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Vogue Knitting + Noro yarn = Awesome!

February 16, 2012 in Free, Noro

If you are on Facebook and you love Noro yarns then I hope you’ve been keeping a sharp eye on the Vogue Knitting magazine wall.

They declared this “Noro Week” and have been giving away bags of yarn!

Yeah, you read that right! Yesterday they gave away a bag of Kureyon and today (Thursday) they are giving away a bag of Silk Garden.

I will give you a moment to pick yourself up from the floor since I know you just swooned.

I wonder which yarn it will be tomorrow?

Now to enter the giveaway you have to go to the Vogue Knitting Facebook page, find their post about the giveaway, and share it with your friends. It’s very simple. When you are looking at the VK status update you’ll see little blue words that say “like, comment, share.” A quick click and you’re in the running.

While it appears the giveaways are open to all their Facebook fans, people who live in Connecticut have an extra change to celebrate.

Vogue Knitting Editor Trisha Malcolm will be at a local yarn store called “A Stitch In Time” in Bethel, CT, for a trunk show this Saturday, Feb. 18, starting at noon.

She’ll be giving a preview of the spring issue of Vogue Knitting magazine and doing a book signing for the Knit Noro Accessories book.Noro Accessories cover

You should call the store at (203) 748-1002 to let them know you’ll be attending so they can make sure they have enough books.

Free Noro Patterns

Now there are a slew of lovely Noro pattern books available for purchase at your local yarn store.

You can preview the books on our website so you can have a strategy before you go shopping.

But if you can’t head out to the store right now, there are a scattering of free patterns out there you can download.

Noro Kuyeron cap

I made the Kuyeron cap last year.

First up is the Ribbed Cap available on the Vogue Knitting website. You have to set up a free ID to access it.

The pattern takes one skein of Noro Kuyeron. It is knit flat and seamed, which makes it good for beginners who aren’t ready to tackle knitting in the round. I make one last year and it was a quick and easy pattern.

Next up is a pair of Kuyeron Basic Socks on the Yarnmarket.com website. This pattern is sized for Women’s Small (Medium, Large).

Over the years many patterns on Knitty.com have featured Noro yarns. There is a wide range of garments including socks, mitts, scarves, blankets, and even a skirt!

Noro Bear & BunnyAnd, of course, we have many free patterns on our own website that use Noro yarns. Including this adorable bear and bunny pair designed by Debbie Bliss.

As you can see, it’s very easy to fulfill your need for Noro!

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Knit Ornament Elsebeth Lavold Favorite Wool

December 22, 2011 in Elsebeth Lavold, Free

Today we have the last Christmas ornament. This is another knit one.

Four ornamentsSince I keep going on and on about making striped versions of the ornaments I finally decided to do it to show you how it would look.

For this ornament I used two colors of Elsebeth Lavold Favorite Wool. This yarn is 100% wool and comes in 109 yard (50 gram) balls. The suggested gauge is 4.5 to 5 sts/1″ on a US6 or US7 needle.

This yarn was introduced in Fall 2010 along with The City(e)scapes Collection book featuring sweater and accessory patterns for men and women.

Sixteen new colors were introduced this season, bringing the total to 34 colors from which to select. I used colors #25-Pine Green and #31-Carmine Red for my ornament.

Without further ado, here’s the pattern!

Favorite Wool Knit Ornament

Favorite wool ornamentMaterials:

Yarn: Elesebeth Lavold Favorite Wool in colors #25-Pine Green and #31-Carmine Red one ball of each

Needles: US 7 dpns, set of 4

stitch marker

2.5 inch Styrofoam ball

darning needle

Gauge: 5 sts x 7 rows /1″ in st st in the round

Abbreviations: K=knit; KFB=knit front and back; K2tog=Knit next 2 sts together; sts=stitches

Pattern:

Using green yarn, Cast on 6 sts.

Distribute evenly on 3 needles (2 sts each needle) Join to work in the round, being careful not to twist sts. Place marker at beginning of round.

