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Lately, I’ve noticed an increase in the number of knitters coming to the shop with pattern-related woes. This is an open letter to them… and maybe you, too?

Dear Knitter,

Don’t let a confusing or challenging pattern stop you from knitting.

Get another knitter’s advice, check on Ravelry in project notes to see if others have had issues with the pattern, or check the designer’s or publisher’s websites for corrections. If you’re still frustrated or don’t like what’s coming off your needles, find another pattern – or change it to make it the way you want it to be.

Yes, some written directions can be confusing, regardless of whether you’re a newbie or seasoned knitter. But never let a pattern undermine your confidence in your own skills or waste your time once you realize you won’t be happy with the piece when it’s done.

When you don’t love what you’re knitting, that’s when you stop. Look for another project or switch out the technique or feature you don’t like for one you do. Your time and your materials – that wonderful yarn you got at Gosh Yarn It! – deserve better. There are always multiple paths in knitting to arrive at the same result. Knitting is only making fabric with yarn and needles, and we knitters have total control over the process – not the designer. Take charge of your knitting and know that your success has been in your hands all along!

– A friend at your local yarn shop

On a very small scale, I faced this issue recently with Wallagrass, a perfectly lovely pattern from Amy Christoffers that begins every row with a yarnover. You can see how my Wallagrass was turning out in the picture below.

The designer must have liked the look of those loops along each edge, but I didn’t. Since that “yo” added a stitch each row, I started over and replaced the yarnovers at the beginning of every row with “knit 1, kfb.” I added 4 stitches to the stitch count before beginning the pattern repeat, which established a 2-stitch garter border on each edge that incorporated the “knit 1, kfb” and kept the increases outside of the pattern repeat. My Wallagrass now looks like this:

I solved my problem my way and am very happy with the results.

Jill just made another Clincher* cowl, one of her favorite patterns. Loops are the main attraction here!

For this clever design from Ash Kearns she chose Malabrigo Arroyo and Freia Flux Sport.

It’s knit flat, and here’s how it looks before you thread the narrow end through the loops to make it a cowl:

Our The Big Y* shop sample in Kelbourne Woolens Scout, a pullover from Hinterm Stein, continues to inspire others to cast on for one of their own. Here is Debbie’s completed The Big Y, also in KW Scout in the beautiful color Meadow Heather. What fine knitting!

More fine knitting, both technically, creatively, and size-wise, comes from Rebecca, who added two more tiny original sweaters to her collection for her holiday wreath. You’ll find the first six included in the last post.

Speaking of the last post, this Saturday, July 31, is the deadline to order the Emma’s Yarn custom kits for Casapinka’s Snark-o-meter Mystery Knit Along, and you can see all the available choices there. Also, Our Manos del Uruguay Alegria colorways are starting to sell out, so don’t delay picking up your favorite from the shop. You’ll want to be all wound up and ready for the first clue on August 14! The designer has posted a full project page for the MKAL here with the latest details.

Note: Patterns marked with an asterisk (*) are available at Gosh Yarn It!

Finally, the shop’s Big Table is open again – next time you visit, bring a WIP and sit and stitch awhile!

Last month we practiced our interpersonal stitching skills on World Wide Knit in Public Day, in the shade under a tent in the parking lot. As fun as it was to show off our love of yarn crafts, stitching together for the first time in over a year was definitely the main event.

Are you a fan of designer Casapinka? Do you love mystery knit alongs? You can get ready for her upcoming Snark-o-meter MKAL at GYI! The pattern and first clue drop August 14, with 5 more weekly clues to follow. The design is a rectangular shawl, approx. 20” wide, that will take 4 skeins fingering weight yarn (approx. 375 yards each) and US6 (4mm) and 4 (3.5mm) needles, 24” or longer. She says it will be appropriate for an “intermediate beginner,” with “easy” sections as options for first-timers. We’re counting on it being classic Casapinka – a fun and entertaining knit from start to finish.

We’ve put together several color “quartets” of our favorite Manos del Uruguay Alegria; grab your favorite soon – it may not be here for long! If you already have a stash skein or two and need to complete your palette, bring the yarn with you to the shop – we’re always happy to suggest color options.

We’re also taking special orders for custom Snark-o-meter MKAL kits of Emma’s Yarn Super Silky (80/20 SW Merino wool/silk). Order deadline is July 31. Cost is $118 + $9 dropship charge to have kit sent directly to you from the dyer in Florida.

Call 570-287-9999 or email info[at]goshyarnitshop[.com] to order by kit name:

• 1 – Poppin
• 2 – Barbie Girl
• 3 – Take A Hike
• 4 – Remote
• 5 – Yellow Submarine
• 6 – Forget Me Not
• 7 – Wink
• 8 – Aloha
• 9 – Remote
• 10 – Vacay

Please note that the Snark-o-meter pattern will be sold separately and can be purchased from us or as a Ravelry download from the designer.

