THESE WHIMSICAL socks are definitely meant to be flaunted! Designed by Charles D. Gandy for yarn company Schachenmayr Regia, they use self-striping sock yarn and are sized for children and adults. They’re made by creating ‘holes’ as you work the sock; once the sock is completed, stitches are picked up around these holes and a tube is knitted on then rolled back, using small balls of solid colour wound off from the main ball of yarn. If you want to go really crazy, you can unroll the rings to make tentacle-like projections around your leg!

SIZE: Foot circumference: 15 (17¹/₂:20:22¹/₂:25) cm

Foot length is fully adjustable.

THIS WRAP by Martin Storey has a luxurious feel and will impress anyone it’s gifted to, but it’s a quick knit for a garment this size. The mock cable pattern is knitted on 10mm needles in a super-chunky yarn from Rowan. Called Alpaca Chunky, this yarn has a chainette construction so it feels light yet is warm and comforting to wear; it comes in six natural shades including this deep grey-brown.

SIZE: 48cm (19in) wide and 120cm (47in) long

YARN: Rowan Alpaca Chunky (Super-chunky weight; 98% alpaca, 2% polyamide; 70m/77yds per 100g ball)

Pigeon (073); 7 x100g balls

CABLED HATS never go out of style, and this chic example for women by Lisa Richardson is sure to make a gift that will be gratefully received! The wide cables themselves add interest without making the hat too bulky. Made using Rowan’s super-chunky Alpaca Chunky yarn and 10mm knitting needles, the hat will knit up quickly, and shouldn’t be too challenging even for beginner knitters with some experience. The yarn itself is amazingly soft, and light yet warm, and comes in six neutral shades from cream to dark grey.

SIZE: To fit an average size adult head

YARN: Rowan Alpaca Chunky (Super-chunky weight; 98% alpaca, 2% polyamide; 70m/77yds per 100g ball)

Heron (078); 2 x 100g balls

“THE DESIGN for this cowl is the result of playing with mirror images,” says Barb Brown. “Not only are the colours reversed on each side, some of the colours in the rounds are reversed as well. Wear it as a scarf, button it up for a cowl, or give it a half-twist before buttoning for a moebius look.” Barb has used two shades of Excelana 4 Ply for her cowl. This pure British wool, which comes in a palette of vintage -inspired colours, blooms beautifully after washing.

SIZE: 21¹/₂cm (8¹/₂in) by 117cm (46in)

YARN: Excelana 4 Ply (4ply weight; 100% wool; 159m/174yds per 50g ball)

A Powdered Egg; 2 x 50g balls

WE LOVE the homespun, 1930s look of this cabled cardigan by Martin Storey. Its chunky texture of diamond cables works perfectly in Rowan’s Pure Wool Aran yarn, and details such as the lined pockets and shallow set-in sleeves add to the vintage feel. The Pure Wool Aran yarn is arobust, machine-washable wool that’s ideal for winter garments which will get lots of wear. It’s available in 18 shades, both muted and bright.

SIZE AND YARN: look after the description

NEEDLES & ACCESSORIES

1 pair 4mm (UK 8/US 6) knitting needles

1 pair 4.5mm (UK 7/US 7) knitting needles