Spotlight: Juniper Moon Farm Moonshine

May 6, 2013 in Cowls, Juniper Moon Farm Yarns, Sweaters

It might not be booze, but I bet the Dukes of Hazard would still want to transport the Juniper Moon Farm version of Moonshine!

After all, who could resist a yarn that is a 40% Wool, 40% Alpaca, 20% Silk blend with approximately 197 yards per 100g? Not me, that’s for sure!

Doesn’t it look glossy and mysterious?

It’s available in 16 colors and has a suggested gauge of 4.5-5 sts per inch on a US 7 needle. Tempted yet?

Ravelry users gave in to the temptation and landed Moonshine in the #1 spot on the Popluar New Yarns list for a good part of the month of April.

Moonshine was #1 on Ravelry’s Popular New Yarn list!

It has been used in 58 projects, with hats and shawls leading the pack.

Amalthea Cowl

The Moonshine book features 14 projects that are a mix of sweaters and accessories.

With a trip coming up, I wanted something portable and relatively simple to work on.

Photo by Susan Gibbs
Amalthea Cowl

The Amalthea cowl fit the bill. It’s knit in the round with a repeating pattern that doesn’t require charts and tons of concentration. The book includes a one skein and a two skein version, making this a great option for your gift box.

Doesn’t it look yummy?

It took me about a week to knit the one skein version. You can add this project to your Ravelry queue here.

The cowl is soft and squishy!

Although I knit it in April, I actually got to wear it a few times before the weather really warmed up. I think I’ll get a lot of use out of it next winter!

Just one skein makes it a great gift option.

XS to 3X

An exciting thing about the sweater patterns in the book (aside from how beautiful they are) is that they all range from XS (about a 30″ bust) to 3X (about a 54″ bust)!

In addition to the wide range of sizes, a variety of styles is includes to cover a wide range of tastes.

Photo by Susan Gibbs.
Calista Top

One of the eye catching ones, and a great option for the warm weather, is the Calista Top. Add it to your Ravelry queue.

Worked in the round from the bottom up, this pretty tank top will be a quick knit. Without seams to sew you’ll be able to weave in the ends and wear it right away.

For something with a little more coverage (hehe), consider the Dione Top.

Photo by Susan Gibbs
Dione Top

Add Dione to your Ravelry queue. I like the textured yoke and clean lines of this raglan sweater.

It is worked top-down in the round and includes some waist shaping for a flattering fit. Once again, minimum finishing means a short amount time between it coming off your needles and going onto your body!

The last sweater I’m going to highlight (and I could keep going!) is the Carme Sweater. Add Carme to your Ravelry queue.

Photo by Susan Gibbs
Carme Sweater

It’s easy to understand why this pretty sweater has 103 favorites on Ravelry. In addition to be attractive, Carme would be a fun knit.

The upper body is knit sideways and then the lower body is picked up and knit down in the round. Once again, no seams to sew!

Now the three sweaters I’ve highlighted are knit in the round, but don’t be shocked when you get the book and some of the sweaters are worked flat and seamed.

In any case, Moonshine is so soft and lovely to work with that you won’t mind spending the extra time with it that seaming will require.

You can read more about Moonshine and the book designer on the Juniper Moon Farm blog. You can preview the other patterns in the book here.

You can locate local and online stores that carry the Moonshine yarn and book (and other Juniper Moon Farm yarns!) by using the “find a store” feature on our main website. Search by zip code and filter by brand to narrow down the results.

Which pattern from the book is your favorite?

Tags: alpaca, cowls, silk, womens, XL
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Crossing Colors in Intarsia

March 26, 2013 in Cowls, Free, Juniper Moon Farm Yarns, Tips

Intarsia is sometimes referred to as “picture knitting” because it is used to work motifs into your project.

Compared to Fair Isle or stranded knitting, when working intarsia you are created isolated blocks of color.

Public side of the Argyle Cowl.

Perhaps the most recognizable intarsia pattern is the diamond motif of the Argyle pattern. But you can also use this method for creating polka dots, squares, stars, and even animals.

You use a separate ball of yarn for each section of color. So in the Chadwick Argyle Cowl pattern seen above you would have four balls of red, two balls of white, and one ball of black. As you arrive at each section of the motif you drop the current color and pick up the new color.

The potential problem with all this dropping and switching is the potential for little holes at the color change. However, they are easily avoided by crossing the yarns so they twist together. The tension created by the twist pulls the holes closed.

Crossed colors working a red knit stitch. Yarn thrown, stitch not completed.

To work the color cross you pick up the new yarn from the right and underneath the current yarn. Stated another way, when you get to the stitch where the color change happens pull the current yarn to the left, then grab the new yarn and pull it to the left and over the top of the old yarn.

In the picture above I’m about to work a red stitch after working a white stitch. I took the picture after I threw the red yarn around the needle but before I finished the stitch. You can see the red yarn hugging the white yarn.

Since all this might be a little hard to understand in text, I made a little video demonstrating the method. I filmed it while I was working the purl side since it seemed easier to see what is going on.

It probably looks a little awkward, but remember I was working around a camera and trying to use exaggerated gestures so you could see what is happening. LOL!

Inside of the Argyle Cowl. You want those little half-moons.

After all that crossing, the inside of your project should look like this. The little half-moons are your goal and the colors should be consistent on either the top or the bottom in each section.

If it still doesn’t make sense you can probably get a private lesson at your local yarn store where you can see the technique demonstrated in person. You’ll also get to ask questions as you try it out.

Intarsia is my favorite style of color work. I think it’s fun to be able to add pops of color here and here in projects. And argyle socks are fun to knit and wear.

