cosmicpluto knits!

WIP/RIP: a surprise

(For those that aren’t familiar with the term, WIP means Work In Progress!)

This was actually the first project that I took out, with the intention of ripping it out – it’s a cashmere tank, meant as long underwear, that I started in 2007! Thank goodness for Ravelry notes, I should probably update my notebook more often…

Anyway, I pretty much finished it except for the armhole trims, but I just wasn’t feeling it. The yarn is Habu laceweight cashmere, held double – I think I had bought 5 tiny skeins. It wasn’t quite enough, and the body was too short. But the yarn was super duper soft and light, so I started ripping.

I took out the shoulders (three needle bind off) and ripped out the upper front and back, then looked at it and thought…there’s all this knitting in this piece, can I turn it into something else? It has a bit of waist shaping, but I decided it would make a perfectly lovely plain cowl. Ravelry to the rescue again – I didn’t know what needle size I’d used but I actually had it on the project page! Whew.

So it’s back on the needles now and I’ve knit an inch or so. I’ll go until I’m almost out of yarn, then knit a couple garter ridges before binding off. I’m really inspired by Alabama Chanin stuff right now (I’ve been devouring the third book and plotting my summer sewing) so I might actually do some embroidery or other embellishment on the fabric when it’s done. I was pretty surprised at myself for continuing on with this yarn, after all the intention was to have fewer projects on the needles! But the other projects I ripped out were pretty pleasing on that end, and who doesn’t need a cashmere cowl?

P.S. I did an interview with Michelle Treese last week – you can read it here!

Wychwood Shawl

Ask and you shall receive!

WYCHWOOD SHAWL

Sometimes a bit of simple knitting is all you need. This top-down triangular shawl is perfectly light and warm, and works up quickly with little fuss. Great for adding a pop of colour all year round. Use any yarn you like, simply adjust the needle size – one or two sizes larger than the ball band recommendation will help you achieve a supple, not too dense fabric.

Size
One; 60” wingspan x 24” depth at center / 153 x 60cm

Yarn
Laceweight yarn, held double throughout, 1300 yds / 1190m Shown in:
» Jojoland Cashmere Laceweight (100% cashmere; 440 yds /
400m per 1.75 oz / 50g skein), 3 skeins in Black
» sweetgeorgia yarns Merino Silk Lace (50% merino wool, 50% silk; 765 yds / 700m per 3.5 oz / 100g skein), 1 skein each in Riptide and Nightshade

Needles and Notions
» US 7 / 4.5mm circular needles, 32” / 80cm or longer
» 2 stitch markers
» tapestry needle

Gauge
18 sts and 26 rows = 4” / 10cm square in Stockinette Stitch with two strands of yarn held together.
Gauge is not critical for this project, through a different gauge will result in a different finished size.

HOW TO BUY

2 page PDF pattern. Great for beginners, with lots of helpful tips! Purchase through Ravelry with Paypal (no accounts required).

$4.00 CAD

Wychwood on Ravelry

cross stitch cowls

A quick new pattern, perfect for gifts!

Cross Stitch Cowls

Six patterns in one! Two sizes and three gauges make it easy to work up lots of these pretty cowls with ease. Barbara Walker’s Quilted Cross Stitch pattern is fun to work and is very cushy. The fabric stays flat, and looks great on both sides. Use fingering, worsted, or bulky weight yarn.

Sizes
Single loop (double loop)
20 (35)” / 51 (89)cm in circumference

Materials and Gauge
This stitch pattern is very dense, so the suggested needles are several sizes larger than what you would normally use for each weight. If you have a little more or a little less yardage than given, it’s easy to bind off early or make your cowl extra deep. Suggested stitch gauge refers to the gauge given on the label of the yarn.

Fingering/sock: 250 (400) yds / 230 (365)m, US 7 / 4.5mm circular needles
DK/Worsted: 175 (300) yds / 160 (275)m, US 10 / 6mm circular needles
Bulky: 130 (230) yds / 119 (210)m, US 17 / 12mm circular needles
Stitch marker and tapestry needle

Fingering weight double loop (silver), shown in Alisha Goes Around Richness of Martens Fingering, 1 skein.

Worsted weight single loop (copper), shown in Sliver Moon Farm superwash worsted, 1 skein.

More Info
2 page PDF pattern with measurements in imperial and metric. Purchase through Ravelry with Paypal (no accounts required).

$4.00 CAD

Cross Stitch Cowls on Ravelry!

big red hat, and other quick knits

I suck at hats. Really, I do. I have a big head and big hair, and what with dry heated air and static and all, I mostly just can’t be arsed to wear a hat. I keep buying hats, and making them, and wearing them once before giving up on them. I’m really more of an earmuffs gal. If I’m wearing one, it must be really, really cold outside.

But! This year I have made a hat that I think I really will wear.

It’s a simple pattern I whipped up for lettuce knit, along the same lines as our easy chunky mitts. I hardly ever use anything thicker than worsted weight to knit with, so it was really fun to pick up this stash skein (Malabrigo Rasta in Ravelry Red) and knit with the big needles.

The patterns for the lettuce knit bulky hat and chunky mitts are available through Ravelry for just $2 each!

(And they make fabulous, quick gifts!)

a leap day FO

Happy Leap Day! Doing anything special today? Me, I’m staying home with my yarn and chores. Not very exciting, but productive!

I finished this scarf for my fella awhile ago, but since he’s been wearing it every day I haven’t had much of a chance to take photos of it. He had a plain black acrylic scarf before, which is pretty shameful for the partner of a knitter. Last week on Family Day (Presidents’ Day in the US) we took a nice long walk through High Park and I took a few snaps.

Pattern: my own
Yarn: 2 skeins of Madelinetosh Tosh DK in Tart, yum!

It was a really lovely walk. We even watched a couple of swans fly around then do an awesome water landing on the pond.

Geary Avenue Headband

I’ve got a wee little pattern release for you!

Geary Avenue is a quick to knit earband that uses just a little bit of yarn. An interesting cable pattern makes it fun to knit, as well as super cozy and warm. Technical Editing by Alexandra Virgiel.

SIZE
One; 3.75” / 9.5cm at widest point, 19” / 48.5cm long. Band will stretch with wear, so don’t make it too big! However, length can be adjusted if necessary.

GAUGE
20 sts and 28 rows = 4” / 10cm square in Stockinette Stitch

MATERIALS
Worsted or aran weight yarn, 90 yds / 82m.
Shown in Dream in Color Classy (100% superwash merino wool; 250 yds / 229m per 4 oz / 115g skein), color: Purple Rain, less than 1/2 skein.

US 7 / 4.5mm straight or circular needles
cable needle
tapestry needle
one button, approximately 3/4” / 19mm

MORE INFO
The Ravelry page is here.

3-page PDF pattern includes photos, abbreviations, chart and row-by-directions. Measurements given in imperial and metric systems. Available through Ravelry, payment through Paypal (no accounts required).

$3.50 CAD