This time of the year is always exciting for me: it is when all the previous months swatching, experimenting with shape and colour and testing out the new yarns comes together with the arrival of the new yarns and pattern books in the shops.

This autumn sees the launch of two new yarns, Alpaca silk, a beautiful combination of the softness of baby alpaca with the sheen of silk, and Maya, a 100% wool yarn in space dyed shades.

I have recently returned from a workshop tour in America where I had the opportunity to see knitters try on designs from the new books and I was thrilled with the reaction. With the alpaca silk book in particular, many knitters found that the measurements and styles of the garments meant that they flattered a variety of shapes and sizes.