The Great Lakes Throw is a super simple blanket anyone can whip up QUICK! It’s made with super bulky weight Cascade Cotton Puff and knits on 15mm/US19 needles for maximum satisfaction. The yarn is a soft, machine-washable cotton tube with a springy polyfil core (like the stuff in pillows and stuffed animals), giving it body and ease of use (it’s also allergy friendly and vegan).
The pattern is a simple, elegant, reversible rib, suitable for all knitters from beginners on up. Sizes range from a baby blanket to king-sized bed. Each ball of Cascade Cotton Puff is 200g/7.05oz, so while this technically isn’t a ‘weighted blanket’, it has some weight to it! Our sample is the Medium Throw 45″ x 60″ and is knit in colour 04.
Size
Baby (Medium Throw, Large Throw, Twin Bed, Double Bed, Queen Bed, King Bed)
Inches: 35 x 42 (45 x 60, 55 x 70, 65 x 90) {85 x 90, 95 x 100, 105 x 100} inches
Centimetres: 87.5 x 105 (112.5 x 105, 137.5 x 175, 162.5 x 225) {212.5 x 225, 237.5 x 250, 262.5 x 250) cm
Our sample is the Medium Throw 45″ x 60″ and is knit in colour 04
Alternately use a super bulky weight yarn that calls for 12mm/US17 to 15mm/US19 needles and knits at 8 sts/4”(10cm): 485 (890, 1270, 1925) {2520, 3125, 3455} metres OR 532 (977, 1393, 2112) {2765, 3429, 3791} yards
We’ve finished up a bunch of samples made with Berroco Wizard, which I’ll be sharing in the next few days …. they’re turning out soooooo beautifully, it’s definitely my favourite new yarn of the year! Wizard is super soft, light, airy, colourful, and slightly textured – perfect for the process and the product knitter in us all! Plus it;s machine washable, so it’s open season for kids & baby knits, sockies & etc. I just finished Malou in it, and I’m already planning to cast on for a second in a different colour. Nuff said?
Bente is a super soft & squishy mosaic stitch blanket made using one color of Wizard. It also works up relatively quickly on 8mm/US11 needles. The painterly colour effects come from working from two balls simultaneously (don’t worry, it’s easy). Our kits are available in both a throw size and a baby blanket size (see modifications below), since the yarn is machine washable.
Skill Level: Intermediate-Beginner (after scarves). (Mosaic stitch is an extremely easy form of colour knitting and only involves slipping stitches from the left needle to the right.
Skills: Knit, slipping stitches, following a pattern, alternating balls of yarn (carrying yarn up the side/stripes)
Berroco Wizard is a super soft, light & happy bulky weight yarn. It stripes by itself, with bold colors flowing. It has a chainette construction which makes it feel deliciously airy and weightless. The consruction is also respinsible for it’s very generous 240m yardage – the same amount of a typical bulky weight yarn would normally be about 100m to 125m. Wizard is also machine washable, so it’s great for all kinds of projects including blankets, sweaters, hats, scarves, mitts – even a cozy pair of -slipper-socks!
Who wants to think about Fall when we’re in the middle of Summer? Me! When I saw Berroco Wizard I knew the projects were winners, and when the yarn for our store samples showed up I knew I’d be happy, but it wasn’t until I cast on that I realized it was BASHERT (a Yiddish term referring to something that is destined, like a soul mate).
I’m making Malou, a simple pullover (see below), in colour 2954 and it’s just sooooo gorgeous. It’s like if Noro and Missoni collaborated and said: “Hey, wouldn’t it be great if we could make everything Haley ever wanted in a yarn?!” I thought the colourway would work up looking more blue, but you know what – I don’t care! It’s GORGEOUS, it’s better than what I wanted it to be, it’s what I need.
Berroco Wizard is a super soft, light & happy bulky weight yarn. It stripes by itself, with bold colors flowing. It has a chainette construction which makes it feel deliciously airy and weightless. The consruction is also respinsible for it’s very generous 240m yardage – the same amount of a typical bulky weight yarn would normally be about 100m to 125m. Wizard is also machine washable, so it’s great for all kinds of projects including blankets, sweaters, hats, scarves, mitts – even a cozy pair of -slipper-socks!