Challenging ourselves with new knitting techniques helps keep our craft interesting and our minds sharp. What new technique will you try out?

If you’re ready to try out intarsia you can download the free pattern for the Chadwick Argyle Cowl on our website. You can add it to your Ravelry queue here.

Tags: argyle, cowls, intarsia, tips
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Chadwick Argyle Cowl

March 5, 2013 in Cowls, Free, Juniper Moon Farm Yarns

Over the holidays Hubby and I went to the Stars on Ice show with his parents.

It’s so exciting to see those world-class athletes gliding so effortlessly across the ice. Of course, I live to see the jumps!

The costumes for the opening sequence were graphic black and white designs with a splash of red here and there–one skater had red hat, another red gloves. As mesmerized as I was by the routine, another part of my brain was trying to figure out how to reinterpret those costumes in knitting.

Stripes seemed too easy (although some of the costumes were striped!).

Then I realized argyle was the way to go. I could use black and white for the main colors and red as the accent diagonal color.

You can wear it standing up if it’s cold out.

The next decision was the yarn, and what better option than the beautiful Juniper Moon Farm Chadwick? As a 60% Merino Wool, 40% Baby Alpaca it both soft and warm.

Susan Gibbs selected colors that would stand alone or be good for mixing and matching in color work projects, so there are a multitude of combinations you can try.

While the costumes during Stars on Ice were crisp and bold black, white, and scarlet, I decided to tone my colors down for what, to my mind, is a more sophisticated look. I used Black Magic, Dawn, and Syrah.

It’s soft enough to scrunch down, too.

I knit my cowl with 5 diamonds, for a finished circumference of 25″. It took just under half of each ball of yarn. I’m fairly certain a second cowl, especially one of just 4 diamonds, would be possible from the remaining yarn.

Or you could make a striped hat. Get creative.

Yeah, argyle!

You can download the pattern for the Chadwick Argyle Cowl here.

You can add the pattern to your Ravelry queue here.

Stay tuned later this week for future posts with tips on knitting intarsia.

Tags: argyle, cowls, free pattern
1 Comment »

Startitis

February 17, 2013 in Cowls, Elsebeth Lavold, Hats, Juniper Moon Farm Yarns, Mirasol, miscellaneous, shawl

I had a small case of “startitis” over the weekend.

You’ve had the feeling even if you haven’t heard the name before. It’s that overwhelming urge to cast on or start as many projects as you can.

I was busy swatching over the weekend.

It can be caused by a desire to start a new project without know what you want to make. Trips to a local yarn store or fiber festival can also trigger from the sight of all the pretty yarn.

Finishing (or getting close to the end of) a long term or complicated project can be a cause. And cabin fever (Knitting Fever? hahaha) brought on by cold winters days can contribute.

As you can see, startitis is a wide ranging ailment.

I find it’s often best to give into it, especially the cause is not being sure what project to start. If you do a bunch of swatching one project is bound to rise to the top.

Something Small?

My bout of startitis was brought on by finishing a complicated cowl and needing a new project.

Asta set from Elsebeth Lavold The Small Things Matter Collection

Originally I thought maybe I wanted a small and quick project for some instant gratification after my big project.

The lovely magenta yarn at the 6 or 7 o’clock position in the first picture is a cake of Elsebeth Lavold Silky Wool.

You just need one hank to make all three pieces of the Asta set from The Small Things Matter Collection.

But I just finished a cowl, did I want to make another one?

Hats!

The cowl abandoned (although the cuffs were still in play), I decided to focus on my need for a new hat.

As a knitter, I obviously can’t just go to the store to buy one. Instead I spent time thumbing through my pattern books and poking around on Ravelry looking for ideas. (Both those activities can also trigger startitis.)

Monika set from Elsebeth Lavold The Small Things Matter Collection

Right there an another page of The Small Things Matter Collection is the Monika hat and bag.

Look at those stripes! I won’t even have to settle on one color.

The pattern calls for holding Silky Wool doubled, but I had a sneaky suspicion that Silky Wool XL might be the correct gauge by itself.

Elsebeth Lavold Silky Wool XL for the Monika hat.

It took a couple tries, but I achieved gauge on US 6 needles. Victory is mine! I started by using the suggested needle size for the pattern (US7) and swatched with regular Silky Wool held doubled as the pattern required and a single strand of Silky Wool XL side by side.

That allowed me to see that the fabric with the XL would be the same (or very similar) to the fabric at the same gauge as the regular Silky Wool. We’ll see what happens since I’ve been too clever for my own good in the past.

Maybe a shawl?

Of course, I couldn’t stop there. Having finished one big project maybe another large project was the way to go.

Gable Wrap Pattern is free on our website.

That purple ball of Juniper Moon Farm Findley (#4 – Renaissance) in the middle of the picture has been taunting me for a while now. That ball and it’s twin want to be the Gable Wrap, which is a free pattern on our website.

I still need to swatch for this one. It is knit using the “Indian Cross-Stitch,” which I’ve never knit before. Swatching will allow me to both check my gauge and become familiar with the stitch before starting the shawl.

The only problem is the suggested needle is US5 and I’m not sure where mine is (we will ignore the implications of one or two active projects that these missing needles imply). I might not end up using US 5 needles to knit this shawl, but I always like to start with the suggested needles when I start swatching. One day I’ll get lucky!

WIPs to fall back on

Fortunately, when I got tired of all the swatching and actually wanted to knit something I had a, ahem, few works in progress to fall back on.

Progress on my Loreto Cowl from Mirasol book #23.

