The Fibre Co’s next pattern in their The Almanac Seriesis being released today – Star Anise by Emma Wright (daughter of superstar designer Erika Knight). Star Anise It is a luxurious, stranded colour-work sweater knit in five shades of Acadia. The pattern for this drop shoulder design offers options for either a wide or tapered sleeve and a crew or high neck. Knit in the round from the bottom up, this is a project for knitters after something extra special for spring.
Yarn
Star Anise is designed with Fibre Co. Acadia is a luscious, soft, slightly tweedy looking blend of silk-noil, baby alpaca and fine merino wool. It’s ideal for creating a handmade wardrobe that can be worn almost all year round, Acadia comes in a range of colours that sit well together to offer makers ample choice for projects. Most of the shades in Acadia have a heathered appearance created from layers of beautiful raw fibres of natural brown baby alpaca, ecru merino tops and silk-noil, which is then kettle dyed creating subtle duotones. Shades such as Egret, Sand and Mountain Ash use other natural shades of alpaca including white, light fawn and grey.
The Chiara Kit Pre-Orders we placed a little while ago came in, and they were SO GORGEOUS that I figured I should give everyone another shot while the distributor has the yarn in stock (they sold out right away in August) and we are placing an order with them soon. The yarn, Berroco Dulce, is so soft and fluffy, it’s like baby duck-down! When I assembled the kits yesterday I was both very happy and sad to see them go … it was a beautifully conflicted state, hopefully one you will experience when you finish knitting your Chiara but get to start wearing it!
Chiara PRE-ORDER
Chiara is what the city mouse wore when she went to visit the country. It’s a traditional style colourwork pullover, worked from the top-down, but it’s made with a gorgeous Italian yarn. I like to think of it as “what would happen if Milan and Reykjavik had a baby?”. Rustic meets runway?
When I sampled Berroco’s new fall yarns for 2021 this one, Dulce, was the first I reached for. It’s soft and fuzzy and light and pretty, and I wanted to get my needles into it and see what it could do (see the results below). It has a missoniesque quality that I love, with colours randomly peeping out here and there under a halo of brushed alpaca. I really like that the colours have depth and are a bit mottled (you can see if you take a closer look at the patterns designed in Dulce), but they’ll be consistent, and you DO NOT have to jump though any hoops to avoid colour pooling (my patience for hoops is definitely on the wane).
Anyway, the yarn is lovely, the pattern isn’t too involved (maybe a good foray into stranded colourwork, the yarn will be quite forgiving), and I think you’ll love the finished project, get a lot of compliments on it, and a few requests to make another.
PRE-ORDER NOTE
This yarn is a special PRE-ORDER and we aren’t carrying it or the kits in the store. See below for more details. The yarn mills still aren’t up and running at full capacity, international shipping is still lagging, and it’s going to be another hit-or-miss year in terms of availability from distributors. If you want something in a particular colour I suggest you order early, shipments are already backed up.
These kits are a SPECIAL-ORDER – we aren’t stocking them in the store on a regular basis, but you have the option to order them at 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.
Chiara is what the city mouse wore when she went to visit the country. It’s a traditional style colourwork pullover, worked from the top-down, but it’s made with a gorgeous Italian yarn. I like to think of it as “what would happen if Milan and Reykjavik had a baby?”. Rustic meets runway?
When I sampled Berroco’s new fall yarns for 2021 this one, Dulce, was the first I reached for. It’s soft and fuzzy and light and pretty, and I wanted to get my needles into it and see what it could do (see the results below). It has a missoniesque quality that I love, with colours randomly peeping out here and there under a halo of brushed alpaca. I really like that the colours have depth and are a bit mottled (you can see if you take a closer look at the patterns designed in Dulce), but they’ll be consistent, and you DO NOT have to jump though any hoops to avoid colour pooling (my patience for hoops is definitely on the wane).
Anyway, the yarn is lovely, the pattern isn’t too involved (maybe a good foray into stranded colourwork, the yarn will be quite forgiving), and I think you’ll love the finished project, get a lot of compliments on it, and a few requests to make another.
