A few more of my 2021 makes
2021 has been a year of the covid vaccine, celebration of events that couldn’t take place in 2020, health issues, covid infection and symptoms in spite of the vaccine etc…. Thankful this year is over and looking forward to the new year.
Stay healthy in the New Year!
~coffeeteaknits
The Cozy Neckwarmer
The Cozy Neckwarmer is knit flat in the garter knit stitch and in sections. Stitches are picked up and knit for the different sections. The Cozy Neckwarmer also has a short rows section with wrap and turns. Since the neckwarmer is knit in the garter stitch pattern, the wraps don’t need to be picked up and knit. A single crochet border is added once all the sections are completed and the piece that goes around the neck is joined with the zigzag crochet method. The picture below shows how the Cozy Neckwarmer was knit:
The Cozy Neckwarmer Pattern (pattern text and images for personal use only)
Yarn: Lion Brand® Comfy Cotton Blend Yarn in Chai Latte and Whipped Cream Colorways
Knitting Needles: circular or straight US #9 and US #7
Crochet hook: US size 7 or 4.5 mm crochet hook
Gauge: 20 stitches / 38 rows (or 19 garter ridges) = 4 inches in garter stitch with US #7 knitting needles
Abbreviations:
With the yarn colorway Chai Latte , cast on 5 stitches with US #9 knitting needles
With US #7 knitting needles knit as follows:
One stitch increase section:
Additional stitch cast on section:
Additional stitch bind off section:
One stitch decrease section:
Short rows section:
Last add on decrease section (left side of the knitted piece):
Last add on decrease section (right side of the knitted piece):
With US size 7 or 4.5 mm crochet hook, single crochet all around the piece with the Whipped Cream yarn colorway.
Wash and block the knitted piece
Join the two sides of the additional cast on and bind off sections with the zig zag crochet method
~coffeeteaknits
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There are some knit stitch patterns that look just as good on the right side as they do on the wrong side. It is so with the twisted seed stitch knit pattern. So I knitted the Comfy Hats with this twisted seed stitch pattern, one with the right side on the outside and the other with the wrong side on the outside. The Lion Brand® Scarfie yarn is warm and comfortable making it the right hat to wear this time of the year. Both hats were knitted bottom up and in the round with a 1 x 1 rib knit stitch pattern folded cuff, a body with the twisted seed stitch pattern, and crown shaping.
There are two patterns down below for the two hats. The patterns are mostly similar but with a few modifications. These patterns are only for an adult medium hat size. These hats have not been graded for different sizes but the pattern can be easily adapted to different sizes by increasing or decreasing the number of cast on stitches or by increasing or decreasing the number of the pattern repeats.
The Comfy Hat Patterns (text and images for personal use only)
Yarn: Lion Brand® Scarfie Yarn in the Cream/Silver colorway
Knitting Needles: US #7 and US #9 circular knitting needles
Gauge: 17 stitches and 26 rows = 4 inches in stockinette stitch before blocking and with US #7 knitting needles
Abbreviations:
| Comfy Hat Pattern 1 | Comfy Hat Pattern 2 |
| With US #9 cast on 88 stitches using the cable cast on method, slip stitches on to US #7 circular knitting needles, place a BOR marker and join the round | With US #9 cast on 88 stitches using the cable cast on method, slip stitches on to US #7 circular knitting needles, place a BOR marker and join the round |
| Folded Cuff (1 x 1 rib stitch): Round 1: [K1, P1] till the BOR marker, slip marker Repeat Round 1 twenty-four more times (about 4 inches in length) | Folded Cuff (1 x 1 rib stitch): Round 1: [K1, P1] till the BOR marker, slip marker Repeat Round 1 twenty-four more times (about 4 inches in length) |