Lately I’ve been trying to pay attention to my Loreto Cowl from Mirasol Book #23.

I love the cables on this cowl. It looks complicated, but once you get the rhythm of the cables it’s pretty straight forward.

I’m using three shades of Kutama, a 50% Alpaca, 50% Highland Wool blend, hoping to achieve a shaded look.

This is a great pattern that is fun to knit, but sometimes I need a break from all those cables!

Blown Away

I took a break from all my swatching and planning to take my yarn outside for pictures. I thought the natural light would show the colors better, but it was late in the afternoon and getting a bit dark.

And then a gust of wind started blowing my yarn off the table and down the hill!

Good thing Samson was there to catch them.

Which seemed like a sign that it was time to collect my toys and go back inside.

I hope your weekend knitting and crocheting was a little more productive.

Tags: WIPs
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Ease, It’s About Fit

February 12, 2013 in Araucania, Juniper Moon Farm Yarns, Mirasol, miscellaneous, Tips

Ease is the difference between your body measurement and the sweater measurement.

While gauge is important to ensuring your finished project resembles the version in the pattern picture, ease is important to ensuring the finished project fits the way you want.

Positive ease is when the finished dimensions of the sweater are larger than your body. Negative ease is when the finished dimensions are smaller than your body.

Unfortunately, for me at least, ease is a much more nebulous concept than gauge. I attribute this to my poor spatial reasoning skills! haha!

Measuring is Important

The first step to getting comfortable with ease is to be honest with ourselves about our measurements. They change over time for a variety of reasons, so you should remeasure yourself on a regular basis. You’ll know what that is.

The Craft Yarn Council has a handy document indicating how to measure various key points of the body. For people who prefer offline resources, “Sweater Design in Plain English” by Maggie Righetti, “Knitwear Design Workshop” by Shirley Paden, and “The Ultimate Knitting Book” by Vogue Knitting all have charts and worksheets for recording your measurements. You should be able to pick those books up at your local yarn store.

You’ll notice that the Craft Yarn Council page also has a “fit chart” outlining how many inches are involved in a close (1″ to 2″), standard (2″ to 4″), or loose (4″ to 6″) fit.

Righetti points out that knit garments don’t need as much ease as fabric garments because knit fabric is more forgiving and with stretch and cling to accommodate the body.

Of course saying a standard fitting sweater has 2″ to 4″ of ease doesn’t mean much in isolation. It’s helpful to apply it to numbers.

Say you have a 36 inch chest. If you make a 34″ sweater it will have -2″ of ease and be very close fitting. If you make a 38″ sweater it will have +2″ of ease and be considered standard fitting. If you make a 46″ sweater it will have +10″ of ease and be over-sized.

And it’s not enough to know that +2″ of ease is a “standard” fit. You have to know what those 2″ of ease will mean on your body.

“Measure a Favorite Sweater”

In addition to being honest about our own bodies, we should have a good think about the fashions we like and the way we prefer our clothes to fit.

If you’ve been knitting or crocheting for a while you’ve probably heard the advice to determine the size of a project by “measuring a favorite sweater.” The idea is you’ll match the dimensions of your project to that favorite sweater and end up with a happy result.

I, however, have modified this advice to “measure a favorite sweater that fits the way you want your project to fit,” which is a little more specific.

A few years ago I wanted to knit a slightly over-sized sweater for lounging around on weekends. I measured a favorite sweater and carefully did my math. My new finished sweater was very close fitting. It’s a nice sweater and I wear it all the time, but it’s not what I had in mind. Since then I’ve come to terms with the fact that I like my knit sweaters to be close fitting.

If your wardrobe is full of tailored garments and you knit yourself and 80s style over-sized sweater you might not be happy with the results. At the same time, if you like to be able to breathe in your clothing knitting a corset style top out of pure silk might not be the best way to go.

If you keep knitting sweaters with which you are unhappy when you’re finished, maybe you should examine the style as well as your technique.

Guess Work

An issue with ease is that the patterns don’t always specify how much ease the designer intended. To a degree it’s a space issue because there is only so much information you can squeeze into a magazine or pattern.

In most cases you can guess at the way a sweater should fit based on the pictures and combine that knowledge with the measurements provided in the pattern.

By comparing the “to fit bust” measurements to the “finished garment” measurements you’ll be able to calculate how much ease is included in each size.

For instance, you can look at this Ushya Sweater pattern and tell it’s meant to be over-sized. Then when you look at the pattern for a 32-34″ chest the finished sweater will be 39 1/2″. That from +7″ to +5″ of ease.

The Nibberdale pattern from Mirasol book #22 is along the same lines. The finished sweater for a 32″ to 34″ chest is 47 1/2″. Now if someone with a 47″ chest made that smallest size the sweater might fit, but it will be a very different look!

On the other side of the scale is the Plotted & Pieced Blouse from the Juniper Moon Farm Findley Dappled book.You can see in the picture it’s a close fitting top and the pattern says it’s meant to be worn with 0″ of ease. You want it to be tight to open up the lace pattern.

The pattern for Ruca Multy top from Araucania says “This is a fitted top, select your usual size.” When you compare the bust size to the schematic you’ll see there is only about +1″ of ease for the various sizes.

Trying to figure out fit is an area where a resource like Ravelry comes in handy. You can see how a sweater will look on many different body types. Unfortunately, most people don’t include their personal measurements in their project notes, so you are still left guess to a degree.

