Every year I swear that I won’t be knitting gifts again and then somehow I manage to do it. Since time is of the essence (you have just two months!!), I thought I would share some of my favorite quick knits for the dudes in our life.

Hats

Striped Hat pattern available online or at the shop

Hats are a fast knit. Although they generally require two or three sets of needles, they can be done in just a day or two. My hubby loves a simple beanie hat. The striped hat in Hand Dyed Worsted from Blue Sky Alpacas does just the trick. AND you can easily use the new Swan’s Island organic merino for this pattern or even mix and match the two yarns. Play with the color combos a bit but remember that most dudes will request “black, grey, and navy” if you ask them for color direction.

For the more hipster guys in your life, I love a good slouchy ribbed hat. Check out my quick pattern from this post last year.

Scarves

Brooklyn Tweed Cinder - available online or at the shop

Micah will tell you that the general rule with a scarf is to knit it as long as the person is tall. For a dude’s scarf, this can be a lot of work. Given the timeframe that you are working with, I would recommend knitting in an aran, chunky or superchunky weight to get it done faster. This aran weight scarf pattern by Gina Waters has you cast on for the length. I like this because it allows me to easily create vertical stripes on the scarf.  It looks cool but doesn’t require a lot of work.

If cables go quickly for you, I would recommend the Cinder pattern. It is done in bulky weight yarn, is reversible and works up fast! The Sublime Chunky Tweed is tweedy (guys seem to like this) and is super soft.

Socks

Photo courtesy of Purl Soho

Not that I recommend this, but you can actually make a pair of thick socks in 24 hours. I did it once. They were sport weight. If you jump to DK or Worsted, you are probably cutting that time down to 18-20 hours of knitting. Since guys have no need for lace on their socks, do it simple. Pick a nice luxury yarn and knit in ribbing! Let the yarn do the work for you. Need a basic pattern? Purl Soho to the rescue! They have a pattern called “Men’s Socks for Giving Away.” Sounds like what you need, right? To top it off, it is worked in DK weight. yay! Try the Miss Babs Northumbria DK for a hand dyed option or Shepherd’s Wool DK for a soft merino option. If this guy is going to destroy these socks, I recommend Berroco Vintage DK but definitely include the two colors to fancy them up a bit.

Don’t have time for DK weight? Check out the book Knits Men Want for this basic sock pattern by Jared Flood done in worsted weight. Grab a hank of Neighborhood Fiber Co (just in!) for a luxury hand dyed pair or a ball of Ella Rae Superwash for a pair he can abuse. Dragonfly Fibers BFL would also be super durable! By the way, if you knit for guys a lot, this is hands down the best book out there for reliable simple patterns that they will actually wear.

Photo by Jared Flood

Sweaters

Now if you haven’t listened to anything that I said about timelines and deadlines and shortness of time and such, then you might still be thinking about knitting a sweater.  Can I convince you to do one without sleeves? An argyle vest perhaps? No? Still want to knit a sweater? Well at least shoot for bulky yarn! Check out the Devon pattern in the Norah Gaughan Men bookle

t by Berroco. It calls for Peruvia Quick and US10 and 11 needles. If you are going to get this done, you have to be on atleast a #10!

Photo courtesy of Berroco. Pattern found in NG Men and available at the shop

I have no idea why my head looks so huge in this picture.

So we have this sparkly yarn – Sublime Lustrous Merino DK…you know me. I don’t do sparkle. It isn’t my thing. But this yarn has me obsessed lately. We desperately needed a shop sample, so I started looking for patterns and Kel suggested making a striped hat with the grey and yellow color – classically hipster. Since the yarn is also sparkly, we are calling it “ironic hipster hat.” The pattern that I chose is a Kelbourne Woolens pattern done originally in the Fibre Co Acadia (which we also have at the shop).  It worked up in only a night and took two balls of the main color and one in the contrasting color. I am thinking of making a bunch of them as holiday gifts for the baristas at Misha’s, where I get my iced decaf whole milk mochas with whipped cream..ya know, since I drive them nuts every day.

me, being ironic but sadly unhipster

Felted Scarf with fibre and water

We have had so many amazing workshops this season and so many more in the works. Babs, the artist and genius behind the many colors of Miss Babs Yarns, was here a couple of weeks ago to teach a felted scarf workshop. This was the kind of felting that doesn’t involve knitting, just lots of water, soap and fibre. Everyone got to agitate some fibre a bit and make a really cool scarf. It was probably a rather relaxing activity. Sometimes you just need to get your fingers dirty.

