Category Archives: freebies

BEGINNER PROJECT Toboggan Hat

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Toboggan

There are a lot of new knitters picking up sticks for the first time, so I thought a nice little pattern to get you beyond scarves might serve you well. If you’re already an experience knitter you might want to keep this project in mind for people you end up teaching down the line!

Toboggan is a basic hat knit flat and seamed up the back. It only uses the knit stitch, which I think makes it great for kids as well as adults.

Size

  • Kids L / Adult XS (Adult S/M, Adult L/XL)
  • Circumference (unstretched): 17½ (20½, 23¼)“

Yarn Options

You’ll only need about 100g of yarn for this project, so one ball of any of the following yarns will work:

Needles

Beginners generally do best with straight needles (circular needles tend to get confusing early on). Because you are going to be putting on a bunch of stitches a longer 13″ or 14″ needle is a good idea. (9″/10″ straight needles are my favourite to start people off with, especially for scarves, but for a hat you’re really going to have to jam the stitch on there and it gets uncomfortable).

If you knit tight go up a size to a 6.5mm/US10.5 and if you knit loose consider going down a size to a 5.5mm/US9 needle. (I prefer to knit my hats a little bit tighter on purpose to block out the wind, so I go down).

In general, beginners seem to learn fastest with wood needles: they’re light, easy to use, and they aren’t too slippery (slippery is NOT good for beginners).

Notions

Either will do, they’re basically the same thing, except one is straight and the other has a bent tip.

Accessories

What’s a craft hobby without accessories?! But seriously, a good Pom-Pom *makes* a hat. You can either make your own pompom or buy a real or synthetic fur pompom. Personally, i swear by the Clover brand pom-pom makers (I’ve made A LOT of pom-poms with them). These days, I’m partial to a raccoon fur pom-pom – they’re light and fluffy and the way they bob around makes me happy.

Pattern

I came across Toboggan a few years ago, it was a freebie from Classic Elite Yarns, which unfortunately no longer exists. I’ve found a link for you through the Internet Archive, but be sure to download it and save it in your preferred cloud drive (Google Drive, Dropbox, iCloud, etc) – don’t take your patterns for granted, sometimes the internet lingers and other times things disappear.

The pattern is written in two ways; knitted in the round and knitted flat. Be sure to use the version that suits your skillset. Working in the round will require 16″ circular needles and double pointed needles, but you won’t need to seam it. Working flat uses one pair of straight needles, and it has to be seamed to finish it up.

DOWNLOAD THE PATTERN HERE

Skills & Resources

There are lots of good resources on the web for knitters, it’s really an embarrassment of riches. A few reliable favourites are KnittingHelp.com, VeryPink.com, and Interweave has a great Knitting Glossary. If you want to take a great online class check out Craftsy.

NEW Manos del Uruguay Serpentina

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Manos del Uruguay Serpentina

I came across Manos del Uruguay Serpentina on a distributor’s website while I was browsing through their patterns and BAM! I saw it and thought “What IS that?! WHY is that?! What is THAT??!!!” Pattern after pattern, it knit up so consistently stunningly (plus Manos is an ethical company with a great track record) …. It’s the holidays, and we could all use a little extra cheer this year, so I got some!

Manos del Uruguay Serpentina is a stunning artisanal experience … its both hand dyed and handspun, which automatically makes it both scrumptious and glorious. Gorgeous colours run throughout the yarn at random which enhances its tactile quality. The result is a fabric that is soft and squishy to the touch with plush stitch definition.

  • 100% Merino Wool
  • 100g/120m (131 yds) 
  • Aran to Bulky Weight
  • 15 to 16 sts = 4″/10cm
  • 4.5mm/US7 to 5.5mm/US9 needles
  • Hand wash, lay flat to dry
  • Made in Uruguay

Chimel

A simple toque takes on new dimension with this stunning yarn

Materials

Double Seed Stitch Scarf

Sometimes the simplest is also the most effective. A double seed stitch is just knits and purls. Be sure to keep track of your rows, and if you aren’t a pro at fixing mistakes try inserting a Lifeline every time you complete Row 4.

Materials

Minimalist Hat

Keep it simple – this hat pattern is actually a great little go to – it’s written for 4 thicknesses of yarn (DK, worsted, aran & chunky).

