• Home
  • Blog
  • Tutorials
  • Retailers
    • Contact
    • About
    • FAQs
    • Accessing Digital Files
    • Errata
    • Search
    • Subscribe
Menu

Arnall-Culliford Techniques

19 Nunney Road
Frome, England, BA11 4LA
Phone Number

Your Custom Text Here

Arnall-Culliford Techniques

  • Home
  • Blog
  • Tutorials
  • Retailers
  • Information
    • Contact
    • About
    • FAQs
    • Accessing Digital Files
    • Errata
    • Search
    • Subscribe
jen hapstretcher_0034.jpg

A-C Knitwear Blog

Follow Jen and Jim's many knitting and craft adventures, including expert knitting tips, tutorials and book reviews, with bonus quilting and other crafty content.

Refresh

April 10, 2020 Jen Arnall-Culliford
The very early morning view across our local park last week.

The very early morning view across our local park last week.

The transition from winter to spring seems particularly noticeable this year. We are spending more time in our garden, and I’m taking time to notice the changes in the shrubs and trees while I slog my way around the park getting my early morning exercise. Our experiences of early 2020 will vary enormously, but nature is continuing to do its thing regardless.

It seems particularly apt that the latest Mason-Dixon Field Guide should launch today with the theme “Refresh” – focussing on seasonal transition and the perfect knitting to accompany that change. Field Guide No. 14 Refresh contains four beautiful patterns from our great friend, Carol Feller.

Refresh
Master Class
Big Joy
Wanderlust

Have you revelled in a Field Guide yet? They are such fun little books! Kay and Ann of Mason-Dixon Knitting really know how to make knitters smile, and quite frequently guffaw with a deep belly laugh! The designs they commission with Melanie Falick for the Field Guides are the best of knitting fun – simple but pleasing, allowing you to make garments and accessories that you reach for again, and again, and again.

Refresh is no exception!

Let’s dive in to the fabulous designs, and marvel at the way Carol puts together textures and constructions…

Transom Cardigan by Carol Feller. Image © Elysa Weitala.

Transom Cardigan by Carol Feller. Image © Elysa Weitala.

All other projects are abandoned to the UFO* corner. I need to cast on for this cardigan today!

Featuring cable panels running up the sleeves into a saddle shoulder construction, as well as on the back, this cardi will be a wardrobe staple from the moment you finish casting off. In fact, I am prepared to bet that large numbers of you will be so keen to wear this beauty, that you won’t even bother to weave in the ends.

You know who you are – end ignorers!

*UFO stands for UnFinished Object in this context!

Image © Elysa Weitala.

Image © Elysa Weitala.

But honestly, I can’t blame you. I’d want to get out and show off my finished cardigan too. Or perhaps just wear it while video calling my knitting friends. No-one can see those unwoven ends unless you show them… Just saying!

If you aren’t in the zone for a larger project, then how about the Arcade Cap?

Arcade Cap by Carol Feller. Image © Elysa Weitala.

Arcade Cap by Carol Feller. Image © Elysa Weitala.

This cute beanie with arching cables, is the perfect taster project for the Stolen Stitches Nua yarn that’s used in all of these designs. Using just 1-2 skeins depending on size, you can sample the delights of this tweed-ish blend of merino, yak and linen. The fibres each take dye differently, with the yak adding a tone of warm grey to each colour, and the depth and interest of even simple fabrics made with Nua is just beautiful.

I’m going to struggle to decide what to cast on first!

Whether you already enjoy cables, or fancy giving them a try for the first time, the Twining Wrap is going to be a fabulous project for you.

Twining Wrap by Carol Feller. Image © Elysa Weitala.

Twining Wrap by Carol Feller. Image © Elysa Weitala.

This is the sort of project I would frequently spread out on my lap as I knit in order to fully enjoy how good it’s looking. Those cables really do pop off the surface, don’t they?

And finally, layers are the way forward at this time of year, so the Trellis Top is a great addition to your trans-seasonal capsule wardrobe. Whether you wear it over a linen shirt, or my favourite, a striped long-sleeve T-shirt, this piece is going to be great fun to knit, and so easy to wear.

Trellis Top by Carol Feller. Image © Elysa Weitala.

Trellis Top by Carol Feller. Image © Elysa Weitala.

As well as a neat button-finish down the sides, this top uses one of my (many!) favourite techniques: i-cord. The neck and body are finished with an applied i-cord edging as well as i-cord buttonholes. I absolutely adore the polished finish that i-cord gives projects. It’s straightforward to do, but just ups your finishing by a whole level. If you haven’t tried working an i-cord edging, then definitely give it a try. It’s understated and beautiful.

Field Guide No. 14 Refresh costs £15.00 and you’ll find the yarn requirements for all of the patterns on the book’s page in our online shop. You will also find plenty of Stolen Stitches Nua in stock so that you can cast on for your favourite project straight away! Use the code LOVENUA for 15% off when you buy 5 or more skeins of Stolen Stitches Nua.

The code is not valid in conjunction with any other offer, and will expire at the end of April 2020.

