This is a great example of how the right yarn can make a project really pop – no pun intended.
“Rawr! I would knit this myself but my arms are too short.”
This Bamboo Pop pullover has two wide bands of color, broken by a single row knitted in the coordinating accent color used at the edges. Without that thin line, it’s just not quite the same.
“Rawr! I can’t pick up stitches. I can’t pick up anything!”
This sweater is worked flat from the bottom up and seamed. Neck edging stitches are picked up and worked in the round. A circular needle is used to work the body because there are times in which stitches will need to be slipped to the other end of the needle during the stripes (for that single line of color).
“Rawr! Maybe you could make me a tiny cape?”
Oh, good grief. Excuse me, I need to go knit something for a tiny blue dinosaur.
We hope you let your inner child out this weekend.
We were talking in the office the other day about the shows we love to sit and binge while we craft. We have such a diverse range! I’d like to share one that I fell in love with at first sight, the Great British Bake-Off
You might not think a baking show would have drama and suspense, but it does. It’s a wonderful reality show to watch with kids because there’s no backstabbing chicanery.
There is, however, alcohol.
If you’re like me, you like to have the right project on hand when binge-watching shows. With this in mind, we present a pairing of projects perfect for puff pastry preparation.
Why: Handy for cleaning up messes, of which there are plenty in this show.
We’re gonna need more cloths.
Made in organic Fibra Natura Cottonwood, these are excellent little projects to knock out quickly. The i-cord edging and loop for hanging are decorative and practical. And best of all (to me), you can finish a set before the series is over.
Why: Who wouldn’t want to knit brioche during bread week?
This chocolate cherry combo makes my mouth water.
I’m actually knitting this now, in two shades of blue Cottonwood (41104 & 41128), and the pattern is a good match for watching TV.
Do a provisional cast-on, then start in with the brioche. Once you’re in the groove, it’s easy to divide your attention without losing your place. Come back around at the end to add that i-cord finish, and voila. A lovely knitted confection, and you haven’t missed the on-screen action.
We’ve got other shows we’d like to pair. Several have new seasons coming up and we want to be ready to settle in. If there’s one you’d like to see featured, let us know!
In the meantime, we’ll have a cup of tea ready and a project at hand as we enjoy the show, and appreciate the parallels between baking and crafting.
Why cosign? Two reasons. 1, when I first saw this hat it was sideways, and the patterning looked like little cosine waves. 2, someone mentioned that they loved this pattern, and I immediately cosigned on that.
The pattern is written and charted, and contains a variation on cabling you might not have seen before – the right slipped cross and left slipped cross. You’re using a cable needle as with traditional cables, but instead of knitting both stitches, there’s a slip involved.
It creates an elongated stitch that slants left or right. Neat effect, and a useful tool to add to your cabling repertoire.
The crown keeps using slipped stitches without cabling, to continue the elongated stitches into the gathered top. A lovely finish to a charming topper, made even more charming by the little nubs in the Deluxe DK Tweed Superwash. Only one ball required.
We hope you have a wonderful weekend, full of beauty and warmth.
Is today a good day to huddle under a beautiful throw? Well, for those of us in the southeastern U.S., yes. Yes it is. Here’s Katie, our Customer Service Lead, testing the current wind speed with the Polygon Shawl in Whisper Lace.
A substantial, beautiful, not-too-complicated project seems like just the ticket. (Also, let me express my admiration for Katie, whose hair looked perfect again right after walking back inside).
Back to the throw! This pattern calls for three different members of the popular Uptown family – solid Uptown Worsted, variegated Uptown Worsted Mist, and self-patterning Uptown Worsted Tapestry (that’s the one you see at the ends of the throw). These three yarns are designed to work well together, providing excellent harmony and interesting color without having to do a lot of fiddly colorwork.
This is a fairly easy pattern. The design is a two-row repeat of mostly garter stitch with “make 1” increases and a center double decrease to create the chevron. You’ll want to use circular needles, but that’s just because it’s made in one piece so there are a lot of stitches to accommodate over its width. If you’re a beginner who feels comfortable trying a couple of new things, this is for you. If you’re experienced and want something comforting to make, this is for you, too!
