Fall/Winter Holla Knits is Here!

The new edition of Holla Knits is out, and it looks so cute I can’t even stand it. If you don’t know about Holla Knits, you should. It’s the brainchild of Allyson Dykhuizen, who also runs the website The Sweatshop of Love. I interviewed Allyson over at About when the first edition of Holla Knits came out earlier this year, so check that out for all the backstory.

The new version for fall has six patterns, and I want to knit about five of them (sorry, cabled shorts!). My favorites, though, are the Devon Cardigan by Karin Kemper, a sort of slouchy cardi worked with stripes in a different color and pattern than the rest of the sweater; Lilith Ubberlohde’s Sexxxy Librarian, a close-fitting, cabled, cowl-necked vest; and Allyson’s own New Girl skirt, which may be the thing that gets me to knit a skirt. It’s a circle skirt with an elastic waist and pockets (be still my knitterly heart!), as well as some cute color and texture blocking.

Each pattern is shown both in two sizes and in two yarns: one is an indie yarn maker and the other is Knit Picks. Patterns are available for purchase individually or you can get a yearly subscription for $36, which gets you three issues of six patterns each as well as access to special videos and a chance to win yarn and needles to make projects from the collections.

[Photo via Holla Knits.]Looking for Fall patterns to Knit? Check out these Fall knitting patterns we found on Etsy.

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Blankets are a great blank slate project that you can change up in a million different ways. From color to stitch pattern to size, the possibilities are almost endless.

Jared Flood, the designer behind Brooklyn Tweed, was inspired by a log cabin quilt his mother made in 1995 to re-create that design in knitting, which led to more blankets and ultimate Brooklyn Tweed’s Knit and Crochet Blankets, which includes 25 patterns from an array of designers using different skills and techniques to make cozy, pretty blankets.

The patterns are divided into three aesthetic themes: traditions, minimalism and colorplay. The patterns are rated on a scale of one to five, with one being the easiest, and there aren’t any pieces rated five. Two blankets are rated one, 14 are two, eight are three and one is four.

In addition, three of the 25 patterns are crocheted, but they either use single crochet or granny stitch, so they are pretty easy even if you don’t do a lot of crochet. You can see all the patterns on Ravelry.

Some of my favorites include Rattan by Rastus Hsu, a chunky blanket worked in knits and purls with simple crossing stitches to make a raised woven look; Homewood by Seth Richardson, covers in dramatic, loopy cables; Ainur Berkimbayeva’s Tessellate, one of the beginner projects that doesn’t really look beginner but is totally worked in knit and purl stitches; Warp + Weft by Aist? Butkevi?ien?, which is mostly knits and purls but makes a fun woven look fabric that blew my mind a little bit; and the same designer’s Canyonland, a multicolored blanket with wavy stripes.

The patterns tell you how to resize them for different dimensions and include information on pattern repeats where it is possible to make a totally custom size.

Many different techniques are included here such as cables, lace, shadow knitting, intarsia and other colorwork techniques, as well as modular knitting and lots of sewing pieces together. The patterns are all presented with charts, but there are line by line written instructions available on the Brooklyn Tweed website if you need them.

The book ends with a deep dive into log cabin knitting, telling the story of the quilt Jared’s mom made and how he made it in knitting, as well as the multitude of variations you can make if you want your own log cabin style design.

The back of the book includes a little written information about some of the special techniques needed, but there are no photos.

This is a lovely book full of inspiration for knitting and crochet blankets for any skill level. If you like to make blankets as gifts or aspire to have a handmade blanket in every room of the house, these designs would be a great place to start.

About the book: 192 pages, paperback, 25 patterns. Published 2024 by Abrams Books, suggested retail price $24.99.

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