There was a while when Interweave Knits was showing patterns from the magazine on different body types and they were including measurements. It took me a few minutes to find them, but if you look for the “galleries” on the Knitting Daily website you’ll find them. Here is the gallery for the Spring 2010 issue. You’ll need to log in to see it. It doesn’t look like they’ve kept it up, and of course it only helps with IK patterns, but it will help you start conceptualizing ease.

I thought I’ve seen similar galleries on the WEBS blog in the past, but I’m not sure how to find them now.

Another way to see how different sweaters will fit on different people is to check out the samples at your local yarn store. Ask first, of course, but the staff usually won’t mind if you try the sample sweaters on. Keep your eyes out for trunk shows, as well, since there is usually a launch party so lots of people will be trying the items on.

Even Accessories Have Ease

Oh, yes, I have scared you and you thought you’d avoid all this ease nonsense by not knitting sweaters. Well, enjoy all those scarves and shawls you’ll be making because ease is everywhere!

Hats have ease. Traditional watch cap style hats usually have no ease or maybe a little negative ease to give them a snug fit. Slouch hats have lots of positive ease to be, uh, slouchy.

Socks generally have negative ease, although there is debate about how much. I like -1″ of ease on my socks. Other people prefer less.

Gloves and mittens can be either close fitting or slightly over-sized, depending on your goal. For instance, I like to make my fingerless mitts with no or negative ease so they don’t get in my way when I’m typing. But I made the Top-Down Mittens for my friend with 1/2″ of positive ease so her fingers would have wiggle room.

As you can see, ease comes into play with most anything you’re going to knit or crochet. It’s an important concept to get your mind around, but once you do you’ll be much happier with your finished project.

Tags: tips
3 Comments »

12/12/12 Scarf Curling

December 20, 2012 in Juniper Moon Farm Yarns, Scarves, Tips, Uncategorized

When I thought up the 12/12/12 scarf in the middle of the night my idea was to capture the date in yarn.

I wasn’t alert enough to consider that 12 sts in stockinette stitch on either side would curl right up.

This issue became rapidly apparent to me when I finally started knitting the scarf that evening.

Stockinette Stitch sides curl right up

Of course, I had to follow through with the pattern as I’d presented it so you could see how it would turn out.

Curling stockinette stitch is something with which all knitters struggle. Either you are a new knitter wondering why it happens or you are an experienced knitter trying to prevent it.

In her book “The Principles of Knitting”, June Hemmons Hiatt explains the curling happens because of the shape of the stitches. She points out that the stitches are pulled tight at the bottom by the row below and flair out at the top. This creates tension in the fabric and causes the curl.

Combat the Curl!

Now that we know why the curl happens, what can we do to manage it?

First you have to decide whether it’s really an issue for your project.

Part of me wonders whether it really matters that a scarf is curling since it’s just going to get folded and bunched up anyway. But I do want options for how I wear it and don’t want my hard work to be hidden.

If this was part of a sweater the curling wouldn’t matter since the pieces would be stabilized when they are sewn together. In the case of a sweater, the curl only matters when you are trying to flatten the pieces out for seaming.

When I posted a picture of the curled up scarf on our Facebook page many people jumped in with suggestions about how to fix it.

Block It

You’ll want to take into account the washing instructions for the yarn and the durability of the project when deciding on a method.

For this scarf using Juniper Moon Farm Chadwick yarn I could soak it in cold water, gently remove the excess water, and pin it in place.

I could also use a spray bottle to mist the scarf before pinning it in place instead of soaking it.

Steaming it with an iron might work as well.

The problem with blocking is that it wears off. Especially on a scarf, which gets bunched up when you wear it.

I would need something more permanent.

Work a Slip Stitch Edge

This is just how it sounds. You slip the first stitch of the row instead of working it.

You slip it opposite of how the stitch is presenting. So if you are looking at a knit stitch you would slip it purlwise. If you’re looking at a purl stitch slip it knitwise.

This also makes a nice, neat edge.

Honestly, I didn’t think that would work in this case because there was such a wide expanse of stockinette to contend with. I didn’t even try it. but you might want to give it a whirl for educational purposes so you better understand the method and how it behaves.

Work an Edging

This was the winning idea.

Of course, by working an edging I was getting away from the 12/12/12 theme, but I decided an un-curled scarf was more important than the theme!

Ribbing helps a bit.

The first edging I tried was a 4×4 ribbing.

In long hand that translates to:

p4, k4, p4, k12, p4, k4, p4

K4, p4, k4, p12, k4, p4, k4

Repeat for 12 rows total.

P4, k4, p4, C12B, p4, k4, p4

etc.

You can see that after several rows of that I got bored and started adding cables to the K4 column on either side of the central cable.

The small cable on the right is crossed to the back while the small cable on the left is crossed to the front.

I started crossing them at the same time I crossed the central cable to make it easy to remember. For a different look you can cross the small cables at a different time than the central cable. For instance, if you were starting the scarf from the beginning, you can cross the small cables for the first time on the 6th row and then again 12 rows later on the 18th row, but still cross the big, central cable every 12th row.

Or cross the small cables more or less frequently. But you get the idea that there are many options.

As you can see in the picture the outside edges are still curling in a bit. I think in this case a slip stitch edge would help since it’s only fighting against 4 sts.

Seed stitch flattens it out

The next edging I tried was seed stitch.

As you know the first row of seed stitch is a K1, P1 rib across. Then on the second row you purl the knits and knit the purls.

I maintained a two purl stitch buffer on either side of the central cable.

The seed stitch flattens the scarf right out. Like a pancake!

That’s because there aren’t smooth columns of stitches to pull against each other and cause the curl.

This is actually a pretty classic scarf pattern and you’ll find many examples of it at your local yarn store using different yarns.