| Body (Twisted Seed Stitch Pattern): Setup Round: [purl 10, K1, pm] repeat this 7 more times till the BOR marker, slip the BOR marker Round 1: [purl till 1 stitch before marker, K1, sm] repeat this 7 more times till the BOR marker, slip the BOR marker Round 2: [K1, K1B till 1 stitch before marker, K1, sm] repeat this 7 more times till the BOR marker Round 3: [purl till 1 stitch before marker, K1, sm] repeat this 7 more times till the BOR marker, slip the BOR marker Round 4: [K1B, K1 till 1 stitch before marker, K1, sm] repeat this 7 more times till the BOR marker Repeat Rounds 1 – 4 seven more times | Body (Twisted Seed Stitch Pattern): Setup Round: [purl 11, pm] repeat this 7 more times till the BOR marker, slip the BOR marker Round 1: [purl to marker, sm] repeat this 7 more times till the BOR marker, slip the BOR marker Round 2: [K1, K1B till 1 stitch before marker, P1, sm] repeat this 7 more times till the BOR marker Round 3: [purl to marker, sm] repeat this 7 more times till the BOR marker, slip the BOR marker Round 4: [K1B, K1 till 1 stitch before marker, P1, sm] repeat this 7 more times till the BOR marker Repeat Rounds 1 – 4 seven more times |
| Crown Shaping: Round 1: [purl till 3 stitches before marker, P2tog, K1, sm] repeat this 7 more times, slip BOR marker Round 2: [K1, K1B till 2 stitches before marker, K2, sm] repeat this 7 more times, slip BOR marker Round 3: [purl till 3 stitches before marker, P2tog, K1, sm] repeat this 7 more times, slip BOR marker Round 4: [K1B, K1 till 1 stitch before marker, K1, sm] repeat this 7 more times, slip BOR marker Repeat Rounds 1 – 4 three more times Round 17: [P2tog, K1, sm] repeat this seven more till BOR marker, slip BOR marker Round 18: Knit all the stitches removing all markers till the BOR marker, slip the BOR marker Round 19: K2tog till the BOR marker, remove BOR marker, break about 6 inches of the working yarn and thread it through a tapestry needle. Insert the tapestry needle with the working yarn into the remaining stitches, pull tight and secure yarn Weave in the ends and wash hat. | Crown Shaping: Round 1: [purl till 3 stitches before marker, P2tog, P1, sm] repeat this 7 more times, slip BOR marker Round 2: [K1, K1B till 2 stitches before marker, K1, P1, sm] repeat this 7 more times, slip BOR marker Round 3: [purl till 3 stitches before marker, P2tog, P1, sm] repeat this 7 more times, slip BOR marker Round 4: [K1B, K1 till 1 stitch before marker, P1, sm] repeat this 7 more times, slip BOR marker Repeat Rounds 1 – 4 three more times Round 17: [P2tog, P1, sm] repeat this seven more till BOR marker, slip BOR marker Round 18: [K1, P1 till marker, rm] repeat till the BOR marker, slip the BOR marker Round 19: P2tog till the BOR marker, remove BOR marker, break about 6 inches of the working yarn and thread it through a tapestry needle. Insert the tapestry needle with the working yarn into the remaining stitches, pull tight and secure yarn Turn the hat inside out, weave in the ends and wash hat. |
My interest in weaving started more as a way to reduce the amount of yarn I had but now it has grown into a genuine interest in this craft. Weaving dates back to the paleolithic era and is much older than knitting or other fiber related crafts. In 2019 when I got a rigid heddle loom, I found myself learning about warp and weft** and trying out various combinations of plain weaving first with whatever yarn I had on hand and then with yarn bought specifically for weaving.
Since weaving has been around for so long, there are many different types of weaving patterns other than plain weaving. Other weaving patterns with a rigid heddle loom include soumak, leno, tapestry, and many more. The loom with two heddles and pick up sticks makes double width weaving as well as various twill weave patterns possible. I’ve just begun to discover all these various weaving patterns and combinations.
I find weaving to be much faster than knitting or crocheting. Large projects such as blankets or wraps can be woven in a matter of days rather than months. Weaving has also reduced my yarn stash. Although I still prefer knitting sweaters, hats etc., it is a relief to be able to weave the larger projects quickly. Since I have only one rigid heddle loom I can only weave one project at a time.
Weaving, however, requires more finishing afterwards than knitting or crocheting. For someone who likes seamless knits with minimal finishing, finding the motivation to finish the woven pieces can be quite a task. Also, unlike knitting or crocheting where most of the leftover yarn is left intact, discarding some of the warp yarn still bothers me. Even with these minor drawbacks, I find the craft of weaving very interesting and look forward to learning more about it.
