WOOLEN WARMTH . . .

Uno Cowl

As an uncharacteristically for the UK warm October fades to a colder November my heart sinks as a new battle with my 5 year old looms. Freddie is the type of child who hates layers with a passion, claims he does not feel the cold and is happiest in a t-shirt. He presents a unique dilemma in the more general question of how best to dress my kids for winter. At the back of my mind I think it must surely be possible to combine practical considerations with some form of style -  luckily for me there is plenty to choose from this season. Of course MillaMia knitwear is high on my list – but much as I would like it to be hand knits, they are sometimes not enough!

With a Scandinavian background I feel well trained on the general rules of warmth. Layers, layers and more layers with the most important factor being a water proof, insulated outer layer when it is really cold out. In Sweden despite the weather being far chillier than here and for much more of the year, children are used to being outside for hours of the day at their daycare centres – hence the popularity of the PolarnO.Pyret snow layers. I find the POP jackets last forever and really do keep the children warm for prolonged outdoor spells. Both my older kids have used POP jackets for skiing and they never once complained about the cold (they complained about lots of other things of course though!). POP also have a good range of overalls for younger kids and accessories such as gloves and hats.

POP outerwear

Another great Scandinavian brand who have fabulous outerwear layers is Mini A Ture. I particularly like their Baby Wen jackets for older babies as they are an easy slip on design with a fun playful edge to them.

In London however,  we are lucky enough that waterproofing our kids is not always absolutely necessary, and this for me is an opportunity to dress the children in slightly more elegant outerwear.

It is also hard to resist Caramel’s selection – this on trend Orwell Bomber is awesome.  And for us at MillaMia we know how key an elegant coat can be to girl’s winter wardrobe – for party days, church visits, Christmas or even for a family lunch. The Cecilia Coat is our MillaMia showstopper, combining warmth and style.

The trick to layering is to also make sure you have some warmth underneath the outerlayer. This means knitwear for me! Key pieces from MillaMia that I think work well are the Alexander Jacket for boys, Nils Stripey Top for the younger ones and for girls the Hannah Cardigan is super versatile while the Charlotte Cardigan is useful. For someone like my jumper averse boy however I sometimes need to focus on super soft sweatshirts rather than knitted garments, and a playful edge sometimes helps to convince him. Tootsa McGinty are a super cool kids brand that totally ticks those boxes for us. The fox or bear jumpers seem to speak Freddie’s language and help him overcome his layering phobia.

Finally, at the risk of sounding like Patsy from Absolutely Fabulous (a reference here for our UK readers! Magazine episode in 1992 “accessories darling, accessories”) don’t forget hats, scarves and mittens. You can’t beat ski gloves when it is properly snowy and cold, but for the rest of the time I tend to go for knitted woolen pieces. One of our cutest knits at MillaMia is the Uno Cowl which is such an easy piece to just throw on the kids when we leave the house (and one that they are much less likely to lose than a hat or scarf!). At the same time the high street brands like Gap and Zara do a good range of fun accessories – with low prices where it matters less when things are likely to get lost. I LOVE this on trend hat from Gap in this season's key shade of lime green. Clearly I would prefer it hand knitted in MillaMia Lime and Putty though – maybe I will make my own version of the FREE Clementin Hat using precisely that combination!

 (posted by Katarina)

INTERVIEW - Michele Wang

Michele Wang

It is always exciting to see another designers vision for our yarn. To find out what it is about a colour or texture that speaks to them and evolves into a beautifully finessed item that knitters across the globe decide they have to knit. Michele Wang, of Brooklyn Tweed fame very kindly agreed to talk to us about her love of knitting, fashion and her latest sweater design using MillaMia Limited Edition Lime.

1) Tell us a bit about yourself and how you came to be a knitwear designer.