The only problem with it is that all that switching back and forth between knits and purls can slow you down.

You can see it flattening out with the different side options.

Here is a picture of the full scarf. You can really see how the different sections are behaving. It’s interesting to see the scarf getting flatter as I progress through the different edging options.

Another edging that was suggested was garter stitch. You would knit the first and last 3 or 4 sts on each row every row.

You can combine the garter stitch edge with the rib and cable edging by working garter stitch over the first and last few stitches instead of purling them.

I suggest you use stitch markers to box off your garter stitch section so you don’t accidentally work too many stitches.

Something to keep in mind is that garter stitch has a different row gauge then stockinette stitch and might pull against the rest of the knitting if you make your garter stitch section to wide.

You’ll want to knit a generous swatch to test your options.

Personally I haven’t decided which edging to use, but I’m leaning toward the rib and cable option.

Tags: cables, scarves
1 Comment »

12/12/12 Scarf

December 12, 2012 in Juniper Moon Farm Yarns, Scarves

The date today is December 12, 2012, which in shorthand is 12/12/12.

You know this, of course, because you couldn’t NOT know since everybody has been making a fuss over it in the days leading up to it.

There must be some numerological significance. Or maybe they just think it looks nice since it’s symmetrical.

Chadwick has 202 yards per ball.

In any event, as I was trying to fall to sleep last night one thing that crossed my mind was how to celebrate the fun date through yarn.

I had been thinking you could cast on 12 sts and just knit away. But that would make an awfully skinny scarf and might not be much fun.

Then I got a brainwave and at 1 am on 12/12/12 posted this on our Facebook wall.

12/12/12, eh?
You could CO 36
P12, K12, P12 for 12 rows
P12, C12B, P12
Etc

Which is just another reminder that I shouldn’t post things on our wall in the wee hours of the night.

Because, really, I must have been channeling Elizabeth Zimmermann when I wrote that. Talk about “pithy directions”!

As I drifted off to sleep it occurred to me that all the beginning knitters would be confused.

And I was correct. It was the C12B that tripped people up. Happily, experienced knitters (and pattern readers) jumped in with explanations while I was eating breakfast.

Another big oversight was that I don’t specify you should work in ribbing for those first 12 rows.

What I should have written was:

CO 36

P12, K12, P12

K12, P12, K12

For 12 rows total

P12, C12B, P12

Repeat until you are sick of it or run out of yarn.

BO

Now, if you’ve knit cables before the C12B didn’t phase you at all. If you haven’t, it was mysterious knitting code you haven’t encountered before.

The important thing to remember when looking at a cable abbreviation is to cut the number in half. In this case you’ll be working with 6 sts at a time.

Just reach across to the left needle and knit.

Work your first 12 purl sts. Then when you reach the knit section stop, slip the next 6 sts purlwise onto a cable needle (without working them) and then push it out of your way to the back of the project, knit the next 6 sts on the left hand needle, then knit the 6 sts that are on the cable needle.

You’ll want to slip the sts purlwise (i.e., going in from back to front as though you were working a purl stitch) because if you slip them knitwise they’ll get twisted and be hard to knit when you came back to them.

Then knit the stitches you skipped.

When you’re ready to work the sts you skipped you have a few choices depending on your project and what is comfortable for you. In this case I was using a double pointed needle as my cable needle so it was easy to knit the stitches directly from the dpn.

When I’m using a cable needle I sometimes slip the sts back onto the left hand needle before working them. It depending on the yarn and what size the cable needle is compared to my regular needle.

Some daring people don’t even use a third needle when they knit cables! It’s called cabling without a cable needle. They swear it is easier and faster, but I just don’t have the confidence that I won’t start dropping stitches. I imagine someone at your local yarn store can give you a lesson. Or a friend in your knitting group.

After working the cable you’re resume your ribbing sequence.

The fun thing about this scarf idea is that it should work with just about any yarn. The size of your scarf will depend on what yarn and needle size you select. Chunky yarn will result in a big scarf. Fingering weight yarn will result in a smaller scarf.

It’s also a good example of just plunging in and knitting. The next time you have some pretty yarn that you really want to use but don’t have a pattern you can just make up a scarf!

What’s the worst that can happen? You have to rip back and start over?

In my case I decided to use Juniper Moon Farm Chadwick yarn in color #7-Swimming Pool.

(The first picture at the top of the post where it’s on the windowsill is probably most accurate for color. The cabling pictures the flash went off. The scarf picture below just looks washed out.)

Chadwick comes in 202 yard balls, which should get me a good sized made up scarf. And if it winds up short I’ll sew the cast on to the bind off and call it a cowl!

A rule of thumb is that to make a decent sized scarf (6″ x 52″ I think) using worsted weight yarn you’ll want around 300 yards. Then go up or down in yardage from there depending on how wide or long you intend to make it.

Of more concern at the moment than the possible length is the massive amount of curling on the sides.

Stockinette stitch curls. It’s just the nature of the beast. If I do make a cowl that will help control the curling at the end, but it won’t help will the curling in the rest of the scarf.

Ways to control it would be to work smaller chunks of ribbing (k6,p6 perhaps? You want to have purls right next to the cable so it stands out from the fabric). Or a flat stitch like seed stitch (P1, k1 across. The knit the purls and purl the knits). Garter stitch sides is another option.

Or you could be really sassy and work cabled over the first or last 12 sts occasionally.

I might have to abandon the 12/12/12 idea in favor of ribbing. It was a fun idea, but I want to like the scarf when I’m finished!

Did you jump in and start knitting a scarf based on my 1 am idea? Share a picture! I’d love to see how you interpreted my crazy directions.

