Free Pattern Friday – Crinkle Cowl

It’s Free Pattern Friday!

Cotton Gold Crinkle Cowl blog

Today, the Crinkle Cowl in Whisper Lace and Cotton Gold.

This is a great example of how bringing two different things together can result in something spectacular.  Light and airy Whisper Lace is a laceweight wool/silk blend from our Fibra Natura line of natural luxury fibers.  It’s a great choice for delicate, light projects.

Pair that with sequined Cotton Gold from our Rozetti line and you’ve got the perfect amount of bling to turn a light confection into a glamorous accessory perfect for party season.

Knit it flat on size 5 needles, work the light shaping to help it sit gracefully on your shoulders, then seam it up.   Next step: be prepared to answer the sea of “where did you get that?” admiration with “What, this?  I made it myself.”

As much as I love this in black, I’m wondering how it would look in Whisper Lace 113 Tango and Cotton Gold 1092.  More to the point, I’m wondering how I would look rolling up to the office holiday party in a black jacket with this draped artfully around my neck.

Black’s a classic, but don’t limit yourself.  You do you!

Happy knitting!

Sunday Swatch – Poems Ribbed Stripe Scarf

Today’s Sunday Swatch is in Wisdom Yarns Poems.

SS Poems Stripe Swatch 1The weather has finally turned the corner from summer to Fall here in the South.  Coming home from work, I had to smile at the smell of smoke from my neighbor’s fireplace wafting through the neighborhood.

When I was selecting my next project, I couldn’t shake that memory.  Even with no fireplace in my own home, I can still knit something that reminds me of cool evenings outdoors.

SS Poems Stripe Swatch 4

Wisdom Yarns Poems was the obvious choice.  100% wool in self-shading tones just felt right for the season.  The lighter color is 605 Lofoten, a colorway designed by Cornelia Tuttle Hamilton.  It reminds me of smoke and ash – and maybe toasted marshmallows, too.

The darker color is 607 Hearth, recently added to the Poems line when we had requests to expand our reds.  True to its name, it has overtones of embers and flame.

SS Poems Stripe Swatch 5The scarf itself is a simple 1×1 rib, slipping the first stitch of each row for a neater edge.  Make two rows in each color – k1p1 to the end, k1p1 back, then switch colors.  Couldn’t be easier.  A US 8 (5mm) needle over 32 inches produced a scarf 5 inches wide.  One ball of each color made a full length scarf for short me.  Casting on 28 or 30 would get more length for a taller person.

The colors are varied but not wild – they’re just perfect to go with the earth tones and browns of Fall.  I look forward to wearing this on a stroll up the street tonight.  It’ll be my own bit of comfort and warmth.

Happy knitting!

 

 

Free Pattern Friday – Snowlander Cowl

It’s Free Pattern Friday!

Ariana Bamboo Glam Snowlander set_blogToday we’re featuring Snowlander, a design created by Linda Davis, who owns the fabulous LYS Tail Spinner in Richlands, NC.

Linda says, “Since the cowl seems to be a big thing from the Outlander series on Starz, I thought about doing one that was a little more classy.  I used two skeins of Ariana and one skein of Bamboo Glam held together to do the pictured cowl.  I’m calling it Snowlander.

I made a 5-stitch I-cord with the leftover Bamboo Glam, put on a pendant, and grafted the ends together to use as a neck piece.   It can be worn with the cowl or alone.”

Ariana Bamboo Glam Snowlander necklace blog

Ariana Bamboo GlamSnowlander cowl blogTail Spinner is in Eastern NC, not that from from the ocean, making Linda’s choice of focal point for the pendant even more fitting.  I can see quite a few options for the pendant and the cowl, together or apart.

As a fantasy fan, I’ve been looking for another show to add to my lineup.  If Outlander is inspiring gorgeous designs like this, I’m adding it to my queue tonight – and keeping my needles nearby.

Thank you so much for sharing this, Linda!

 

Free Pattern Friday – Back to School Backpack

It’s Free Pattern Friday!

Back to School Backpack 1 blog

Are you ready for school?  Me neither!  But the Back To School Backpack is a reminder that it’s time to gear up for Fall.

Back to School Backpack 2 blogI love the combination of  self-shading yarn with a solid Deluxe Worsted Superwash accent and tie.  The entire backpack is worked in one piece.  Begin by knitting the back piece from the center out.  Next, work the side and bottom sideways and attach to the back piece as you go.  Stitches for the front piece are worked from the outside in.  Voila!  A minimum of seaming!

This design is made in our brand new Classic Shades Metallic (175yds/100g).  When I say “brand new,” I mean that we literally just got our first shipment from the mill a few minutes ago.  Classic Shades Metallic has the gorgeous self-shading tones and sheen of Classic Shades, plus metallic thread for extra bling.

Now that it’s arrived, there goes my productivity for the day.

Business Cat ball of yarn

Happy knitting!

 

Throwback Thursday – Ruffled Shoulder Bag

It’s Throwback Thursday!

TT Ruffled Shoulder Bag in Links_blog

The Ruffled Shoulder Bag is a great project any time of the year.  Originally knit in Links cotton from our Fibra Natura line, we suggest substituting another non-wool yarn like Cotton Supreme (100g/180yds) or Uptown DK (100g/273yds).

The frills are simple semi-circular strips sewn on after knitting the bag proper, making it easy to customize with or without ruffles as you wish.

I’m thinking this might be a good thing to work on at my local Worldwide Knit In Public Day – making a bag big enough to hold my WIPs seems like a fitting project!