PRE-ORDER NOTE
This yarn is a special PRE-ORDER and we aren’t carrying it or the kits in the store. See below for more details. The yarn mills still aren’t up and running at full capacity, international shipping is still lagging, and it’s going to be another hit-or-miss year in terms of availability from distributors. If you want something in a particular colour I suggest you order early, shipments are already backed up.
These kits are a SPECIAL-ORDER – we aren’t stocking them in the store on a regular basis, but you have the option to order them at 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.
If you didn’t catch it, Berroco just published a new free pattern, a darling colourwork kids tee made with Berroco Vintage DK. Worked from the top down in one piece, it’s a perfect next step for less experienced knitters who want to expand their skills, or a simple yet effective knit for more advanced knitters. Since it’s knit from the top-down, you can also lengthen the sleeves and make it into a full pullover.
The yarn, Berroco Vintage DK, is soft, machine washable, easy to work with, knits great in stranded colourwork, is long wearing, and is very affordable … ie. great for projects for kids! See below for a couple other yarns that are equally perfect for this project.
Skill Level: Intermediate
For tutorials for stranded/fair isle knitting see our Skills Page under “Colourwork”. For a full online course, check out the fair isle knitting classes on Craftsy, like Tanis Gray’s Fair Isle Fundamentals.
Size
Directions are for children’s sizes 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10.
Remix light is prefect for warm weather or people who can’t tolerate any animal fibre. It it has a slightly tweedy texture which makes it great for stranded knitting and comes in a palette or really pretty colours.
1(2, 2, 2, 2) balls of Main Colour and 1 ball of Contrast Colour
I saw this sweater and felt a jolt of “Yes PLEASE!” Lapponia is a simple round yoke sweater, with easy colourwork from collar to hem. The sweater has a short cropped length and easy, relaxed fit. It’s knit in a fingering weight yarn, which is a nice transitional-season thickness and offers you lots of yarn choices. (If you’re planning on buying this pattern get it now, it’s on sale for the next couple of days.)
Choose a size with approx. 4-8” 10-20 cm of positive ease.
Yarn Options
Lapponia is designed with fingering weight yarn, so you’ve got lots of different options to choose from. All of the yarns below are soft, comfortable, easy to work with, and will look beautiful. Sometimes it’s hard to know what’s the right choice for you, so I’ve tried to break them down:
The Budget Friendliest Option: Cascade Heritage is a staple fingering weight yarn. It’s incredibly soft and easy to work with, and comes in lots of colours (and if we don’t have one we can look into ordering it for you). It mostly comes in solid colours, but also some heathers. 75% superwash merino wool, 25% nylon; 100g/400m (437 yds), machine washable, made in India. $16.97/skein.
You’ll need: 1 skein of CC1 (pink in the sample), 1 skein of CC2 (yellow in the sample), and 2(2, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 4) skeins of MC (turquoise/teal in the sample) of Cascade Heritage.
The Artsiest Option: Artfil Belleis a gorgeous hand-painted yarn from Quebec (it’s both milled and dyed there). It’s super soft and has a lot of body and squish. The dyeing is very painterly; sometimes subtle and other times very vivid. 80% superwash merino wool & 20% nylon; 100g/354m (387 yds), machine washable, made in Canada. $28.97/skein.
You’ll need: You’ll need: 1 skein of CC1, 1 skein of CC2, and 2 (3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 4, 4, 4) skeins of MC of Artfil Belle.
The Knitterly/Eco Option: Fibre Co Amble is a gorgeous fingering weight yarn made with sustainable materials. It’s super soft, squishy, and gorgeous to work with and wear. If you’re a knitterly kind of knitter (some use the term ‘yarn snob’, but I prefer ‘afficiando’), or if you just have an appreciation for gorgeous textiles (previously known as a ‘clothes horse’, I prefer ‘connoisseur’) this yarn will make you very happy. Incidentally, the heathered colours are the result of combining the natural colours of merino wool and alpaca. 70% Easy-wash Merino wool, 20% Easy-wash alpaca, 10% recycled nylon; 100g/325m (355 yds), machine washable, made in Peru. $29.97/skein.
