After studying it carefully, I decided that the pattern with which I was most enchanted was the Simple Tank.

Will I have to get orange pants?

Although knit in stockinette stitch, the striping would keep it from getting boring. There is gentle shaping on the sides to keep it flattering. And the relatively small size of the project meant I might actually finish it in time to wear it this summer.

What is it about tank tops that make them seem like a “small project”? The only difference between them and a regular sweater is a lack of sleeves. On the other hand, I heard that two long sleeves roughly equal the back of the sweater in yarn consumption, so I guess a tank top really is smaller.

The tank top is knit using Debbie Bliss Rialto 4 Ply yarn, a yummy 100% ExtraFine Merino with approximately 198 yards per 50g ball. It is available in 27 colors, but I decided to take the path of least resistance and go with the colors used in the magazine.

I went with the colors in the magazine.

Perhaps that is unimaginative considering one of the fun things about knitting and crocheting is the ability to make a project unique just by changing the colors we use. However, these colors are a real change of pace for me. I tend more toward red, blue, and primary colors. But the tangerine and fuschia in the magazine sample are so bright and happy I decided to go for it.

Besides, it will be very stylish since the tangerine reflects the “Color of the Year.”

The first thing I did, of course, was swatch on the suggested needle size of US3. Instead of the required 7 sts/inch I was getting 6.5 sts/inch.

Now, you might think that’s close enough. What’s half a stitch between friends? But multiplied across an entire sweater those half stitches add up. If I’d followed the pattern with my 6.5 sts per inch the back of my sweater would have been 18 inches wide instead of the 16.5 inches my size should be.

I would have ended up with a much bigger tank top than I wanted. Rather than risk ending up with a finished top I can’t wear I went ahead and swatched with US2 needles. Gauge was mine!

You see what I did there, right? I wanted to get MORE stitches per inch so I went DOWN a needle size. (If I had wanted FEWER stitches per inch I would have gone UP.)

Some of you might be feeling a little light headed at the thought of knitting a top on US2 needles. Small needles don’t scare me. Besides, it’s just a little tank top, how long could it take to knit? And would you really want a summer top out of worsted weight wool?

Carry On

The top has been zipping along. I cast on April 24 and finished the back last night, which is pretty good considering I’m on US2 needles and lost at least four days of knitting time to a mysterious hand injury/strain.

To save my sanity later on, I decided to carry the yarns up the side rather than clipping them every time I changed colors.

Goodness, if the thought of US2 needles didn’t make you lightheaded the idea of weaving in all those little ends should!

Oh no! Where'd my row go?

When carrying colors in this fashion you want to consider how wide your stripes are. If they are too wide you’ll have really long floats, which might not make it worth it.

You should also remember to twist the yarn occasionally by picking the new yarn up from underneath the old yarn. This will trap the floats and help keep things neater.

Another thing to watch out for is the risk of pulling the color too tightly the next time it comes into use. That is what happened to the tangerine yarn in the above picture. I knit the row properly, but somewhere along the line the yarn was yanked so hard it sucked the slack out of first few stitches.

Now that I think about it, there was one time when I got tangled in the yarn when I stood up from the couch and dragged the tangerine ball across the room.

A more likely result of short floats is the fabric puckering along the side edge. To avoid that, and ensure the floats are a good length, I like to pull the fabric downward after I knit the first stitch in the new color.

Because of that habit I noticed the problem of the missing tangerine stitches as soon as that color came around again.

Happily, it was easy to fix. I simply started at the edge stitch and used a double pointed needle to tease out the tight stitches. I pulled the first leg of the edge stitch to get a big loop of yarn and then worked that slack across to the first normal stitch. I did have to fiddle with the stitches in question a bit to get them back to the correct gauge, but it just took some patience.

Ta-da! All better

In fact, I think it would be hard to tell there was ever a problem.

What tips do you have for knitting stripes?

Halfway Done

The rest of the knitting has been uneventful. Which is sometimes all we ask of our projects, isn’t it?

The only other near brush with disaster I had was after I finished the armhole shaping, got mesmerized by the striping sequence, and almost forgot to measure my length to the neck shaping.

Luckily, I was still two inches short of the target length when it occurred to me to measure. Phew! I would not have wanted to rip back because I knit it too long.

We have a back!

There it is in all it’s glory.

Are you wondering about the stitch markers?

Well, since the stripe sequence is so regular I haven’t been using a row counter for this project. I can just look at or count the stripes to track my progress. However, there are key points I wanted to highlight without constant counting.

Starting at the bottom: the first marker is the row on which the decreases stop. The second one is the row on which the increases start. The third one is where the increases end. And the fourth one (the blue flower) is the row on which I started the armhole shaping.