We also hosted our first yarn tasting for the fall last Friday. It featured our tweed yarns and a sampling of teas. Our next yarn tasting focuses on rustic yarns (woolen spun, etc). I am excited to host this with our neighbors at Olio, who are bringing over a sampling of their infused balsamic vinegars and olive oils. You should definitely check out this new shop! They are conveniently located across from La Fromagerie…(who, by the way, is expanding to have in house seating. They will be serving small meals, making our lunch options in “uptown Old Town” that much better).

This weekend, one of my favorite designers is in town for the weekend – Ann Weaver. This zany lady has some really unique and interesting designs (here on Ravelry) and knows more about color than even Kel. (shhhh, don’t tell Kel.)  Her top down traingular shawl design class has only one spot and the colorwork class is already sold out.  BUT, you can come by the shop this weekend and meet her and hang out a bit. She is amazing!

You might notice on our events page that a few new ones have been added. Registration for these will all be open tomorrow (October 6th around mid day). Be on the look out for our newsletter or just keep an eye on our site here. This includes: Shirley Paden workshops, Molly Miller Handspun workshop and two workshops with Cirilia Rose. (do you know about Cirilia yet?! Check out her designs on Ravelry here.)

In non event related news, designer and blogger extraordinaire Sally Rainey stopped by, and she and Kel discovered that they own the same shoes. So they did a little “we wear green sweaters and green shoes” dance in the middle of the store. It was odd. So I photographed it. Here is your evidence:

Swans Island Yarns has developed a stunning palette of colors.

We’ve just received Swans Island Certified Organic Chunky in the shop, and it’s just what a yarn with the word “swan” in its name should be: light and soft, yet strong. What’s more, the yarn comes in colors that will make any stitcher drool.

Swans Island began as a company selling woven wool blankets made using traditional techniques (their blankets won the Smithsonian Blue Ribbon for Craft in 1996!). The company started making yarns about a year ago, after blanket customers started clamoring for a yarn line. They asked Michele Orne for help developing a yarn line, and soon Michele had joined the company as Design Director.

Michele Orne's goals for Swans Island's design line is to create classic, wearable garments and readable patterns.

Best known before as the author of Inspired to Knit: Creating Exquisite Handknits, Michele got involved with the company more than a year ago, when Swans Island was beginning to explore the possibility of selling the yarns they made for their woven blankets to hand knitters. “It was a serendipitous coincidence that I happen to live just 15 minutes down the road from the ‘factory,’” says Michele, who has more than 25 years of experience designing handknits. “I’d been thinking about developing my own line of yarns and patterns for many many years, and here the opportunity came knocking on my door. When opportunity knocks, one should listen!”

Knitters near and far are fortunate that Michele did listen, because since she joined the company Swans Island has developed three new yarns – Bulky, Worsted, and Fingering – and a gorgeous array of colors. The yarn line is growing so fast that Maine’s sheep can’t keep up – so the fleece for the yarns comes from South America. It’s spun in a mill in Maine that is one of four in the United States that are certified organic yarn producers. “What that means is that the mill is inspected by a Global Organic Textiles Standard and must meet certain criteria,” Michele explains. “Only certain kinds of oils may be used in spinning and our yarns don’t receive the same harsh chemical processing as most commercially produced yarns.” What does this mean for knitters? The yarns that come out of organic mills are softer than most, and Swans Island is one of the softest we’ve felt.

Swans Island achieves depth of color through multiple dips in natural dyes.

