Dear KnitBits® Subscribers,
After sorting through hundreds of digi-snaps, I am finally getting around to writing about our semi-annual trip to Italy and the international yarn exhibition, Pitti Filati. I was as inspired by the trend exhibition and the various booth displays as I was by the fashion in the stores and the looks on the streets of Florence.

As we entered the trend exhibition, we were transported to a hypothetical American town using knitted fabrics as the building blocks. KNITVILLE is a celebration of banal surface patterns such as graffiti, tire treads, lines of laundry, supermarket shelves and church fenestration. The creators of this exhibition used these patterns as building blocks for their fictional town. These patterns have become such an integral part of our pop culture that as designers we cannot help but use these references. The modern color palette for Spring /Summer was blatantly graphic - more appropriate on billboards, the runway or in traffic signage than in the idyllic romance of a feminine summer softness. The palette is composed of colors that you can recognize instantly rather than those that are soft and muted.

As we browsed the exhibitor's booths we got a different interpretation of coming trends. Panels of lace were layered in tiers for ultra feminine skirts, shrugs, dresses and tanks. The yarns were mostly classic constructions with lots of white or soft and dreamy pastels. The emphasis on open work layers looked as though we are getting ready to cover-up in breezy comfort for a steamy hot summer. Still the common theme was surface patterns.

Speaking of skirts - this week's free pattern is our ingenious Boho Colors™ skirt named ZsZu. Starting at the top with a circular yoke it then divides into four panels with alternating lengths of drop stitches to create an a-line skirt. Boho Colors is engineered to make its own interesting patchwork effect.


In the streets of Florence, it was a chilly February day and the tourists covered up in sweaters, puffy down coats and vests. We saw lots of scarves, knit and crocheted hats, gloves, boots, legwarmers and bags in the outdoor markets and on the tourists. There were loads of skirts of all lengths and dozens of inspirational shoes, boots and bags on the Via Tornobuoni. Exotic shrug shapes and unusual oversized kimono tops struck me as being very wearable. Asymmetry and bold shapes are becoming more popular as fashion gradually moves from close fitting to loosely oversized tops. As we witness this trend emerging our minds reel with endless sweater knitting possibilities.
Enjoy the web tour of Pitti Flati in Florence to see more.




Janet from East Hampton writes: "I love to knit in lecture hall but my friend thinks that it is rude and disrespectful. What do you think?"

Dear Janet, thanks for writing. I used to knit in lecture hall all the time. I was an art student with attention deficit disorder and I found that I couldnāt possible concentrate on what the lecturer was saying unless my hands were busy. I certainly didn't think that it was rude to be able to concentrate on the lecture.

All the best,


Margery Winter
Creative Director