And now a summer surprise – we just received a big restock of Blue Sky Fibers Woolstok! This buttery soft Peruvian Highland wool is one of our must-haves. It’s incredibly versatile, producing consistently beautiful fabric along a wide gauge range, from DK to aran. Along with 50g and 150g hanks were these mini-hank Woolstok Bundles, aptly named “Cool,” “Warm,” and “Neutral”:

Each Woolstok Bundle contains 252 total yards, (3) 12-yard skeins each of 7 coordinated colors. Oh, the possibilities! But there are some great BSF patterns created just for the Bundles. (Each also requires 1 or more 50g hank of Woolstok.) Here is Bobbi Intveld’s Chilton Cowl*…

Bobbi Intveld’s Breckenridge Hat*…

and Mary Pranica’s Ephraim Wrap*…

LYS happiness is a full-to-bursting display of Woolstok. Samples shown knit in Woolstok are Carolyn Kern’s Multi-Pane Mittens* and Sylvia Hager’s Trimont Snood*.

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If you receive our direct emails (and we hope you do – if not, sign up on our homepage to join the mailing list) you already know we’re big fans of Schoppel-Wolle Edition 3 – we have 4 shop models! They are Martina Behm’s Easy* shawlette, Andrea Mowry’s Shiftalong* and Flicker & Flame* hats, and my new fingerless glove design Tree Hollow*, which you’ll get free with a yarn purchase.

Our featured customer FOs are truly inspirational. Steven knit Boye* from Arne & Carlos in Rowan Felted Tweed and Sugar Bush Yarns Drizzle. This is stranded colorwork with an ingenious twist – the pattern is created simply by holding the silk/mohair with the wool. Brilliant! I can’t wait to try this technique.

Gina used Universal Yarn Colorburst for her own unique take on Diane L. Augustin’s Springtime Wrap* bias scarf, a stitch sampler design that makes the most of gradient yarns.

Stephanie created this cute little fella using the pattern Alpaca by Susan B. Anderson. His name is Humberto Huacaya.

Krista chose Berroco Ultra Wool DK for this charming Méabh’s Cardigan, a free pattern from designer Ciara Ní Reachtnín. (Thank you, Krista, for allowing me to “slurp” your pretty pics from Ravelry!)

Molly’s bright, graphic Grain from Tin Can Knits is knit with Berroco Ultra Wool. Grain is an easy, relaxing pattern, part of the Tin Can Knits Simple Collection.

For a pair of cool summer socks, Joanne used her favorite Churchmouse Simple Toe-Up Sock* with Schachenmayr Regia 4-Ply from the Arne & Carlos Mountains and Fjords Collection and Sweet Georgia Tough Love Sock for the heels and toes.

For anyone with “Christmas in July” on their minds, I’ll close with Rebecca’s insanely cute collection of mini “ugly” Christmas sweaters, which are going to be decorations on a wreath. (Remember her amazing Autumn Wreath?) She knits and crochets them without patterns…

…and her creativity shines in the details:

Let’s all have a festive time until my next post!

Note: Patterns marked with an asterisk (*) are available at Gosh Yarn It!

We’re taking special orders for Ice Cream Social kits from Emma’s Yarn through June 30…

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There are 10 sweet color options for these kits from Emma’s Yarn for Ice Cream Social, a new shawl pattern coming June 14 from Lisa K. Ross. Shown above, the “Paper Daisy” and “Floridian Zest” colorways.

You’ll get 6 mini-skeins and 2 full skeins of Emma’s Yarn Practically Perfect Sock to create this breezy, lightweight asymmetrical triangle shawl, shaped by lace and garter stitch. You can request your kit be sent to GYI for pick-up or a drop ship option for it to be sent directly to you.

Each kit is $127, which includes shipping. Kits include 2 skeins of Practically Perfect Sock in the main color, 6 Practically Perfect Smalls in cute pops of color, 3 custom Birdie Parker stitch markers, and suggestions for color order. Pattern sold separately, here at GYI and on Ravelry, starting June 14.

Just call us to order by name of your kit colorway choice. Row 1: Paper Daisy, Floridian Zest; Row 2: Thai Tea, Call Me a Cabana; Row 3: Stiletto, Fame & Fortune; Row 4: Grayscale, Plant Lady; Row 5: Zuni, Aloha.

Did you know we make at least one shop model for all our yarns so you can see how they work up? Our new Urth Uneek Cotton DK has just become this über-cute in threes: a baby cardigan* by designer Kelly Herdrich. Buy the pattern in-store at GYI, and you’ll receive one of my “tip sheets” for the tweaks and techniques I used to make it (I think) easier, neater, and more fun to knit.

Jill is working on the sample of Emma’s Yarn Practically Perfect Sock, making Checks All the Boxes*, a shawl done in mosaic knitting, from Cally Monster of MonsterKnits. Here’s a first look…

Mosaic knitting is no more than slipping stitches in between knitting or purling them. The patterns you can make with it are really pretty magical. I just finished a Shiftalong* hat from Andrea Mowry that has mosaic “Big Blips” and “Little Blips” of Schoppel-Wolle Edition 3 peeking through a background of Berroco Ultra Wool DK – such a fun knit! We’re loving Edition 3 and are planning a summer knit-along for it, similar to the winter KAL we held for Rowan Felted Tweed, with a choice of several patterns. Details soon.

