The Island and the Forest: A Knitted Correspondence brings together an exchange of letters and knitwear patterns between two Swedish designers, Erika Åberg, on the island of Gotland, and Lotta H. Löthgren, based in a forest in southeastern Sweden. Through this book, they seek to capture the essence of their surroundings into stitches, by exploring the four elements, the changing seasons, and the natural world. In their correspondence, Erika and Lotta reflect on the small details of daily life and the larger questions they inspire, including meaning, creativity, and belonging.
The Island and the Forest: A Knitted Correspondence includes twelve knitwear patterns designed to be timeless as well as practical.
Erika Åberg is a knitwear designer and writer living with her family and dog on Gotland, an island off the east coast of Sweden. Erika is deeply rooted in Scandinavian craft and her designs are based on the love of nature, wool and island life. She leads wool and walking tours to destinations such as Gotland, Shetland and Iceland. The Island and the Forest is her eleventh book.
Lotta H. Löthgren is a knitwear designer, writer and yarn-dyer living with her family, dogs and chickens in a village in southeast Sweden, where she also has a yarn shop. As a designer, she loves to translate the natural world into wearable garments. Lotta’s first book, Observations: Knits and Essays from the Forest, was published by Laine Publishing in 2023.