For their gorgeous colors, Swans Island uses only natural dyes – plant-based dyes that have been used traditionally for centuries – yet their shades have a depth of color difficult to achieve using natural dyes. Michele sees using natural dyes as a challenge rather than a limitation. “I quickly realized that in natural dying, you don’t choose the colors – the colors choose you! In trying to achieve certain colors, we were spending a lot of time in development and coming out still not matching the goal…but in the process, lots of other beautiful colors were being produced. So we’ve switched the thinking here, putting colors that we can successfully make on the line rather than matching to a specific target color.” She compares the process to painting: “Many of our colors are created through a process of multiple dips into different dye baths, creating a richness and depth of color much like a painter would build up layers of color on a painting.”

The Twenty Ten Cardigan will layer wonderfully this fall.

Of course, another aspect of Michele’s job is creating patterns for Swans Island’s fibres, and she’s done a wonderful job. The Clara Cowl, the Sasha Cowl, and the Snow Bowl Hat will be in Space next week, and we can’t wait to show them to you. In the meantime, or if you’re in the mood for a sweater, consider Veera Välimäki’s Twenty Ten Cardigan – a fantastic transitional garment that will look stunning this fall.

Nemo doesn't seem to like the monkey on his back

Yesterday Nemo and I walked up King street to the bank with my friend Aimee. We stopped into the Dog Park, my favorite doggy food and toy supply store. I was hoping that she would have most of her winter coats in already since it is starting to get cold at night and Nemo hasn’t spent a winter with us yet and therefore, has no coat.  They had some of their coats in already but nothing that worked for Nemo. Then I spotted a table of hand knit sweaters.

Now generally speaking, I ignore hand knit things in retail stores. I always end up finding things wrong with them that would bother me. And as a knitter, everyone would ask if I made the sweater, and then I would have to admit that I didn’t. But this particular sweater..well it is Intarsia. And since I happen to think that Intarsia is the devil, I don’t feel bad purchasing something that has it, because I am officially done knitting Intarsia. Lucky for Nemo, the sweater came in his size. Unlucky for mom, the bind off is too tight and needs to be pulled out and redone and the tails aren’t woven in on any of the Intarsia. I suspect this is because the wool is a great sticky wonderful Peruvian wool that will just felt down a bit as it is worn and the tails will be fine, but the knitter in me is bothered by this and will have to fix it immediately.

Just like the last time a sweater was put on Nemo, he expressed his general discontent by smooshing his entire body up under his front legs. Eventually, he jumped into his window seat and tried to deal with the shame of wearing a sock monkey sweater. I am certain he will get over it. Later that day, we discovered that the hood falls down over his eyes when he goes down the stairs and renders him blind. Because he is an Iggy, he keeps trying to go down the stairs despite the lack of sight. (They have tiny brains. Very tiny brains.) As you can imagine, this didn’t turn out well. So I guess he can’t wear his sweater indoors.  Other than this particular problem, the tails and bind off, the sweater is worth every bit of the $38 dollars that I paid for it. There is no way that I would knit this sweater for a mere $38. Absolutely no way. So in the end, it was worth everything that I paid for it.

Nemo didn't bother to take the price tags off of his sweater.

There is an amazing new locally run site called DIY Del Ray that features do-it-yourself home projects as well as good finds, small space tips, etc. I know about it because a certain crafty customer happens to run the site. Well today our new house is the featured home and the post has some great shots of knitted and crocheted items too! Oh yeah, and this is her photo of my new yarn and shoe closet. Yes, before you ask, this is my ENTIRE stash. That is it. That is all I have. I will admit that a full two tubs are filled with sock yarn… And there is one tub not pictured here. so that is four total tubs and a three drawer white tupperware thingy. I might have a yarn purging problem. It doesn’t stick around long in my house.

Knitwear made a big splash on the fashion scene last week with the release of the Missoni for Target collection – and if you weren’t lined up outside a Target store at 6 AM on Tuesday last, you had little chance of getting any of it for yourself. Fights broke out, police were called, and items started appearing on eBay at 3 times their retail price within hours.

