KNITmuch | Issue 14

KNITmuch

knitted cake · dress · placemats · hats · lace squares blanket · sweater

...to K, is to Issue 14

KNITTING with

UNIVERSAL YARN Uptown Baby Sport Nymph LION BRAND YARN Hue and me Mandala Baby DK Feels Like Butta Wool Ease * crochet zipper join to join seams * knitting with a long-span variegated yarn * knitting from a schematic

READY FOR A KNITTED TEA PARTY?

* Yarn nomenclature: The Many Ways of Naming Yarn

KNITmuch

...to K, is to

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, ART DIRECTOR Carla A. Canonico Carla@KNITmuch.com ADVERTISING SALES John De Fusco John@KNITmuch.com PUBLISHER A Needle Pulling Thread PHOTOGRAPHERS John De Fusco, Carla A. Canonico, Contributors BLOGGERS/CONTRIBUTORS Cindy O'Malley cindooknits.blogspot.com Cynthia MacDougall cgknitters.blogspot.com GRAPHIC DESIGN Carla A. Canonico Carla@KNITmuch.com Sondra Armas Sondra@KNITmuch.com SOCIAL MEDIA and WEB Sondra Armas Alejandro Araujo WEBSITE / BLOG : KNITmuch.com Like us on Facebook : KNITmuch Follow us on Twitter : @KNITmuchmag WHERE TO GET YOUR COPY KNITmuch is a quarterly eMagazine published by A Needle Pulling Thread. It is available free for personal use online at KNITmuch.com.

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KNITmuch | issue 14

EDITORIAL Bloggers, designers, and other contributors who would like to be considered for future issues please email Carla@KNITmuch.com with a brief description of your work and your proposed project. ©2021 KNITmuch. All rights reserved. Issue 14.

ISSN 2368-5913.

No part of this publication may be reproduced without written permission from the publisher.

All designs, patterns, and information in this magazine are for private, non-commercial use only, and are copyrighted material owned by their respective creators or owners.

KNITmuch Contents 6 Knit Together 8 The magical qualities of Nymph make for some great summer knitting 9 Knitting swatch squares with Nymph over different pattern motifs 10 Knitting 4 of my favorite stitch motifs – Part 1 13 Knitting 4 more of my favorite stitch motifs – Part 2 16 Crochet zipper join: an elegant finish to knitted blankets 24 Caramoor Hat is so perfect knit up in Mandala Baby yarn 26 Sweet Striped Hat is so perfect knit up in Feels Like Butta yarn 27 Wool Ease yarn makes knitting easy, warm, and timeless 28 Hue and Me will always knit up great friendship hats 30 Wool Ease thick and quick makes for a quick knit Mitred Hat! 32 Knitting with Uptown Baby Sport makes projects befitting an Uptown Girl 33 Knitting some swatches to determine the best needle size for the motifs 35 Turning a knitted dress from Playtime into Party Time 38 Knitting a feather and fan hat to match the ‘Party Dress’ 41 Dressing up the table for the Tea Party 46 The fascinating characteristics of Lion Brand Mandala Baby DK 47 How to plan a knitting project with a long-span, variegated yarn 48 Knitting a Mandala Baby DK sweater from a schematic 50 Knitting a Mandala Baby DK sweater from a schematic – part 2 52 In knitting, considering complementary colors for Mandala Baby DK

c o n t e n t s KNITmuch | issue 14

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KNITmuch | issue 14

editor's

letter You might remember in the last Issue of KNITmuch I mentioned I was knitting the spectacular Tilted Maple Leaf Henley by Cynthia MacDougall.

As I had mentioned, the Henley style doesn't quite suit me, so I knit it up as a basic cardigan using Universal Yarn Deluxe Worsted. The yarn got even softer when I blocked the finished piece! The drawback to knitting the cardigan is that there weren't enough stitches to knit the fabulous leaf in the front, it is a stunning piece just the same and I know I’ll wear it often. I was so happy to finish it and wear it at the onset of cooler weather.

In this issue, we explore Universal Yarn Nymph, an irresistibly soft chainette yarn in DK weight.

The feature about Nymph has you playing with a beautiful collection of lace pattern swatches which in the end, make up a soft blanket from the lace swatches!

We also dip our knitting needles into sampling five Lion Brand yarns: Mandala Baby, Feels Like Butta, Hue and Me, Wool Ease, and Wool Ease thick and quick in preparation for the winter ahead. Most of these yarns are ideal for knitting winter projects quickly.

If the many names offered to describe yarn weights is confusing, Cynthia MacDougall clears it all up for us in her article about The Many Ways of Naming Yarn. Print and save the chart, it'll come in handy in your knitting journey!

Wishing you happy stitches in the winter ahead.

Cheerfully,

follow me KNITmuch | issue 13 12

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Knit Together

with Cynthia MacDougall

Yarn nomenclature: The Many Ways of Naming Yarn

I Photo by Mike Guilbault

n KNITmuch Issue 13, I described in Knit Together numerous ways to measure yarn.

There are even more ways of describing it.

In this issue I explain some of the different terms knitters are apt to encounter.

Cynthia MacDougall Canadian Guild of Knitters PO Box 562 Stn Main Orillia, Ontario L3V 6K2 705.722.6495 1.866.245.5648 (CGK-KNIT) https://cgknitters.ca/ blog: CGKnitters.ca/blog ravelry name: macknitnow

Anyone who works with yarn – manufacturers, retailers, even knitters – often talk about double-knitting, sock, or bulky yarn. What exactly do they mean? These descriptive terms can seem very vague to a beginning knitter. Why do people refer to a yarn as sock weight instead of saying it’s a yarn with 220 yards per 50 gram ball? Because it is easier to describe it as “sock weight”. “Sock weight” is, in fact, a yarn weight descriptor, as opposed to being an actual measure of the weight of the yarn or an accurate description of its thickness.

Yarn weight descriptors are terms that help another knitter comprehend or visualize how thick a knitted fabric might be when made from that yarn. The terms vary from culture to culture, just as cooking habits do.

Common yarn descriptors used in North America – going from thin yarn to thick yarn – are cobweb, laceweight, baby, sock, sport, double knitting, worsted, aran, bulky, and super bulky.

In New Zealand and Australia, yarn thickness is described in a numeric code representing ply. This is misleading to spinners and knitters who know that a ply can be made in varying thicknesses. It also confuses North American knitters who try to envision a 12ply yarn that may, in fact, be made of three very thick plies instead of 12 very thin ones.

In an effort to standardize things, the Craft Yarn Council of America developed a numeric system for describing yarn. Unfortunately,

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the Council did not take into account very fine yarns, and the system had to be amended to accommodate them. Another drawback of the CYCA system is that the number for any category can be somewhat “one size fits all” in that an eyelash yarn and a smooth heavyweight sweater yarn might both be considered a 5. It is not unlike a diet plan that uses points – instead of counting calories, participants have to learn the point system.

There are more accurate ways of describing yarn. Weavers and manufacturers use a system with two numbers shown as a fraction: 2/18 or 5/2. The former example refers to a woollen yarn, and the latter number represents a cotton yarn. In these examples, the 2 indicates the number of plies, and the other number represents the thickness of the yarn using the Bradford count for wool and the cotton count, respectively. The Bradford count is explained as the number of 560-yard skeins spun from one pound of fiber. The cotton count system is based on the number of 840yard skeins that are spun from one pound of cotton. When a descriptor of this type appears for a yarn, a yards per pound indicator may be found nearby. [Bradford count, yards per pound, Tex, and Nm systems were all briefly described in the sidebar on page 45 in the Spring 2011 issue of A Needle Pulling Thread.]

Wraps per inch is sometimes used as a way to describe yarn thickness as well. While it is simple to do – just wrap the yarn around a one-inch measure with the sides of each strand touching – there is room for error depending upon how closely the strands are placed. Amy Tyler did a study of this which was published in the Fall 2010 issue of Spin Off magazine by Interweave Press. [Spinning Basics: Debunking the wraps-per-inch myth, page 32 - Ed.]

Cobweb

Aran

Baby Worsted Laceweight

Chunky/ Bulky

Double Knitting

Sport If it were necessary to choose a single yarn descriptor method, I would vote for metres per kilogram because yarn can be accurately measured by these quantifiers. In addition, because it uses a decimal system, it is easy to calculate the yarn’s thickness and total yardage, by measuring the length of one gram of

yarn and extending the calculation to metres per kilogram, or by the weight of the total yarn supply. Yards per pound would be a close second choice.

Until the day comes that there is a universal yarn descriptor system, the way yarn thickness is described will

Bulky

Sock

vary from country to country and from manufacturer to user. To demystify some of these, the chart below lists various yarn descriptors, and their approximate equivalents in other systems.

Yarn Descriptor Chart Word descriptor

Other word descriptors

Needle Size (range)

tension/ gauge yards per per 4in/ 10cm pound (range) (range)

wraps per inch (approx.)

NZ/ Australia System

CYCA #

Metric

US

1.5 - 2

000 - 0

34 - 38 sts

6000+

40+

1 ply

0

Cobweb

Super Fine

Laceweight

Fine, 2 ply, Super Fine

2-4

0-6

32 - 36 sts

3000 - 6000

30 - 40

2 ply

0

Baby

Sock, 3 Ply Fingering

2 - 3.25

0-3

27 - 32 sts

2000 - 3000

16 - 28

3 ply

1

Sock

4 Ply Fingering, Sport

3.25 - 2.75

3-5

23 - 26 sts

1750 - 2300

14 - 20

4 ply

2

Sport

Double Knitting

3.5 - 4

3-6

24 - 26 sts

1200 - 1700

13 - 15

5 ply

2

Double Knitting

Light Worsted

3.75 - 4.5

5-7

21 - 24 sts

900 - 1500

11 - 13

8 ply

3

Worsted

Aran

4.5 - 5

7-8

20 sts

850 - 1200

9 - 12

10 ply

4

Aran

Heavy Worsted

5 - 5.5

8-9

18 - 20 sts

650 - 1000

8 - 10

12 ply

4

Chunky/ Bulky

Craft, Rug, bulky

5.5 - 8

9 - 11

12 - 16 sts

250 - 800

7-8

12 ply

5

Bulky

Super Bulky

8 - 10

11 - 15

6 - 11 sts

200 - 400

4-7

14 ply

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Sources: www.patonsyarns.com.au www.naturallyyarnsnz.com www.craftyarncouncil.com/weight.html paternoster.orpheusweb.co.uk/lace/knittingyarns.htm www.knittingonthenet.com Thanks to Halcyon Yarn for their assistance with research for this article.

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The magical qualities of Nymph make for some great summer knitting Cindy O'Malley Welcome to another exciting yarn review, where I’ll be knitting with Rozetti Yarns Nymph. Nymph combines 84% cotton with 16% polymide for an irresistibly soft yarn that is great for all ages.

There are several sources for the definition of Nymph, but all say that they are defined as mythical minor deities represented as beautiful maidens inhabiting and sometimes personifying features of nature such as trees, waters, and mountains. Some go on to say they are sexually mature and attract the attention of men – like the story of Daphne and Apollo, but the story I like the best comes from a site called Lotus Laura . . .

Nymph is available in 7 different colors: Taiga (blue), Salvia (lavender), Swan (white), and Goblet (gray).

Nymph also refers to insect larva, but we won’t go there, so beautiful maiden it is.

Knitting with cotton means that summer has arrived, and this yarn is sure to please for a variety of projects. It’s soft to the touch, but also soft in its color pallet. Nymph is available in 7 different colors that are suitable for all ages. Taiga (blue), Salvia (lavender), Swan (white), and Goblet (gray) are my color choices.

Each 1.75oz [50g] ball contains 125yds [115m]. This DK-weight yarn has a light chainette construction, with soft fibers blown through for a gorgeous halo.

Rated as a Light (3), the recommended gauge and needle size is 21-24 stitches x 29-32 rows over 4”[10cm] using a US 5 – 7 [3.75 – 4.5mm] knitting needle, and 16-19 stitches over 4”[10cm] using a US G/6 – H/8 [4 – 5mm] crochet hook.

“These magical spirits are neither good nor bad, neither benevolent nor evil – they do not perform miracles or play tricks on humans. Rather, they are beings of nature, and so they are concerned with keeping everything balanced.”

Let’s take a close-up look at an individual strand of Nymph. You can see the chainette construction and the feathery halo of the blown fibers.

A close up look at an individual strand of Nymph in Taiga reveals the chainette construction and soft halo of the blown fiber.

Caring for Nymph is a breeze – machine washable in cold water, and tumble dry at low heat, which is perfect for summer wear. My own preference for knitted cotton items is to only tumble dry until damp, then lay flat to finish drying. I find that best for shaping garments and keeping knitwear looking like new for a longer period of time. Nymphs are known for longevity, so that fits right in.

Photos by Cindy O'Malley

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Knitting swatch squares with Nymph over different pattern motifs I’m knitting some swatches, and I’m really looking forward to it. That’s not something you typically hear from a knitter. My projects are making swatches with some of my favorite stitch patterns.

Smaller projects with cotton are perfect for warm weather knitting.

As I mentioned, the recommended gauge and needle size is 21-24 stitches x 29-32 rows over 4”[10cm] using a US 5 – 7 [3.75 – 4.5mm] knitting needle, and 16-19 stitches over 4”[10cm] using a US G/6 – H/8 [4 – 5mm] crochet hook. I’ll start with a conventional 4” x 4” swatch to see how the yarn performs. This is an important exercise when working with yarn for the first time. Then, I’ll move on to other needle sizes for different patterns to see how Nymph performs.

1st Swatch – US 6 [4.0mm]

My conventional swatch yielded 22 sts and approximately 32 rows after sitting and relaxing for a few days. I love the fabric it created, both in drape and in color. It has a beautiful stitch definition, and the halo of the blown fibers really softens the overall look. I can see making a summer top with this yarn.

Since gauge is within the recommendations, I’ll move on to my project swatches.

Now for the unconventional swatches ….

For my 2nd swatch, I wanted to do open lacework.

Since lace typically yields a larger gauge, I decided to use a US 5[3.75mm] needle and one of my favorite lace patterns; the Checkerboard Lace.

Nymph yielded 22sts & 32R with a US 6 [4.0mm] needles. It has beautiful stitch definition and a lovely soft halo.

