Category Archives: gift projects

PROJECT Hipster

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This book has absolutely nothing to do with the hat, it’s just something I’m reading.

Hipster

What can you do with one 50g skein of really nice yarn? You can make a really nice beanie! Hipster is a great little pattern from Tin Can Knits that spans sizes from baby to adult large and can be used with either DK or Aran weight yarn (for this project we went with the former). For any size, you only need 1 skein of delicious Fibre Co Acadia. Acadia has a slightly rustic look, but don’t be fooled, it’s made with 100% sexy stuff: Silk Noil, Baby Alpaca, and Merino Wool. Think of it as a city dweller’s fantasy of what they want rustic to be (which really couldn’t be further from the reality, but we humans love our theatre).

Bird crashed the photo shoot
The colour is closer to being accurate on the white background

This project and yarn combo are excellent gift territory – nobody doesn’t need a little hat when it’s chilly, and the end result will be gorgeous, no matter what! The finished hat is also reversible – the neat decrease detail in the crown looks amazing on both sides. If you prefer the fisherman look over the hipster, you can add a turned-up brim by making the ribbing longer, but remember to get a second skein of Acadia (one skein should still be fine for a baby size).

The crown decreases from both sides of the fabric

I always like recommending patterns by Tin Can Knits; their patterns are easy to follow, they work, the sizing usually covers all ages, and when I’ve contacted them and asked them questions they were really kind and helpful. So basically, if you are one of those people who are resistant to paying for patterns, I feel like the ones by Tin Can Knits have a lot of value and I think you get a lot for what you’re paying for. Plus they’re Canadian, eh!

Photo: Tin Can Knits

Size

  • To Fit: Baby (Child, Small Adult, Medium Adult, Large Adult)
  • Head circumference: 16” (18”, 20”, 21”, 22”)

Materials

Photo: Tin Can Knits

One Sweater DK

The Fibre Co has put out a series of One Sweater patterns that run from baby to adult sizes. The company owner & founder, Daphne, is wearing their One Sweater DK in
Fibre Co Acadia colour Royal Tern. I think the colour is absolutely smashing!

Size

  • To Fit Chest: 48-51 [53-58: 58-63: 63-68: 68-71: 71-76: 78-81: 86-91: 97-102: 107-112: 117-122: 127-132: 137-142: 147-152: 157-162] cm (19-20 [21-23: 23-25: 25-27: 27-28: 28-30: 30-32: 34-36: 38-40: 42-44: 46-48: 50-52: 54-56: 58-60: 62-64] in)
  • Chest Circ: 57 (65: 68.5: 72: 76: 80: 84: 95: 106.5: 118: 126: 133 145: 156: 167.5) cm (22.75 (26: 27.5: 29: 30.5: 32: 33.5: 38: 42.75: 47.25: 50.25: 53.25: 58: 61.5: 66) in)
  • Total Length (Shorter): 33 (40.5: 43: 46: 49: 55: 61: 61: 61: 62.5: 62.5: 65: 65: 66.5: 67.5) cm (13 (16: 17: 18: 19.5: 21.5: 24: 24: 24: 24.5: 24.5: 25.5: 25.5: 26: 26.5) in)
  • Total Length – Longer (at shoulder): – ( -: -: -: -: -: 66: 67: 68: 70.5: 70.5: 76: 77: 78.5: 80.5) cm (- -(: -: -: -: -: 26: 26.5: 26.5: 27.5: 27.5: 30: 30.5: 30.5: 31.5) in)
  • Upper Arm Circ: 24.5 (28.5: 29.5: 31.5: 32: 34: 36: 38: 39: 44: 47.5: 49.5: 52: 54: 56) cm (10 (11.5: 11.75: 12.5: 13: 13.75: 14.5: 15.25: 15.5: 17.5: 19: 19.75: 21: 21.75: 22.5) in)

Materials

Bird crashed the photo shoot

NEW Colour Flow

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Holiday Gift Parade

It’s chilly outside today, which means it is time for me to start reminding about knitting for the holidays. You’ve got about 2 months until Christmas, Kwanzaa and Yule, if you’re Eastern Orthodox you get an extra few weeks, but Hannukah is REALLY early this year (Nov 28th!). I’ll try to keep throwing in the interesting stuff, abut the project suggestions are shifting into small achievable goals. Let the parade of giftable projects roll!

