It’s our final block and we’re going out with a bang. Bee Mine uses traditional honeybee lace for its center panel. What a sweet pattern! A mix of yarn overs and dropped stitches creates the gentle symmetrical column in the center of the block. Amy Gunderson shares a video on the technique.
So pretty! Wouldn’t this look lovely on a scarf or along the outside of a sleeve?
That’s 20 blocks – are we done? Yes and no. We’ll be back after the first of the year to talk about assembling the whole afghan. I’m going to take that time to finish up a few stragglers and start laying out my squares to see how I want them to look.
Yesterday on the blog we were talking about how slowly knitting could go with tiny needles and tiny yarn. This, on the other hand, could not go faster. The cardigan is actually knit as one rectangle. That’s it. Knits and purls, worked straight from end to end, then folded and seamed, creating this neat swallowtail hem. If you’re looking for a quick and easy project, we’ve got you covered.
Superwool (100g/66yds) is a super-bulky, springy wool blend that stretches and moves with you. This is a great project to wrap yourself up in, nice and cozy.
Our sales manager Yonca designed and knitted this cardigan, and we passed it around the office modeling it. Our accounting manager tried it on upside down, and guess what – it still looked great! Here it is “upside down” on a mannequin. Pretty versatile for one long rectangle.
I love to look at old craft magazines for inspiration. This week, I turned to a special Christmas edition of the December 1909 Woman’s Home Companion and decided to try one of their gift suggestions.
Hey, $1.75 for a pair of shoes is a really good deal.
The photos aren’t that great, what with it being near the dawn of the 20th century, so it’s hard to see exactly what’s the finished objects look like. But smack in the middle of the page is a picture of “A Knitted Motor Scarf for the Man With an Automobile.” Well, I know a man with an automobile, so that sounds like a winner to me.
First obstacle in the pattern: “made of motor silk in a medium shade of gray.” I have no idea what motor silk is, and for once Google has failed me. If any of you know what motor silk is, please write in. I’m dying to find out.
However, what I do have is Saki Bamboo (230yds/50g). This is a blend of superwash wool, nylon, and rayon from bamboo. The bamboo should provide a good silky sheen and the nylon will give the durability that my giftee will need when he’s out on the open road in his Model T. I’m always happy to have a chance to knit with Saki Bamboo – it’s very smooth and even, and has a medium gray (Color 211 Steel Grey) that should fit the bill nicely.
Second obstacle: “worked loosely with a pair of No. 12 steel knitting- needles, or for a tight knitter, a pair of fine bone knitting-needles.” Here, the internet does not fail me. Fibergypsy’s site says that No. 12 needles back then would translate to 2.25mm/US Size 1 needles today. Great, perfect for my Saki Bamboo! There’s no gauge given, but I decided to cast on and hope for the best.
So I started to knit. And knit. And knit. Actually, I’m quite enjoying this pattern, but… it’s 60 stitches wide on tiny needles. How the heck was someone receiving this magazine in winter supposed to obtain motor silk (?) and find time to knit this before Christmas? Don’t get me wrong, this is a good pattern, but given all the other knitting I have to do, I probably will not be polishing this off in the next 21 days.
Nonetheless, it’s rather elegant and quite easy! The dice pattern is fully reversible, an excellent choice for a scarf. So we’ve written it up in modern terms and shared it, along with the original version. Please enjoy the Knitted Motor Scarf by Helen Marvin from the December 1909 Woman’s Home Companion. The magazine was originally 15 cents, but the pattern is free to you.
How’s the holiday knitting going? I’m doing better than expected – I found this glittering little gem on our shelves here yesterday and am happily knitting a quick one-ball scarf. The yarn is Classic Shades Metallic (175yds/100g) and the color is 607 Zenith. When I saw the red and green accented by silver, I knew it would make the perfect holiday project. This scarf couldn’t be any more Christmasy unless Santa Claus himself knitted it using two candy canes.
The pattern is a scaled-down version of this free three-ball Classic Shades Shawl pattern by Olga Tonjes. She also provides instructions for working just one section (as I’m doing in the picture above), making this a great project to adapt if you’re really backed up on your holiday knitting.
Classic Shades Metallic is interchangeable with customer favorite Classic Shades, but with an extra strand of glitter running through it, making it perfect for gifts that you really want to stand out.
I’ve got another couple of balls of Classic Shades Metallic sitting beside me right now – this scarf is going quickly, and I’ll definitely have time to knock out another gift. This time, I think I’ll work up the Longways Linen Scarf. On size 9 needles with a basic two row pattern repeat, it ought to go quickly. I’ll make it through the holidays yet!
