Off the Needles: Loreto Cowl

February 26, 2013 in Cowls, Mirasol

I finished knitting the cabled Loreto Cowl from Mirasol book #23!

I used the Kutama yarn called for in the pattern. Kutama is a Quechua name meaning “woollen blanket.” That is appropriate for a yarn that is 50% Alpaca, 50% Highland Wool.

This yarn is warm and springy, making it lovely to knit with and wear.

Cream section of my Loreto cowl

The cowl in the pattern book is shown in blue. I know some people have trouble visualizing a project in a different color once the see the sample in the book, so I made mine using three colors to give you an idea of how it will look.

Light grey section of my Loreto cowl (Can you see the mistake under my nose?)

This was a fun knit. Despite the complicated looking cables, it moves along quickly once you get going. After you work the eight row repeat once it is easy to see the pattern developing because it is so regular.

Dark Grey section of my Loreto cowl

With a little focus you could probably finish this cowl in a week or so. Plenty of time to wear it before spring!

There are a lot of great patterns in the book.

The Tacna pullover uses the same cable as the Loreto pullover.

If you adore the lattice cable used in the Loreto Cowl then you’ll probably love the Tacna pullover. Isn’t it beautiful? You can make the Loreto Cowl to become familiar with the pattern before starting the sweater.

If you aren’t ready to tackle a sweater, there is a lovely pair of fingerless mitts in the book as well.

Fingerless mitts are a fast and fun project.

Don’t Fear Cables

Many knitters are scared to work cables because they look so complicated and mysterious.

However, there is no reason to worry. Cables are just stitches worked out of order.

Besides, what’s the worst that can happen? You have to pull out a few rows and try again. We’ve all done that and we know yarn can be very forgiving.

Since you are working stitches out of order you need a way to get around the stitches you are temporarily skipping.

That is where a cable needle comes in.

Use the cable needle to move the stitches out of your way.

When you are ready to work a cable you slip the assigned stitches to the cable needle purlwise without working them. (By “purlwise” I, of course, mean to go into the stitch as though you were going to purl it. This helps prevent it from getting twisted.)

Then you push them to either the front or back, as the pattern directs. Work the required number of stitches on the left hand needle, then work the stitches on the cable needle.

See, that wasn’t so bad, was it?

In the picture I’m about to work a back cable, which in the pattern is written C4B. That means to work a back twist cable over the next 4 sts.

When you see a cable notation in a pattern the number will indicate the total number of stitches involved in the cable, but you’ll cut it in half. So a C4B is over 4 sts, but you’ll deal with them 2 at a time. Move 2 to the cable needle, work 2 off the left needle, work the two on the cable needle.

This holds true for however big or small that number is. A C10B would be managed 5 sts at a time. See the pattern?

The Loreto cowl also involves twists. In this pattern the difference between a cable and a twist is that the twist involves purl stitch as well as knit stitches. But they are worked just the same as a cable. You move stitches out of the way and work them later. You might just be purling two of them instead of knitting all four.

The abbreviation key in the book explains how to work the various cables and twists used.

Many people prefer not to use a cable needle, but I’m not that brave. They say it is faster because you aren’t fiddling with a third needle. You should try it for yourself and see which method you prefer. If you do an internet search on “knitting cable without cable needle” you’ll find many videos and blog posts about this alternate method.

But it might be easier to get a lesson at your local yarn store since you’ll have someone available to answer questions.

Tags: cables, cowls
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Elsebeth Lavold Workshops March 2013

February 15, 2013 in Elsebeth Lavold, miscellaneous

Knitwear designer Elsebeth Lavold will be doing a short tour in Minnesota and Wisconsin in March.

Elsebeth is best known for her fabulous cable designs, many of which are based on Viking Age artifacts she has studied.

In her first book, “Viking Patterns for Knitting,” she explains the process she went through to interpret the designs on armor and stones into knitting patterns. In addition to several patterns, the book is full of interesting cables.

Since then she has designed 25 more pattern book for all seasons full of lovely designs that incorporate cables, lace, and plainer elements.

And that isn’t even mentioning her many lovely yarns!

She doesn’t visit the states very often, so if you are in the area of one of these events and you like knitting cables you should totally look into attending.

Minnesota

Minneapolis, Minnesota

Minnesota Knitter’s Guild March 4th

www.knitters.org

Basic Viking Knits

The focus is on the basic techniques needed to knit the wonderful Viking Patterns. Join Elsebeth as she focuses on the technical aspects of knitting Viking patterns and leads you to understand the grammar of cable patterns. How to read and understand charts. Learn how to cable without a cable needle. Analyze Viking Interlace ornamentation and start designing your own cable patterns

Design with Cables

How to use the Viking Patterns in your own projects – designing with cables. Basic garments shapes and calculation, cable and motif placement. Details such as cuffs and collars and some finishing techniques will be discussed.

Hekla sweater from Knitting Along the Viking Trail Exhibit. Patter in The Second Viking Knits Collection

Hekla sweater from Knitting Along the Viking Trail Exhibit. Pattern in The Second Viking Knits Collection

Mendota Heights, Minnesota

3kittensneedlearts March 6th

www.3kittensneedlearts.com

Village at Mendota Heights

750 Main Street Suite 112

Mendota Heights, MN 55118

Knitting Viking Patterns

Join Elsebeth as she focuses on the technical aspects of knitting Viking patterns and leads you to understand the grammar of cable patterns and into the adventure of designing your own cable patterns. How to read and understand charts. Learn how to cable without a cable needle.

