Norah Gaughan’s Knitting Nature is a beloved classic here at STC Craft. With 39 patterns inspired by nature, it has continued to inspire knitters since it was published in 2006. And now we’re releasing it in paperback! But we faced a tough question: Stick with the original cover (which we all loved) or spice it up with something new?

We started by trying the hardcover image with a new “STC Craft Classic” graphic to set it apart.

But the novelty of a new image won out, and our talented designer, Anna Christian, started experimenting. A favorite was this sweet image of our littlest model wearing mittens, but we decided against it in the end because of a couple of concerns: Would it look like a kid’s book? Was the spirit of the book really apparent in this image?

Another popular option was this gorgeous image of a model posed at the base of a tree. This photograph says so much about the book, especially in the way the lines of the tree are echoed in the model’s sweater.

But ultimately, we felt this image (while stunning) isn’t really cover material. It’s a tad too subtle, and the scale of the tree dwarfs the sweater design.

And so we came to the clear winner.

We all love the bold colors and interesting perspective of this choice. It really grabs one’s attention; don’t you think?

Do you agree with our choice, or do you have another favorite here?