** warp yarn runs lengthwise and is held under tension whereas the weft yarn runs side to side and is inserted by the weaver.
~coffeeteaknits
Most summers my sweater knitting with wool or other yarn slows down. I usually weave more or try to knit with cotton yarns during this season. Although this season is more a time for yarn and a loom for me (more details in the next post), I have knitted a few dishcloths including these Summertime Dishcloths. Summertime dishcloths are knit flat from bottom up in a combination of garter stitch and twisted seed stitch pattern.
The Summertime Dishcloths Pattern*
Yarn: Loops & Threads Capri in Apricot colorway for the dishcloth 1
Yarn: Premier Home Cotton in Jelly dots colorway for the dishcloth 2
Knitting Needles: US #8, and US #10 circular needle for the dishcloth 1
Knitting Needles: US #7, and US #9 circular needle for the dishcloth 2
Crochet hook: 4.5 mm for the dishcloth 1; 4.0 mm for the dishcloth 2
Gauge: garter stitch pattern – 18 stitches/ 4 inches for the dishcloth 1; 17 stitches/ 4 inches for the dishcloth 2
Abbreviations:
Cast on 31 stitches with US #10 needles for the dishcloth 1 or US #9 for the dishcloth 2. Then with US#8 knitting needles for the dishcloth 1 or with US#7 knitting needles for the dishcloth 2 knit as follows:
Repeat Rows 1 to 8, 7 more times ending with Row 8
Insert a 4.5 mm crochet hook for the dishcloth 1 (or 4.0 mm crochet hook for the dishcloth 2) in the last remaining stitch and single crochet all around the dishcloth.
(Optional) – For the hanging loop, chain 15 and slip stitch into the next single crocheted stitch on the crocheted border.
Finish the dishcloths by washing, blocking and weaving in the ends.
* text and images for personal use only.
~coffeeteaknits
The many different shapes in which shawls or wraps are knitted can be a lesson in geometry. Shawls can be rectangular, squares, circular, triangular or several combinations and variations of these shapes. So, it was inevitable that after knitting several rectangle wraps, square blankets and dishcloths I would dabble in triangular shaped shawl design. Triangular shawls, similar to other shaped shawls, can be knit in several different ways. They can be knit sideways, top down (like the The Sheltering Tree Shawlette), or bottom up like this Unexpected Find Wrap.
The Unexpected Find Wrap pattern is a simple triangular shaped shawl knit bottom up with a two row repeat brioche honeycomb stitch pattern. I happened upon the yarn for this wrap at Joann Fabric and Craft Store. I wasn’t looking for this yarn but once I saw it, I just couldn’t walk away without purchasing it. After casting on a few stitches, the wrap is increased two stitches every other row till the preferred length is reached. This cotton blend wrap is great for those cool summer evenings and also for those overly air conditioned places.
Yarn: K + C Element Yarn (50 grams each) in Colorway: Pink (Any other worsted weight cotton or cotton blend yarn can be substituted for this yarn)
Knitting Needles: US #8 circular needle
Gauge: 14 stitches/ 4 inches after blocking
Abbreviations:
The Unexpected Find Wrap Pattern**
*Seed Stitch Border Edge Pattern (BE):
Row 1 (RS): K1, P1, K1, P1, K1, P1, K1 (7 stitches)
Row 2 (WS): K1, P1, K1, P1, K1, P1, K1 (7 stitches)
Cast on 7 stitches with US #8 circular knitting needles
[Repeat Rows 16 and 17] till 215 stitches (about 250 grams of yarn) ending with the RS side row
Bind Off Row (WS): K1, yo backward, K1, pass the yo and first knit stitch on the right hand needle over the second knit stitch on the right hand needle. (Several video tutorials for other stretchy bind off are available on YouTube). I used Jeny’s Surprisingly Stretchy Bind-Off method in knit stitch pattern for binding off this wrap.
Weave in ends, wash and block the wrap.
**Text and Image for personal use only
~coffeeteaknits
The Yarn Over Washcloth
The Yarn Over Washcloth is knit corner to corner with a two row slip stitch pattern. Two stitches are increased every other row and then two stitches are decreased every other row. The washcloth has yarn overs all around between the stitch pattern and the border edge stitches. One stitch is cast on and through a series of increases and decreases this washcloth is worked in one piece ending with a two stitch I-cord hanging loop.