You know how patterns some times direct you to measure from where the armhole starts and that’s always hard to figure out? Save yourself some hassle by placing a marker in the middle of the row on that first cast off row. It’s important to put it in the middle of the garment because then you (probably) won’t have any shaping interfering with your ability to measure accurately.

For the record, it wasn’t an issue on this pattern because it instructs you measure from the cast on row. I decided to leave the marker in anyway.

I cast on the front last night and am already a few rows into the decrease section. If I keep this pace up I’ll be finished my new top just in time for the warm weather!

Are you making a project from this issue of Debbie Bliss Magazine? Share a picture with us on Facebook. I’d love to see your project.

As I’ve mentioned before, a portion of every purchase of the Mirasol Collection line of yarns and patterns funds this school in the remote area of Munani in the region of Puno to educate the children of the shepherds.

This school year there are 38 students enrolled in grades 1 through 6 and no kindergarten class.

There are three new teachers, two women and a man, who are each teaching two grades. “The three of them speak Quechua and the male teacher is an expert in various knitting practices, apart from playing guitar, flute, zamponia, etc.,” writes  Lourdes, the program director. “Edgar has already organized a group singers and flute players.”

The students are enjoying the new music program.

The school is working with CARE International on the training and evaluation of the new teachers. Training is also being received from the Ministry of Education.

“We have just received from CARE International, an important donation of books specially made for bilingual Andean students according to the curricula established by the Ministry of Education,” writes Lourdes.

The students have made great strides in being organized and responsible and are showing great self-confidence.

The students with their teachers.

“As regards achievements in their studies, our children were evaluated by CARE International at the end of the year 2011 and the average was well approved,” Lourdes relates. “The best students are the ones who were in Mirasol since first grade (now in fourth grade), so we expect a very good progress with them when they get to 6^th grade.”

An exciting new after school program has been introduced for the students to teach them business skills.

The looms the studetns will use.

The new teacher, Edgar, has arranged for the school to join the “Wawakuna Awanku” program of Asociación Civil Vision Andina. Under this program the students will learn loom knitting and will produce bags and other small items that Vision Andina will purchase from the students.

The students are very excited about the new program. The are currently being trained and expect to begin making items in May.

The goals of the program are to promote responsibility and formal business skills. Each student will create a company name, issue purchase orders to obtain supplies, create invoices to sell their items, and packing lists to sell their products to Arequipa or Lima.

Looms for making hats and scarves.

Traditional weaving skills will be promoted. It seems a natural progression to provide both fiber and finished items from the flocks their parents tend.

“The bags will be sold with a tag made by Vision Andina with the picture of the student who made the bag, stating his or her name, name of school and grade,” Lourdes explains.

The school is planning improvements to the physical plant by expanding housing for the teachers. Currently there are two shared rooms and they plan to add two more rooms so everyone can have a private bedroom and bathroom with shared living room and kitchen.

They are also raising funds for a new sports complex for the children.

It is exciting to see the Mirasol School expanding and growing. Hearing about the positive influence it is having on the students, and the opportunities they can access through it, is uplifting.

Knitting Fever donates yarn to many community-based organizations here in America, but the opportunity to be involved in an effort such as the Mirasol School allows us all to connect with a broader yarn family.

You can locate yarn stores near you and online that carry yarns and books from the Mirasol collection by using the “Find a Store” feature on our website.

Have you made a project using Mirasol yarn? Share a picture with us on our Facebook page. We love seeing your projects!

You could say they are popping up like flowers, if you were feeling cheesy. LOL

The Summer 2012 issue of Interweave Knits is full of lovely patterns for knitting and wearing in warmer weather.

Interweave Knits. Photo by Carmel Zucker

First up is the “Flynn Cardigan” designed by Maria Leigh.

Textured stripes composed of stockinette stitch bands alternated with lace bands make up this easy wearing cardigan. Great for covering up if the air conditioner gets ambitious or to protect against a brisk evening breeze at the beach.

This cardigan is knit using Debbie Bliss Amalfi a 70% Cotton, 15% Viscose, 10% Linen, 5% Silk blend. There are six new colors this season. The sweater in the magazine is knit in color #32014 coral, 15 (16, 18, 20, 22) balls.

Interweave Knits. Photo by Carmel Zucker

Stripes of color and lace jazz up the hem and collar of the Popsicle Dress designed by Nancy Eiseman.

This sleek dress is knit using the delicious Debbie Bliss Bella a 85% Cotton, 10% Silk, 5% Cashmere blend, which combines all the qualities of softness and drape you’d want in a spring garment. Five new colors were added this season. The dress in the magazine is knit in color #16003 grey (MC), 10 (11, 12, 14, 15) balls; and #16007 orange (CC), 3 (4, 4, 4, 5) balls.

