Part 2 Sirdar



So, our adventures with Sirdar began with the aforementioned gorgeous village pub and outrageously expensive food. We met Caroline and Sue from Sirdar in a tiny little village surrounded by beautiful Yorkshire stone (I know I keep going on about how lovely Yorkshire is but I'm a south coast girl through and through and wasn't expected to be quite so taken with anything this far north!), green fields and an endless sky. We had a look at the menu, took a couple of gulps, then decided this was what work expenses were for and we'd just have to 'take one for the team'. Oh, it's a tough life.

The next day was our official visit to Sirdar headquarters in Wakefield. Of course we got lost. But this time I mean really lost. 45 minutes of driving round the hell that is the one way system in Wakefield city centre lost. I couldn't believe my trusted iPhone Sat Nav was failing us and was mightily relieved when Caroline told us later that their post goes directly to the main post office, which was the postcode provided and so the one my poor Sat Nav was trying to take us to. It was with relief we eventually arrived at Sirdar headquarters, looming at us from behind huge iron gates, or like Emma put it, like Thunderbirds HQ on Tracey Island. It wouldn't have surprised us if a rocket suddenly appeared out the top.

(For such a big place, as demonstrated by our tour of the yarn storing warehouse, yarn send out warehouse, design room and knitting up area, we were impressed by how the company does seem to be like a big family, with everybody from managers to fork-lift truck drivers jumping into the factory floor to help pack exhibition equipment and stock) 

Sirdar's press room, like their photo shoots and colour palettes, is a centre of calm, a zen setting in cream.

All of the new yarns, their patterns and selected garments modeled on mannequins were on display around the room and we took them all in at a leisurely pace, with many anecdotes about behind the scenes of photo shoots (freezing temperatures on a mountainside in Tenerife standing in for hot and sunny mid-west America) and information on how and why new yarns have come into being (from trends at Piti Filatti to best sellers).

Sirdar always do great kids patterns, from cool and trendy modern styles (that loop style jacket has been seen in Topshop!)



...to gorgeously retro vintage styling (check out the boy's ski sweater, how cool?!)



But my favourite was the batwing-style jumper in new yarn Indie, which has a gorgeous, almost unpredictable colour change in varying widths, and some fantastic colourways (can you see the limey mustard green and pink in the background?)



The big roll necks and bat-wing sleeves are going to be big this A/W, and with the deep waist ribbing, are very flattering.

And over at Sublime, big chunky knits in wide, sculptural ribs and exaggerated collars were held in by skinny belts, giving a flattering silhouette.



The trends for this coming season are definitely textured knits with at least one stand out feature – wide ribs, 3D bobbles, with an emphasis on either huge collars, roll necks or sleeves (note, try just one textured stitch with one stand-out feature or it might become more am-dram costume than sartorial statement).

And, again, colour. This A/W we will not be fading into the background succumbing to the shorter days and darker nights, but making ourselves feel good with bright pops of clashing colour and random self-striping.

I'm looking forward to it already!