And who doesn’t love nifty, new notions? These folding scissors from the Knitter’s Pride Mindful Collection just arrived, along with a row counter and the Mindful Marker Mega Pack of 100 assorted stitch markers in the same chic turquoise. All the packaging is so attractive! First, there’s a pretty little drawstring bag…

…inside there’s a neat little clamshell zippered case…

…that opens to reveal…

…these bright, rainbow snips! And all this for $6.35. Couldn’t be cuter.

We have our customer Joanne to thank for our two FOs this post. Here is her New Treeline Cardigan, a free pattern from Purl Soho. She beautifully matched two stashed GYI yarns – Manos del Uruguay Maxima and Trendsetter Yarns Icon – for this classic cardigan.

I don’t think my photos show them very well, but Icon has tiny metallic spangles that catch the light and wink at you. They know they’re part of a stunning sweater!

Joanne made Casapinka’s Noncho Lite* with 3 shades of Dream in Color Smooshy, placing the handdyed skeins carefully to create a fade within the striped pattern. Looking for a light summer layer? Take a cue from Joanne – Noncho for the win!

Note: Patterns marked with an asterisk (*) are available at Gosh Yarn It!

Emma’s Yarn Practically Perfect Sock, and Schoppel-Wolle Edition 3, our two newest yarns, are as colorful as the flowers that are bursting into bloom in our suddenly warm spring! The first 18 shades to arrive from Emma’s are in her sock-friendly 80/20 superwash merino/nylon base:

These three in particular, Calypso, Iguana, and Everglades, would be perfect for a “fade” project, don’t you think?

And our dozen vibrant colors of Edition 3 hold endless possibilities. A sport weight 100% fine merino washable virgin wool, it’s completely interchangeable with Spincycle’s Dyed in the Wool at half the price!

If you’ve wanted to make one of designer Andrea Mowry’s “Shift” patterns, Edition 3 will be perfect for (clockwise from upper left) the Nightshift* shawl, The Shift* cowl, Shifty* pullover, and Shiftalong* hat.

But Edition 3 can be used whenever you want subtle stripes of color, either on their own or set off by solids. For some inspiration, take a look at (clockwise from upper left) the free pattern Channeled Colors Brioche Loop & Scarf from Marcy New; Martina Behm’s Easy*, Andrea Mowry’s Flicker & Flame*, and Lori Versaci’s gamut*. Maybe something as simple as the Grain shawl from the Tin Can Knits Simple Collection? And how adorable would a baby hat, blanket or sweater be in Edition 3, alone or paired with Berroco Ultra Wool DK?

Time for finished project photos! Gina’s completed Toughnut* visited the store this week, my inspiration to queue up the pattern for myself. The yarn left from her 7 Color Scarf*, made during our Rowan Felted Tweed Play With Color KAL earlier this year, was combined with some soft natural shades of stash yarn for this beautiful scarf:

Our customer Lara may have moved to Utah, but we’re so happy she is staying in touch and sharing her inspiring FO’s. Here’s her Summit Pullover from designer Kristen Jancuk, which appeared in the Fall 2020 issue of Interweave Knits – yes, we still have copies available!

And this is Lara’s bright and cheery Dovetail Sweater* by Quinn Reverendo.

She’s already working on a second Dovetail – can’t wait to see it all finished!

Note: Patterns marked with an asterisk (*) are available at Gosh Yarn It!

We are thrilled to announce that in-person knitting instruction is back! Whether you want to learn to knit, master a new technique, or get advice on pattern instructions, we’ve “had our shots” and can now safely offer 45-minute 1:1 help sessions on Wednesday and Thursday mornings at 11:00. Advance reservations are necessary; call 570-287-9999 to reserve a spot or for more information. Cost is $15/session.

The GYI staff is fully vaccinated, and we ask that you be, too, to attend our help sessions. 6′ social distancing will be observed as much as possible with what is often “hands-on” instruction.

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The colors of Malabrigo Mechita from the new Speckled Collection proved so irresistible that both Jill and I immediately made shop samples – Jill used the color “Storm” for a Bobble Cowl* from designer Joji Locatelli with its fun picot edging…

… and for my skein of “Island,” I picked Carina Spencer’s Scalene* shawl, which uses its own knit-in “keyhole” to keep it tucked in place and so easy to wear. Mechita is a buttery soft fingering weight single strand of 100% Merino superwash wool, sourced from Peru and dyed in Uruguay. These Speckled Collection shades may be subtle in the skein, but they pack lots of color punch.

My usual perch behind the front register gives me a great view of our 20+ colors of Rowan Felted Tweed, and I confess I think – a lot – about new projects I’d like to start with it, maybe a Snedronningen* stranded pullover from Isabell Kraemer or a Waffle Sweater* from Chiaki Hiyashi. Then this happens: our customer Gina comes in and mentions she’s almost done with a Toughnut* scarf in Felted Tweed, and I have a new queue topper!

Martha Wissing’s design combines simple stitch pattern switching and the easiest possible style of intarsia color blocking, plus it offers the chance to play with at least four colors of Felted Tweed – win/win/win.

Do I hear you say, “intarsi-no way”? Yes, you can. Let Jen Arnall-Culliford show you all you need to remember is “old goes over new,” and you’ll be on your intarsi-way!