Interweave Knits. Photo by Carmel Zucker

The Dawn Dress designed by Andrea Rangel has cables on the bodice and a flattering empire waist.

This dress is knit using Elsebeth Lavold Hempathy a 41% Cotton, 34% Hemp, 25% Modal blend that has summer written all over it. This season sees six new colors added to the pallet. The dress in the magazine is knit using color #04 white beach, 15 (18, 21, 22, 25, 28, 30) balls.

Learn more about this issue on the Interweave Press website. Then pick up a copy, and the yarn for your new project, at your local yarn store.

Knitscene Summer 2012

Speaking of Hempathy…if you don’t think you’ll finish the Dawn Dress in time to wear it this spring, check out the Clover Camisole from the Summer 2012 issue of Knitscene magazine.

Knitscene magazine. Photo by Nathan Rega, Harper Point Photography

Designed by Heather Zoppetti, this camisole calls for 4 (5, 6, 6, 7) skeins of Elsebeth Lavold Hempathy in color #17 vivid green/

In addition to the pretty lace detail near the neckline, this top has an interesting lace panel on the side. You can see it in the extra pictures on the Knitting Daily website.

Pretty colors.

This hat is a free pattern on our website. After you downloaded it you were probably rather surprised to find it was knit flat since I was obviously working mine in the round on double pointed needles.

Fear not! I wrote down what I did to convert it and am going to share it with you. However, I thought I’d offer a few general tips first.

Flat Version

People get excited to see hat patterns that are knit flat since they aren’t very common.

While it is very logical to knit a hat in the round, since that is the final shape you want, there are times when knitting flat is desirable. Beginners are often intimidated by working in the round. A complex pattern or color work might be better worked flat. You get the idea.

Worked flat the colors are more random.

To make this pattern, even the flat version, you should know how to knit and purl as well as be confident reading a pattern.

The hat is worked in a diagonal rib, so you’ll have to be able to keep track of that as you go along. Also, a word of caution, don’t think you can use these numbers to work a plain hat in stockinette stitch. Remember that ribbing pulls in and stockinette stitch doesn’t. If you drop the pattern stitch your hat could end up a weird size.

A few people have contacted us because they were confused about the part where the diagonal rib begins. The hat starts with a few rows of plain P2,K4 ribbing. Then there is a decrease row, then the diagonal rib starts. The rib pattern starts marching to the right. Just follow the directions and you’ll be fine.

Converting Flat to Round

There are a lot of exceptions and things to consider when converting a knitting pattern written flat to working in the round. Far too many for me to cover in this little post, so I’m just going to offer some quick rules of thumb. There are many excellent knitting reference books that go into more depth that you should seek out.

Barbara Walker has a good discussion of the topic in the introduction to her “A Second Treasury of Knitting Patterns.”

The first thing to consider is that you won’t have to sew a seam when working in the round, which means you can probably safely eliminate at least 2 sts (on a sweater maybe 4 sts) that would have gone to the seam.

Second, think about how your ribbing will come together in the round. You don’t want a wide swath of either knit or purl stitches messing up your pattern.

Third, in general the very broad rule of thumb is that you’ll want to change purl stitches to knit stitches and vice versa. But before you do that willy-nilly you really need to stop and think about what the original pattern is trying to accomplish.

Keep in mind that the purl stitch is the back of the knit stitch. You know this deep down inside, but maybe hadn’t thought about it for very long. That is why ribbing is reversible. That is why when you work stockinette stitch in the round all you do is work the knit stitch.

If the pattern you are converting has ribbing or a lace stitch you’ll want to see where all the knits and purls fall and what will happen if you reverse them. It might be wise to knit a swatch flat following the pattern so you can get a feel for it before you convert it.

Fortunately, in this case, I’ve done that thinking for you. Ready to get started?

In the Round Version

Remember, I can’t claim this is an original pattern. I’m just converting the existing Tintiri Hat pattern. You’ll want to download it to get the specs and there is also a cute matching scarf pattern on there, too.

Worked in the round gives a swirl.

Yarn: One skein of Mirasol Hacho. (I had about 3 feet left after seaming the flat version and about 9 feet left after working the round version)

Needles: US 6 or size needed to obtain gauge. (For instance, I used a US 5)

Gauge: 22 sts & 30 rows in 4″ over stockinette stitch

Pattern:

Cast on 90 sts

P2, K4 around.

Continue in rib as established until hat measures 3/4 inches from cast on edge.

