Project: Wild Mare
Pattern: Wild Iris
Designer: Sivia Harding
Available: $6 as a single pattern, or $26 for the 7-pattern ebook
Yarn: Mad Tosh Light in “Mare”
This is my third cowl from Sivia’s series — I’m definitely enjoying them. This is a mobius, with a sweet little lace bind-off and perfectly placed button. I love it.
This week I started (and finished) a quick-knit hat in a new Classic Elite yarn, Ava. It’s sparkly! The sparkles match the colorways! Purple rules! Here is my version of Bastille.
I also cast on for a new Sivia Harding cowl, Wild Iris. I’m using a skein of Tosh Light in Mare that I’ve had stashed for some time now.
This week, I offer you another “finished it a while ago” project. I am wearing it right now, so I thought — hey, I haven’t show this to anyone yet! Better take care of it. In contrast to last week’s epic blanket, this cowl only took 5 days from CO to BO. Whee! Quick projects are awesome.
Project: Minotaur Obsession
Pattern: Minotaur Cowl
Designer: Rachel Henry
Available: FREE! on Ravelry
Yarn: CEY Obsession
I had exactly one ball of this interesting (but discontinued) yarn. It’s a bulky-weight cashmere, made up of 8 different skinny strands, each a different color. I was a pleasure to work with — I mean, cashmere, right? I made a tight-fitting mobius cowl using my own design. Minotaur starts with a foundation strip (knit flat in garter stitch) that is twisted and seamed to form the base of the mobius. From there stitches are picked up along the single mobius edge, and the remainder of the cowl is knit mobiusly.
This construction allowed me to get exactly the right fit, because the foundation strip is easy to measure as it is knit. It also allowed me to use up every last scrap of this extra-luxurious fiber, because I just kept knitting in pattern until it was all gone.
Project: Harmonia’s Tidepool Rings
Pattern: Harmonia’s Rings Cowl
Designer: Sivia Harding
Available: $6 on Ravelry
Yarn: Knit Picks Swish Worsted in Tidepool Heather
I’ve made this pattern before — and I wore my purple Harmonia (made from KP City Tweed) near-constantly last winter. It’s warm, interesting to look at, flattering, and (best of all) fun to knit. The pattern begins with a mobius cowl, with increases on one half of the stitches. At a certain point, the non-increased half is cast off, and from their the pattern continues in the round on the increased half only. Clever construction plus a reversible pattern make for a very wearable FO. I especially like the optional extra length and beaded picot bind-off.
Last weekend I taught a class on möbius kntting at the last-ever Granite State Knit-In. We had an airy lodge all to ourselves: 150+ knitters of every stripe, enjoying a beautiful late-spring morning in New Hampshire with yarn and needles in hand. Lucky me, I even found a few great deals and bought a shawl pin, some laceweight yarn, and enough hand-painted DK (?) yarn for a cardi/shrug.
But enough about my squishy yarn! Back to the class. I really enjoy knitting on the edge of a möbius strip, and I wanted to share this with knitters who have never encountered this awesome knitted shape before. My OCD side loves knitting a true möbius, starting with Cat Bordhi’s möbius cast-on. The Clewe cowl uses this cast-on and takes full advantage of möbius knitting with the reversible Labyrinth pattern.
Pattern: Clewe Cowl
Designer: Rachel Henry (that’s me!)
Available: FREE!
Yarn: Araucania Nature Wool Chunky
However, the möbius cast-on can be tricky for knitters, especially if they are also tackling knitting in the round and/or circular needles for the first time. To make möbius knitting more accessible, I designed the Minotaur cowl, which begins as a flat strip that is joined with a half twist, creating a möbius base from which the knitter picks up stitches. From that point on it is worked on the long möbius edge, following the reversible Horns pattern.
Pattern: Minotaur Cowl
Designer: Rachel Henry (that’s me!)
Available: FREE!
Yarn: Araucania Nature Wool Chunky
I would be delighted to answer any questions or help any knitters working on these patterns.
A month or so ago, I got an offer from IK that I couldn’t refuse: a year’s worth of subscription, plus the special issue, for just over $20. You had me at hello! At that price, I only need to use one pattern from each issue to make it worth the purchase price. Of course I want to make many more things from each issue, so here is my fantasy queue, where price of yarn and time to knit do not factor in.
Oh, one quick thing … based on the yarn review in the magazine, I just ordered a skein of Misti Alpaca Tonos Pima Silk in the “Bahama” colorway, because it just sounds so divine. I’ll let you know if it lives up to the description.
Big cables and dramatic dropped stitches worked in chunky yarn on #13 needles — wow! Imagine it in Classic Elite Forbidden — 100% Cashmere! — in the creamy-mocha Caffe colorway.
I know spring is all about warm, bright colors this year, but I would still err on the side of caution and choose something more neutral for such a big piece. What about Alpaca Cloud in Smoke Heather? It may not have the drape of a linen blend, but it is still awfully nice — and one of my favorite lace-weight yarns to boot.
I think I’d use Gloss DK for this one … cozier, and still a crisp yarn with a nice sheen. Again, I’m not sure I’m up for hot pink. Instead, I’d go for the still-startling Peapod colorway.
I’m drawn to the ruching in this one, and the high armholes. Too often summer sweaters or tees seem to be designed with going bra-less in mind. I know most models can get away with that, but middle-aged moms of three boys, each breastfed in their turn, do not as a rule go outside the house without a bra holding everything firmly in place. (You could put an eye out!) I think I might try using CEY Cotton Bam Boo for this one — perhaps in Willow? Bam Boo is sportweight (not DK) so there would be some serious swatching to be done ahead of time.
Remily Knits 