It’s time to start thinking about starting your holiday gifts … and what better gift than a cozy little bit cashmere to keep someone you love warm. A single skein of Nordic Eco Cashmere DK is enough to make the larger size, and you can even use slightly larger 4.5mm/US7 needles with this yarn.
The Sophie Scarf is worked back and forth in one piece, from tip to tip in garter stitch with built-in i-cord edges. The smaller size Sophie Scarf reaches around the neck once, while the larger size can wrap around the neck twice.
This is a great project for newer knitters, but check out our Skills Page for good video tutorials. If you want a larger project or gift see below and check out the Sophie Shawl or the Sophie Hood.
Size
Small (large)
Length from tip to tip: approx. 80 (102) cm [31½ (40¼) inches]
Thanksgiving comes a bit earlier north of the 44th parallel in Canada, it has something to do with our harvest being earlier, therefore we dine earlier. We are open regular store hours (12 to 6 pm) on Saturday & Sunday, and closed on Monday. Have a great weekend, wherever you are!
Saturday October 11: 12 to 6 pm
Sunday October 12: 12 to 6 pm
Monday October 13: CLOSED
Frankie Sweater
Something new from PetiteKnit … The Frankie Sweater! My preferred yarn for this project is Sandnes Garn Double Sunday, a soft merino crepe that knits beautifully and won’t itch.
Construction
The Frankie Sweater is worked from the top down with raglan increases on the yoke. Short rows are worked along the back of the neck to shape the neckline. The sleeves are worked in the round on double-pointed needles or on a circular needle. The Frankie Sweater is worked with narrow stripes.
Size
The Frankie Sweater is designed to have approx. 20 cm [7¾ inches] of positive ease, meaning it is designed to be approx. 20 cm [7¾ inches] larger in circumference than your bust measurement. The sizes XXS (XS) S (M) L (XL) 2XL (3XL) 4XL (5XL) are designed to fit a bust circumference of 75-80 (80-85) 85-90 (90-95) 95 100 (100-110) 110-120 (120-130) 130-140 (140-150) cm [29½-31½ (31½-33½) 33½-35½ (35½-37½) 37½-39½ (39½-43¼) 43¼-47¼ (47¼-51¼) 51¼-55 (55-59) inches].
We finished the Cloud Sweater in this super pretty pink … and it might be the perfect three-season sweater (fall-winter-spring). We made it with Drops Air in a pretty light pink, which is great all year but maybe fits nicely with the early spring.
Construction
Cloud Sweater is worked from the top down. First the back yoke is worked back and forth while german short rows are worked to shape the shoulders. Then each shoulder is worked separately, back and forth and with short rows. The shoulders are then joined to form the front yoke. The front and back yoke are joined at the underarms to form the body, which is worked in the round on a circular needle. The sleeves are worked from stitches that are picked up and knitted along the armhole openings. The sleeves are worked in the round. At the end, the stockinette stitch funnel neckline is worked from stitches that are picked up and knitted along the neck opening.
Size
We made size XXS. It’s designed to be worn with extra ease, the smallest size starts at a 40″ bust.
Ease: Cloud Sweater is designed to have approx. 25 cm [9¾ inches] of positive ease in the smaller sizes and then gradually less positive ease in the larger sizes.
We just finished a PetiteKnit Cumulus Blouse as a store sample … perfect for the cooling weather!
The Cumulus Blouse was originally designed with 2 strands of a lace weight kid mohair held together, but I was curious to see if it could be done a bit more simply with a single strand of Drops Brushed Alpaca and Silk, which is a very soft brushed alpaca. We made the second size, which called for about 6 balls, but in the end we used less than 5 balls of Drops Brushed Alpaca and Silk, so you might have an extra ball – better to be safe than sorry!
You can also use 2 strands of Drops Kid Silk held together, which offers lots of opportunities for playing with colour! You could choose two colours that are close together to create a depth of colour, or pick a higher contrast to make something more marled and tweedy looking. Of course, you can also go with two strands of the same colour for a classic look.
Construction
The Cumulus Blouse is worked in the round from the top down in stockinette stitch. The design has a deep rounded V-neck, and all edges are finished with i-cord.