I cast on 38 sts using the crochet cast-on method and proceeded with the pattern for 50 rows.

My square resulted in approximately 6¾” x 6¾”. I wasn’t as concerned with gauge as I was overall size. When you do the math, it was very close to the 22 x 32 gauge that I achieved with the stocking stitch gauge. Perfect! That’s what I was hoping for. If you notice, I didn’t block it first. I wanted to see the natural behavior of each pattern square.

For my 3rd swatch, I went to a larger needle size (US 7 [4.5mm]) and used a pattern that knits rather tightly.

Known as the Lattice or Trellis stitch, I used the same number of stitches and rows as the lace square (38 sts & 50 rows) and the crochet cast-on method.

This square was more of a rectangle when it came off of the needles, but it squared up when tension was put on the sides. It measured in about 6” wide x 7 ¼” high. When I gently pulled on it from the sides, it became much closer in size to the lace pattern.

I love the stitch definition that both swatches produced using very different patterns.

Now that I know the natural behavior of Nymph knit with various needle sizes over different pattern stitches, I’m ready to proceed with my projects. The goal is to create a blanket made up of different pattern squares. In fact, some of my favorite pattern motifs, which I would like to call, “a few of my favorite things”.

Nymph yielded a similar gauge as the stocking stitch with a US 5 [3.75mm] needles with an open lace work pattern. The square measured approximately 6¾” before blocking.

Nymph knit with a US 7 [4.5mm] needle and using a left leaning trellis stitch pattern.

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Knitting 4 of my favorite stitch motifs – Part 1 I’m knitting squares in some of my favorite motifs. Before we get started, I wanted to give you some background into my inspiration for this project.

I co-host a Zoom Knit Night Study group for the Etobicoke Handweavers and Spinners Guild with my knitting pal, Gloria. Each meet-up focuses on different techniques used in knitting for the purpose of sharing and enhancing the knowledge of participants. Gloria and I came up with a “stitch of the meet” program, but thought that rather than just learning a new stitch, we’d make it a mystery Knita-long (KAL). We designed 12 different squares that fell into 4 different categories: 1) Basic Knit & Purl combinations, 2) Lace work from beginner to more advanced, 3) Different Ribbing techniques that ranged from Mistake Rib to 2-color Brioche, and 4) Knitting stitches that resembled weaving patterns.

Around the same time that we were planning that program, I was introduced to Nymph and thought that the same concept would showcase the versatility of the yarn.

All squares have the same number of stitches and rows.

The crochet cast on method is used throughout, along with a conventional cast off, and slipped stitch edges. If you’re unfamiliar with the crochet cast on method, you can find any number of videos on YouTube that demonstrate this technique.

You start with a slip knot on the crochet hook and place it beside your knitting needle. By wrapping the yarn around the needle and making a chain stitch with the crochet hook, you create a stitch on the needle and a lovely chain edge that looks the same as a conventional cast off edge. The one point to note is that when you cast on 38 stitches using this method, you actually have 37 chain edge stitches. That’s because the last stitch is formed by taking the loop from the crochet hook and placing it on the needle.

Before we get started with the stitch patterns, here is a list of the materials I used and standard abbreviations used throughout. Whenever there is something unique to a particular pattern, it will be noted with the pattern. Unless the pattern states otherwise, I used a US 6 [4.0mm] needle.

materials yarn • 16 – 1.75oz [50g] balls of Rozetti Yarns Nymph, 4 of each in the following colors: Taiga (blue), Salvia (lavender), Swan (white), Goblet (gray). A single ball yields approximately 2½ squares.

needles

• US 5 [3.75mm], US 6 [4.0mm], and US 7 [4.5mm] knitting needles • US 7 [4.5mm] crochet hook

abbreviations k = Knit

p = Purl

kfb = Knit into the front and back of the same stitch ktbl = Knit through back loop of stitch k2tog = Knit 2 sts together

p2tog = Purl 2 sts together yf = Yarn forward yb = Yarn in back

yo = Yarn over, bring yarn to front before knitting next stitch

ssk = Slip, Slip, Knit, slip each stitch knit-wise, then knit them together through back loop sl = Slip stitch purl-wise st(s) = Stitch(es)

rem = Remaining

RS = Right side of work

WS = Wrong side of work

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Waffle Stitch

This is probably my favorite stitch pattern to use on socks. In fact, I used it on the socks I made previously with Odette. It can even be used with self patterning sock yarn as the motif does not take away from the yarn, but adds a little more interest while you’re knitting. We used this stitch pattern in our KAL as an example of how Knits and Purls can create interesting motifs.

The pattern below has been converted from knitting in the round to working flat. I made 3 of these in colors Taiga, Salvia, and Swan.

Cast on 38 sts using the crochet cast on method.

Row 1: Sl1, k1, *p2, k2; repeat from * till 4 sts rem, p2, k2.

Row 2: Sl1, p1, *k2, p2; repeat from * till 4 sts rem, k2, p1, k1.

Row 3: Sl1, knit to end of row.

Row 4: Sl1, purl till 1 st rem, K1.

Work Pattern Rows 1 – 4 12 times total, then work Rows 1 and 2 Once completed, you will have 50 rows.

Cast off loosely.

Checkerboard Lace

This pattern stitch has been taken from the Checkerboard Lace scarf which is a free pattern on Ravelry. I’ve made this scarf previously, and will likely do so again. I love the look of it. I can envision using Nymph and this stitch pattern to make a lovely and light summer wrap to ward off the evening chill or air conditioning. We used this in our KAL in the lace category as the second level since a Yarn Over is always directly used beside a K2tog or SSK stitch. I made four of these in each of my colors; Taiga, Salvia, Swan, and Goblet.

Cast on 38 sts using the crochet cast on method and a US 5 [3.75mm] knitting needle.

Set up Row: Sl1, Knit to end of row Row 1 and every odd numbered row: Sl1, k1, purl to last 2 sts, k2.

Row 2: Sl1, k5, *yo, ssk, k1, (k2tog, yo) 2 times, k3, repeat from * to last 2 sts, k2.

Row 4: Sl1, k1, *k3, (yo, ssk) 2 times, k1, k2tog, yo, repeat from * to last 6 sts, k6.

Row 6: Sl1, k3, *(yo, ssk) 3 times, k4, repeat from * to last 4 stitches, yo, ssk, K2.

Row 8: Sl1, k2, *(yo, ssk) 4 times, k2, repeat from * to last 5 stitches, yo, ssk, K3.

Row 10: Repeat Row 6.

Row 12: Repeat Row 4.

Row 14: Repeat Row 2.

Row 16: Sl1, k1, k2tog, yo, *k4, (k2tog, yo) 3 times, repeat from * to last 4 sts, K4.

I used a US 6[4.0mm] needle and Nymph in Taiga for the Waffle Stitch square, which is my favorite stitch to use when making socks.

Row 20: Repeat Row 16.

Repeat Rows 1 – 20 once more, then repeat Rows 1 – 9.

Once completed, you will have 50 rows.

Cast off loosely.

I used a US 5 [3.75mm] needle and Nymph in Swan for the Checkerboard Lace square, which is a free pattern on Ravelry.

Eyelet Stitch Pattern

This stitch pattern is from a vintage baby pattern book that I have made several times.

It’s probably my favorite baby sweater pattern. I say vintage because it’s been around for a very long time, but I believe it’s still in print, which means some designs never go out of style. It incorporates the Knit Below stitch that is used in Fisherman’s Rib. We used this stitch pattern in our KAL as an introduction to lace. I made 3 of these in Taiga, Salvia, and Swan.

Special Abbreviations

kb = Knit below; Insert right needle into the stitch below the next stitch on the left needle and knit.

Row 18: Sl1, k2, k2tog, yo, *k2, (k2tog, yo) 4 times, repeat from * to last 3 sts, K3.

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Cast on 38 sts using the crochet cast-on method.

Row 1: Sl1, knit to end of row.

Row 2: Sl1, purl till 1 st rem, k1.

Row 3: Sl1, *k2tog, yo, kb, yo, ssk, k1; repeat from * until 1 st rem, k1.

Row 4: Sl1, purl till 1 st rem, k1.

Work Pattern Rows 1 – 4: 12 times total; then repeat Rows 1 and 2.

Once completed, you will have 50 rows.

Cast off loosely.

special abbreviations

ktbl = Knit through back loop

ptbl = Purl through back loop

Cast on 38 sts using the crochet cast on method.

Set Up Row: Sl1 *ktbl, p1, k2, p1; rep from * to last 2 sts; ktbl, k1.

Row 1: Sl1, *ptbl, k1, p2, k1; rep from * to last 2 sts; ptbl, k1.

Row 2: Sl1, *ktbl, p1, k1, yo, k1, p1; rep from * to last 2 sts; ktbl, k1.

Row 3: Sl1, *ptbl, k1, p3, k1; rep from * to last 2 sts; ptbl, k1.

Once completed, you will have 50 rows.

Work Pattern Rows 1 – 4: 12 times total; then repeat Row 1.

We have completed four of the eight different stitch patterns that I used in my “favorite things” blanket. I love the stitch definition that was achieved with Nymph.

The soft halo complimented each pattern beautifully.

Row 4: Sl1, *ktbl, p1, k3, with the tip of the left needle, lift the third stitch on the right needle over the first two sts and drop it off, p1; rep from * to last 2 sts; ktbl, k1.

I used a US 6[4.0mm] needle and Nymph in Taiga for the Eyelet Stitch square.

Faux Cable Twist

I first discovered this stitch from a sock knitting pattern many years ago. Since then, I have used it on the legs of socks as well as an added embellishment on the sleeves of sweaters. It goes by different names such as Faux Cable and Mock Cable, but I like to call it the Faux Cable Twist because of the twisted stitch in between each of the cable motifs. Originally designed for working in the round, the pattern has been converted for knitting flat. I made 4 squares in this motif; 1 in each color.

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I used a US 6[4.0mm] needle and Nymph in Salvia for the Faux Cable Twist square.

Cast off loosely.

Rozetti Yarns Nymph in colors Goblet, Swan, Salvia, and Taiga are suitable for all ages.

Knitting 4 more of my favorite stitch motifs – Part 2 I’m continuing to knit squares in some of my favorite motifs.

So far, I shared the instructions for making the first set of 4 knit stitch patterns: Waffle Stitch, Checkerboard Lace, Eyelet Stitch and Faux Cable Stitch.

Just as a reminder, all squares have the same number of stitches and rows. The crochet cast on method is used throughout, along with a conventional cast off, and slipped stitch edges. If you’re unfamiliar with the crochet cast on method, you can find any number of videos on YouTube that demonstrate this technique.

For ease of reading, I’ve repeated the list of materials I used and standard abbreviations.

Whenever there’s something unique to a particular pattern, it will be noted with the pattern.

Unless the pattern states otherwise, I used a US 6 [4.0mm] needle. materials yarn

• 16 – 1.75oz [50g] balls of Rozetti Yarns Nymph, 4 of each in the following colors: Taiga (blue), Salvia (lavender), Swan (white), Goblet (gray). A single ball yields approximately 2½ squares. needles

• US 5 [3.75mm], US 6 [4.0mm], and US 7 [4.5mm] knitting needles • US 7 [4.5mm] crochet hook

abbreviations

kfb = Knit into the front and back of the same stitch

It has a beautiful scalloped edge and I can envision using this pattern for a cowl or on a sweater.

In fact, there’s a good chance you’ll see it used again in a future KNITmuch feature.

k2tog = Knit 2 sts together

special abbreviations

k = Knit

p = Purl

ktbl = Knit through back loop of stitch p2tog = Purl 2 sts together lh = Left hand needle yf = Yarn forward yb = Yarn in back

yo = Yarn over, bring yarn to front before knitting next stitch ssk = Slip, Slip, Knit, slip each stitch knit-wise, then knit them together through back loop sl = Slip stitch purl-wise st(s) = Stitch(es)

rem = Remaining

RS = Right side of work

WS = Wrong side of work Horseshoe Lace

When Gloria introduced me to this stitch pattern for our KAL, I knit it up and immediately fell in love with it. We used it to advance the Lace category as the yarn over moves on each right side row and the decreases are always static. Gloria found this in her pattern stash on a worn and torn piece of paper. She thinks it’s from a vintage blanket pattern, which would be stunning.

Cast on 38 sts using the crochet cast on method.

Sl1, k2tog, psso – Slip 1 stitch knitwise, knit next 2 sts together, pass slipped st over (2 sts decreased).

The Pattern

Set Up Row: Sl1, k2tog, k1, purl to last 3 sts, k3 (37 sts).

Row 1: Sl1, k2, yo, k3 * sl1, k2tog, psso, k3, yo, p2, yo, k3* rep from * to last 9 sts, sl1, k2tog, psso, k3, yo, k3.

Rows 2, 4, 6, 8: Sl1, k2, purl to last 3 sts, k3.

Row 3: Sl1, k3 * yo, k2, sl1, k2tog, psso, k2, yo, k1, p2, k1 rep from * to last 11 sts yo, k2, sl1, k2tog, psso, k2, yo, k4.

Row 5: Sl1, k4, * yo, k1, sl1, k2tog, psso, k1, yo, k2, p2, k2 rep from * to last 10 sts, yo, k1, sl1, k2tog, psso, k1, yo, k5.

Row 7: Sl1, k5* yo, sl1, k2tog, psso, yo, k3, p2, k3 rep from * to last 9 sts, yo, sl1, k2tog, psso, yo, k6 Repeat rows 1 – 8 5 times more.

Last Row: Sl1, Knit to last 3 sts, kfb, k2. 38sts Once completed, you should have 50 rows.

Cast off loosely in row 8 of pattern.

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Once completed, you will have 50 rows.

Cast off loosely.

Right Leaning Pattern

Cast on 38 sts using the crochet cast on method.

I used a US 6[4.0mm] needle and Nymph in Salvia for the Horseshoe Lace square, which has become a personal favorite of mine.

Trellis Stitch

This pattern stitch goes by different names; Trellis, Lattice, and even Twill stitch. You can make it left leaning or right leaning. We used the right leaning stitch in combination with purl stitches to create a unique ribbing effect in our KAL. It’s become a favorite for both Gloria and myself. I couldn’t decide between left or right leaning, so I decided to make both – Swan and Goblet for the left, and Taiga and Salvia for the right. The left leaning version is a tighter knit because of knitting through the back loop of the stitches to make them lean left. For this pattern, I used a larger needle size.

