- May 08, 2025
- 6 Comments
Today I have knitting, not cleaning, to share. I have been sick and so cleaning has been pushed aside, but between naps I was knitting. I felt pretty low for a while but since I'm feeling so much better, I went out to lunch yesterday with the birthday girls and wore my new sweater. It was a sunny day and this sunny color was perfect for the occasion. Can you see that the fabric has a fluffiness to it? It's so cozy and fluffy, and you may not believe it, but it's cotton!
- February 22, 2025
- 11 Comments
Hello! I'm just back from a lovely seaside vacation where it was just chilly enough to wear my newest summer sweater, The Faceted Yoke Pullover by Mary Anne Benedetto. Here I am standing on our balcony overlooking the famous California coastline covered with its equally famous June gloom. Trust me, there is a wide sandy beach down there covered with seashells and lots of frolicking people and a beautiful blue sea and above the fog is a bright blue sky. You just have to wait a few hours for the fog to burn off and to see it all! But we're here for that sweater so let me tell you all about it!
- June 14, 2024
- 5 Comments
My June knitting so far has been colorful and easy. Something about the approach of summer I guess, but I want to keep everything simple with no deadlines, no making to fit, no looking at graphs, just easy peasy pleasy.
I've finished the bunting flags--all 100 of them--I think, although I haven't counted them. I do know that I'll miss knitting them! With the same colorful stash I'm knitting the Painting Bricks lap blanket and almost 3/4 done with that. I found myself reaching only for the brights, so I've started a second, pastel only version. The new one is on my patio and waiting for me for when I want to sit outside and knit and listen to the birds chirp. I've also started a new Candy Cane Scarf, a free pattern from yours truly. And then when I feel like knitting with skinny yarn and tiny needles I work on my 14 Color Scarf. Lastly, I haven't forgotten the little advent stockings. They are on hold but I will get back to them in earnest once I finish at least one afghan. Project links are in the caption of each picture below and ALL are knit from stash. Yee gads, my monster stash sure translates into a lot of projects!
The real reason for today's post is because I have two book recommendations that I love to bits. First is The Lincoln Highway by Amor Towles. It's scrumptious. It's the early 1950s in the midwest and two brothers have an adventure and meet interesting characters along the way. Our heros and their companions have a bit of Frank Capra in them, a bit of Mark Twain, and a splash of Damon Runyon too. Heartwarming.
The second is The Boys, a Hollywood memoir by Ron Howard (child actor and now director) and brother Clint Howard. It's a sweet story about a somewhat ordinary family who happens to be in the glaring Hollywood limelight and manage to be nothing like the Hollywood brat pack we heard so much about. The audiobook is read by the authors. Entertaining.
LMK if you've read either as I'd love to know what you think. Also, any book recommendations?
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| Painting Bricks. This brights version is 3/4 finished. |
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| Painting Bricks Pastel version |
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| Candy Cane Scarf--free pattern by me! I recently updated some of my patterns and you may get an update notice, but no need to reprint. The update updates some non essential info like my website name. |
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| When I want to work with tiny needles I get out my 14 Color Wrap. OK, this was not from stash, but a kit I just had to have! |
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| These little sweeties are just too darling and fun. I've put them aside for now, but will get back to them in a few weeks. |
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- June 08, 2022
- 13 Comments
I love my flag bunting so much. It's so festive! There was a lot of interest in how I was going to display my little knitted triangles, so now that I'm a seasoned bunting pro and half way finished, I have some tips:
The pattern is free: Summer Bunting by Julia Marsh. My one modification was to switch the decreases--k3, k2tbl, k to last 5 sts, k2tog, k3. I just prefer that look.
I'm using worsted and dk weights as is, and fingering weights knit with two stands held together. Size US 6 needle. I also added a few thicker weights, aran and chunky, but cast on 31 or 33 stitches instead of 35. They all ended up to be of similar size.
Outdoors screams for brights, and even though this was meant to be a scrappy only project to use up my leftovers, I had to purchase a bright green, yellow and purple for color pop. Nothing seems to be too bright for outdoors and I mix them in with my more muted colors.
You'll need to make a lot of flags. An astonishing amount. It surprised me how many I need and I'm only half finished with my patio.
Block and weave in ends as you go.
I used low-sag nylon twine to string together. For reference, the twine is about as thick as a toothpick.
I hung them by piggybacking them onto the same cup hooks we are using for our lights. This makes them easy to hang and remove. Because our California sun is so bright and fading is a problem, these will be hung for special occasions only, which for us, will be often. 🎉
Each strand is bagged and labeled because the nylon strands are cut to fit a specific spot. They take just a few minutes to hang.
If you are looking for an easy breezy summer knit that gobbles up those leftovers, this is it!
Best travel knit ever. Add an extra set of needles and teach someone how to knit (some for you).
Check out Ravelry! So many adorable free patterns.
