New Freebie: Janice Market Bag

Janice Market Bag

Skills
Cast on, Knit, Purl, pick up stitches, cast off.

Materials
° Berroco Origami (50g/90m): 3 skeins (or Berroco Linsey, Captiva, or Seduce)
° 4mm-16” or 24” circular needles
° 4.5mm-16” or 24” circular needles
° 4mm crochet hook (optional, for picking up sts)
° Small stitch holder or scrap yarn ° Scrap yarn for provisional cast
° Darning needle (straight is easier) ° 4 Buttons: 3/4” wide
° Sewing needle & thread (in colours matching yarn and buttons)

Gauge
19 stitches & 25 rows = 4”/10xm in stocking stitch on larger needles 

Download Free Pattern Here

New Freebie: Rialto Baby Beanie

Rialto Baby Beanie

Size

° preemie (newborn, baby, toddler)

° Head circumference: 11(12-13, 14-15, 16-17)” or 27.5(30-32.5, 35-37.5, 40-42.5)cm

Materials

° Debbie Bliss Rialto DK Print;50g/105m, 1 ball

° Debbie Bliss Cashmerino DK; 50g/110m (or Debbie Bliss Rialto DK), 1 ball

° 4mm-16” circular needles

° 3.5mm-16” circular needles

° 4mm double pointed needles

° 1 stitch marker

° darning needle (preferably pointy & small)

Hat on the left:

Newborn size, Debbie Bliss CashmerinoDK colour 18 (navy), Debbie Bliss Rialto DK Print 05 (Ravenna)

Hat on the right:

Toddler size, Debbie Bliss Cashmerino DK colour 43 (beige), Debbie Bliss Rialto DK Print 01 (Florence)

Dowload the pattern Here

Cottage Project: Leafy Face Cloth

I like the idea of quick & easy little projects in the summer, like face cloths and towels. You can make them for yourself or give them away later as little gifts (for a cutie, wrap a nice soap in the cloth and tie it up with a ribbon).  We've been posting a project idea every day our Facebook Page. 

Above is a fun one I wanted to try, a free patern for a Leaf Cloth. It was easy, clearly written, and fee. It uses short-rows, but because it is knit in garter stitch you don't have to pick up the wraps afterwards (if you aren't familiar with the short row technique this sentence will likely sound like gibberish to you, but it roughly translates as "makes life easier").  The project isn't for absolute beginners, but if you are an intermediate or advanced beginner, or want to learn a few new skills, it's great. 

Anyway, it was fun and I love the idea of making a few of them in a different shades of green.  I used Berroco Weekend, a nice, affordable, and machine washable cotton/synthetic blend. You can make at least 2 leafy cloths from 1 skein, possibly 3 (I'll have to weigh the cloth and see how much yarn it used, I'll get back to you via an update to this post). 

Definitely a great cottage project!

You can find us at Knitomatic.com!

GAP-Tastic Success!

Tah-Dah!  Our GAP-Tastic Cowl (pattern FREE via Ravelry) was a fantastic success!  We made it with 3 skeins of Malabrigo Chunky (colour Intenso) and 8mm-36" circular needles. 

Because we took the needle size down a bit to accommodate the yarn, we cast on an extra 10 stitches (total cast on 141 sts).  I think it would be absolutely sumptuous made with Misti Alpaca Chunky (3 skeins, 8mm needles)

If you don't want to shell out for the fancy yarn, you could also make this cowl using any of the following:

• 3 skeins of Berroco Peruvia Quick ($32.91) & 9mm-29" circular needles
• 3 skeins of Brown Sheep Lamb's Pride Bulky ($29.91) & 8mm-29" circular needles
• 4 skeins of Berroco Vintage Chunky ($31.88) & 6.5mm to 7mm-29" circular needles (cast on 151 sts)

For a narrower, shorter cowl, you can get away with using 2 skeins and casting on 111 sts. 

You can find us at Knitomatic.com!

Big Red Cabled Cowl

Above, a finished object for the store. A sample of the Loose Cabled Cowl pattern, made with 2 skeins of Malabrigo Rasta and 15mm-24" circular needles. It was super fast & easy (once I sorted out the needle situation), and the Rasta feels super sumptuous! You know when people refer to things as "yummy scrummy" - that's how it feels.

The weave is loose, so it drapes really nicely (as well as merino will ever drape), and the aesthetic is nice & casual. It'll probably only cover your shoulders like the pic above if you are very small (the mannequin's shoulder only measure 15.5"/40cm - I am a medium, have small shoulders, and my shoulders measure 18" from side to side). 

As always, you can find us at Knitomatic.com!

Next Freebie: Simple Wristlets

Okey-dokey, so here's another of the fall pattern's I've been working on. More hand things - I'm really feeling the little hand garments right now. These ones are made with a skein of Malabrigo Gruesa (2 if you want a contrast colour).