Row 1: Sl1, *K2tog leaving sts on needle, knit the first st again, then drop both sts off needle; rep from * to last st, k1.

Row 2: Sl1, purl to last st, k1.

Row 3: Sl1, k1, *k2tog leaving sts on needle, knit the first st again, then drop both sts off needle; rep from * to last 2 sts, k2.

Row 4: Sl1, purl to last st, k1.

Work Pattern Rows 1 – 4: 12 times total; then repeat Rows 1 & 2.

Once completed, you will have 50 rows.

Cast off loosely.

Special abbreviations

k2togtbl = Knit 2 sts together through back loop needles

• US 7 [4.5mm] knit loosely

I used a US 7 [4.5mm] needle and Nymph in Goblet and Swan for the Left Leaning Trellis stitch pattern.

Row 2: Sl1, purl to last st, k1.

KNITmuch | issue 14

If you remember from the materials list, each ball of yarn should yield 2½ squares. This motif used up a few of those ½ balls. I made three of these squares; Swan with Goblet, Taiga with Swan, and Salvia with Swan.

This may be easier to read if charted, but for every stitch, I prefaced it with the color of either A or B. For example: Ak6 means to Knit 6 stitches with color A; (Bk1, Ak1) means Knit 1 with color B, then Knit 1 with color A. With Color A and US 7 [4.5mm] needle, cast on 38 sts using the crochet cast on method.

Row 2: Sl1, *(Bp1, Ap1) 3 times, Ap6; repeat from * to last st, Ak1.

Row 4: Sl1, purl to last st, k1.

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Who doesn’t love gingham fabric. It’s fresh and depending on the colors you choose, very summery, or wintery. I first used this pattern stitch in double knitting to make a cowl. I fell in love with it. This version does not use the double knitting technique, which means to avoid floats on the back, I needed to catch the opposite color with each stitch. I discovered that if I was consistent, I could actually create a motif on the wrong side.

I didn’t get it perfected until the third square, so naturally, that’s the one shown. Since 2-color work can be a little tighter, I also used the larger needle size.

Row 1: Sl1, *Ak6, (Bk1, Ak1) 3 times; repeat from * to last st, Bk1.

Row 3: Sl1, k1, *ktbl of 2nd st on LH needle, then k2togtbl and take both stitches off the needle; repeat from * to last 2 sts, k2.

Work Pattern Rows 1 – 4: 12 times total; then repeat Rows 1 & 2.

Gingham Stitch

Rows 3 – 6: Repeat row 1 and 2.

I used a US 7 [4.5mm] needle and Nymph in Salvia and Taiga for the Right Leaning Trellis stitch pattern.

Row 7: Repeat Row 1.

Row 8: Sl1, *Bk6, (Ak1, Bk1) 3 times; repeat from * to last st, Ak1.

Row 9: Sl1, *(Ap1, Bp1) 3 times, Bp6; repeat from * to last st, Bk1.

Rows 10 – 13: Repeat row 8 & 9.

Row 14: Repeat Row 8.

Repeat rows 1 – 14 twice more, then repeat rows 1 – 7, then repeat row 2.

Once completed, you should have 50 rows.

Cast off loosely with color A.

Now that all of the squares have been knit, it’s time to lay them out for assembling. If you kept track, I actually made 24 squares with the intent of using them all together on one blanket. This is where my project morphed into projects. I laid out all the squares on my deck table and realized that my original plan for making a 4 wide by 6 high blanket was too large for an infant, and too small for an adult. I was also having difficulty arranging the squares in a manner that made me happy.

With all 24 squares laid out on my deck table

So that’s when I started playing with revealed that it was too big for an infant and too different combinations and came up small for an adult. with two blankets. One contained the squares where I had used all four colors in the pattern motifs, and the other where I had used three of each stitch pattern.

Two blankets made me much happier, and happy knitting is what it’s all about. Now that the layout has been determined, the next step is to put them together. As you can see by the photo above, the different stitch patterns created different sized squares even though they all have the same number of stitches and rows. Most knitters would say to block each square before assembling, but I chose to block them after.

I used a US 7[4.5mm] needle and Nymph in Salvia and Swan for the Gingham square.

By being consistent with carrying the colors, I was able to create a neat and tidy wrong side.

Rearranging the squares into 2 separate blankets made more sense and was more pleasing to the eye.

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Crochet zipper join: an elegant finish to knitted blankets First, let’s talk about the joining method used. During our KAL project, one of our members, Dawn, demonstrated how to do a flat seam using the Crochet Zipper Join technique. This is an easy to do, and terrific method for joining both knitted and crocheted pieces together. It can be almost invisible, or as an embellishment depending upon the color used in relation to the pieces being joined. There are a number of YouTube videos available that demonstrate this technique, but it basically uses crocheted slip stitches into the bottom leg of either the slipped stitch edges, or the cast on and off edges.

Starting with a loop on the crochet hook, insert the hook into the bottom leg of the edge stitch on the left, then into the bottom leg of the adjacent stitch on the right. Draw the joining yarn through all three loops.

That’s all there is to it. Make sure the crocheted stitch is loose, otherwise it will pull your squares to align with the join stitch instead of letting the join stitch align with the squares.

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Border 1

This method created a border frame that was then joined to the main field of the blanket using the same joining technique.

One of the main benefits of this technique is that you don’t have the entire blanket on your lap while knitting the border.

Once complete, it’s best to lay the blanket and border on a table to seam the sides with the Crocheted Zipper Join.

The Crocheted Zipper Join technique makes a lovely flat seam when joining knitted or crocheted pieces together.

I decided that I would do each blanket a little differently. On one, I used Goblet for the joining seams and for the border. It created a frame around each square. On the other, I matched the seam color to an adjoining square to make it somewhat invisible.

Once all the squares were joined, the next step was to embellish each blanket with a border. I used two different methods. For Blanket 1, where I had framed each square using Goblet, I wanted to continue that theme.

For Blanket 2, I was concerned that I didn’t have enough of one color left to make the border, so I went with a 2-color pattern. The instructions for both follow.

I wasn’t quite sure how much yarn would be needed for the border. I had previously estimated 2, but since I started with a partially used ball, I can’t be quite sure. I had to go into a 3rd ball to complete the project, but unfortunately, I forgot to weigh the balance to know for sure. materials

yarn

• (2) 1.75oz [50g] of Rozetti Yarns Nymph in Goblet, may need a 3rd ball or leftover yarn from a square to be safe needles

• US 6 [4.0mm] 32” [80cm] circular needle

• US 7 [4.5mm] crochet hook

• stitch markers • stitch holder

abbreviations

k = Knit

p = Purl

kfb = Knit into the front and back of the same stitch

pm = Place marker, this is only used to aid in the count of the number of cast on stitches. It saves time when you lose count along the way, which we all know happens frequently. The 2 inner markers can be removed on the next row. rm = Remove marker

RS = Right side

WS = Wrong side

sl = Slip stitch purl-wise st(s) = Stitch(es)

yb = yarn in back of work yf = yarn in front of work Instructions

Crochet cast on 10 sts, pm, cast on 37 sts, pm, cast on 37 sts, pm, cast on 37 sts, pm, cast on 10 sts.

(131 sts) Checkerboard Pattern Motif

Row 1: Sl1, *(k3, p3), continue to last 4 sts, k4.

Row 2: Sl1, *(p3, k3), continue to last 4 sts, p3, k1.

Row 3: Repeat Row 1.

Place right border sts on a st holder or join a separate ball of yarn and work the right side at the same time as the left border.

Top Border

Continue to work in pattern, slipping the 1st st and knitting the last st in every row for 207 rows.

Place sts on hold.

Using the Crochet Zipper Join technique, join the border frame to the blanket.

Left Border

Pattern across right border to the last st, K1 then place this stitch on the crochet hook, PM, proceed to cast on 37 sts, PM, cast on 37 sts, PM, cast on 37 sts and place the last stitch from the crochet hook over the 1st stitch from the stitch holder and Purl the 1st & 2nd stitch together from the stitch holder; then proceed to finish in pattern from stitch holder.

131 sts Beginning with Row 3 of pattern, work across the row, and complete 4 more pattern repeats. Cast off.

Right Border

With WS facing, join yarn and proceed in pattern starting with Row 2 for 207 rows ending with RS facing for next row.

Border 1 is knit as a frame that is then joined to the main field of the blanket with the Crocheted Zipper Join, all made with Goblet.

Repeat Rows 1 – 3 until 12 rows are completed (or desired length).

Row 13: Sl1, k3, p3, k2, kfb, rm, cast off sts until you reach the last marker; rm, k1, cast off last st, pick up previous stitch that was just worked with left needle and k1; k3, p3, k4. 22 sts

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Border 2

Since I was uncertain about the amount of single colored yarn needed, I opted to do a 2-color border. This version uses a provisional cast on with scrap yarn on either side of the blanket and stitches are picked up along the bottom edge. The bottom border is worked, then the sides. Once the side edges are complete, stitches are picked up along the top edge of the blanket, and then the top border is completed. The bottom part of the border is worked without side edge slipped stitches. They are picked up separately with a crochet hook and placed on the needle with the side stitches.

From that point onwards, slipped stitches are worked on each edge of the side borders to form both the side edge and the joining edge. Note the slipped stitches are only worked with color A, which is not conducive to neatly sized slipped stitches. You will get a long stitch, followed by a short one.

For this border you will need:

• scrap yarn for the provisional cast on stitches – a smooth cotton works best

• 1 ball of Nymph in Taiga (blue) Color A

Pattern

I previously used this pattern when I made a hat and cowl with Baby Hugs. I have since learned that it’s called a 2-Color Sand Stitch. It’s a very easy pattern stitch that looks great with 2 contrasting colored yarns. In this case, the two colors are not contrasting, but when combined, it almost seems like a new color.

Row 1: Color A – Knit, DO NOT TURN WORK, slide stitches back to the beginning of the row

Row 2: Color B – (K1, P1) across the row to the last st; K1.

Turn work.

Row 3: Color A – Purl, DO NOT TURN WORK, slide stitches back to the beginning of the row

Row 4: Color B – Same as Row 2 Instructions

Step 1: Begin with a Provisional Cast On

Using a crochet hook and scrap yarn, chain 2 sts, then proceed with a crochet cast on over a stitch holder or dpn for 11 sts, then chain 4 more stitches. You will need to make 2 of these, but the second can be done with the 32” circular knitting needle.

• 1 ball of Nymph in Salvia (lavender) Color B

• US7 [4.5mm] Crochet hook

• US6 [4mm] 32” [80 cm] circular knitting needle

• US6 [4mm] 16” [40 cm] circular or dpn

• stitch holder

• stitch markers

• tapestry needle

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A provisional cast on was used for the side border stitches. A smooth cotton scrap yarn works best when it comes time to unravel and pick up the stitches.

Step 2: Pick up Stitches for the bottom border

With Color A, K11 from provisional cast on stitches.

Pick up and Knit 111 stitches from the bottom edge. Normally, I would pick up and knit both legs of the bottom cast on stitches, but I decided to do something different this time. I picked up the back leg only which left a ridge of the square color along the bottom.

TIP Place a stitch marker after picking up the 37sts from the 1st square, then again after picking up 37sts from the 2nd square.

These markers can be removed on the next row, but it helps out when trying to count the number of stitches you’ve picked up.

Knit the 11 provisional cast on stitches from the stitch holder.

133 sts DO NOT TURN WORK.

Step 3: Slide stitches back to the beginning of the row. With Color B, proceed with pattern beginning with Row 2.

TIP Loosely make a knot with the tail from both colors. This is to temporarily anchor the yarn.

Step 4: Continue in pattern for 18 rows in total, ending with Row 2 (or desired length).

Step 5: With Color A, cast off purl-wise, DO NOT CUT YARN. Insert the crochet hook into the last loop of the cast off and make a slipped stitch edge up the left side by crocheting a slip stitch into every other row until you reach the provisional cast on stitches. Place the last stitch on the 16” circular or dpn needle.

Step 6: Unravel the scrap yarn and place the provisional stitches on the knitting needle. You should have 13sts in total, but don’t be surprised if you’re short a stitch or 2. I didn’t anchor the yarn at the beginning and believe that I lost the outside edge stitch. This was easily rectified with a tapestry needle to form a stitch. That gave me the extra stitch needed to make 13sts.

Step 7: With WS facing, and Color A (brought up from the crocheted slipped stitch edge), purl across all stitches. DO NOT TURN WORK. From this point on, only Color A will work the 1st and last stitch of Rows 1 and 3. Color B will slip both the 1st and last stitch of Rows 2 and 4, as follows: Row 1: Color A – Knit, DO NOT TURN WORK, slide stitches back to the beginning of the row

Row 2: Color B – Sl1, yb, (K1, P1) across the row to the last 2 sts; K1, Sl1. Turn work.

Row 3: Color A – Purl, DO NOT TURN WORK, slide stitches back to the beginning of the row

Row 4: Color B – Sl1, yb, (K1, P1) across the row to the last 2 sts; K1, Sl1. Turn work.

Step 8: Continue with left border pattern, starting with Row 4 for 203 rows (204 in total). This should be in line with the top edge of the blanket. Place stitches on a stitch holder.

At this point, I weighed each ball and discovered that I had 26g of Color A and 27 of Color B. That meant I should be able to get the right and top border sections with the balance of the yarn from each ball.

I hate cutting yarn if it isn’t absolutely necessary until I’m 120% sure. Rather than cutting the yarn, I pulled the yarn from the other end of the ball to continue with the Right border. This can be cumbersome, and sometimes I end up cutting it to alleviate the twisting and snagging, but for now, I’m leaving it attached. The yarn chicken game begins.

Step 9: Right Border

Unravel the scrap yarn and pick up the provisional stitches. I find that using a smaller sized needle makes this task easier. You should have 12 stitches on the needle. With Color A and the crochet hook, make a loop into the bottom right cast off stitch and make a crocheted slip stitch edge up the side by inserting the crochet hook into the edge of every 2nd stitch. Place the last loop on the needle with the provisional stitches (13). The yarn is on the right hand edge with the RS facing you.