Size
The Cumulus Blouse is designed to have approx. 10-15 cm [4-6 inches] of positive ease, meaning it is designed to be approx. 10-15 cm [4-6 inches] larger in circumference than your bust measurement. The sizes XS (S) M (L) XL (2XL) 3XL (4XL) 5XL are designed to fit a bust circumference of 80-85 (85-90) 90-95 (95-100) 100-110 (110-120) 120-130 (130-140) 140-150 cm [31½-33½ (33½-35½) 35½-37½ (37½-39½) 39½-43¼ (43¼-47¼) 47¼-51¼ (51¼-55) 55-59 inches]. Measure yourself before beginning your project, to determine which size will fit you the best. For example, if you measure 90 cm 35½ inches around your bust (or around the widest part of your upper body) you should knit a size S. A size S sweater has a bust circumference of 102 cm [40¼ inches] which in the given example would give you 12 cm [4¾ inches] of positive ease.
We finished the adorable Holger Sweater by Petite Knit … thank you Erica, it’s amazing! It’s a super adorable knit, I love the graphic stripes and bold colour blocks – they’re lively and fun and inspire lots and lots of play and amusement. This particular version of the pattern is sized for toddlers and kids, we made the smallest size (1-2 yrs) and the chest is a generous 28″ in circumference and 13″ from top of shoulder to bottom edge. Be sure to take a look at the finished measurements when you’re choosing a size.
We used one of the suggested yarns, Sandnes Garn Double Sunday, because I love the texture of the pure merino wool and the bright colours.
For Size 1-2 we used:
Body Colours (Stripes): 1012 Whipped Cream & 1099 Black (2 balls each, but lots left over)
Right Sleeve: 5846 Royal Blue (1 ball)
Left Sleeve: 9080 Urban Chic (1 ball)
Neck: 3819 The Orange Feeling (1 ball)
Bottom Hem: 7720 Blue Haze (1 ball)
If merino wool is a bit too much for you right now you can also substitute Berroco Vintage Baby or Berroco Vintage DK (see details below for all yardage requirements).
Construction
The Holger Sweater is worked from the top down. The body is worked in stockinette stitch with stripes, while the sleeves and neck edge are each worked in a different solid color. First, the back yoke is worked back and forth with the slope of the shoulders being shaped using short rows and in stripes, which are worked at the same time. Each shoulder is then worked back and forth on a circular needle, and then the shoulders are joined to form the front yoke. The front and back yoke are joined at the underarms to form the body, which is worked in the round on a circular needle with stripes. The sleeves are worked down from stitches that are picked up and knitted around the armholes. At the end, a folded neck edge is worked from stitches that are picked up and knitted along the neckline.
If merino wool is a bit over budget for you right now you can also substitute Berroco Vintage Baby or Berroco Vintage DK – both are a soft, machine washable blend of wool & synthetic and are perfect for projects for babies and kids. Vintage Baby has a slightly smoother texture and comes in smaller 50g balls, while Vintage DK has a little bit more texture and comes in 100g skeins. The colour range is a bit different, but the base yarns are very similar and can be used interchangeably.
Last week we showed you the Holger Pullover we started as a store sample, but I wanted to show you the other sweaters in the PetiteKnit Holger family (yes, there’s a family of Holgers). What can I say, they’re funky and fun, but the construction is fairly simple, which keeps your hoop-jumping down to a minimum. Plus, PetiteKnit is a reliable designer, so I feel like you’re getting a good quality pattern that will work out.
One thing to to note about the kids sweaters (the Holger Pullover and Holger Cardigan) is that they are oversized, and the larger sizes can fit a small to medium size woman (the finished size for the largest is 42.5″).
Holger Cardigan
It’s just like the Holger Pullover, except it’s a cardigan! Strap that kid into a cute sweater and button them in. The Holger Cardigan is worked in the round in one piece, with the sleeves picked up in the round and knitted down – that’s right, no seams!
The Holger Baby Set is a sweet version of the pullover sweater of the same name, worked up in a thinner weight yarn (plus it comes with instructions for a matching pair of pants). Like the other member of it’s family it’s worked in the round from the top-down, then the sleeves are picked up and worked in the round.
I kind of really enjoy the colour combination of the green Holger Sweater Man, I figured out the colours below. It reminds me of the very best of the 80s, the ebullient parts. Over the years the needle has nudged and it’s now common for men to wear colourful socks with all kinds of designs on them, so I feel like there is hope for humanity and room for the needle to move a smidge more and allow for colourful, striped sweaters (for everyone). If you want inspiration for a Holger Sweater in more restrained neutral colours (like the baby set above) you can troll instagram, I’m sure there’s room on this planet for a restful colour palette too.