Begin diagonal rib:

Rounds 1-4: K4, P2 around

Rounds 5-8: K2, [P2, K4] around, ending K2

Rounds 9-12: P2, K4 around

These 12 rounds form the diagonal rib.

Repeat last 12 rounds until hat measures approx. 7″ from cast on edge

Shape Crown:

Round 1: *K2tog, K2, P2, repeat from * around (75 sts)

Round 2: K3, P2 around

Round 3: *K2tog, K1, P2, repeat from * around (60 sts)

Round 4: K2, P2 around

Round 5: *K2tog, P2,  repeat from * around (45 sts)

Round 6: K1, P2 around

Round 7: *K1, P2tog, repeat from * around (30 sts)

Round 8: K1, P1 around

Round 9: K2tog around (15 sts)

Round 10: K around

Round 11: K2tog around to last 3 sts, S1, K2tog, PSSO (7 sts)

Draw tail through all sts on needles, pull tight to close hole, fasten off.

In case you’re wondering

what the differences are between the two versions:

1) Cast on fewer sts to make the initial ribbing work

2) Eliminated the decrease row since you already have 90 sts

3) Worked 2 extra rows at the top of the crown because I thought the 15 sts hole was too big.

You’ll notice the way the colors fall in the two versions of the hat are very different. That is the fun of hand painted yarns in action. You can meld the colors by alternating working 2 rows from both ends of the ball of yarn. (Of course you can also buy two balls of the same color and alternate 2 rows of each. Then you’ll have enough yarn for two hats.)

On a different note, I was reviewing the new free patterns we’ve posted on line and noticed that this Odin hat from Viking Design is also knit flat. It is a basic rib pattern, which makes it very good for beginners.

This hat is worked flat, too.

Sometimes the emphasis is less on the fun and more on the caring.

One of the women in my stitching group (we knit and crochet) has started chemo therapy. For a while we were all signing a card every week to give her spirits a boost. Then, at the beginning of the month, the call went out for chemo caps.

Mirasol Hacho Hat in color 322.

Since this is the first time I’ve had to make a chemo cap I quickly realized I knew nothing about them beyond they should be soft. To get myself up to speed, I emailed Robin at Delaware Head Huggers for advice. Over the past three years she’s helped coordinate the donation of well over 6,000 caps, which makes her an authority in my eyes!

Where to Donate

Delaware Head Huggers, which Robin founded in 2009, is an affiliate of the Head Huggers group started by Sue Thompson in 2001. Their goal is to get caps onto the heads of people who need them. In addition to making caps themselves, they collect them from around the world and distribute them to individuals and organizations where they can be put to good use. Since there are Head Hugger affiliates around the world, a list of active groups is maintained online so they are easy for people to find and contact.

Kiri hat in Juniper Moon Farm Sabine

“From Hawaii to Florida to Colorado to Vermont, our hats travel far,” Robin says. Sometimes she is told about hospitals or centers that need caps and sometimes she researches places to send them.

If you don’t have an active Head Hugger group in your state, and don’t want to send your caps away, Robin advices contacting your local hospital to see whether they can use caps. “Call first to be sure, but most hospitals and chemotherapy and radiation centers are thrilled to receive hats that they can give to the patients,” she says. ” You can also contact local chapters of the American Cancer Association or any local cancer coalitions, for example, Delaware has a Breast Cancer Coalition.  If the coalition can’t use caps, they can usually tell you who can.”

All though all those organizations will probably be happy to receive any size hat, if you are interested in making caps for children specifically, check out Kozy Kaps 4 Kids.

Cap Considerations

Now that you’ve determined where to send your cap, what features should it have?

Fortunately, most of the elements of a successful chemo cap are things you probably look for in a project already.

“A successful chemo cap is first of all made with love,” says Robin. “Soft yarns are wonderful to use since patients scalps can be sore.”

If you use yarn with wool or other animal fibers you should include the ball band, or a list of the yarn content, so that people with allergies can steer clear. This will be more important if you are donating your cap to an organization. If you are making a cap for a friend you can probably run the selected yarn by them in advance to make sure they like it.

As for styles, the field is wide open. My friends and I are able to select patterns based on our friend’s fashion tastes, but don’t feel you have to do plain hats if you are donating them. “I usually tell people to make what they like to make – there really is a patient for every cap,” says Robin. “One thing to be careful with is to not make a hat that is too open or has too much lace.  You don’t want someone getting sunburned in your cap pattern.”

It had never occurred to me to worry about getting a sunburn through the cap so I’m really glad Robin mentioned it! With summer coming my stitching group has been looking at cotton yarns and hats with lace patterns. This was a good reminder to include a variety of styles so our friend has a good selection.

