Edna Coat in Rowan Colourspun Yarn

Amanda has adopted the Edna Coat as her go to garment when she’s chilly in the shop. It fits her beautifully and I love seeing it off the mannequin and on a person!

Edna is knit with Rowan Colourspun yarn. Colourspun is a DK-weight yarn so the coat is light weight, perfect for layering. It’s made of wool and mohair, so it’s warm and soft.

The coat pattern is from Rowan’s Nordic Tweed collection. The collection includes 21 designs for women featuring Norwegian fair isles, cables, and lots of textured stitches. You can see all of the designs on Rowan’s site.

Colourspun yarn, new this season from Rowan, is a blend of wool and mohair with lots of gorgeous color. Each colorway is the result of blending two printed and two solid colours together and then twisting them with a printed binder. Like it’s bigger cousin, Colourscape Chunky, the colors change gradually as you knit to create soft stripes.

Colourspun yarn knits at 5.5 stitches to the inch on size #6 needles. It’s perfect for pullovers, cardigans, and jackets. Mohair makes the yarn soft and adds a little halo to the finished fabric.

I realized last week that I hadn’t yet knit with Colourspun. I took a ball home and after a little swatching decided to knit a simple tam. Just an evening or two of knitting and you’ll be wearing a new hat!

CAROLINE TAM

SIZE
One size fits most.

MATERIALS
1 ball of Colourspun yarn
Size #4, 16-inch circular needles
Size #6, 16-inch circular needles
Size #6, double-pointed needles
Stitch markers

GAUGE
5.5 stitches per inch on size #6 needles in St st in the round

ABBREVIATIONS
k2tog: knit to sts together
m1: make one
ssk: slip, slip, knit

Top of the Caroline Tam

PATTERN
With smaller needles, CO 88 sts. Place marker and join in the round being careful not to twist.

K1, p1 for 7 rounds. Switch to larger needles and knit 1 round, placing a marker every 8 sts.

Round 1: *K to marker, m1; repeat from * to end.
Round 2: Knit.
Rep rounds 1 and 2 three more times (132 sts).

On next round, remove all but original marker. Cont to knit every round until piece measures 5 inches from cast on edge. Knit one more round, placing a marker every 22 sts.

Round 1: *SSK, knit to 2 sts before marker, k2tog; repeat to end.
Round 2: Knit.
Rep rounds 1 and 2 nine more times (12 sts).

Cut yarn leaving an 8 inch tail. With a darning needle, bring tail through rem sts, draw closed, and pull to inside of hat. Weave in ends.

Loop staffer Erika Flory has specialized in designing kids knits for many years. So it’s not surprising that after finishing a project and having most of a skein of Madelinetosh Tosh Merino Light leftover that she decided to use it for a baby sweater.

Madelinetosh Tosh Merino Light is so elegantly dyed, so fine, and so soft that it’s easy to forget that it’s superwash. You can use it to knit or crochet an heirloom baby gift and not have to worry that busy parents of a newborn will accidentally throw it in the washer.

Cabled Heart Baby Cardigan in Tosh Merino Light Yarn

Erika turned that leftover skein into the Cabled Hearts Baby Cardigan. It’s knit from the top-down with a garter stitch collar and a cable heart edging on the fronts. The cardigan has a finished chest measurement of 20.5 inches and a back length of 9 inches, so it will fit a 6 month old.

The garter stitch yoke and cabled heart motif.

Although Erika thought the cardigan was suited for girls and boys, many customers thought it wasn’t good for boys because of the hearts. She took home another skein of Tosh Merino Light and designed a companion cardigan, the Teddy Boy Baby Cardigan.

Teddy Boy Baby Cardigan in Tosh Merino Light Yarn

Teddy Boy is also knit from the top-down and written for a 6 month old. It features a garter rib yoke with panels that continue down the front. I agree with Erika that either cardigan could be given to a boy or a girl, but now you have your choice.

the garter ridge motif on the front panels

Madelinetosh Tosh Merino Light is dyed in so many shades that there are lots of options for these cardigans. The Cabled Hearts Baby Cardigan is knit in Windowpane and the Teddy Boy Baby Cardigan is knit in Toast.

In the last few years, we’ve seen a move away from traditional baby colors with people choosing medium to dark shades instead of the usual pastels. When a baby’s gender is unknown, naturals are popular, as well as medium shades of orange and green.

Whatever color you choose, the baby will look adorable in their little cardigan, and its parents will be thrilled with your handmade heirloom!

Rowan designer Kaffe Fassett is internationally known for his color sense. It’s always exciting when he turns his attention to yarn, as he did for the blended shades for Rowan’s Colourscape Chunky. There are shots of unexpected color that bring each skein to life. As you knit or crochet, the colors slowly change from one to the next for a soft striped effect.

Colourscape Chunky in Camouflage, Misty, Bracken, and Autumn

Colourscape Chunky is made of a single-ply of lambswool. It’s soft and has a handspun feel. Because it is lightly spun, it makes lightweight garments that knit up at a chunky 3.5 stitches to the inch on size #10.5 needles.

