More Design Process: Sea Creature Beret

Another hat design that's bogged down due to technical difficulties, the Sea Creature Beret, size Small. I'm just going to work up a size Medium and then I'll publish the pattern (freebie). :-)

As always, you can find us at Knitomatic.com

It GREW!

Well, I made up a hat with the Coliumo, thinking the size was good and might even fit my little head, but some yarns just don't behave as expected.  After washing it GREW.  Back to the drawing board/calculator.  This one turned out big, but I expect it will fit a big head with big hair. I made another one before it in seed stitch, washed it today, and it was HUMUNGUS. I ripped that one and will re-knit it when the yarn dries.  This is why I like designing small things.  ;-)  


As always, you can find us at Knitomatic.com

The Design Process: Seedy Slouch Beret

This was my third attempt at this hat, a size Medium. 

This was my second attempt at this hat, a size Small. 

I've been working with the Araucania Coliumo, making up little hat patterns. Unfortunately the yarn GROWS after blocking, so the design process has been a bit slow and the pattern has been revised several times. Because of the growth. I'm also being cautious and working up each size before publishing - just one more in a size Large and I'll post it. 

As always, you can find us at Knitomatic.com

An Unoriginal But Good Hat

A recent FO - an Unorignal Hat made with Araucania Coliumo Multy. The colours i this yarn keep surprising me! I never know how beautifully they are going to work out, which is why I keep trying them. I'm working on a couple of hat patterns in other colourways, but I did publish a Long Mobius Cowl freebie pattern this week that employs the yarn.


Anyway, the pattern was fast & easy. The yarn also made it possible to cable without a cable hook - a technique not for the faint of heart, but the truly lazy.  ;-)

New FREE Pattern - Cowl in Coliumo!

We've got a brand new free knitting pattern for you - our Long Mobius Cowl in Araucania Coliumo!

Long Mobius Cowl

Pattern by Haley Waxberg

The pattern is very simple, fast, and satisfying for time when you just need to produce something FAST. It is knit in the round using a really long circular needle and a nifty little cast on just for mobius knitting. To learn this easy new skill you can watch Cat Bohrdi’s great Intro to Mobius Knitting tutorial on you tube. Cat’s instructions are clear and easy to follow and you’ll be an expert in no time!

Size 
Lying flat with mobius twist on top, measured across the 
middles, unstretched 
28” long x 5.25” wide

Materials 
2 skeins Araucania Coliumo Multi, 30% silk, 70% wool, 
100g-87m, colour 9 
8mm/36” (40” or 47” are also good) circular needles 
1 Stitch Marker

Gauge 
in knit 3 rows, purl 3 rows rib 
12 sts & 20 r = 4”/10cm

Techniques 
Intro to Mobius Knitting tutorial by Cat Bohrdi on you tube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LVnTda7F2V4

DOWNLOAD HERE

Sideways Coliumo Hat

Next up .... a sideways, short-row hat in Araucania Coliumo Multi (colour 8). The yarn is working up really beautifully, but I knew that it would. I was going to pass on this colour until the sales rep showed me the swatch - this particular colour knitted up so beautifully!  So now I'm  making a sample so you can see how beautiful it is too. The colours are a little washed out in the photo, the purples are getting lost. Hopefully I'll have better light next time I take a pic of it. 

When I'm done I'll publish the pattern .... gotta make sure it works first! :-)

Addenda:

since i wrote this post i have ripped the project ad worked it up as a brand new pattern. i'll publish ASAP and i'll be available on the website.

Araucania Mobius Cowl

This one is another updated sample of the Long Mobius Cowl, this time in Auraucania Coliumo Multi. I made some modifications, including casting on fewer stitches and working in groups of 3 row ribs. See the Ravelry page for details, I managed to work it up with 2 skeins. 

The Coliumo worked up beautifully! It is really lofty and warm and the colour distribution is nice and consistent (although nothing knits up in seed stitch like the Misti Alpaca Chunky Handpaints). 

Araucania Coliumo Hat

Not another inane hat post!?  Yes, another. And I'm not going to stop until you smarten up and fly right. I'm kidding, you fly fabulous! You're the best flier ever! Your flying skills are unsurpassed! But I am going to keep posting the boring hats. Also, sorry about the photo, the light was very soft that day. 


Anyway, this one was made with Araucania Coliumo, and worked out very, very, very nice.  It is a very soft wool & silk, so it's got some drape to it, but it is also bulky .  The hat was way too big for me, which means it should fit you if you'd like to come in and try it on. :-)


After browsing Ravelry, I rather like this version of a hat from Drops made with the same yarn. it takes advantage of the inherent drape.  

Open Cardigan

I finished my Open Cardigan last weekend, pockets and all!  It was really a runaway project, I started it as a little spring/summer thing but it had a will of it's own so I went with it (I guess it wanted to be something else).  The Araucania Patagonia (cotton) was great to work with, but I already knew that. It has a lot of drape so I was able too make a smaller size.

You may be surprised to know that this was the first time I have ever made pockets. Yup, I popped my pocket cherry. I wasn't avoiding them, it just never came up. They were easy, especially working top-down.  Although, I would categorize them in the realm of 'finishing' - I took my time with them to make sure they looked good. You can make it without pockets, I just thought it would be a nice thing in a big, comfy cardigan.

I am writing up the pattern, it'll be available soon. I want to double check the math, and I have to put in the pocket instructions.

Summer Open Cardigan

Next in line is an Open Summer Cardigan (knitting pure & simple pattern 294) in Araucania Patagonia (colour 201).
My tension is quite a bit looser than the pattern's (12 sts/4", vs 14sts) and the yarn stretches so I am making the smallest size.
There are some very cute examples, like this one by 'two of six',

and this one by 'lrske' (I like the seed stitch)