Interweave Unveils New Website, Merger with Patternworks

Interweave, the multi-craft publishing company that’s been a part of F+W since 2012, announced an “updated and reinvigorated” Interweave with the launch of a redesigned website.

At the same time, the company announced a merger with Patternworks, an online fiber arts company that also produced a mail-order catalog. Visiting the Patternworks website now brings up news about the merger with an Interweave URL.

The former daily websites and blogs have been recast under the Interweave name (so KnittingDaily.com no longer goes to that URL but to interweave.com/knitting). Each of the major categories Interweave publishes content about — knitting, crochet, beading, jewelry, spinning, weaving and needlework — has its own section, as well as a shop, which includes Interweave patterns and products as well as yarn and other items that would have been sold by Patternworks.

It’s not clear whether the daily updates from each of those former sites will continue, but the Patternworks post mentions “high quality content being published multiple times a day.”

I think this is an interesting strategy and I’m not sure what it means for the company, though diversifying their offerings with the connection to Patternworks seems like a good plan. I’d love to know what you think!

Next Pattern:

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.

Next Pattern:

Have you read?

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