Stay tuned for:

  • Hats & Headbands
  • Mitts
  • Scarves & Infinity Scarves
  • Cowls
  • Legwarmers
  • Wraps & Shoulder cozies
  • Slippers & Slipper-socks
  • Holiday decor
  • Fast blankets & throws

SEE OUR PAST GIFT PROJECT IDEAS

NEW Estelle Colour Flow

For a few years clients have been telling me they LOVE the soft, airy look and texture of blown yarns like Drops Air, but does it come in something more colourful? Well, this fall one of our distributors introduced something just of the sort, so if you like Drops Air, then Estelle Colour Flow is for you!

Estelle Colour Flow is a super-soft yarn with lots of fun! It’s made with merino wool that is literally blown into a nylon core, making it super light and airy, like knitting with a cloud (without the precipitation). The colour changes all by itself, making it an entertaining and pretty knit. It’s a bulky weight, so it will knit up reasonably quickly on 6mm/US10 needles. Colour Flow is knits really well with other fuzzy yarns (see below for more on this). NOTE: this yarn is feltable, so it must be hand washed.

SEE PROJECT IDEAS FOR THIS YARN

  • 80% Merino Wool (exterior), 20% Nylon (core)
  • 50g/125m
  • Bulky Weight
  • 6mm/US10 needles
  • 14 sts = 4″/10cm
  • Hand wash, lay flat to dry
  • Made in Italy

NOTE: if you love one of the pattern suggestions linked above, but you want to use a solid coloured yarn, try Illimani Amelie, it’s a perfect fit!

How Much Will I Need?

  • Hat: 1 skein
  • Cowl/Snood: 1 to 2 skeins
  • Scarf or Infinity Scarf: 2 to 3 skeins (4 if you want it really big)
  • Legwarmers: 2 to 3 skeins
  • Shawl/Wrap: 4 to 5 skeins
  • Blanket: 10+ skeins

Colour Flow Free Hat Pattern

When you purchase this yarn you’ll automatically receive an email with a link to download a free copy of the Colour Flow Slouchy Hat Pattern (above).

Materials

Mobius Cowl (in progress)

It gets a bit busy around here in the fall (which is awesome, no complaints), so here’s a pic of our first solo project, a Mobius Cowl. Scarves, cowls and wraps knit LENGTHWISE will look amazing with this yarn, the colour gradation in the yarn will do all the work! The pattern is an oldie – you can’t beat a classic.

Mods

  • Use 6mm/US10 needles (36″ or longer)
  • Cast on 174 sts
  • Reduce each garter section by 1 round for each group (5 rounds becomes 4, 6 rounds becomes 5)
  • If you are a new knitter and can’t deal with the mobius cast-on, just use a regular cast on and make it without the twist.

Materials

Estelle Colour Flow combined with Drops Air: both strands knit together on 9mm/US13 needles

Yarn Combining

Yarn combining has become a ‘thing’, and I’m glad it has, because it makes textiles that much more fun and interesting! I’ve embarked on a little experimentation, and found that Estelle Colour Flow works up beautifully held with other fluffy yarns:

Colour Flow & Drops Air 

1 stand of Estelle Colour Flow + 1 strand of Drops Air on 9mm/US13 needles =.12 sts & 16 rows/4″ (10cm). The combination, besides knitting up nice & quick, is deliciously soft and squishy. The fabric is still light, but they have a bit more body than if you worked with them on their own.    (colours: Colour Flow 42205 River Rock & Drops Air 05 Brown Mix.

SEE PROJECT IDEAS FOR COLOUR FLOW & AIR COMBINED

If you’re interested in experimentation I recommend combining it with either Drops Air or Drops Brushed Alpaca & Silk to keep everything super-soft and yummy.

