Can you see me smiling? I am grinning from ear to ear because autumn is in the air. It’s a little sooner than I would like but this week has made me dive straight into my autumn/winter wardrobe and I have been on Ravelry queuing up my knits for the season. I thought I would share my top five favourites with all of you in the hope that I can spread my enthusiasm to other knitters and to help with that there is a nice discount code at the end of today’s post. So, without further a do here are my ‘Top 5 Autumnal Knits’:

Esquilino

There are a few reasons for me to pick this as my favourite cowl. I don’t know about you but I need a cowl that I can wrap around my neck twice so that it protects me from those cold blasts of air but I also want to unwrap when I walk into shopping centers or warm buildings to cool down. I also need it to hang just right so I can’t drop it into my coffee. I need the pattern to be interesting enough to keep me knitting until I reach the required length and Esquilino does just that with the beautiful, intricate cable work.

This pattern also comes with a get out clause as I like to call it i.e. the pattern is written for both a short and long length cowl so you can opt out after a pattern repeat if you want too. The pattern calls for Dovestone DK 1 skein for the short cowl and 2 for the longer length so this is a fantastic choice if you happen to have stash that you want to use up or for a beautiful hand knit gift.

 

Chevet

There is something about a project that can be knit within a weekend that appeals to me. Every now and then I turn off my phone and sit and knit in front of the fire and smaller projects allow me to get that FO (finished object) buzz I need to kick start a stalled project. Chevet is perfect for that.

Chevet has beautiful interlocking cables that work their way to the crown of the hat before coming together for finishing. I have my eye on some tweed yarn for this but it requires an Aran weight. This project is knit in the round with both written and charted cables so it’s a fantastic introduction for a cabled in-the-round project.

 

Stannum

Mitts are an essential autumn/winter accessory especially here in Ireland. Over the years I have lost any I bought in shops but the ones that I make or have been gifted to me, I have been over cautious with so now I like to put a lot of effort into knitting them. Stannum mitts also have a longer length so they bridge that gap that occurs when I reach up high for things outside. They have a beautiful centered motif on the top of the mitts with a diagonal palm pattern that is easily remembered once you get into the rhythm of knitting it. These are perfect for showing off a special skein of sock yarn that you have tucked away and here, they are pictured using Townhouse Yarns Grafton 4-ply.

 

Slateford

Every autumn I start looking for a garment that is functional and can be tuned to my wardrobe style. When I knit big projects I like to picture what they will go with in my wardrobe. Slateford stands out for me as I can knit the colour gradient trend but tune it with softer tones of a pale lilac to dark purple. To me, this is a simple cardigan with elegance that can be dressed up or down or knit in one shade to be part of a classic collection.

Slateford is knit from the top down with raglan shoulder shaping, the top of the shoulder has garter triangles and the body and sleeves gently transition with stripes to a second colour. The details in this cardigan are what make it unique and it can be knit to flatter your own body shape. This is knit with a DK yarn and is great stash buster or that excuse you are looking for to try out some new yarn you have had your eye on.

Taupini

 

A full sweater is not for you? Then why not try your garment knitting skills with this beautiful children’s Taupini. I love smaller knits to test out new construction techniques and the unusual construction of this cardigan makes this a very fun knit. Worked from side to side starting at the center of the back, curvy short row hip shaping, clever side joining and short row sleeve caps can introduce you to several new techniques. This is also a quick knit as this project is knit with Fyberspates Chunky Scrumptious on 6mm needles. Sizes range from 6 months to 10 years so you can find the perfect size for the child you have in mind.

 

To help spread my autumnal knitting enthusiasm, Carol has put together a fantastic Winter Collection which you can find here. You can use code AUTUMNSALE until the end of September for 25% off (website only). All that is left is for you to click over and tell me what your favourite Autumn/Winter knits are and what you will be knitting this Autumn Season.