Simple Wristlets

These wristlets are fast, simple, and very satisfying. They make quick, easy gifts that stand out. Designed with Malabrigo Gruesa, the yarn’s texture and depth of colour works with the simple design to create extra interest and a unique, handmade aesthetic.  

Read more about it on Ravelry

Download for FREE at http://www.knitomatic.com

They also knit up beautifully using Malabrigo Rasta, using 9mm needles. See the details for the ones we whipped up HERE. 

As always, you can find us at Knitomatic.com!

Simple Gauntlets in Noro

Above: size Medium in Noro Odori colour 8

Simple Gauntlets

Read more about it on Ravelry

Download for FREE at http://www.knitomatic.com

This is one of the Patterns I've been working away on for you's guys ....  These gauntlets turned out wonderfully!  The yarn, Noro Odori, is soft and the texture is interesting and nice to work with. 

If you want an exactly matching pair you should probably get 2 skeins of yarn, otherwise your mitts will be deliciously randomly matched. If you are ok with them being matchy, but not exactly the same, I think the following colourways will probably work better:

8 (purple/blue, 1st picture - see my pair)
1 (black/brown/lt. grey)
7 (red/pink/rust).

Other colours will turn out less matchy:

11 (blue/pink/black/teal/green)
8 (rainbow)

I don’t know about the other colours.

Above: size Large and Extra Large, both in Noro Odori colour 11.

As always, you can find us at Knitomatic.com!

New Free Pattern: Easy Loose Cable Cowl

Easy Loose Cabled Cowl

This pattern is a simple, straightforward, easy project great for new knitters (great way to learn cables). It knits up fast on thick yarn and BIG needles (12mm).  It's easy, is a satisfying quickie, and looks impressive to non-knitters (hint: it's very giftable). 

It is made with one skein of Brown Sheep Company Burly Spun (not bad at $20.97 per skein),  but it would also make an excellent excuse to buy a couple of skeins of Malabrigo Rasta (especially in their luminescent semi-solid colours). 

Read more about it on Ravelry

Download for FREE at http://www.knitomatic.com

As always, you can find us at Knitomatic.com!

New Free Pattern - Frolic Shawl

New Pattern - Frolic Shawl

We introduced this pattern at the DKC Knitter's Frolic last weekend and now we are making it available for everyone! It's a quick & satisfying little spring knit, and only uses  2 skeins of yarn: 1 Noro Taiyo and 1 Berroco Remix. 

To see the projects go to the Ravelry Page, or download it directly from our website.

As always, you can find us at knitomatic.com!

Finished: Super Easy (& Groovy) Baby Blanket

I finished up my Super Easy Baby Blanket. It looks great, feels great, and was fun to make. Very satisfied, a great mindless knit on large needles. 

I cast on 100 sts on 7mm needles and worked approximately 32 to 34 rows in each colour (depending on the yardage in the skein - it tended to vary from skein to skein). 

As always, you can find us at Knitomatic.com!

day-dreaming about projects to come

this is what I am thinking about making

I know, toques (Canadian vernacular for basic winter hat with a pom-pom on top, pronounced  Two-k) are out of season, especially in lieu of the premature summer weather we've been having around here. But I love it sooo much! 

and this is what I'm thinking about making it with

Malabrigo Worsted in 606 Frost Grey and 37 Lettuce. I also want to make it in a real neon, but I'll have to wait until those come in. I know what you are thinking, I know you're dissing the neon. This will just have to be one of those time where you think I'm on crack and I'm right in the end. Neon is going to get under your skin, it is going to creep in and you'll wonder why you didn't notice before.

Here's the deal, neons need neutrals. Sure, neons can be migraine/seizure inducing in large quantities, but are cool paired with neutral colours like off white, grey, beige, and camel. The savy girls at the PurlBee know what I'm talking about, they've been down with neons and fluorescents for a little while now.  Still don't believe me? That's ok, just sit back, put some Duran Duran on your iPod, and see what happens after a while. ;-) 

As always, you can find us at Knitomatic.com!

Mohair Magic

I am so pleased to report that this was a very satisfying finished object!  It is a Prism Wrap made with Noro Silk Garden and Debbie Bliss Angel (held double).  It only used 2 skeins of each yarn, and was a great use of a muted (ie. blah) Noro colourway. Plus the kid mohair adds a light, airiness which feels delicious. It also lends it a soft aura that  is snuggly and pretty, without being wintry. The pattern is a no brainer, and the size comes out just right for spring warmth. Me likey - I'm glad I thought of it!  :-)

As always, you can find us at Knitomatic.com!

Quick Malabrigo Mitts

Silly me! I forgot to blog my Quick Mitts!  I made them because I thought they would be a great, fast little Holiday Gift, and also because I felt the Malabrigo Rasta would look great on hands. I was right on both counts. I wrote up the pattern and it's free, you can download it right HERE.

As always, you can find us at Knitomatic.com!

