When we get to this time of year, with a new Knitvent around the corner, I always get a little bit nostalgic. I think it’s the first stirrings of that holiday magic: it has a way of sending us time-travelling.
If you think back to the first holiday season you can remember, the impressions are usually a blur of vivid sensory input: sparkling lights and delicious scents, the very specific texture of the living room carpet at you gazed up at an enormous tree, or the crackle of wrapping paper as you tore through it to a long-awaited toy.
All of this underlines what I love most about making and giving handmade gifts. It’s a very sensory experience, for us and for our knit-worthy people, and that makes it an especially powerful way to create lasting memories. Something beautiful and knit by hand becomes a kind of talisman, capable of transporting you back to a specific moment in time.
We are coming up to our 8th Knitvent.
This will mark eight years of surprise patterns, holiday knitting, and community building.
We’ve made a lot of gifts together. And a lot of memories.
If you’re one of the people who can remember back to the very first Knitvent, thank you so much for being part of this magic all this time! I think you might enjoy this trip down memory lane with me. I hope it inspires you to revisit the collections and maybe cast on a new version of an old favourite, or finally start a pattern that you always meant to knit, but never got around to.
And if you’ve joined us somewhere along the way, or are looking forward to your very first Knitvent with us, this retrospective of all the past collections is a great way to see what you can expect this year, and maybe try your hand at a pattern or two that you missed!
We have a buy-one-get-one free sale happening right now. The sale ends tonight, Monday 12th, 2020. All of our Knitvent collections so far are still available to purchase as full collections or as individual patterns, so if you’d like to revisit Knitvents past, now’s your chance to spoil yourself a little while you wait for this year’s fun to start!
Our two-for-one sale on all Curious Handmade patterns and collections (including past Knitvents!) ends today!
Knitvent 2019
Last year, the inspiration for the Knitvent collection was, simply, “Home”. It celebrated the joy of nesting and the many comforts of staying close to home base. It seems a little ironic, looking back. Who knew that the coming year would make involuntary homebodies of so many of us! It’s been a very strange year since them, but I still think that there’s no place like home. At the height of the early 2020 lockdown, we revisted the Habitation Throw together, and that KAL became a source of comfort and community for so many of us. This collection will always hold a special place in our hearts!
Patterns:
Clockwise from top left: Homebody Hat and Homebody Mitts, Dwelling Cushion, Bide Shawl, Habitation Throw, Homebody Socks
Buy the whole Knitvent 2019 Collection
Knitvent 2018
Knitvent 2018 was also about something we could all use a bit more of: Peace. Inspired by favourite peace poems, this collection was especially meaningful, and the community responded with so much thoughtfulness and warmth. Finding peace is a challenge at any time of year, but the hectic pace of the holiday season can make it even harder to set aside quiet moments for reflection. I love that knitting can be a source of rest and peace for us, even when life feels crazy, and that’s what these patterns were designed for.
Patterns:
Large photo: Dust of Snow Wrap.
Small photos, clockwise from top: Peace of Wild Things Shawl, Frost at Midnight Cowl, Winter Sleep Socks, How Quiet Mitts, How Quiet Hat
Buy the whole Knitvent 2018 Collection
Knitvent 2017
The Nutcracker! Knitvent 2017 was SO. MUCH. FUN. The beautiful music, the gorgeous dancing, the nostalgia: I poured all that inspiration into these designs. This collection was full of ballet references and happy memories, and the Curious Crew just loved it. There was so much holiday magic in every pattern, and some of them are still high up on the list of my favourite and most popular designs. This was the first Knitvent where I included a scrappy pattern for yarn advent calendars, which sparked a very happy new Knitvent tradition!
Patterns:
Large photo: Land of Sweets Cowl.
Small photos, clockwise from top: Marzipan Legwarmers, Clara’s Cape, Tchaikovsky Mitts, Tchaikovsky Hat, Tulle Shawl
Buy the whole Knitvent 2017 Collection
Knitvent 2016
Skiing holds a special place in my heart, so I loved creating this collection, which was inspired by vintage postcards and posters for alpine ski resports. The colour story had plenty of pink and lots of teal (one of my favourite colours!) We also had a guest designer along this year, Renée Callahan of East London Knit, who designed the retro-styled colourwork Boreal Forest hat and cowl.
Patterns:
Large photo: Alpine Sunset Shawl
Small photos, clockwise from top: Fresh Tracks Headband, Boreal Forest Hat, Boreal Forest Cowl, Juniper Socks, Juniper Mitts
Buy the Knitvent 2016 Collection
Knitvent 2015
“Light and Bright” was our theme for 2015, and it was an exploration of sparkling show and icicles, twinkling fairy lights, glittering holiday ornaments, the cosy glow of firelight when you’re cuddled up in a cabin and the clarity of starlight during a midnight walk in the winter woodland. In essence, these patterns celebrate everything that makes the season bright.
Patterns:
Large image: Winter Wander Shawl
Small images, clockwise from top: Ice River Hat, Ice River Snood, Cabin Path Shawl, Kindling Mitts, Kindling Hat
Buy the Knitvent 2015 Collection
Knitvent 2014
It was my second year of Knitvent, and this one was all about pretty details and interesting textures. These patterns feature sparkling sequins and beads, floofy mohair and silky ribbons. Cosy cables and fun tassels. It’s wonderful to see so many of these designs still popping up, 6 years later, and it makes me happy to know they’re still being gifted, loved, and enjoyed, especially at this time of year.
Large image: Adorn Gift Bags
Small images, clockwise from top right: Candlelit Beaded Shawl, Ice Skating Scarf and Wrap, Lind Cowl, Crisp and Even Cowl
Buy the Knitvent 2014 Collection
Knitvent 2013
Our first-ever Knitvent was thrilling (and a little bit terrifying!) Committing to an eight-pattern collection released in quick-fire order was a huge step for me, early in my design career. But the results were so rewarding. The community that sprung up around Knitvent was inspiration and heart-warming, right from the start. That’s when I knew this was going to be an annual event for the Curious Crew. And several of these patterns remain hugely popular to this day, especially the Red Robin Shawl and the Warm Wishes Hottie Cover.
Patterns:
Top row, right to left: Red Robin Shawl, Checkerboard Mitts, Fresh Powder Cowl, Warm Wishes Hottie.
Bottom row, right to left: Stardust Infinity Scarf, Rella Mitts, Quicksilver Cowl, Naughty or Nice Hat.
Buy the Knitvent 2013 Collection
I want to say a huge and heartfelt thank you to everyone who has ever been a part of Knitvent and to everyone who is considering joining us in 2019. Your joy, enthusiasm, and generosity make this event so special, and I’m so grateful that I get to do this again with you this year! If you would like to make sure that you don’t miss any information about Knitvent 2019, make sure that you are signed up for the Curious Handmade Newsletter. That’s where you can hear all the news about our theme this year, the early bird special, upcoming giveaways and pop-up sales, and every bit of the Knivent magic. Happy knitting!