Runes

In Viking times, runes were associated with magic and special powers. Get started on knitting your own power emblem – select a short word from a list. We touch on choosing runes with the correct sound value, spacing and placement on your project.

Sigtuna hat from Knitting Along the Viking Trail Exhibit

Wisconsin

Madison, Wisconsin

Madison Knitter’s Guild

www.madisonknittersguild.org

Knit-In March 8 – 9th, Lecture and workshops

Happy Home Pillow from Knitting Along the Viking Trail Exhibit

Horicon, Wisconsin

The Knitty Gritty Shop March 10th

http://knittygrittyshop.com/

Oak Grove Homestead Farms, LLC

W5346 State Road 33

Horicon, WI 53032

Book Signing

Basic Viking Knits

Happiness Sign or St. John’s Cross, blanket detail

Verona, Wisconsin

The Sow’s Ear, Verona March 11th

www.knitandsip.com

125 S. Main St., Verona, WI 53593

Design with Cables

Hope you can make it to one or more of these rare events!

Tags: cables
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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 »

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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On the Needles: Cable Brim Cap in Chadwick

January 26, 2012 in Hats, Juniper Moon Farm Yarns

Cables count as knitting magic in my mind.

The stitches twist and turn over themselves to create a visually stunning design. But as complicated as the the finished cables appear creating them is just a matter of knitting (or purling) the stitches out of order.

If you haven’t knit cables yet that statement might sound flippant, but trust me, once you try them I’m sure you’ll agree.

Since I’m predisposed to prefer cables anyway, you won’t be surprised that I fell in love with the Cable Brim Cap #25 (link for the Ravelry project page) in the Winter 2011/12 issue of Vogue Knitting.

The single cable band around the edge of the hat ensured there would be enough challenge to be interesting, but meant the crown would be quick knitting. I also found the short row shaping to create the little ear flap intriguing.

Over the weekend I cleared my needles and cast on using Juniper Moon Farm Chadwick in color #1-Indian Paintbrush. Chadwick is a worsted weight, 60% Merino Wool, 40% Baby Alpaca blend that comes in 202 yard balls. In addition to being both soft and warm I knew one ball would be plenty to make the hat.

Does it look like a hat yet?

Red yarn is notoriously hard to photograph, as you know if you have a blog or keep your projects and stash up to date on Ravelry. The Chadwick red is a nice, clear red with blue undertones. But don’t take my word for it, find a local yarn store near you that carries it and see it in person.

This pattern is marked for an experienced knitter and I would agree with that. It has a provisional cast on, cables, short row, and grafting. Just to name a few techniques. I was knitting while watching TV last night and crossed a cable in the ear flap incorrectly! At least I discovered it right away so it was easy to frog and fix.

I’m almost done with the cabled section. Hopefully in my next picture the project will actually resemble a hat!

Skjalf Hood

This Cable Brim Cap is not my first Chadwick hat.

In the fall, before the cold weather arrived, I made the Skjalf Hood from Elsebeth Lavold’s Second Viking Knits Collection. I had seen it in person when the “Knitting Along the Viking Trail” museum exhibit was in Philadelphia over the summer and fell in love.

Skjalf from the "Knitting Along the Viking Trail" exhbit.

Since this book is from a few years ago the original yarn is now discontinued. However, it was an alpaca blend similar to Chadwick, which gave me confidence when substituting.

Skjalf was a quick knit. There are two cabled bands up the side of the hood, but most of it is worked in stockinette stitch, as you can see from the pictures. It’s worked flat, aside from the initial ribbing around the neck and the ribbing around the opening for your face. The top is closed using a three needle bind off.

One ball of Chadwick was enough yarn to complete the project. I had just 8 grams of yarn left over.

My Skjalif Hood. Pattern by Elsebeth Lavold

I think it’s rather cute and it’s very comfortable to wear, especially when I’m walking the dogs early on a cold winter’s morning since my ears and cheeks are protected.

Sluggy Bonnet

But don’t limit yourself to single colored hats with cables. Chadwick works great for color work projects, too. When Susan Gibbs was selecting the colors she ensured they would all (or most) work well together for stripes and Fair Isle projects.

Sluggy Bonnet photo by Joel Eagle

An example of this is the Sluggy Bonnet pattern from the Chadwick book. It uses three colors of Chadwick, which is actually enough to make two Sluggy Bonnets if you change the colors around.

The hard part is selecting just three of the 12 beautiful colors to make one!

Chadwick color for my Sluggy Bonnet

When I finished the Skjalf hood I selected this lovely mint chocolate chip colorway to knit a Sluggy Bonnet of my own.

But Fair Isle isn’t my strong suit so I’m still working up the nerve to cast on. ha!

Which do you prefer cables or Fair Isle?

Share your Chadwick projects with us on the Juniper Moon Farm Yarns or Knitting Fever Inc. Facebook walls.

Chadwick and Willa Design Contest

Don’t forget about the design contest using Chadwick or Willa. Submit your unique design using one or two balls of either yarn (two colors max) for a chance to win up to $300 worth of Juniper Moon Farm Yarn.

You can read the details in this blog post.

Entries have to be postmarked on or before March 1, 2012, so hop to it!

Tags: cables, hats
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