I’ll be back next week with some progress on my blanket knitting, as well as those colourful socks. In the meantime, I hope you have as restful a weekend as possible, with a little knitting if you fancy it.


We are still shipping orders from our online shop. To keep things manageable, we are only shipping on Mondays and Thursdays (next week only, we will ship on Tuesday and Thursday due to the holiday). I am the only person going to the office, and I can do the whole process by bicycle without having any contact with another human. I am taking full hygiene precautions before packing orders. We will of course review this regularly.

UK orders are shipping with our normal service, and free shipping now kicks in at £50 (rather than £100 as it was previously).

For international orders, we are now only shipping with a tracked service. We know that this makes orders more expensive, but it seems like the right thing to do in the face of the current situation. We have set up a discount code for free worldwide shipping when you spend over £150.00. Use the code LOVEYARN at the checkout, or click this link to apply the code to your cart: LOVEYARN

This code is not valid in conjunction with other offers (so if you are buying Nua, then check whether you are better using the code LOVENUA or LOVEYARN). Both codes will expire at the end of April 2020.

In Book reviews Tags Mason Dixon Knitting, MDK, Field Guides, Refresh, Carol Feller, knitting pattern, Stolen Stitches, Nua
← On my needles...Ravelry how-to: Advanced Searching →

RECENT BLOG POSTS

Featured
Completed! Golden Wheat Shawl
Nov 21, 2023
Completed! Golden Wheat Shawl
Nov 21, 2023
Nov 21, 2023
A longterm project
Oct 13, 2023
A longterm project
Oct 13, 2023
Oct 13, 2023
Taking pride in a project
May 16, 2023
Taking pride in a project
May 16, 2023
May 16, 2023

Subscribe to the blog

Sign up to receive our blog posts by email.

We respect your privacy.

Thank you!

FOLLOW US ON


INSTAGRAM

Our online shop will be closing indefinitely on the morning of Thursday 3rd March. If you have any book or ebook purchases that you have been considering, please don’t delay!

Print books will continue to be available from retailers (@purlescen ICYMI: Last week, we shared two tutorials to help you tackle the i-cord cast off with confidence. This is the featured technique for @feller.carol 's beautiful February project for Confident Knitting, the Prime Blanket.⁠⁠
⁠⁠
If you'd like to try your Today we kick off our celebrations of the final #ConfidentKnitting pattern, this ever-so-snuggly Prime Blanket by @Feller.Carol ! This heirloom-quality blanket is all about the details, with an allover basketweave stitch pattern, a little pocket (!) Our Closing Sale has begun! Take 20% off all books (except Confident Knitting), yarns and accessories right now in the online shop. No code necessary, the sale prices are displayed on the product pages. ⁠⁠
⁠⁠
We need to clear everything, so there's n On the blog today, we're sharing some important news about the future of Arnall-Culliford Techniques. Read the full announcement by clicking the link in profile and the thumbnail of this image. We'll also link to the post in our stories. ⁠⁠

To manag

BLOG ARCHIVE

  • November 2023
  • October 2023
  • May 2023
  • April 2023
  • March 2023
  • January 2023
  • December 2022
  • February 2022
  • January 2022
  • December 2021
  • November 2021
  • October 2021
  • September 2021
  • August 2021
  • July 2021
  • June 2021
  • May 2021
  • April 2021
  • March 2021
  • February 2021
  • January 2021
  • December 2020
  • November 2020
  • October 2020
  • September 2020
  • August 2020
  • July 2020
  • June 2020
  • May 2020
  • April 2020
  • March 2020
  • February 2020
  • January 2020
  • December 2019
  • November 2019
  • October 2019
  • September 2019
  • August 2019
  • July 2019
  • June 2019
  • May 2019
  • April 2019
  • March 2019
  • February 2019
  • January 2019
  • December 2018
  • November 2018
  • October 2018
  • September 2018
  • August 2018
  • July 2018
  • June 2018
  • May 2018
  • April 2018
  • March 2018
  • February 2018
  • January 2018
  • December 2017
  • November 2017
  • October 2017
  • September 2017
  • August 2017
  • July 2017
  • June 2017
  • May 2017
  • April 2017
  • March 2017
  • February 2017
  • January 2017
  • November 2016
  • October 2016
  • September 2016
  • August 2016
  • July 2016
  • June 2016
  • May 2016
  • April 2016
  • March 2016
  • February 2016
  • October 2015
  • September 2015
  • July 2015
  • June 2015
  • April 2015
  • March 2015
  • February 2015
  • January 2015
  • September 2014
  • June 2014
  • March 2014
  • November 2013
  • December 2012
  • June 2012
  • October 2011
  • September 2011
  • May 2011
A-C Knitwear Blog RSS

BACK IN TIME
Jen's Blog 2010-2016
(external link to typepad website)

Subscribe

Sign up to receive our newsletter.

We respect your privacy.

Thank you!

SEARCH our website

 

| Terms & Conditions | Refund Policy | Privacy Policy |
Copyright © Arnall-Culliford Knitwear Ltd. All rights reserved. Please contact us if you wish to use our words, images or videos.