Missoni for Target

Why all the fuss?

Missoni started out in the 1950′s as a little family-owned company in Italy, making wool track suits. They released their first fashion collection in 1958 and quickly became known for their knitwear designs featuring colorful stripes, geometric motifs, and abstract florals. By the 1970′s they had become celebrated fashion icons for their imaginative use of color and their unconventional ways of reworking traditional knitwear construction.

“It was about ten years ago that the Missonis raised the simple householder’s work of knitting to something similar to art. Their dresses are collected by ladies all over the world who live for fashion and by those who could not care less for fashion but love beautiful things.” – Bernardine Morris, New York Times, 1977.

Over 50 years later, Missoni is still a family-run company and their iconic chevron pattern is recognized around the world. Missoni clothing and housewares go for top dollar – so people leapt at the chance to get a piece from these fashion giants at an affordable price.

Didn’t get any for yourself? (Yeah, me neither.) Well, we knitters have an advantage. We can make it ourselves!

Classic Missoni. That's a lot of look.

Now,  a 1960′s chevron romper may not fit into your fall fashion plans (c’mon, who doesn’t need a chevron romper?) but you can get some Missoni style into your fall knitting plans! A quick browse through Ravelry provides plenty of inspiration.

Missoni Inspired Chevron Blanket - Tangled Yarns

First up, Kelly Kingston’s Missoni Inspired Chevron Blanket. This stunning piece uses 12 colors of DK weight yarn – I can see knitting this up in Berroco Vintage DK for yourself or a lucky (and stylish) baby. Check out the Ravelry projects for this – there are some gorgeous variations done in worsted and fingering weight too.

Wibbly Wobbly Cowl - Rachel Henry

Want something on a smaller scale? Rachel Henry’s Wibbly Wobbly Cowl uses self-striping sock yarn (or use up your sock leftovers and make your own stripes!) and will appeal to fashion and Doctor Who fans alike.

Chevron Love Mittens - Knitterly Things

I love the Chevron Love Mittens by Julia Vesper! I’m already thinking of color combinations to knit up in the St. Denis Nordique that we just got in. There’s even a matching Chevron Love Hat! Love it!

Ida's Kitchen - Kirsten Kapur

Kirsten Kapur’s Ida’s Kitchen is another great project to inspire your color creativity – this one uses 7 colors of sport or DK weight. Not sure what colors to put together? You can always check the Pantone Fashion Color Report for ideas! (Or, y’know, I could write a post about color selection, if you want.)

La Parisenne Beret - Caroline Dlugy-Hegwer

For something a bit simpler, try the La Parisenne Beret by Caroline Dlugy-Hegwer – you’ll need just 2 colors of fingering weight yarn for this one. Go subtle and tonal or bold and contrasty – tres chic!

Favorite Scarf Ever - Lisa Bruce

Will Lisa Bruce’s Favorite Scarf Ever be your most favorite scarf ever? Take a look at the Ravelry projects on this and you’ll be inspired to knit lots of these!

 

Creekbed Scarf - Stephen West

Stephen West’s Creekbed Scarf takes chevrons in a different direction – this is another great project to play with color in as it really changes the feel of the finished piece.

Mathematix - Susan Luni

Last but not least, the new Deep Fall issue of Knitty brings us the Mathematix Shawl by Susan Luni – a clever combination of lace and chevron patterning. Pretty!

Fair Isle floats when you are lazy.

I may have convinced a few folks to knit the Emerson sweater with me. I got very ambitious and started with the left front section, instead of something easy like the back or a sleeve. The fair isle on this sweater is only on the left and right fronts, making nearly two thirds of the sweater rather fast and straightforward but also making the fronts just not fun, as they are fair isle worked FLAT. This means changing between colors while purling. If you hate to purl, try doing it with one color on each hand. It requires patience and concentration. I don’t have either.