Friends, we’re deeply touched by everybody who has contacted us to be sure we’re okay. Why wouldn’t we be okay, you may ask?
Right now it’s beautiful outside, but it’s going to be a long weekend. On the work front, we’re preparing early – there WILL be a Free Pattern Friday (and it’s gorgeous) – and we’re battening down all the hatches. On the home front, it’s time to get ready:
All of that said, Charlotte is in as good a shape as it’s possible to be. We’ve had a bit to prepare. Our water system is very reliable, our local breweries are stocking up (on water, people!), and we’ve got plenty of emergency personnel on standby. Our office plans to stay open for regular business, but if things look dicey, we’ll put staff safety first. And a memo was sent this morning to clean out the office fridge, just in case!
And again, we are moved by everyone who has checked in. So, here’s a thank you.
Go to the pattern page on Ravelry (here’s a link), and enter coupon code NAVIGATE by using the “use a coupon code” links that appear during purchase.
This pattern is part of Beach House, a collection of five designs to knit in Cotton Supreme and Cotton Supreme Batik. Amy Gunderson cleverly used self-striping Cotton Supreme Batik to create the rays coming from the center along the garter stitch portion.
This is a good three-season project, and the name.. well, the name is just perfect, as we navigate this storm.
An important crafter’s tip for those of us who may be without electricity for a while – print anything you want to work on now, while you can!
Digital magazines I Like Knitting and I Like Crochet are giving away our beautiful yarn to make projects from their October issues. Yes, that’s right: FREE yarn!
The Mew and Me Sweater is worked mostly in Tunisian crochet, with sideways ribbed edges. It looks knit, but it’s not. Crocheters – this one’s for you!
Done in three different shades of Deluxe DK Superwash, it works up quickly. The yarn is machine washable, so there are no worries if your little one gets a little Halloween chocolate on it. You can head over to I Like Crochet to enter: LINK
October means we’re heading into scarf season, and the Blaire Reversible Scarf doesn’t disappoint.
This knit scarf begins and ends with reversible cables that grow in and out of ribbing, and it looks great on both sides. Deluxe DK Tweed Superwash adds a bit of rustic texture and interest without distracting from the stitch pattern. This project would make a great gift, too!
Love colorwork but not Fair isle? This one’s for you!
Rachel Brockman used self-striping Adore Colors to do the heavy lifting in the body and sleeve stripes. Then she used mosaic knitting in solid Adore to create the design around the waist. Only one color is used per row. The design appears by slipping stitches in different colors, and voila!
Beautiful.
We hope you enjoy this lovely bit of Fall-to-come.
Look, I know it’s September, but here in the South we still have hot and humid days where the great outdoors looks like a melting Dali painting. True story: I once saw my cousin get stuck in an overheated parking lot when her high heels sank into liquefying asphalt, like a very fashionable mastodon caught in a tar pit. For this reason, I’m not giving up on summertime projects yet. Luckily, we have a really great selection of cottons, and some fabulous free patterns!
This cute top is sized from 1-10 years, and features a solid Cotton Supreme body with Cotton Supreme Batik for the stripes and the anchors on the sleeves.
The original black and white Cotton Supreme Batik has been retired, but there are some nice options available. What about this in a different shade of blue, with 41 Navy Salute (below) for the detailing?
Actually, since Cotton Supreme and Cotton Supreme Batik have exactly the same gauge, you could choose to go solid for both, or striped for both – there are a lot of options here!
This one’s quite similar to the Little Sailor – the differences are, a smaller needle for the ribbing (my edges tend to flare if I don’t do this!), and a different design on the sleeve. I like these two interpretations of what is essentially the same pattern because it shows what a difference the details make!
Team Cap all the way.
You can see how this could also become a fantastic superhero costume if you shifted that star onto the chest and made the design in red, white, and blue. Who wouldn’t want a tiny Captain America pullover?
Don’t get me wrong, we’re gearing up for Fall and winter. There are some great designs in the works. But as long as we’ve got some cute things to make, maybe it’s not so bad for summer to hang around a little longer.
“use a coupon code” links that appear during purchase.