Hello! I live in New York City with my husband and precious pug, Brigitte. I can't imagine living anywhere else even though as I'm answering these questions two people are screaming at each other on the sidewalk and there's been a jackhammer going since 7:00 this morning. I'm not sure I know what quiet is. I have found that the more chaotic my surroundings, the more settled I seem to be.You should see my desk - it's like a tornado moves over it every night.
I came to be a knitwear designer serendipitously. I started knitting a few years back to try to rest my body after some intense marathon training. I searched for a sedentary past time. Since I had always been interested in fashion and textiles, a friend suggested I take up knitting. Long story short, I ended up being referred to Shirley Paden by Mari Tobita (through Lisa Daehlin) to do some sample knitting. One thing lead to another, and I was fortunate to have my first published design in Vogue Knitting's Fall 2010 issue.

2) What are you currently working on?

I'm currently working on a few things. Most importantly, I've just finished working on a design for MillaMia. It was such a great opportunity to work with a different yarn, and in such a vibrant color. Belesama just launched on Ravelry yesterday, and has had lots of really positive feedback already - I'm so excited for this piece!

Belesama

I'm also working on two special collections for Brooklyn Tweed. One I should definitely keep the lid on, and the other is a collection designed entirely by me. It's terrifying. You begin to really doubt whether or not you can handle such a large project. But, I'm just trying to take it one piece at a time.

Hellebore

3) Which designers inspire you?
Wow... which designers don't inspire me?! I love Yohji Yamamoto, because who doesn't? He's a genius, full stop. I know he hasn't been very popular these past few years, but his pieces are timeless. I love Alexander McQueen, or Sarah Burton for that matter. I would wear that all day and all night if I could, although grocery shopping with that diamond encrusted head cage would be impractical. And I really appreciate Prada - there's always something that sparks in her collections. It never fails - about two years after one of her collections comes out, I want it all. It's like she knows what the masses will love before they do. She plants the seed. And Jil Sander! I think I did a little dance when I heard she was coming back to design for her eponymous label and it's been glorious. I could go on and on - aren't you sorry you asked?!!

Stonecutter

4) In relation to the last question – which up and coming new designers have you got on your radar?
Baja East is a label that just hit my radar. I've been seeing a lot on Instagram, and I love the cool effortlessness of it. I think culturally people are looking less to tailored clothing, but more people are concerned with their clothing and appearance. It's an interesting crossroads. I think historically we think to look nice, we need to "dress up", but that definition is so different now. To think about the impact that "Grunge" made more than 20 years ago, is mind-blowing. Why was that so shocking? Now, everything goes - it's how you wear it, how you dress it up, and of course, your attitude. Like I love seeing girls wear stilettos with sweatpants, an old t-shirt with a fur jacket. It's fun!

5) What trends in knitwear in the US are you seeing for A/W 13?
I feel like I've been seeing a lot of treated knitwear. Knits that have been felted with metallic pieces in spots, or plastic melted on it, or yarns that are neoprene. I think textile designers are having a lot of fun with knits these days, and the technology never stops. I can't say that I've seen a definitive trend in terms of silhouette this season, but looking forward to F/W 2014, it's all about oversized. Huge, mohair, mid-thigh bulky sweaters. It's looking like a nice interpretation of 80's knitwear... without the patched letters and puffy paint. I would love to make a super huge sweater in neoprene!

Fade

6) Can you give us an insight into your creative process – where does a design come from and how does it evolve?
Generally a design comes from the material and color I'm using. Since my work is primarily for Brooklyn Tweed, I have very specific visions for a tweedy, woolly yarn with those deep rich colors. So, my process usually begins with swatching. If I'm unfamiliar with a yarn, I'll just knit something simple like stockinette and block it to see how it behaves. Then I play with the swatch, feeling it, pinning it to my dress form to see if anything calls to me. Of course, I scour pinterest, tumblr, Style.com and the streets of NY to find inspiration for design elements. Then usually a design starts to form in my head and I start swatching ideas, and very rarely do I get something on the first go. Or I like a swatch, and my initial thoughts on the design are all wrong. So, the design is fairly amorphous in the beginning. From there, I'll start to sketch to try and get down proportion and the "feel" of the design. I always think of the evolution of a design as a sort of pinball going back and forth between yarn, color, pattern and silhouette. All of those things have to make sense, and changing one changes the other until they all come together.

