It’s here, it’s here: LAUNCH DAY! Which is exciting for a whole heap of reasons. You can now buy Confident Knitting! Which means we’ll all be casting on together soon! And, most immediately exciting: I can finally shout about the out-of-this world team of designers whose patterns we’ll be learning with over the coming months! These folks have been so amazing over the last year as we have worked on the book – through one of the most difficult years I can remember. They’ve come up with some really beautiful designs, and I know you’re going to love knitting them! So without further ado, let’s say hello to the team!

(The following list corresponds to the photo, working from left to right and top to bottom.)

• Jen Arnall-Culliford (Photo © Jesse Wild). Well that’s me, of course! I started my career in the knitting industry as a technical editor, and I’m overjoyed that my day job now invovles working with amazing knitwear designers to bring you technique-led publications. I used to call myself a reluctant designer, but A-C Knitwear staff say that’s no longer allowed!

• Jeanette Sloan (Photo © Sam Sloan) During a career that’s spanned nearly three decades, self-confessed 'accessories obsessive’ Jeanette has honed her amazing eye for colour and detail. She’s also the force behind BIPOC in Fiber, an internationally renowned resource highlighting the work of Black, Indigenous and People of Colour working in the fibre industry.

• Carol Feller (Photo © Kit O'Sullivan)  Based in Cork, Ireland and with a background in structural engineering, it’s perhaps not surprising that Carol’s gorgeous designs use interesting constructions and techniques. Carol’s company, Stolen Stitches, specialises in unique designs in her own gorgeous yarn.

• Noma Ndlovu (Link to Ravelry designer page) South African-based Noma has knitted for nearly as long as she can remember. She loves creating patterns for children and adults that combine an easeful knitting experience with irresistible detail.

• Martina Behm Based in a small village in Germany, Martina is another lifelong knitter who loves creating clever patterns with minimal purling. She’s also responsible for a world of more organised knitters thanks to the Strickplaner!

• Marceline Smith Based in Florida in the United States, Marceline loves creating beautiful, technique-led patterns for knit accessories. She also hosts the popular heyBrownBerry video podcast where she explores the joys of connections through Making.

• Lily Kate France Lily Kate loves designing knits — she’s been doing it since she was 12! She now juggles design work with modelling and studying for a degree in Astronomy and Planetary Sciences and creates fashion-forward patterns with a fab details.

• Janette Budge Shetland-based Janette is a knitwear designer and tutor with a passion for preserving knitting heritage! Her way with colours is second to none! In addition to being a knitwear designer, Janette is a trained Clinical Aromatherapist who has also worked in IT.

• Jimenez Joseph Before she found knitting, athletics was Jimi’s life, until an injury and a learn-to-knit kit introduced her to the world of sticks and string. She started designing nearly from the moment she learned to knit and creates garment and accessory patterns that use colour and texture in stunning ways.

• Hunter Hammersen Hunter has a way with stitches, creating knitted creations that range from the playful to the downright jaw dropping. With a penchant for accessories and other small things, Hunter’s been delighting knitters with her inventive patterns for over a decade.

• Emily K Williams With a background in construction, Welsh-born Emily relishes the problem-solving aspect of designing. Her designs marry the romance of the outdoors, and a keen appreciation of knitting’s heritage, with an engineer’s eye for detail and practicality.

•  Gudrun Johnston Shetland-born Gudrun Johnston revived her mother’s knitwear label, The Shetland Trader, as the logo for her own knitwear designs. Now residing in the United States, Gudrun’s designs merge her Shetland heritage with contemporary shapes for patterns beloved by knitters the world over.

I think you’ll agree we have an all-star ensemble on board for Confident Knitting, and I can’t wait to introduce you to each of their designs over the coming months!

When you join Confident Knitting, you’ll receive a new digital pattern and photo tutorial each month that teaches you a new skill. The first pattern will be released on 1st March 2021 and the programme runs through until February 2022. Each pattern will also be accompanied by a video tutorial so you can learn in the way that best suits you. And we’ll be hosting monthly knitalongs celebrating each technique in our online forum, The Knitalong Hub, so you can explore each technique with fellow knitters in a fun and supportive environment. Print books will be shipped in September 2021. If you’re ready to dive in, Confident Knitting is now available to purchase! You can use the code CONFIDENTJEN now through 12th February to receive £1 off the purchase price, or click the button below to apply the code directly. And for every copy sold using my discount code, we’ll be doing a matching £1 donation to the Black Curriculum, an organisation doing amazing work to bring Black British History to British students.

Our Confident Knitting Spring yarn kits, which include yarn for the first three projects, as well as the Ultimate Confident Knitting package (no longer available) are also now on sale! We have also sent out a newsletter this morning, so if you are receiving this blog post by email, do check your inbox for our earlier message.

Excited? We are too! We’ve just started a chat thread over in The Knitalong Hub — do feel free to join us for some fun Confident-Knitting-related shenanigans over there!