Knits from Northern Lands

Jenny Fennell is a designer based in Nova Scotia, Canada, and her work is inspired by the knitting traditions of countries including the Scottish Isles, Ireland and Scandinavia. For this book, she has designed 20 garment, accessory and homeware projects which showcase many beautiful styles and stitches from across the Northern Hemisphere.

The collection includes a number of simple projects which will be ideal for novice knitters or as quick-knit gifts. These include a ribbed scarf, hat and mitts in a super-chunky yarn, and the little ‘Lace of Unst’ bookmark, which is a sweet introduction to Shetland lace knitting.

For the home, there is a beautiful blanket with a lace pattern of birch leaves, and a large, intricately cabled blanket inspired by Aran sweaters. ‘Skies of Sweden’ is a colourwork cushion in heathered pink and cream, whose patterning evokes a pine forest in winter. The ‘Dream in Danish Throw Cushion’ features knit-and-purl textures influenced by Danish traditions.

Our favourite projects in the book are the colourwork accessories, such as the pretty Fair Isle wristwarmers called ‘A Slow Day in Shetland’, and the chic twisted headband which has blue and white motifs depicting Finland’s national flower, the lily of the valley.

There’s a cosy honeycomb cable shawl, a neat hat and scarf with delicate floral colourwork inspired by Scandinavian textiles, and a pair of classic Nordic mittens featuring the Selbu rose motif. The White Heather Shawl’ combines a pretty lace and bobble stitch pattern with a chunky yarn.

Knitters can try working with Icelandic lopi wool with the ‘Fire and Ice’ cowl and mittens, which have a simple, geometric colourwork pattern to depict the volcanic landscapes of Iceland. There is one garment project in the book: a chunky Aran-style cabled sweater, which has been designed with minimal shaping and basic seaming to make it a great choice for your first Aran jumper project. It’s sized to fit chests of approximately 36in to 62in.

Jenny provides illustrated walkthroughs for many of the techniques used in the patterns, such as mattress stitch, twist seaming, and cabling techniques.

-- The Knitter * The Knitter *

Taking inspiration from the Nordic, Scandinavian and Celtic regions, this books contains 20 modern projects, based on traditional knitting styles and techniques. Whether you're a beginner or an experienced knitter, these one-of-a-kind pieces will be cherished for generations. 

-- Machine Knitting Monthly * Machine Knitting Monthly *

This is a beautifully presented book with wonderful wintery photography which will make you want to wrap yourself up in a blanket, sipping hot chocolate and knitting serenely for the evening.

The patterns are clear, concise and easy to follow, especially with the accompanying charts. A good mix for all abilities and there isn't one pattern that I wouldn't knit! As a quick test I knitted up the Comforting Cables Fingerless Mitts and they came out wonderfully! A great little stash buster.

-- Charlotte Jessica Bailey * Customer Review *

The instructions are very clear and easy to read. The projects range from simple and easy to hard so you can challenge yourself. The images add to the enjoyment of the book and make you feel cosy and ready to get knitting. Overall a great and amazing book I can't wait to start knitting from it.

-- Jessica Irene Morgan * Customer Review *

There have been a few books of knits inspired by 'Northern Lands' and it seems the techniques are still popular. This one features mainly scarves and mitts but does have one cabled blanket and an Aran jumper. There are some beginner patterns but most of them are for more experienced knitters. The patterns and charts are clearly set out, though, and are easy to follow for anyone who wants to extend their skills. 

There are various techniques described with diagrams throughout the book and these are well drawn and easy to follow. On the whole, a nicely presented book, inexpensive and with plenty of useful chart.

* Slipknot *

This is a great book with a variety of projects to suit different tastes in knitting whether it be fair isle, cable or lace. I particularly like the fact that there are a range of wool thicknesses so one has the option of a quick project using chunky wool such as the Fire and Ice chunky mittens to a more intricate pattern for the Fair Isle wristwarmers using a 4ply Yarn. The author grades each project so that there is something for a confident knitter through to an advanced experienced one.

-- Monica Russel * Knitting Designer and Teach