After looking at the chart, I thought that floating the yarn across the 5 or 6 sts that it would need to float wouldn’t be all that bad and besides, it was just one less thing that I had to worry about on those fun purl rows. (I am a lazy colorwork

Back of Emerson sweater about half way finished.

knitter) So i rocked about half the left front without wrapping the two colors or catching the float with the other color. Then I realized what a mess that was making. So I started to grab the floats for the remainder of the left front. (See this tutorial on how to catch the floats.) The fabric so so much better now. It will probably be noticeably better even after I block it, so that portion of the sweater may end up with a big ol pocket on it…pockets are great for hiding things. I got the back of the sweater cast on and after a grueling 4″ of 1×1 rib, we were off to the races. Sadly, I had to put the project aside for a bit to focus on more pressing matters:

So remember my debate on what to knit while in Seattle, and the battle that occurred in flight when my husband wouldn’t let me block my swatch for the Shadow sweater? Well the class that I am teaching on this very sweater is now frightening close, and I have to knock out a bit of it before class starts Thursday night. yikes! So I put away my Emerson for a bit and got about half of the sleeve done last night. Fortunately, the cables are actually super easy to memorize and I haven’t needed the chart for awhile.

Shadow in Brooklyn Tweed Shelter

Shadow - Wool People / Brooklyn Tweed

Class details:

Cabled Pullover – Thursdays, September 22, 29 and Oct 6th (second session starting in October!)

Experience required – previous experience knitting a sweater. Ability to work in the round, increase and decrease. Cabling experience is also helpful but not necessary.

Teva answers questions after explaining the basics of the lace improvisation technique.

The divine Teva Durham visited fibre space on Sunday to sign her new book, Loop-d-Loop Lace, and teach a unique workshop: lace improvisation.

Ten lucky participants learned how to take elements from vintage lace patterns and use them as the basis for a lace bag pattern. The group worked together to develop a pattern for one such bag, and students left with the tools to create their own pattern based on vintage designs for doilies, shawls, or other garments worked in a circle.

Teva brought several of her own lace bags for the class to use as inspiration.

Those who have followed Teva’s designs know that her mind works in wondrous ways, and those in the workshop got to see that mind close-up, as Teva drew the chart for the bag on a white board and explained how different options for each row would change the shape and look of the bag. Participants knit from the chart as it was being developed, learning how lace designers create a new pattern from concept through to execution.

Of course, there was lots of chatter during the class, as knitters commiserated about losing one’s place in lace knitting, shared tips for keeping that from happening, debated the pros and cons of bobbles (for the record, Teva is in the “pro” camp), and – most importantly – compared the results coming off of their needles. The different yarns, from Malabrigo Rasta to Blue Sky Alpacas Bulky, showed off the lace in different (but gorgeous) ways.

Teva chats with a class member about the way the bag is knitting up.

It was particularly exciting to watch how the improvised pattern knit up in several different yarns, as Teva compared the results from different class members’ yarn selections. Teva also talked about other kinds of knitting improvisation, including Ilisha Helfman’s new book, Jazz Knitting.

Best of all, the workshop is already yielding results. We know that at least one class participant has started a bag of her own, based on an element she found in a pattern from Victorian Lace Today. We can’t wait to see all the bags that this amazing workshop produces!

Tweed Baby Blanket pattern by Jared Flood in Cascade Eco Wool. Pattern and yarn available at the shop.

yet I can’t seem to product sweaters. I have half of the left front done on the plaid fair isle thingy that I managed to convince several of you to knit with me. Are you doing any better on it? In the meantime, I finished the top secret blanket project for my uncle and his new wife. The natural wool colors and blanket itself were picked out by a good friend of theirs who has seen their condo and knows their taste better than I do. I am pretty happy with the finished results, although picking up the one million stitches around the outside for the feather and fan border was not my cup of tea. And it was only two months late…

Wool Leaves by Jared Flood in Berroco Remix. Pattern and yarn available at the shop.