Earlier this season, on one of the rare cold days we had, I used a skein of the color Bracken to knit myself a simple cowl. Now named the Albert cowl, it’s a is a fun and easy project, and a great introduction to circular knitting and to Colourscape Chunky. Because each skein starts at a different place in the colorway, no two cowls will look the same!

Albert Cowl in Colourscape color Bracken

ALBERT COWL

SIZE
Small – 20″ circumference (Large – 24″ circumference)

MATERIALS
1 skein of Rowan Colourscape Chunky yarn
size #10.5, 16-inch circular needles
stitch marker

GAUGE
3.5 stitches per inch

PATTERN
CO 72 (84) sts. Place marker and join in the round, being careful not to twist.

Round 1 *K2, p2; repeat from * to end. Rep round 1 seven more times.

Round 2 Knit. Rep round 2 until piece measures 9 inches from cast on edge.

Round 3 *K2, p2; repeat from * to end. Rep round 3 seven more times.

BO loosely in pattern. Weave in ends.

The Three Piece Baby Set from Blue Sky Alpacas is one of my favorite knitting patterns. Back in 2005 when my very first order from Blue Sky arrived (it came to my house, the store was being set up) I knit the blanket with Worsted Cotton yarn in the color Bone. It was the first sample I knit for Loop and was in the shop for years. I brought it home just a few months ago and keep it on my desk chair.

Along with the blanket, the pattern includes a hat and a pullover. I’ve seen a lot of people knit the whole set, but I’d only made the blanket. So last week, I decided to knit the sweater.

Three Piece Baby Set pullover and blanket

I used the color Bone again. It’s such a warm neutral, I just love it. Worsted Cotton is super soft and a pleasure to knit. The sweater is sized from 6 to 24 months. I knit the 12 month size, which takes 2 skeins.

the pullover's garter stitch collar

The set features bands that have a 10-row repeat. It’s all knits and purls, so it’s great for new knitters, and it’s easy for experienced knitters. The sweater has fun details like the garter stitch collar and the vent at the bottom hem.

the pullover's vent is stylish and functional

You need 4 skeins to knit the blanket and 1 (1, 2, 2) skeins to knit the 6 (12, 18, 24) month sized hat. So the whole set can be made with 6 to 10 skeins of Worsted Cotton yarn. Back in 2005 there were only a handful of color choices; Worsted Cotton is now available in over 35 colors! There are plenty of good gender-neutral colors, and if you know the gender of the baby you’re knitting for, then you just have even more choices!

Individually or as a set, the pieces in the Three Piece Baby Set pattern make a fantastic gift for expecting moms and dads, and a fun project for you!

Although Amber is no longer working at Loop (she moved back to her Pennsylvania country home) she’s still contributing to our blog and very much a part of the shop. Enjoy her latest post! -Craig

It’s no secret the Loop staff loves everything Brooklyn Tweed. Ever since Shelter made its appearance in October 2011, it’s been one of the most coveted yarns in the shop, and with good reason. Aside from its gorgeous tweedy color palette and lofty 2-ply spin, Shelter is 100% made in the U.S.A! How awesome is that?!

Before I picked up and moved out to the country, I made sure to stock up on all things BT. I wasn’t sure when I would have access to these beautiful yarns again (currently only 8 shops in the USA carry Brooklyn Tweed) and I was afraid of suffering from yarn withdrawal!

One of the patterns I brought with me was Rosebud by Jared Flood from the BT Fall 2011 Collection. This pattern uses Shelter, which is the worsted weight yarn, and includes two versions: a fitted tam and a more casual, slouchier hat. Rosebud is composed of two main design elements, a simple garter stich body and a large plaited cable. It’s simple and chic and exactly what I was looking for in a new winter hat.

Shelter in Almanac (left) and Button Jar (right)

After going back and forth between Almanac and Button Jar, I finally settled on Almanac because 1.) I NEVER ever knit with blues and 2.) I needed to take a break from my mostly green and brown color palette. I will admit, the change was really nice!

As usual, after swatching, I realized that I needed to go up one needle size from the recommended one. I decided to knit the slouchier version, so I needed two skeins; the smaller tam calls for one. In the end, I used exactly 1.25 skeins.

Me in my new Rosebud Hat!

It only took me two days to finish Rosebud and it was really fun to knit. I found the chart extremely easy to follow.

I was wearing my new Rosebud hat just seconds after sewing in the loose ends. I never bothered to block it, though they suggest you do because of the type of crown decreasing. After a few days of wear, I decided it was actually a tad too slouchy for my liking, so I just folded up the ribbed brim and voilà, the perfect fit!

Melissa Morgan-Oakes is coming to Loop this March to teach us to knit two socks at the same time. Melissa is the author of the bestselling 2-at-a-Time Socks and Toe-Up 2-at-a-Time Socks. Her designs have been published in Knitty and Yarn Forward magazines, and in several pattern collections. She also sells patterns in her Ravelry shop.

I hope you’ll join us for one – or both! – of Melissa’s classes!