Tags: free pattern, scarves
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Chadwick Owl Arm Warmers

December 5, 2012 in Free, Gloves, Juniper Moon Farm Yarns, Mitts

Arm warmers and fingerless mitts are pretty awesome in my book.

So warm and cozy!

I wear fingerless mitts practically year round. In the summer they are good for when the air-conditioning is too efficient and in the winter they are good when you want to stay warm but keep your fingers free.

Of course, you already know all this because of those Simple Striped Arm Warmers I knit recently using Mirasol Tuhu yarn.

What I didn’t mention was that I don’t like knitting fingers. Despite that fact that half fingers will help keep your hands warmer, I find knitting them fiddly and annoying.

Since I don’t think knitting (or crocheting) should be annoying I usually just knit some ribbing on the finger side of the mitt and call it a day.

Contrary to my anti-finger stance, you’ll notice that these Owl Arm Warmers have half fingers. That’s because these aren’t for me.

Owl arm warmers for my aunt

When I was visiting my mom for Thanksgiving she said my aunt had seen an ad for fingerless mitts in a magazine, but they were boring and utilitarian so she didn’t like them. She asked my mom whether I could knit her a pair instead.

My aunt was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis a few years ago and apparently it makes her arms cold sometimes. She doesn’t want to wear sweaters and such all the time and thought arm warmers would do the trick.

I was up to the challenge!

Using a soft, squishy yarn in a lovely color wasn’t enough. I wanted to jazz them up with a simple design. The ubiquitous owl cable fit the bill because my aunt has liked and collected owl figurines long before it became stylish.

Juniper Moon Farm Yarns Chadwick immediately came to mind as a good yarn for this project. This 60% Merino Wool, 40% Baby Alpaca blend yarn is not only as soft as a kitten but nice and warm as well. This smooth yarn has good stitch definition, which would enhance the cable. I decided to use color #6-Mercury. You can see all 12 colors here.

Eyes would make it more owly.

A note about yarn quantities.

I was hoping these arm warmers would be a one skein project, but I fell a few yards short of the goal.

Juniper Moon Farm Yarns Chadwick comes in generous 202 yard balls. If you knit the pattern as written you will use every inch of yarn and probably run out. In fact, I ran out and the left thumb is shorter than the right. Oops. Unfortunately, you’ll just need a wee amount of the second ball to finish up. You can make a matching headband with the second ball. Or make a second, shorter pair. Or shorten this pair. Or ditch the fingers. You’re a clever knitter; you’ll figure something out.

Owl Arm Warmers

Download a PDF version of the pattern here.

Size: To fit 8” hand circumference. 11” arm circumference at the elbow. 8 1/2” from wrist to elbow. 12 ¾” from fingers to cuff.

Materials:
Yarn: Juniper Moon Farm Chadwick (60% Merino Wool, 40% Baby Alpaca), 2 balls. Shown in #6-Mercury.
Needles: US 7 dpns (or size needed to obtain gauge)
Notions: Cable needle, scrap yarn to use as stitch holders

Gauge: 4.5 sts x 7 rows = 1” in st st in the round

Owl Cable
Rounds 1 & 2: P4, K8, P4
Round 3: P4, C4B, C4F, P4
Rounds 4-9: P4, K8, P4
Round 10: P4, C4B, C4F, P4
Rounds 11-15: P4, K8, P4
Round 16: P4, C4B, C4F, P4
Round 17, P4, C2B, K4, C2F, P4

Abbreviations:
CO-Cast on
C4B-slip next 2 sts to a cable needle and hold to back, K2, K2 from cable needle
C4F-slip next 2 sts to a cable needle and hold to front, K2, K2 from cable needle
C2B-slip next 1 st to a cable needle and hold to back, K1, K1 from cable needle
C2F-slip next 1 st to a cable needle and hold to front, K1, K1 from cable needle
Dec-Decrease
DPNs-Double pointed needles
K-Knit
KFB-Knit front and back
K2tog-Knit two stitches together
M1L-Make one left-insert left hand needle from front to back into horizontal bar between last st worked and the next st, K bar through back loop.
M1R-Make one right-insert left needle from back to front into horizontal bar between the last st worked and the next st, K bar through front loop.
P-Purl
PM-Place marker
P2tog-purl two stitches together
SM-Slip marker
SSK-Slip next two stitches individual knitwise to right needle, insert left needle into front of slipped stitches, k2tog
St(s)-Stitch(es)
St st-Stockinette Stitch

The Pattern:

Right arm warmer:
CO 52 sts.
Join to work in the round, being careful not to twist stitches. Place marker to note beginning of the round. Distribute stitches evenly on needles.

Work K2, P2 rib for 6 rounds
Round 7: K2tog, *P2, K2, repeat from * to last 2 sts, P2tog (50 sts)
Round 8: K1, *P2, K2, repeat from * to last st, P1
Rounds 9-13: Continue in rib as established.
Round 14: K1, P2tog, *K2, P2, repeat from * to last 3 sts, K2tog, P1. (48 sts)
Round 15: K1, P1, *K2, P2, repeat from * to last 2 sts, K1, P1

Round 16: change to stockinette stitch (knit all stitches, all row).
Continue in st st until piece measures 5” from cast on edge or desired length. AT THE SAME TIME, dec 2 sts every 7th round 5 times (i.e., Rounds 21 & 28: K1, K2tog, K to last 3 sts, SSK, K1)

Set up round for Owl Cable:
Round 35: K1, K2tog, K11, P16, K11, SSK, K1 (42 sts)
Round 36: K13, P16, K13
Note: when working Owl Cable it might be helpful to distribute work on 3 needles so there are 13 sts each on Needles 1 & 3 and 16 sts on Needle 2. That way the Owl is isolated to Needle 2.