These kits as a special-order and we aren’t stocking them in the store on a regular basis – you have the option to order it any time (it will be available to purchase as long as the manufacturer makes it available to us). Your kit will ship or be available for pick-up once it arrives, and we will contact you. If you need your kit for a specific date please let us know and we can find out if it’s feasible.
Aleid
Aleid is a simple stockinette hat and mitten set, perfect for gifting. Also a great beginner project! You can order the kit as just the hat, just mitts, or both.
Bente is a mosaic stitch blanket using one color of Wizard. Working from two balls simultaneously creates a dynamic color change throughout the blanket. Kits are available in both a throw size and a baby blanket size (see modifications below).
Skill Level: Intermediate-Beginner (after scarves). (Mosaic stitch is an extremely easy form of colour knitting and only involves slipping stitches from the left needle to the right.
Skills: Knit, slipping stitches, following a pattern, alternating balls of yarn (carrying yarn up the side/stripes)
Malou is a simple pullover in Wizard, a great first sweater. Body and sleeves of this garment are worked in the round to underarms. Pieces are then joined and yoke is worked in the round to the neck
Skill Level:
Size
This sweater is designed cropped – to make yours longer please purchase an extra ball of yarn.
Sanne is a must-make cardigan with ¾ sleeves, pockets and cozy shawl collar. It’s a wear-every-day kind of sweater. Shoulders are shaped using short rows and are then joined using 3-needle bind-off. Sleeves are then picked up and worked down. The hem and sides are finished with an applied I-cord.
Skill Level: Intermediate
Size
This sweater is designed cropped – to make yours longer please purchase an extra ball of yarn.
As per your request, I’ve reshuffled the Blanket of Joy kit to include both a worsted weight (4.5mm/US7 needle) and a chunky/bulky weight (6mm/US10 needle) option. I had to play around a bit with the colours for the Chunky weight, but getting the project done faster may have more value to you than having the colours ‘just-so’. Additionally, a few people found the pattern unclear in some places (myself included) so I made revisions to clarify everything and even drew up a chart for you to keep track row by row.
The Blanket of Joy is a simple knit, which is also important right now … Keep It Simple, am I right? Simple bands of colour are knit in offset segments of stocking and reverse stocking stitch to create an easy, graphic combination of colour and texture. Sometimes the simplest solutions are the most brilliant! Need some help with weaving in the ends? Check out our Skills Page!
In the book Joyful, Ingrid Fetel Lee talks about the revitalization of the run-down, crime-ridden city of Tirana, Albania … which was initiated with the very easy and affordable approach of painting buildings bright colours. I’ll leave the details for you to read up on (the book was really good), but if painting a run-down building bright orange can initiate the transformation of a city, maybe it’s not too far a stretch to posit that a joyfully coloured blanket can initiate positive change in a life?
I’m in the Dominican Republic this week … but I promise I’m still thinking of you! While I’m gone, here’s a popular favourite ….. the four points blanket is a great project all year round. It’s available in both knit and crochet, and you can make it in a baby blanket size or as a throw. It’s a simple composition and can be made in a number of different yarn options. The patterns are free, so you can read them over and see if they work for you without committing. If you want something a bit more jazzy, try the Easy Puzzle Blanket, which uses 6 colours.
MODIFICATIONS
use 3.75mm/US5 to 4mm/US6 needles
for a crib (throw) size cast on approximately 140(204) sitches. You will pick up & knit the same number of stitches.
Berroco Vintage Baby is a new yarn that just cam out this spring. It’s very similar to it’s sibling Vintage DK, but it has a slightly silkier texture and comes in 50g balls. It’s soft, easy to work with, machine washable, reliable and is generally great on both the skin and the wallet. The yarns in the Vintage line are a blend of wool and synthetic, and generally work well for people with sensitive skin. We carry this yarn all year.
KNIT 4 Points Baby: 3 skeins in each of 4 colours ($59.64)
KNIT 4 Points Throw: 5 skeins in each of 4 colours ($99.40)
CROCHET 4 Points Baby: 4 skeins in each of 4 colours ($79.52)
CROCHET 4 Points Throw: 7 skeins in each of 4 colours ($139.16)
Berroco Vintage DK is a staple around here, we sell tons of it for every kind of project for babies, grown-ups, and everything in-between. It’s soft, easy to work with, machine washable, reliable and is generally great on both the skin and the wallet. The yarns in the Vintage line are a blend of wool and synthetic, and generally work well for people with sensitive skin. We carry this yarn all year.