Step 10: Beginning with Row 1 of pattern, proceed with the Right Side border for 204 rows, ending with Row 4, with RS facing to begin the next row. Note that Color B is worked as follows: Row 1: Color A – Knit, DO NOT TURN WORK, slide stitches back to the beginning of the row

Row 2: Color B – Sl1, yf, (P1, K1) across the row to the last 2 sts; P1, Sl1. Turn work.

Row 3: Color A – Purl, DO NOT TURN WORK, slide stitches back to the beginning of the row

Row 4: Color B – Sl1, yf, (P1, K1) across the row to the last 2 sts; P1, Sl1. Turn work.

It can be difficult to count rows with this pattern. I inserted a removable stitch marker on every 26th edge stitch to make the count much easier. This was also helpful for Step 11.

Step 11: With the crochet hook and Color A, make the Zipper Join up either side to join the side borders with the side of the blanket. The slipped stitch edge is irregular with this pattern. You end up with a long stitch, followed by a short one.

This can be tricky to insert the crochet hook. I found that by using a smaller hook to enlarge the opening of the short stitch, I could insert the larger hook to complete the join stitch. You should have 25 slipped stitch edges stitches on each square plus the 3 joins for a total of 103 zipper join stitches. You won’t be able to do the last join on each side until the 1st row of the top border has been worked as the last edge stitch for the side is on the needle.

Step 12: Top Border

With 32” circular needle and Color A, K11 across side edge stitches, K2tog. Proceed with picking up the 111 stitches across the cast off edge of the squares; (if you picked up the bottom border stitches using the back loop, make sure you do the same for the top edge), K2tog the first 2 stitches from the stitch holder, Knit to end of row.

(135 sts) DO NOT TURN. Slide stitches back to the beginning and continue pattern with Color B and Row 2 as per the Step 10 instructions. You can now complete the remaining edge stitch on either side and fasten off the zipper join yarn.

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Continue in pattern until 18 rows have been completed. Cast off purl-wise in Color A.

And now, for the finished projects.

I’m very happy with the finished results. These two blankets are so pretty. I love the colors and how the stitch definition is so prominent in all of the patterns.

When I blocked them, I made sure that the scalloped edge of the Horseshoe Lace pattern would remain. I love it.

Notice how blocking the squares after they were joined brought everything into line. They’re not perfect, but a perfect square was not my objective.

The 2-color Sand Stitch almost seems like a 5th color. It’s neither Salvia, nor Taiga but rather a blend of both.

This method seems to have a lot of steps, but I actually really like the results. The only part I wasn’t really keen on was the next step …. Finishing. On a more positive note, I won the yarn chicken game! With only a couple of yards to sparn with Taiga, I was able to finish the border. Now I feel more confident in saying that Border #1 needs 2 balls, but still have a few left yards on hand, just in case.

I really enjoyed working with Rozetti Yarns Nymph. Now that I see how beautiful the yarn works with the different stitch motifs, I really would like to make a summer top.

Finished Favorite Things Blankets 1 and 2 made with Nymph in colors Taiga, Salvia, Swan, and Goblet

Thank you for joining me. I hope you enjoyed. Until next time, stay safe and happy knitting!

Cindy O'Malley

cindooknits.blogspot.com

finishing

Now that both blankets have been joined and embellished with borders, it’s time to weave in all the ends (there’s lots of them) and block.

Finished Measurements of each blanket after blocking: Right Blanket 1 – 24” x 30½”

Left Blanket 2 – 24¼” x 30½”

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Finished Favorite Things blanket 1 made with Nymph in colors Taiga, Salvia, Swan, and Goblet

Finished Favorite Things Blanket 2 made with Nymph in colors Taiga, Salvia, Swan, and Goblet

NEW 1" marking on the cord & needles for quick measuring on the go!

All size

s are c

olor co

ded

1"

Available at your local yarn stores!

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A NEEDLE PULLING THREAD Selected projects from ANPTmag Knitting Click on the photos to find out more about these patterns

Issue 49 In the Mood Tunic Jacqueline Grice Issue 53 Chateau Laurier Cardigan Fiona Stevenson

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Issue 56 'Bee' is for Blankie Nancy Lekx

Issue 55 Pine Cone Wrap & Headband Set Nancy Lekx

Issue 55 Orchard Blossoms Shawl Nancy Lekx

Issue 51 Georgian Bay Cardigan Denise Powell

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Caramoor Hat is so perfect knit up in Mandala Baby yarn

Cynthia MacDougall

Lion Brand Mandala Baby yarn in Arendelle, Unicorn Cloud, and Rainbow Falls

Welcome to Lion Brand Yarns projects, or, as I’m calling it, 5 hats in 5 days. In this feature, I’ll give you a thumbnail description of 5 different yarns by Lion Brand along with a free hat pattern for the featured yarn. In the issues to come, each of these yarns will be featured in-depth – from August to December.

The first yarn I’m highlighting here is Mandala Baby, a fun yarn with loooong color stretches. Mandala Baby is a double knitting (DK) weight yarn with a recommended tension of 22 stitches to 4″ [10cm].

I sampled three colors: Arendelle, Unicorn Cloud, and Rainbow Falls. As you can see, the colors are very child-like and playful, so it’s a good thing that Mandala Baby is a 100% acrylic yarn, as it’s perfect for cheerful knits for children that moms will appreciate because of the wash-and-wear ease of care. Mandala Baby has a very soft feel, which is also good for little ones.

The “serving size” of 5.3oz [150g] of yarn per ball means it will only take one or two balls of Mandala Baby to create a whole garment for a child. 590yds [540m] goes a long way in a child’s sweater!

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There are some factors to consider when using a yarn that has such long spans of color.

• •

•

small projects may not have many (or any) color changes appear in the project the balls of yarn might end in different places, requiring a bit of care to make sure there isn’t a rapid color jump where the new ball is introduced

a little imagination and an on-line pattern search will reveal many options for Mandala Baby.

Imagine a sweater made from sleeve to sleeve, or a baby blanket done in faux Fair Isle, mitered squares or mirrored stripes! Or even Roman stripes!

I used the Arendelle colorway for my hat, and experienced – fully – the first bullet above: even though I reeled off a large section of the center, I still only ended up incorporating one color (the light blue) in my hat! If you want to try an experiment, you could knit this pattern using Mandala Baby as color A and the solid as color B.

For this project, I chose an adult hat pattern called Caramoor. It is written for an Aran weight yarn and 5mm needles, but by changing the yarn and the needle size, I only needed to make a couple of adaptions, which I’ve outlined below. If you download and print the Caramoor pattern, you can jot my adaptations right onto your copy. materials yarn

• 1 ball of solid acrylic double knitting weight yarn (A) • 1 ball of Mandala Baby (B)

needles

• size 6 [4mm] double pointed needles

gauge 22 sts to 4″ [10cm] Hat

With A, cast on 88 sts. Follow pattern instructions for ribbing until piece measures about 3½” [9cm].

Next Rnd: *K10, kfb in next st; rep from * to end of rnd. (96 sts)

Work in the Color Dot pattern (given in the pattern download) until piece measures about 7″ [18cm].

Continue the rest of the pattern as per the download. Make a pompom if desired and sew on securely.

The Caramoor Hat will not only be attractive, but very soft knit up in Mandala Baby. Next, I’ll talk about another soft yarn by Lion Brand, Feels Like Butta.

Caramoor pattern made up using solid acrylic double knitting weight yarn for color A and Lion Brand Mandala Baby yarn for color B

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Sweet Striped Hat is so perfect knit up in Feels Like Butta yarn I’m playing with a yarn called Feels Like Butta, a 100% polyester yarn manufactured in a “chain” or “i-cord” fashion.

Feels Like Butta claims to “have the feel of chenille” without being chenille. If there’s one yarn you’re going to be hesitant to put on a baby, chenille, with its short fibers that little fingers can pull on just as they would the family cat or your favorite pendant, is it! So, Feels Like Butta would appear to be the best of both worlds: soft and safe.

Lion Brand Feels Like Butta yarn

Feels Like Butta comes in 3.5 oz [100g] balls, each of which has 218 yds [199m]. It is made from 100% polyester fibers, which, like Mandala, offers easy care for busy moms and comfort for babies.

The hat I chose for this yarn is the Sweet Striped Hat. It’s a bit of an involved pattern, as far as hats go, but it has some very interesting features.

Beginning knitters tend to struggle with picking up stitches (I know I did!). I found that the multidirectional aspect of this pattern not only offers ample practice, but the stripes in the design also make it a little easier to space the pick-ups. Rather than the two bright pinks in the pattern’s photo, I chose soft pink and pearly gray.

The ribbing is picked up after the front and back of the hat have been completed, which offers even more practice at picking up stitches. You must admit, the result is quite adorable!

This pattern also offers practice with seaming, as the front and back are made separately. This is a great opportunity for a novice knitter to practice mattress or ladder stitch.

Sweet Striped Hat made with Lion Brand Feels Like Butta yarn.

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Without further ado, I present the Sweet Striped Hat, made with Lion Brand Feels Like Butta yarn.

Wool Ease yarn makes knitting easy, warm, and timeless Wool Ease, one of Lion Brand’s “bread and butter” yarns, has “been around for donkey’s years,” as my dear, departed mother-in-law would say. It is truly a classic yarn. Lion Brand has been around since 1878, and I suspect that Wool Ease was developed soon after acrylic fiber was discovered.

Wool Ease is billed as an Aran weight yarn, with a gauge of 18 sts to 4″ [10cm] on size 8 [5mm] needles. An average knitter might be able to achieve a worsted weight gauge by going down to size 7 [4.5mm] needles.

Lion Brand Wool Ease yarn

Being a blend of 80% acrylic and 20% wool, Wool Ease is a good all-round yarn to use for all kinds of projects, from hats to jackets.

The solid colors come in 3oz [85g] balls, each of which contains 197yds [180m] of yarn. The high acrylic content makes it affordable, comfortable, and low maintenance in the care department.

For this feature, I’m repeating the Caramoor pattern found in my first article in this series, but I’ll do it “tromp as writ,” which is an old weaving term for making it the way the pattern was written.

The Caramoor pattern was written for Wool Ease, so here, I won’t need to make any adjustments to the pattern.

You’ll notice I left the pompom off the top of this hat. Not every toque/ beanie has to have a pompom on it! Besides, a lot of men seem to have an aversion to them!

My version of the Caramoor pattern knit up in very practical Wool Ease in Tawny Port and Fisherman colorways

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Hue and Me will always knit up great friendship hats It’s time to have a glance at another Lion Brand yarn – this time Hue + Me. Throughout this series, I’ve been talking about a different Lion Brand yarn in each article.

Lion Brand Hue + Me yarn is a yarn in which every color of this yarn has been designed to complement every other color in the Hue + Me line

I’m working with Hue + Me, a “designer” yarn that has been color-curated for the “pigmentally challenged.” Every color of this yarn has been designed to complement every other color in the Hue + Me line.

So, if choosing colors isn’t your strong suit, this could be the yarn for you!

Hue + Me is an 80% acrylic, 20% wool yarn that comes in 4.4oz [125g] balls. It is bulky weight, with a gauge of 14 sts over 4″ [10cm] on size 10.5 [6.5mm] needles. Worked on size 10 [6mm] needles, you can probably achieve or at least approximate a chunky tension (16 sts to 4″ [10cm]).

I found the most delightful pattern for this hat: the Trio Toboggan. This pattern was written for Hue + Me, and ingeniously takes 3 balls of yarn and makes 3 hats, just by changing up the colors for each. Oh, sure, you could make one hat from one ball, but this would be a great way to make “friendship hats” for your best buds or your kids’ best buds!

Trio Toboggan pattern perfectly designed for Hue + Me yarn.

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Trio Toboggan pattern perfectly designed for Hue + Me yarn in green colorway Trio Toboggan pattern perfectly designed for Hue + Me yarn in peach colorway

The photo shows what the trio looks like when you follow the instructions. I, however, can be a bit of a rebel when it comes to knitting, so my hats turned out a little differently. Here’s what happened:

I followed the pattern for the first hat, except I didn’t have the right size needles. So, I knew this hat was going to be smaller. As expected, it barely covered my ears, but it fit a friend of mine (whose hat size is one or two smaller than mine) just fine. In fact, he preferred it to the second hat and, as was expected, neither the peach yarn nor the pompom was a hit with him!

I personally decided that the top edge of the diamond pattern was not symmetrical enough for me, so when I made the next hat, I fixed that by adding a row or two of pattern between the diamond and the “fleur-de-lys” at the top.

Trio Toboggan pattern perfectly designed for Hue + Me yarn in gray colorway

Besides, as I said, the hat wasn’t quite deep enough for me, so doing this added a little height to the hat – as did the extra two rows of ribbing and the round of gray above it! Here’s where I encourage any knitter to break out of the “pattern mold” and get creative in your own right.

On my third attempt, I will just ‘fess up, and say I wasn’t paying attention. I botched the Fair Isle pattern and decided to improvise.

I think it worked out well in the end: the diamonds are perfectly symmetrical, and the pattern is a little lower – closer to the ribbing, but that doesn’t seem to affect the overall appearance of the hat.

It’s possible that if I gave these hats to three friends, it would be a long time before any of them noticed, especially if they’re not knitters!

All of the photos in this article show how there is no “wrong way” to combine the colors in the Lion Brand Hue + Me line.

So, if you’re one of those knitters who always knits a pattern in the colors shown in the photo, I encourage you to try this yarn!

This pattern is like a popular brand of snacks: bet you can’t make just one! (I couldn’t.) This whole concept of breaking up the elements of the pattern and switching them out to get more mileage out of the yarn is brilliant in my mind, and I’ll be borrowing that for other hats, too. Imagine the fun you could have with Mandala Baby yarn.

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Wool Ease thick and quick makes for a quick knit Mitred Hat! All good things must come to an end, and so it is with my time experimenting with Lion Brand yarns. Well, it’s sort of the end.

I’ll be back later in the year to take a more in-depth look at Mandala Baby and Hue + Me yarns, while other bloggers here on KNITmuch will be telling you more about Wool Ease Thick & Quick and Feels Like Butta – the other yarns I’ve given you a snapshot of over this series.

The marled version of Wool Ease Thick & Quick is fun to use and it’s fun choosing a solid to complement it.

A quick selfie reveals a lot about the hat and its maker!

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I’m wrapping up with Wool Ease Thick & Quick. As I was going back over my notes and saw that I wrote, “I really like this yarn.