Work Owl Cable over 16 sts on Needle 2. Knit all sts on Needles 1 & 3
Rounds 37 & 38: P4, K8, P4
Round 39: P4, C4B, C4F, P4
Rounds 40-45: P4, K8, P4 (Also, work decrease round as established on round 42 [40 sts])
Round 46: P4, C4B, C4F, P4
Rounds 47-51: P4, K8, P4 (Also, work decrease round as established on round 49 [38 sts])
Round 52: P4, C4B, C4F, P4
Round 53: P4, C2B, K4, C2F, P4

Rounds 54 & 55: K11, P16, K11
Continue in st st until piece measures 8 ½” from CO or desired length.
Work 3 more rows.

Start Thumb gusset:
Round 62: K29, PM, M1R, K2, M1L, PM, K to end
Round 63: K even
Round 64: K to marker, SM, M1R, K to next marker, M1L, SM, K to end
Round 65: K even
Repeat alternating Increase round and Knit even round 3 more times to 12 sts between markers, ending with a K even round.

Next round: K to first marker, place 12 sts between markers on a piece of scrap yarn for later. Remove markers. CO 2 sts using Backward E method. K to end
Work even in st st for 7 rounds or desired length.

Note: I found this “Ask a Knitter” article on Ravelry helpful when deciding where to pick up sts to minimize gaps at the base of the fingers.

Use locking stitch markers to help visualize the finger placement.

Work Fingers:
K 10 sts to get to the side of the hand.
Place all sts on a piece of scrap yarn.
Mark sts for fingers. 8 sts for pinky and 10 sts each for the other 3 fingers. Half the sts will come from the top of the hand and the other half will come from the palm of the hand.

Work Pinkie:
Transfer 4 sts from back of hand and 4 sts from palm to 2 dpns
K3, KFB twice, K3 (10 sts)
Work 5 rounds even.
Bind off all sts. Cut yarn leaving sufficient tail to weave in end.

To help prevent a gap at the base of the fingers, pick up the stitch on the holder.

Work Ring finger:
Transfer next 5 sts from back of hand and next 5 sts from palm to 2 dpns
With palm facing, attach yarn leaving sufficient tail to weave in end. K5, pick up 2 sts at base of Pinkie, K5 (12 sts)
Work 5 rounds even.
Bind off all sts. Cut yarn leaving sufficient tail to weave in end.

Repeat for next two fingers.

Work Thumb:
Transfer 12 held stitches to 2 or 3 dpns
Attach yarn, leaving sufficient tail to weave in end. K12, pick up 2 sts on side of hand (14 sts)
Work 5 rounds even.
Bind off all sts. Cut yarn leaving sufficient tail to weave in end.

Weave in ends. Note: Use the tails from attaching the yarn to close up any gaps at the base of the fingers.

Left arm warmer:
Work as for right, reversing thumb shaping and finger placement.

Left Thumb placement:
K7, PM, M1R, K2, M1L, PM, K to end.

Begin working fingers with the Pointer finger. 10 sts per finger. 8 for the pinkie.

I caught a snowflake!

Tags: arm warmers, cables, free pattern
8 Comments »

Fisherman’s Sweaters

September 17, 2012 in Debbie Bliss, Inspiration, Juniper Moon Farm Yarns, Mirasol, Noro, Queensland Collection, Sweaters, Viking of Norway

The fashion update in Friday’s Wall Street Journal was about Fisherman’s Sweaters being a big trend this fall. (You should be able to read the article here as a free preview.)

It’s nice to see the fashion industry catching up with what us knitters have known all along. Namely that these sweaters are visually stunning, cozy to wear, and a ton of fun to make.

The article gives a nice, brief introduction to the history of these beautiful cabled sweaters, but as knitters also know all that already.

That just means we can skip straight to the good stuff of inspiring patterns that we can knit and continue to wear proudly after fickle fashion has moved on to less appealing garments.

Viking of Norway

Cabled Sweater from Viking of Norway book #1103

This beautiful tunic length turtle neck is from the Viking of Norway book #1103 (Balder, Naturgan, Alpaca Superfine). Turtlenecks were mentioned frequently in the WSJ article.

This sweater is knit using Balder, a chunky, 100% wool yarn available in 31 solid and variegated colors. You can see them all here.

Debbie Bliss

Cable Paneled Sweater from Debbie Bliss Blue Faced Leicester book

With her classic styling of course Debbie Bliss would have a pattern (or two!) to fit the bill.

This stunning Cable Paneled Sweater is just one of four in her new Blue Faced Leicester book that will keep you both warm and stylish.

There is also a cabled scarf and shoulder capelet if you want to bring in the elements of the Fisherman’s Sweater trend without knitting an entire sweater.

This book supports Debbie’s new Blue Faced Leicester yarn, which is available in 16 colors.

Blue Faced Leicester sheep are a traditional British breed whose wool has a long staple length, which creates yarn with luster and drape. You really need to see and feel this beautiful new yarn in person to really appreciate it.

Mirasol

Inka from Mirasol Book #29

Inka is another beautiful cabled turtleneck, this time from the Mirasol line. This is one of four cabled sweaters Jane Ellison designed for the new Book #29 (Api & Hasa). Another pullover and two cardigans round out the cabled entries, along with simpler sweaters and some accessories.

Inka is knit using Hasa, a 50% Alpaca 40% Wool 10% Silk blend available in 12 colors.

