A Roll in the Brambles

As we inch through the heatwaves and snowstorms of April towards a well-deserved summer, the thing I'm most looking forward to is the explosion of brambles outside my garden. The derelict alley behind my house that is quite over grown, and in the summer my otherwise useless garden gate suddenly becomes a cupboard door to all the fresh brambles I could ever want. And the only thing better than brambles on ice-cream in the garden on a hot summers day is brambles on ice-cream in the garden with knitting.

(above, pattern 5645 knitted in King Cole Bramble DK in Haze)

The King Cole Bramble DK is a premium acrylic with the same base as the King Cole Pricewise DK and a similar feel to the King Cole Limited Edition Recycled DK, which are perfect for button bands or edging blankets made from Bramble. It's 290m/317yds a ball and washes beautifully at 40 degrees.

The runaway favourite colour is profoundly, obviously, the Loganberry. A gorgeously soft and vibrant rainbow- the dye lots have actually dulled slightly over the years so it's even more wearable. It expertly mixes all the colours without ever looking harsh or garish, and all the individual colours compliment each other perfectly. She's sensational, and I'm not even saying that cos I'm gay.

(above, 1 ball of Bramble in shade Loganberry with complimentary shades in Pricewise Dahlia, Crocus, Grass, and Orangutan)

My favourite is actually the Mixed Berries, it's the most bramble-y shade and is a really wintery, cool toned red/pink/white/brown mix that is really unique. I often fantasise about noro-striping it with the greyscale Earth, it would make really gorgeous mosaic designs. 

I love this pattern for a garter stitch jacket. I think because garter stitch is the first stitch people learn, they want to move away from it as quickly as possible, but there is something so gorgeous and textured and unapologetically hand knit about it. I'm not knocking stocking, it allows for cables which are my faves, 
Also, having the garment knitted vertically is so unusual and really shows off bramble's stripe to a tee. It's just a perfect pattern/yarn combo that King Cole have got absolutely right.

It's perfect for kids patterns as well as it's washable as well as bright and colourful. This gorgeous jumper and cardigan set is really popular as the jumper is really versatile and customisable. We also think this men's hoodie pattern would be gorgeous in Bramble, maybe the Golden Berry or Gorse shades.