You’ll need: You’ll need: 1 skein of CC1, 1 skein of CC2, and 3 (3, 3, 3, 3, 4, 4, 4, 4) skeins of MC of Fibre Co Amble.
The 100% Natural Option (Budget Friendy): Amano Chaski is a great, all natural fingering weight sock yarn with ZERO synthetic fibres. It’s a soft and extremely comfortable blend of superwash merino, pima cotton and linen. The fibre blend also makes it a great yarn for transitional seasons. Chaskis comes in a selection of soft colours, and is also a budget friendly choice. We’re expecting our first shipment of Chaski this week, but you can place your order now! 60% uperwash merino, 30% pima cotton, 10% linen; 100g/350m (383 yds), machine washable, made in Peru. $20.97/skein.
You’ll need: You’ll need: 1 skein of CC1, 1 skein of CC2, and 2 (3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 4, 4, 4) skeins of MC of Amano Chaski.
The Light as a Feather Option: Fibre Co. Meadow is a super yummy blend of wool, llama, silk and linen, making it a great yarn for shifting seasons. It’s super soft and luxurious, but also has a bit of texture and depth of colour because of the fibre blend (and sometimes the dyeing is fancy too). Meadow technically a heavy lace-weight yarn, which is a bit thinner than what the pattern pattern calls for, so you’ll want to go down to a 3.25mm/US3 needle and possibly make a size larger in the pattern (keep an eye on your tension). The extra yardage on the thinner yarn may also pay off for sizes in the 44″ to 60″ range because you’ll need less of the main colour. The 40% wool, 25% llama, 20% silk, 15% linen; 100g/498m (545 yds), hand wash, made in Peru. $34.97/skein.
You’ll need: 1 skein of CC1, 1 skein of CC2, and 2 (2, 2, 2, 2, 3, 3, 3, 3) skeins of MC of Fibre Co. Meadow.
The Kitchen Sink Option (budget friendly, all Season, no-wool, eco friendly): Berroco Remix Lightis a very light blend of recycled fibres that’s easy and comfortable to wear all year and work with. It has a slightly tweedy texture, which makes it a great wool-free alternative for stranded knitting (the finished projects on Ravelry are AMAZING). Customers are constantly pleasantly surprised by this yarn’s incredible performance – this is a ‘listen to me now, believe me later’ moment. My suggestion is to let go of what you think you believe about synthetic fibres (beliefs aren’t real anyway, they’re just constructs our minds come up with because our pre-frontal cortex likes to concoct narratives and then host story-time over and over and over). Take a leap, close your eyes and knit. I promise it does not look or feel like plastic; those who know me know I can’t stand squeaky yarns (except for making pompoms, squeaky yarns make amazing pompoms) and I would never recommend one without a warning and a good reason. Remix Lightis technically a DK weight, so you should go down a size in the pattern and go up to a 3.75mm/US5 needle. 10% silk, 9% linen, 27% cotton, 30% nylon, 24% acrylic; 100g/400m (432 yds), machine washable, made in France. $15.97/skein.
You’ll need: 1 skein of CC1 (pink in the sample), 1 skein of CC2 (yellow in the sample), and 2(2, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 4) skeins of MC (turquoise/teal in the sample) of Berroco Remix Light.
P.S. Streaming Pic Of the Week
My current streaming pic is the The Great British Baking Show on the CBC Gem app. I’ve been watching seasons 8 & 9, and the finale of season 9 is amazing … I won’t spoil it, but I want to! If you find yourself falling down this particular rabbit-hole I heartily suggest upgrading for your free month of premium service, otherwise the commercials will drive you up the wall (you’ll never be able to look at an avocado again).
The Fibre Company has paired up with several designers this spring for an exhibition of sock-spiration with their new (ish) sock yarn, Amble. All the Amble deets are at the bottom, below the gorgeous sockies, but to sum it up its a super soft and yummy yarn that was designed with as small an environmental footprint possible.
