OOPS! It seems the discount in our system didn’t want to work! So be it, let’s try this again, shall we? The digital bug has been rectified and the sale is actually saleing now! if you purchased something yesterday or this morning at full price that was supposed to be on sale we will fix that and refund the difference. Thanks for your patience! Haley
I’ve noticed people have kind of become accustomed to suffering and aren’t being kind to themselves …. don’t suffer, no matter what your grandmother said, it is NOT good for you! You aren’t going to grow any faster or learn more from suffering, it will never magically evolve into joy – it’s just blocked energy. When you lean into flourishing you connect with flow. Be kind to yourself, love yourself unconditionally, TREAT YOURSELF TO SOMETHING NICE! And if you’re afraid of ducking up your project because your confidence is in the off-position, then just choose something simple … that’s the nice thing about sexy yarns, they always look great, no matter what! Keep It Simple Sister.
I thought you might enjoy this … my friend sent me this snapshot because her husband just doesn’t appreciate the magnitude of her triumph …. it’s the yarn she had left at the end of her project. She fought the yarn-shortage Dragon and won!
One of her kids wanted some camo socks and she wanted to take advantage of the Urth Uneek Worsted (ON SALE!) before it disappeared (sorry, that particular colour disappeared onto her needles – I also tarted up the colour a bit, it was VERY camo-drab, colour 4006 Cocoa Nibs).
The other kids got a pair of Langfield hats, also made with Urth Uneek Worsted (1 skein each). Again, don’t hold me accountable for other people’s photography – the photo above (4004 Bird of Paradise)is very close to the actual yarn colour, but the one below (4005 Sunset) looks a bit duller than the yarn in the store …. could be a dye-lot thing. She used 1 skein per hat.
Langfield is a great hat project for any yarn that knits in a long colourway. It’s modular, so you can use any thickness of yarn – a great stashbuster and one-skein project!
Please note, when I post other people’s projects I always confirm what level of privacy they are comfortable with. In this case, my friend is cool sharing her pictures and experience, but she’s a private person and would otherwise prefer to stay anonymous, so I have linked the pictures to the general patterns on Ravelry.
Urth Galatea is a super soft and super stunning bulky weight cloud cotton. It’s a truly special hand-painted, self-striping yarn that knits up in sophisticated, self-striping colourways. Urth Galatea is vegan, machine washable, and perfect for babies, kids, spring and summer sweaters, tanks and tees, and blankets! We have found it knits up well on 6.5mm/US10.5 to 7mm/US10.75 needles.
How Much Will I Need?
I think Galatea would especially great as a loose, cropped, oversized drop-shouldered sleeveless summer tee (you know, the kind made from two rectangles sewn together … something that is shaped like THIS). I’d use big needles, 8mm/US11
My first thought when I found Galatea was babies & kids! We made the smallest size in this hat pattern to fit a little person. Because the yarn is a bulky weight cotton it doesn’t have a lot of give, so you can go up in needle size. We tried 6mm/US10 needles but I think the yarn would be best on 6.5mm/US10.5 or 7mm/US10.75 needles.
Meadow Lane is one my go-to blanket patterns because it’s extremely effective with hand-painted yarns and it’s mostly brainless, so you can get some binge-watching in, letting the yarn do all the work. We used 5 skeins of Urth Galatea in colour 2089 Pinata and our blanket is 27″ wide x 30″ long.
We cast on 76 sts and used 6.5mm/US10.6 needles, although I think you can easily go up to a 7mm/US10.75. To block the blanket we hand-washed it and laid it flat to dry.
If your yarn is pooling or not striping the way you want it to, try using a denser stitch, like garter stitch or a K1P1 rib. Variegated yarns look especially good in garter stitch (knitting every row), and it makes self-striping yarns extra interesting to the eye.
Last Week I offered the sweater patterns, and as promised here are some accessories knit with Kelbourne Scout ….
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.
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.
Ballard is a classic hat knit in stranded colourwork. All you need is a light or bright colour and a dark shade and you’re set!
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).
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!
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.
You’ll only need about 100g of yarn for this project, so one ball of any of the following yarns will work:
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).
Either will do, they’re basically the same thing, except one is straight and the other has a bent tip.
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.
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.
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.
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.
A simple toque takes on new dimension with this stunning yarn
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.
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).
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.
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.
Colour and texture come alive in a basic hat
Today is accessories day! Last time we covered some inspiring sweater projects, but now it’s time to look at some smaller, faster, and simpler projects. I’ve included a link for finished projects in the materials section for each project, so you can check out how people peoples look. Here’s a link so you can see ALL the accessory project ideas.
My choice of projects is simple and accessible. There have been so many new knitters since COVID landed, and I know you don’t have the same access to in-person education that you normally would. Knitting has historically been taught from person to person, and i know how hard it’s been on you trying to learn from books and the internet. I’m also hearing from so many people who tell me they’re experiencing brain-fog and are having a hard time focussing – you’re in VERY good company and I’ve been trying to keep that in mind when I choose suggestions.
Fibre Co. Acadia is a luscious, and slightly rustic 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.
I love this poncho, it transcends trends and always keeps you cozy and warm. It’s easy to knit (just one long stockinette rectangle), easy to finish, and easy to throw on.
Beginner (after your first scarves), less experienced knitters, or those of us with COVID related brain-fog who need something REALLY simple.
A lot of people undervalue the textural possibilities of garter stitch, but it makes for simple, a beautiful aesthetic while adding extra warmth and stretch. It doesn’t hurt that the Acadia’s luxe-rustic texture just looks better with texture.
This project is great for less experienced knitters. You may not want to make it your very first-ever hat (go for a thicker yarn and very basic beanie or slouchy beanie shape for that), but it’s good for adding a few more small skills.
Kerchief sized wraps are great little projects, a good way to test out a smaller quantity of yarn, and if you want it bigger you can keep knitting. Kerchiefs are super popular as scarfy/neck accessories: they cover up your vulnerable parts without all the bulk around the sides and hanging down your front.
This project is great for less experienced knitters.
The Boneyard Shawl is an oldie but a goodie. The simplicity of the design lets the yarn shine, plus its an easy knit for less experienced knitters. It’s a bit bigger than the Age of Brass & Steam Kerchief, and gives you more coverage.
FYI: if you adore the the hand-painted red in the picture of above try Malabrigo Arroyo in 33 Cereza.
This project is great for less experienced knitters.
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.
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.
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).
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!
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).
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!
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.
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.
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!
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. 🙂
