Yarn and Pattern Nirvana

If you are in the UK, you will know that M&S (Marks and Spencer’s retail/food store) are experts in creating those adverts that make you want their food. Everything looks just so good. And if you are familiar with the cook, Nigella Lawson, and how she explains and shows making a delicious, gooey cake, in mellow, seductive tones in gently lit mood lighting, you will understand the following. This type of marketing is mentioned as being ‘food porn’; according to Wikipedia

Food porn is a glamourized visual presentation of cooking or eating in advertisements, infomercials, blogs^[1] cooking shows or other visual media.^[2]Its origins come from a restaurant review e-commerce platform called Foodporn. Food porn often takes the form of food photography with stylingthat presents food provocatively, in a similar way to glamour photography or pornographic photography.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Food_porn

I don’t know about you knitting, crochet and weaving folk out there, but I get similar feelings when I receive updates from some yarn makers/suppliers.

Those emails that land in your inbox and tempt you to open them with pictures of an amazing looking outfit, garment or similar. Maybe with cables, but also without. Made with seductive colours or bright colours, but always perfectly framed and photographed to make you go “Ooh!” and “Mmm!”.

There are many marketing emails that I often swipe left and delete. Such as the ones there to sell some yarn on special offer. But there are a few that have their marketing down to a fine art. They know which buttons to push, and how to present their message in an uncluttered way. Their message is devoured by your eyes greedily, worms it’s way into your mind, teasing and tempting you into that yarn Nirvana.

My particular weakness comes from two companies. The first is Purl Soho. Mostly knitting patterns, but now and then crochet or rarely, a weaving draft. Their pictures are always perfectly executed with shawls languidly draped across a models shoulders, or strewn and rumpled across a surface, presenting how wonderfully it drapes.

Their yarns are exquisite, or at least they look so. I have never purchased any and so cannot really comment. The shipping would be horrendous to the UK, on yarn that is already priced at the high end. But, I often will ogle a beautifully designed and made blanket, then look at how much yarn is needed and the price, to nearly fall of my chair or faint. If I were in New York I would make a trip to the store, simply to caress the yarns. Although, I think that would be a dangerous trip and my wallet lightened.

Their latest email pattern has drawn me in though. It looks easy. I have a yarn I could use. It’s full of purling, (eek!) but doable. The Open Air Wrap.

I am planning on starting this, just to see how I get on. It is a free pattern and is quite simple and repetitive. Something that you could easily knit mindlessly once you get into the groove. I am saying this, but I might also change my mind once I have started. We shall find out. The yarn I plan to use is this from my stash. The shawl maybe slightly shorter because I have less than needed, but I think it should still work.

My other weakness is all visual. The reason being, it is all in Finnish. So, unless I feel like pasting into a translation app, the pictures have to do the work. And they do.

Novita send an email full of gorgeous items they have knit using their yarns. If you are into Fair Isle knitting, this is for you. If you love knitting socks, this is your heaven. Are you a fan of knitting mittens? This is your Eden. They also have patterns for cardigans, and jumpers and so much more. And if you are a Moomins fan, then there are plenty of patterns for you.

But I digress. Their email just makes you want to open it and visit their website, where thankfully you can switch to an English version. But visually, it just does it for me.

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When I receive these emails, it’s like going down a rabbit hole. Before you know it, you have spent 30 minutes ogling yarns and patterns to your hearts content. These emails push my yarn-buttons whenever I receive them.

So, these are my pattern Nirvana or knitting-porn or however you might want to name it.

If you have some favourites that lift you when you see them arrive in your Inbox, let me know and share.

Disclaimer: I do not work for either company, nor have I been paid to promote them. My comments are my own and should not be used out of context. They are merely to express how I feel when I receive the communications from the said company and how I liken it to the foodporn phenomena. The pictures are copyrighted to the respective company. If a representative of the company would like these removed, please contact me and I shall do so.