I’m getting ready for the COCOKNITS MABEL KAL (knitalong) starting in February!
The sweater is knit with the Cocoknits method, a unique technique for working a sweater seamlessly from the top-down, and I’m curious to finally learn it! I think I’ll make it as a turtle neck …. it gives the shape a bit more substance.
I’ve done my swatching and tried 3 different yarns:
I tried 7mm/US10.75 needles and 6.5mm/US10.5 needles, and got the best gauge by combining Drops Air & Drops Kid-Silk on 6.5mm/US10.5 needles.
In the video I also flip through the pattern … it’s very professional and comprehensive, I’m looking forward to it and I know we will be in good hands!
P.S.
The ring I’m wearing in the video is from Kormar Jewellery. I bought it at the Toronto Outdoor Art Show and LURV it! It’s 3D-printed silver and doesn’t get caught on my yarn when I knit or crochet (an essential quality in my jewellery).
Mabel
Mabel is a loose-fitting, comfortable pullover that fits the bill. She is also infinitely adaptable … try knitting the neck ribbing into a cowl or extra long fold-over turtleneck. Add cables, split the hem, knit it knee length, add stripes … the sky’s the limit. It is written in 10 sizes from 36 to 72” bust, so you have options for fit, as well!
This sweater is worked using the Cocoknits Method, a commonsense system for knitting seamless, tailored sweaters from the top down. The Cocoknits Method is explained in detail in Cocoknits Sweater Workshop by Julie Weisenberger.
Our fall Drops stock has FINALLY dropped! An unfortunate victim of COVID supply chain fatigue, our order was expected in August, then October, but got stuck in all kinds of international shipping snafus. Regardless, it’s here now and we are GRATEFUL for the bounty! There are bunch new colours in Drops Air and Drops Kid-Silk (including those marvellously neutral blush pinks and beiges). We also received some much sought after and back-ordered CHRISTMAS COLOURS in Drops Nepal.
Drops Air is a deliciously soft and airy yarn. It knits up beautifully into hats, scarves, cowls, sweaters, blankets, toys – you name it! It is a ‘blown’ yarn, which means it has a core (polyamide) that is a knitting tube, and then the fibre is literally blown into it, creating a light, fluffy, fuzzy haze of alpaca floating around it. It knits up easily, and you can even knit with 2 strands held together to bulk it up to a bulky weight (try a 6.5mm/US10.5). the yardage is also generous, coming in at 150m for a 50g ball. One of the extra bonuses with this yarn is that it’s been used a zillion times on Ravelry, so there’s lots of pattern inspiration out there and you know that its not going to let you down.
The wrap above is Hamburg Calling, a free pattern from Verena Bahls. Use 6 skeins of Drops Air (if you have a hard time finding the PDF on the website it is HERE).
Drops Kid-Silk is a luxurious, feather-light brushed mix of super kid mohair and mulberry silk. It gives garments a sophisticated look, whether used alone or held together with other yarns (see projects by PetiteKnit).
Drops Nepal is a great staple yarn made with superfine alpaca and Peruvian highland wool. Both fibers are untreated, which means that they are only washed and not exposed to any chemical treatment prior to the dyeing. This highlights the fibers’ natural properties, making it a lofty, bouncy yarn that’s great for garments. It’s hand-washable and felts beautifully. Drops Nepal is great for sweaters, hats, scarves, mitts, blankets – you name it. It also comes in 50g balls, making it an amazing choice for fair-isle projects.
The sweaters above are different iterations of Riddari, a pattern from Istex Lopi that works up beautifully in Drops Nepal. (If can’t tolerate the itch but love the look of Icelandic knits try substituting Drops Air – it won’t be as dense or itchy as a proper wool sweater, but on the upside, it’ll be light as air and soft as a baby’s butt.)
Drops Wish is a dreamy, super bulky weight, blown yarn made from baby alpaca blown into a core of merino wool and pima cotton. Wish is cosy, light, airy, soft, fluffy and absolutely itch-free. Wish is a great choice for sweaters, accessories (hats, wraps, scarves, cowls, shawls, etc), blankets – you name it. To make for a REALLY thick knit, you can hold 2 strands of this yarn together and use 15mm/US19 needles.
The sweater pattern above is Harvest Queen, a free pattern from Drops that works up beautifully in either Drops Wish or Drops Air (holding 2 strands together). We made one and it worked up beautifully (blog post forthcoming).