Materials

Shoulder Cozy

This shoulder cozy (or capelet) is soft, light, airy, and oh so cozy! Wear it over your shoulders or around your neck as a cowl.

Pattern Notes

Don’t be tempted to work another cast-on method here. You really do want the stretch of the e-loop around the bottom where it will hit both your bust and your arms. At the same time, don’t work a traditional bind-off on this piece. Follow our instructions and work it loosely. If you have to, pull it out and try again. You’re after a relaxed, stretchy neck edge so that you can style the finished piece in a variety of ways.

Size

  • Without cowl: Approx. 9 ( 11, 16, 18)”/ 23 (28, 41, 46)cm long when laid flat, after blocking.
  • With cowl: Approx. 13 1/2 (16 1/2, 24, 26)”/34 (42, 61, 66 )cm long when laid flat, after blocking.
  • To fit 4-7 year old (8-12 year old, Adult S/M, Adult L/XL).
  • Instructions are given for 4-7 year old size, with larger sizes in parentheses ().
  • Shown in Adult S/M with cowl. We knit this Shoulder Cozy in Color 1562, which is no

Materials

Hanmora

Colour and texture come alive in a basic hat

Materials

PROJECT Midsommar Shawl

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Midsommar Shawl

I’ve been looking for something quick-ish but also with some interest to make with Berroco Estiva and I was so happy to come across the FREE Midsommar Shawl! It’s knit on 6mm/US10 needles, so you’ll be able to finish it and wear it out by the time social distancing is a distant memory.

The Pattern

The pattern is pretty straightforward, and it is broken down line-by-line (I especially like this for newish knitters, it makes it easier to read and follow the pattern). For the more experienced, it can still be an asset, as it’s a lot less likely you’ll forget where you were if you’re ticking off each row on the pattern as you go.For those with dyslexia or ADHD, it’s a treasure!

The Yarn

Berroco Estiva is a soft, 100% cotton tape yarn that knits on a 6mm/US10 to 8mm/US11 needles. It’s already knitted, so it isn’t heavy or bulky and there’s no splitting when you work with it. It’s also machine washable, so no shrinkage. Last year we used it for several projects (including a forthcoming pattern I’ve yet to finish) and it’s a keeper. They came out with some brighter colours this year, which I think is really needed right now (although they still have the more muted colours too).

Materials

Blanket Projects For Extended Stays Inside

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I’m sorry it’s been a week, I’ve been acclimatizing myself to the changes that have sort of swept into our lives. I know life has slowed down and gotten a little smaller for a lot of you and you’ve finally got time to MAKE things! I think this is an excellent time to take on a large project. Many people have been buying yarn to make throws and afghans. Plus spring is in the air and it’s time for colour! All of the patterns below are FREE and available online.

The store is open for shipping and curbside pick-up, and you can shop online, by email, facebook messenger, and phone. Pick-up is available Monday to Saturday 12 to 5 pm.

Colourful Crochet for Spring

I’ve always liked the free crochet blanket patterns by Attic24, she’s having a love affair with colour! The patterns. are usually straightforward and make use of lots of different colours. They are designed with a DK weight yarn like Berroco Vintage DK, but if you want to move into a broader colour selection you can easily upsize to Berroco Vintage or Cascade 220 Superwash. If you choose to use the latter two yarn options I recommend going up to a 4.5mm/7 hook. One note: Attic24 is British and therefore written in British crochet terms – here’s a glossary to convert them to the North American vernacular.

Blankets for Beginner Knitters

Purl Soho always comes up with stylish beginner friendly throws.

Log Cabin & Basic Garter, Top row:

Bias Blankets: Bottom Row:

These two blankets are worked on the bias (the diagonal) so you can use any thickness of yarn you like, just be sure to adjust your needle size to suit the yarn. For basic machine washable yarns go for Berroco Vintage or Cascade 220 Superwash, if you want something thicker that goes faster try Berroco Vintage Chunky, or hold two strands of Drops Air (use 7mm/US10.75 to 8mm/US11 needles). The Drops Air is also stunning held single and would be a joy to work with and snuggle under! If you’re interested in a thinner fabric and a summer weight yarn I’d go for BC Garn Bio Balance, Cascade Ultra Pima, or the super luxe Fibre Company Road to China Light.