Topiary

7) Which of your own designs is your favourite, or the one you’re most proud of?
I really don't know. Designs are like memorabilia or keepsakes for me. I look at them and I see where I was, or how I was feeling at that particular moment and it's hard for me to see the actual piece. Or I obsess about what I could have done differently. If I had the time, I would work each piece like a illustrator, painter or photographer does as a study - 1/100, 2/100 -  and see how it evolved. Observe the differences in each piece even if I were to use the same pattern every time, or make very minor changes with each one. That would be so much fun, and so interesting!

Slade

8) What is it about MillaMia Naturally Soft Merino that has inspired you to work with it?
I came to know MillaMia through your beautiful pattern booklets. It's a shame, but most knitting publications tend to look somewhat similar. MillaMia really stood out. The styling and colors are so sophisticated. I fell in love with the Limited Edition Lime colorway as soon as I saw it! And then when I met you Max, and Helena at TNNA, I knew I had to work with you. I know it seems crazy to want to work with a yarn because of the people behind it, but it's the truth. Having had many careers and done so many random things in my life, I know the most important thing in any business or creative endeavor are its people. It's the bottom line.

Huge thanks to Michele for this indepth and incredibly accessible interview - meeting with her was truly one of the highlights of my summer. If you want to keep abreast of what Michele is doing you can find her on Pinterest, Ravelry and her Blog.

(posted by Max)

MILLAMIA IN CANADA - with Nordic Yarns

We count ourselves very fortunate to have found some incredible distributors to spread the Millamia love across the rest of the world. Working with Nordic Yarn Imports has introduced our yarn and patterns to a impressive selection of retailers across Canada - a country we know to have a true love of all the textile crafts, and a long history of knitting. The company is based in beautiful British Columbia, run and owned by the Sopiak family who specialise in distributing products from Norway, Sweden, New Zealand and Uruguay to all of their Canadian stores.

We thought an interview would be a great way to introduce Tina and the Nordic Yarns team to you, so read on for an informative insight into a long love of yarn and knitting and some completely gorgeous pictures of Tina's recent wedding in Whistler.

Firstly, what are you currently knitting?

Right now I’m working on a multi coloured cowl in a fingering weight. It will be a gift, but I haven’t decided for who yet.

When did your love of knitting start and why?

My mom was always knitting, so when I was little I wanted to do it too. I didn’t quite have the patience to see anything through however, so I really didn’t get into knitting until I was a bit older. It was during our craze of eyelash yarn that I really got into it, and it was the perfect yarn to  start getting hooked. It was fast, disguised bad tension, and I could still proudly wear my creations!

How did Nordic Yarns start out?

My mom started the business when I was little because she felt she couldn’t get the yarn she wanted. She’s from Denmark, and she was used to having many more options available, especially for little kids sweaters.  After a few meetings overseas, we became distributors of a Swedish brand, and we grew from there. My mom translated the patterns while my dad ran the office.

How do you find time to knit when you are running such a busy business?

I’ll always find time. There are quiet moments in the office, and I always knit in the evenings when I watch tv.

Who is your favourite knitwear designer and do you have a favourite garment of all time that you have knitted?

I’m a bit biased when it comes to designers, always favouring our suppliers’ pattern support. Also I usually don’t use a pattern properly, instead using it for inspiration and making my own adjustments. But if I must pick one outside our range, I really love Churchmouse Yarns & Teas patterns. They are well written and creative. And as for favourite garments, I must admit I don’t knit full garments very often. I love accessories, partly because of that lack of patience, but also because I’ve always got new yarns to knit with. My most loved items are my chunky Punta merino cowl, which is so cozy in the winter, and my Fritidsgarn felted slippers. I would wear those slippers at work if I could!

What are Canadians knitting with at the moment and are there any particular trends in pattern choices?

I get asked that a lot, and it’s hard to put all Canadians in the same box. From what I’ve seen overall, knitters are making less sweaters and more accessories. The popularity and accessibility of handpainted yarns has sort of caused that, with the bold colours suiting scarves, hats and cowls. The last 10 years have really been great for fibres too, with knitters more educated in the quality of alpaca, merino, silk, cashmere, and others.