The 80/20 acrylic/ wool content means that it can be washed and dried by machine. The 2-ply twist gives the yarn a rustic feel and it was fun to choose a solid to go with the marled version.” I even found a rustic setting to photograph the yarn – an old, slightly weather-worn arbor.

Solids come in a 6 oz [170g] put-up, while the marled colors have 5 oz [140g] per ball. So, when planning a project that puts the two together, it may be necessary to buy an extra ball of the marled yarn.

The finished hat has a jaunty turned-up brim and an equally jaunty multidirectional mitered square.

The recommended gauge for Wool Ease Thick & Quick is 9 sts to 4″ [10cm] on 9mm needles so it is, indeed, a “quick” yarn.

The pattern I chose for this is the Mitered Hat. It looks LOVEly on this young model.

I set the pattern up so that the solid was the cast on color and the marled yarn formed the miter (shown in dusty rose in photo.) I was REALLY happy with the effect the marled yarn had on the finished piece, even though none of the colors I chose are ones I normally wear. (You know, every now and again it’s good to play outside of your own crayon box!)

Again, I didn’t have the size of needles the pattern called for (I’m not surprised, as I don’t often work with super bulky yarns), so I used the next size down and still got a result that fit.

When I finished the hat, I looked at it and thought it looked like something my grandma would have knitted in the 1970s. (That could have been the colors I chose, though. These colors did cause a bit of a flashback!) Anyway, I tried it on, and – what do you know? – right there in the mirror was my grandma! Uh oh!

Can’t blame that on the yarn! Regardless, I still like the way the marled yarn worked in this pattern, and I’d like to re-jig this design for other yarns!

Here’s a photo of my hat in a more neutral setting – just so you can picture it on a more youthful model!

Even though I’m not a huge fan of bulky yarns, I really enjoyed working with Wool Ease Thick & Quick (and Hue + Me) and hope you will, too!

Cynthia MacDougall cgknitters.ca

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Knitting with Uptown Baby Sport makes projects befitting an Uptown Girl Cindy O'Malley This yarn is very soft to the touch, which is also a plus when making knitted items for children. Many a yarn snob will shy away from acrylic yarn. I consider myself a yarn snob, but when it comes to children’s wear and afghans, a soft acrylic is a great choice; mainly because of the laundry care.

Hi again! I’ll be knitting with Universal Yarn Uptown Baby Sport.

Uptown Baby Sport is 100% pillresistant acrylic yarn. Super soft in a wide array of shades, Uptown Baby Sport looks and feels great in projects for children.

Uptown Baby Sport is available in 27 different colors that are largely pastel, but with a few bold colors, like Petal, to spice things up. My color choices for this feature are Pink Pearl (soft pink), Tea Rose (bold pink), Lily (creamy white), and of course, Petal, which is a bold coral color.

Each 3.5oz [100g] ball contains 361yds [330m], with a recommended knitting needle of US4 [3.5mm] = 24 sts x 30 rows = 4” [10cm] in stocking stitch. The recommended crochet hook is US G-6 [4mm] = 24 sc x 28 rows = 4” [10cm].

Uptown Baby Sport is available in 27 different colors . . . Pink Pearl (light pink), Tea Rose (bold pink), Lily (creamy white), and Petal (bold coral)

Caring for Uptown Baby Sport is easy – machine washable in cold water, and tumble dry at low heat, which is perfect for children’s wear as busy parents don’t often have time for special laundry care.

Uptown Baby Sport is a plied acrylic yarn that is pill resistant.

I managed to get a close up view of individual strands. As you can see in the photo, it’s a plied yarn with a fairly tight twist. This, combined with following the laundry care instructions, give Uptown Baby Sport its’ antipilling qualities.

If you’re wondering where Sport fits into the scheme of yarn weights, it’s a step up from fingering, but finer than Double Knit (DK) weight. This means that typically smaller sized knitting needles are used to make garments.

I have some diverse projects in mind for Uptown Baby Sport. The theme is a Tea Party, a pink Tea Party to be exact. Our Uptown Girl will be sporting a lovely dress, while serving tea and cake to her friends. I hope you’ll join me as I explore knitting with Uptown Baby Sport.

Photos by Cindy O'Malley

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Knitting swatches to determine the best needle size for the motifs I’m knitting some swatches to determine the needle size(s) that I’ll use for my projects. As I mentioned, the recommended knitting needle size is US4 [3.5mm] = 24 sts x 30 rows = 4” [10cm] in stocking stitch.

The gauge for the dress I’ll be making is 24 sts x 32 rows = 4” in stocking stitch, on a US3 [3.25mm] needle. I’ll begin by using the US4 [3.5mm] as per the yarn recommendations, then switch to the US3 [3.25mm] to see if there is much of a difference. I’m also looking forward to trying out the bold colors of Tea Rose and Petal.

For my first swatch in Petal, I cast on 30 sts, with a US4 [3.5mm] needle, knit 4 garter stitch rows, then proceeded with a slipped stitch edge and 2 garter stitches at each side, and stocking stitch for the main field. My results were 23½ sts and 32 rows = 4”.

There really wasn’t any difference after laundering.

Since the dress is knit with a feather and fan motif using a sock weight yarn, I decided to try the US3 [3.25mm] for the next swatch in stocking stitch. Then I’ll make another in pattern to measure that gauge.

For the second swatch in Tea Rose, I used the same stitch count and a US3 [3.25mm] needle, but knit 34 rows of stocking stitch. This swatch measured in at 24 sts and 34 rows = 4”. In both swatches, the row gauge is a little off the mark, but I’m not concerned as the pattern for the dress is not based on row gauge. Even though there wasn’t that much difference between the two swatches, I preferred knitting with the US3 [3.25mm] needle.

(L) 1st swatch in Petal yielded 24sts and 32 rows using a US4 [3.5mm] needle, and the (R) swatch in Tea Rose yielded 24sts and 34rows using a US3 [3.25mm] needle.

I’m very happy with the stitch definition of this yarn. Now I’ll move on to knitting swatches in the pattern motifs that I’ll be using for my project. As I mentioned, the skirt of the dress uses a Feather and Fan motif, but I’ll be using variations of this stitch pattern for several projects. I’ll begin by using the US3 [3.25mm] needle and the conventional version of the pattern which is an 18 st repeat.

In order to accurately assess the gauge, I felt it was important to have 2 pattern repeats.

For the third swatch, I cast on 42 sts, worked 4 rows in garter stitch, and maintained the slip stitch and 2 garter stitches on each edge. My swatch measured in at 5”, which works out to approximately 28 sts = 4” and my row count was about 34 rows.

That works out perfectly as the dress pattern gauge is 28 sts x 34 rnds = 4” in Feather and Fan pattern.

One of the variations I’ll be using is a 12 st pattern repeat instead of 18 sts, and a closed feather (or is it the fan), that I’ll go into detail on Day 4. For the fourth swatch, I cast on 30 sts with the US3 [3.25mm] needle and maintained the slip stitch and garter edges.

My results were 24 sts = 3½” and 38 rows = 4”, which means the stitch gauge works out to approximately 27 sts = 4”, so just a bit tighter than the open version. Since I’m not following a pattern gauge for this motif, this exercise was to determine what stitch count I needed for one of my projects.

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The stitch definition comes through nicely with Uptown Baby Sport. I’m very pleased with the results.

For my fifth swatch, I wanted to try out a herringbone pattern. Initially I thought about holding two strands together to knit a horizontal herringbone and wicker stitch. I must confess, the results were not what I was hoping for, so I switched gears and found this two-color version. I was so excited by it, that I got carried away with my swatch, and actually ended up creating one of my planned projects.

(L) 3rd swatch in Petal yielded 28sts and 34 rows using a US3 [3.25mm] needle in Feather and Fan pattern, and the (R) 4th swatch in Tea Rose yielded 27sts and 38 rows using a US3 [3.25mm] needle and closed version of the pattern.

5th swatch in Petal and Lily yielded 29sts and 28 rows using a US4 [3.5mm] needle in a 2 color Herringbone pattern.

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My planned project is a placemat for the Tea Party, but this was truly an exercise in what not to do. I love the results, but I should have used a larger needle size for the color work as my knitting was too tight to lay flat with the garter edge, even after hard blocking. I used a US2.5 [3.0mm] needle for the garter stitch and a US4 [3.5mm] for the color work. On Day 5, I’ll reveal the pattern details and the recommended needle sizes; in other words, do as I say and not as I do.

I’m sure you’ve heard the term “memory” before when talking about different yarns. Wool has good memory, meaning it will go back into shape by laying flat to dry. Plant based or other animal fibers, do not have good memory which means you need to consistently block items back into shape after laundering. Acrylic yarn tends to have a lot of memory … like the elephant that never forgets.

You can hard block it, but it will revert to its natural form. Never hang acrylic to dry; it will elongate with the weight, however, wash it again and tumble dry with the recommended settings, and it will be good as new. By the way, never steam block acrylic; it will ruin your project (spoken from experience). So, what does all of that mean … I should’ve swatched with a larger sized needle.

Turning a knitted dress from Playtime into Party Time Just a reminder I'm knitting with Universal Yarn Uptown Baby Sport, which is 100% pill-resistant acrylic yarn that is super soft. Available in a wide array of shades, Uptown Baby Sport looks and feels great in projects for children.

Now I’m knitting the Playtime Dress, a free download pattern designed for Universal Yarn Bamboo Pop Sock yarn.

The skirt of the dress is a Feather and Fan pattern and the bodice and sleeves are garter stitch. It’s knit in the round up to the sleeve holes; then worked flat. The sleeves are also worked flat (bottom up), and seamed to the dress. It has two buttons on the left shoulder to make it easier to get on and off.

That’s what the pattern instructs, however, I’m going to knit it up a little differently.

The Playtime Dress is a free pattern designed for Bamboo Pop Sock, but I’ll be making it with Uptown Baby Sport.

If you’ve followed any of my previous features, you know that I tend to personalize standard patterns to make them my own.

The first change is the color. I’ve selected Pink Pearl and Tea Rose as my color choices. I’m making the 2 year old size which calls for 3 balls of Bamboo Pop Sock which has 492 yds/ball. To be safe, I allotted 4 balls of Uptown Baby Sport which has 361 yds/ ball. As it turned out, I used 1 ball of Tea Rose, and had to get into the second ball of Pink Pearl about halfway down the second sleeve. As such, you will need 1 ball of the main skirt color and 2 balls of the bodice and sleeve color should you choose to make this version.

I’ve selected Pink Pearl (light pink), and Tea Rose (bold pink) as my color choices for this dress.

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Without repeating all the pattern details that you can download at the top of this article, I have itemized the changes I made to make it my own.

For the skirt of the dress, I’ll use Tea Rose as the main color and Pink Pearl as the accent (Purl round) color. Feather and Fan is a very easy 4-row repeat pattern that creates a lovely scalloped look. When knitting in the round, the 18 stitch pattern repeat is:

Button Hole Band Changes

• • •

Rnd 1: Knit.

•

Rnd 3: K2tog (3 times), k1, yo (6 times), ssk (3 times).

•

Rnd 2: Knit.

Rnd 4: Purl.

The next change is the bodice. Rather than garter stitch (Knit 1 round, Purl 1 round), I Knit 3 rounds and Purl 1 round until the sleeve openings, then work flat as follows: Knit 1 row, Purl 1 row, Knit 2 rows. I’m using Pink Pearl for the bodice and sleeves, but I’ve opted to transition the color change by working the first 3 pattern repeats with Tea Rose as the 4th row.

The third change is the button band. The pattern calls for 2 buttons, but I found these adorable little daisy buttons with a bright pink center and decided on 3 buttons. I also used a double yarn over (YO) to make the button hole large enough.

I’ve opted for 3 delightful daisy buttons instead of 2 as called for by the pattern.

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•

Save last stitch from neckline cast off.

Pick up 3 sts from neckline edge, then knit across 18 sts (22 sts).

Knit 1 row.

Sl1, k2, k2tog, yo twice, ssk, k2, k2tog, yo twice, ssk, k2, k2tog, yo twice, ssk, k3.

Sl1, k3, *k1, k1tbl, k4, rep from *.

Continue with pattern as written.

I love these buttons. They really complement the overall dress and act as jewelry for the shoulder opening.

My next big change is how the sleeves are knit. Rather than knitting them flat from the bottom up and seaming them into place, I opted to pick up stitches around the opening and knit them down and in the round using the same pattern motif as the bodice.

This can be a little tricky as you really need to take your row gauge into account in order to end up with the appropriate length sleeve. Another tricky part is the number of rows in the sleeve opening versus the number of stitches (according to the pattern) at the top of the sleeve. The ratio between rows and stitches when joining or picking up stitches is generally 4:3, meaning 4 rows = 3 stitches.

This isn’t an exact mathematical science; there is usually always some adjustments needed, but this was a significant difference.

According to the pattern, the top of the sleeve should have 54 stitches, and since the sleeve opening is based on a measurement, the number of rows for my project worked out to approximately 88 stitches. The pattern was written for garter stitch, which has more rows to the inch than stocking stitch, thus making it a rather significant difference. I’m not comfortable with that. If I had followed the pattern instructions and seamed the sleeves, I’m sure there would be puckering. Instead, I followed the 4:3 ratio which resulted in picking up 66 stitches for the sleeve. On the next round, I decreased by doing the following:

That sums up the changes and the personalization I made to the pattern … and here is the result.

I love the scalloped skirt of the dress and Uptown Baby Sport in Pink Pearl and Tea Rose truly have transformed this dress from Playtime to Party time; befitting an uptown little girl.

With the 27 color options of Uptown Baby Sport, think of the combinations that can be made for this dress.

I can envision making two of these dresses for twins or sisters. One would be pretty in pink, and the other, lovely in lavender.

I’m so pleased with how this dress turned out. I don’t have a 2 year old in my family, but one of my knitting pals has a granddaughter that fits the bill of an Uptown Girl ready to be the hostess with the most-est for her own tea party.

K2tog, *k6, k2tog (57 sts).

On the following row, K2tog at the base of the sleeve opening and proceed with working down.

Yes, I have 2 more stitches than the pattern calls for, but after working out the math based on my row gauge, it worked. It just meant I had one more set of decreases working down. I was very happy with the end result and I didn’t have to seam anything … perfect!

My personalized version of the Playtime Dress made with Uptown Baby Sport.