The Fibre Company’s yarns always come with happy energy, when I open a shipment from them it’s like meeting someone new who you know will become a good, lifelong friend. Their corporate tag-line is “Yarn for projects you’re proud of”, but their behind the scenes mantra, what really motivates them, is Sustainability (which is something that I think also takes a lot of integrity).
Anyway, ideals aside, if you want to work with a yarn that’s HAPPY, give Fibre Company Amble a whirl. The patterns below have all been knitted with Amble, and if you bought a copy of 52 Weeks of Socks you’ll definitely want to check in out, it’s ideal for textures, single coloured sock patterns. To help get this awesome yarn into your hands, Fibre Company Amble will be 10% Off from now until the end of the month (the discount will automatically be added in your chart at check-out, so you don’t need to jump through any hoops). Just promise me one thing – don’t delay this particular gratification. Don’t stash it this yarn, get it on your needles and use it NOW! Everyone needs a little boost, and everyone deserves happiness.
Hedera
Hedera by Coraline Kerisit features a delicate lace pattern reminiscent of the shape of leaves. Sample shown in Amble, shade Isel.
Mind Garden
Mind Garden by Yucca has the option for two beautiful patterns on the leg. Samples shown in Amble, shades Buttermere and Scafell Pike.
Wollaton Socks
Wollaton Socks by Emily Joy Rickard features interlinked cables moving into a rib texture across the foot. Sample shown in Amble, shade Windermere.
Mara Socks
Mara Socks by Zsuzsanna Orthodoxou features a lattice stitch and reinforced heel. Sample shown in Amble, shade Buttermere.
One Sock Pattern
To go along with Amble, The Fibre Company has also come out with a universally sized pattern called One Sock, a classic top-down sock pattern to fit all feet. With lots of opportunities to customise the fit and design, this pattern comes with the ‘One Sock Guidebook’, a resource that walks makers through the process of knitting beautiful socks that fit. You can find the pattern HERE. The pattern is written by Kate Atherly, one of the best knitting teachers I’ve ever come across. In my opinion, this pattern is a great deal for someone who is new to sock knitting. I know the pattern is supposed to be the main attraction, but I think the guidebook alone is well worth the cost of admission!
Fibre Company Amble
The Fibre Company Ambleis a soft, beautiful, and eco-friendly sock yarn! It’s super soft, squishy, and gorgeous to work with and wear. The composition is a springy 2ply fingering weight full of body. While it’s perfect for socks, it also makes great hats, mitts, shawls & wraps, sweaters – anything you want to wear against your skin. Plus, what really made me extra happy is that it’s made with environmentally friendly manufacturing processes and uses recycled nylon to further reduce its environmental footprint (read more below).
70% Easy-wash Merino wool, 20% Easy-wash alpaca, 10% recycled nylon (see below for details)
100g/325m (355 yds)
Fingering Weight
32 sts per 10 cm / 4 in
2.5 mm/1.5 US needles
Machine wash on wool cycle or hand wash at 30C / 86F. Dry flat.
Last Week I offered the sweater patterns, and as promised here are some accessories knit with Kelbourne Scout ….
Portage
Portage is a classic-styled cabled toque, made with a classic wool, worked in the round from the bottom up. Simple and elegant, this never goes out of style – plus cables create density in the fabric which helps to keep you warm! It’s also kind of an easy project to choose when you don’t know what to knit, it makes a gorgeous gift or you can keep it for yourself.
Le Massif Scarf is worked in the round, featuring simple but striking geometric patterns. It is bold, stylish, and deliciously warm. This is a great exercise if you want to practice your stranded colourwork.
Size
14″/35cm in circumference
76″/193cm long
Materials
Kelbourne Scout: 3 skeins in main colour, 1 skein in each of 2 contrast colours (shown in 26 Charcoal, 709 Sunflower and 105 Natural)
Compass is a gorgeous cabled cowl designed in the style of traditional aran sweaters (my heart skipped a beat when i found it). The cowl is written for two sizes, depending on how you like to wear your winter neckwear. If you prefer not to work the tubular cast on and bind off, a long tail cast on and binding off in pattern may be used in their place.