Round 1: KFB around (12 sts)

Round 2: K around

Round 3: KFB around (24 sts)

Round 4: K around

Round 5: *K1, KFB, repeat from * around (36 sts)

Round 6: K around

Round 7: *K2, KFB, repeat from * around (48 sts)

Drop green yarn. Switch to red.

Rounds 8-15: K even

Drop red yarn. Switch to green.

Round 16: *K2, K2tog, repeat from * around (36 sts)

Round 17: K around

Insert ball

Round 18: *K1, K2tog, repeat from * around (24 sts)

Round 19: K around

Round 20: K2tog around (12 sts)

Round 21: K around

Round 22: K2tog around (6 sts)

Round 23: K around

Bind off all sts.

Weave in ends.

Make loop: Cut 3 strands around 9″ long (or desired length) of both colors. (9 strands total). Pair a red strand with a green strand and work a traditional braid. Pass braid through top of ornament. Tie ends together to form loop.

Make tassel: Holding both yarns together wrap around your hand or a stiff piece of cardboard 20 times or to desired fullness. Tie a strand of yarn around one end of bundle to synch. Cut loop at opposite end to form fringe. Attach to bottom of ornament.

Variations

I thought switching to the red for one wide stripe on the body of the ornament was easiest, but you can work thinner stripes if you want.

Another option would be to work the wide stripe but then attach the loop so the ornament hangs on its side for vertical stripes.

Instead of working the ornament in stockinette stitch, purl the entire thing for reverse stockinette stitch.

Add beads.

Duplicate stitch a design on the finished ornament…your initials, the date, a design, let your imagination run wild!

You’ll find many uses for these cute ornaments. Hang them on your tree or a wreath, string them up as a garland, or use them in place of a box on a gift.

Have fun!

Find the patterns for the other ornaments here: Crocheted Kutama, Crocheted Toconao, Knit Superwash.

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Knit Ornament Ella Rae Superwash

December 20, 2011 in Ella Rae, Free

The crocheted ornaments I posted on Sunday and Monday were fun and quick to make. But I’m an equal opportunity stitcher so knit ornaments were also in order.

Three ornamentsBesides, with a four pack of foam balls there is plenty of opportunity to test different methods.

Today’s ornament is knit using Ella Rae Superwash Classic. This 100% wool yarn comes in 220 yard (100 gram) balls. The suggested gauge is 5 sts/1″ on either a US 6 or US7 needle.

This yarn is soft enough for garments but sturdy enough for blankets. A good all purpose wool yarn. And, since it’s superwash, you can machine wash (on cold, gentle cycle) your finished project for easy care. But you are still better off laying it flat to dry rather than subjecting it to the extreme temperatures of the machine.

As if that isn’t all enough to recommend it, Superwash Classic comes in a slew of colors, including a whopping 32 news ones for this season.

I used color #103-Parsley for my ornament.

This ornament was a little trickery to make than the crocheted ones. You should be comfortable working in the round on double pointed needles before you tackle it. The bottom starts with just 6 sts, which makes the first row or two a little fiddly. I also suggest you use bamboo or wood needles. I started off with metal needles and everything was so slippery I didn’t get very far!

Just proof the proper tools make all the difference to a successful project.

Also things got a little tight after I inserted the foam ball, but after a row or two there was a enough fabric to stretch and ease things up a bit.

Well, I’m making this sound like a barrel of fun, aren’t I? But the finished ornament is very cute, and works up quickly, so the minor hiccups were worth it. :-)

Superwash Knit Ornament

Superwash ornamentMaterials:

One ball Ella Rae Superwash Classic in color #103-Parsley

US7 dpns, set of 4

stitch marker

2.5 inch Styrofoam ball

darning needle

Gauge: 6 sts x 7 rows /1″ in st st in the round

Abbreviations: K=knit; KFB=knit front and back; K2tog=Knit next 2 sts together; sts=stitches

Pattern:

Cast on 6 sts

Distribute evenly on 3 needles (2 sts each needle) Join to work in the round, being careful not to twist sts. Place marker at beginning of round.

