Fisherman’s Scarf

by Craig on February 10, 2012

Karuta, Noro’s new yarn, arrived last week. It’s a chunky blend of silk, cotton, and wool that’s perfect for mild winters like the one we’re having. Karuta is colorful, as you’d expect from a Noro yarn, but the colors are much more mono- or duo-chromatic with each colorway having multiple shades of one or two colors.

Fisherman's Scarf in Noro Karuta Yarn

Fisherman's Scarf in Karuta yarn's yellow/gold colorway.

Laura was immediately attracted to Karuta’s yellow/gold colorway and took home 3 balls. The next day she returned with over a foot of her new scarf knit. A few days later, she was wearing her new scarf (which I hastily took from her to photograph!).

The fisherman’s rib stitch that Laura used for her scarf creates volume. Combined with chunky Karuta, it makes an absolutely squeezable scarf. Here’s how to knit one for yourself.

FISHERMAN’S SCARF

SIZE
One size, 8 x 85 inches.

MATERIALS
3 balls of Noro Karuta yarn.
Size #10 needles.

GAUGE
3.5 stitches to the inch in St st

NOTE
All knit stitches are made through the stitch below the one on the needle as follows.

1. Insert your right needle into the stitch below the next one on the left needle.
2. Wrap the yarn around the right needle and draw through like you normally would,
3. Take the stitch off the left needle with the new stitch on your right needle.

It will look like you’re going to drop the stitch coming off the left needle, but if done correctly, it’ll be caught by the new stitch.

PATTERN
CO 26 sts.

Row 1 Purl.

Row 2 *P1, knit next st in the row below; rep from * to last 2 sts, p2.

Repeat Row 2 to 85 inches or desired length. BO loosely and weave in ends.

Enjoy!

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Edna Coat in Colourspun

by Craig on February 3, 2012

Edna Coat in Rowan Colourspun Yarn

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.

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Colourspun Yarn + the Caroline Tam

by Craig on January 31, 2012

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.

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2 Tosh Merino Light Baby Cardigans

by Craig on January 28, 2012

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

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.

Cabled Heart Baby Cardigan detail

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

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.

Teddy Boy Baby Cardigan detail

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!

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Colourscape Chunky + the Albert Cowl

by Craig on January 25, 2012

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.

Rowan Colourscape Chunky Yarn

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 Rowan Colourscape Yarn

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.

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Three Piece Baby Set

by Craig on January 23, 2012

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

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.

Three Piece Baby Set pullover collar

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.

Three Piece Baby Set pullover's vent

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!

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