I also knocked out the Wool Leaves pattern in Remix for my friend in England who is due…well, right this moment. I think she is now overdue. (a good thing since it has to fly the whole way to England…) I used two strands of Remix held together and dropped the needle down to a US #10.5. While it worked out really nicely, holding two strands of a cotton blend yarn together wasn’t super fun. It doesn’t have a lot of give. The second time around on this one, I think I would probably switch to lace pointed needles so that the PSSO and K2tog weren’t as annoying. The yarn is wonderful though and will be machine washable and super soft for baby. It will blend nicely with Katie’s sheep themed nursery. I did soak it for quite awhile and dried it flat but the leaves still wouldn’t lay flat. So I brought it into the shop and steam ironed it on one of those handy Block and Roll mats. That seemed to do the trick! So it went out in a nice little box to Katie and her new little one. I also sent along two fabulous sheep from the Spud and Chloe on the Farm book!

Spud and Little Brown Sheep in Spud and Chloe Sweater.

If you have been in the shop recently, you may have noticed the soft or even loud hum of construction coming from upstairs. Our brand new second level classroom space is almost complete. Artwork, light fixtures and other “cute-ification” items are still missing, but the vast majority of the work is complete. Today the doorway is being installed from our worsted weight wall to the upstairs so that students can go up to classes without exiting our main space and getting wet in the rain (helpful right now, given the gobs of rain that we are getting). Here is a sneak peak of the construction:

We can thank Neighborhood Fiber Co for her bio hazard bags as they came in handy for blocking out the doorway construction dust. Karida ships all of our yarn in bio hazard bags...makes us giggle.

This is a good shot of our large front classroom space, which is connected to the second space via french doors. They can be opened for larger workshops.

This is my new office space...also currently where we are throwing everything that doesn't really have a home. Someday I will sit there and quiety write newsletters and blog posts. How amazing would that be?!

I love to start new projects. I start them all the time. Finishing, not so much. Once I’ve figured out a pattern, I quickly become bored and want to move on to the next new thing. (Working at a yarn store full time is not a good way to cure this, in case you were wondering.)

Every now and then though I get on a finishing kick. For a while it was hats, but now it seems to be shawls. Maybe it’s the weather starting to get colder, or the days getting shorter, but I suddenly find myself picking up my unfinished shawl projects and getting them done. (Sorry, sweaters – maybe you’ll be next?)

There’s something really satisfying about a good shawl or wrap. You can knock out a respectably sized one in around 400 yards of just about any weight of yarn. You can go for a simple pattern or something impressively lacy. And when you’re done, you have pretty much the ultimate accessory. A shawl can double as a scarf or a hat. It looks good with jeans or dresses. It can go out on the town of an evening, or dress up a t-shirt during the day. And blocking a finished shawl is like getting to do magic – you can turn a shapeless lump of knitting into something amazing!

My Springtime Bandit. Yep, that's two different dye lots.

This week I finished my second Springtime Bandit (I keep knitting these in August despite the name) and have been wearing it pretty much constantly since – I knit this one in Dragonfly Fibers Blue Face Worsted and am really pleased with how it turned out. Bluefaced Leicester is not as soft a wool as Merino, but this yarn worked up to be wonderfully drapy and has great stitch definition. (My Merino version, on the other hand, is more of a fuzzy blob.)

I had a lot of fun knitting this since I got to teach a class on it at the same time – it’s so rewarding to watch someone realize that they can make something that looks really complex with just some simple increases and decreases. This is a great first lace shawl pattern and teaches you a lot about shawl construction – some of my students even decided to sign up for the advanced lace shawl class (I’m so proud of you all!)

Schieffelin Point Shawl photo - Kelbourne Woolens

Now I’m finishing up a Schieffelin Point Shawl that I started back in June – I’m knitting it in Fibre Company Acadia, a DK weight mix of Merino, alpaca, and silk. This is going to be soft and snuggly, perfect for the rainy weather we’re having.

This is a good easy knit – the whole body of the shawl is done in garter stitch and there are just a few increase rows to pay attention to, then you cast on a few extra stitches, knit the edging on to the rest of the shawl, and have less than 20 stitches to bind off!