One skein of Nerissa yarn makes the beanie version.

Making caps with holiday themes and seasonal colors is also a good idea, Robin says. And wild hats for children are usually well received.

Pattern Resources

If you are anything like me, you probably have plenty of hat patterns on hand already, but there are a number of resources online where you can find more. Your local yarn store will also have a wide selection of patterns you can purchase. Since you’ll be there anyway picking up yarn, you might as well flip through the books!

There are patterns on the Delaware Head Huggers website.

There are patterns on Robin’s blog.

There are patterns on the main Head Huggers website.

There are patterns on the Knit Michigan website, which is a good resources for information and suggestions as well.

A “chemo cap” search on Ravelry will produce a number of knit and crochet patterns both for purchase and for free.

There are also several free hat patterns on the KFI website.

The blue hat at the top of the post is the free Mirasol Hacho Hat. The pattern is worked flat with a diagonal rib pattern. This is a good pattern for an advanced beginner since you don’t have to worry about working in the round. I just made this hat for my friend.

The lavender hat in the middle of the post is the free Juniper Moon Farm Kiri hat. This fun, slouchy hat is knit using two colors of Sabine, a soft 40% Cotton, 30% Merino Wool, 30% Royal Llama blend.

The burgundy hat at the end of the post is the Cressida hat from Louisa Harding’s Nerissa book. You can buy this book at your local yarn store. Nerissa is a 100% Cotton chenille yarn. There are two versions of this cap. The beanie version takes one ball of yarn and the ribbed hat version takes two balls. This is the next hat I’m going to make for my friend.

Have you made chemo caps? Share your advice and suggestions in the comments or on our Facebook page.

Queensland Collection Caracara was actually introduced in the fall. This yarn is a 50% Acrylic, 30% Nylon, 20% Kid Mohair with approx 259 yards per 25g that knits to 1.5-2 sts per inch on a US 3-8 needle. However, as it works up into light, fluffy garments it is also good for these early spring days when you want to be warm but also free from the weight of your winter coat.

I’ve had one ball of color #3 – Seagreen, Mint, Blue Violet – on my desk all these months waiting for the right one-skein project to come along. These colors remind me of the sea side and I wanted a project that would enhance that feeling.

The scarf construction shows off the stripes.

The right pattern finally presented itself in the Scaruffle pattern by Bess Haile. You can find this pattern in “The Knitter’s Book of Yarn” by Clara Parkes.

Now this isn’t one of our books, but you should be able to find it at your local yarn store or even your local book store. This book has a lot of information about how yarn is made with discussions of spin and ply and how to expect the different fibers to behave. All that information can not only help you appreciate yarn more, but also understand what to expect when you make a project or need to substitute yarn because you can’t find, or don’t like, the yarn called for in a pattern.

The Scaruffle pattern calls for 227 yards of a fingering weight mohair yarn, which meant Caracara would be an excellent choice. Other good options would be Debbie Bliss Angel and Party Angel with its metallic flair, or Louisa Harding’s Simonetta which also has a bit of glamor.

Louisa Harding Simonetta would be a good choice as well.

This scarf is knit lengthwise using short rows. I think it would be good for an advanced beginner because it is basically garter stitch, but would be a good introduction to short rows. Many knitters get stressed out the first time they work short rows. “What do you mean I’m not working all the stitches?!” they ask. A project like a scarf, which doesn’t have to fit, would be a good place to test this technique since there will be less pressure to get the finished project “right.”

Of course, by leaving those stitches unworked and returning to them later you can introduce curves and shaping into your project. This is very hand for places like sock heels and toes where you want to knitting to follow the shape of your body. They are also useful for adding bust shaping to sweaters. Knitty.com has an interesting article about using short rows for shaping.

On this scarf, the short rows make a gentle ruffle. When working short rows on a large project like this I find it helpful to place a stitch marker after I turn the work. The stitch makers make it easier to know when to stop and turn on future rows. They also make it easier to ensure I’ve worked the same number of short rows on each end since I can just count the markers rather than looking for the little gap between sections.

Scaruffle Kerfuffle

Back to my scarf.

I cast on during my Friday knitting group and just whipped right through it.

But then a classic knitting problem befell me. I ran out of yarn before I could cast off!

It was my own fault. If I had followed the pattern I would have been fine, but I wasn’t measuring my progress. Instead, I got greedy and just kept knitting. Lace weight yarn always seems like it will last forever. And, since I was working short rows, the more I knit the shorter and quicker the rows were to work. I was sure I could get one more row out of it.

So close, but no cast off!

Sympathy and suggestions poured in when I posted my dilemma on Facebook. Do I rip out a row or keep going in a different color?