A closeup of Estelle Colour Flow combined with Drops Air: both strands knit together on 9mm/US13 needles

I can’t say I’m in love with the colour combo I chose above (it works, but I find it a little depressing, the brown is sort of stealing the colour’s ‘life’), but I’d like to give it another shot holding the Colour Flow with a light grey, light beige or cream coloured yarn. I’ll try the fun skein below (colour 42204 Pinata) – it became unruly so I threw it on the winder and yowza it looks purty!

Estelle Colour Flow wound up on a machine: colour 42204 Pinata
Bird escaping light-box

I tried getting Gru into the game, but he was having none of it (and I was out of treats). This is what birds look like right before they take-off.

NEW & RESTOCKED Kits from Fleece Artist & Handmaiden

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RESTOCKED Gradient Wrap Kits

Soft and luxurious, Cashbah 5 Ply is a wonderful DK weight yarn made with cashmere and merino! These gradient sets transition from one skein to another naturally, and have an amazing depth to their colours. These kits make a great little travel project or a gift. See finished projects on Ravelry. Each kit comes with 2 patterns, one is great for beginner knitters and the other for intermediate knitters. 

NOTE: Each kit is individually dyed and unique. No two kits will be the same.

Skill Level: Beginner to Intermediate

  • Each skein is 82m(87 yards)/50g (80% merino, 10% Cashmere, 10% Nylon).
  • Made in Canada.
  • Each kit is individually dyed, no two are exactly alike, images may vary a bit.
  • The project requires 5mm/U8-29″ circular needles (or longer, not included in kit).

Kit Contains

NEW Fleece Artist Bluenoser Mitten Kits

Welcome to an authentic East-coast mitten experience! The Fleece Artist Bluenoser Mitten Kit is designed with Fleece Artist Wonder Woolen, a 100% regionally sourced wool (25 Micron, Woolen Spun) a hearty and sturdy yarn that will wear harder, last longer, and keep you warmer. Made in Nova Scotia, Canada. The main colour is the background colour (the first colour listed/larger skein), the contrast colour is the flecks & stripes (the second colour listed/smaller skein).

NOTE: Each kit is individually dyed and unique. No two kits will be the same.

Skill Level: Intermediate

Kit Includes:

  • Fleece Artist Wonder Woolen yarn in 2 colours: MC – 113g, CC 56g
  • Pattern

Kit DOES NOT Include:

  • 4.5mm/US7 double pointed needles
  • Tapestry needle

NEW Fleece Artist Flouf Headband Kits

This one-skein wonder is our new favourite! A single cable headband knit using Fleece Artist Flouf (a new super soft and lofty 100% merino wool) on an 8mm needle. It can be knit in a day (or evening) and makes for great gifts knit up or as a kit! This kit is very friendly for newer knitters.

NOTE: Each kit is individually dyed and unique. No two kits will be the same.

Skill Level: Intermediate-Beginner


Kit Includes

  • Pattern  
  • 1 skein of Fleece Artist Flouf (bulky weight, 100% super soft, merino wool)

Kit DOES NOT Include

  • 8mm/US11 needles (straight or circular)
  • tapestry needle

RESTOCKED Fleece Artist Merino Thrum Mitten Kit

These mitten kits are super popular around here and always fly off the shelf! Thrumming is a very old technique that is seriously fun and functional. Small tufts of roving (wool that hasn’t been spun into yarn yet) are knit into the garment creating a fuzzy warm layer on the inside and irresistible dots of colour the outside. As you wear them, the thrummed roving felts down, keeping your hands warm and cozy (take note dog owners, these are ideal winter dog walking mitts). The mittens will be the colour of the yarn and the thrums (roving) will peek through. This kit can also be used to make Thrummed Socks (great as house-socks or slippers)! Each kit is individually hand dyed, no two will be exactly alike. 

NOTE: Each kit is individually dyed and unique. No two kits will be the same.

