Have you ever fancied a knitted dress? If so, you’re in luck! Gudrun Johnston’s newest book, The Shetland Trader Book Three: Heritage, features not one, not two, but three stunning knitted frocks. Like all the patterns in this knockout book, the dresses marry 1970s aesthetic with modern sensibilities for beautiful and highly wearable pieces. And each dress features some different Shetland knitting techniques to try! I’m willing to bet that, even if you don’t think your wardrobe needs a dress, once you see these, you’ll change your mind. The designs are just so good. Shall we have a peek?
If you want to try your hand at Razor Shell Lace, Hjarta (which means sweetheart or darling) is the dress for you! With its easy a-line shape, gentle balloon sleeves, turtle and crewneck options, and lace bands at the hem and sleeves, it’s a real knockout of a dress! Hjarta is knit from the bottom up, meaning you get to dive into lace nearly straight away, then enjoy a substantial chunk of stocking stitch… perfect for telly knitting on winter nights, or catching up with family and friends over the holidays. Kits are available in the online shop and range from £73.70-125.75, depending on size and neck options.
Elsk
If you love the shape of Hjarta but have your heart set on colourwork, Elsk is Hjarta’s Fair Isle cousin! Same shape, same sleeves, same neck options, but with colourwork bands gracing its hem and sleeves. A great project for getting to grips with stranded colourwork… there’s just enough to get you in a groove, but plenty of stocking stitch too! Kits range from £87.85-137.25, depending on options selected. We are expecting these to be back in stock very soon. Do drop us a line via our contact form if you want us to let you know when they land.
Soorik
And last but certainly not least, it’s Soorik, a pinafore- (or jumper-, for those in the US!) style dress that, I’ve got to admit, I have been eyeing up for a lonnnng while! I remember seeing Gudrun’s first post on Instagram about this dress, asking if people thought the style would appeal, and I’m so glad it made it into the book. It’s such a playful, fun design. You can start with the pockets to swatch your colours (if you’re not going for one of our kits, that is). It’s also a great first steeking project… you can get to grips with the method on the small pockets before tackling the larger steeks that are required to make that fabulous bib. Kits for both colourways are available in the online shop, and range from £47.65-86.90 depending on size and length options (you can knit shorter, shown in brown, or longer, shown in grey, versions).
What I really love about all three of these dress designs is their thoughtfulness and versatility. These would all make great layering pieces, whether you decide to pair them with stockings and boots, leggings or over trousers (as in the Soorik photo above). They all feature a folded hem… the extra weight will help a dress or tunic stay down, and, knitted in lightweight woollen-spun J&S, you don’t have to worry about a saggy frock (a potential pitfall of hand-knitted dresses made from heavier yarns). My only complaint is there aren’t more hours in the day, so I can knit all of them right now! If you’ve not already got yourself a copy, you can grab The Shetland Trader Book Three in the online shop.
So, are you ready to cast on? Just in time for the kickoff of our Shetland Trader 3 KAL (which starts Monday 8th November), we’ve received top ups of key Jamieson & Smith colours that were out of stock, so ST3 kits are now replenished … if there’s a colourway you’ve been waiting for, now’s your chance. And if your desired option is still out of stock, we have even more on the way … just drop us a line using our Contact Us form if you’d like to be notified when something comes back into stock.
If you’d like to join the pre-KAL chatter over in The Knitalong Hub, you’ll find the topic right here! The KAL will run from 8th November to 8th January and features some really generous prizes from Pom Pom Magazine, Gudrun Johnston, as well as us… and prizes aside, we’re going to have a blast. Hope to see you there!
Fancy putting together your own colourway using J&S 2ply Jumper Weight or Shetland Supreme? You’ll find a quick guide to yarn quantities for the dresses discussed here below. Fuller details are on the kit product pages and, of course, in Gudrun’s book!
All photos © Ali Denney.
Hjarta
Crew neck option
Jamieson & Smith Shetland Supreme Jumper Weight (fingering / 4-ply-weight; 100% Real Shetland Wool; 172m / 188yds per 50g ball)
MC: 11 (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19) balls
and
Jamieson & Smith 2ply Jumper Weight (fingering / 4-ply-weight; 100% Real Shetland Wool; 115m / 125yds per 25g ball)
CC1: 2 (2, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3) balls
CC2: 1 ball
CC3: 2 balls
Turtleneck option
Jamieson & Smith Shetland Supreme Jumper Weight (fingering / 4-ply-weight; 100% Real Shetland Wool; 172m / 188yds per 50g ball)
MC: 11 (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20) balls
and
Jamieson & Smith 2ply Jumper Weight (fingering / 4-ply-weight; 100% Real Shetland Wool; 115m / 125yds per 25g ball)
CC1: 2 (2, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3) balls
CC2: 1 ball
CC3: 2 balls
Elsk
Turtleneck option
Jamieson & Smith Shetland Supreme Jumper Weight (fingering / 4-ply-weight;
100% Real Shetland Wool; 172m / 188yds per 50g ball)
MC: 11 (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20) balls
1 ball each of CC1-CC5.
Crew neck option
Jamieson & Smith Shetland Supreme Jumper Weight (fingering / 4-ply-weight;
100% Real Shetland Wool; 172m / 188yds per 50g ball)
MC: 11 (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19) balls
1 ball each of CC1-CC5.
Soorik
Jamieson & Smith 2ply Jumper Weight (fingering / 4-ply-weight; 100% Real Shetland Wool; 115m /125yds per 25g ball)
MC Shorter version: 11 (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 20) balls
MC Longer version: 15 (16, 18, 19, 20, 22, 23, 25) balls
CC1: 2 balls; 1 ball each of CC2-CC5.