Custom Hats, by Kate Atherly, an awesome knitting instructor and designer, is an ebook that has something for every knitter. It’s not a standard pattern book, this is a complete recipe for making your own custom-fit hats, for any head, with any yarn. Just grab a skein and start knitting. With instructions for slouchy and beanie-style hats, and tutorials added for decorative flourishes like different cuff finishes and pom-poms and tassels, this book has everything you’ll ever need to keep everyone in your family warm.
The recipe includes all the instructions and numbers for three styles of hat with three choices of cuff, in 13 gauges and 17 sizes, covering preemies to XL adult heads. And if those don’t cover your needs, the formulas are included so you can calculate your own.
The book steps you through the whole process: from choosing yarn and determining size right through to finishing, with tutorials for all the key knitting techniques – casting on, working in the round, stretchy and decorative bind-offs, even weaving in the ends. There’s a whole chapter with ideas and instructions for customizing the hat with colour, changing up the hem pattern and style, and adding decorative flourishes like pom-poms and tassels.
Don’t worry, a yardage table will help you make sure you’ve got enough yarn: and there’s lots of tips and tricks for what to do if you think you’re going to run out, and how to use up small quantities of yarn leftovers. There’s even information on making hats for the most delicate of heads: premature babies, cancer patients and others losing their hair because of medical treatments. Photo tutorials and guidance on fit and yarn help you make your first hat perfect. For experienced hat knitters, the advice on customization and straightforward but powerful formulas empower you to get designing.
Kelbourne Scout is a classic yarn for the sake of yarn. It’s an unfussy, strong, versatile, heathered wool. Scout is a Dk weight, woolen-spun yarn, so it’s light, airy and springy – perfect for fair isle, cables, or any other technique that requires a bit of definition. Made with 100% Peruvian wool, it’s comfortable to work with and wear (it passes my yarn-o-meter, meaning it’s not as buttery soft as a merino wool, but it isn’t remotely in the itchy or uncomfortable range of fibres).
If you love the projects we’re sharing today but you aren’t a fan of traditional style woolen-spun yarns like Kelbourne Scout (it isn’t itchy, but it also isn’t baby-bum soft), you can substitute the following yarns:
2. If you like knitting with a more traditional yarn, but you find it too itchy for a hat, try lining your hats with a headband sized strip of fleece fabric – it’s also beneficial as it makes the hat warmer!
Because of COVID we had to wait a little extra time for Kelbourne Scout (it was supposed to arrive in August but the Peruvians have been kit hard by the pandemic), but we’re grateful we waited! There were so many inspiring project ideas designed with Scout that we’re breaking them up into two segments – we’ll start with the sweater projects and then move on to the accessories after (hopefully this will give the sweater knitters a chance to scoop up the yarn they need for a larger project).
Kelbourne Woolens Scout
Kelbourne Scout is a classic yarn for the sake of yarn. It’s an unfussy, strong, versatile, heathered wool. Scout is a Dk weight, woolen-spun yarn, so it’s light, airy and springy – perfect for fair isle, cables, or any other technique that requires a bit of definition. Made with 100% Peruvian wool, it’s comfortable to work with and wear (it passes my yarn-o-meter, meaning it’s not as buttery soft as a merino wool, but it isn’t remotely in the itchy or uncomfortable range of fibres).
Sawyer is a great pattern for wearing and knitting. It’s simple, elegant and easy to wear. Sawyer is a great pattern for advanced beginners and intermediate knitters who want to expand their skills and build their confidence – Kelbourne has created little tutorials to help you through (see below).
Sawyer is worked flat in pieces from the bottom up. The lace pattern is provided in both charted and written form. After completing the front and back, stitches are joined at the shoulder using a 3 Needle Bind Off. Stitches are then picked up to work a deep ribbed turtleneck. After completing the shoulder and neck, stitches are picked up at the armholes and sleeves are worked flat in Stockinette stitch to the ribbed cuffs. Two options for sleeves are given in the pattern – pay attention to the schematic and choose the sleeve circumference that best suits your desired finished result. Once completed, the body and sleeves are seamed. Body length can be added easily by adding repeats of the lace pattern. The gauge is given in the lace pattern after blocking. Be sure to knit a blocked gauge swatch prior to beginning.