Skill Level: Advanced-Beginner (after a regular pair of mitts)

Kit Includes:

  • Pattern & instructions  (or you can download them free HERE)
  • Yarn: Fleece Artist Fleece Artist Chinook, 125g (super soft, 100% superwash merino wool)
  • Roving: 60g (100% super soft merino wool) 
  • Sizes included: Adult S, M, L, XL

Kit DOES NOT Include: 

  • 3.5mm/US4 double pointed needles
  • 4mm/US6 double pointed needles

RESTOCKED Handmaiden Maiden Hair

Handmaiden Maiden Hair is one of my all-time favourite yarns, and we just received some new stock, so it’s time for it to shine! I personally like the semi-solid colours, but the multis are super popular around the store. Two skeins make the Cottage Wrap (above), one makes a Quaker Yarn Stretcher (below).

The Cottage Wrap combines two fundamentals of knitting to create a reversible, welted texture: stocking stitch and reverse stocking. It is knitted on the bias, increasing in width as you go, so you can make it any size you like and use any tension of yarn you like – it’s a great stash-buster! The pattern may look long and complicated, but it isn’t, it’s just written with detail for inexperienced knitters and people with short attention spans. The pattern repeat is long, so a chart is included to guide you and help you keep track of where you are in the pattern. You can use any yarn you like, which makes it a great stash buster (see amounts below).

Skill Level: Intermediate to Advanced-Beginner

Red Wrap

Blue Wrap

Skill Level: Intermediate to Advanced-Beginner

NEW Pumpkin Beanie Kit

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Pumpkin Beanie Kits

Our local knitting guild, The Needlework Guild of Canada, very graciously invited me to attend their first Knit in the Park, so I whipped up a little kit for them, a Pumpkin Beanie. I figured it’s timely, what with harvest season approaching. Plus, there is no child ever who isn’t ADORABLE in a pumpkin hat. Since our guild knits for charity I wanted it to be something that was gender neutral, and makes a great gift for anyone. I sized the hat from preemie to kids of all ages, and you should be able to get 2 pumpkin hats out of one kit (and probably a third green hat too). The yarn is the ever soft and Berroco Vintage, but if you want to upgrade go for the combo I assembled with Malabrigo Rios.

You can purchase the pattern separately HERE.

Skill Level: Advanced Beginner

We wanted the skill level to be accessible to knitters in the beginner spectrum, so there isn’t any colourwork or charts, you just need the following skills:

  • Read a knitting pattern
  • Cast on & Bind off
  • Knit & Purl in the same row
  • Work in the round on circular & double pointed needles
  • Weave in ends

See our curated list of knitting skills for tutorials

Not sure how to make the fancy knot at the top? No problemo, there’s a link in the pattern to a little video that shows how it’s done!

Size

  • preemie (0-6 mos, 6-18mos, 18mos-4yrs, 4yrs-adult S)
  • To fit head circumference: 14.5(16.75, 18, 20.5, 21.5)” or 36(42, 45, 51, 54) cm
  • Note: Fabric is stretchy. If you want a tighter fit go down a needle size
  • Photo is size 0-6mos: after blocking it measures 7.75″ wide

Gauge

  • 20 sts & 26 rounds = 4”/10cm with 4.5mm/US7 circular needles after blocking

Kit Includes

  • Berroco Vintage (or Malabrigo Rios): 1 skein in each of 2 colours. Our sample is made with Vintage (MC) 5176 Pumpkin & (CC) 51174 Spruce.
  • Pattern (PDF & printed)
  • one kit is enough yarn to make at least 2 pumpkin hats, with lots of green leftover to make another hat. 

Kit Does Not Include

RESTOCK Malabrigo Rios

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Malabrigo Rios

We just received a big restock or Malabrigo Rios (and are expecting more to come in in a couple of weeks). There have been so many constraints over the last year, finally being able to get a decent re-stock feels so good!

