Having become increasingly fashionable over the past few years, knitting continues to be popular in the craft world. But what are the hottest fashions in the sector right now and are people still as intrigued by the pastime as they once were? We caught up with retailer Robynn Weldon of luxury knitting supplier Purlescene to find out what's been happening in the yarn world over the past 12 month.

Has there been a rise in the number of people taking up knitting over the last year?
I have not really noticed any recent change, but the hobby has definitely become more popular over the last three to five years – something I attribute to the growing power of the internet, greater availability of supplies and huge publicity given to celebrities who knit. However, I really couldn't say whether the interest is continuing to progress.

How is the market currently performing?
I would say it is stable and while I have definitely seen the effects of the recession, the past two years have proved that knitters will always still spend on their hobbies. Having said that, they are certainly being more careful with their pennies and are now far less likely to invest in big-ticket items like luxury knitting bags than they might have been in the past.

Are there any new or particularly noteworthy trends you have noticed?
I have seen a lot of projects combining knitting and crochet recently, which I am very excited about. Many publications appear to be encouraging experienced fans of the former to experiment with the latter and vice versa, and sites like Ravelry are also inspiring customers to cross borders in this way.

I have also noticed a greater number of people using embroidery to embellish their knits and there generally seems to be a strong shift away from wildly variegated yarns towards far more restrained colours. And, although knitters are still very attracted to hand dyes, they appear to be gravitating towards the more semi-solid or kettle dyed yarns, which won't fight against their stitch patterns.

What are the hottest projects in the knitting world right now?
Cowls – knitted tubes worn around the neck – are very popular at the moment. Having made a big splash in the fashion world last winter, they have become increasingly trendy over the past year and are the ideal way of encouraging customers to experiment with luxury yarns. Easy to make and relatively fast to master, they are set to be huge in the craft industry over the next few seasons.

Felted slippers have also made a huge impact across the internet over the last 12 months, as have lace weight cardigans – although the latter tend to appeal to the much more experienced knitters. Lace shawls also continue to be in favour.

Are there any new designers really influencing trends in the sector?
Hannah Fettig, designer of the wildly-popular Featherweight and Whisper cardis, is definitely leading the way with her simple, stylish, fine-gauge knits and is certainly a name to look out for over the next year.

How do you think the knitting sector will perform over the next year?
Steadily. While it certainly won't be going away, I don't think there is likely to be huge expansion of it either.

What advice would you give to retailers on boosting their sales in the run up to Christmas?
Take a two-pronged approach: offer the promise of a quick but rewarding festive knit – one-skein cowls in aran or chunky yarn, for example – that they can create as gifts for loved ones or as winter treats for themselves. Lace yarn is perfect for this and is not only cost effective – even a hand-dyed silk blend offers great value for money if you consider the yardage – but also ties into the trend for ultra-fine-gauge, classic knits and beautiful shawls and scarves as well. Don't forget to have some tempting notions on hand too, especially kid-friendly ones, such as novelty tape measures, as these are ideal for customers to incorporate into their secret Santa gifts or use as stocking fillers.