The two most popular suggestions were:

Take a crochet hook and do a slip stitch all the way around its almost the same as a cast off and you don’t need yarn to do it.–Debra

Starting at the end w/out the tail pass one loop over the next stitch until you reach the tail…and walaa you have castoff with out ripping out.–Lori

Veronica suggested that I could unravel my swatch and use that yarn. Usually I’m a firm believer in swatching, but hadn’t this time since it was just a little scarf.

I also posted a picture of my scarf with the other Caracara colors I had nearby. Most people liked either the color at 4 o’clock or 6 o’clock.

This year's colors. There will be new ones in the fall!

But in the end I chickened out on adding a second color. I took a deep breath, frogged the last row, and cast off normally.

I think it was worth the effort.

Happy spring!

As you can see, Caracara is a self striping yarn. The lengthwise construction of the scarf really draws the colors out creating a lovely effect. The combination of construction and colors makes the finished scarf look more complicated than it is.

You can see a similar striping effect in the shawl pattern in Jenny Watson Designs Book #17, which features sweaters and accessories using Caracara.

But don’t feel like you have to limit yourself to scarves, Caracara with make soft, warm sweaters as well. This pattern is also in book #17.

Happy knitting!

Can you think of anyone more deserving?

Recent studies have shown that the constant gentle pressure of a dog sweater has a pronounced calming effect on dogs that are fearful, anxious or over-excited. Prove this yourself by knitting this stylish dog sweater for your favorite four-legged friend using just two skeins Taiyo.

Taiyo is a 40% Cotton, 30% Silk, 15% Wool, 15% Nylon blend. There are eight new colors this season giving you lots of options for matching pup’s collar or eyes. (giggle)

Now that Spring has officially sprung, let’s not forget an inspiring home decorating project. This cushion uses Silk Garden Lite and has an optional sewn-on knitted lace edging.

Silk Garden Lite is a 45% Silk, 45% Mohair, 10% Lambswool blend with a suggest gauge of 5.5 stitches per inch. There are also eight new colors of this very popular yarn. Good luck choosing just one!

A good transition piece

Dubbed “Polo Inset,” this versatile shoulder topper would look great both over or under a jacket or blazer. Uses only 2 skeins Noro Taiyo. Useful during cold weather because you don’t have to fuss with a scarf, this garment is also great as a transition piece as the weather warms up and you need “just a little something” but not a heavy coat.

Look at the cute pom-pom!

Design 29 uses Silk Garden Sock to make these cheerful cabled socks complete with pom-pom adornment. This popular yarn is a 40% Wool, 25% Silk, 25% Nylon, 10% Mohair blend with approximately 328 yards.

Get your hook on!

All it takes is just one skein Silk Garden Sock to create this retro-looking crochet cap. (Very reminiscent of the swinging ’60s). Now’s the perfect time to brush up those crochet skills.

Fingerless gloves, always a fast and easy knit, also make great gifts. This pattern uses just one skein Taiyo. Mother’s Day is fast approaching, have you planned your project yet?

mmm, yarn

Noro’s self-patterning colors really pop in Shiraito, a luxurious new 45% cashmere/ 45% angora/ 10% wool blend. At a suggested gauge of 7 stitches per inch on size 4 (3.5mm) needles, you really must “fondle” this yarn to appreciate its beauty.

Free Pattern!

Download the pattern on our website.

To celebrate the newDesigner Mini Knits 3 by Noro book, knit this fabulous shawl in your choice of Silk Garden Sock, Taiyo Sock or Noro’s fabulous new Shiraito. What a great spring project!

Download this free pattern from our website (after you click through, look for the “download pattern” link under the big picture on the left) then head out to your local yarn store to get the book.

Which pattern will you make first? Share your thoughts in the comments or on our Facebook page.

Did you know heart disease is the #1 killer of women in America?

You probably expected it to be breast cancer, but according to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute “one in four women in the United States dies of heart disease, while one in 30 dies of breast cancer.”

I think that’s a good reminder to get ourselves checked out from head-to-toe on a regular basis.

In the last few years doctors have started to realize that women might not have the classic heart attack symptoms (pain in arm or chest, shortness of breath) that men experience. It’s important for women to learn what their risk factors are and the symptoms for which they should watch. The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute website has a wealth of information from questions to ask your doctor to healthy recipes.

What does this have to do with yarn?

Plenty!

Through the Stitch Red campaign, JBW has organized the fiber arts community to offer yarn, notions, and patterns with 5% of the process going to the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health in support of The Heart Truth® and women’s heart health education and research.

We are excited that Debbie Bliss has signed onto the project with both a yarn and a pattern.

