Fashion-world favourite Lara Stone has expressed a passion for knitting. Renowned for her Bardot-esque beauty, the glamorous gap-toothed Dutch model is credited with bringing a sensuous femininity back to catwalks after years off androgynous models taking top billing.

Lara’s opened shows for the likes of Givenchy, Prada, Balmain and Marc Jacobs, and was awarded the title of Model of the Year at the British Fashion Awards 2010. But the reason she’s currently in our good books is that fact that’s she has proven (as if we needed it) that knitting is sexy.

The model is also known for intelligence and forthright style, essential considering she’s married to comedian David Walliams.

Just over a week ago I published a blog post urging knitters to get guerrilla knitting with Bristol Zoo’s celebratory life-sized fibreglass gorillas, which are currently enjoying the sunshine at various key points in the city of Bristol.

Then, just the other day I was strolling through the harbour area and came across this fabulous blue beast sporting a pair of immense stripy knitted knickers!

It seems like a talented local knitter had the same idea as me and actually put it into action with a bit of modesty-preserving yarn bombing.

With 60 painted gorillas in total, there are plenty of other opportunities for Gorilla Guerrilla knitting. I’ll let you know if I spot any more!

We’ve seen some fantastic guerrilla knitting in recent years, from Natalie Jones’ Pom-pom Project to Purlesque’s finger knit graffiti. But this week I had a grand idea for the ultimate in tongue-in-cheek yarn bombing – Gorilla Knitting!

To celebrate Bristol Zoo’s 175th birthday, life-sized fibreglass gorillas are currently placed at strategic spots throughout the city, and we think that with our dreary July weather they really could do with a snug hat, a scarf or maybe a lovely knitted cowl to keep them cosy.
The gorillas have already been decorated by artists, but surely some colourful knitwear could only add to their appeal!

Ah, you can’t beat a bit of Chris Rea seasonal cheer in July. Strange as it seems, this is the time of year when we begin thinking about the Christmas issues of Simply Knitting and trying to get into the festive spirit, with bells on…

Normally this feels really peculiar, not to mention completely at odds with bright sunshine, strappy sandals, summery tops, the scnet of suncream.., mmm, I'm suddenly feeling quite weak with nostalgia.
 
Today, sadly, thinking about Christmas feels right on track, as freezing winds and beating rain are making us all crave woollens, hearty winter fodder and, heavenly, a roaring fire (yes please!).

Please stop spamming our comments! We are finding the spams and deleting them. Go away and find somewhere else to flog your shoddy counterfeit goods!

If you haven't picked up your needles for our Comfort Blanket campaign in support of Refuge yet, the beautiful smile of this adorable little boy should be all the encouragement you need. (We have had permission to use the photo – no children have been put at risk.)

This is the first Comfort Blanket Refuge have received, and isn't it a beauty? A lot of thought and love has clearly gone into choosing the yarns and making sure they work well together, and the knitting looks very skillful. Chris, who sent it in plus a donation, didn't include an address or contact details, so if you're reading this, Chris, thank you very much from Refuge, from us, and from the blanket's recipient.

Got a knitty friend to get a gift for? We’ve absolutely fallen in love with these dinky stitched brooches from Teasemade.

Sami Teasdale, the crafter behind the label, specialises in delicate stitched jewellery, and thes Love Token Brooches are among her most popular designs.
She says: “These brooches are for those who LOVE to knit, love all things knitted and would be happy snuggled up in a ball of yarn.”

Well, that’d definitely be us then! The brooches are hand embroidered onto elegant Liberty tana lawn fabrics, and each one is a little different.

If you've got issue 82 of Simply Knitting (on sale now), you'll have seen our Comfort Blanket campaign in support of Refuge. Debora asked members of the team to have a go at designing squares for the blankets, and I said I'd give it a go. It's actually really good fun! Once you know what tension you're knitting to, it's easy to work out how many rows and stitches you need to do, and from there you can make up an intarsia design, work in a lace pattern, do a bit of Fair Isle...

We're big fans of Fyberspates' Scrumptious yarn. It comes in five weights: Lace, 4ply/sport, DK/worsted, Aran and Chunky, each in ten gorgeous solid colours (plus a variety of unique hand-dyed options) and once you've tried one you'll want to knit with all the others. The silk/merino blend is just that nice to work with! Because we like the yarn so much, we're all really pleased that Fyberspates have just released their first book of patterns, The Scrumptious Collection.