Size
Bust: 56.75” (144 cm) finished bust, one size.
Sleeves: 13 (17)” 33.5 (43) cm circumference at armhole.
The sleeves are designed to fit with 1–0” (2.5 cm–0 cm) of positive ease. Please see schematic for more detailed finished measurements.
working from charts, visit our Charts Series here.
working the 3 Needle Bind Off, visit our tips and tricks here.
evenly picking up stitches, visit our tips and trickshere.
seaming using mattress stitch, visit our tips and tricks here.
Clawthorpe
Clawthorpe is a simple, pretty fair isle pullover, a great colourwork project for anyone. Clawthorpe is worked in the round from the bottom up. Both the body and sleeves begin with a provisional tubular cast-on, and the neck is finished with a tubular bind-off. After the body and sleeves are joined, raglan decreases are worked to shape the underarms, and short rows are worked to raise the back yoke. When working the yoke, you may find it helpful to change to the longer circular to accommodate the large number of stitches, and then change to the shorter circular when there are too few stitches to fit comfortably on the longer circumference.
Size
34.5 (38.5, 43.25, 47.25, 51.25, 56)” 87.75 (97.75, 110, 120, 130.25, 142.25) cm finished bust. Please see schematic for detailed measurements.
Materials
Kelbourne Scout: Main Colour 4(4, 5, 5, 5, 5), Contrast Colour: 1 skein in each of 4 colours
Rippling Sands was inspired by the lines left behind in the sand at low-tide. The stunning twisted stitch pattern creates an overall wavy stitch pattern (achieved by using Bavarian twisted stitches). The design is a simple boxy, drop shoulder sweater worked in the round from the bottom up. The top portion is worked separately flat with the shoulders seamed together with a three-needle bind off. Afterward the 3/4 sleeves are picked up and worked outward from the body in stockinette stitch.
Size
Size 1 (2, 3) (4, 5, 6)
Bust: 37 (41, 45) (49, 53, 57)” or 94 (104, 114) (124.5, 134.5, 145) cm
Soundtrack is a cool pullover knit with two colours to create a mod graphic design. This sweater is great for anyone who likes mixing tradition & innovation.
Size
Finished Bust/Chest Circumference: 32 (36, 40, 44, 48, 52, 56, 60, 64) in or 80 (90, 100, 110, 120, 130, 140, 150, 160) cm
Stoneham Poncho is worked in the round from the top down using traditional yoke shaping, in simple but bold geometric patterns. It’s a great fair-isle without all the work of sweatering. It’ll also be a very useful garment come the spring when life starts stretching its limbs and restaurant patios reopen.
Size
S/M (M/L)
collar circumference: 51(60) cm or 20.05(24)”
circumference at bottom: 125.5(152.5) cm or 50(61)”
length: 58.5cm or 23″
show in size S/M
Materials
Kelbourne Scout: Main Colour: 3 skeins, Contrast Colours: 1 skein in each of 2 colours.
I love the elegant lines of this tunic length sweater. The lines are simple, but so attractive – the kind of sweater that motivated me to learn how to knit.
The Fibre Company Ambleis a soft, beautiful, and eco-friendly sock yarn! It’s super soft, squishy, and gorgeous to work with and wear. The composition is a springy 2ply fingering weight full of body. While it’s perfect for socks, it also makes great hats, mitts, shawls & wraps, sweaters – anything you want to wear against your skin. Plus, what really made me extra happy is that it’s made with environmentally friendly manufacturing processes and uses recycled nylon to further reduce its environmental footprint (read more below).
70% Easy-wash Merino wool, 20% Easy-wash alpaca, 10% recycled nylon (see below for details)
100g/325m (355 yds)
Fingering Weight
32 sts per 10 cm / 4 in
2.5 mm/1.5 US needles
Machine wash on wool cycle or hand wash at 30C / 86F. Dry flat.
