Are you looking for some scope to play in your knitting? To have a bit of fun? I think that’s something we could all use … and luckily, it’s something the latest Field Guide from the fine folks at Modern Daily Knitting offers in spades! Say hello to Field Guide No. 19: Marls, with five marl-tastic designs from creative powerhouse Cecelia Campochiaro.

Some designers draw inspiration from latest trends and runways. Some can’t resist finding innovative new ways to construct knitted garments. For Cecelia Campochiaro, though, it’s the stitches themselves that inspires her. She loves finding new possibilities and potential in knitted fabric. This was on show in her first and much-loved Field Guide No. 5, all about the wonder that is sequence knitting. And for this latest offering, she’s showing us the wide world of knitting joy that opens up when we take two strands of yarn and knit them together. It’s going to be a lot of fun!

There are five designs in the book, all excellent jumping off points for exploring the magic of marls. The Marlogram Scarf and Cowl, a marled riff on Cecelia’s perennially popular Parallelogram Shawl from Field Guide No. 5, asks what happens when you marl two slow-shifting gradients, and the results are spectacular.

For those wanting to tackle a, ahem, slightly bigger challenge, the Color Explosion Throw is a breathtaking piece of knitting, destined to be loved and snuggled under for years to come.

I love how this pattern combines marl with texture for a real showstopper of a blanket. It’s knitted up in crowd favourite Rowan Felted Tweed, but this would also be an amazing project (with some possible gauge adjustments) for J&S 2ply Jumper Weight … imagine the colour possibilities!

The Striped Marled Hat and Swarf explore the fun to be had with marled stripes! I can imagine knitting up a few of these hats for gifting! And the Swarf, oh the Swarf, stunning and ever so practical for those times when you want to wear a handknit sweater, but worry you’ll overheat … and I love that it references the dickey, a staple of my childhood! Both are knitted in fingering-weight yarn held double … try J&S 2ply Jumper Weight for deliciously woolly versions, or Socks Yeah! 4ply for something with a little more drape!

And last but certainly not least, the Spectra Sweater …. a side-to-side knit beauty that, if I could, I would be casting on for today. Just look at how those marls play!

We are, of course, in the midst of High Knitting Season and scarcely a day goes by where I don’t see a newly released pattern or book that’s breathtaking! What I think makes this latest Field Guide stand out is not just the patterns (which are totally beautiful!) but the invitation to play, be creative and find something new in your knitted fabric. Like Cecelia’s Field Guide No. 5: Sequences, this Field Guide is not just a pattern book, but a jumping off point for exploring how yarns work together … and that’s a journey we’re certainly eager to take! As always, Jen will be sharing some fantastic little lessons over on Modern Daily Knitting (and our YouTube channel) to go along with this Field Guide. If you’ve not already, do subscribe to our YouTube channel and you’ll never miss a video! You can grab Field Guide No. 19: Marls in the online shop, where you’ll also find Field Guide No. 5 along with a host of other fantastic Field Guides!