Round 1: KFB around (12 sts)

Round 2: K around

Round 3: KFB around (24 sts)

Round 4: K around

Round 5: *K1, KFB, repeat from * around (36 sts)

Round 6: K around

Round 7: *K2, KFB, repeat from * around (48 sts)

Rounds 8-15: K even

Round 16: *K2, K2tog, repeat from * around (36 sts)

Round 17: K around

Insert ball

Round 18: *K1, K2tog, repeat from * around (24 sts)

Round 19: K around

Round 20: K2tog around (12 sts)

Round 21: K around

Round 22: K2tog around (6 sts)

Round 23: K2tog around (3 sts)

Make hanging loop: Using 3 sts on needle knit an I-cord around 4″ long (or desired length). Bind off all sts. Fasten off last st leaving a long tail for sewing. Use tail to attach loop to top of ornament.

Weave in ends.

As with the crocheted ornaments, it would be easy to add stripes or beads to this ornament to change it up. Let your imagination run wild!

Find the other ornament patterns here: Crocheted Kutama, Crocheted Toconao, Knit Favorite Wool.

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Crocheted Ornament Toconao

December 19, 2011 in Araucania, Free, Uncategorized

I continue to be enamored with making Christmas ornaments.

Two ornaments

My ornament collection is growing!

Today’s ornament is crocheted using Araucania Toconoa yarn. This 100% Merino Wool yarn comes in 139 yard (100 gram) hanks. The suggested knitting gauge is 4.5 sts per inch on a US7 needle.

The Araucania line is inspired by ancient Chilean crafts made from hand painted natural yarns. The Araucania Yarns company supports local job development, which is pretty cool when you think about it.

Toconoa yarn has a nice, round shape, which gives plump, crisp stitches when you knit. The finished fabric is cushy and squishable, making it nice for garments and accessories.

Yesterday’s ornament, crocheted with Mirasol Kutama, was worked through the back loops giving the finished fabric a smooth appearance. Today’s ornament is crocheted through the front loop. This leaves the back loops free to create an interesting ridge around the fabric.

Of course if you don’t like the ridge just work through the back loop or under both loops.

Toconoa ornament closeToconao Crocheted Ornament

Materials:

Yarn: Araucania Toconoa Solid in color #525, one skein.

Crochet Hook Size G

2.5 inch Styrofoam ball

Scrap yarn or stitch markers to mark rounds.

Gauge: 4.5 sc x 4 rounds/1″

NOTE: US crochet terms used throughout.

NOTE: Work through front loops only. Work in continuous rounds without turning.

Pattern:

Chain 4. Join with slip stitch to form a ring.

Round 1: 6 sc in ring

Round 2: 2 sc in each sc around (12 sc)

Round 3: 2 sc in each sc around (24 sc)

Round 4: 1 sc in each sc around (24 sc)

Round 5: *Sc, 2sc in next sc, repeat from * around (36 sc)

Rounds 6-10: work even in sc

Round 11: *Sc, sc2tog, repeat from * around (24 sc)

Round 12: 1 sc in each sc around (24 sc)

Insert ball. You will work the rest of the cover with the ornament form in place.

Round 13: sc2tog around (12 sc)

Round 14: sc2tog around (6 sc)

Round 15: 1 sc in each sc around (6 sc)

Form Loop: Chain 12. Join with slip stitch to top of ornament. Fasten off.

Make tassel: Wrap yarn around your hand or a stiff piece of cardboard 20 times or to desired fullness. Tie a strand of yarn around one end of the loops to synch. Cut loops on opposite end to make fringe. Attach to bottom of ornament.

Weave in ends.

Variations

It would be a simple matter to change the look of the ornament by adding stripes or beads.

As I said at the beginning, you don’t have to make the ridge.

Make some with tassels and some without.

Stay tuned tomorrow for the first knit ornament!

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Crocheted Ornament Kutama

December 18, 2011 in Free, Mirasol

Last weekend Hubby and I were at the mall doing some Christmas gift shopping.

Between the decorations, the roaming carolers in Victorian Dress, and the peppermint hot cocoa I had sucked down I was suddenly overcome with the desire to make some Christmas ornaments.

