LaBarre Melissa - New England Knits: Timeless Knitwear with a Modern Twist

We would like to wholeheartedly thank Tricia Waddell for believing in our idea. Without her support and enthusiasm, this book would not have been possible. We will always be grateful.

Thanks to Anne Merrow, our lovely editor, for her patience and knowledge. As new authors, we took full advantage of both. And thanks to all the folks at Interweave whove enthusiastically supported us, more than we could have ever imagined.

We will always be grateful to Pam Allen, who cheered us on, offered advice, and went out of her way to help make this book match our vision. Her kindness will never be forgotten.

Big thanks to our families and friends, for their love and support. We couldnt have done this without them. They stuck with us, pretended to be interested in knitting, and not one of them rolled their eyes at the mention of this book, ever. Without the love, hugs, food, and humor they offered us, we surely would have drowned in yarn.

We would like to thank the yarn companies who donated yarn for the projects: Classic Elite Yarns, Vermont Organic Fiber Company, Fairmount Fibers/Manos del Uruguay, Kelbourne Woolens/The Fibre Co., Berroco, Tahki/Stacy Charles, Louet, Shibui, Muench/GGH, JCA, and Bijou Bison.

We are also grateful to our guest designers and native New Englanders, Kate Gagnon Osborn, Kristen TenDyke, Cirilia Rose, and Carrie Hoge, for sharing their talents with us.

Last but not least, thank you to our amazing knitter, Amanda Hosmer. Her perfect stitches saved our wrists from ruin.

Happy knitting!

Melissa and Cecily

around
THE TOWN

fall
ON THE FARM

along
THE COAST

It seems entirely fitting that the idea for this book was born on a perfect fall day. One October morning, we left our homes in wool cardigans and hats. As the day went on, the hats came off and the cardigans hung open until the sun went down. It was then that we found ourselves scrambling for woolly layers again. Handknits get lots of use here; the weather gives us many opportunities for that.

As knitters and native New Englanders, its hard not to be inspired by our surroundings when thinking about what we want to knit. That afternoon, while talking about what we wanted to knit next, we realized that we had strikingly similar visions for a perfect New England wardrobe.

Composed of six states, New England offers inspiration in many forms. With winter approaching, we were drawn to cold weather first and brainstormed knits for snowy dayswarm pieces that would keep out the brisk cold air on the shortest days. As five of the regions six states border the ocean, the New England coast inspired us, too, but not in the beach-going sunbathing way. Instead, we thought of the colors and cool coastal winds found here. We pictured walks in the woods in crisp fall weather and days spent in the park enjoying the midst of spring.

We were drawn to transitional-weather clothes. New England is notorious for sudden weather shifts, so we thought of cardigans and pieces for layering. You know that favorite cardigan, the one you reach for again and again, that you throw on instead of a coat on a crisp fall day? We hope youll find one of those among this collection: classic pieces with a modern detail or two that youll enjoy making and want to keep forever.

And so New England Knits was born. Thinking of the farms scattered across the region and the fiber-producing animals that reside here, we chose natural fibers like wool. Its ability to repel water and provide warmth made it the perfect canvas for the projects we envisioned.

We shared our plans with a few designers who hail from New England and asked them to join us and contribute designs that felt like perfect New England knits. We think youll find that theyve succeeded.

New England is full of quaint little towns with old brick buildings that have been transformed to house modern restaurants and shops. A walk through cobblestone streets can be a daylong adventure where history is intermingled with hip boutiques and cafs. The garments in this section are designed for a day spent strolling around one of these towns. These pieces are a little polished and can go from a day of sightseeing to a romantic evening dinner. A lovely cardigan with sweet button details at the neck, a skirt dressed up with a bit of lace at the hem, and a soft kerchief with delicate bead details are just a few of the items that will take you around the town.