Yarn: Lily Sugar’n Cream in Colorways: Soft Ecru and Butter Cream Ombre
Knitting Needles: US #7 circular needle
Gauge: Not needed for this project
Abbreviations:
The Yarn Over Washcloth*
Cast on 1 stitch with US #7 circular needle
Repeat rows 13 and 14 [repeat section] till 48 stitches on the needle.
Double Decreases:
Repeat these two rows till 14 stitches left on the needle.
Single decreases:
Repeat Rows 1 and 2 till 4 stitches left on the needle.
Make an I-cord hanging loop (about 10 to 12 rows) with the 2 stitches on the needle (several tutorials on knitting I-cord are available on YouTube) and bind off.
Attach the I-cord bind off end to the wrong side of the washcloth and weave in ends.
Wash and block the washcloth.
*Text and photo for personal use.
Enjoy!
~coffeeteaknits
The Sheltering Tree Shawlette is knit with Urth Yarns that I purchased a few years back. Urth Yarns have partnered with Trees for the Future to plant trees for a positive impact as stated in their label below:
The Sheltering Tree Shawlette*
The Sheltering Tree Shawlette is knitted flat from the top to bottom and is triangular in shape.
Yarn: Urth Yarns Merino Sock (75% Extrafine Superwash Merino and 25% Nylon Yards: 440 Grams:100)
Knitting Needles: Circular US #6 knitting needles
Gauge: 24 stitches/ 4 inches (blocked and in stitch pattern)
Abbreviations:
With a size US #6 knitting needle cast on 4 stitches with this yarn
Shawlette Stitch Pattern [Repeats] and Stitch Increases:
Repeat rows 11 – 14 till the desired length for the shawlette is reached. Make sure there’s enough yarn for 6 rows of garter stitch and eyelet border.
Garter Stitch rows:
Eyelet Row (RS): K1, sm, Kfb, [K2tog, yo] till 1 stitch before marker, Kfb, sm, K2, sm, Kfb, [yo, K2tog] till 1 stitch before marker, Kfb, sm, K1
Bind off Row (WS): Bind off using a stretchy bind off method.
Weave in the ends. Wash and block the shawlette.
*Photo and text for personal use only.
Happy Earth Day 2021!
Goes with Everything Earwarmer
This month has been quite overwhelming in terms of snow and icy temperatures. I’ve spent most of the month staying indoors bundled up in sweaters and other knitwear for warmth and of course keeping busy with knitting, weaving or crocheting. I had some of Malabrigo Rios yarn left over from knitting the “Goes with Everything Cowl” last month. There was just enough yarn leftover (about 27 – 28 grams) to knit the Goes with Everything Earwarmer.
The earwarmers I’ve knit in the past have been knit in the round. I wear them but I’ve found that they tend to curl up in the back when my hair is tied up in a ponytail or a bun. To avoid the earwarmer from curling up in the back, I knit Goes with Everything Earwarmer flat from one side to the other with a series of increases and decreases.
It is first knit in garter stitch pattern for a couple of inches, then increased by 2 stitches every other row for another inch or so (customizable) in seed stitch pattern. The earwarmer is knit straight in seed stitch pattern with no increases or decreases for a specific (customizable) length, and then decreased every other row to the original number of stitches. It is knit again in garter stitch for a couple of inches and then bound off. The two garter stitch sides are joined using the zig zag crochet method.
Goes with Everything Earwarmer Pattern**
Yarn: Malabrigo Yarn – Rios in the RIO877 (Queguay) colorway
Knitting Needles: US #6 and #7 for knitting the earwarmer. US #8 for casting on and binding off.