KNIT 4 Points Baby Blanket: 2 skeins in each of 4 colours ($79.76)
KNIT 4 Points Throw Blanket: 4 skeins in each of 4 colours ($159.52)
CROCHET 4 Points Baby Blanket: 2 skeins in each of 4 colours ($79.76)
CROCHET 4 Points Throw Blanket: 4 skeins in each of 4 colours ($159.52)
For several years Cascade Ultra Pima has been the go-to yarn for these projects. Its silky soft texture is seductive, and it’s ideal for babies as it’s machine washable, allergy-friendly and excellent for warm climates (no animal fibres in it), and comes in a bunch of great colours.
KNIT 4 Points Baby Blanket: 2 skeins in each of 4 colours ($95.76)
KNIT 4 Points Throw Blanket: 4 skeins in each of 4 colours ($191.52)
CROCHET 4 Points Baby Blanket: 2 skeins in each of 4 colours ($95.76)
CROCHET 4 Points Throw Blanket: 4 skeins in each of 4 colours ($191.52)
My client Leesa brought me The Blanket of Joy, and as soon as I saw it I knew it was marvellous and needed to be shared! The world is so full of uncertainty right now, it’s more important than ever to choose carefully how we focus our energy. Like attracts like and like begets like, so I think something bright, happy, and full of joy is a good place to put our attention.
The Blanket of Joy is a simple knit, which is also important right now … Keep It Simple, am I right? Simple bands of colour are knit in offset segments of stocking and reverse stocking stitch to create an easy, graphic combination of colour and texture. Sometimes the simplest solutions are the most brilliant! The pattern looks like it’s suitable for novices and experienced knitters alike. Need some help with weaving in the ends? Check our our Skills Page!
Yarn
The project is a “lets see if we can find a way to use every colour in the crayon box” type of experiment.
Option 1. I think BERROCO VINTAGE fits the bill perfectly – it’s soft, comfortable, affordable, machine washable, and comes in a slew of colours. You’ll need 1 skein in each of 22 colours, and I suggest using 4.5mm/US7 needles. If you’re using Vintage your tension will be slightly different (it will knit a bit faster) and you’ll have about 25% more yardage than in the pattern, so you should be able to get away with making your blanket a smidge wider.
Option 2. If you wanted to make a blanket that is smaller in budget I recommend using BERROCO VINTAGE BABY (get 1 ball of each of the 22 colours) with 4mm/US6 needles. The colours aren’t the same as the original pattern, so you’ll have to get a little creative shuffling them around, but the palette available is beautiful and complimentary, all the colours work together. The yarn is super soft and easy to work with, it’s machine washable, and at $4.97 a ball it makes for an affordable project.
In the book Joyful, Ingrid Fetel Lee talks about the revitalization of the run-down, crime-ridden city of Tirana, Albania … which was initiated with the very easy and affordable approach of painting buildings bright colours. I’ll leave the details for you to read up on (the book was really good), but if painting a run-down building bright orange can initiate the transformation of a city, maybe it’s not too far a stretch to posit that a joyfully coloured blanket can initiate positive change in a life?
P.S.
Thank you for your support following our COVID Policy update yesterday. At last check, I’ve received at least 16 replies, all of them positive. I’m glad we’re on the same page … you made my heart grow two sizes this afternoon!
Cascade’s annual blanket Mystery Knit-A-Long (MKAL) is starting on September 29th, and this year they are using CASCADE 220 SUPERWASH! To join just sign up for the Cascade Yarns newsletter to get the bi-weekly installments. All the details are available in their newsletter, right HERE.
Get 15% Off when you purchase all of your yarn for this project in one transaction (17 balls or more)! Use code CASCADEMKAL at check-out.*
* Discount does not apply to special-orders. Discount only applies to inventory that is already in stock, or that we already carry on a regular basis and is already in our database.
What is an MKAL?
MKAL stands for Mystery Knit A Long! Knit Alongs (KALs) are fun, social activity in which a group of knitters all make the same project in a specified timeframe. … A section of the pattern (clue) is released at regular intervals, and at the end of the Knit Along, the final design is revealed.