The adorable Holger Sweater by Petite Knit is our next store project … thank you Erica! It’s a super adorable knit, I love the graphic stripes and bold colour blocks – they’re lively and fun and inspire lots and lots of play and amusement. This particular version of the pattern is sized for toddlers and kids, and the sweater sizing seems to be oversized and is designed to fit loosely. Be sure to take a look at the finished measurements when you’re choosing a size.
The Holger Sweater is worked from the top down. The body is worked in stockinette stitch with stripes, while the sleeves and neck edge are each worked in a different solid color. First, the back yoke is worked back and forth with the slope of the shoulders being shaped using short rows and in stripes, which are worked at the same time. Each shoulder is then worked back and forth on a circular needle, and then the shoulders are joined to form the front yoke. The front and back yoke are joined at the underarms to form the body, which is worked in the round on a circular needle with stripes. The sleeves are worked down from stitches that are picked up and knitted around the armholes. At the end, a folded neck edge is worked from stitches that are picked up and knitted along the neckline.
Sophie is a simple shawl that’s knit horizontally, from tip-to-tip. It’s a quick, easy knit thats great for little projects …. perfect for travelling or patio season. It calls for a worsted eight yarn, but we tried it out with Berroco Vivo, a textured, DK weight, 100% cotton, just to play around and see what would happen. What happened was a really pretty, light little spring/summer wrap
Size
We made a size medium and I feel like it turned out as more of a scarf than a wrap (I had an uncertain amount of yarn on hand and I wasn’t sure how far it would go). We only used 1.22 balls (or 330m) of Berroco Vivo, and I feel like it turned out a bit small as far as wraps go, so if I made another I’d go up to the largest size. If you are using Berroco Vivo you will likely not use as much yarn as is recommended in the pattern, it seems to have gone further than expected.
Our Finished Sample: Size Medium – 13″ (33cm) deep, 101″ (252cm) long
Pattern Size: S (M) L
Pattern Length from tip to tip: approx. 170 (210) 240 cm or 67 (82¾) 94½ inches
Easily Change the Size
Because the pattern is knit from side-to side, its really easy to just knit until you’ve used up half of your yarn, then start the decreases. Just be sure to weigh your yarn before you start, so you know how much is you half-way mark (I use an inexpensive digital kitchen scale from Amazon). If you want you can also make your shawl larger than the largest size, you just need to start your decreases later.
Thank you Erica for knitting up this beautiful shawly/scarfy thingy, the Sophie Shawl by PetiteKnit. It’s a great design because it’s deeper in the middle, where you need more coverage, but narrower at the edges, where you don’t, making it a really wonderful fall/winter/spring garment! It’s a simple knit, mostly garter stitch with an attached i-cord edge that keeps it looking pretty and elegant (a simple technique, definitely not a dealbreaker if you’ve never done it).
I don’t know why I chose the purple … it was a momentary intuitive choice. Am I manifesting a colour trend? If you have any insight, please let me know!
Notes
We made the size medium, but used a bit more yarn than the pattern required and we had to dip into an extra ball of mohair, so if I was to do it over again I’d just level up to a size Large.
Size
Our finished measurements (size M): 82″ (213cm) long from tip to tip, 14.5″ (37cm) deep at the middle):
Sizes: S (M) L
Length from tip to tip: approx. 170 (210) 240 cm 67 (82¾) 94½ inches
Width at center: approx. 28 (34) 38 cm 11 (13½) 15 inches
Just in time for spring and International Women’s Day, Erica (goddess of the yarn & needles) finished a Hipster Hat from Petite Knit in one of the gorgeous new colours of Sandnes Garn Double Sunday (colour 4626). The yarn is soft and spongy with lots of body and memory and keeps the shape of the hat & the ribbing beautifully! I steam-blocked it really easily it and it just popped into its final shape. The colour is delicious … I really needed a hit of colour for Spring!!!!
Thank you to all the women who make all the things happen …. I am grateful.
The Hipster Hat
The Hipster Hat is worked bottom-up in a 2×2 rib stitch. The bottom has a folded edge of about 6 (6) 8 (8) cm [2¼ (2¼) 3¼ (3¼) inches] (you can do a double folded edge if you knit the hat extra-long, but bear in mind that this will require more yarn than suggested). The decreases at the top of the head are done by working 2 sts together on each side of two knit sts a total of 4 times across the round. The Hipster Hat can be knit a bit long for it to get a little “hipster top” or to a length where it fits your head snuggly. The Hipster Hat is for both men and women.
Size
baby (child) woman (man)
head circumference of approximately: 45-48 (48-53) 53-57 (57-60) cm [17¾-19 (19-20¾) 20¾-22½ (22½-23½) inches]
