Thursday, July 23, 2009

Louisa Harding Sneak Peak!

Rakes Moss Hat

"Here's wishing Louisa's fall books arrive soon!"

I can hardly wait for the Louisa Harding new fall books to arrive!

Knitting Fever, Louisa's US distributor, has just posted Louisa's two new yarn pattern books on their website. So let's have a little sneak peak and talk about Louisa's new fall books. Two of the books, Little Cake and Queen of Hearts are for her yarn lines and should be in stores sometime in August. Cardigans is her new hardback book and is due out in October.

Little Cake

Little Cake is Louisa's 22nd pattern book and it's a gem! To me, the designs are quintessentially British and ultra feminine! The lovely designs take me back to another romantic, bygone era!

Fiddlers Green Capelet

I always adore Louisa's capelet patterns. I can't wait to knit up her new capelet Fiddlers Green from Little Cake. It is knit in one of Louisa's new fall yarns Thistle.

I can't wait to buy this book! I recently asked Louisa's west coast rep Cindy about the book. Cindy says "the Little Cake book is marvelous. She put a modern flair to the traditional British cape!" Cindy says the book should hit the shops in August.

That cape Cindy is talking about...just happens to my favorite pattern in the book. I can't wait to knit it and the Featherbed beret to match from the book,too!

Queen of Hearts

Queen of Hearts is Louisa's 23rd pattern book. Earlier in the year when I met Louisa Harding on her California trip, she said that this fall book was inspired by "fairy walks" with her children out in the Yorkshire woods. She said the book will have a winter wonderland feel to it.

Pocket Watch Cardigan

Well, Louisa was right. Queen of Hearts does have a winter wonderland feel to it. The designs are a bit more whimsical and flirty yet still remain couture. An Alice in Wonderland influence is quite evident in the pattern names and heart motif in many of the designs...hence the name Queen of Hearts.

I will, of course, be buying this book, too!

Cardigans

Cardigans is Louisa's new hardback book due out October 2009. It is being published by Sterling Publishing.

I recently asked Louisa via email about her new Cardigans book. This is what she told me:

"The Cardigans book is a comprehensive compilation of many of my cardigan patterns that have been published in the yarn books. There are no new designs but many have been reworked and photographed in different yarns to show the versatility of the patterns." She goes on to say that "I hope it will do well. It should be a great resource for yarn stores who have customers come in asking for a cardigan pattern."

Brilliant idea, Louisa! How nice to see your classic cardigans updated and knit up in new yarns. I know I will be pre-ordering this book. I just love all of Louisa's classic and couture knitwear designs.

As always, Louisa's yarn pattern books and books are visually stunning. All photography is done by her talented husband, photographer Stephen Jessup. She and Stephen are quite the collaborative duo! As a team they even designed the interior layout of her new Cardigans book.

I can't wait to add all three of these books to my Louisa Harding library collection! How about you?


(All designs are by Louisa Harding. All images are by Stephen Jessup found at Knitting Fever and Sterling Publishing.)