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Knitting a feather and fan hat to match the ‘Party Dress’ Initially, I wasn’t planning on making a hat, but when I showed off the dress to a few of my knitting pals, everyone exclaimed that it needed a hat. The more I looked at the dress, the more I had to agree, so here, I’m making a hat using the same 2 colors (Pink Pearl and Tea Rose), the Feather and Fan motif from the skirt of the dress, and a variation of the pattern.

Without having a 2 year old available to measure her head, I had to rely on other hat patterns for toddler hat sizes. My hat measured 15” in circumference, but you can adjust the size by adding (or subtracting) a multiple of 18 sts, and increasing (or decreasing) the number of pattern row repeats. To make this hat, you will need: materials

• •

•

•

1 ball Uptown Baby Sport in Tea Rose (Color A) 1 ball Uptown Baby Sport in Pink Pearl (Color B) (I used the leftover yarn from the dress for both colors)

US3 [3.25mm] 32” [80cm] circular for magic loop, or 16” [40cm] circular, or 1 set of double pointed needles tapestry needle

abbreviations

K = Knit

P = Purl

**B: Knit 2 rounds

Kfb = Knit into the front and back of the same stitch

A: Purl 1 round**

YO = Yarn Over, bring yarn to the front of work before knitting the next stitch.

Decrease for crown

rnd = Round

B: *K2tog (2 times), YO, K2, SSK (2 times); rep from * to end of round (14 sts dec = 56 sts)

SSK = Slip, Slip knit-wise, then knit the 2 sts together through back loop

st(s) = Stitch(es)

rep = Repeat

dec = Decrease

Instructions

Cast on 126 sts and join in the round being careful not to twist sts. Place a marker to denote the beginning of the round.

With Color A, work 4 rounds of garter stitch (Knit 1 row, Purl 1 row)

Attach Color B

**B: Knit 2 rounds

B: *K2tog (3 times), K1, YO (6 times), SSK (3 times); rep from * to end of round

A: Purl 1 round**

Repeat from ** 4 more times (5 patterns in total) B: *K1, K2tog; rep from * to end of round (84 sts)

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A: Beginning with a Knit round, work 6 rounds of garter stitch

K2tog = Knit 2 sts together

B: Knit 2 rounds

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A: Purl 1 round

B: *K2tog (2 times), K1, YO (4 times), SSK (2 times); rep from * to end of round Repeat from ** 6 more times (7 patterns in total) B: *K2tog, K8, SSK; rep from * to end of round (14 sts dec = 70 sts) B: Knit

A: Purl

B *K2tog, K4, SSK; rep from * to end of round (14 sts dec = 42 sts) B: Knit

B: *K2tog, K2, SSK; rep from * to end of round (14 sts dec = 28 sts)

A: Purl

A: *K2tog, SSK; rep from * to end of round (14 sts dec = 14 sts) A: Purl

A: *K2tog; rep from * to end of round (7 sts)

Cut Yarn. With the tapestry needle, draw the remaining yarn through the loops of the 7 sts, pull to close the gap and weave in the end.

How adorable is this, but it still needs something … a flower!

After trying several flower patterns that I didn’t like, one of my knitting pals suggest a provisional cast on and a picot edge. That got me thinking of ideas and voilà the water lily flower emerged.

This is a 2 part flower, with a larger back, and smaller cup. I used leftover yarn from the hat and dress to make the pink version.

The other materials I used included: materials

• • •

•

US3 [3.25mm] 32” [80cm] circular for magic loop

E-4 [3.5mm] crochet hook close (or close in size)

scrap yarn for the crochet provisional cast on (a smooth cotton works best)

Larger Base Flower

Knit 1 round.

*Kfb; rep from * to end of round (20 sts).

Knit 2 rounds.

*K1, Kfb; rep from * to end of round (30 sts).

Knit 2 rounds.

*K2, Kfb; rep from * to end of round (40 sts).

Knit 2 rounds.

*YO, K2tog; rep from * to end of round.

Knit 2 rounds.

*K2, K2tog; rep from * to end of round (30 sts).

Knit 2 rounds.

*K1, K2tog; rep from * to end of round (20 sts).

Knit 2 rounds.

*K2tog; rep from * to end of round (10 sts).

The completed hat made with the Tea Rose and Pink Pearl leftover yarn from the dress.

Knit 1 round.

Cut yarn.

tapestry needle

Instructions

Provisional Cast on with scrap yarn 10 sts, join yarn and work in the round being careful not to twist the stitches. You may wish to place a marker to denote the beginning of the round. Leave a long enough tail from the first row to draw through the stitches later.

(L) Water Lily back in progress, (C) Water Lily back complete, (R) Water Lily cup complete

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Smaller Cup Flower

Knit 1 round.

*Kfb; rep from * to end of round (20 sts).

Knit 6 rounds.

*YO, K2tog; rep from * to end of round.

Knit 6 rounds.

*K2tog; rep from * to end of round (10 sts).

Knit 1 round.

Cut yarn.

With the tapestry needle, thread the cut yarn through the stitches on the needle and draw them in together. Then, unravel the provisional cast on stitches and pick up the stitches by drawing the tail yarn through each stitch and drawing them in together tightly. Secure the two ends of each part, then thread the cup flower ends through the back flower, and secure all ends. Use the ends to attach the flower to the hat.

The hat is now complete with the addition of the water lily flower.

The picot edge of my completed flowers is a wonderful method for simulating the flower petals … thanks Brigit! It was a terrific idea.

My hat is complete and adorned with the water lily flower made with the leftover yarn. In fact, both the hat and flower were made with the leftover yarn from the dress. That really speaks to the yardage of Uptown Baby Sport.

Completed water lilies made with Uptown Baby Sport in (L) Lily (white) and (R) Tea Rose and Pink Pearl.

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The same Feather and Fan motif from the dress skirt was used on the brim of the hat, and a 12 stitch version was used on the crown. Even the decreases were done in line with the K2tog and SSK stitches of the pattern motif which kept the continuity of the scallops.

Now that the hostess is well outfitted, it’s time to get the table ready for the Tea Party.

Dressing up the table for the Tea Party I’ll be working with all four of my yarn colors from Universal Yarn Uptown Baby Sport; Lily and Pink Pearl for the cake, Tea Rose, Pink Pearl and Lily for the embellishments, and Lily and Petal for the placemat.

I made a swatch with a variation of the Feather and Fan motif.

Instead of making it open and lacy, I made it closed which was accomplished by purling through the back loop of the yarn over.

Let’s talk about yarn overs (YO).

It’s not uncommon for current patterns to use the term YO regardless of whether the next stitch is a knit or a purl. In reality, how you go about doing a YO is different depending upon the next stitch. Older or vintage patterns usually distinguished between the two. For example: yfwd = Yarn forward. The next stitch would be a knit and therefore a YO would be created by bringing the yarn to the front of the work and knitting the next stitch. Sometimes this would be referred to as wlfwd, meaning wool forward.

yrn = Yarn round needle indicating that the next stitch would be a purl. Since a purl stitch needs the yarn to be in front, the YO is accomplished by bringing the yarn to the front of the work, taking it over the right hand needle to the back of the work, then bringing it forward to the front. Now it’s in position for the purl stitch and the YO is already made and on the right hand needle. (aka wrn = wool round needle)

yon = Yarn over needle. If the yarn is in back, bring it over the top of the right needle and then take it to the back. If the yarn is in front, take it to the back and over the top of the right needle. This differs from yrn as its purpose is to alter the positioning of each leg of the YO stitch. A regular YO will have the right leg of the stitch in front and ready to be worked on the next row leaving a lacy hole in your fabric. But, if you knit (or purl) through the back loop of this stitch (i.e., the left leg), it closes the hole. We often knit through the back loop of a stitch, but it tends to be a little trickier to purl through the back loop. By using this technique, the left leg of the YO is in the correct position for knitting or purling and creates the same effect as “through back loop”.

All set? Let’s make a cake. materials

•

• •

• •

1 ball Uptown Baby Sport in Pink Pearl (Color A) (still using left over yarn from the other projects) 1 ball Uptown Baby Sport in Lily (Color B)

US3 [3.25mm] 32” [80cm] circular for magic loop, or 16” [40cm] circular, or 1 set of double pointed needles tapestry needle

1 double roll of toilet paper

abbreviations

K = Knit

P = Purl

K2tog = Knit 2 sts together

SSK = Slip, Slip knit-wise, then knit the 2 sts together through back loop Kfb = Knit into the front and back of the same stitch st(s) = Stitch(es)

YO = Yarn Over, bring yarn to the front of work before knitting the next stitch.

YON = Yarn Over needle rep = Repeat rnd = Round

dec = Decrease

Instructions

Cast on 96 sts with Pink Pearl (Color A) and join in the round being careful not to twist sts.

Place a marker to denote the beginning of the round.

Work 6 rounds garter stitch (*K1 rnd, P1 rnd, repeat from *).

Join Color B (Lily).

**Rnds 1 and 2: Knit 2 rows.

Rnd 3: *K2tog (2 times), (YON, K1, (4 times)), SSK (2 times); rep from * to end of rnd.

Rnd 4: Color A – Purl 1 rnd (note that by purling through the YON, it creates a closed stitch)**.

Repeat from ** 9 more times (40 rnds – 10 complete pattern repeats) ending with rnd 4.

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With Color A (Pink Pearl) Rnd 41: Knit 1 rnd.

Rnd 42: Purl 1 rnd.

Rnd 43: Knit 1 rnd.

Rnd 44: *YO, K2tog, repeat from * to end of rnd.

Rnd 45: Knit 1 rnd.

Rnd 46: Purl 1 rnd.

Rnd 47: With the Right needle, pick up the corresponding stitch from rnd 41 and place it on the Left needle.

Knit this and the next stitch on the needle together.

Cake Top

With Color B (Lily) Knit 1 rnd.

Cut yarn. With the tapestry needle, draw the yarn through the 6 remaining stitches and pull tightly to close the gap and secure.

Place the frosting fabric over a double roll of toilet paper.

The completed cake looks good enough to eat; though I suspect it would be a little dry.

As you can see from the picture above, I’ve added some roses to the top of the cake. I call them the hibiscus rose flowers. The instructions use a variation of the Feather and Fan motif, but without yarn overs. They’re knit flat and use the crochet cast on method to create a picot edge.

Hibiscus Rose Flowers materials

•

US3 [3.25mm] needle

•

tapestry needle

•

E-4 [3.5mm] crochet hook close (or close in size)

special abbreviation

CH = Chain

Instructions

Crochet Cast on as follows.

Cast on 7 sts, CH2, *Cast on 12 sts, CH2 repeat from * 4 times total; Cast on 7 sts = 62 sts.

Row 1: Sl1, Knit to end of row.

Row 2 and all even rows: Sl1, Purl to last st, K1.

*K6, K2tog; repeat from * to end of rnd (12 sts dec = 84 sts).

Knit 1 rnd.

*K5, K2tog; repeat from * to end of rnd (12 sts dec = 72 sts).

Knit 1 rnd.

*K4, K2tog; repeat from * to end of rnd (12 sts dec = 60 sts).

Knit 1 rnd.

*K3, K2tog; repeat from * to end of rnd (12 sts dec = 48 sts).

Knit 1 rnd.

*K2, K2tog; repeat from * to end of rnd (12 sts dec = 36 sts).

Knit 1 rnd.

*K1, K2tog; repeat from * to end of rnd (12 sts dec = 24 sts).

Knit 1 rnd.

*K2tog; repeat from * to end of rnd (12 sts dec = 12 sts). *K2tog; repeat from * to end of rnd (6 sts dec = 6 sts).

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KNITmuch | issue 14

The cake is ready made with a closed version of the Feather and Fan pattern stitch.

Row 3: Sl1, *K2tog, K8, SSK, repeat from * till 1 st rem; K1.

Row 5: Sl1, *K2tog, K6, SSK, repeat from * till 1 st rem; K1.

Row 7: Sl1, *K2tog, K4, SSK, repeat from * till 1 st rem; K1.

Row 9: Sl1, *K2tog, K2, SSK, repeat from * till 1 st rem; K1.

Row 11: Sl1, *K2tog, SSK, repeat from * till 1 st rem; K1.

Row 13: Sl1, *K2tog, repeat from * till 1 st rem; K1.

Cut Yarn.

With the tapestry needle, thread the cut yarn through the stitches on the needle and draw them in together. To make a rose, roll the fabric around and use the tapestry needle to secure all layers together to hold it in place.

To make the hibiscus flower, leave it more open and secure it in place. You can even crochet a stamen for the hibiscus with the crochet hook and a contrasting color by chaining 6, then slip stitch back down the length.

As you can see from the photo, the rolled rose flowers form the icing on the top of the cake.

When left open and by adding a stamen, it resembles a hibiscus flower. I’ll use the open flower to adorn the table.

The Hibiscus Rose flowers put the icing on the cake, and the Hibiscus flower will adorn the table.

Placemat

As promised on Day 2, I made a placemat, or rather a large swatch, with the 2-color herringbone stitch. I love the look of it and will likely use that stitch pattern again on future projects.

It’s been added to my “favorite things” stitch pattern list.

The one I made is more in scale with the table setting, however, the instructions provide for both the smaller version and a regular sized placemat. Since color work is easier to follow from a chart rather than written instructions, a color-coded chart is included.

I used a US4 [3.5mm] needle for the main field, but my color changes were not as loose as I would have liked. When I make the next one, I’ll likely use a US5 [3.75mm] needle.

materials

• • • • •

1 ball Uptown Baby Sport in Petal 1 ball Uptown Baby Sport in Lily (again, I used leftover yarn from the cake) US2.5 [3.0mm] knitting needle

US4[3.5mm] knitting needle or whatever sized needle you need

tapestry needle to weave in ends

abbreviations

RS = Right Side of work

WS = Wrong Side of work measurements

Small 10”H x 12½”W (Regular 12”H x 14”W)

Gauge is not that important but it will affect the overall finished size. This is the gauge that I achieved with the US4 [3.5mm] needle – 29 sts & 28 rows = 4” [10cm].

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Instructions

<--- Pattern Repeat ---> —   

    —     —

—    12 11 10 9

= = =  = — =

8

7

6

5

4

3

2

4 3 2 1

1

Color A, K on RS, P on WS Color B, K on RS, P on WS K on RS, P on WS K on RS, K on WS Slip Purl-wise

With smaller sized needle and Color A, cast on 68 (80) stitches.