Cascade 220 Superwash is a staple around here! It’s made with 100% machine washable Peruvian wool which is easy to work with and wear (it softens up considerable after washing). It’s very popular for all kinds of projects, including baby, kids, accessories, sweaters, blankets, etc.
Colour A: 5 skeins
Colour B: 4 skeins
Colour C: 4 skeins
Colour D: 4 skeins
Colours
It’s hard for us to carry every colour in this yarn line (they have SO MANY colours that we already have to split it up into heathered and solid colours for tech reasons), but we can always look into special-ordering a colour you want for your MKAL blanket, or finding a substitute that works. All the colours available to us through our Canadian distributor are HERE.
The colours in the pictures below below are provided by Cascade Yarns, and may not be accurate. The photos on our website have been colour-corrected to match the actually yarn as possible. The colour combinations offer a colour palette suggestions, but you can choose any colour you like. Most of the colour combinations seem to have 1 dark colour, two medium colours, and 1 light or bright colour.
The four points blanket is a project we have a lot of clients coming in to get yarn for all year round. It’s available in both knit and crochet (see below), and you can make it in a baby blanket size or as a grown-up throw. The pattern is all knitting in garter stitch, and they provide a video tutorial for the single ‘fancy’ technique, picking up stitches. We’ve got lots of suitable yarns included in our SUMMER SALE, there are lots of options to advantage of for a baby or an adult blanket.
Berroco Remix Light is soft, easy to work with, machine washable, eco-friendly (it’s recycled), allergy friendly and great for warm climates (no animal fibres in it), comes in a bunch of great colours, and is ever so affordable (especially on sale)!
Kelbourne Mojave is soft, easy to work with, machine washable, allergy friendly and great for warm climates (no animal fibres in it), comes in a bunch of stunning colours, especially baby friendly brights, and is a great deal on sale! Use 3.
Quince & Co Sparrow is a linen that turns silky smooth once it’s washed. It’s eco firendly (100% organic linen), machine wash and dryable, allergy friendly and excellent for warm climates (no animal fibres in it), comes in a bunch of great colours, and is a great deal on sale! If you live in a hot climate or are making a blanket for someone who does, this yarn is remarkable, as it has something of a cooling effect. This yarn would make a very special blanket.
Quince & Co Sparrow: 4 Points Blanket CombosQuince & Co Sparrow: 4 Points Blanket CombosQuince & Co Sparrow: 4 Points Blanket Combos
KNIT 4 Points Baby: 2 skeins in each of 4 colours (SALE PRICE $89.82, Reg. $119.76)
KNIT 4 Points Throw: 4 skeins in each of 4 colours (SALE PRICE $179.64, Reg. $239.52)
CROCHET 4 Points Baby: 3 skeins in each of 4 colours (SALE PRICE $134.73, Reg. $179.64)
CROCHET 4 Points Throw: 6 skeins in each of 4 colours (SALE PRICE $269.46, Reg. $359.28)
BC Garn Bio Balance is soft, a pleasure to work with, eco-friendly (it’s GOTS certified organic), and comes in a bunch of great colours. It is NOT machine washable, but would make a stunning throw! It;s unique blend of wool & cotton make it great for temperate climates or people to run a bit warm.
BC Garn Bio Balance: 4 Points Blanket CombosBC Garn Bio Balance: 4 Points Blanket CombosBC Garn Bio Balance: 4 Points Blanket Combos
KNIT 4 Points Baby Blanket: 2 skeins in each of 4 colours (SALE PRICE $77.82, Reg. $103.76)
KNIT 4 Points Throw Blanket: 3 skeins in each of 4 colours (SALE PRICE $116.73, Reg. $155.64)
CROCHET 4 Points Baby Blanket: 2 skeins in each of 4 colours (SALE PRICE $77.82, Reg. $103.76)
CROCHET 4 Points Throw Blanket: 4 skeins in each of 4 colours (SALE PRICE $155.64, Reg. $207.52)
Some of our yarn distributors have been creating special kits to help knitters and retailers during COVID, and as I come across ones I think you’ll like (and that I know I would enjoy) I’ve been sharing them. We can’t stock all these kits for you (there’s only so much room in the store) but we can special order them for you, so that is what we are doing! I’ve created a special section on our website in the main menu under “Kits” called SPECIAL ORDER KITS, and there you can find the cool things that I find! All of these kits can be special ordered online directly through our website (for your midnight yarn shopping needs) and we’ll get it for you! You can have your order shipped of you can pick it up in store – whatever makes you happy.