Cable Blanket

I’ve seen this blanket knitted up several times and I promise you, it’s STUNNING, you won’t regret it. Make it with Berroco Vintage Chunky (15 skeins) – I especially like the neutrals and heathered colours. (Because this pattern uses so much yarn in a single colour we may need to place a special order with our distributor to make sure you get the same dye-lot)

Greenway

I love this simple crochet blanket in muted tones. Use Berroco Vintage or Cascade 220 Superwash, both are great options!

Cedar River Blanket

I love the contrast between crisp white and bold, graphic colours in this blanket. I also love that this pattern comes in different sizes:

  • Small Throw (Large Throw, Single Bed, Double Bed)
  • 110 x 110cm (110 x 165cm, 165 x 215cm, 215 x 260cm)

Use Berroco Vintage DK in colours:

  • 2100 Snow Day or 2101 Mochi (white/off white): 3(5, 9, 15)
  • 2143 Dark Denim (navy): 1(1, 2, 4)
  • 2123 Blush (pink): 1(1, 2, 3)
  • 2192 Chana Dal (yellow): 1(1, 2, 4)
  • 2132 Sky Blue: 1(1, 2, 3)

If you want to change up the colours or go a bit thicker and try Berroco Vintage or Cascade 220 Superwash (their yellows are closer) and a 4.5mm crochet hook.

Fibre Co Road to China Light

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On The C Train

Finally a moment to myself … this project is LONG overdue for blogging, I apologize to you and to it! It’s an On the C Train that I made for my new beau … his first knitted gift. It didn’t really fit him, he turned out to have a surprisingly large head and required more slouch … this is why people date, you need to learn about each other (hat size being crucial for a knitter).

Fit notwithstanding, it came out beautifully! I used Fibre Company Road to China Light and held two strands together, so it is nice and dense and warm. The yarn is OMG WTF DROOL!!! It’s a blend of cashmere, silk, camel and baby alpaca, and it’s totally to die for. I made the hat, but I still hadn’t had enough of it for I made a cowl (below) and after that I cast on for a sweater (still in the works). I was also thinking about making a wrap with it, maybe a Night Shift.

Materials

Pashmina Cowl

My second project with Fibre Company Road to China Light … a Pashmina Cowl. I found the pattern in one of my favourite older books Last Minute Knitted Gifts, which can be accessed digitally though the public library. The pattern is so dead easy anybody can do it, it’s very beginner friendly. Check out my project notes on Ravelry for direction. I like it because it’s all about the yarn, which kind of deserves a party thrown in it’s honour.

Size

  • 17″ long x 11″ wide (after blocking)
  • fit is loose & casual

Materials

Fibre Company Road to China Light

Fibre Company Road to China Light is the sexiest yarn I’ve ever come across. Seriously, it’s ambrosia! Some clever person thought to combine cashmere, silk, camel and baby alpaca and it feels like … joy and gratitude and unconditional love. This yarn is seriously stashable, but even more knittable! Two skeins makes a Cowl (see above).

  • 10% cashmere, 15% silk, 10% camel, 65% baby alpaca
  • 50g/145m (159yds)
  • 3.25mm/US3 to 3.5mm/US4 needles
  • 24 to 26 sts = 4″/10cm
  • ​Sport weight
  • Hand wash, lay flat to dry
  • Made in the UK
  • See other peoples Projects
  • See pattern ideas

PROJECT Barbara Cowl

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Barbara

Please forgive me for falling behind, I’m still catching up on my blogging (and knitting, and other things) … why does December have to consume such a large part of January? Anyway, I wanted to show you another success story, the Barbara cowl.

It’s a simple knit, and a free pattern, and makes for a nice splash of colour mid-way through winter. We used 2 skeins of Malabrigo Rios in colour 96 Sunset (I thought it would nice and sunny looking forward to spring, like Pantone colour Saffron), but any worsted weight yarn will do.

Mods

Barbara is knit lengthwise like a scarf and then seamed, so it isn’t particularly technically advanced. You can seam it into a regular loop or a mobius loop, whatever tickles your fancy. If you wanted to turn it into a scarf I’d work about 1.5″ in K1P1 rib at each end to give it a nice finish.

Materials

Other Yarns

Barbara would of course look great in other yarns … I can see a nice fluffy version made with Drops Air (3 skeins). Something classic in a heathered colour would be great made with Cascade 220 Superwash (2 skeins/5mm-US8 needles) – a great knit for anyone who likes things simple. Personally, I’m really into Fibre Co. Road to China Light right now, I can see it making a super sexy accessory I’d never want to take off (3 skeins/4mm-US6 needles) … oh god, please help me, I think I just fell down a rabbit hole …. I’ll tell you about my progress with Road to China Light in my next post!