I’ll cast on for Toughnut just as soon as I finish the shop model I’m making now with Urth Uneek Cotton DK and Berroco Modern Cotton DK. Coincidentally, it’s another shawl called Scalene* but designed by Theresa Gaffey. It’s such easy, mindless knitting I got a bit too cocky and started reading on my Kindle while knitting and whoops…

…see that? Nine rows down, I slipped my needle into the stitch in the row below the one it was meant to go into, creating a K1B, a “knit one below.” Luckily for me, this problem is easily fixed. I dropped the stitches in that column down as far as the one below the unintentional K1B…

…then re-knit the column by working back up the ladder of released stitches (the different colors help!), one row at a time, using my trusty Fixer (the teeny crochet hook) to pull each strand into the stitch in the row below, from back to front, re-creating the stitches in the column, all the way up to the row on the needles.

Good as new! Now I’ll be setting the Kindle aside and will finish this Scalene so it will be ready to show you by the next post. (I do love the gorgeous peony pinks and greens of this Uneek Cotton!)

Note: Patterns marked with an asterisk (*) are available at Gosh Yarn It!

Our newest yarns have something in common. Ultra Wool DK, Uneek Cotton DK, and Modern Cotton DK all happen to be — you guessed it! — DK weight, which is just what you’ll want for Casapinka’s Noncho pattern giveaway celebrating National Bubble Tea Day on April 30 (yup, apparently that’s a real thing). But a bit of backstory first.

The 4th Annual LYS Day was April 17th. The fact that it was even held surprised a lot of folks — the 3rd Annual event last spring had to be canceled, then it was re-scheduled for fall, then the original sponsoring group TNNA technically disbanded, so there was far less hoopla. The designer Casapinka, who’s a big supporter of local yarn stores and independent dyers, learned too late about the scheduling of LYS Day 2021 to organize one of her exclusive freebies by the 17th but rallied to create Noncho to show her LYS love.

When you purchase your DK weight yarn from GYI for Noncho on Friday, April 30, or Saturday, May 1, we’ll give you a download code for the pattern, but PLEASE NOTE — the code expires at 11:59 p.m., EDT, May 2. Noncho, a 2- or 3-color “not-a-poncho,” will eventually be released in a fingering weight version, too.

Another LYS Day pattern/yarn promotion that we’re glad has been extended comes from the designer Shaina Bilow and Manos del Uruguay yarns. Bilow is making her Garden State shawl pattern, below, available free (regularly $6.50) with an LYS purchase of Manos del Uruguay Alegria through the end of April. You’ll get the download code with your purchase of Alegria at GYI this week. Aren’t the eyelet “flowers” knit right into the stripes pretty? The crocheted flowers sewn on the edge are a sweet touch. Of course, you could eliminate them completely or make more and trim the entire hem.

And we have both soft pastel and bright floral shades of Alegria for your Garden State:

Now about those new yarns… two of our favorite yarns got a spring trim. We now carry Ultra Wool DK (machine washable 100% wool) and Modern Cotton DK (60% Pima cotton/40% Modal rayon) from Berroco. These thinner yarns make fabrics that are lighter and more comfortable to wear than their heftier worsted weight cousins — think needle sizes US 5-6 rather than US 7-8. They are perfect “baby yarns.” And, boy, have we had requests lately for soft yarns for baby blankets, sweaters, and bonnets — the pandemic baby boom is real!

Above is my favorite bare naked color, Cream 8301. Below, our 20 colors of Ultra Wool DK on the top shelf of our Great Wall of Berroco, above restocked Vintage Worsted shades.

A random octet, showing both solids and heathers:

And here is the always cool Modern Cotton DK:

My baby blanket adaptation of Jared Flood’s Guernsey Wrap*, shown below in the color Piper, was knit in the worsted version of Modern Cotton, but a DK version of the blanket would be fantastic! (I’d just widen the garter stitch borders slightly to keep it the same size.) For a chart-free, more “mindless” pattern for a baby blanket, I’d go with Summer Sidewalk, a free pattern from Fifty Four Ten Studio.

For a new shop model of Modern Cotton DK, I vow I am going to make Jujuba, a free Norah Gaughan pattern that I’ve wanted to make for 10 years. (You read that right — ten years.)

Gaughan’s pattern uses a highly unconventional construction method to make the sweater nearly seamless. The directions seem to defy logic, but, encouraged by project notes on Ravelry, I am determined to unlock its secrets! I already know I want to give the pattern a few tiny tweaks, including a neat trick from Roxanne Richardson to reduce the bulk of the center seam: “Finessing the Three-Needle Bind-Off.” I will be posting about my Jujuba adventure here. (KAL, anyone?)

Our new self-striping Urth Uneek Cotton DK would be a great choice for a sweater knit side-to-side like Jujuba if you — like me — prefer to wear your stripes vertically. The colors in this yarn are amazing! A shop sample is already in the works — an asymmetric shawl that combines the Uneek Cotton with the solid color Modern Cotton DK. More about it also in a future post.

