Sian Brown fell in love with yarn and knitting while studying for a BA in Fashion and Textiles in Cheltenham, UK. She went on to become a knitwear designer, working full time then freelancing for commercial companies supplying the high street stores, firstly designing factory machine knits and later handknits. Sian has also taught at London College of Fashion on their knitwear course. She now lives on the south Devon coast, and designs handknits for several magazines and yarn companies. Sian has written several books on knitting, including The Knitted Home for GMC Publications.

In an age when personalisation is a top trend, knitting your own garments, accessories and gifts is a great way to stand out from the shop-bought crowd. But what if knitting a pattern isn’t individual enough for you? If you want to make your knits even more yours, 100 Essential Knitting Motifs by Sian Brown is the book for you. ...use these delightful motifs to personalise pockets, socks, jumper yokes or bags, or build up blocks into cushion covers or blankets. It’s hard to pick favourites among this wealth of designs!

• Getting startedTools and materialsTechniquesProjectsAcornAlpine villageAnchorAnchors and diamondsAnchors and wheelsApple treeApple tree gardenAutumnBalloonsBeach hutBeehiveBerries and leavesBird in a treeBlossomsBubblesCastleChristmas decorationsChristmas puddingChristmas treeCirclesCircles and bobblesClimbing leavesCooking timeCupcakeDeer and fir treeDiamond and bobblesDiamond and laceDiamond laceEaster basketFair Isle flowersFir treesFish and wavesFloor tileFlower and vinesFlower budsFlower in a circleFlower in a potFlower potFlowers and leavesFolk flowerForest villageFruitFruit basketFruit gardenGardenGarden lifeGrapesGrapevineGrazing sheepHaunted HouseHeart and bobblesHeartsHouseJewelsKitchen gardenLace diamondsLace flowerLeavesLollies and ice creamMoon and starsMoss stitch heartNorthern starOpen FlowerParasolPlant in a potPlay blocksPointed petals flowerPotted plantPumpkinsQuilt flowerQuilted blocksRobotRocketRose gardenSailboat and wavesSealifeSewing timeSnowfallSnowflakesSnowmanStained glassStar in a squareSunburstTassels and leavesTeatimeTextured diamondsTextured starTile 1Tile 2Tile 3Trees and moonTrellis and flowersTulip textureTulipsVine and berriesWatering canWestern starWindmillWoodlandWoodland houseWoodland scene