2-at-a-Time Socks
$72, Saturday, March 24 from 10am to 4:30pm (includes 30-minute lunch break)

Why two socks at once? Well, why not? Just imagine, two socks started and finished at the same time. They’re still portable, still fun, but no “second sock syndrome”. With the creator of this novel knitting method, you will create your own sample socks using the book 2-at-a-Time Socks.

supplies:
One copy of 2-at-a-Time Socks.
50 yards EACH of two colors of worsted weight yarn.
One 40″ long US 6 circular needle. (*note – the size of the needle is not critical as long as it is comfortable for you to use with worsted weight yarn.)
One locking ring stitch marker that can be attached to your work.
Darning/seaming needle.

Toe-Up 2-at-a-Time Socks
$72, Sunday, March 25 from 10am to 4:30pm (includes 30-minute lunch break)

What could be better than socks knitted 2-at-a-Time? 2-at-a-Time socks knitted from the toes to the top! Now you can build your socks all at once from the toes up – no yarn shortage surprises and you can make a cuff shorter if need be! With the creator of this novel knitting method, you will create your own sample socks using the book Toe Up 2-at-a-Time Socks.

supplies:
One copy of Toe-Up 2-at-a-Time Socks.
50 yards EACH of two colors of worsted weight yarn.
One 40″ long US 6 circular needle. (*note – the size of the needle is not critical as long as it is comfortable for you to use with worsted weight yarn.)
One locking ring stitch marker that can be attached to your work.
Two stitch markers that can be placed on your needle.
Darning/seaming needle.

NOTE:
Please bring your lunch. We’ll break for 30-minutes to eat.

Payment is required to reserve your space. No refunds will be given, however, cancellations made before March 1, 2012 will receive a store credit for the cost of the class.

As with most things in knitting, there’s more than one way to knit a sweater.

The most common method throughout the 20th century, and probably still today, is to knit individual pieces and seam them together. The benefits of this method are that you’re working on smaller pieces of knitting at a time and that – some advocates say – the seams of the finished garment help it keep its shape. The drawback to some is that it takes practice to sew a garment together well. And no matter how beautiful your knitting, a badly seamed sweater won’t look good.

A kids pullover knit from the top-down

Top-down sweater knitting is new to a lot of knitters, but it’s actually a centuries-old technique. You start at the neck, casting on all or some of the stitches for the neck opening, and increase toward the shoulders. The sleeve stitches are then separated from the body and held aside while you continue knitting down toward the waist, where you bind off. You re-attach yarn to the sleeves – one at a time – and work down toward the cuffs. To finish, you pick up stitches around the neck and knit the collar.

The key benefit of knitting a top-down sweater is that you can try it on as you go. And there’s only minimal finishing – weaving in your ends and sometimes seaming the underarms – at the end. The drawbacks – to some knitters – are that you’re working on a large piece of knitting and your sweater lacks the support of seams.

A top-down pullover I knit myself. This is the pattern we use in our Top-Down Pullover class. See the details below.

Top-down sweater knitting was first popularized in the 20th century by Barbara Walker in her amazing book Knitting from the Top. It’s one of my favorites and I highly recommend it.

More recently, Stefanie Japel and Wendy Bernard have written wonderful books that further explore this method.

If you know how to knit in the round and you’ve knit a few hats or maybe a pair of socks, you have the skills you need to knit a top-down sweater. If you’d like to give it a try with our help, we have a class starting this month, where you’ll knit yourself a top-down sweater with worsted weight yarn. Come give it a try!

Top-down Pullover Class
$80 for four 2-hour sessions
prerequisites: knit and purl in the round

Mondays, 6 to 8pm, Jan 16, 23, Feb 6, and 13.

Loop is closed today and tomorrow in celebration of Christmas. We’ll re-open on Monday at 11am.

Have a very Merry Christmas!

Aidez is an updated version of a classic Aran cardigan. Its traditional cables and motifs appear on a modern, fitted shape knit with a soft, chunky wool. The result is a beautiful pairing of old and new!

Christianna wore her Aidez cardigan the other day and I asked Olan, who works next-door at Spool, to snap a few photos. It’s a great winter sweater; it’s casual style goes with everything and it’s warm by itself or over lots of layers.

The Aidez knitting pattern is free from Berroco. It’s knit in 5 separate pieces – the back, the left and right fronts, and two sleeves – which are then seamed together. If you haven’t knit a sweater yet, or if you’ve only knit sweaters in the round, this is a great first seamed sweater to try. It’s also a great introduction to cables – how to knit them and how to keep track of them. Cables aren’t difficult, but like anything new, they’re a little tricky at first.

Aidez is knit with Berroco’s Peruvia Quick yarn. It’s a 2-ply chunky yarn made with soft Peruvian Highland wool that works up at 3 stitches per inch on size #11 needles. The larger gauge helps it knit up quickly, but it’s light, so garments are warm but not heavy. Peruvia Quick comes in a fantastic range of solid and heathered shades.

If you want to make Aidez and would like some support, we’re offering a class that starts next month. Click here for all the details.

Aidez Cardigan Class
$80 for four 2-hour sessions
Wednesdays, 6 to 8pm: January 4, 11, 25, and February 1