Ornament on WreathOur tree at home has been up since just after Thanksgiving. We have a mix of eclectic, special ornaments and your standard glass balls. There are even already a few I knit and a few my yarny friends have given me.

I popped into the mall craft store and grabbed a bag of four 2.5 inch (6.35 cm) foam balls.

There were other size foam balls, and even glass balls, but I went with the little ones since time was of the essence. I wanted to be able to make fast ornaments so I could share them with you in time to actually be of value this year. haha!

The first two I’ve made are crocheted. I’m accustomed to thinking of crochet in a structural way and I crochet faster than I knit. Don’t worry, I’m working on knit versions!

Mirasol Kutama

Potential yarnsA number of yarns in red and green presented themselves for ornament creation. Here you see Mirasol Kutama at the top of the pile, Elsebeth Lavold Favorite Wool on the right, and Ella Rae Superwash Classic on the left.

I decided to start with the red Kutama. It’s color #1908-American Rose. Kutama comes in 16 colors, so you can use traditional red and green like I did, or select colors that match your decor.

This yarn is a 50% Alpaca, 50% Fine Highland Wool blend. It comes in 67 yard (50 gram) hanks.

Kutama is a soft fluffy yarn with two strands ply together. This gives it bulk and loft without being heavy. For a garment it will be warm and snuggly without weighing you down.

I’ve been working on the Loreto cowl from “Book #23-Kutama,” so I already knew this yarn was lovely to knit with.

For my ornament, it worked up quickly with just a slight halo to soften the lines. I had to hang the ornament on the tree as soon as I was done taking pictures because I keep wanting to pet it!

You should be able to make this ornament in an hour or two.Close up ornament

Kutama Crocheted Ornament

NOTE: US Crochet terms used throughout. Work in continuous rounds without turning.

Materials:

Yarn: Mirasol Kutama in color #1908- American Rose or #1915-Forest Green, One skein

Crochet Hook size H

Gauge: 3 sc x 3 rounds per 1″ (on the ball.)

2.5 inch Styrofoam ball

Scrap yarn or stitch markers to mark rounds

Pattern:

Chain 4 and join with a slip stitch to form a ring

Round 1: 6 sc in ring (place marker at beginning of round)

Round 2: 2 sc in each sc around (12 sc)

Round 3: 2 sc in each sc around (24 sc)

Round 4: 1 sc in each sc around (24 sc)

Rounds 5-10: work even

Insert ball (NOTE: you’ll finish working the ornament with the ball in place.)

Shape top:

Round 11: 2sctog around (12 sc)

Round 12: 2sctog around (6 sc)

Round 13: 1 sc in each sc around (6 sc)

Make loop:

Chain 12 (or desired length). Join with slip stitch to top of ball.

Fasten off. Weave in ends.

Variations

Simple, right?

You can easily change the look of the ball by making stripes or using beads.

It would be easy to make this ornament bigger by working another row of increases before beginning to work even. You can just try the cover on your ornament shape as you go along.

I had originally worked to 36 sc but felt that was a little baggy.

Also, if you use a larger ornament form you’ll want to try the cover on as you’re working the body. I found leaving about a third of the ball exposed before decreasing was the way to go. Less than that and not only was the top hard to work, but the body was stretched too tightly and showed too much of the white foam ball.

In progress

Try the fabric on the form to test the size.

You will find many uses for this crocheted ornament. Hang your finished ornament on your tree and admire how fiber makes everything better. Hang several on a string or piece of yarn as garland on a doorway or window. You can even use it in place of bows on your wrapped gifts.

Stay tuned tomorrow for another version of a crocheted ornament!

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Evita Merino

December 14, 2011 in Cowls, Free, Katia, Scarves

Looking for something a little different and unique?

Evita Merino from Katia is a good choice.

An exclusive limited-edition yarn, Evita Merino by Katia is perfect for luxurious end-of-year gift knitting.

With fluffy puffy wisps of synthetic fur interspersed along super-chunky merino wool, any project using this yarn will knit up in no time flat…leaving you plenty of time to knit one in every color.