Knit 6 rows, slipping the first stitch on each row.

Change to larger sized needle and proceed with chart maintaining a slipped stitch edge on each row, and a garter stitch border in Color A. Continue with pattern until work measures 11½” (13½”), or desired length from cast on edge, ending with a row 4.

Change to smaller sized needle and with Color A, knit 6 rows, slipping the first stitch on each row.

Cast off and weave in ends.

My projects are now complete and the table has been set for our Uptown Girl to host a tea party with her friends. I even included a couple of the swatches as coasters, or mug rugs as they’re sometimes called.

The ease of laundry care and anti pilling qualities of Uptown Baby Sport means that our little princess will likely outgrow her new outfit before showing signs of wear. Who knows, maybe even pass it down to little sister. That provides an opportunity to make a larger size in some of the other 27 colors that Uptown Baby Sport has to offer.

I enjoyed making everything, especially the cake and might just be making a few more as fun Christmas gifts this year.

Cindy O'Malley

cindooknits.blogspot.com My projects are complete and the table has been set for our Uptown Girl to host a Tea Party with her friends.

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KNITmuch | issue 14

COLOURWASH

CLICK on the cart to purchase the pattern!

WOOL STEW

WINTER IS COMING

HIGH Fiber

BUMPS IN THE ROAD

WIGGLE ROOM

T IS FOR TURN

TICK TOCK

GINGHAM APPLES

BALI POPS SOCKS & RASPBERRY SEEDS SOCKS

Thoughtful Soles Series

DARK MUSHROOMS

Welcome to Thoughtful Soles Series by Lorraine Thompson! This is a zany collection of knitted sock patterns to tickle your funny bone every time you wear them.

KNITmuch | issue 14

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The fascinating characteristics of

Lion Brand Mandala Baby DK Cynthia MacDougall You already met this yarn. Mandala Baby DK is a vivid, fun yarn with loooong color stretches. As the name says, it is a double knitting (DK) weight yarn with a recommended tension of 22 stitches to 4″ [10cm]. DK is a great weight for baby knits: it’s thin enough that it doesn’t bunch up around the little ones, and it’s thick enough that knitters can make up projects – large and small – quickly.

In my world, 22 sts to 4” [10cm] is a sport weight yarn, technically speaking. DK yarns, to me, have a slightly tighter gauge of 24 sts to 4” [10cm]. Now, I always say that the tension given on a ball band is a recommended gauge, and that your mileage may vary. In the case of Mandala Baby DK, when I read the “fine print”, I see that the manufacturer recommends size 5 US [3.75mm] needles to get 22 sts to 4″. I’m definitely going to check the tension on this yarn to see if it’s a “true” DK, or if, indeed, it works up to what I consider to be sport tension.

Mandala Baby DK has incredible yardage, with 590yds [540m] per 5.3oz [150g] “cake.” The “cake” way of winding the yarn makes it easy for the knitter to see all the colors in the “ball” while offering a center pull with minimal tangling.

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KNITmuch | issue 14

The fiber content is 100% acrylic, which means it makes roughand-tumble knits that moms and dads don’t have to worry about on laundry day. Mandala Baby DK also has a very soft feel, which is great to put against children’s tender skin.

I have to say, I had a lot of fun with this yarn: the colors are great, it’s soft to work with, and it offers lots of potential to try some really interesting techniques.

I sampled three colorways: Arendelle, Unicorn Cloud, and Rainbow Falls. There are some other amazing colorways: Magic Moon is a deep rendition of a night sky, with purples, navy and grays; Wishing Well has washed denim blues with off-white and beige tones; Honeydukes has bold, juicy, fruity colors, while Narnia has more pastel tones that also are reminiscent of juicy candies.

Diagon Alley and Acre Woods each contain classic, even vintage, pastel baby shades.

As you can see from the photos, every colorway has very long stretches of colors, which means there are some things to consider when planning a project.

Rainbow Falls

Unicorn Cloud

How to plan a knitting project with a long-span, variegated yarn When I talked about how perfect Mandala Baby yarn is for making the Caramoor Hat, I made a child’s hat from an adult pattern and learned that there are some considerations to make when planning a project with a long-span, variegated yarn.

The color spans in Mandala Baby DK are SO long, I was able to knit an entire hat without encountering a color change! I had even wound off some yarn from the start of the ball in the hope I would, but it didn’t!

So, there are factors to consider when using a yarn that has such long spans of color. Here are a few:

♥ Small projects such as my hat may not have many (or any) color changes appear in the project. ♥ The colors on each ball of yarn might end in different places. Care might be needed to make sure there isn’t a rapid “color jump” when a new ball is introduced.

♥ The width of the stripes will vary as the number of stitches per row change. This can work to the knitter’s/ designer’s advantage or disadvantage. ♥ A sweater could end up with different colors on the various parts. This, too, could be an effective advantage or it could cause a knitting disappointment. Remember, though: while the knitter might be disappointed in the result, a 4-year-old recipient is apt to be delighted to have a sweater with a lavender front, a pink sleeve, and turquoise halfway up the other sleeve!

Acre Woods Photos by Cynthia MacDougall

A little imagination and planning, accompanied by an online pattern search will reveal many options for Mandala Baby DK. Imagine a sweater made from sleeve to sleeve, or a baby blanket done in “faux Fair Isle,” mitered squares, mirrored stripes, or even Roman stripes!

To keep color blocks relatively even, it’s important to look for a pattern that has very little shaping: a drop-shoulder sweater is a better choice than a raglan because there’s less shaping in the various parts.

Likewise, Mandala Baby DK is absolutely fabulous for baby blankets, whether you choose the crayon-bright Rainbow Falls or the more pastel Arendelle colorway. Another interesting effect could be made by making one big, mitered square, a “dishcloth” square, or panels measuring ¼ to ⅓ of the total width of the blanket.

So many ideas, so little time!

For the next articles, I’ll run with the sleeve-to-sleeve sweater idea and show you how to knit a child’s sweater from nothing more than the diagram in a pattern.

Arandelle

Honeydukes

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Knitting a Mandala Baby DK sweater from a schematic Have you ever looked at a pattern and thought, “I have the perfect yarn for that, but it’s the wrong weight”? Well, if the pattern has a diagram with it (also called a schematic), you can use whatever yarn you want, including Mandala Baby DK.

I looked for a pattern for a child’s sweater worked from sleeve to sleeve. The only one I could find was for a worsted weight yarn, but my yarn is DK weight. So, I’m going to show you how to make a sweater using only the schematic in any weight of yarn you wish!

I was lucky enough to find a pattern that has a lovely, large schematic with lots of room for notes, and I will make notes! The two most important things for this technique are good note taking and accurate tension.

When a pattern has a tiny schematic, photograph it, enlarge it, and print it out or take it to a copy shop and have it enlarged until it’s big enough. If you are good with a pen and straight edge, you can just sketch it out.

The first thing I do with the schematic is isolate the information for my size. You can strike out the numbers with a marker, but it’s cleaner to use a correction roller (see photo) – it makes more room for notes.

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KNITmuch | issue 14

If you have access to photo editing or graphics software, you can scan the diagram, erase the unnecessary information electronically, and print out a clean copy.

Next, I need to choose the size.

Although I’m on a deadline, I want to give this yarn a good test drive. The pattern has 7 sizes from 3 months to 10 years, so I’ve chosen the middle size, 4.

Then, I want to be sure I’ll have enough yarn. For this, I referred to my knitting library. There are many books and on-line resources that offer approximate weight and yardage for sweaters.

I checked two references. One said that a size 4 sweater worked at a normal DK gauge of 24 sts to 4” [10cm] will take 250g.

Mandala Baby DK comes in 5.3 oz [150g] cakes, so, two cakes should be enough. The other reference said I need 860 yds for that size and gauge. Each cake of Mandala Baby DK has 590yds [540m], so again, two cakes should be enough. Still, I’m glad I have a third one: an extra ball can always be used to make hats and mitts, and, if I add a contrasting color, I might even squeak out another sweater in a smaller size.

Unicorn Cloud

The plan is coming together!

The next step is very important.

It’s the gauge swatch. I know, I know: knitters balk at doing a gauge swatch, but…

Because this sweater is knitted sideways, from sleeve cuff to sleeve cuff, the first sleeve can act as the tension swatch. Feel better now? The gauge on the ball band is 22 sts to 4” [10cm] over size 5 [3.75mm] needles.

For me, a “true” DK yarn will give me 24 sts over 4” [10cm] using size 6 [4mm] needles. That’s a good place to start. If I need 5 or 6 more or fewer stitches at the top of the sleeve shaping, I can do that there and adjust my other numbers as needed. Plus, if my plan doesn’t work, a child’s sweater will still fit a child…at some point!

Next, I spend some quality time with a calculator. For every measurement I’ve isolated, I write the number of stitches involved (approximately), based on my gauge, preferably in a different color ink (I might also use another, different color to keep track of my rows.)

Honeydukes

Rainbow Falls This is basic algebra. You can do this! If 24 sts = 4”, there are 6 sts to 1”. If the gauge is 22 sts to 4” [10cm] there are 5.5 sts to every inch. Multiply the number of inches by the number of stitches per inch. For example, with my anticipated gauge of 6 sts per inch, I’ll want about 48 sts above the ribbing on the sleeve cuff, which measures 8″ (8” x 6 sts/in = 48) I can cast on 36 sts for the ribbing and increase 12 stitches at the top of the ribbing – perfect!

The front and back sections are each 7” (excluding the 2” ribbing, which will be worked later). So, I estimate a need for 42 stitches for each (7” x 6 sts/ inch = 42 sts) – as long as my sleeve proves my gauge to be accurate. Again, if my gauge is even slightly different, I may need to change that.

Now, I can start adding this information to my diagram. I like to use an erasable pen so I can adjust as the work proceeds, but to make it easier for you to read, I added the information on my computer.

The schematic has been mocked up with important notes and approximate stitches to match each measurement.

Honeydukes

I’ve chosen Rainbow Falls to make a sleeve-to-sleeve child’s sweater.

Wishing Well

Narnia

Again, all these numbers could change once I’ve knitted the first few inches of that sleeve. If it does, I’ll adjust things as I go.

This article contains enough information for you to cast on and start knitting the first sleeve, so if you want to knit along, please do! In fact, there’s enough information for you to knit as far as the front and back, as long as you note the rows for the straight section of the sleeve.

Acre Woods

Diagon Alley

I’ve isolated my size and made sure my diagram is large enough to write in almost all the notes I will need.

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Knitting a Mandala Baby DK

sweater from a schematic – part 2 I’m a firm believer that knitters have more power than they often use!

In it, I took a schematic for a child’s sweater that calls for a different, heavier yarn, and bent it to the yarn I’m featuring in this series of articles – Mandala Baby DK.

In this article, I continue from the underarm of the first sleeve.

I’ll show you how I modified the neckline to match the changes I made in red lines on the diagram, how I marked off my increases on the sleeve so I could count the rows to the neckline shaping, and how to finish the sweater.

Row counts often aren’t important, but they are in this case: we need to know how many rows to put on each shoulder, and how many rows to knit above the sleeve shaping so that both sleeves match. I used a scrap of a contrasting color yarn (white in the photo) and wove it in as I knit the last increase row on the sleeve. I did this again when I cast on the stitches for the back, so I could count the rows between the top of the sleeve and the side of the neck opening. To place the strand, I put it between two stitches, then *knit the next stitch, put the white strand to the back, knit the next stitch, bring the white strand to the front, and repeat from *. If I forget, I can weave the “marker strand” in with a tapestry needle.

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KNITmuch | issue 14

Write this information on your diagram so you know how many rows to put on the other side of the neck and the top of the other sleeve, because symmetry in a garment is usually important.

At the neck, double-check your stitch count. A new yarn will be introduced here so both the front and back can continue while the neck opening is made. Decide whether you want to add the new yarn to the front or the back.

With Mandala Baby DK, there’s apt to be a sudden change in color. You can decide to liven up the front of the sweater with that jolt or hide it on the back.

My new ball of yarn had the green very close to the center, so I wound off the blue center section of the ball, and avoided any sudden color change without wasting a lot of yarn.

To add the new yarn on the front, k to the center stitch, join the new yarn and cast off the neck stitches. To add the new yarn to the back, k to the center st, cast off the neck sts and work to the end of the row. On the next row, p to the neck, and join the new yarn to the back.

To shape the neck edge, cast off the number of stitches for the first side, dec 1 st at the neck edge on the front and back sections on the next 3 RS rows, then work one additional dec on the front side only on the following RS row.

(For my size, there are 9 rows from the neck opening cast off ). Add another marker thread at the halfway point of the neck measurement (my neck measurement is 5½”, so I’ll place my marker thread at 2¾”.)

From this point on, this pattern mirrors itself. Work the front and back without further neck shaping for the same number of rows between the last decrease on the front and the marker thread. Inc. 1 st on the front neck on the next RS row, then increase on both front and back sections for the next 3 RS rows.

Purl the front to the neck, cast on the same number of sts that were cast off for the start of the neck, then purl the back sts. (Break yarns as needed.) The neck opening will look very big at this point, but once the stitches have been picked up and the ribbing made, it will work out. Working back down through the notes, work the rows for the shoulder – from the neck to the top edge of the front and back, then cast off the front and back sts to get back to the shoulder stitches. Work the same number of straight rows to the sleeve shaping, then decrease down to the sts above the ribbing. Work 5 rows straight and on the 6th row, dec to the number of ribbing sts. Work 2” of ribbing and cast off.

To finish the body, block the piece if desired and sew the sleeve and side seams.

Body ribbing

With a circular needle and RS facing, beg at the left seam and pick up 3 sts for every 4 rows around the bottom edge of the front and back. Work 2” in k1, p1 rib. Cast off all sts.

Neckband

With dpns a size smaller than the needles used for the main sweater, start at the left-back of the neck. With RS facing, pick up along the cast-off edge 2 fewer sts than were cast off, 1 st for every dec on the curve of the neck, 3 sts for every 4 rows across the front neck edge, 1 st for every inc up the opposite curve of the neck, 2 fewer sts than the cast on edge, 1 st for every inc on the back neck shaping, 3 sts for every 4 rows across the back neck, and 1 st for each dec on the back neck shaping. (Make sure there are an even number of sts: if you have an odd number, add or subtract 1 st on the first round in an inconspicuous spot.) Work k1, p1 ribbing for 2 ¼” [5.2cm].