Should not already be familiar with this wonderful yarn, Malabrigo Rios is a super-duper soft, machine washable yarn made from 100% merino wool. It’s hand dyed for subtle variations, and is great for anyone and any project except felting (it will not felt). Rios is specially suitable for babies, kids (it makes great hats, sweaters, blankets, etc). The dyeing tends to have a watercolour effect and it always seems to knit up even more beautiful than in the skein. The base yarn is silky soft and springy with lots of body. Whenever I can I like to use it for projects I make for my niece and nephew (sometimes the colours don’t fit their very specific requests).

  • 100% Machine Washable Merino Wool (superwash)
  • 100g/192m (200 yds)
  • Aran weight
  • 18 sts & 24 rows = 4″/10cm
  • 5mm/US8 needles
  • Made in Uruguay
  • Pattern Ideas

A Note on Working with Hand-Dyes

Because this yarn is hand-dyed no two skeins are alike (for the multi-colours different skeins within the same bag can look different). We always try to match the skeins as closely as possible when we send them out. To get the most consistent colour distribution possible, it is always suggested with hand-dyed yarns that you work with two balls and alternate them every couple of rows. Here’s a Video to help you with this.

Photo: Angeldogknitter on Ravelry.com

Flax

Make. All. The Sweaters. Malabrigo Rios has been used 889 times on Ravelry to make Tin Can Knit’s FREE pattern, Flax. Flax is an all-size design (but it’s limited exclusively to humans; canine, feline, avian, and reptilian sizes are note included) and will fit babies to the largest primate (you may need to make modifications if you’re knitting for one of our cousins on the evolutionary tree … and good luck getting a sweater on a gorilla outside of Photoshop).

Your needle sizes and yardage amount will vary based on the size you’re making, so I won’t list them here, but they’re basically:

Photo: annypurls on Ravelry.com

Rye

Malabrigo Rios has been use 539 times to make this particular pair of socks, Rye. Rye is a great pattern for new sock knitters, it includes how-to instructions, and a full size range from baby to Adult L. Whether you’ve retreats the the cottage, your back-yard or the public park, socks are a great small project that travels extremely well and makes for a very impressive holiday gift.

BTW – getting your winter gifts done over the summer is the absolutely most satisfying feeling you’ll ever experience. It involves a little delayed satisfaction, but come October you’ll be extremely pleased with yourself, especially when you get the itch to make something nice for yourself and you find that you can!

Size

  • Baby (Toddler, Child, Adult S, M, L)
  • Finished Cuff (unstretched): 5 (5.75, 6.5, 7.25, 8, 8.75)” around
  • Finished Leg (adjustable): 2.5 (4.5, 5.5, 6.5, 7.5, 8)”
  • Finished Foot (adjustable): 4 (6, 7.5, 9, 10, 11.25)

Materials

Photo: Sweet Birch Designs

Moss on the Old Oak

Moss on the Old Oak is the kind of warp I yearn for on cool says and nights from the spring to fall. It’ll knit up beautifully in either the multicoloured or semi-solid colourways of Malabrigo Rios, and the pattern is offered in three sizes. It’s an advanced-beginner skill level, which is a nice niche for the spring.

Size

  • Small, Medium, Large

Materials

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

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

PROJECT Decemberist

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Decemberist

Please meet our latest success, Decemberist! I’ve been eyeballing this pattern for a while and figured “What have I got to loose?!” It knits fast with super thick yarn on 9mm/US13 needles (or larger if your yarn is accommodating). We used 3 balls of Drops Andes in colour 8112, an icy blue, so it was a pretty affordable project too ($33). The pattern was straight-forward, and the lace is given in both written instructions and as a chart – it probably fits into an advanced-beginner/intermediate skill level, and would probably make a decent introduction to lace knitting for anyone wanting to expand and explore.

Overall, I think it is a very successful project, and it would make a great holiday gift knit (I kind of like that it looks like a substantial sized gift, even though it’s light on cost and labour). If you know someone with a cottage it would make an amazing wrap to snuggle up in at night or at the end of the season. Women who work in cold offices will also appreciate one of these. I also think that this wrap is so pretty that when your friends/family/colleagues see you wearing this they are going to ask you to make them one, so you might as well get ahead of the curve and start early. Will it look a little strange seeing the women in your office walking around wearing the same wrap in different colours? Maybe, but the Pointer Sisters rocked the look, so I say own it and be your best, favourite you!

