The Island and the Forest: A Knitted Correspondence

The Island and the Forest includes 12 knitwear patterns by two designers. “The book you’re holding is our attempt at interpreting our surroundings: the landscape, its atmosphere and the weather, in the shape of stitches,” say Erika and Lotta.  The Island and the Forest: A Knitted Correspondence is an exchange of letters and knitwear patterns between two Swedish designers: Erika Åberg on the island of Gotland and Lotta H. Löthgren in the forest in the southeast. The chapters in the book go through all the four elements, earth, water, fire, and air, the four seasons, and the natural shifts and transitions in the world. Erika and Lotta use their letters to remark on the little joys in life while also asking bigger questions about meaning, creativity, and a sense of belonging. 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. 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.