A Textured Knit to Get You to Fall

We’ve reached the portion of summer where I live where the heat is just an insult. I don’t want to go outside for any reason and the only thing I want to do is think about how it’s going to be fall soon and I’m going to need my sweaters again.

If you need a pretty little knit to tide you over until you can start wearing sweaters again, might I suggest Tosca from Berroco?

This highly textured cardigan design by Alison Green is stunning in a jewel tone but I think it would look great in any color you like. It actually calls for a Pima cotton yarn, which is great for the beginning of fall when you’re just starting to need an extra layer in the cool of the morning or the evening (or as a defense against air conditioning).

This intermediate knitting pattern features a split hem and then is worked flat to the underarms in one piece. The parts are then worked separately to finish up the top, and the sleeves are knit flat and sewn in and seamed after the body has been sewn together.

The pattern includes 12 sizes, with a finished bust measurement ranging from 38 to 72.5 inches, or 96.5 to 184 cm. The pattern notes don’t say how much ease is intended but it sounds like a lot. You can always pick a size based on how much ease you would like.

The stitch pattern is a pretty lattice cable that includes yarn overs and decreases as well as simple twists. The pattern is both written and charted so you can work whichever way you like.

This looks like a great cardigan that’s a little bit fancy but still not too difficult to knit that can get you through to the fall in knitting it and then you can enjoy wearing it all season long.

Grab the free pattern from Berroco.

[Photo: Berroco]

A Few More Knits for Fall and Thanksgiving

Book Review – Wanderlust: 46 Modern Knits for Bohemian Style

Celebrate Fall with Leaf Knitting Patterns

There are two schools of thought when it comes to instructional books about knitting. Either focus in one particular technique or kind of knitting (stranded knitting, say, or brioche) or try to cover a little bit of everything in a reference book that knitters will use throughout their careers.

The Knitting Book by Frederica Patmore and Dr. Vikki Haffenden aims to be the second kind. The subtitle is: a step-by-step guide to creating imaginative projects for the home and to wear. I’m not sure it does that, exactly, but it does include a quick look at a lot of different techniques and stitch patterns you might use in your projects.

A “guide to creating imaginative projects” sounds to me like it’s about design, but this book is not. There’s 1/3 of a page about altering patterns that only talks about how to add length to a sleeve and adjust where the increases go.

There’s nothing about measuring your body (the section on choosing a size in a pattern only suggests measuring a garment you already own), general garment construction, ease or stitch pattern multiples. The section on gauge (which is the last third of the page with choosing a garment size and altering patterns, discussed above) just says to knit a swatch, block and measure it to compare to a pattern, with no discussion on how you might use your swatch to design your own project or alter a pattern to meet your gauge.

If you ignore the subtitle, what you will find is a lot of information about different kinds of knitting and various techniques you might want to try on your projects. There are 20 cast ons and 15 bind off options, for instance, all discussed before you learn how to knit or purl. (Another quibble I have with this book is the order in which things are presented, but that’s relatively minor.)

You’ll find quick hits on increases and decreases, twists and cables, lace, colorwork, textured effects like fisherman’s rib and brioche, loops, mosaic knitting, double knitting, decorative stitches, shadow knitting, bias knitting, mitered squares, entrelac and more. There are tips for selvedge stitches, knitting with beads, adding buttonholes, picking up stitches and more.

A few patterns at the back give knitters a taste of some of the techniques included, but they’re not rated by skill level and the first one is a bias knit gradient scarf worked in six different colors of mohair, which isn’t a thing I’d wish on any beginner.

And I guess that’s maybe what my issue with the book is. I don’t know if it’s meant for beginners and it doesn’t seem to, either. I feel like this book would be overwhelming to new knitters and doesn’t really give you a place to start or all the information you might need to do projects well.

The variety of techniques included is fun, and there are also stitch patterns in the back you can use on your own projects, but again it doesn’t really provide any guidance for how to design your own projects so I don’t know how helpful all of that is.

I want to like books like this because having one reference that helps you with a lot of different things is great, I’m just not sure this is the one. If you can find it at your library or local book store and flip through it before buying, I think that would be a great idea to see if it’s a book that would be helpful for you.

And if you have this book and love it please let me know! I’m sure it’s good for someone I’m just not sure who.

About the book: 336 pages, hardcover. Published 2026 by DK. Suggested retail price $40.

Have you read?