Yarn

Drops Andes is a comfortable, lofty 2ply blend of Alpaca and Peruvian Wool. It’s soft to the touch, and kind of feels like what I always wish wool actually felt like – that stage that is just short of the buttery soft texture you normally find with a fine merino or baby alpaca. All of the colours are lovely, but I think the pattern would look especially good in the following:

  • Greys: 519 Dark Grey Mix, 9020 Light Grey Mix, 9015 Grey Mix, 8465 Medium Grey (solid)
  • Neutrals: 100 Off White (naturalish), 1101 White (cream), 206 Light Beige Mix, 619 Beige Mix (oatmeal)
  • Pale/Soft Colours: 8112 Ice Blue, 7120 Light Grey Green, 4276 Misty Rose Mix, 41010 Grey Lilac

Decemberist would also be exquisite knit in a single ply merino like Malabrigo Rasta (5 skeins) and Cascade Spuntaneous (3 skeins). Both yarns can be pushed up to a 12mm/US17 needle.

How to Grow Yours Decemberist

If you want to make yours larger the easiest way is to use a slightly thicker yarn with a larger needle. Malabrigo Rasta (5 skeins) and Cascade Spuntaneous (3 skeins) would both be great yarns to sub, and you can go up to a 12mm/US17 needle with both of them. Unless you are a tight knitter, I would NOT increase the needle size for the Drops Andes; after blocking the fabric flows and drapes, its a beautiful tension (around 9 sts over 4″/10cm).

If you feel confident with your mathimagical abilities, you can also upsize the pattern by increasing the amount of stocking stitch you work before starting the lace. You’ll need to add an extra 36 sts to the stocking stitch section (so you’ll need to do an extra 6 repeats for “Section 1”, which would add an extra 12 rows). Depending on your tension, this should give you about an extra 3.75″/9.5cm of depth and about 16″/40cm in width.

Materials

If you don’t already own 9mm/US13 needles (or larger) this might be a great opportunity to buy some Knitters Pride Interchangeable needles. You’ll need a long cable for this project, which is something you may not get a lot of use out of in the future (unless you’re going to get into making Bulky Blankets, which are awesome things in their own right). With interchangeable needles one pair of tips can become any length of circular needle from 24″ to 60″, and extra cords are a very reasonable $3.97 each (instead of $20 to $35 for a new pair of needles with a different length cord).

Conclusions

This project is a two thumbs up! It’s pretty, fast, not too complicated, affordable, and giftable. I’m thinking about trying it again in Malabrigo Rasta in 429 Cape Cod Grey, but I’ll wait a month or so in case you guys need the yarn.

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.

PROJECT Mega Rib Hat

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Mega Rib

I’m so sorry you haven’t heard from me a few days, you guys have been keeping me very busy in the store! I did manage to get a quickie off the needles this week – check out my Mega Rib! I managed to knit up this beanie in a single night – does that make it a one night stand? It;s definitely last-minute-giftable! It was quick & easy, I used one skein of Fleece Artist Merino Stream and 8mm/US11 needles. This yarn was a bit thinner than the one specified in the pattern, but I think it still works. The hat would also look good made according to the pattern’s directions with Cascade Spuntaneous (a super soft, single ply merino wool). Oh, and I forgot, the pattern is a freebie!

Modifications

  • I used 8mm/US11 needles and the tension was comfortable a bit loose for a Canadian winter. Use 7mm/US10.75 needles for a denser tension.
  • I cast on 48 stitches, it fits an Adult medium. For an adult large cast on 51 sts, for a small cast on 45 sts.

Materials

SHOP ONLINE

Mini Hack

When you cast on with a different number of stitches, a different stitch pattern or a different size needle this changes the tension and the colours may pool differently.