Celebrate the Holidays with Kevin the Carrot

I’m not British, so I hadn’t heard the story of Kevin the Carrot until reader Nicola Riley sent me her pattern for one.

Apparently Kevin is the star – along with his carrot family – of a television spot for grocery Aldi, and he’s so popular that he was made into a plush doll just in time for Christmas.

Only trouble was, the toys were so popular they sold out in hours, and enterprising shoppers have been trying to sell them on ebay for many, many times what they sold for in the shops.

If you’d like to get your hands on a Kevin, you can make this homemade version, complete with his little scarf. The pattern is worked flat and seamed, and he’s pretty small so you can probably make him with bits of yarn you have around the house.

The pattern retails for £2.50, or about $3.45. And it’s cute even if you have no idea who Kevin the carrot is.

[Photo: Nicola Riley.]

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There’s always room for more stitch dictionaries on your shelf, but Andrea Rangel’s Knitovation Stitch Dictionary is unlike those stitch pattern books you might already own. That’s because this one is full of colorwork stitch patterns rather than textured stitches, lace or cables, so the designs are ripe for adding to hats, sweaters and other projects with a stockinette stitch background.

The book starts with a quick introduction to knitting colorwork that’s also unlike what you’ve probably seen before, because it’s less about the colors themselves and more about the kinds of fibers you choose, how the yarn is prepared and the gauge you’re working at and how those things all change the look of a design.

Most of the book is filled with motif designs and swatches. The motifs were designed and named by Andrea’s husband Sean, who is an artist and brings a bit of whimsy to the designs.

You’ll find some classic looking leaves and flowers, mosaics and waves, but also rubber ducks, penguins, puzzle pieces, cherries and cows, snails and teapots, eyeballs and chess pieces, to name a few. Many of the designs also have funny names, like a fish named toilet bound, or cats in suits called corporate fat cat.

Of course you can use the designs in any way you want on any project you like, but there are also three patterns in the book — for a hat, a sweater and a pair of fingerless gloves — plus discussion of how the motifs were added, adjusting patterns for a different size or gauge, and adding your own motifs.

If you like adding a bit of colorwork to otherwise plain projects that other people have designed, or you’re ready to start making your own designs with fun motifs, this book is a great place to start. The fun and funny motifs are sure to inspire you to want to pick up your needles and add a little more color to your projects.

About the book: 160 pages, hardcover, 150+ motifs and three knitting patterns. Published 2023 by Interweave, suggested retail $28.

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