Emma Wright is Britan’s Next Top Knitwear Designer

I’d been on the lookout for this one but somehow missed the official announcement. Back in March I told you about the knitwear design contest being held by LoveKnitting looking for the next great knitwear designer in the UK. Hopefuls had to design a project using yarn that LoveKnitting sells, and their creations were judged by a panel of experts including Debbie Bliss.

The winner is Emma Wright, from Sheffield, who wowed the judges with her bulky tie-back sweater with a textured body, polka-dotted sleeves and bold teal accents.

It’s a really fun design, and because she won the contest she will have the chance to professionally finish her design and make it available for sale at LoveKnitting. She’ll also get work experience with Emilio de la Morena in advance of his S/S London Fashion Week show in September and a cash prize of £1000.

Congratulations, Emma!

Check out the other finalists and see if you think the judges made the right choice.

[Photo via LoveKnitting.]

Next Pattern:

The other day I saw a post from Pinterest about trends for summer and it said one of them was “cultivating whimsy.”

Well, I don’t know where Pinterest has been all this time, but we’ve been cultivating whimsy here at Craft Gossip for a long time. I love sharing projects that are a little different, things that make you smile when you see them, and will make you smile when you knit them and wear them or use them.

Such it is with the Tutti Frutti tee knitting pattern from Bea Creative Knits.

This cute little baby tee is worked top down in the round with contiguous shoulder construction to shape the sleeve caps. There are short rows for the neckline and folded hems with picot edging at the hemline, neckline and edges of the sleeves.

All of this would be great on its own, but then there’s the addition of a super cute fruit icon, which is added with duplicate stitch. There are a lot of options, including strawberry, banana, orange, cherries, watermelon, lemon, blueberries, kiwi, peach, dragon fruit, apple and pear, so it’s likely you can add on your favorite fruit.

It is offered in eight sizes, to fit a bust measurement ranging from 28-30 inches (71-76 cm) to 56-58 inches (142-147 cm). The design is meant to be worn with around 6.3 inches/16 cm of negative ease, but you can choose the fit you prefer. There’s also optional bust and waist shaping included in the pattern if you want to make it even curvier.

This is considered an advanced beginner or intermediate project because of all the skills involved, but it’s sure to be a lot of fun even if some of these techniques are new to you.

Grab a copy of the pattern for yourself form Bea Creative Knits on Etsy.

[Photo: Bea Creative Knits]

Next Pattern:

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