Designer Rachel Brockman pulls out all the stops for today’s pattern!
The theme here is magma, and nature lover Rachel takes it to its fullest extent. The stripes at the top represent bands of igneous rock pushed up by the force from beneath…
…while the lace below represents the flow of semi-solid lava.
The fuzzy fiber blend in Amphora ensures that this shawl will keep you warm – but not lava-hot!
Best, since the shawl is based on the garter stitch, it’s aesthetically reversible and pleasing on both sides. A big, beautiful winner of a design!
This is part 8 in a 12 part series highlighting designs from our 12 Days of Winter, Series 2 Edition.
Say hello to the Glisten Cowl (link here). Winter, more than most seasons, elicits a desire to adorn ourselves with something sparkly. It’s probably because of all the bright lights, the glow of snow, and – as my dear friend Yukon Cornelius puts it: “gold; and silver!” So if you’re in the mood for sparkly seasonal splendor, I invite you to treat yourself to the Glisten Cowl.
Cables, lace, and sparkles – what more can you ask for?
The yarn is what truly makes this design special. Amphora and Cotton Gold are held together to create a fabric with a soft halo and radiant sparkle. It’s perfect for every special holiday event you attend.
The front part of the cowl is an intriguing cable and lace pattern, while the back is simple garter stitch. The garter section allows your mind to rest before diving back into the patterned section. The difference between the two sections is also visually pleasing allowing the intricate cables to shine more brightly.
The popular winter carol – Winter Wonderland – inspired the name of this cowl, so it’s only fitting that a knitters’ version of the song exists. I struggled a bit and recruited Heather’s talent for words. Get ready because it’s pretty amazing. I’m only sorry that we don’t have a recorded version of her singing it – I learned today that she has a lovely singing voice!
Would you look at those stitches? Magnificent – I tell ya!
Winter Wonderland – Knitters Edition
Needles click, are you listening You can see this cowl glistening A beautiful sight We’re happy tonight Knitting in a winter wonderland
We make sure, to do swatching So our gauge, we’re not botching Our tension’s not wrong As we finally cast on Knitting in a winter wonderland
In the meadow, we can knit a snowfolk Then pretend she runs our LYS. She’ll say, “did you mean to drop that stitch, dear? Don’t you fret a bit, I’ll fix your mess!”
Later on, we’ll admire As we knit by the fire The cowl that we’ve made In just the right shade Knitting in a winter wonderland.
Three cheers for Heather – she’s an invaluable part of our team!
Remember, you can find the Series 2 12 Days of Winter Kit Patterns on Ravelry.
His mom Krista designed a hat for us this week! Krista works in Customer Service here, and this is her source of inspiration:
Yes, we do work in paradise.
This is a small section of the big wall of sample balls that she sits next to in Customer Service. We keep these to send to magazines and shops who want to touch the yarn for themselves, but of course since we’re all crafters here we also eye them hungrily ourselves. It’s only natural that we sometimes look at them and think, “you know, these would go great together!”
The Double Up Hat combines brushed DK/light worsted Amphora and superfine Whisper Lace wool/lace blend to make this worsted weight hat with a subtle heathered look.
The two yarns together create a lovely halo effect.
I’ve been wondering how this would look with Whisper Lace in one of the more variegated tones. Let’s grab a selection from the Big Wall o’ Yarn to see.
For the last installment of our blog series on our 12 Days of Winter Kit Collection, we’re unveiling the Twining Vines Cowl. Twining Vinesfeatures Amphora. It is a perfect yarn for colorwork because its gorgeous halo blends the fibers together seamlessly. The effect is almost like an impressionist painting.
In addition to carrying two colors throughout this pattern, you’ll also need to trap your floats. It’s simpler than you might think. This tutorial is useful for any stranded project. If you’d like a closer look at the images, simply click on them.
Notice the large number of white stitches between the blue stitches. This is an area you’ll want to “trap” or “catch” your float to prevent any snagging.
Begin by knitting across your row as usual. Continue until you reach the section that requires trapping a float. Usually, an area that requires trapping floats will have more than five stitches.
As a rule of thumb, I trap my floats every five stitches. I’ve knit across four stitches, and I will trap my float on the fifth stitch.
Simply place your non-working yarn over the right-hand needle, but do not knit with it.
Wrap your working yarn around the right-hand needle to knit. Make sure your non-working yarn (the blue yarn) is over the needle and the working yarn (the white yarn).
Begin to knit the stitch. Notice how I’m holding the blue yarn. It is still above the white yarn, but it is not wrapped around the right-hand needle. Take care not to pull the non-working (blue) yarn through the stitch.
Knit the stitch. As you can see, the blue yarn is still at the back of the work. You can continue knitting as usual after this. That’s really how simple it is!
When you peek at the wrong side of your work, you’ll be able to see where you trapped the float. Notice the blue bump in the middle of the white stitches? That is where I’ve trapped the blue yarn underneath the white yarn.
Just like that, we’ve released all 12 of the patterns featured in our 12 Days of Winter Collection. We sincerely hope you’ve been enjoying our blog series highlighting each pattern. You can find the Twining Vines kit on our website here.
Now that you’ve seen them all, I’d also like to emphasize that tomorrow is Small Business Saturday. What better way to show your support for your local yarn shop than by stopping by to pick up one of our kits on Small Business Saturday?
Mmm… Amphora. This mohair/acrylic/alpaca blend has been gaining in popularity with the release of Amy Gunderson’s Turtleneck Pullover in Vogue Knitting Winter 2015-16. So it’s a delight to see another design from Amy in this yarn – this time, free!
Happy New Year! Made any resolutions? I’ve resolved to knit from my stash more – mainly so I can have an excuse to add even more to that stash. There’s just so much good yarn out there!
Today’s free pattern combines two of those good yarns. The main yarn is Amphora (306yds/100g). Amphora was just featured on the cover of Vogue Knitting Winter 2015-2016 as part of Amy Gunderson’s fabulous Turtleneck Pullover. Another of my resolutions is to learn new things, and this Bohus colorwork technique looks like a great opportunity to do just that.
The secondary yarn is sequined Rozetti Cotton Gold (200yds/25g). Beautiful on its own or as a carry along, Cotton Gold is a cotton thread strung with glittering sequins and wrapped in a metallic thread. It’s an easy way to get maximum sparkle into a garment. I’m a big fan of this stuff. I’ve had problems in the past with durability of some sequined novelty yarns, but not with this one. I’m using it in a Crinkle Cowl and I haven’t lost a sequin yet.
This is such a great sweater for the new year. A traditional pullover that’s made in pieces and seamed, the color and the sparkle remind me of champagne. I like the slouchiness of the fit and the basic rolled cuffs and neck. It’s got that casual elegance that’s in style, but it will still be forgiving of any holiday excesses we haven’t yet worked off. This sweater says “effortlessly amazing.”
We hope your new year is off to a great start. We have no doubt this is going to be the best yet – for all of us.
The secondary yarn is sequined Rozetti 