Not only are the cables on this sweater a lovely combination of a braid and honeycomb, but I love the generous collar. Great for keeping the wind out!

Juniper Moon Farm

Sideways Cabled Cardigan from Juniper Moon Farm Willa book

If being traditional isn’t your style, then turn the cabled trend on its side with this cardigan from the Juniper Moon Farm Willa book. This cardigan is finished with a zipper so no need to worry about knitting button holes.

This sweater is destined to become one of your favorites since Willa is a soft, chunky 60% Merino Wool, 40% SuperKid Mohair blend that will make it a joy to knit and wear. See all the 12 colors here and start plotting your own.

Queensland Collection

Cable Panel Vest from Queensland Collection #1001 pamphlet

For people in warmer climates (or age ranges, haha) who are getting warm just looking at all these long sleeved sweaters, I haven’t forgotten you!

This pretty cabled vest is from the Queensland Collection pamphlet #1001-Sweet Pea Multi.

Sweet Pea is a soft, 100% Organic Pima cotton yarn available in 20 colors both solid and multi.

Noro

Child's Cabled Vest from Noro Volume #32

And don’t forget the young ones in your life. This Child’s Cabled Vest is from Noro Volume #32. Children’s garments are a great way to practice new techniques because their small size means they work up quickly, but take long enough to let you really practice.

This booklet also has a great unisex cabled pullover pattern for adults.

This vest is knit using Kureyon, a hard wearing 100% wool yarn. Check out the eight new colors for the fall.

More to Explore

I have only scratched the surface of all the cabled sweater patterns available from our various yarn lines.

There are plenty more to inspire you for men, women, and children. You can preview more of them here.

Then head out to your local yarn store for even more inspiration and supplies. If you haven’t tried cables yet, I’m sure the staff at your local yarn store will be happy to arrange a lesson for you.

Tags: Aran Sweaters, cables, Fisherman's Sweaters
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A Sweater Divided

August 13, 2012 in Juniper Moon Farm Yarns, Sweaters, Tips

The Olympic Games ended last night. For knitters and crocheters active on Ravelry it also meant the conclusion of the Ravellenic Games.

With millions of yarn lovers allover the world I know that whenever I’m casting on or completing a project it is very likely that at least one person (if not more) is at the same point as me. Sort of like knowing people share your birthday even if you haven’t met them.

Still, there is something extra fun about participating in a Knit Along or Crochet Along when you know people are intentionally starting a project at the same time.

While the overarching goal of the Ravellenic Games is to attempt to start and finish a challenging (for yourself) project between the opening and closing ceremonies, I prefer to approach it as an opportunity to expand my skills. That may be because my projects are usually too ambitious and I don’t finish in time!

That was once again the case this year. But I went into the Games knowing my actual chances of finishing my Three Lace Cardigan were slim and was using them instead as a way to stay focused on one project for an extended period of time.

Considering I was working on a lace cardigan knit using lace weight yarn on US 5 needles, I think I made pretty good progress.

Divide for Fronts and Back

Scraps of yarn make good stitch holders.

When working a sweater all in one piece this instruction should not scare you.

Once you introduce the spaces for the arm holes into the garment they will prevent you from working in long, continuous rows. Think of it as the draw bridge is up and the roads a no longer connected.

Now it’s a matter of rearranging the stitches so you can work on the individual sections. When the shifting is taking place the instruction might way “work in pattern” or just “work” in either case you should continue working the lace, texture, or color changes you’ve been knitting or crocheting all along unless you are specifically told otherwise. If I’d stopped working the lace pattern I would have ended up with an odd stockinette row right in the middle of my cardigan!

In this case the pattern told me to continue working on the left front of the sweater first. Now that is the “left front” when I’ll be wearing the cardigan, not as I’m looking at it on my lap.

I opted to move the waiting, live stitches to a piece of scrap yarn until I’m ready for them. I just threaded a darning needle with the organ yarn and slipped the stitches over. I kept the markers in place to make it easier to track the lace pattern when I return to that section.

You can save some brain cells later on by making a note about which pattern row you ended with on the working copy of your pattern.

You can get a variety of stitch holders at your local yarn store ranging from giant metal safety pins to plastic rods. I have even seen people use a circular needle with point protectors on the ends.

But for a light yarn like Findley I prefer to use a piece of scrap yarn because it doesn’t pull on the knitting as much as one of those other options.

A Few Stitches Short of a Repeat

Switch to stockinette when you run out of stitches.

If you haven’t knit a lace garment before, or any lace project that requires shaping for that matter, you might become puzzled how to stay in pattern once you start decreasing.

It can be a little confusing when the lace has a six stitch pattern and suddenly you have only 4 stitches (or fewer).

The solution is to either work as much of the pattern stitch as you can or default to stockinette stitch (or another appropriate vanilla option that will fit in with your garment such as reverse stockinette stitch or garter stitch).

If the pattern stitch includes pairs of increases and decreases make sure you can work both of them before deciding to “work in pattern” otherwise your stitch count will be off. If you work a yarn over without the corresponding decrease you’ll run into problems later on.

Having the edge in stockinette stitch can also make finishing easier down the line.

In this case I have stockinette stitch along the armhole, which will be easier to attach the sleeve to when the time comes than an edge full of yarn over holes and decrease bumps.

Since it’s located right along the edge of the arm it won’t be very noticeable when I’m wearing the sweater.

My sweater is moving along nicely and I’ve got enough momentum to keep going even though the Ravellenic Games have ended.

Did you succeed in your quest for Ravellenic glory?

Tags: lace, womens
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