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 flow through the four elements — earth, water, fire and air — the shifting seasons and the natural world. In their letters, Erika and Lotta reflect on the little things in their life and how they draw out the big questions: meaning, creativity and belonging.

The Island and the Forest includes 12 knitwear patterns designed to be timeless and practical. “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. 

Erika Åberg (@wynja) 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 (@lottahlothgren) 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.

12 patterns: 3 sweaters, 2 vests, 1 cardigan, 1 shawl, 1 hat, 1 pair of fingerless mitts, 1 cowl, 1 pair of socks and 1 pair of mittens.