Next I’ll finish the Bias I’m knitting for a friend’s birthday in Neighborhood Fiber Co. Penthouse Silk Fingering – this will be shimmery and elegant, just what I wanted! (The pattern is written as a scarf size but I cast on extra stitches to make it a nice-sized wrap.) This is one of those simple stitch patterns that would look good in any weight of yarn – I’m sure I’ll knit more of these.

And then… well, I really like shawl patterns. I have more shawls favorited on Ravelry than almost any other type of project (and that’s not even counting the ones in my queue.) Some shawls I’m excited about right now are Bois, with its beautiful border, and Pembroke Wrap, which would be fluffy, warm, and fun to knit in Imperial Stock Ranch pencil roving. I should probably make one of those Boneyard Shawls that Daphne’s got everyone doing, and I’ve really been wanting to knit Hawthorne, especially now that there’s a matching hat and mitts.

Oh wait, Springtime Bandit has a matching hat too…  uh oh. I think I’m in trouble.

I developed this belief when I first started knitting. A few projects in, I had to wonder why I was making so many hats. After some consideration, I decided that as a knitter it was only reasonable to have a hat in every color under the sun, and in every style and fibre imaginable. A couple hundred projects later, and this belief has been extended to everything I knit.

Photo by Cecilia Flori

This inspiring little design, a thousand splendid suns (free Ravelry download), is the perfect thing to drape around your neck when the leaves start to turn and you need a little sunshine. There is plenty of heat left in the season, but when knitted in Manos del Uruguay Silk Blend, this lovely loop will illuminate your wardrobe through the night chill of late summer. Or try new textures when combining The Fibre Company Road to China Light (the softest blend of fibres with a whisper of a halo) and Elsebeth Lavold Hempathy (smooth plant fibres)—the juxtaposition is striking, and you may never want to wear another cowl.

I'll take ten, please.

My latest WIP, one that I can see myself making several times, is Wayfarer by Jared Flood (pattern available at the shop). This is an amazingly fast knit at only 400 yards of worsted weight yarn, in a pattern that is created by slipping stitches. This is one of my favorite knitting techniques because it looks very difficult and complicated, but you are basically knitting back and forth every row! I am using Dragonfly Fibers Blue Face Worsted, a 100% BFL wool yarn in rare, rich colors. The stitches are beautifully defined, and I love seeing the way the colors unfold into the pattern. I also recommend knitting this pattern in SHELTER to show off your handiwork—the yarn really grabs the texture of the stitches.

Photo by Ann Lundblad

Because I always have to be knitting a shawl, I can’t wait to cast on for Fagus by Ann Lundblad (Ravelry download). Draping leaves on a background of garter stitch, this darling little shawl can be customized according to the yardage you have available. Knitted in fingering weight, I imagine it velvety in Skein Merino/Cashmere Fingering—this is 80% Merino/20% Cashmere softness in brilliant colors. I would also love to make this in Neighborhood Fiber Co. Penthouse Silk Fingering—bright jewel tones in 100% silk with a glamorous drape.

Bismark by Kelbourne Woolens - available at the shop

So last week Jane decided to knit this adorable beret from Kelbourne Woolens. She comes in and says, “So I am knitting this plaid hat” and I said, “what plaid hat?” and she said, “This new plaid hat from Kelbourne Woolens” and she showed it to me. So I declared that I would knit this plaid hat. So I grabbed some yarn and needles and took it home immediately, intending to knit it up in a night or two. Of course, I got distracted and it is still sitting at home. Jane has already finished her plaid hat and taunts me. In the meantime, I realized that the same stitch pattern was also on another Kelbourne Woolens pattern, Emerson. I ordered both patterns last week so that we would have TWO fabulous plaid patterns at the shop.

Emerson pattern from Kelbourne Woolens

Today I found some suckers fellow knitters to join me in knitting this sweater, including Jane (might be payback for her getting me all excited about the plaid hat). Without a fire under my butt, not a whole lot is getting done these days in the way of sweater knitting. My inability to finish things is so chronic that I have actually started two sock projects in the last five days. Great. I have no shot of finishing socks either.