New FREE Boboli Cowl Patterns

Brand spankin' new from us, 2 patterns for simple, easy, elegant cowls using Berroco Boboli, a new yarn for Fall 2011. The yarn is beautiful, prismatic, and does most of the work for you. The rest of the pattern is in the beginner skill spectrum. It's also a non-thinker, a great project for those times when brain no work good. And of course, both patterns are Free!

This sweet little thing is the Boboli Cowl Worsted Version. It's a beautiful weight for fall, moving into  winter, and early spring. It's a straightforward knit and made with 2 skeins of Boboli and 4.5mm circular needles. The yarn knits quickly, and you'll be done before you know it! I made this version second and had no idea I would love it's delicate drape so much!

Here's the Boboli Cowl Bulky Version.  It's made on larger, 7mm needles, holding 2 strands together. Besides creating  a faster knit, it's also a thicker fabric, perfect for when the weather starts getting chill and carrying you into real winter.  It also has more body than the worsted version, and the colour takes on a tweedy quality that transcends the yarn's inherent variegation.


By the way, don't forget to follow the instructions and block your cowl in a bath of white vinegar and Eucalan - it softens up beautifully!

As always, you can find us at knitomatic.com!  

New Free Pattern: Spring Mobius Cowl

Many of the links posted here are from Ravelry.com, a free website for knitters and crocheters. If you don't have your own account you can use ours: login: knitomatic2, password: knitomatic. But you should get your own account fast, 'cause you're going to LOVE it!

Spring Mobius Cowl

By Haley Waxberg

This is an easy and satisfying project for a simple, spring cowl. It’s really a no-brainer, the yarn’s self-striping colour and soft texture do most of the work. The pattern uses a Mobius Cast On, which is easy to learn.

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!

NOTE: You can not substitute a normal cast on using circular needles to create a mobius – it doesn’t work. By twisting the stitches, you’ll end up with a full twist in your knitting, and you only want a half twist (the mobius).

The yarn used has a very high cotton and silk content, both of which tend to stretch and grow. If you think your cowl is too small, don’t worry, it’ll loosen up.

Size 
Length: 25” 
Width: 8”

Materials 
2 skeins Noro Taiyo, 100g/200m, colour 1 
5mm/36” circular needles 
1 Stitch Marker

Gauge 
15 sts & 30 rows = 4” in K6 P6 ribs

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

Cost

Free

Download HERE

As always, you can find us at knitomatic.com!

Instant Gratification Holiday Gifts - Free Cowls

FYI:  I just posted a bunch of super fast, super easy, super impressive Holiday Gift Ideas over on our news blog! 

As always, you can find us at knitomatic.com.

Maximum Beret - New FREE Pattern!

Maximum Beret

Maximum Beret

Maximum Beret - inside-out

Maximum Beret - inside-out

Yay! Finally finished, here`s our new Free pattern for the Maximum Beret!  It is made in reverse stocking stitch (purled) to make the most of the stunning variegated yarn, Manos del Uruguay Maxima, and create texture in the easiest way possible.  1 skein makes a fast, easy, sensational looking hat! You can download the pattern through our website, knitomatic.com.

Finished Object Alert! Gnarled Cable Beret

Finished object alert!  Liane just finished whipping up this cool cabled beret, the Gnarled Cable Beret (free pattern on Ravelry.com). We managed to eke it out with just one skein on Dream in Color Groovy (colour is visual purple). The cables are really cool, I love wonky looking things.  :-)  I think it would also look good in the Cascade 128, Malabrigo or Merino Chunky. Maybe even Cascade Eco Heathers, but I can't be sure about that one. Anyway, nice cabled beret that looks a bit different. :-)

As always, you can find us at knitomatic.com

Freebie - Cable Bobble Socks!

New Freebie!  Cable Bobble Socks from the Vogue Knitting Fall 2010 issue!

Simple Spring Shawlette Pattern is Now Available

The pattern for the Simple Spring Shawlette (the one I made in Noro Furin) is now available for FREE through Ravelry.

This pattern is a quick and simple little project to whip up for the season or to take on vacation. It is knit from the top down, centre out, and features an eyelet border.  If you've never done the M1L or M1R increase please don't be daunted, it is very easy and I've included a link to easy to understand explanations, illustrated and on video.

Size
S(M, L, XL)  (sizes should follow general commercial garment sizes, for example, your T-shirt or sweater size)
Approx Neck length: 21(23.5, 26, 28.5) cm or 8.25(9.25, 10.25, 11.25) inches
Bottom edge length is variable and depends on your knitting tension, how much yarn you use and how many times you increase.  The length of my sample in size small is 220cm (88 inches).

Materials
3 (4, 5, 6) skeins Noro Furin, colour 4 (aran weight yarn, 50g/110 metres: cotton, silk, wool, rayon & nylon)
5.5mm/36" circular needles
8 (10, 12, 14) Stitch Markers

Gauge
14 sts & 21 rows = 4"/10cm in stocking stitch