Bobbles are very, very “in” right now, and Berroco kicks off their latest Cardi Party Make-Along with a free cardigan pattern this week that’s a bobble lover’s dream come true: Amy Christoffers’ Sebec cardigan, knit from the bottom up with a v-neck and set in sleeves. Yarn is their worsted Pima 100, always in good supply at GYI. The Cardi Party begins May 14 and runs through June 25; details are on the Berroco Makers Group on Facebook. If you’d like to join the Party but make a different Berroco cardigan pattern, there are lots to choose from. You’ll get your pattern free with the code BerrocoCardiParty2 on Berroco’s website or Berroco’s Ravelry Store. (Code is good only for one Berroco pattern, not patterns from their partner brands Lopi, Lang Yarns, Amano, or Wool Addicts.)

Keep in mind that Berroco’s 123 DropShip Program is still going strong; available kits are shown here, and we can always order any amount/color of any Berroco or partner brand yarn for you for direct shipment to your home. (Is it time to start on a Lopi sweater for next winter?)

Look, a few new colors of Rowan Felted Tweed have just popped in! Check out that intense Sulfur yellow.

Several customers, admiring our Malabrigo Mechita fingering weight yarn dyed in Malabrigo’s new Speckled Collection style, have asked, “how will this look knit up?” Well, a lot like this:

On my needles, above, is an in-progress Scalene* shawl from Carina Spencer in the Speckled Collection’s Island colorway. It will be an FO by the next post.

I have but one lone customer FO to feature this post, but it’s a stunner: Joanne made her gorgeous Through the Trees reversible cowl in Knittinbro Sock colorways Secret Code and All of the Lights. The pattern comes from George Cullen; it appeared in Pom Pom Quarterly, Issue 35: Winter 2020.

Note: Patterns marked with an asterisk (*) are available at GYI.

Are you beyond ready for some bright spring-y colors? If so, we have good news — our spring yarns have color to spare! The first on our shelves is Uneek Cotton from Urth Yarns…

Talk about a party in a skein — it’s a hand-dyed, self-striping DK weight mercerized cotton that’s cottony light and smooth. There’s a generous 275 yards in each 100g hank, $14.95. For a scarf that will be a nice pop-of-color for summer, I’ve started knitting a Scalene Scarf* by Theresa Gaffey in this shade of Uneek Cotton, pairing it with a neutral color of Berroco Modern Cotton DK (more about that in a minute).

Looking for an easy knit pattern that uses only one hank of Uneek Cotton? Try Diane L. Augustin’s Easy Scarf, and crocheters, take a look at Jen Baker’s The Grapes of Wrap. Both patterns are free downloads on Ravelry.

And look what was tucked into the same Urth Yarns box…

Yes, they’re back! Each clever kit makes a perfectly matched pair of socks from pre-wound balls of Uneek Sock. The last time we had them in stock, it wasn’t for long.

Now about Berroco Modern Cotton — it’s one of two old favorites we’re giving a spring trim. You loved silky Modern Cotton and classic Ultra Wool in their worsted weights, now you can love their lighter DK versions, too! They’re even more perfect for baby blankets and clothing, as well as lighter tops, shawls, and accessories for everyone. We’re expecting a very large box from Berroco this week.

Our Play With Color KAL has ended, and our prizes, copies of Modern Daily Field Guide No. 16: Painterly, have been awarded. As promised, my Play With Color Cowl is now available as a free download, below. Use any DK/light worsted yarn you like; make it longer, shorter, wider, skinnier — just have fun playing with color!

The best part of every KAL is seeing your completed projects. With extra stripes for good measure, here is Gina’s bold and beautiful 7 Color Scarf* in Rowan Felted Tweed, the star of the knit-along. So happy to see she took ‘playing with color’ seriously!

Gina also recently completed this stunning Faeno* pullover designed by Orlane Sucche. The relief-patterned yoke is created with diamonds of twisted knit stitches against a background of purls. Her yarn is the wonderful Blue Sky Fibers Woolstok.

Joanne used her favorite Churchmouse Simple Toe-up Sock* pattern for socks she calls her “Round Trip Socks.” The yarn is from the Lang Super Soxx “City Runner” series; the foot color is called ‘Zurich’ and the heels and toes are ‘Paris.’ Knitting these was her way of taking an imaginary trip — as all trips were in 2020! — from Paris to Zurich and back again.

Another of her toe-up socks she named “My Summer Socks.” The contrast heels and toes are Wonderland Cheshire Cat and the striping yarn is Dizzywig Fibers Sock.

Krista made these two cozy pairs of Laura Nelkin’s Flip-Top Mittens* in Berroco Vintage. (More colors of Vintage will also be in that big Berroco box.) For years, Nelkin’s pattern has been our favorite for this clever type of mitt; it’s written for both fingering and worsted weight yarn. Love the buttons Krista chose.

Laurie dipped her hand into the technique of intentional- or planned-pooling with hand-painted yarns. She used Stephanie Pearl-McPhee’s Colour Stacking Cowl pattern from the Yarn Harlot’s Patreon Channel. Laurie knit with Manos del Uruguay Alegria, adding an i-cord edging of Kelbourne Woolens Scout. If you would like to try planned-pooling, check out the Ravelry Group Pooled Knits for tips and pattern suggestions. A popular one is the DaVinci Cowl* by Mary-Ann Lammers.

