A chunky scarf is great to snuggle into on snowy days, but what if it’s just not cold enough for all of that bulk? It’s time to embrace the cowl!

The Chic Cabled Cowl is the perfect on-the-go winter accessory. It’s big enough to keep the chill away, but small enough to keep in your coat pocket when the temperature begins to rise. Buttons on the side let you control how warm you want to be, and the cables add a classic texture.

For this project I used one of my very favorite yarns, Lorna’s Laces Shepherd Worsted. Shepherd Worsted is a beautiful hand dyed yarn with wonderful stitch definition and great depth of color. It’s also happens to be a superwash wool, which makes it the perfect yarn for outerwear!

Quicker than a full-sized scarf, the Chic Cabled Cowl is a great first cable project. You can keep the cables even, or add a personal touch by working cables at random intervals throughout. The Chic Cabled Cowl makes a great holiday gift, whether you’re planning ahead or looking for a last-minute knit.

CHIC CABLED COWL

MATERIALS
1 hank of Lorna’s Laces Shepherd Worsted in Poppy
Size US7 (4.5mm) needles
4 Buttons
Cable Needle

GAUGE
4.5 stitches per inch on US7 needles

ABBREVIATIONS
k knit
p purl
CO cast on
BO bind off
C2F place 2 stitches on cable needle and hold to front of work, knit 2 stitches from left needle, then knit two stitches from cable needle.

PATTERN

CO 50 stitches.

Row 1 (ws): k2, *p4, k2*
Row 2 (rs): p2, *k4, p2*
Row 3 (ws): k2, *p4, k2*
Row 4 (rs): p2, *k4, p2*
Row 5 (ws): k2, *p4, k2*
Row 6 (rs): p2, *c2f, p2*

Repeat rows 1-6 until work measures 19 inches, ending with Row 5.

Buttonhole rows:
Row 1: p2, k4, *BO 2, k3, p2, k4* rep from *to* to last 8 stitches, BO 2, k3, p2
Row 2: k2, p4, *CO 2, p4, k2, p4* rep from *to* to last 6 stitches, CO 2, p4, k2

Continue in rib pattern for 1 inch.
Bind off in purl, weave in ends.
Sew on buttons 3 inches from cast on edge.

It’s started to get chilly in the mornings here in Philadelphia. It warms up as the day goes on, yet there’s still a sense of fall in the air. One morning, without warning, it will be cold. And even though I only have a short walk to the shop, I hate to be cold. In preparation for that day, I knit the Montana Scarf.

Made from Tahki Montana yarn, a beautiful bulky 100% unprocessed wool roving, the Montana Scarf is a whopping 7 inches wide by 84 inches long. In the event of extreme cold, you could wrap it around your nose and mouth - even over your head, if you wanted. And while it’s large and warm, it’s light and comfortable.

Here’s the pattern for the Montana Scarf.

MONTANA SCARF

SIZE
approximately 7” by 84”

MATERIALS
3 hanks of Tahki Montana yarn in bark
12″ US 13 straight needle

GAUGE
4.25 sts = 1 inch in stitch pattern, but gauge is not critical for this project

STITCH PATTERN
Row 1 (right side) – *K3, p3; repeat from * to end.
Row 2 – *K1, p1; repeat from * to end.

Repeat Rows 1 and 2.

SCARF PATTERN
CO 30 stitches. Begin stitch pattern with Row 1. Repeat until work reaches 84 inches.

Bind off loosely and weave in ends.

For now, the scarf is on display in the shop. I hope it’s a while before I need it!

JoJoLand’s Melody Superwash yarn is a runaway hit this fall. This beautiful fingering weight superwash wool yarn has slow, subtle color transitions that are similar to Noro yarns, but the colors are much more muted. Dusty pinks, deep blues, and shy violets mingle together in quiet harmony.

Melody Superwash yarn, color 28

Each ball has 220 yards and costs $6. It’s ideal for socks and a pair will cost $12.

The Swirl Shawl

If you’re looking for a little challenge, you could also cast on for a Swirl Shawl. The Swirl Shawl was designed with Melody’s slow color changes in mind. The pattern is made of hexagons that decrease into their centers. Each hexagon is different from the one before it, creating a subtle patchwork look.

We’re offering a second session of the Swirl Shawl class, if you missed the first one. The class begins Monday, October 13.

We’re just beginning to experiment with Melody’s subtle colorations. Let us know what you discover!

Fall is here! As the bright colors of flowers and fruits turn to the deep reds and oranges of pumpkins and apples I need a project to remind me that warm weather will return. The Kaleidoscope Cashmere Crochet Scarf Kit from Artyarns seems like the perfect thing!

Each kit includes 11 colors of Artyarn’s beautifully hand dyed Cashmere 1 yarn, and a wonderfully detailed pattern. Kathy has already started crocheting one and it is absolutely gorgeous. It looks just like a little patch of wildflowers!

The feel of the scarf is perfect, the cashmere yarn keeps it light yet very warm. This scarf will be a great pick-me-up on gray winter days.

I’m a big fan of knit and crochet designer Teva Durham. In her books, Loop-d-Loop and Loop-d-Loop Crochet, she translated her distinctive style into wearable garments. Yes, there were some that may have pushed the envelope, but on the whole, you could see them being worn.