Here’s hoping your days are merry and bright. Happy knitting!
This yarn is a favorite around the office for its lovely heathering and soft feel. The blend of luxury fibers gives it a rich depth. And it’s well suited to this design, which I love for many reasons – not the least because it’s reversible.
What look like cables are really faux-cables. No cable needle required. Wear it long or wrap it for warmth – Llamalini is quite toasty!
We hope you craft something luxurious and wonderful this holiday. Whether it’s for you or someone else, the process itself is such a joy.
I’m home celebrating Thanksgiving with my family, but couldn’t resist sharing this little guy – especially after we promised the crocheters last week!
Jolly St. Nick is a crochet version of Santa from Michele Wilcox, the Queen of Cute. He stands 18″ high including hat – if you’ve seen an American Girl-style doll, that’s about the same height. Just as with last week’s knit Santa, we’re recommending Uptown Worsted. The 100% anti-pilling acrylic stands up to a lot of beard-pulling and snuggles.
Start at the top of his head and work down, then go back and add all the details that make him so adorable. Any pattern that instructs you to embroider a smile is a keeper.
We hope you’re having a wonderful Thanksgiving. This year, as every year, I am grateful for the ability to create, and in so doing to bring joy to myself and others. And always, always, there is gratitude for the community of fellow crafters who enrich our lives. What are you thankful for this year?
Holiday crafting going okay? Maybe you’re still looking for just the right design. Don’t worry, we’re here to help!
It’s our first online pattern sale! From now through Monday December 1st, 2014, take 30% off of all purchases from our Ravelry store. Just enter code 2014HOHOHO at checkout.
I just have to point out, there are quite a few great options in Garden Book 5. That one book could knock out a lot of your gift crafting. The fact that they’re very satisfying projects to make is a nice bonus.
We hope you’ll take this opportunity to pick out a great pattern, swing by your local yarn store (Small Business Saturday is this weekend!) and make something gorgeous for the people you love. And include yourself in that list of people!
Tuck in! Block Nineteen is called All Tuckered Out because it introduces the tuck stitch. It’s a little fold in the fabric that in this case creates a ridge. This combines knitting back and forth as we did in the bobble and nupp blocks, but with a bit of a different spin.
Amy Gunderson has a video demonstrating this technique.
Amy mentions “knitting backwards” here, which is a technique you could use for Block 17 and Block 18. Although we shared this as part of Block 17, want to highlight it again here because it’s just so darned cool.
I can’t tell you how much time it’s going to save me not to have to knit back and forth over little rows. This is a technique I’m going to practice until I’ve mastered. This block looks like the perfect opportunity!
As always, you can share your thoughts and work with us here, on Facebook, or in our Ravelry group. Check back in two weeks for the next block!
Two hats that can be completed with one ball of each color of Uptown Bulky 100% anti-pilling acrylic (100g/87yds). Cute! Knit on size 11 needles, these go quickly and are a good way to practice your Fair Isle.
I’m loving the color, too. That Uptown Bulky 416 Iron coordinates well with 421, Coral. The coral is at the forefront of style at the moment – Sherwin Williams just picked Coral Reef as their color of the year. Pretty!
We hope you enjoy this satisfying quick project. Happy knitting!
This week, we asked our Facebook friends whether they’d rather see a knit or a crochet pattern today. The knits won – but don’t worry, crocheters, we’ll have something for you next week!
Michele Wilcox’s Hearty Holiday Santa is mittens-down the most adorable Santa I’ve seen. You just know that when he laughs, his belly shakes like a bowl full of jelly.
Santa was originally made in now-discontinued Classic Worsted Holiday. We’re updating the selection to Uptown Worsted. The 100% anti-pilling acrylic will stand up to quite a few hugs.
Make the legs, then the body and head, then add on details like ears, belt, and hat. You can’t quite see it in the picture, but Santa has an adorable smile behind his beard. We hope this project will make you smile too.
It’s our final block and we’re going out with a bang. Bee Mine uses traditional honeybee lace for its center panel. What a sweet pattern! A mix of yarn overs and dropped stitches creates the gentle symmetrical column in the center of the block. Amy Gunderson shares a video on the technique.
Yesterday on the blog we were talking about how slowly knitting could go with tiny needles and tiny yarn. This, on the other hand, could not go faster. The cardigan is actually knit as one rectangle. That’s it. Knits and purls, worked straight from end to end, then folded and seamed, creating this neat swallowtail hem. If you’re looking for a quick and easy project, we’ve got you covered.
Superwool (100g/66yds) 