And finally, our customer MaryKate kindly sent us some great pictures of her finished projects from the last few months. She’s been a busy, busy knitter! She knit Cassie Clarke’s Double Plaited Cable Turban/Headband, with Malabrigo Rios in Purpuras…

…and again with Berroco Vintage.

These Drunk Girl Designs Hey Bee-Otch* mittens were knit in Knittinbro Sock…

…and these “Bernie Mittens” in Berroco Ultra Wool.

And this purr-fectly adorable Cattitude Scarf* by Lisa Hannan Fox is Madelinetosh Tosh DK in the colorways Madonna and Smoke Stack. Kudos, MaryKate!

Note: Patterns marked with an asterisk (*) are available at Gosh Yarn It!

“I read every project note and was terrified to start… After knitting one repeat of the flowers, I didn’t need the printed directions. This pattern became a joy to knit… watching the design unfold. It looks so complicated but isn’t.”

That’s how one knitter on Ravelry described making her Pressed Flowers* shawl. Jill said much the same thing about hers—this Amy Christoffers pattern quickly makes intuitive sense and is a totally addictive!

Jill’s black and grey version is currently on display as our store model. We’ve already had another Pressed Flowers* sighting at GYI. Tina brought in her elegant cat’s-eye yellow and black shawl yesterday. She also used Rowan Felted Tweed but chose to knit to a slightly lower gauge, making it a bit larger overall than Jill’s.

I’m loving the clever patterning details of this design.

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Have you tried mosaic knitting yet? It’s no more than slipped stitches. If you’d prefer a smaller first project than a shawl like Pressed Flowers*, I’d recommend Meg Gadsbey’s Arrochar* cowl, which calls for a DK/light worsted (below, in grey and white). I knit mine with a silk/mohair held double (Berroco Aerial and Sugar Bush Yarns Drizzle), but it would be gorgeous done in Woolstok from Blue Sky Fibers or Malabrigo Rios.

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I finished my Astrid* hat, my first solo stranded knitting project. Why did I wait so long? From now on, I will always have a colorwork project going. What I learned is what I always tried to teach in my pre-pandemic knitting classes at the shop: everything is hard until it’s easy. Practice, practice, practice.

Think you’d never be able to knit a Fair Isle pattern? Think again! Yes, your hands will have to learn a new skill, not easy at any age. New muscle memories must be created. You’ll feel like you’re learning to knit all over again. But once you work out the most efficient, most comfortable way to hold your hands and yarns, away you’ll go!

That said, there are 2 videos I can recommend that address stranded knitting yarn management, trapping floats, and color dominance—did I mention there will also be some new terms to learn? In her tutorial on color dominance, Jen Arnall-Culliford demonstrates different ways to hold your yarns. As I watched my own fingers fumbling, I found it encouraging that even she doesn’t perform all three methods perfectly.

Suzanne Bryan shows how to trap the floats of both main and contrast colors, a technique that comes up quickly in the Astrid* pattern. This is a skill easily mastered once done. The catching and carrying of yarn across the back of the work makes sense once the knitting is in your hands; you may not “get it” just by watching the video.

There may be starts and stops… you may try one way of holding yarn and then switch to a completely different way… you may question your color choices once they’re knit into stitches, as I did when I got this far with a blue as my second color and said, ummh, no.

But keep going! And when your colorwork piece is finished, give it a nice bath. Soak rinse-free wool wash made me look like a much better stranded knitter than I am—yet. The Felted Tweed plumped and softened, as if the stitches were reaching out to greet one another, and the fabric visibly relaxed. There actually are scientific reasons why washing wool is such a game changer; they’re entertainingly explained by Jillian Moreno here. Naturally, you’ll find Soak at GYI.

I was asked the other day about the difference between directions to “pick up” stitches vs. “pick up and knit.” This was in connection with another of our KAL options, the 7 Color Scarf* with its long edge borders, above. One of the best explanations I’ve found is Stephanie Pearl-McPhee’s in her Yarn Harlot blog.

For the scarf, you’ll find it easiest to pick up stitches first, as per The Yarn Harlot, place them on your left needle, then knit into them with the working (contrast) yarn. The key is to be consistent. First, take a few practice pick-ups to audition each of your garter edge stitch options and choose the one you like best. Is it the stitch that looks like a “(” ? Is it the one that looks like a “)”? Maybe it’s the one that looks like “—”. Whichever you choose, pick that one up every time, down the entire edge of your piece.

REMINDER: our Play With Color Knit Along ends March 20. You don’t have to finish your project to be eligible to win one of the KAL prizes. To be entered in the drawing, all you have to do is purchase 4 or more balls of Rowan Felted Tweed, plus you’ll save 10%!

More finished customer projects? Yes, please. Tina also shared these exquisite Late Bloomer Mittens by Kristin Ledgett with us. Her yarns are Berroco Aerial and Kelbourne Woolens Scout, held together. The pattern can be found in the 10th issue of Making magazine, Intricate.

Catherine S. was kind enough to send us this shot of several of her recently completed crocheted afghans. All were worked in easy-care Berroco Vintage. The textures and patterns are all different and all beautiful. They look so cozy!