Made in Peru
All about the Yarn
When The Fibre Co. set out to design a sock yarn, they stayed true to their guiding principle of harnessing the beauty that nature provides in a way that is gentle on our planet. They waited until a recycled nylon and an alternative to the standard chlorine processed washable wools became available. The end result is a soft yet durable yarn from Merino wool and alpaca fibres processed with an eco-friendly, anti-shrinkage Easy-wash treatment. The recycled nylon adds strength and durability. The shades are borrowed from the successful palette in their Cumbria yarn with the cream and all heathers using a natural ecru Suri alpaca whilst the others use a natural brown Suri alpaca.
What does ‘Easy-wash’ mean and why do they use it? ‘Easy-wash’ is a trademarked name that refers to a process used to make the wool and alpaca fibres in Amble machine washable without shrinking. The Easy-wash method is chlorine-free and AOX-free, making it the best environmental choice for producing machine-washable wool. The wool and alpaca fibres are treated with eco-friendly oxidants to remove the scales that ordinarily cause wool and alpaca to shrink when washed by machine. The oxidants used are sourced in Germany and are certified under the REACH, Oeko-tex and ZDCH (Zero Discharge of Hazardous Chemical) standards. This means that the Easy-wash treatment does not create hazardous chemicals, which is not the case with most machine washable wools in today’s market.
Much of the available machine washable wool yarn is made with a chlorine treatment process that produces high levels of toxic Adsorbable Organohalogens, known as AOX. While yarns produced in this manner are not known to be toxic to the user, AOX used in the treatment end up in wastewater and have a detrimental impact on tributaries, wildlife, and fauna.
What is recycled nylon and why do they use it? Nylon fibre is not easily biodegradable. However, it has strength qualities that give yarns and the socks made there from more durability. The recycled nylon used in Amble comes from leftover industrial waste of processing nylon, thereby diverting waste from landfills, and using fewer production resources like water and fossil fuels than virgin nylon.
One Sock Pattern
To go along with Amble, The Fibre Company has also come out with a universally sized pattern called One Sock, a classic top-down sock pattern to fit all feet. With lots of opportunities to customise the fit and design, this pattern comes with the ‘One Sock Guidebook’, a resource that walks makers through the process of knitting beautiful socks that fit. You can find the pattern HERE.
The pattern is written by Kate Atherly, one of the best knitting teachers I’ve ever come across. In my opinion, this pattern is a great deal for someone who is new to sock knitting. I know the pattern is supposed to be the main attraction, but I think the guidebook alone is well worth the cost of admission!
Rye Light is a great pattern that leverages a simple texture to make the most of a solid or semi-solid coloured yarn like Amble. It’s a great pattern for beginners, and it comes with it’s own instruction built into the pattern (the designers even wrote a How to Knit Socks Tutorial). It ranges from size Baby up to Adult Large, and best of all, it’s a free pattern.
Amble also makes a great sweater yarn, especially for fair isle. The yarn has a lovely depth of colour, a heathered look which actually comes from the naturals colours of wool and alpaca blended together. It’s a springy two-ply yarn that soft to the touch (no itchies) and a pleasure to work with. I especially like the fair isle sweaters designed by Jennifer Steinglass, but it’ll be gorgeous in any suitable pattern, for adults and children alike.
Solvi starts at the neckline and is worked seamlessly from the top down, and in the round. Short rows shape the back and neckline of this sweater. The colourwork yoke is knit, then the body and sleeves are then separated- stitches for the sleeves are transferred to spare needles or waste yarn and underarm stitches are cast on. The body is worked on one circular needle and finished with a ribbed hem. Sleeve stitches are then transferred to knitting needles, the underarm stitches are picked up, and the sleeve is knit top to bottom, finishing with a long ribbed cuff.
Needle A: US 4 / 3.5 mm DPNs (if desired) or 32” (80 cm) or longer circular needles for magic looping cuff, 16” (40 cm) or 32” (80 cm) or longer circular needles for magic looping (neckline), and 24” (60 cm) or longer circular for hem ribbing.
Needle B: US 5 / 3.75 mm DPNs (if desired) and 32” (80 cm) or longer circular needle for body and magic looping sleeves.
