Knitting with Louisa Harding Pittura

It's been a busy time with the new seasons knitting yarns arriving. One of the latest arrivals is Louisa Harding Pittura, a variegated yarn that is a wonderful blend of fine Merino wool and bamboo. Already this yarn is causing a stir amongst knitters and it's not hard to see why.

Pittura means painting in Italian, this couldn't be a better description of this wonderful yarn. Available in eight shades, each have been skillfully dyed to create beautiful variegated colourways that reflect the artist they are each named after. The single ply is reminiscent of fine brushstrokes and the presence of the bamboo adds a rich glossy shine not dissimilar to oil paints. The Merino brings a wonderful softness and drape to the finished knitted fabric.

Louisa Harding Pittura is considered a 4ply knitting yarn but the gauge of 22 - 24 stitches over 30 - 32 rows on either a 3.25 or 3.75mm knitting needle suggests that it could also be used for patterns that call for a sport weight yarn. With excellent yardage; 400m per 100g, one ball is enough to knit a shawl or a cowl making Pittura an economical choice for many knitting projects.

Louisa has designed six beautiful knitting patterns ranging from accessories to garments featuring this yarn.

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From the moment I unpacked Louisa Harding Pittura I've wanted to cast on a project, so I decided on Martina Behm's Hitchhiker. An asymmetric shawl knit solely in garter stitch, this is the ideal knitting pattern to showcase the true beauty of a variegated yarn like Pittura. I chose the colourway Dali, named after the Spanish artist Salvador Dali; the colours in the yarn are very much reflective of the colour Dali used in many of his paintings.

I'm really pleased with my Hitchhiker shawl and have most definitely fallen in love with Pittura, I can see this being my go-to yarn for quick gift knits and can't recommend it enough. I'd love to hear what you think if you've knit with this wonderful yarn, do leave your comments below including your pattern suggestions.