knitwear – KDD & Co

Oa my!

Kate’s favourite outdoor pullover gets an Oa-verhaul

out of the woods

Outi Kater introduces a wonderful design inspired by Finnish childhood winters and restorative woodland spaces

make / mend: Collingwood-Norris

Kate talks to Flora Collingwood-Norris about mending, Scottish islands, and how colour makes you feel

It’s a very busy week here at KDD! On top of our usual work on a new book and collection, we are launching our seasonal product range before the recommencement of Knitting Season on September 6th. Whew! You may remember that last year we began producing new pullovers using fantastic Shetland yarns spun by Scotland’s…

looking forward

Hello! Kate here. August is the month at KDD when we all start to look forward to what’s coming in the autumn. This season we are busier than ever, with a wide range of different projects and new releases. Next month, for example, we will finally be able to begin to release the new knitwear…

Weel Riggit

By: Kate Davies Designs January 26, 2019January 26, 2019

design, knitting, knitting season, yarnÀrd Thìr, jumper, Kate Davies Deisigns, knitting, knitwear, pullover, weel riggit, yarn28 Comments

Like many people, I think, this style of warm, hard-wearing and definitively wintery sweater fills me with a very particular kind of nostalgia. I first saw sweaters of this kind when I was eighteen, and went away to University. There I encountered a very particular kind of student who wore this type of sweater –…

north star snood

By: Kate Davies Designs October 13, 2018October 13, 2018

finishing, Kate Davies Designs, KDD originals, knitting, making, manufacturing, patternsaccessories, design, knitting, knitwear, manufacturing, north star snood, snoods, William Lockie27 Comments

During our Hebridean break last week, we took the opportunity to photograph the results of my latest ready-made knitwear project: the North Star Snood. I loved designing my snoods last year, and also really enjoyed the process of working with William Lockie. Last year I used stitch patterns which had been previously featured on my…

Finnich

By: Kate Davies Designs September 22, 2018September 22, 2018

Kate Davies Designs, KDD originals, knitting, Scotland, YOKES!design, finnich, Harley of Scotland, JC Rennie, Jokkull, KDD originals, knitting, knitwear, yokes28 Comments

Now I can introduce the second of the two yoke styles we’ve developed with Harley of Scotland – Finnich. Like Duntreath, the garment is knitted using Harley’s innovative seamless technology and, like Duntreath we’ve used JC Rennie lambswool, but worked at a heavier weight and gauge. Finnich is a super-cosy aran weight sweater, featuring simple…

Duntreath

I’m so pleased to be able to introduce you to Duntreath! After we successfully launched our lambswool snoods last year, I really wanted to develop a line of garments. Having researched and written a book all about the history of yoke sweaters, I knew I wanted to make yokes, and I also knew who I…

shieling styling

By: Kate Davies Designs February 2, 2018March 5, 2018

design, knitting, West Highland Waydesign, knitting, knitwear, landscape, shieling blanket, styling, The Shieling, West Highland Way124 Comments

The question of how to style handknits can be a tricky one. Any knitwear stylist might wax lyrical on the question of just how difficult hands can be (if one doesn’t have a nice mug in the props basket you know those mitts won’t look their best!). In general, I really enjoy thinking about styling…

snoods / psneuds

By: Kate Davies Designs September 27, 2017September 27, 2017

design, KDD originals, knitting, manufacturing, Scotland, Scottish textiles, textile history, textilesdesign, Hinchcliffe, KDD originals, knitwear, Lockies, manufacturing, snoods, William Lockie52 Comments

I am sure, since I have been completely unable to restrain my excitement on all social media channels, that most of you will have already seen the small range of knitted accessories that we’ve made with Lockies. Snoods! Now, I have come to realise the “correct” application of the word snood is a matter for…

making stuff (at Lockies)

One thing you can say about knitting: it really makes you think about the many different processes that producing textiles involve. For example, prior to becoming an obsessive knitter, I had never really considered blocking a woollen garment (with water or with steam) . . . . . . nor had I understood what a…

Eno

By: Kate Davies Designs March 25, 2013March 25, 2013

inspirationBrian Eno, inspiration, knitwear27 Comments

I have been thinking about Brian Eno since a half-remembered lyric led Tom and I to listen again to our Roxy Music albums this weekend. Genius! This morning I rediscovered these photographs of Eno in some incredible knitwear and was reminded of his fabulously singular sartorial style. “We got the usual strange looks in airports,”…

Shetland

By: Kate Davies Designs March 9, 2013March 9, 2013

design, Kate Davies, Kate Davies Designs, knitting, ShetlandAnn Cleeves, BBC, BBC1, Crime Drama, Douglas Henshall, Kate Davies, Kate Davies designs, knitwear, Red Bones, Shetland113 Comments

Recognise the hat? Yes! Its my Peerie Flooers! This hat, along with a couple of my other designs, will be making their first TV appearance tomorrow in Shetland, a two-part BBC crime drama based on Ann Cleeves’ novel Red Bones. Exciting! You can see some more stills and the trailer here, and, if you are…