These days I struggle to write eloquently about what I am knitting. It used to be that I could snap a photo, link to a pattern and wax lyrically about the process. As I now tend to design my own patterns and work on things that will not be unveiled for another six months .. well, it kills the sharing bug a bit. But let's see if I cannot circumvent the whole "cannot show & cannot tell" thing.

Pictured: a hat. This hat design (along with the matching fingerless gloves) was the first design I sketched when I started working on my Doggerland collection. It sums up the whole collection for me: a controlled colour palette, very  clean and geometric lines, and that little hint of the natural world to it.

I am knitting the sample in Rowan Creative Focus Worsted. I set out to design Doggerland using yarns from the North Sea/North Atlantic region but I could not resist the wonderful light grey - Nickel sh 401 - when I saw it. The CFW also had two other colours that were exactly what I wanted, so even though all the other Doggerland designs will be knitted using local-to-me yarns, this hat & gloves set will be slightly different.

On the plus side, it should be easy to find local-to-you substitutes with a worsted weight.

I should finish the hat this week and begin work on the gloves. After then I will start to work on a mini-collection in collaboration with a well-known indie yarn dyer. I cannot say much more at this point - mostly because we are still working out the finer details.

So, I am kept busy.

But I do find time to work on something that has nowt to do with collections.

This is a little black shawl which may or may not end up a free download. I have been knitting it at knitting groups lately as it is marvellously portable.

I am using Lopi Einband, a fantastically sticky and rough-and-tumble lace yarn from Iceland. I bought in Denmark some three years ago and I never really knew what I wanted to make with it as it is not your standard soft, drapey lace yarn.

So, it is now becoming a straightforward triangular shawl with easy pattern repeats and chevrons (I am currently obsessed by chevrons). I don't expect the shawl to be finished anytime soon as it's just a for-pleasure knit.

Speaking of for-pleasure knitting.. I plan on making this beautiful cardigan for myself as soon as I have cleared my table of work knitting. And anyone who dreams of making an Icelandic jumper will do well to look at this website (esp. if you dream of designing one for yourself)

Finally, a big congratulations to Vivienne who won the copy of Coronation Knits from my give-away. Huzzah!