Every year, when it starts feeling a little more like Spring, this is the collection I think about.
Rainforest Knits came out in 2019, not long after Katie (my sister and co-founder of Pin & Pin) had moved to Hawai‘i. We realized we were both living in rainforests at the time, hers tropical and mine temperate, and that became the initial inspiration for this collection.
But what really shaped Rainforest Knits was the design concept behind it.
We wanted to take one design element we loved and build an entire collection with three completely different pieces.
That became Kala, Noni, and Olena.
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Kala is the more fitted crop top, perfect on its own or layered over skirts and dresses.
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Noni is the loose, easy tee - an everyday staple with thoughtful details.
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Olena is the dress Katie really, really wanted to wear.
They all share the same lace detail at the shoulders and neckline, but each one has its own style and feel, with interchangeable details you can switch and swap with ease.
When these patterns were released, we were really loving the book format. We had recently published Strand and This Must Be The Place, and we were excited by the idea of creating a smaller collection that felt cohesive.
That was also very much how we worked as a team back then. We built the concept together, then I took the lead on the pattern design and sample knitting, and Katie designed the book and prepped everything for print.
We had also always done our photoshoots together, so when I went for my first visit to Katie’s new home in Hawai‘i, we planned to shoot Rainforest Knits there.
Our kids were still very little back then, so that part of our life was woven in, too. We scouted locations with them, tried to make things work around family life, and, eventually, during that all-too-short vacation, found a moment to leave the kids with Katie’s husband so we could go out and take the photos. Looking back, it feels like such a clear snapshot of that season of both our lives, and that’s also a big part of why this collection still feels so special to me all these years later.
The patterns themselves are simple, wearable, easy to insert into real life, and quickly become part of the everyday. Garments that would fit and flatter a wide range of body shapes and sizes, in styles that could slip easily into different wardrobes. Pieces that would be enjoyable to knit, without feeling boring or overly complicated, with a few customization options for fun.
Whether you want the tailored feel of a fitted top, the everyday ease of a boxy tee, or the comfort of a dress you can throw on and wear through the seasons, this collection gives you all three.
When you purchase the Rainforest Knits collection, you get the ebook, individual PDFs of each pattern, as well as the option to add them to your Ravelry library. Plus, at just $14, you're getting nearly half off when compared to buying each pattern individually.
Get the Rainforest Knits Collection
Xoxo
Megan
PS: Here are a few photos of versions people have made over the years, because seeing what you create has always been one of my favourite parts of design!
