Osborn Kate Gagnon - November Knits: Inspired Designs for Changing Seasons

Classic, comfortable, practical, elegant, and understated. These are just a few words that come to mind when we think of our favorite knitwear.

When coming up with ideas for a follow-up to Vintage Modern Knits, we knew we wanted to curate a collection of knitwear that would inspire readers. Our aim was to include designs that are hardwearing, warm, and cozy, as well as clever in their construction. We wanted a collection, cohesive in its whole but varied in its content, which would provide the knitter with a multitude of options, colors, shapes, techniques, and styles. The idea for curating a collection of designs by some of our favorite established and up-and-coming designers not only provided us with the opportunity to work with a group of people whose designs we know and love, but also to amass a collection of knits that fulfilled our goals of creating a book that will appeal to a wide variety of knitters.

The title November Knits evokes the essence of fall and early wintera time for friends and family to come together and celebrate. With that in mind, we imagined three chapters, each reminiscent of times of togetherness and each representing its own type of knitting techniques. The first chapter, Farm Hands, is a rustic collection of hardwearing and comfortable garments that are as stylish and aesthetically pleasing as they are practical. The designs in this chapter focus on texturecables, knit-and-purl combinations, and high-definition stitch variationsall in deep earthy autumn tones of colorful leaves on a crisp fall day. The second chapter, Ivy League, is a classic New Englandinspired collection of warm, stylish, and colorful garments meant to be layered on both the inside and out. These designs utilize multiple color techniquesincluding Fair Isle, stranded colorwork, and stripesin a palette of bright primaries that provide a welcome pop of color on a cloudy day. The third and final chapter, Southern Comfort, appeals to our feminine side and is a collection of knits in cool vintage-inspired colors evocative of fall in the deep South. The main focus of this collection is decorative embellishment through lace or beads. The designs are lovely and timeless.

We invite you to enjoy whatever autumn brings your way with these comforting designs.

Fall on the farm inspires nesting, hard work in preparation for winter, and taking time to enjoy the crisp outdoors and the crackle of leaves underfoot while harvesting the final bounty from a summer garden. Designed with the idea of working on a ranch or farm, walking in the woods, or sitting around a fire after an afternoon of chopping wood, the projects in this chapter are hardwearing, practical, and useful. The color palette is reminiscent of earthy fall tonesdeep maple reds, forest greens, and plenty of shades of brown. Each garment is relatively easy and satisfying to execute with minimal seaming. A pair of warm and soft cabled leg warmers out of a minimally processed yarn in a gorgeous leafy green, a textured jacket with beautiful closures, and a pair of cabled mittens knitted at a tight gauge for optimum warmth and strength are just a few of the projects in this chapter that are sure to prepare you for a realor imaginedday on the farm.