Do you have a favourite MillaMia pattern and yarn colour?  And if you could add another colour to our palette, what would it be?

I don’t have a favourite yet, since it’s still so new to us. I want to knit more with it, but we’re sold out right now, so I’m stuck until our shipment arrives and everyone gets their yarn! I love blues and greys, so I’ve been eyeing Storm, and the new special edition Cobalt blue is gorgeous. You have already added Black to the palette, which would be my first choice. Otherwise, a charcoal grey or pale mint green.

Can you tell us something unusual about yourself or even share some of the plans for your upcoming wedding?

Well, the wedding has now come and gone, and it was wonderful. We only had 25 guests up in Whistler. Parts of it were fancy (like my dad in a tux), yet we had many DIY aspects. We did the flowers ourselves, mom made the cake, and my friend was the DJ. And something unusual about me... I have yet to knit my husband a sweater! He’s tall and broad, and there’s my patience thing... But his hands, feet, head and neck are always covered.

Tina with brand new husband Chris and with her Dad on her wedding day

What is your number one tip for knitters out there – the most important "purl" of wisdom you could share from your experience?

Make a tension swatch. Everyone says that, not many do it.

We would like to let our readers know which of your stores offer MillaMia yarn and patterns … can you help us with that?

Here’s the link to all our stores - it doesn’t specify who just carries MillaMia, but I hope the that list will grow.

(posted by Kirsten)

SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE WINTER WRAP-UP - what's hot!

Threads & More in Brisbane

The Southern Hemisphere winter has been a mild one and our Northern Hemisphere friends will probably not like hearing of our days in the region of 20+ degrees Celsius … Even with these temperatures our retailers have still enjoyed a busy winter. I interviewed some of them to help you predict some trends for the Northern Hemisphere winter…

One of our stockists summed up her winter as 'gimmie chunky texture that's oversized and relaxed!' Alix at Threads & More in Brisbane told us that classic yarns such as Patons Inca were extremely popular for crocheting gorgeous single colour throws. Textured knits in big collage stripes trended high this winter, as did cables - something that she thinks will continue into next winter. Cabled, textured knits paired with simple leggings and boots make for a classic casual look 'perfect for the relaxed Brisbane fashion set'. Threads also raved about the popularity of the designs of Stephen West - and we are excited to see the finished product from their following of his latest KAL using our Limited Edition colours! You can see Alix in his Safety Scarf which was fantastically popular around their knitting table and even inspired them to dye their own neon yellow yarn to make a statement piece – it certainly is!

Alix in her Safety Scarf by Stephen West

Alix predicts the trend for extreme knitting will transcend into garments with super bulky yarns allowing for quick accessory knitting to adorn necklines across winter. And the love of variegated yarns will continue to make simply constructed garments look amazing … we are taking note Alix!

Down in Canberra, Renae at Suzy Hausfrau said her most in demand yarn
this winter has been Quince & Co with their beautiful simple aesthetic look. She felt that there was more colour trending back into everyone's knitting baskets however grey is still her most popular colour regardless of the brand. Renae said that towards the end of winter orange was starting to be asked for…

Renae of Suzy Hausfrau

The designers that Threads and Suzy's customers are following are Veera Valmiki (for her Color Affection and Stripe Study Shawl, her amazing children's garments, and the divine Paris cardigan) as well as some of the Aussie designers who are starting to design for overseas yarn companies - Kirsten Johnstone and Alison Brookbanks. Both of these designers have very subtle, beautiful designs which are always elegant and wearable. Michele Wang's work with Brooklyn Tweed has everyone excited especially as her wraps and sweaters are lovely and lightweight which is great for the warmer winters. Alix and Renae – you will be excited to know that Michele is working on something with MillaMia yarn – to be announced shortly!!!

