Enchanted Woodlands Collection

Has learning to knit or crochet been an item on your bucket list but you weren’t sure exactly where to start? Have you been interested in picking up a new craft hobby but weren’t sure if you’d be more suited to knitting or crochet? Are you a knitter who’d like to crochet, or crocheter who’d like to try knitting? What if you could try both in one simple craft kit with all the materials required to start straight out of the box?

When Stitch & Story launched the Enchanted Woodlands collection last month these were the questions we wanted to answer. The three-piece collection of woodland animal baby hats, in sizes 0 - 24 months, encourages an exploration of both knitting and crochet while promoting the Stitch & Story ethos of crafting made simple.

The collection is spring personified; the bunny and deer hats are adorned with blossoms while the cheeky bear hat is waking from hibernation. Each hat is knitted flat from brim to crown and finished by seaming the vertical edges. The ears are knitted separately and the ear inserts, nose, eyes, antlers, flowers and leaves are crocheted before being sewn onto the hats once complete. Breaking the kits down into individual elements, that are then combined to create the finished hats, makes them more accessible to beginners and advanced crafters alike.

If you’re new to knitting and/or crochet the kits, categorised as Easy+ and Intermediate, may seem too advanced for you but their difficulty level rating is due to the amount of stitches and techniques combined in each pattern. The stitches themselves are very easy to learn and as well as How to Knit and How to Crochet basic guides included in each kit, there are helpful video tutorials on our website. The patterns are also broken down into simple, step-by-step, short sections meaning you can work on the kit and learning new skills at your own pace. If you class yourself as more of a beginner knitter/crocheter don’t be afraid to give the Enchanted Woodlands kits a go. You can read more about Stitch & Story kit levels and how they are categorised here.

Each of the baby hats use a similar combination of knitting stitches and techniques as their foundation. You’ll learn Rib Stitch, Stocking Stitch, decrease stitches (k2tog/p2tog) and the make one (M1) increase stitch. If you’re new to knitting then these kits will be a great starting point to learn a variety of stitches and techniques in one go.

The Bear Hat kit is the easiest introduction to crochet*, featuring chain stitches (ch), single crochet (sc) and slip stitch (ss). The Bunny Hat and Deer Hat kits add a few additional crochet stitches and techniques including double crochet (dc), increases (inc) and decreases (dec). Even if you’re new to crochet, the crocheted elements of each hat are small; giving you a chance to try out stitches and techniques without labouring for hours before seeing results. As a beginner there’s nothing quite like seeing a project materialise before your eyes and the sooner you experience the wonderful feeling of ‘I made that’, the more confident you’ll feel about continuing on your crafting journey.

* Please note, all Stitch & Story crochet patterns are written using UK crochet terminology.

Whatever your skill level, we invite you to explore different craft techniques with our enchanting, woodland-inspired kits that combine knitting and crochet in a simple, timeless and modern way. At Stitch & Story we’re always here to help. Our Beginner’s Guide blog posts will introduce you to patterns, stitches and techniques, while our online video tutorials and kit included ‘How to’ guides will guide you through the stitches you need to learn to complete the kits.

As always if you have additional questions, comments or concerns then please reach out to us via email or through our Instagram and Facebook channels. We want to spread the knitting and crochet love and we want you to have the best experience with our knitting and crochet kits. So why not give the Enchanted Woodlands collection a try?