Bonnie knit another adorable Cache Pullover* in Cascade 220 Superwash for her younger granddaughter. The design comes from Laura Spargo Anderson. She added to the sweater’s length to make a toddler-friendly tunic.

Big sister will be enjoying this Children’s V Neck Down Pullover #293* from Diane Soucy. Bonnie used soft, washable Berroco Ultra Wool and clearly had fun with the striping.

Way back in 2018, I started a PetiteKnit Anker’s Jacket* in Fibre Company Arranmore Light. I finally got around to working the buttonhole bands a few days ago. Languishing so long in the WIP basket means that although it was intended for my older granddaughter, it may now need to go to the younger. Maybe I’ll anticipate possible future delays by making the next one a couple of sizes too big!

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Note: Patterns marked with an asterisk (*) are available at Gosh Yarn It!

Rowan Felted Tweed has captured our hearts. If you aren’t already knitting along in our Play With Color KAL, more colors of Felted Tweed have just arrived, which means more colors to choose from for your 7 Color Scarf*, your Astrid* hat, Lindgren* mittens, Pressed Flowers* shawl, Play With Color Cowl*… wait—what?

Yes—my striped and cabled cowl finally has a name, thanks to the lovely commenters on our Facebook page. For now, the free pattern for the Play With Color Cowl* is only available from GYI with your purchase of Felted Tweed, but it will be posted on Ravelry at the end of the knit-along.

If you know me, you know I regularly “geek out” when I find new knitting tricks and tips. With the Play With Color Cowl* off my needles, I wanted to cast on for the Astrid* hat, which starts with 1×1 ribbing.

The look of 1×1 or 2×2 ribbing can always be improved by using either an Alternate Cable Cast On or switching between long tail cast on knits and purls, as Cheryl Brunette shows here and Purl Soho demonstrates slingshot-style here. My vote, however, for the most elastic, attractive ribbed edge always goes to a tubular cast on.

I had been using a version of the Long Tail Tubular Cast On¹ with a slight modification² (see my Geeky Footnotes, below), but I couldn’t resist researching other methods for Astrid* to achieve that smooth, rolled tubular edge.

For knitting “aha moments,” I often turn to Roxanne Richardson’s YouTube Channel for her Technique Tuesday videos. Sure enough, my knitter’s brain was blown by her tutorial for a Tubular Crochet Cast On. I used it for Astrid* and am completely happy with the results. Yes, it has a few extra steps, but foolproof wins out over fussy. I have a new favorite.

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Geeky Footnotes:

¹ I do still love a long tail method for creating a tubular cast on—what if you don’t have a crochet hook and waste yarn handy when you want to cast on for ribbing? The first tubular cast on method I ever learned involved picking up stitches, demonstrated here by Eunny Jang. Then I found Ysolda Teague’s video. Eureka! It’s so much easier to make, even though it has the slight downside of creating twisted knit stitches that must be worked through their back strands on the first set-up row. This Purl Soho video shows the same method. This video shows a fiendishly-clever trick for a gap-free way to join a tubular edge in the round and uses the same method as the two above but demonstrated in the Continental style.

² Another version of a long tail cast on for ribbing that doesn’t produce twisted knit stitches in the first row is the Italian Cast On, and, once again, Roxanne Richardson, a.k.a. Rox, has a clear explanation in this video. The edging it produces isn’t truly tubular but—fun fact—you can turn an Italian Cast On into a tubular edging by adding two or four set-up rows of alternately knit and slipped stitches—and that’s the modification I’ve been using. As Rox says, there are many ways in knitting to end up in the same place, and I originally learned the Italian Cast On from this 2006 blog post, even though it shows a completely different way to achieve the same cast on.

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Now it’s show time! Time to showcase finished projects. On the subject of tubular cast ons, I encountered a completely unfamiliar version when making a Churchmouse Ribbed Watch Cap & Beanie*. It starts with a backward loop cast on—not my favorite—and in the unlikely event I were ever to make another deep brimmed hat with sock yarn (like this madelinetosh Tosh Sock) on 200 stitches in all 1×1 ribbing with US 1/2.25mm needles, I would use ANY of the tubular cast on techniques mentioned above before using the one in this pattern. Just sayin’. But I do like the hat.

Our customer Molly recently rediscovered knitting and enjoyed having her skills come back to her as she knit the Wheat scarf by Tin Can Knits. Her yarn is Malabrigo Rios. Gorgeous.

Saritha also picked Vintage for her own Wheat—bet you can’t tell it’s her first FO ever!

Steven, an accomplished sweater knitter, used the traditional “Modified Drop Shoulder Sweater” pattern from Ann Budd’s Knitter’s Handy Book of Sweater Patterns for his handsome pullover. He held strands of Trendsetter New York and Sugar Bush mohair/silk Drizzle together throughout for one cozy, classy sweater.

The remaining FOs all come from our customer Bonnie and represent her “output” since November. I think I need to spend more time knitting!

First up, her Arrochar* cowl from Meg Gadsbey. The pinkalicious yarn is Malabrigo Rios.

Below, the Cache Pullover* by Laura Spargo Anderson. Yarn is Cascade 220 Superwash.