Use code KITSTOGO10 at checkout to take 10% off your Special Order Kit purchase!
Fern Lake Blanket Kit
Details
Whether you’re fireside indoors or out we love how Fern Lake blanket will make you feel at your coziest. A simple ombre texture flows through the blanket in a simple rhythmic stitch pattern. You’ll love making this blanket as well as getting cozy beneath it. Fern lake is designed with Berroco Lanas, a 100% Peruvian wool yarn. Made from a special blend of South American wools, Lanas is a classic yarn with a soft touch and beautiful luster.
Size
Approximately 45″ wide x 68″ long (lap or sofa blanket sized).
Kit Includes
12 skeins of Berroco Lanas: 2 balls each of C1, C3, and C5; 3 balls each of C2 and C4 (shown in colourway V1: Greens/Dove/Yellow)
This yarn is NOT machine washable. If this is important to you we suggest substituting Berroco Vintage (which we carry in-store and online).
If you’d like to see the colours more closely you can visit us in-store and look at our shade-cards.
This Kit does NOT include 4.5mm/US7 – 32″ circular needles.
This kit is a Special Order, and it may take up to 2 weeks for us to receive it.The colour combinations listed are the ones on offer from the company, but if you would like to create your own combination we are happy to ask them and see if we can make that work. We can also ask about substitute a comparable machine washable 100% Peruvian wool yarn like Berroco Ultra Wool.
USE code KITSTOGO10 at checkout to take 10% off your Special Order Kit purchase!
Purga Kit
Knit from the top down in the round, Purga features a bold colorwork pattern, knit with a solid color yarn, set against the color shifts of Berroco Pixel.
16″ and 29″ circular needles, sizes 4 (3.50 mm) and 6 (4.00 mm) or size to obtain gauge
1 set each double-pointed needles, sizes 4 (3.50 mm) and 6 (4.00 mm)
1 stitch marker
Waste yarn to hold sleeve stitches
Notes
These yarns ARE machine washable
If you’d like to see the colours more closely you can visit us in-store and look at our shade-cards
Berroco Pixel is a soft, single ply double knitting weight yarn yarn that is dyed in a fun speckled, self-striping colourway.
Berroco Ultra Wool DK is a soft, multi-ply, 100% Peruvian wool superwash, double knitting weight yarn. It is machine washable, but still has a bit of texture to it, and it comes in solid and heathered colours.
The colour combinations listed are the ones on offer from the company, but if you would like to create your own combination we are happy to ask them and see if we can make that work.
Use code KITSTOGO10 at checkout to take 10% off your Special Order Kit purchase!
Safe at Homeis my “it grew on me” pattern this week. When I first looked at it my negativity bias kicked in immediately, I came up with a bunch of reasons why it was a terrible project to recommend. I thought; “It’s too hard, it’s too much work, there’s too much seaming, the yarn is something objectionable …” etc, etc. But it’s really pretty so I looked closer and told my dumb mammalian brain to take a break and let my frontal lobe carry some of the load … as I slowed down and took it all in I realized it’s a project with a lot of potential!
First off, its knit with worsted weight yarn, which everybody has in their stash. To supplement (’cause lets not kid ourselves, you’re going to need more yarn, a project like this always requires more yarn) there are really affordable options with great colour choices, like Berroco Vintageand Cascade 220 Superwash. Because the design is already so patchworky, I love the idea of mixing different yarns of the same tension and creating slight textural variances. I think it would be so cool for different parts of the houses to have different textures. The pattern calls for 12 colours, but you can use as many as you like.
The skill level is advanced beginner to intermediate, but I think that’s ok, it’s good to push ourselves to grow and try new things (or revisit old things we haven’t done in. a while). Plus, if not now, then when? There also isn’t as much seaming as I expected, the little houses are knit in rows, and it’s all worked in garter stitch which is easy to seam.
Finally, the theme has grown on me. It’s a lovely metaphor that EVERYTHING is connected. When my mammalian brain does what it was designed to do and wanders off into selfness, I think it would be nice to have a happy reminder to help bring me back into balance.