Crochet hook: US size 7 or 4.5 mm crochet hook
Gauge: 16 stitches/ 4 inches (this pattern is generic so gauge not so critical)
Abbreviations:
The seed stitch pattern:
Row 1 (RS): *K1, P1*; repeat from *…* to end of the row
Row 2 (WS): *P1, K1*; repeat from *…* to end of the row
*Knit in seed stitch pattern: Knit the purl stitches and purl the knit stitches
With a size US #8 knitting needle cast on 9 stitches start knitting with US #6 knitting needle the following garter stitch pattern:
Repeat Row 2 – 18 more times (about 2 inches in length)
Increase section (2 stitches increased every other row):
With US #7 needles knit this section in seed stitch pattern
Repeat these two rows 5 more times for a total of 19 stitches (customize to your size by adding or subtracting these row repeats to the length that will cover your ears)
Straight knitting with no increases or decreases section (customize to your size by measuring the number of stitches from one ear to the other and knit about 2 to 4 inches less for negative ease):
Continue in knitting with US #7 knitting needle and seed stitch pattern
Repeat these two rows till the knitted piece measures about 15 inches from cast on edge (add or subtract row repeats to your specific size)
Decrease section (2 stitches decreased every other row):
With US #7 knitting needle and seed stitch pattern
Repeat these two rows 5 more times decreasing the number of stitches to 9 (if your stitch count was more or less than 19 stitches, add or subtract these row repeats till 9 stitches)
With US #6 knitting needle knit the following garter stitch pattern:
Repeat these two rows 9 more times (about 2 inches in length). Bind off with US #8 knitting needle and hold the remaining stitch with a removable stitch marker.
Crochet join (optional):
Insert a size 7 or 4.5 mm crochet hook in the remaining stitch, chain one, and align the two sides facing RS of the knitted piece together on the RS. Use the zig zag slip stitch crochet join method to join the two sides together (several online video tutorials are available on YouTube for this crochet join method).
Alternately, the two sides can be joined with any other join method of choice.
Weave in the ends, wash and block the earwarmer.
** text and images for personal use only
Stay warm
~coffeeteaknits
Goes with Everything Cowl
Hello fellow knitters and crocheters, welcome to my first blog post of 2021. It’s common to write about one’s knitting and crocheting goals for the year, but I will skip all that. Instead, I will write about how I knitted the Goes with Everything Cowl. I chose this name for the cowl because the yarn colorway seems to go with everything I have in my wardrobe. I purchased this yarn (one skein) a couple of years ago on a wonderful summer vacation trip. This cowl was a quick and simple knit and I’m satisfied with how it turned out. I’ll be wearing it quite a bit during this frigidly cold winter.
The cowl is knitted flat in a rectangle from one corner to another. The two shorter sides of the rectangle are then joined to make a warm and comfortable circular cowl. You begin with casting on one stitch and increase two stitches every other row till the desired width is reached. The cowl is then worked on for the desired length with no net increase. Lastly the cowl is decreased two stitches every other row till one stitch is left on the needle. The shorter sides of the knitted rectangle are then joined together using the zigzag crochet join method.
Goes with Everything Cowl Pattern**
Yarn: Malabrigo Yarn – Rios in the RIO877 (Queguay) colorway
Knitting Needles: US #7
Crochet hook: US size 7 or 4.5 mm crochet hook
Gauge: 16 stitches/ 4 inches (this pattern is generic so gauge not so critical)
Abbreviations:
The seed stitch pattern:
Row 1 (RS): *K1, P1*; repeat from *…* to end of the row
Row 2 (WS): *P1, K1*; repeat from *…* to end of the row
*Knit in seed stitch pattern: Knit the purl stitches and purl the knit stitches
With a size US #7 knitting needle cast on 1 stitch with this yarn
Increase Rows:
Repeat rows 9 and 10 till the number of stitches for the preferred cowl width is reached. The width for this cowl is about 7.5 inches.
Length increase Rows:
Repeat these two rows till desired length is reached. The length for this cowl is about 19.5 inches.
Decrease Rows:
Repeat Rows 1 and 2 till 6 stitches left on the needle ending on the WS row
Crochet join (optional):
Insert a size 7 or 4.5 mm crochet hook in the remaining stitch, remove the stitch marker, chain one, and align the two shorter sides of the knitted rectangle together on the RS. Use the zigzag crochet join method to join the two sides together (several online video tutorials are available for this crochet join method).
Alternately, the two sides can be joined with any other join method of choice.
Weave in the ends, wash and block cowl.
** text and images for personal use only
Stay warm and stay safe
~coffeeteaknits
Coffee Tea Knits 