Here are some color selections that folks have already picked out. (Folks that I may have forced to knit this sweater with me)…I am going for the purple and red in Thaki Donegal Tweed and Lesley already has a sweater quantity of Organik in Atoll, so she is going to use that from her stash and just pick up the white. Jane chose the brown and green, mixing Donegal Tweed with the softer Tara Tweed and Michelle is using the Donegal Tweed in the same purple and a fab green. So if you also think you need a nerdy hip cardigan, grab some yarn and join our knitalong! I really really want this sucker done in September. If it isn’t, it might drag on for months. I also think it might be fun to show up to the Kelbourne Woolens workshop all dressed in our Emerson cardigans…with pencils and rulers and pocket protectors.

Project Details

Necessary Skills: knitting, purling, increasing, decreasing, fair isle

Yarn: Fibre Company Organik (100 yards) in MC: 9 (10, 12, 13, 14, 15) and in CC: 2 (2, 3, 3, 4, 4) skeins

To fit bust: 30 (34, 38, 42, 46, 50) inches

Gauge: 20 sts and 21 rows = 4″ in Fair Isle on larger needles

18 sts and 22 rows = 4″ in stockinette stitch on larger needles

Needles: US #8 (5 mm) needles and US #6 ( 4.25 mm) needles and 40″ circular

Notions: stitch markers, tapestry needle

Optional notions: pens and pocket protector

The Athyrie shrug's ingenious construction allows it to convert into a shawl.

Two years ago, iconic knitwear designer Veronik Avery started her own yarn line, St.-Denis Yarns, to offer knitters and designers versitile and ethically-sourced yarns. Her first yarn, Nordique, is 100% American wool, and available at the shop in 22 colors. Now, the two most recent St.-Denis magazines, Issue 2 and Issue 3, are in space as well. Once you get a look at these patterns, you’ll know why both books and yarn are flying off the shelves.

Start your St.-Denis journey by exploring the complexities of Robin Melanson’s Athyrie, a lace-embellished shrug that converts into a shawl. This amazing garment will button around your arms to create a 3/4-sleeved shrug, button up behind your back to become a short-sleeved shrug, or unbutton all the way to turn into a snuggly shawl. Check out the other photos on Ravelry to see this piece in all its glory.

The Bright Stripes Lace Scarf can be as casual or as formal as you wish, depending on the colors you choose.

If you like your lace with a little oomph, check out the Bright Stripes Lace Scarf by Kat Coyle, a glorious combination of stripes and lace that manages to show off both techniques in the finished product. Whether you make yours with Kat’s original bright colors or choose different ones, this scarf will keep you happy all winter long, and earn you admiring glances every time you wear it. We can see this one looking more chic and formal in different neutral shades, or dramatic and bold with different shades of the same color.

If you’re in the market for a good transition garment, look no further than Laura Grutzeck’s Trellis Cardigan. With an all-over lace pattern and half-sleeves, Trellis will look great on its own or layered with a long-sleeved tee underneath. Again, you can make Trellis vastly different depending on the color you choose: a pale shade will look more classic, while a jewel tone will show off this sweater’s texture and go wonderfully with jeans.

St.-Denis isn’t just about lace, though. Check out the glorious Bird Mittens and Hat by Kirstin Kapur: stranded colorwork at its finest. Make the first set for yourself, and then one for someone you really want to impress as a holiday present. The Felted Booties would make another great winter gift; especially if you haven’t tried felting yet, this project is a must.

Avery’s own Market Jacket is another fantastic sweater to take you from fall through winter. Knit in brioche stitch, it’s cozy yet well-designed, and Nordique will drape wonderfully in this pattern. The ultimate in transitional sweaters, though, is Grutzek’s Pullover with Cowl, a crew-neck sweater with detachable cowl. Pick a color you love, because you’ll be wearing this classic sweater for years to come.