FINISHED Two Hats (Beloved & Antler)

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With the holidays coming up I’m going to try to focus on smaller projects that make great gifts (hats, cowls, scarves, slippers, sockies, mitts, leg-warmers, etc). What are you making for the holidays this year? I received a reprieve this year, only one hand knit required, so I’m developing my self-love and making myself some new leg-warmers and a new sweater made with the new Fibre Co. Cumbria. I’m looking forward to sharing that project with you, the results so far are great – I’ve gone off-book and am trying a new experiential experiment with it, fingers crossed!

Beloved

I was originally thinking of using a sightly heavier yarn for this, some Cascade Eco+ Merino that was leftover from our Felix Pullover, but I kind of wanted to experiment and see what the hat would be like with Drops Air, a lighter, airier yarn. I think it made for a really nice fall hat or something for people who have a lot of hair. Now that I’m sitting down and giving it another thought, I’m having a “what were you thinking?!” moment and realize that it would look sensational made with the Malabrigo Mecha (smack forehead). Thankfully, there’s always another hat on the horizon! It would be interesting to make the same hat over & over in different yarns and see how they turn out …. maybe that will happen some day, when I’m no longer a person with a DaVinci-esque attention span (he was notorious for not finishing his work, once DaVinci solved a puzzle he lost interest and moved on).

Notes

If you mke a pompom for this hat, don’t kill yourself making it dense. I did, I got all perfectionisty and packed it tightly, which made it look smooth and dense. Unfortuantely, this made it smooth and dense. This hat looks great with a “hand-made” looking pompom, and light and airy is definitely better. If you like a tight pompom, go for a smaller size pompom maker, like the yellow one from clover.

Design Hack: Want a quick pick-me-up for a dull hat? Add a fur pom-pom or a hand made pompom in a contrasting colour!

Materials

Antler

Another experiment with Drops Air, Antler turned out super light and cozy. Like, super-duper light and cozy. I just tried it on, and it’s so cozy that I’d kinda like to crawl into a matching onesie made with the same yarn … that would be quite a sight, quite possibly the ultimate in ‘cocooning’ (something to think about for halloween next year). I’ve completely lost my train of thought … that’s how cozy it feels!!! Oh yeah, wear it with your Infinitude cowl, you’ll never want to take your outerwear off.

Notes

We made the brim of our hat short so it can be worn like a slouch, but it was designed with more ribbing and you can take it either way, depending on what looks nice on you.

Materials

  • 1 skein Drops Air
  • 4mm/US6 – 16″ circular needles
  • 5mm/US8 – 16″ circular needles
  • 5mm/US8 double pointed needles
  • cable needle/hook
  • tapestry/darning needle
  • FREE Pattern

NEW Free Pattern Slouchy Angora Hat

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Slouchy Angora Hat

This is a pattern I came up with YEARS ago, but I don’t seem to have ever published it to Ravelry. I came across this utterly DIVINE yarn, Phildar Pur Angora, and I had to buy it, and then of course had to make something with it … so the old Slouchy Angora Hat pattern came out. I’ve re-edited and made some updates to the pattern.

The hat is a basic, slouchy toque. You can wear it with the brim turned up and wear it as a watch-cap, down and slouchy, or turn the brim under and wear it as a beanie. It’s pure angora, it does all the work! It is knit with 2 strands held together, in our sample we used one strand of black and one of the lighter grey, Perle, to create a marled effect. If that feels a little busy for you try using two strands of the same colour and make it a dense and delicious colour.

The yarn is just so gorgeous and precious! I hold it and I’m like “Oh hello you beautiful thing!”, and then I start talking to it like it’s a baby with the fattest thighs I’ve ever seen. I like using different kinds of yarns, and once in a while using something and precious special REMINDS me that I’m special and precious (it seems like the further we get from that yummy baby fat the less we receive that kind of honour, so I undertake it myself).

Please note … I am currently wearing the hat (brim turned under) and I’m not sure if it is influencing my writing, but I think that if it *is* inspiring me to love myself and treat myself well then it qualifies as an EXTRA-successful project, regardless of any of it’s other properties. Thanks to Erika for making the sample, it’s my new thinking cap!

