We’ve been so excited to see your enthusiastic response to yesterday’s post about our brand new online forum, The Knitalong Hub. And of course, there’s no better way to celebrate The Knitalong Hub’s grand opening than by diving into a brand new knitalong (of course!).

I think it’s fair to say that 2020 has not been an easy year for anyone. We’re preparing for a new lockdown here in England, and we know that many of you have been living under various states of restriction for quite some time. So for the first knitalong in our new virtual living room, we want to simply focus on whatever knitting is bringing us joy! Maybe you’ve got a colourful cast on planned? Or you’re well on your way with a WIP (work in progress) that you’re relishing? And if you’ve not got a joyful project on your needles at the moment, there will be plenty of inspiration to be had from the chat. So, in case it’s not already abundantly clear, for this KAL, anything goes – any yarn, any designer, any type of project, new cast on or WIP – as long as it’s a project that brings a smile to your face.

So, how do you take part? Well, if you haven’t already, you’ll want to start off by making an account over on The Knitalong Hub. We’ve had some feedback that it’s not easy to see whether the Terms and Conditions box is ticked on iPads and iPhones – we have the tech team working on it – but in the meantime, the outline of the square changes to green once it has been selected. Once you’ve done that, head over to the November Bringing Joy topic and tell us what you’ll be making, and share photos of your progress as you go (if you need a hand figuring out adding photos to a post, check out this topic over in The Knitalong Hub). That’s it! Share your progress as often as you’d like – we love rooting each other on!

For some added cheer, we’ll also be drawing prizes all month long from posts in the KAL thread — each week, we’ll select a lucky participant to get a £5 voucher to our online shop, and at the end of the month, we’ll do a final drawing for £20 voucher. Woot!

What will I be working on? Well I have quite a few projects on the go at the moment, and I’m in the wonderful position of being rather besotted with each and every one of them… But the projects that I can share right now, are a pair of Dambisa Socks by Noma Ndlovu (Ravelry link), which I’m knitting using Old Maiden Aunt Merino Cashmere Nylon 4ply in the Jaded colourway.

I’ve not made much progress yet, but they are short ankle socks, so I’m sure they will fly off my needles! The twisted rib is looking absolutely LUSH in this yarn.

I’m also treating myself to a new garment project. I don’t suppose I will make lots of progress on this as I’m working on exciting things for both new collections we have up our sleeves, but I’ve had my eye on the Transom Cardigan by Carol Feller since Field Guide No. 14 Refresh was released earlier in the year. I’m casting on in Stolen Stitches Nua August Storms, but we have 12 shades to choose from if you fancy joining me in another colour…

We’ve just had a restock of Field Guides, and the exchange rate was better than it has been for a while, so I’m delighted to say that we have been able to reduce the price of the Field Guides from £15.00 to £13.00. If you are looking for a project filled with joy, these little collections sing with knitting fun from every page! We are very excited for the launch of Field Guide No. 16 later this month, with designs from the ever joyful Kaffe Fassett, but in the meantime there are plenty to choose from.

As with our previous knitalongs, it’s the taking part that counts, so there’s no pressure to finish by month’s end. This knitalong is absolutely ALL about enjoying each stitch that you make. No pressure: just the joy of knitting. Come and join the fun: Sign up for The Knitalong Hub