Change to larger needles and rib 2 rounds. Cast off loosely in pattern and stitch neckband down on the inside of the sweater. Weave in all ends.

Short pieces of white scrap yarn have been placed at the top of the sleeve shaping and at the top of the sleeve.

Here’s my finished pattern, followed by a photo of the finished sweater.

The final, annotated schematic, including a diagram for the reshaped neck.

I think you’ll agree that this sweater turned out really well!

Simple and bright, this child’s sweater is sure to please your average 3–4-year-old!

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In knitting, considering complementary colors for Mandala Baby DK I also came up with several ideas for baby blankets that can be made in the bright colorways of Rainbow Falls, Unicorn Cloud, or Honeydukes, or the more pastel baby shades of Arendelle, Narnia, or Wishing Well.

Baby Blanket ideas include

♥ The Anything Blanket, a free pattern available on my website

♥ A giant mitered square, with or without contrasting stripes

Most people’s first instinct is to reach for a neutral. Black usually creates a classic “stained glass” effect, as shown in the Afghan Scraps Cushion Top featured in the Spring 2017 issue of A Needle Pulling Thread magazine. White can lift the look of a project.

Gray, as one would suspect, can send a project in either direction, depending on the colorway of the variegated yarn.

♥ Stripes worked in 3 or 4 panels, then sewn together

♥ A “dishcloth” blanket using the popular dishcloth pattern with eyelets around all 4 sides

♥ Roman Stripes or any number of quilt-block-based patterns ♥ Faux Fair Isle or

♥ two-sided (double faced, positive-negative, or jacquard style) knitting Several of these techniques need a complementary solid color yarn to go with Mandala Baby DK. It’s important to choose the right solid for the job.

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KNITmuch | issue 14

Using black between the colorful stripes in this pillow top creates a stained-glass effect.

I chose white yarn to knit Faux Fair Isle in the Arendelle colorway (on the left). If I use it with Unicorn Cloud, my pattern will disappear when the white in the Mandala Baby DK meets up with the solid white yarn.

Likewise, if I chose the crayon blue solid to use with the Rainbow Falls colorway, there might not be enough contrast between it and the crayon blue in the Mandala Baby DK. So, to achieve the best effect, I should choose a solid that contrasts with all the colors in the Mandala Baby DK to ensure the variegations pop the way I want.

Choosing a complementary color that is too close to the color(s) in the variegated yarn can pose some problems:

In the photo next, the contrast between the pastel shades in Arendelle will create a subtle but effective result, but if I use the white to create stripes or a pattern with the Unicorn Cloud colorway on the left, I will end up with a large white section when the contrasting solid comes up against the white section in Mandala Baby DK.

Two options for a contrast solid to use with Rainbow Falls. I would choose the one that contrasts with every color in the variegated yarn.

I requisitioned Bachelor Blue to use with the Arendelle colorway but ended up using white for my actual project. This happened by accident when I picked up a ball of the Arendelle and the white along with a charted stitch dictionary. I leafed through the book and found a chart for a Nordic star I thought was pretty. I call this phenomenon “doodling with yarn,” and I highly recommend it.

I set out to make a two-sided scarf. I began with a tubular cast on, which fluted far more than I wanted. If I’m doing this again, I’ll choose a different cast on perhaps one for double (twofaced) knitting.

The acrylic content in Mandala Baby DK resulted in a very soft, very squishy piece that traps lots of air to stave off cold winter winds.

Next page find the pattern and the chart.

The first stitch on the bottom needle has been slipped on this row to form the selvedge stitch. The white and blue yarns have been carried over from the back layer of the scarf without twisting them (as I would normally do).

I cast on 132 stitches: enough to put two repeats of the 32-stitch pattern with an end stitch to finish off the second repeat and a selvedge stitch, on each side of the scarf. I knitted several rows of white before I began the pattern in the variegated yarn. I used a circular needle and the magic loop technique. I placed a green marker at the start of the round (I almost always do this – green means “go”), and an orange marker at the halfway point or the start of the B side. Rather than carry the variegated yarn out to the edge of each round, I pulled it over to the first stitch of it on the new side. Doing this had the effect of anchoring the two sides of the scarf in a zigzag pattern, by following the natural outline of the pattern.

Several inches in, it dawned on me that I could have used a completely different design for each side of the scarf! Oh, well.

I ran out of time to finish this scarf, but in the time I had available, I knit 23” of scarf, which consumed one ball of solid white. I still have 70g left of my first ball of Mandala Baby DK!

Arandelle

KNITmuch | issue 14

53

Cast on twice as many stitches for this chart, divide onto to sections of a circular needle to work in magic loop, and get started on your own scarf!

Two-sided Nordic Star Scarf finished measurements 9¾” [25cm] wide, approximately 66” [168cm] long materials yarn

•

•

2 cakes of Mandala Baby DK (Color B)

3 balls of solid acrylic DK yarn in a contrasting color, 3.5oz [100g] / 273yds [250m] per ball (Color A)

needles •

US 7 [4.5mm] circular knitting needle 24” [60cm] or longer

notions •

stitch markers

Cast on 132 sts with Col A and divide to 66 sts per side. Using magic loop, k 4 rounds, slipping the first st on each side of every other round to form selvedge.

Join Col B and work chart once on each side of every round.

Rep 14 rnds of chart until scarf is 1” [2.5cm] shorter than desired length. Work Rnd 1 of chart, break B, then k 4 rounds Col B, maintaining selvedge. Cast off using 3 needle bind off. Weave in any remaining ends.

Mandala Baby DK’s variegations create stripes without having to weave in 4 ends at every color change.

I have enjoyed working with Mandala Baby DK even more than I imagined. I hope my enthusiasm is catching and you’ll try it for a project soon. Happy knitting.

Cynthia MacDougall cgknitters.ca

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KNITmuch | issue 14

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Standards & Guidelines For Crochet and Knitting • YarnStandards.com

KNITmuch

Standards & Guidelines For Crochet and Knitting • YarnStandards.com Standard Yarn Weight System Standards & Guidelines For Crochet and Knitting • YarnStandards.com

Categories of yarn, gauge ranges, and recommended needle and hook sizes Standard Yarn Weight System

Standard Yarn Weight Yarn Weight System

Standard Categories of yarn, gauge ranges, and recommended needle and abbreviations hook sizes & terms Categories of yarn, gauge ranges, and recommended needle and hook sizes alt = alternate Symbol & Category Names

Yarn Weight Yarn WeightType of Symbol & Fingering, Sock, DK, Worsted, Chunky, Sport, Bulky, Jumbo, Symbol & Yarns in Category 10 count Fingering, Light Afghan, Craft, Baby Roving Roving Category Category Names crochet thread Baby Worsted Aran Rug Names Type of Fingering, Sock, DK, Worsted, Knit Gauge Type of Range* inFingering, Sock, Worsted, Fingering, Chunky, Sport, Yarns in DK, 10 count Sport, 23–26 Bulky,7–11 LightJumbo,6 sts Afghan, Baby 33–40** 27–32 21–24 16–20 12–15 Yarns in Stockinette10 count Fingering, Light crochet thread Afghan, Baby Craft, Baby Category Roving sts Worsted Rovingand Aran sts Category Stitch tocrochet thread sts Baby sts Worsted sts Aran sts Rug sts fewer Knit Gauge 4 inches Knit Gauge Range* in 33–40** 27–32 23–26 21–246 sts 16–20 Range* in Recommended Stockinette 12.75 mm sts 33–40** 1.5–2.2527–32 2.25–3.25 23–263.25–3.75 21–243.75–4.5sts 16–204.5–5.5 sts 12–155.5–8 sts 7–11 8–12.75 sts and StockinetteNeedle in Stitch to and sts sts mm sts mm sts mm sts mm sts mm mm sts mm Stitch to Metric Size fewerlarger 4 inches Range 4 inches Recommended Recommended Recommended Needle in 1.5–2.25 2.25–3.25 3.25–3.75 3.75–4.5 17 4.5–5.5 1 1 to 3 3.25–3.75Metric 3 to 5 Size 11 to 17 mm12.75 mm and Needle in Needle U.S.1.5–2.25 000 to 2.25–3.25 3.75–4.55 to 7 mm4.5–5.57 to 9 mm 5.5–89 to 11 mm8–12.75 andlarger mm Metric SizeSize Range mm mm mm Range mm mm mm mm larger Range Crochet Recommended Gauge*Ranges 32–42 6 sts Recommended 21–32 16–20 8–11 3 to 5 7–9 5 to 7 17 Needle U.S. 12–17 000 to 1 11–141 to 3 in Single double and 7 to 9 sts Range5 to 7 sts Needle U.S. 000 to 1 1 to 3 sts 3 to 5 Size 7 to 9 sts 9 to 11 sts 11 to 17sts and Crochet to crochets** fewer Size Range4 inch larger Crochet Crochet Gauge*Ranges 32–42 Steel*** 21–32 16–20 12–176 sts15 mm 11–14 Recommended Gauge*Ranges 32–421.6–1.4 mm in Single double 2.25–3.25 3.5–4.5 4.5–5.5 21–32 16–20 12–17 11–14 sts 8–116.5–9 sts 7–9 9–15 sts and and sts 5.5–6.5mm in Single Hook in Metric doubleRegular hook Crochet to crochets** mm sts sts mm sts mm sts sts mm sts mm Crochet to Size Rangecrochets**2.25 mm fewerlarger 4 inch 4 inch Steel*** Recommended Steel*** Steel*** 2.25–3.25 3.5–4.5 4.5–5.5 1.6–1.4 mm 15 mmQ 5.5–6.5mm Recommended Recommended 3.5–4.5 Hook in Metric 4.5–5.5 Regular hook I–9 mm 6.5–9K–10 1⁄2 mm 9–15M-13 mm 1.6–1.4 mm 6, 7, 82.25–3.25 5.5–6.5mmto and and Hook in Metric SizetoRange Hook U.S.Regular Size hookRegular mm B–1 to E–4 mm E–4 7 mm 7 to I–9 mmto M-13 mm to Q 2.25 mm Size RangeRange largerlarger K–10 1⁄2 2.25 mm hook B–1 Steel*** Steel*** Recommended 6, 7, 8 I–9 commonly used gauges and needle or hook sizes for specific yarn categories.

Recommended* GUIDELINES 6, 7, 8 ONLY: The above reflect the mostHook U.S. Size RegularI–9 B–1 to E–4 E–4 to M-13 7 7 to I–9 Q to 1 K–10 ⁄ 2 Lace weight yarns are usually knitted or crocheted on larger needles and hooks to create lacy, openwork patterns. Accordingly, a 1 and Hook U.S. Size** Regular B–1 to E–4 E–4 to 7 Rangethe7 gauge to I–9 stated to ⁄2 hook K–10 gauge range is difficult to determine. Always follow in your pattern. to M-13 to Q larger Range hook K–10 1⁄2 B–1 *** Steel crochet hooks are sized differently from regular hooks--the higher the number, the smaller the hook, which is the reverse B–1 of regular hook sizing.

approx = approximately beg = begin(ning) BO= bind off CC = contrast color ch = chain cm = centimetre(s) Chunky, cn = cable Bulky, needle Jumbo, Craft,co = cast on Roving Roving Rugcont = continue, continuing dc = double crochet dec = decrease(s), decreasing dpn = double-pointed needle(s) 6 sts 12–15foll = following 7–11 and g = gram(s) sts sts hdc = half double crochetfewer inc = increase(s), increasing in(s) = inch(es) k = knit 12.75and mm back of st (increase) kf&b or kfb = knit into front 5.5–8ktbl = knit8–12.75 through the back andloop mmk2tog = knitmm 2 sts tog (right-leaning decrease) larger k3tog = knit 3 sts together (double right-leaning decrease) m = marker 17 9 to 11m = meter(s) 11 to 17 and m1 = Make 1 stitch: pick up the horizontal strand largerfront to back and knit it between 2 stitches from tbl (lifted increase) MC = main color mm = millimetre(s) 6 sts 8–11oz = ounce(s) 7–9 and sts p = purl sts fewer p2tog = purl 2 sts tog (decrease) patt = pattern pfb = purl into front and back of stitch (increase) pm = place marker 15 mm slipped stitch over 6.5–9psso = pass9–15 and RS = right side mm mm larger rem = remain(ing) rep = repeat rev = reverse rnd = round sc = single crochet Q K–10 sl1⁄2 = slip M-13 skp = slip one st, knit next and st, pass slipped st over knit to M-13 st (dec)to Q larger ssk = slip, slip, knit: slip 2 sts knitwise, 1 at a time, insert left-hand needle into front of both sts and knit them tog (left-leaning decrease) sssk = slip next three stitches individually, knitwise.

This Standards & Guidelines booklet and downloadable symbol artwork are above available at: YarnStandards.com * GUIDELINES ONLY: The reflect the most commonly used gauges and needle or hook sizes for specific yarn categories.

Insert tip of left needle from front to back into * GUIDELINES ONLY: The above reflect the most commonly usedweight gaugesyarns and needle or hook sizes for specific yarn categories. ** Lace patterns.

Accordingly, a the fronts of these three stitches and knit them 11 are usually knitted or crocheted on larger needles and hooks to create lacy, openwork gaugeneedles range isand difficult toto determine.

Always followpatterns. the gauge stated in your together (double left-leaning decrease) ** Lace weight yarns are usually knitted or crocheted on larger hooks create lacy, openwork Accordingly, a pattern. gauge range is difficult to determine. Always follow the gauge stated in your pattern. st(s)the = hook, stitch(es) *** Steel crochet hooks are sized differently from regular hooks--the higher the number, the smaller which is the reverse St st = stocking stitch regular hook sizing. *** Steel crochet hooks are sized differently from regular of hooks--the higher the number, the smaller the hook, which is the reverse tbl = through back loop of regular hook sizing.

This Standards & Guidelines booklet and downloadable symbol artwork are available at: YarnStandards.com tog = together This Standards & Guidelines booklet and downloadable symbol artwork are available at: YarnStandards.com tr = treble crochet 11 WS = wrong side 11 yo = yarn over

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KNITmuch | issue 14