When her yarns arrived last month, I couldn’t wait to use them. I chose to make the Crochet Scarf with Flower from Loop-d-Loop by Teva Durham, Volume 3 using Shale yarn. Shale is a combination of matte brushed mohair and a shiny viscose wrap in a coordinating shade. It’s a very new look for Loop, which I was excited to try.

The scarf is crocheted on a large hook and worked lengthwise. The flower is attached at one end and serves as a button that you push through any of the open spaces. The scarf can be worn short with a long tail, as a big circle, or anywhere in between.

I was so pleased with the results that I made a second one. This is a great project for newer crocheters because you use a variety of stitches. For experienced crocheters, you’ll be done in a night and have a beautiful scarf to wear the next day.

Superwash Me from J. Knits is a beautiful 2-ply fingering weight yarn. We have it in twelve beautiful semi-solids, each named after a US city or state. It’s buttery soft and each skein has a whopping 550 yards! That’s more than enough for a pair of socks–with cables!

I know that a few of you still haven’t been bitten by the sock bug, but there are a million things this yarn could become. Superwash Me is a little lighter than some sock yarns, which makes it perfect for lace. One skein would make a beautiful Flower Basket Shawl. One skein would also make a beautiful, scarf-sized Landscape Shawl–two would make the largest size.

I’m trying my hand at colorwork with a pair of Eunny Jang’s Anemoi Mittens. The pattern calls for 50 grams of each color, which is only half of a skein of Superwash Me; I’m planning to make matching fingerless gloves with the leftovers.

Lately, I have Holiday knitting on my mind. I know it’s August, but there’s no harm in getting a head start, right?

This striped Silk Garden Scarf is a great go-to gift for any occasion. The pattern is unbelievably simple: Grab 4 skeins of Noro Silk Garden yarn in two different colorways, cast on 39 stitches, and work a k1, p1 rib. Alternate colorways every two rows (don’t cut the yarn that’s not in use, just carry it up the side). Work until the scarf is your desired length, or until you run out of yarn!

I can’t say enough good things about Noro Silk Garden yarn. Of course the colors are beautiful, and the yarn feels soft against the skin. The silk adds a rustic look to the yarn, which looks great with any winter coat, or even a pair of jeans! Each ball offers a large range of colors so you don’t have to worry about matching them up to your hat and gloves. Or you could just make a hat and pair of gloves to match!

Scarves like this are sure to be a crowd pleaser. I plan on knitting up two or three before the Holiday season is upon us. And now that Silk Garden Sock yarn is available, I can make a lighter version of the scarf. It’s not just for socks, you know!

Knitting with Koigu’s new yarn, Mori is one of the nicest knitting experiences I’ve had in awhile. It feels so good sliding through my fingers and the knitted fabric is soft and light. As I knit, I keep coming up with new ideas of what to do with it.

But for now, it’s this simple scarf. This photo’s from a few days ago; the scarf’s much longer now. I’m using 2 colors - numbers 6 and 14 - and a simple drop stitch pattern. It goes like this:

Cast on 36 stitches with Color A (in my case, number 6).
Rows 1 and 2 - Knit 2 rows with Color A.
Row 3 - Join Color B, *k1, yo* to last stitch, k1.
Row 4 - With Color B, *p1, drop yo* to last stitch, p1.

Repeat those 4 rows.

You don’t need to cut and rejoin the yarn as you change colors, just carry them up the side. Work until Color B is used or your scarf has reached the desired length. Work Row 1 and bind off.

The Mori Yarn is now available on the website. Enjoy!

Sock knitters will probably know from the title what I’m about to tell you.

Smooshy Yarn by Dream in Color has arrived at Loop!

This was the best find of my trip to the Yarn Market in January. Dream in Color is a small company in Illinois owned by two former yarn shop owners. They dye 100% Australian superwash merino wool yarn in a variety of weights, all available in their spectacular palette of subtle color variations.

Smooshy is Dream in Color’s fingering weight yarn. There’s approximately 450 yards in each 4 ounce hank. The recommended gauge is 6.5 to 8 stitches on size 1 to 3 needles. It’s become popular in sock knitting circles, but it’s a versatile yarn that can be used for scarves, mittens, baby clothes - even sweaters! Check out Jeanie - a beautiful shawl in the current edition of Knitty.

I’m not sure if I should cast on for a pair of socks (I have 2 on the needles already!) or a hat where I can do some color work. Elizabeth and Laura are both knitting themselves Cookie A’s Red Herring Socks pattern. I could join in and get my socks and color work in one!

This Thursday, February 28 is the second meeting of our 2008 Knit-the-Almanac Knit-Along. We’re knitting our way through Elizabeth Zimmerman’s Knitter’s Almanac - though not necessarily in order!

Like a few others, I started with July’s Pi Shawl. It’s a clever, of course, and fairly simple shawl that can be knit in almost anything. I’m using Sheep Shop Yarn’s Sheep 3, which I think is one of the best yarns on the market. It’s a blend of silk and wool so it has great shine, it’s plied which gives it depth and makes it wear well, and it works up at a very knittable and wearable 5-6 stitches per inch. Oh - and the colors are gorgeous and don’t pool.

If, however, you want to knit the almanac in order - which Kathy H. is doing - then February is Some Babies’ Things. This chapter includes the very beautiful Baby Jacket.

The Knit-Along is not a class, just a time to knit together. There’s no fee and no need to reserve a spot. Just come on down. Hope to see you!