And, of course, synthetic fur means no bunnies were harmed in the creation of this yarn! :-D

Here, we are happy to provide you with not just one but TWO free patterns, each using only one skein: a sumptuous scarf and a jaunty cowl…both perfect for glamour and warmth during the upcoming winter months.

Free Cowl Pattern!

Evita Cowl
MATERIALS: EVITA MERINO: one 100 gm skein
COWL
With size 19 needles (U.S.)/(15 metric) cast on 18 sts.
Work Stockinette St; slip first st of each row as if to knit if it is a purl st and the contrary if it is a knit st.
When skein is nearly finished, bind off (cast off) all sts.  Sew the 2 ends together.

Free Scarf Pattern!

Evita Scarf
MATERIALS: EVITA MERINO: one 100 gm skein
SCARF
With size 19 needles (U.S.)/(15 metric) cast on 8 sts.
Row 1: * K1, YO *, rep from * to * and end row with K1.
Row 2: * K1 ,  YO and drop wrap  f rom previous row *, rep from * to * and end row with K1.
Repeat these 2 rows throughout.When skein is nearly finished, bind off (cast off) all sts.
Enjoy!

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We Love Scarves

October 19, 2011 in Araucania, Euro Yarns, Filati FF, Free, Katia, Louisa Harding, OnLine, Scarves

The Craft Yarn Council had declared this past Friday, Oct. 14, to be “I Love Yarn Day.”

On one hand, it was sort of like celebrating Valentine’s Day with your spouse since we’re always together and expressing our love. On the other hand, it was fun to have an excuse to make even more noise about our affection for yarn.

We took the opportunity to decorate the office.

Office Decorations

It's fun to spruce up the office for a holiday.

And to decorate ourselves.

Staff with Scarves

Everyone loves scarves!

We posted the original version of this picture (without identifications) on Facebook and everyone started asking about the scarves and what yarn was used.

Well, of course you all would ask that! Silly me for not anticipating those questions. But we’ve tracked the scarves down and identified them all for your enjoyment. (You can click on the picture to see a bigger version.)

Starting with the Front Row on the left

The dark pink scarf is the “Titania” pattern from the new Louisa Harding Nerissa book knit in color #7-Cherry.

The variegated fringed scarf in red tones is knit in Euro Yarn Prancer in color #109 – Grey, Magenta, Salmon. You can download the free pattern for this simple cabled scarf from our website.

The sparkly mohair scarf in the middle is knit in Louisa Harding’s new yarn Simonetta. You can download the free Cosimo Scarf pattern, which takes one ball of Simonetta, from our website.

Cosimo Scarf

Cosimo Scarf by Louisa Harding

The ruffled green scarf, which generated the most interest on Facebook, is knit in Euro Yarns Sparkle. That green color is sold out, but there are 12 other lovely colors available. Once you select one, download the free Sparkle Scarf pattern and cast on.

If you had your heart set on a green scarf, you should consider Triana Lux from Katia, which comes in 14 colors including a lime green one. This fun yarn is a souped up version of Triana, the difference being the Lux version has metallic threads for some sparkle. Both yarns will create fun ruffled scarves following the free Triana Scarf pattern.

Back to the staff picture, the chunky blue scarf on the end takes one skein of Euro Yarns Quick Thick Merino, which comes in 10 colors. The free pattern features an elongated stitch, which shows off the texture of the yarn nicely.

Second row starting from the left

The first green scarf is in Sparkle, again.

The next scarf, which is just peeking out, is Euro Yarns Tinseltown. This fun yarn has ruffles and sparkles and works up quickly using the free scarf pattern. Currently there are 10 colors of Tinseltown available, but we’re expecting new colors to arrive in a few weeks…just in time for finishing up your holiday gift knitting!

Tinseltown Scarf

More colors of Tinseltown will be available soon.

The puffy white scarf in the middle is On Line Zico. This fun novelty yarn comes in 8 colors and works up quickly on US size 19 needles. Two balls are needed for the free scarf pattern, which really shows off the texture of the yarn.