Brim turned under

Size

  • S(M, L)
  • Finished Circumference: 17(19, 20.5)”
  • To approximately fit head circumference: 21(22, 23)”

Materials

  • (2, 2) Phildar Pur Angora (25g,109m/123yds, 100% Angora)
  • 4.5mm/US7 (5mm/US8, 5mm/US8)-16” circular needles
  • 4.5mm/US7 (5mm/US8, 5mm/US8) double pointed needles
  • Darning/Tapestry Needle
  • 1 stitch marker
  • FREE Pattern

Conclusions & A Question

I’m definitely going to have to make a little beret and maybe a matching neck thing with this yarn!

I also have an open ended mindfullness question for those of you who practice such things …. if you work on a project, and the entire time you are making it you intentionally think of about how precious you are (or whatever you choose), will you feel those emotions every time you wear the finished garment? Has anyone ever tried this? What would you call the practice? How did it turn out? …. It’s pretty clear to me at this point that I’m going to have to try it and share. 🙂

NEW PATTERN Handspun Art Yarn Cowl

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Handspun Art Yarn Cowl

The first thing people say when they see Studioloo Handspun Art Yarn is “What do you make with it?” The quantities are generous and the yarn generally does all the work, but there is still room to play around. I like the idea of using an art yarn as a launch-pad and expanding on the aesthetic with a different texture, colour, or both. This is also a great way to make the most of handspun yarn if you only have a small amount, or you definitely don’t have enough for a full scarf or cowl.

With this pattern I’ve started with a skein of Studioloo Handspun Art Yarn, knitted it in a simple garter stitch, which really makes the different colours and textures in the yarn pop. Then I finished the project with a contrasting commercial yarn (Cascade Spuntaneous) with a slightly different tension and stitch pattern (K2P2 rib). I decided to keep the colour between the two yarns consistent (beige) for the sake of simplicity, but I normally like a little contrast (I was thinking or cream or even navy blue as alternate choices). Both yarns are a single ply, but the Cascade Spuntaneous is thicker and loftier, and knits on larger needles.

Skill Level: Beginner

Size: 33” long x 6” wide (lying flat)

Materials

FINISHED Infinitude ‘Scarf’ Cowl

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Infinitude ‘Scarf’ Cowl

I really love how this project came out! It’s soft, airy, light, cozy, and with the pattern being free and the yarn only costing $20, it’s a pretty cost effective knit too! If you’re starting to think about holiday gift to knit, this is a great go-to project.

The pattern is called a scarf, but I don’t know why because it’s actually a cowl. We made the smaller size and in the yarn we used (Drops Air) it can be worn either once or twice around the neck. I also found that the “twice around” brings the ‘full goldilocks’ – it isn’t too big or too small, it’s just right (in my mind, that means it doesn’t gape, letting cold air in). If your finished project looks small just wet-block it, mine stretched from 20″ x 10″ to 24″ x 9″.

The Pattern

The pattern, Infinitude Scarf, is a simple little thing that combines knits and purls in the easiest way. The skills are pretty simple: casting on, working in the round, using a knit & purl stitch in the same row, and binding off. We made the smaller size, but had extra yarn so just kept going in the welt pattern by adding an extra 3 pattern repeats (so we did “Knit 
4 
rnds,
 purl
 4 
rnds” a total of 6 times).

The Yarn

We used two skeins of Drops Air, a new yarn for us this year. It’s a super light and airy alpaca that knits easily and looks great! It’s a ‘blown’ yarn, which means it consists of a loosely knit chain core made of polyamide and then the Alpaca is literally blown into and through this core, coating it in a delightful halo of the softest alpaca. The result is an extra depth of colour because you can see a bit of the core through the translucent outer layer. Drops Air comes in both heathered and solid colours, but I think the heathers are extra pretty, with that extra dimension of colour added. Did I mention that it’s also super soft? Yeah, it’s crazy soft, it totally passes the neck test. Drops Air comes in a bunch of colours, made in Peru and the European Union, and it only costs $9.97 a skein.

Materials

The Final Assessment

This project was a WIN. Pattern: Good. Yarn: Goooood. Finished Product: Great!

P.S. the SWEATER in the pictures is Paprika, make with Drops Brushed Alpaca and Silk, and the details are HERE.