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| Rett's Flower Bunting by Loretta Grayson |
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| Garter Stitch Bunting by Faye Reed |
This post has affiliate links. If you purchase something from an affiliate link, I will receive a small commission at no cost to you. Thank you so much for supporting the blog. If you'd like to make a comment, please click here or scroll down. I reply to each comment and that response will appear directly below your comment. If you would like a personal reply, please know that I use the Blogger platform and they do not give me your contact information when you comment. If you would like a personal reply you can contact me using the contact form on the right side at the very end of my website. If you would like to receive Knitionary posts by email, please subscribe here.
- May 26, 2022
- 15 Comments
My new summer sweater is Cime Tempestose by Knitting For Breakfast. I love the name but had no idea it translated to Wuthering Heights until a few minutes ago when I googled it!
The sweater is knit in one piece, top down, with the yoke increases incorporated into the feather and fan pattern. There's bobbles too! I don't know why this gorgeous pattern only has 22 projects even though it's been out since January. Perhaps the designer is not all that well known, but look at the beautiful design page! They appear to be two sisters who team up to design. Their design style reminds me of a mix of Caitlin Hunter and Andrea Mowry. Check them out. I think you'll be as impressed as I was.
The yarn required is dk weight and I used a discontinued cotton, Calmer from Rowan Yarns. This pattern would also be beautiful in Summerlite DK, or in winter, long sleeves with Kidsilk Haze doubled.
And in other news--last week we had a duck family wandering our street. Duck and quail families are infrequently found in our neighborhood and on the few times I've seen them I think they must be making their way to the creek, but this mama was walking in circles. As I got closer I heard little distressed duckling quacks and when I came to the storm drain I looked down and saw three ducklings had fallen down the grate. Their tiny quacks were pitiful and mother duck was desperate. Two neighbors joined me and we tried to lift the grate, but there was no way we could move it even an inch. I finally called the fire department and told them the problem and if they weren't too busy would they please come and save some ducklings? Five minutes later four of the nicest men arrived in their shiny truck thinking that an actual baby had fallen down the storm drain! They were relieved and amused to find they were there to save ducklings, but I assured them I was clear in my call that the tiny emergency was baby ducks, not a human, but somehow the message was mangled in transit. Anyway, they were good sports and proceeded to lift the grate and scoop up the ducklings. After they were returned to mama duck, they waddled off to where we know not, but it was the opposite direction of the creek and the grate. The firemen were so sweet and took pictures to show their families and the guys back at the firehouse. Thanks guys! 💜
This post has affiliate links. If you purchase something from an affiliate link, I will receive a small commission at no cost to you. Thank you so much for supporting the blog. If you'd like to make a comment, please click here or scroll down. I reply to each comment and that response will appear directly below your comment. If you would like a personal reply, please know that I use the Blogger platform and they do not give me your contact information when you comment. If you would like a personal reply you can contact me using the contact form on the right side at the very end of my website. If you would like to receive Knitionary posts by email, please subscribe here.
- April 23, 2022
- 5 Comments
This was a popular post last year and I decided to update it a bit and bring it back. I positively love knitting with cotton and over the years I have tried many and naturally have my favorites. If you don't often knit with cotton because you think it might be tough on your hands, I hear you. I don't like that either. The yarns that I recommend below are gentle to knit, promise
My favorite cotton yarns are from Rowan who manufacture the finest cotton yarns available to the hand knitter. Rowan is a British yarn brand best known for their beautiful wool, but their cotton yarns selections are fabulous. This weekend, April 15-18, Rowan is offering free shipping on all your orders--no minimum!
Here are my yarns in LOVE order with project and links to yarn and my Rav page.
Rowan Handknit Cotton is by far my favorite cotton yarn. The handle is soft and easy on the hands, machine washable (I even put it in the dryer), the colors are gorgeous and it is value priced and long wearing. My sweaters knitted many years ago are still in rotation--and they look great. I have knit 21 garments with Handknit Cotton and am not done. This is a cool cotton and I can wear it on a warm day. Below are three of my Handknit Cotton sweaters.
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| Seacoast |
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| Love Note |
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| Poetry |
Rowan Softyak DK is wonderful in every way and is my favorite DK weight yarn ever! It is also my 4 year old grandson's favorite yarn. It is soft obviously or he wouldn't like it, and for the knitter, this glides though the hands like a silk stocking and loves any needle you throw at it. The stitch definition is divine and perfect for anything from stockinette to cables and lace. Garter stitch holds up well in this too. It is not particularly value priced, but definitely not an overpriced yarn. My earlier sweaters knit with this continue to look beautiful, and children's garments hold up well and can be passed on, even after a season of hard wear. The colors can be muted because of the yak fiber, but there are quite a few brights and some lovely pastels as well. I have made 28 garments out of Softyak DK and many more to go! I love it for hats and children's garments, but I knit garments for me as well. This is an all-season yarn for our climate and while I cannot wear this on a warm day, it works great for a chilly summer evening. I would love to see this in a fingering weight. FYI, I can get a gauge of 20-22 stitches per 4 inches depending on my needle size. The fabric is pretty for 20, 21, or 22, so do a test swatch to see what you like. I hand wash and flat dry my Softyak garments, but it's not a disaster if they end up in the washer and dryer, but they will last longer if hand washed. Below see some of my Softyak DK garments.