Rialto Lace Color #8

First up, the yarn. Rialto Lace is the newest entry into the popular Rialto family. This delicious 100% Extra Fine Merino Wool yarn comes in 429 yard (50 gram) balls. While there are 20 colors available, Color #8-Red is the official Stitch Red color.

Don’t you just want to reach into your monitor to pet it?

The Rialto Lace book showcases this yarn in shrugs, shawls, and those popular little lace collars.

While the patterns in the book aren’t official Stitch Red patterns, you still contribute whenever you make any of them in Color #8.

On the other hand, the “Knit Red” book is full of official Stitch Red patterns.

Dolman Sleeve Sweater from "Knit Red" book

The book includes 30 designs from some big name designers. In addition to their patterns the designers each share a little story about why heart disease awareness is important to them as well as a tip about how they stay healthy. It looks like it’s going to be a pretty neat book. You can see a sneak preview of the book here.

Debbie’s pattern is this pretty Dolman Sleeve Sweater. The sizes range from a 36″ bust to a 51 1/2″ bust. It is knit using Baby Cashmerino in color #34-Red.

The “Knit Red” book will be available in June (they are taking pre-orders). If you don’t want to wait that long you have options.

Square Back Wrap designed by Brooke Nico

This beautiful Square Back Wrap was designed by Brooke Nico using four balls of Rialto Lace in the official Stitch Red color.

The pattern is in the Spring/Summer 2012 issue of Debbie Bliss Magazine. Pop over to your local yarn store and pick up a copy along with the yarn and do your part to start “sticking it to heart disease!”

Knitting and crocheting are great ways to combat stress by allowing yourself to slow down and relax. Since we all know how bad stress is for our health, allowing ourselves quiet time to work with our yarn is important to our well-being.

How else are you taking care of your health and your heart?

Rather than being yarn in the traditional sense of spun fibers these trendy novelty textiles are strips of fabric or lace that you can use to knit or crochet.

Think along the lines of the very popular novelty yarns like Rumples and Petals that knit up into quick, ruffled scarves.

Scarves from the new Circulo "yarn" are a fun addition to your wardrobe.

As you can see, they work up into fun, feminine scarves that will add pizzazz to your wardrobe.

From the left we have two colors of the Tecido Trico fabric yarn knit into scarves. One hank of this 100% Polyester yarn will make a scarf. Tecido Trico comes in 12 floral prints and 13 animal prints.

At the far right is a scarf knit from the white Renda Trico Margarida lace yarn. One hank of this 100% Polyamide yarn, which is available in 10 colors, will make a scarf.

Second from the right, the lavender one I skipped, is coordinating colors of both yarns held together.

Tecido Trico–Fabric version

The navy scarf in action.

Here you can see the scarf in action on our model. This sample is in color #266-Navy with Pink Floral.

There is a free pattern on our website.

Here’s another view of the light blue scarf. It is color #263-Sky Blue with Pink Flowers. You can download the free pattern for this scarf from our website.

Now you might be asking, “How am I supposed to knit or crochet with fabric?”

Well, I’ll tell you.

You work through the holes along the edge.

There are little holes along the edge of the fabric into which you insert your hook or needle. They are far enough in from the edge to be stable, but close enough so that most of the fabric hangs free and gathers into that pretty ruffle.

In the close up picture of the fabric you can see the holes along the bottom edge of the picture. Since you don’t want to strain the holes, the suggested knitting needle size is between US5 to US7. I imagine you can go smaller, but we haven’t tried it.

How to Knit with Circulo Yarn

In this video, Karen demonstrates how to knit with Tecido Trico and shows off a few more of the colors.

 More than Scarves

You can use it as trim as well.

But don’t feel like you have to limit yourself to using this fun yarn for fluffy scarves. As you can see in this picture there are a variety of things you can do with it if you have basic sewing skills.

You can add it to a top as a pretty trim around the neck or edges. You can use it as the ribbon on a hat. Or you can coil it tightly to form a fabric rose.

Let your imagination run wild.

According to the fashion trend reports flower prints are hot for spring. These scarves will be an easy way to add them into your wardrobe without a big investment in time or money. Accessories are a great way to freshen your existing wardrobe by adding elements of the current trends.

Renda Trico Margarida–Lace Version

There is a free pattern for this scarf on our website.

The lace version creates a scarf with more body than the fabric version, which is more fluid. We used color #251-White for our sample scarf. You can download this free pattern from our website as well.

As with the fabric version, the lace version has holes long one edge into which you insert your knitting needle or crochet hook. The suggested needle size is also between a US 5 to US 7. Use the crochet hook that fits easily through the hole and makes you comfortable.

A close up of the lace flower pattern.

