People have been asking a lot about market bags this summer, so I’ve put together a little bit of inspiration for you. I prefer crochet for market bags, the stitch reinforces the strength. Plus crochet is fun in the summer, it’s an extremely comfortable way to work with plant fibres. A basic crochet bag (like the second below) is also a great next level project for new or inexperienced crocheters.
I designed this little bag many, many moons ago and it’s still one of my favourites. My favourite version were the ones I made a few years ago with some Quince & Co Sparrow Linen – they’re sturdy, light, and put away up nicely!
I kinda love the slouchy, deconstructed quality of this sweater. Texture replaces colourwork in the yoke, evoking a fair-isle sweaters without creating the bulk of layers of yarn. It’s a light, easy to wear spring & summer top. It’s meant to fit oversized, so take that into account when choosing your size.
The body and sleeves of this pullover are worked in the round from the bottom up to the yoke, then the pieces are joined for working the circular yoke. If you haven’t already read about the yarn, BC Garn Bio Balance, (if you have you can skip ahead to the next section … seriously, it’s a copy-cut-paste) it’s soft, light, comfortable, and comes in a great selection of colours. It’s a 100% organic and GOTS certified blend of cotton & wool, and kind of feels the way I’ve always wanted cotton to feel (but doesn’t). And FYI, the GOTS certification is a real THING. It means the product is truly organic and humanely handled from the field to the distributor (once it hits the store shelves it’s an ethical free-for-all, choose your yarn pusher wisely). BTW, there’s a lot of yardage on these little skeins, so PLEASE feel free to ask us to wind it for you before shipping or picking it up.
Size
Circumference at Underarm: 42 (48, 54, 60, 66)“
Pullover shown measures 48”; modeled with 15” of positive ease.
Check your local library’s online resources to see if they offer this magazine digitally
If you were thinking about investing in a set of interchangeable needles this might be a good time. Chiaogoo makes sets that go as small as 2.75mm/US2 (both a Half Set that goes up to 5mm/US8 and a Full Set that goes up to 10mm/US15). If you get the 4″ tips you can use them to make 16″/hat sized needles.
I’m sorry it’s taken me so long to get this project out to you (it’s been in the store window for a couple of weeks already) – you know how it goes … Life! Anyway, I thought it would make a great little neck accessory as the temperature drops. I love little shoulderettes, they’re so cosy and are great for changing seasons.
This one is Getting Warmer, a FREE pattern, and we made it with a yarn that’s new for us, Illimani Llama II. Illimani is a little company located in Quebec that imports gorgeous yarns from South America, especially alpaca and other camelids, like llama.
The pattern is pretty straight forward and is fairly accessible for beginners (depending on your level of beginnerness, of course). The ‘special’ skills include knit & purl in the same row, working in the round on circular needles, decreasing, and reading a pattern. Basically, if you can make a hat, you can make a Getting Warmer. The project works up on 6mm/US10 needles, so I think it qualifies as a “small, achievable goal”.
BTW, many thanks to Adrienne for doing the heavy lifting on this project!
Yarn Options
The yarn we used, Illimani Llama II, was a delight! It is super soft and is made from 100% de-haired llama, so it basically feels like baby alpaca (de-haired means that when the fibre is being processed the coarser parts of the coat are removed, leaving only the soft undercoat).
Berroco Vintage Chunky: three skeins of Berroco Vintage Chunky will get the job done with style and grace for people who are sensitive to wool or are really good at wrecking things by putting them in the washing machine.
Drops Brushed Alpaca and Silk: if you want mega texture, go for a super soft mohair effect with Drops Brushed Alpaca and Silk. For a loose, airy texture knit with a single strand (3 skeins), and for a denser, warmer fabric work with 2 strands held together (6 skeins). Both options are super affordable, from $18 to $36.
If you don’t already have these needles in your kit, you might be interested in some Knitter’s Pride Interchangeable needles: you just buy one set of 3.5″ tips and two cords, and it saves having to purchase two separate circular needles. But note, you MUST get shorter tips that are 3.5″ to 4″ long! Any longer and they won’t work with the 16″ cord:
These shorter needles are ideal for making hats, neck things, baby things, and will always work with the longer cords from their respective brand. If you’re feeling like why not dive in and buy a whole set with a bunch of sizes (its usually more affordable than buying them one size at a time), here are a few brands who make them in the right size:
ShortInterchangeable Needle Sets (with 3.5″ to 4″ tips)
I don’t know if you caught this pattern on Ravelry a few weeks ago, but I filed it away somewhere in the middle of my mind. It’s made with BC Garn Bio Balance, a gorgeous spring/summer weight yarn made from a blend of organic wool & cotton. We’ve worked up a sample shawl with it and it was delightful to work with and wear. When you work with it, it kind of moves like a soft wool with a bit of texture and grab to it, you don’t really feel the cotton. But when its knitted, the fabric doesn’t feel like wool at all, it feels like a blended plant fibre you’d find in a commercial garment. It’s interesting, and really nice!