Drops Melody is a super soft, super delicious alternative to Mohair it looks like mohair, but it has NONE of the itch! It’s super soft, light and airy. Drops Melody is a great choice for oversize garments and accessories, although it would also make a stunning and very cozy blanket. It knits up quickly on big needles without the piece becoming heavy and it can be held together with another yarn to create a fuzzy effect, or to give garments extra volume and softness.
The sweater pattern above is Caja, a free pattern from Ravelry. It knits up with 1 strand of Melody and one of a fingering weight yarn – like Cascade Heritage.
Drops Brushed Alpaca and Silk is a luxurious alpaca and silk yarn that looks like beautiful (but itchy) kid mohair but feels like super soft alpaca. It’s light and fluffy, with plenty of halo. You can work with it as a single strand or hold two or three strands together to bulk it up for larger needles. It is very affordably priced and makes a great substitute for other kid mohair yarns.
Drops Andes is a soft, chunky blend of superfine alpaca and Peruvian Highland wool. The mixture brings out the alpaca silky surface, while the wool gives the yarn better shape and stability. It’s super easy to work with and works up quickly on large needles. It’s also great for felting and is ideal for felted slippers, mitts and bags. Andes is also ideal for beginner knitters, two balls are all you need to make a scarf!
The yarn fibres are untreated, which means that it is only washed and not exposed to any chemical treatment prior to dying. This highlights the fibre’s natural properties, while it also provides a better shape and texture quality.
A simple sweater makes for a very satisfying project (and a great sweater), and PetiteKnit is really, really, really good at that. Besides designing patterns for beautiful, simple silhouettes, she does a lot of combining of fibres, which creates a depth of colour and texture that goes beyond what you can get out of a single strand. The Novice Cardigan Mohair Edition is designed with 2 strands of a lace-weight mohair, like Drops Kid-Silk, held together. There are a few different ways you can go about this:
1. Same Yarn & Colour (Identical Twins)
You can use (ie. Drops Kid-Silk) like the designer has done in her sample (see the picture above for a closeup). Easy, peasy, no thinking, falls under Keep It Simple Sister.
A second option could be to use two different colours of the same yarn (ie. Drops Kid-Silk). If you want to create a depth of colour chose two that are close together, and their fuzzinesses will blend together and make them look like something new. Below are a few examples of to illustrate my point ….
3. Combine Fibres(Kissing Cousins)
The option that gets me really excited is to combine different fibres in colours that complement each other, thereby creating a dept of colour and texture – something you’ll never find in a store-bought garment. For this pattern I’m crushing on Fibre Co Meadow(On Sale to Sept 6) paired with Drops Kid-Silk. A lighter shade of kid-mohair will brighten up the base yarn, while a colour that is closer to the base will blend more, and create a halo. The most important thing is that the base tones match. For the the following examples I’ve eyeballed and scrutinized the skeins in natural light to make sure they work together, or as Erica says ‘make sense’. (FYI, if you’ve only got 1 skein of Meadow see the bottom of the page for a smaller project)
Designed to fit an approximate bust circumference of 80-85 (85-90) 90-95 (95-100) 100-110 (110-120) 120-130 (130-140) 140-150 cm [31½-33½ (33½-35½) 35½-37½ (37½-39½) 39½-43¼ (43¼-47¼) 47¼-51¼ (51¼-55) 55-59 inches].
Designed to have approx. 10 cm [4 inches] of positive ease, meaning it is designed to be approx. 10 cm [4 inches] larger in circumference than your body. (This means that if you, for example, measure 90 cm [35½ inches] around your bust or widest upper body part (measure yourself around your bust, or your widest point, using a measuring tape), you should knit a size S which has a circumference of 100 cm [39¼ inches]. This will give you 10 cm [4 inches] of positive ease.)
Yarn Options
Drops Kid-Silk: 8(8-9, 9, 10, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14-15) balls in one colour
Drops Kid-Silk: 5(5, 5, 6, 6, 7, 7, 8) balls in each of TWO colours (you may end up with an extra ball of yarn this way, but it’s better than running out)
Drops Kid-Silk: 5(5, 5, 6, 6, 7, 7, 8) balls, AND Fibre Co Meadow: 2(2, 2, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 4) skeins (ON SALE TO SEPT 6)
Any DK Weight Yarn : 850(850 to 950, 950, 1060, 1060, 1166, 1272, 1378, 1484 to1590)m