The stand-out MillaMia pattern amongst Southern Hemisphere customers was the Bella Jacket with its wonderfully flattering short waisted body shaping and beautiful box neck detail. It was knitted up in Putty time and time again with a pop of bright Daisy, Peacock or Fuchsia to highlight the gorgeous warm neutral. Winter 2013 in Australia and New Zealand was all about the adult collections from MillaMia though Bright Young Things, one of the first of the childrens collections remains a firm favourite.

The most interesting thing about this season from my point of view is how popular the Limited Edition colours have been – and this is at the end of our busy season, before Flight of Fancy had been released. Demand typically tapers off along with the rising temperature but that certainly hasn't been the case this year!

So now it is 29 degrees outside… It's predicted to be one of the hottest summers on record and already we have seen 38 degree days! Let's see what that does to yarn sales!!! Enjoy your winter!

(posted by Kirsten)

WOOL WEEK

My goodness - what a week it's been! I can confidently say that this week has seen me add two things to my 'never-thought-I'd-do-that!' list - teaching a knitting class, and knitting in an Oxford Street shop window!

Of course, if you read the last blog post you'll know that it was all part of MillaMia's contribution to Wool Week 2013 in conjunction with Campaign for Wool and John Lewis. We were thrilled to be involved with raising awareness of wool and it's myriad amazing properties (something that us knitters have known for a VERY long time), not only because it's such a worthwhile cause, but also as it was super great fun!

I thought you would like to see the story of our day on Wednesday in pictures - we took lots! Yumiko, our most lovely intern is about to leave us to go back to Japan, but she very kindly agreed to help us out on the day. Katarina was on hand for the drop in session throughout the afternoon and for the evening class, where her 'Continental' style of knitting was so helpful. Helena made her debut with me in the window, which was really chilly but surprisingly comfortable. We both commented on how quickly you forget where you are and adapt to your surroundings - it gave us real insight into why people on reality TV shows are able to disregard the cameras so easily - even with people walking past and waving at you!

John Lewis were incredibly open to the idea of the knitting classes taking place in the Womenswear Department as opposed to the more conventional Haberdashery Department, and made us a very comfortable 'room' amidst the cashmere:

As you can see Yumiko and I managed to make it feel more like home with some strategically placed cushions.

The classes were already fully booked when we arrived, but we welcomed lots of other people who happened by and were so intrigued that they joined us too!

Around midday, Helena and I made our way to the cosmetics department and through a little door out to the window. We took some Milly's for company, the cushions for comfort (you can see a beautiful bright Tivoli and a Dalarna Cushion on the sofa) and our knitting of course!

It was really cold in the window, but thankfully we both had our MillaMia cardigans on (I'm wearing my brand new Monica Cardigan from High Society in Pitch Black (100) and Helena is wearing the new Vanessa Cable Cardigan in Forget-me-not (120) and Storm (102)) and soon settled down to knit and chat for a couple of hours. It was surprising how quickly we forgot that we were 'knitting models' sitting in a rather large shop window in Oxford Street!

We were occasionally reminded of the surreal nature of our experience by the people walking by - some waved, some smiled in a wry manner and hurried past, but some even stopped to take a picture!

Tomorrow sees the last of the knitting classes at John Lewis in Oxford Street with Erika Knight taking the knitty helm but our friend and MillaMia stockist Sue Stratford will be in store all day today to teach 2 fairisle classes and do her stint of knitting in the window. Go along and find her in the Womenswear Department for drop-in knitting help this afternoon if you haven't booked a class, or for more information on all the other amazing ways that people have contributed to Wool Week 2013, visit the Campaign For Wool website.

(posted by Max)

WOOL WEEK - MillaMia at John Lewis

As avid supporters of all things woolly we were delighted to be given the chance to take part in Wool Week this year in conjunction with John Lewis, Oxford Street. This exciting week, running 14th-20th October, will be crammed with events up and down the country to celebrate the natural beauty, durability, wearability, versatility, (need I say more??) of our favourite fibre!

As many of you will know, the Campaign for Wool is a global endeavour to raise awareness of the benefits and sustainability of this amazing fibre and is patronised by HRH The Prince of Wales. Wool Week here in the UK is just one aspect of the work that the Campaign for Wool does to promote wool and to help the public rediscover just what makes wool such a versatile product. To read more about The Campaign for Wool and about the events you can get involved in go to www.campaignforwool.org.