Anyway, I love the combination of texture and oversized ease in this sweater. It’ll be extremely comfortable and breathable, perfect for slouching around the cottage, the house and the city. I don’t love the colour they chose, I don’t know about you but I have a hard time visualizing myself in a dark green summer sweater! Good thing BC Garn Bio Balance comes in a bunch of pretty colours for warmer seasons (they have a medium green that is beautiful). If you want to cast on right away, here are your best bets (if you have your heart set on another colour that we don’t have in stock let us know and we can get that for you):
Needle Hack: Interchangeables ROCK!
The body and sleeves are worked in the round from the bottom up to the yoke, then the pieces are joined for working the circular yoke. If skipped ahead to the materials, you’ll notice that the pattern calls for a bunch of needles in different lengths – if you have been thinking about buying yourself a set of interchangeable needles this might be a good opportunity. If not, I’d buy individual interchangeable tips and cords: for the circulars I’d get Knitter’s Pride Interchangeable Tips 3.5mm-4.5″, 3.5mm-3.5″, and 3mm-4.5″ (to sub for the 2.75mm), and corresponding Knitter’s Pride Interchangeable Cords/Cables in 16″, 24″ and 40″. For the double pointed needles you can get them in 3mm & 3.5mm, or use your 40″ cord for the magic loop technique.
If you already have an interchangeable set check to see if it comes with the 3mm tips – most do not, but Knitter’s Pride makes them as individual pairs in the metal “nova platina” (chrome plated brass).
Pattern Hack: Libraries ROCK!
We no longer carry Interweave Knits, but you can still find the paper edition in grocery stores, drug stores, and online as an e-publication through Interweave. But there is a fourth option: the public library! Check your public library to see if they provide digital magazines. Interweave Knits is available from the Toronto Public Library though the RB Digital service, which is a FREE service – all you need is a library card (also FREE) and a digital device (smart phone, tablet or computer). If you don’t have a device you can go to the library and use one of their computers and printers – you can even ask the librarian for help if you are having trouble, helping people access information is their calling. You can also ask a librarian for help if you have a portable device but you don’t know how to use the digital system to access the magazine. Librarians ROCK!
These are screenshots of the magazine, that I downloaded to my i-Phone through my public library’s website.
Size
42 (48, 54, 60, 66)“ circumference at underarm.
Pullover shown measures 48”; modeled with 15” of positive ease.
We just finished another Groovy wrap (when something works well, I tend to go with it). The last time we made it was a few years ago with Quince & Co Sparrow, and I wanted to try it with a different textile, to see how the fibre behaved.
The pattern isn’t free, but it’s a good pattern, the kind you’ll go back to over and over when you have random skeins you don’t know what to do with, and the price is nominal. It doesn’t take a lot of brain power (which is nice in warm weather), and is accessible to newer knitters. Basically, it falls into the “some things are worth paying for” category.
The pattern isn’t free, but it’s a good pattern, the kind you’ll go back to over and over when you have random skeins you don’t know what to do with, and the price is nominal. It doesn’t take a lot of brain power (which is nice in warm weather), and is accessible to newer knitters. Basically, it falls into the “some things are worth paying for” category.
This time we used a new yarn, BC Garn Bio Balance. It’s a deliciously soft blend of organic cotton and organic wool, an all year yarn that’s especially great for people who run warm. The company is Danish, the yarn is milled in Turkey, and the fibres are from Argentina. It’s definitely an idea yarn for wraps, sweaters, baby and child garments, etc. The fabric turned out soft, light, and cozy, and pretty, and our wrap is a perfect little something to throw on in spring and summer. Not too big and not too small, you wan wear it around your neck or your shoulders. If you want to make one larger, just get an extra skein and keep knitting. I loved this dark blue, it’s very denimy (without feeling or knitting like denim), but now that all of our stock of BC Garn Bio Balance has arrived I’ve re-confirmed that all the colours are delicious!
Mineville Wool Project Merino Nylon DK (1124)is soft, machine washable, easy to work with, easy to wear, and subs easily for other DK weight yarns (Debbie Bliss Rialto, Madeline Tosh DK, etc). It comes in a generous 100g/200m skein, which is enough to make an adult hat or pair of mitts (you’ll need two for a scarf or Honey Cowl, and about 6 for a women’s size medium sweater – check your pattern for full yardage requirements). With the nylon content, it’s also great for socks!
Mineville Wool Project is an “off-brand” brand from the sisters at Fleece Artist and Handmaiden. The prices are excellent because we purchase the yarn in one-time only lots. This means that once it’s gone, it’s GONE, so be sure to order enough for your project.
This one is a winner, right out of the gate. It’s got sex appeal, customers were ooooing and awwwwing all over it as I was unpacking and merchandising the yarn, taking it off the shelf as fast as I put it on. We’re working on a Nuvem wrap.
Mechita is a super soft & squishy single ply fingering-weight version of Malabrigo’s beautifully-dyed Mecha. Just as soft and rich as the original, but prefect for lighter projects. Mechita is great for shawls, scarves, hats, garments, accessories, baby and kids items, lace, cables, textured stitches, even socks.
Be sure to get enough yarn to complete your project since each bag is a different dye lot, and skeins may vary from bag to bag.
Soft, single ply, lots of body
Worsted/Aran weight: use 4.5mm to 5mm needles
Long colourway, changes colour by itself into stripes
40% cotton, 30% silk, 15%wool, 15% nylon
100g/200m
Sale price $14.97 (regular price $19.97