The ruffled black and silver scarf is Euro Yarns Broadway, a new yarn that should be in stores by Thanksgiving.

Finally, the multicolored orange “hat” is actually a sampler strip knit from various shades of Araucania Patagonia meant to show off the different colors. It would have worked just as well for a scarf and is a good option if you can’t decide which of the 40 colorways available is your favorite.

The red vest is knit in the ribbon yarn Kristha from Filati FF. This yarn has limited availability so you’ll want to be sure to call your local yarn store to ensure they have it.

You can search for stores that carry Filati FF, and all the brands we represent, using the “find a store” feature on our main website.

As you can see, we had fun on “I Love Yarn Day.” We hope you did, too, and that you enjoy keeping the celebration going with some of these scarves.

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Spotlight: Euro Yarns Blitzen

October 17, 2011 in Euro Yarns, Free, Scarves, Uncategorized

As any knitter or crocheter knows, chunky yarns paired with big needles or hook, make for fast-to-finish projects.

Blitzen close up

Blitzen has a textured base and pompoms.

Sometimes you need a quick project for a last minute gift. Other times you need something you can finish fast to “cleanse your palate” from a long term project.

The new yarn “Blitzen” from Euro Yarns can satisfy that need. This 100% wool yarn comes in 110 yard hanks and has a suggested gauge of 1 to 2 stitches per inch on US15 – US 17 needles. I used a P hook for my crochet swatch. The yarn comes in six colors. I used color #4-Red, Violet for my swatches.

The yarn is a tonal colored pencil roving with a tight yarn binder, which gives it a rippled texture. This is interspersed with chenille like tufts creating elongated pompoms.

Blitzen knit swatch

The pompoms don't interfer with knitting.

The pompoms are very soft and flexible so they hardly impede the ability to knit. They wrap right around the needle and the loose gauge on the large needles allows them to slide through the stitches easily.

The free pattern on our website requires one skein of Blitzen yarn and will make a scarf about 8″ wide by 68″ long. A very generous size for wrapping up against the winter wind! The scarf is knit in an elongated stitch created by working yarn overs which are dropped on the next row. It should be easy for a beginner knitter to tackle and a breeze for an experienced knitter.

Blitzen scarf

One skein makes this generous scarf.

The pompoms also did not interfere with crocheting. When working a double crochet stitch I was able to incorporate the pompom right into the stitch. However, I thought that squished them down a bit and ruined the fun of the yarn. But that did depend on which side of the fabric you were looking at.

Then I tried working a mesh pattern by chaining 5, skipping 5 dc, and single crocheting in the next dc. On the next row I chained 5 and single crocheted into the ch 5 space of the previous row.

Blitzen crocheted

Double crochet and mesh stitch both work.

I found this gave me more flexibility in dealing with the pompoms. I could either work them into the chain stitch OR I could fold the pompom in half and skip to the smooth yarn on the other side to make my stitch. This was a little smoother to work and made the pompoms stand up in a very perky manner.

I’m sure one skein of Blitzen will make a generous sized crocheted scarf worked in either method.

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Spotlight: Louisa Harding Nerissa

October 4, 2011 in Free, Louisa Harding, Scarves

Did you enjoy Louisa’s discussion of her new fall yarns and pattern books?

It is so fun to get a peak inside the designers’ creative process and see what inspires them.

The three new yarns–Grace Hand Beaded, Simonetta, and Nerissa–are all lovely, but I had to stick my needles in Nerissa first. It’s been a while since I worked with chenille and I wanted to see what Louisa had come up with.

Since the free pattern for the Cosimo scarf works with all three new yarns, I thought I’d give it a whirl.

Cosimo Scarf

The Cosimo scarf can be knit with all 3 new yarns.

If you used chenille yarn back in the 90s the idea of returning to it probably makes you cringe. Believe me, I remember those days and how tough those old, fuzzy chenille yarns were to work with.

I can honestly assure you Nerissa is not like that.

The short, tight plush slides over itself easily as you knit without any sticking or grabbing.

The yarn is also durable, as I found out when I had to frog my picot cast on at least twice. There are some cast ons that require too much counting to be compatible with a good TV show!

