweave Knits Winter 2024, we shine a light on these producers and their unique yarns. Simply put, we’re taking you from farm to needle.

Winter Highlights

In the pages of this issue, you’ll meet Mona, the Icelandic sheep at Southeastern Animal Fiber Fair (SAFF) who stole our hearts. Sandi Rosner shares the step-by-step process of turning Mona’s fleece into handspun yarn, which both she and I then turned into complementary projects.

Plus, if breeds such as Clun Forest, Cormo, and Targhee are new to you, Kerry Bullock-Ozkan offers advice for pairing breed-specific yarns with the right project with useful information on substituting when small-batch options are hard to find. Not to mention, we have a very sheepy Maker’s Tools that is downright adorable.

The Interweave Knits Fall 2023 Patterns: Reflections

Click the arrows to left and right on the slideshow below to see the collection.

For the projects in this issue, you’re in for a treat. We’ve gathered an ubercozy collection of designs with a modern farmhouse sensibility. Lana Jois’ Meadowsweet Hat & Mittens Set brings the cheerfulness of flowers to the snowiest winter days. The Vernacular Vest by Deborah Newton is an easy layering piece that works up quickly and helps keep your core warm as you go about your day. And I can’t wait to cast on Hiroka Shinokawa’s Baserri Cowl, which features a technique called “twice knitting”— trust me, it’s not what you think.

Our winter issue finishes with a Ravelings essay from Dr. Liz Piatt. You might know Liz from her YouTube channel or Instagram, where she goes by The Black Knitter. In her piece, she shares how we can all make our community more welcoming. I hope you read it with as much eagerness to effect change as I did.

Wishing you a woolly winter season!

Serial yarn sniffer Kerry Bogert, former editor of Interweave Knits, loves to spend her time knitting. Her passion for making things with her hands is only matched by her love for her children and a well-attenuated stout. Kerry endeavors to never stop learning, buying yarn, or collecting beads. You can find tons of articles from Kerry at Interweave.com.