Hello and Happy New Year! Ready to cast on a new garment for 2021? Perhaps a cosy sweater to pull on? Or a terrifically textured cardigan to layer up with? Well, it’s Something To Knit Together Winter Edition pattern release day, and this week, we’re bringing you two patterns, so whether you’re team sweater or team cardigan there’s something for you. Say hello to the Unite Sweater and Reunite Cardigan, both designed by Natalie Warner!

The (Re)Unite patterns make for two versatile and classic garments that are as lovely to wear as they are fun to knit. Rope cables alternate with columns of basket weave to create a gently textured garment. I particularly love how Natalie’s used the alternating textures of basket weave to really set off the strong vertical lines of the cables. The result is a really well balanced cardigan or sweater. And like the Assembly Scarf and Fond Mittens before it, the texture keeps the knitting quite engaging, with plenty of checkpoints, without being too taxing.

Both Unite and Reunite are worked flat in pieces from the bottom up and feature a classic set-in sleeve. Pieces are seamed when complete, and the neckband, and, in the case of the Reunite Cardigan, the button and buttonhole bands, are picked up and knitted in garter stitch. I have to admit, it’s been a while since I’ve worked a garment flat then seamed, and I REALLY enjoyed it when knitting the sweater sample. The pieces were so portable, and I loved the feeling of ticking each one off the list. For this project, we’re focussing on finessing your finishing skills and we’ve got some handy tutorials to take you through each step, covering back stitch, mattress stitch and setting in a sleevehead.

If you’re newer to garment knitting, the (Re)Unite patterns will be great for boosting your skills. Knitted in our ever-so-squishy Something To Knit With Aran on 5 mm [US 8] needles, the pieces work up quickly, so you’ll be on your way to wearing your handmade creation before you know it. In addition to brushing up your finishing techniques, these patterns are also great for consolidating the skills we’ve been building throughout Something To Knit Together Winter Edition. The featured cable is familiar from the two previous patterns, and we have tutorials showing you how to work it with a cable needle and without a cable needle. And the neckband and, for the cardigan version, buttonhole and button band, give you a chance to practise picking up stitches, a technique that we tried out for the Fond Mittens.

We will of course be casting on and knitting together over in the Knitalong Hub … we’d love to see you there! We’ve got weekly prizes and any pattern from Arnall-Culliford Knitwear or Natalie Warner (Ravelry link) is eligible. If you’d like to knit a (Re)Unite for yourself and don’t already have our Something To Knit Together Winter Edition eBook, you can purchase it in the online shop. When you do, you’ll receive all the patterns that have been released to date with accompanying photo tutorials + receive the final pattern when it’s released on 20 January. You’ll also get access to our S2KT Winter Edition Zoom calls and an exclusive discount to use on our yarn in the shop. And speaking of discounts, we currently have the Something To Knit With Aran used in this pattern in our New Year Sale — you can use your discount code in conjunction with the sale price to scoop up a garment’s worth of yarn at a steal (or, if you prefer, grab one of our Something To Knit Together Winter Edition kits).

I hope you love the Unite Sweater and Reunite Cardigan as much as I do. I had so much fun styling these two garments for my fun photo shoot with Jesse Wild, though seeing these photos is also a bit bittersweet. Originally, the plan was that Natalie and I would be modelling these lovelies together, until Covid restrictions made that out of the question. Instead, Natalie did a shoot in London (see above), and then I did a shoot here in Frome. Not nearly as much fun as the original plan! I’ll look forward to the day we can be (re)united with our knitting friends and collaborators, but until then, I’m thankful we have a virtual space we can keep knitting together!

And speaking of Covid restrictions… I’m really sorry, but I'm afraid that I'm a bit behind with the pattern launch process today. The changes to restrictions in the UK this week have caused all sorts of upheaval with schooling etc and I'm running to catch up with myself.

As a result the Unite Sweater pattern has already been released, but the cardigan will follow tomorrow at the latest. My pride is rather wounded as I've never missed a pattern release deadline before, but there you have it. I hope that you will all understand.

If you are dead keen to get knitting on the cardigan, then the back is the same for both designs, so you can still cast on today.

Happy knitting, friends!