Cosimo swatch

After one repeat you can already see the pattern.

I was feeling rebellious and didn’t bother to do a gauge swatch. This made my scarf swatch a bit wider than the dimensions in the pattern, but it would just give you more scarf to enjoy. It was also wonderfully soft with good drape. Those qualities will translate nicely into the garments in the Nerissa Book, especially something as dramatic as the Ophelia cape.

Ophelia cape

The Ophelia cape takes advantage of Nerissa's drape.

Having satisfied my knit curiosity I decided to check out Nerissa’s crochet potential.

It seemed even easier to crochet with than to knit. Or maybe it was because there weren’t any picots involved?

Nerissa Crocheted swatch

My Water Wheel motif.

I worked the Water Wheel motif from “How to Crochet” by Pauline Turner, which zipped along quickly.

I see potential for washcloths paired with a nice soap as gifts for friends.

Or, considering Nerissa comes in 12 colors, a fun scarf or shawl made up of motifs of different colors.

The possibilities, as they say, are endless.

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Mega Cowls

September 23, 2011 in Cowls, Ella Rae, Free

Mega cowl

One skein makes this fun cowl.

Mega is a new, 100% wool yarn in the Ella Rae line. It is considered a super bulky yarn as the suggested gauge is 2 sts per inch. Each hank has 137 yards and there are 27 vibrant colors available.

The appearance hints at roving since it is a big, fat, single. This construction will allow it to capture lots of air to help keep you warm. It also might mean you can go down from the suggested needle size of US 15 to get a denser gauge. You’ll have fun playing around with the possibilities.

Leanne Prouse, the creative force behind the Ella Rae line, designed the free pattern for this cute, one skein, garter stitch shrug using Mega.

Well, the pattern calls it a shrug, I suppose because of the way it sits on your shoulders and covers your back. But to me it seems like more of a cowl.

This pattern is suitable for a beginner who knows how to knit and purl.

My knit lilac cowl

First I knit a lilac cowl.

You’ll want to use a circular needle around 24″ or 32″ long to accommodate all the stitches.

Don’t worry about working the twist, there isn’t really anything tricky to it. You know how when you join to work in the round the first thing you usually do is make sure all the stitches are facing the same way?

For this cowl, after you make sure your stitches are lined up properly, you’ll rotate one end a half turn before joining. Twist accomplished!

It  took me only a couple of evenings to knit mine (I used color #12-Lilac) . If you pick up the yarn at your local yarn store on your way home tonight you’ll probably have a completed cowl by Monday!

My Crocheted Mega Cowl

Then I crocheted one in fuschia.

Crochet Mega Cowl

The knit version of the cowl was so quick and easy that I thought it must be possible to interpret it in crochet.

Which is just what I did (in color #14 – Fuschia). I worked through the back loops only, which made an interesting contrast between the smooth and the ridged sides of the fabric.

American crochet terms are used throughout. A beginner who knows how to single crochet should have no problem with this pattern. The cowl is worked in continuous rounds without turning.

Yarn: 1 skein Ella Rae Mega

Hook: N/P

Gauge: 8 sc & 8 rounds in 4″

Finished dimensions: about 21″ across measured flat (39″ circumference) and 7 1/2″ tall

Abbreviation: sc = single crochet

Pattern:

Chain 82

Bring the two ends together to prepare to work in the round. Lay your chain on a flat surface and make sure all the stitches are facing the same direction. Then twist one end a half turn.

Join with a slip stitch to work in the round. Place a marker to designate the beginning of the round.

Set up round: Working through the back loop, single crochet in each chain around.

Next round: Working through back loops only, sc in each sc around.

Continue working in sc rounds until you run out of yarn. (about 14 rounds)

Twisted cast on

A visual aid for the knit cowl.

Fasten off and weave in ends.

Tell us about it!

I hope you enjoy these two cowl patterns. If you make one, come share a picture with us on either our Knitting Fever Inc Facebook page or our Ella Rae Yarns Facebook page.

We love to see what people make with our yarns.

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