While the fabric version is printed with flowers of varying sizes, the lace version has a pretty flower motif along one edge. The body is a smocking pattern and the other edge, which will be hidden anyway, is a firm hem.

Scarves, tops, and skirts are all options.

Once again, scarves aren’t the only project you can make from this attractive lace yarn.

A ruffled top, either all around or just on the front, will make a nice summer garment. While this fun skirt will probably charm the young lady in your life. Who knows, in the right color she might even wear it for clubbing or parties!

Double The Fun

You can hold the lace and fabric together for a different look.

While both new yarns make attractive scarves individually, another fun option is to hold them together.

Many of the colors coordinate, as you see here with Tecido Trico color #267 – Cream, Purple Pink Floral and held with the lace Renda Trico Margarida in #2566 – Lilac.

The yarns come in hanks with just a two-yard difference, so it would be a one-to-one ratio for this project.

This scarf was knit by holding the yarns doubled and casting on as many stitches as you want the scarf to be long. You’ll want to use a circular needle for this version. Our scarf has two tiers.

Compared to the other scarves, this version makes a narrow scarf with a slight corkscrew effect.

Double the fun!

You can download the pattern for this scarf on our website.

All these scarves will work up quickly for the satisfaction of finishing a project quickly. You can start wearing them now, to urge spring along, or put them aside to dress up your lighter wardrobe. Another thought is that Mother’s Day is coming up, which gives you plenty of time to make one (or two!) and get them in the mail.

These new yarns will also be good for knitting through the summer when you want to keep your hands busy but don’t want to be covered up with a heavy wool project.

Check these fun new yarns out at your local yarn store then let us know what you think. You can share pictures of your finished scarves on our Facebook page.

We love to see what people are making with our yarns!

New yarns are arriving in local yarn stores almost daily. Your LYS might even be putting their winter yarns on sale to make room for those summer treats, giving you two reasons to stop by for a visit (as though you need an excuse in the first place).

And, as if all those new yarns weren’t stimulating enough, new issues of all your favorite knitting (and crocheting) magazines start appearing.

A potent combination to encourage you to finish off those winter projects and start thinking about lighter garments to welcome the new season.

The Spring/Summer 2o12 issue of Vogue Knitting hits newsstands March 6 (although subscribers have already received theirs and I’m hearing people have found it in stores).

We’re excited that our yarns are featured in two of the patterns.

(Yes, we’re always excited to see our yarns in the knitting and crochet magazines. We can be a little excitable around here. I blame the yarn fumes.)

The apple of your eye?

This is the issue cover for which you’ll be looking.

(I think I’ve been watching too many fairy tale based TV shows because I’m worried her apple might be poisoned.)

Color Zig-Zag Top

Vogue Knitting Spring/Summer 2012, photo by Rose Callahan

First up is the Color Zig-Zag Top designed by Katharine Hunt.

Isn’t it adorable? Stripes are all the rage this season, but can also be timeless.

A simple design, but you know the chevron stitch will make for interesting knitting. Once you get the pattern established you should be able to knit on auto-pilot.

This top uses Debbie Bliss Eco Baby, a 100% Organic Cotton yarn available in 24 colors. Stick with the mellow sea-side colors in the magazine or make your own colorway.

Yarn quantities are as follows:
For Sizes: Small, Medium, Large, X-Large
Amounts: 3 (4, 4, 4) balls in #16 cream
3 (3, 3, 4) balls each in #20 sea foam and #15 gray
2 (2, 3, 3) balls in #05 turquoise
2 (3, 3, 3) balls in #06 green

If you start knitting now, you’ll be ready for when the warm weather finally returns.

Semi Circle Shawl

Vogue Knitting Spring/Summer 2012, photo by Paul Amato for LVARepresents.com

Next is the beautiful Semi Circle Shawl designed by Lynette Meek.

Lace shawls are great additions to your wardrobe. They are nice to wear around the house and also get a lot of attention out in public. People will be impressed with your knitting skills when they see you wearing this one.

This shawl is knit in Sublime Baby Cashmere Merino Silk 4ply. This soft, snuggly yarn is a  75% Extrafine Merino, 20% Silk, 5% Cashmere blend available in 12 colors.

The shawl in the magazine uses five balls in color #1-piglet.

You can learn more about both patterns (and the other projects in the issue) on the VK 360 website.

Once you scope them out, head out to your local yarn store to pick up your supplies.

First the new Debbie Bliss magazine, now the new Vogue Knitting, any day now we’ll be hearing about the new Interweave Knits issue!

Can you feel the energy returning to your needles?

How does the changing of the seasons affect your knitting? Share your thoughts in the comments or on our Facebook page.