THE KNITTER LOVES

Local heroes Explore Britain’s native sheep breeds with the new British Breed Packs from Blacker Yarns

News, products and patterns

PUSS IN BOOTS

Marna Gilligan of An Caitín Beag is well known for her feline creations, and has designed many cat-themed knitting patterns, stitch markers, project bags and badges. Her newest project, Choose Your Own Catsock Adventure, is a collection of eight cat-scattered socks.

The e-book is designed to help knitters create perfectly fitting socks, by offering mix-and-match options for heels and toes - short-row, flap and gusset and afterthought heels, and wedge, round and colourwork toes. Each sock project comes in four sizes.

Tiny cat faces are sprinkled across the ‘Polkacat’ socks, and bloom from leaves and stems on the ‘Cat Garden’ socks. More graphic designs feature zigzags, stripes and hexagon-shaped colourwork, while the ‘Starlight Catties’ socks are decorated with a lice stitch-style pattern.

£15; www.caitinbeag.com

- Readers can try a free pattern from this book! Visit www.caitinbeag.com/products/ willow-cattern to download a PDF

Try hand dyeing at home with a DIY natural dye kit from We Are Knitters. The Born to Dye kits can be customised with up to four natural dye extracts and a choice of four different wool yarns, or can be ordered without yarn.

Prices start at £56. www.weareknitters.co.uk

SUGARY SHADES

Fyberspates has added six new ice creaminspired colours to its Cumulus range - and they’re all delicious! The new shades include peach, mint, coral and buttercup, and will be ideal for airy accessories or when used in combination with other yarns for a hazy effect. Cumulus is a brushed laceweight that blends baby suri alpaca with mulberry silk, and comes in 25g/150m balls costing £6.50. Find stockist details and pattern ideas at www.fyberspates.com/retailers