2020/21 has been an extremely challenging time for everyone around the world, with many countries experiencing long periods of lockdown and isolation. It has been inspiring to read and hear stories of people coming together and supporting each other in these difficult times. In the crafting community there have been lots of inspirational tales and it seems that reaching for your knitting needles, crochet hooks and sewing needles has been a real tonic for many of us. We caught up with some of our Rowan designers to hear how they had been spending their time and keeping busy in these challenging times.

MARTIN STOREY

As Spring/Summer 2021 is well underway, design wise, I’ve been researching and working on new projects for Autumn/Winter 21/22 already! All being well, an Alpaca Soft DK KAL (Knit Along) project with a planned launch of Autumn 2021 and worked in a mix of ‘Martin’ signature colourwork, cable & lace textures is in the works. Swatch ideas for Magazine 70 are well into the pipeline too. Other than design, I’ve been honing my cooking skills. I'm currently working my way through Jocelyn Dimbley’s Complete Cookbook, she's one of my favourite cookery authors. Her recipes are unusual but delicious, easy to work and foolproof. Otherwise, you’ll find me sitting and pottering in the garden with two very naughty cats for company!

ANNIKA ANDREA WOLKE

I have always wanted to have a quilt and now it is finally happening! I've gathered fabric leftovers from my own projects and from friends and family over the last few months and am now ready to start sewing. It’s going to be a quilt with squares put together in the log cabin style. I don’t have a proper pattern I'm following but it is based on a design I saw in a book from the library about scrap fabric projects. I really hope this will work! There are definitely advantages to working in the Rowan Design office. One of them is access to yarn in shades that didn’t get selected for the yarn range. The shawl I am just blocking is knitted in Denim Lace, a Selects yarn from a few seasons ago, in a lovely shade of green that didn’t get picked for production. I have already knitted a nice summer top from this yarn and can’t wait to pair it with the shawl!

ARNE & CARLOS

We are working on crocheting a blanket which will consist of approximately 400 flowers. The flowers are crocheted in Rowan’s Felted Tweed, as you can see in the photos. This is a project we are doing as “recovery" therapy as it keeps us occupied at a time when my health doesn’t really let me (Carlos) work. It's a long term project we plan to release in 2021.

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