Now to tell you all about how MillaMia are getting involved in Wool Week 2013! We are thrilled to be hosting a day of classes, drop in knitting surgeries and taking part in an exciting window installation through the entire day of Wednesday 16th October at John Lewis in Oxford Street. John Lewis have made it their aim to focus on 'fashionable knitting' by running a week of fashion focussed knitting classes and drop-in's hosted by some of the 'most innovative and exciting knitting brands'. As well as MillaMia, other participants include Erika Knight, Rowan, Wool & The Gang, Arne and Carlos and the very lovely Sue Stratford. For full details of all classes go to Knit Nation events.

With the focus of the class being the use of bright colours and new techniques for high fashion patterns, we have decided to host a class for beginner knitters. Using the Olle Hat pattern that recieved so much positive attention and feedback after being featured in the Telegraph a couple of months ago, we thought it would be a great way to introduce new knitters to the delights of knitting something small, cute and beautifully colourful as a first project. Our classes run from 10.30-11.30 and from 18.00-19.00 with drop-in help available between these times. Please do remember to register for any class by emailing Knitnation@thisismission.com.

You can follow all of the buzz and excitement by following @campaignforwool with #woolweek on Twitter or Campaign for Wool on Facebook. We will be posting a full report of our exciting day taking part in Wool Week so look out for an update in a couple of weeks!

(posted by Max)

NEW COLOURS - Helena on Design and Inspiration

Not only have I recently been playing with our new Limited Edition colours but I have also had the pleasure of developing 3 new shades to add to our permanent range of colours!


These colours are the result of repeated customer demands, and my longing to add some more shades to the heritage section of our range. I wanted shades with longevity and enduring appeal, that were both rich and sophisticated. Adding an opulent purple, a pitch black and a stylish sable brown has given the overall pallet a little more of an adult focus now that we have branched into designs for women and men.

The Vanessa Cowl (opposite) is from our latest booklet Flight of Fancy. I'm particularly fond of this accessory which has all of the design elements I love right now - richly saturated colours in high contrast and with plenty of cabled texture.


If you feel a little daunted by wearing a garment in a bright shade, then look to injecting some colour into an accessory. It's always much easier to wear a small burst of something bright against the safer neutrals and will add interest and style to any outfit.

Sable (105)

Browns are a little tricky as a colour! They can be far too reddish in tone or veer towards the yellow spectrum which results in a yucky colour. With Sable I wanted a lovely soft brown with tones of grey in it to give a more modern overall effect. For a subtle, sophisticated adult garment it works beautifully with Midnight, or mix it with Forget-me-not for a very soft look for babies and children. When used on its own, Sable lends depth and definition to cable motifs and textured stitches, it's super easy to wear and will blend with so many shades in your wardrobe.

Berry (163)

With Berry I was looking for a really warm purple - a natural shade reminiscent of rich natural fruit and wilderness. Of course, since purple made its come-back a few years ago now, we have seen it become a staple fashion colour which is versatile and wearable across the seasons. I like this shade coupled with Pitch Black but it also looks stunning with a serious contrast such as Lime - bringing these strong colours together brings them both alive in such a vibrant way. Again the shade is intense without being too dark and will look fabulous in even the plainest stocking stitch garment.

Pitch Black (100)

Well, black is black . . . a bit of a cliche but also true! I love it for the simple classical statement it makes and totally understand how people cling to it, as most of us feel that we can't go far wrong with black! It is a pure colour - sophisticated and strong and lets the wearer be all of those things. Though clearly an adult shade, I love the idea of using it for some cool kids clothes too. It can be fantastic mixed with Fuchsia or Peacock for a quirky look!

All of our new colours are now available to purchase from your local MillaMia stockist or directly from our website www.millamia.com.

Look out for the next blog post which will have exciting news of a gorgeous new FREE pattern to see you wrapped up in warm cables ready for winter!

(posted by Helena)