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Above, the Odila Cape Pullover* designed by Heidi May in Cascade 128 Superwash. Below, Kristen Rettig’s Gingersnap* in Berroco Ultra Wool.

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Warmest Wishes*, a pattern from Sophie McKane, in Berroco Vintage Chunky.

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Next, the Logan Hooded Poncho* from Muki Crafts, also in Berroco Vintage Chunky.

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Here’s the Wee Gol Tee* by DesiLoop designer Sheta Shankar Khatri. Yarn is Classic Elite Liberty Wool.

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The Lodgepole Pullover* was designed by Sara Gresbach. Bonnie used Ewe So Sporty from Ewe Ewe Yarns. Begun for big sister, it fits little sister.

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Above, a Frosty the Polar Bear hat for each granddaughter from the book Knitted Animal Hats by Fiona Goble. Below, Koala Hat*, created by Cassandra May. All hats knit from Berroco Vintage Chunky.

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For this OOAK mother/daughter mitt set in Malabrigo Rios, Bonnie had fun mixing and matching parts of different patterns.

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Below, a slouch hat that’s another of her own patterns, knit from stash yarn topped with a bright I-cord bow. She made the pompom-topped Sidewinder Beanie* in Malabrigo Rasta with plenty of growing room. Pattern from Aspen Leaf Knits.

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And finally, another Bonnie “original” in some bright and colorful mystery stash yarn, a muff for her younger granddaughter to keep little hands warm.

Keep on stitching, everyone!

Note: Patterns marked with an asterisk (*) are available at Gosh Yarn It!

Have you chosen your pattern yet? For the next 7 weeks, we’ll be knitting along together with wonderful Rowan Felted Tweed, and I know I’ll be loving every stitch. KAL details are in this post. I promised to share hints here that I’ve found helpful for various techniques you’ll find in the different patterns. It’s easiest for me to start with the Tiverton Cowl, since I designed it!

As written, the pattern calls for 4 colors, but you caught me—I’m about to add a fifth, which is why I don’t have the finished cowl to show you quite yet, except worked in its original undyed colors of Tiverton Tweed:

Tiverton is a ribbed cowl, and those ribs get a twist every few rounds with a 2 x 2 Right Cross Cable. It’s not news that the traditional way to work any cable is with a cable needle. With this technique, the first set of stitches in the cable column are slipped onto the cable needle, pulled out of the way—either to the front or back, depending on the direction the cable will lean—then the next set of stitches are knit, and then the held stitches are knit off the cable needle or placed back on the left needle to be knit:

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But…I’m a big fan of cabling without a cable needle. Whatever you may have heard about this maneuver, your stitches will not drop! The key is rearranging the stitches without actually moving them too much and using smooth, pointy needles. I would not recommend trying this technique for the first time on blunt-tipped bamboo needles.

I am using the new Addi Click Rocket² [Squared] needles, which I totally love. Our “house brand” Hiya Hiya Sharps or similar needles with long tapered points would also be perfect. (We can always special order any type of Addi, Hiya Hiya, Chiao Goo, or Knitter’s Pride needles for you!)

I’ve found two ways to rearrange stitches to knit a cable, all at once, off the left needle. Here’s my Method #1, shown on my Tiverton in progress:

From the front, insert the right needle purlwise into stitches #3 and #4 on the left needle (above). Once those stitches are safely onboard the right needle, gently slide the left needle out of stitches #2 and #1 (below). Don’t panic! Those “needle-free” stitches aren’t going anywhere—if you don’t wiggle them too much!

With stitches #3 and #4 now out of the way, reinsert your left needle into #2 and #1. You should be able to slide the needle right back into the waiting stitches as easily as it came out.

Now all that’s left to do is re-hang the stitches on the right needle back on the left needle and knit them across. That’s it!

And here’s my same-but-different Method #2: From the front, slide the right needle purlwise into all 4 stitches of the cable column at once.

With the 4 stitches now on the right needle tip…

…insert the left needle tip into the back of stitches #1 and #2 and…

…gently slide the right needle tip out of stitches #3 and #4.

Now that stitches #1 and #2 are out of the way, reinsert your right needle into #3 and #4. You should be able to slide the needle back into the waiting stitches as easily as it came out.

Once again, all that’s left to do is transfer the stitches on the right needle back onto the left needle and knit them across.

I encourage you to experiment with both methods shown above. See which one makes the most sense and is easiest for you to do. I bet you’ll be able to figure out the logistics of a Left Cross Cable on your own!

You’ll find how-to videos online telling you to “pinch” and “pull” stitches around with your fingers when you aren’t using a cable needle. Please ignore them. While it’s true that different yarns and different needles may make this technique more or less challenging to perform with confidence, my “needle slide” method is a great match for Felted Tweed. And If you don’t want your actual Tiverton Cowl project to be the first time you try cabling without a cable needle, make yourself a practice swatch, similar to one I made when I was auditioning needle sizes:

What do you think my fifth color is going to be?

The Tiverton Cowl pattern will not be available on Ravelry until after our KAL ends on March 20. It is only available from Gosh Yarn It!, free with a purchase of Felted Tweed.

Which pattern should we talk about next?