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| Alaskan Pullover |
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| Silver Birch |
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| Vinicunca Hat |
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| The Golden Hour |
Rowan Summerlite 4 ply and Summerlite DK are perhaps the finest of all hand knitting cotton yarns due to the excellent quality of the cotton plus it's very well priced for such quality. It feels like well-behaved silk when knitting and wonderful when wearing. Summerlite is soft yet sturdy. The yarn can go in the washing machine, and I also put it in the dryer using some precautions, see below. I've knit 7 garments with Summerlite so far. Summerlite comes in both DK and 4 ply weights and the colors are gorgeous with a good mix of neutrals, pastels and brights. Summerlite feels cool when wearing and I can wear it on a warm day. For the DK cotton I can knit a pretty fabric from 21-23 stitches per 4 inches depending on my needle size. I feel the 4 ply can work from 24 to 29 stitches per 4 inches and still have a good, firm fabric. Below are a few of my knits using Summerlite.
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| Tulip Romper |
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| Lavande |
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| Shifty |
Rowan Creative Linen is a 50/50 blend of cotton and linen. With so much linen in the mix it is amazingly easy on the hands. The linen gives this cotton yarn some muscle and it will work up into anything beautifully--shawls, tees, cabled cardigans, you name it. The finished garment has a cool feel next to the skin and I can wear this on a warm day. This is a well-priced yarn, not exactly value priced, but the yardage is excellent and the garment will be long wearing and would be a great choice for something summery. The colors are clear and bright and the white is a beaut.
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| Lila Top Down |
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| Splash |
Rowan Cotton Cashmere is a gorgeous yarn that is mostly cotton with a touch of cashmere. It has wonderful tactile appeal because it feels so tender and soft in the ball. It is easy on the hands and feels almost suede-like while knitting and the fabric too comes off with a bit of a smooth, suedyish feel. The colors tend to be soft. It makes a good transition sweater as it's one of the warmer cottons to me. I have knit five garments with this yarn and I can wear them in spring and fall and also on cooler summer nights.
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| White Horse |
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| Crozon |
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| Phoenix |
I've added links below to the Rowan site so you can read descriptions, get yardage, see colors, plus shop with free shipping starting today and ending on Monday, April 15-18.
Click here to view all Rowan yarns
As for care, you should always follow ball band directions, but I'll confess I often don't. I'm comfortable putting my knitted cotton garments in the washing machine (inside out, in a mesh bag with the setting on gentle with cool water) and sometimes even pop them in a dryer on the lowest setting. The sweaters last longer if you hand wash and dry flat, but sometimes I'm in a hurry. Also, I find a 10 minute pop in a low dryer fluffs the garment back into shape and then it can finish drying flat.
Hope you enjoyed reading about my favorite cottons. Please let me know your favorites. If you'd like to make a comment, please scroll down or click here.
Happy summer knitting,
Kristen
This post has affiliate links. If you purchase something from an affiliate link, I will receive a small commission at no cost to you. Thank you so much for supporting the blog. If you'd like to make a comment, please click here or scroll down. I reply to each comment and that response will appear directly below your comment. If you would like a personal reply, please know that I use the Blogger platform and they do not give me your contact information when you comment. If you would like a personal reply you can contact me using the contact form on the right side at the very end of my website. If you would like to receive Knitionary posts by email, please subscribe here.
- April 15, 2022
- 0 Comments
Here's my first summer sweater of 2021. I fell in love with PetiteKnit's Sunday Tee and knew it would be the perfect pattern for my stash Summerlite 4ply Cotton. PetiteKnit's patterns use the less is more design approach with a minimalist style of presenting a pattern. However, there is exactly enough words needed to knit the sweater, no more, no less. I've loved every PetiteKnit pattern I've knit and love this one too. The gauge is 28 sts. per 4" but even with tiny US1 needles I could not get gauge and instead had 26. I was knitting the smallest size and made the yoke as per pattern, but did not add the 12 underarm stitches after the sleeve separation. I suspect the pattern might run a little large anyway, so try on often as you are knitting down.
I have some work in process photos of the nifty neckband is below. The pattern begins with an inch of stockinette, then a purl folding line, then another inch of stockinette. Then next you'll fold at the purl line and attach the cast on edge to your knitting by knitting two together. I found it best to turn the piece to the wrong side and pick up one purl bump then turn it to the right side and knit that purl bump and the next stitch together. Repeat. It will make sense when you are doing it. I also added one row stockinette before I started the first M1 increase row--one row of plain knitting will make the M1s a little bit easier to do. I also added two sets of German short rows to the back neckline right after I made the first increase row. This lifts up the back neckline just a tiny bit.
The yarn, Summerlite 4 Ply is divine and made of Egyptian Giza cotton. I love a great cotton yarn and this is divine; so soft and easy to knit, good value with good yardage too.
If you'd like to make a comment, please click here or scroll down. I almost always reply to each comment and my responses will appear in the comments section. I use the Blogger platform and they do not give me your contact information so I cannot give a personal reply. If you would like a personal reply you can contact me using the contact form at the right side at the very end of my website. Take care and I hope you are getting some good spring weather to enjoy!
- May 13, 2021
- 8 Comments