Category Archives: 2023

The Nostalgic Wrap Pattern

Posted in 2023, March 28, 2023 by

The Nostalgic Wrap was knit for the opportunities and the arts and crafts stores that are no longer there. The wrap is knit with a cotton yarn that I purchased in the beginning of 2020 at A. C. Moore that closed its stores later that year. I spent many hours in that store exploring and learning about the different types of yarn and yarn brands. It was where knitting and yarn became a serious hobby and craft for me. A. C. Moore was my window at a time when several doors had closed for me. It is much missed by me.

The Nostalgic Wrap is knit using the same cotton yarn as in The Harmony Wrap that I knit in September 2020. The colors of the yarn are different in the two wraps but each cake of this yarn has a gradient of 14 different colors. The yarn has been discontinued but a substitute yarn can be found on Yarn Sub. Both wraps are knit using the bias knitting technique with a 1 stitch cast on (tutorials for bias knitting technique can be found on YouTube). The wrap is knit using the garter stitch pattern. Although knitting the Nostalgic Wrap took a long time, I found it both a very relaxing and meditative knit. The wrap can be easily customized to shorter length or wider width if preferred. The Nostalgic Wrap is about 18 inches wide (without stretching) and about 96 inches in length.

The Nostalgic Wrap Pattern (text and images for personal use only)

Yarn: Stitch Studio by Nicole Cotton Colors in Purple Red Pink Colorway (2 yarn cakes – 250 grams each used for this pattern). There are 14 different colors in a gradient for each cake which are marked as 1 to 14
Knitting Needles: US #2 or 2.75 mm knitting needles
Gauge: 26 stitches/ 4 inches (this pattern is generic so gauge not so critical)
Abbreviations:

  • K: Knit
  • P: Purl
  • Kfb: Knit front and back (knit one stitch first in the front and then knit the same stitch in the back before slipping it off the left needle – 1 stitch increase)
  • K2tog: Knit the first two stitches together on the left needle (1 stitch decrease)
  • SSK: slip slip knit (slip 2 stitches to right hand needle then insert the left needle in front of the two slipped stitches and knit them together
  • RS: right side
  • WS: wrong side
  • garter ridge – RS and WS row in knit stitch pattern (2 knitted rows)

Cast on 1 stitch with US #2 needles with color 1 (the first color in the center pull gradient yarn)

Increase Section:
Row 1 (RS): color 1 – Kfb
Row 2 (WS): color 1 – K2
Row 3 (RS): color 1 – Kfb, Kfb
Row 4 (WS): color 1 – K4
Row 5 (RS): color 1 – Kfb, knit to 1 stitch before last, Kfb
Row 6 (WS): color 1 – Knit all the stitches
Repeat Rows 5 and 6 (with color 1) till 146  stitches on the needles. 
Change to Color 2 and repeat rows 5 and 6 till 208 stitches on the needles (the length can be extended if preferred with the next color in the gradient)

Length Increase Section (garter ridges):
Row 1 (RS): Color 3 – Kfb, knit till 2 stitches left, K2tog.
Row 2 (WS): Color 3 –  Knit all the stitches
Repeat Rows 1 and 2 for twenty five more garter ridges (more or less garter ridges if preferred). 
Change to Color 4 and repeat rows 1 and 2 for a total of 26 garter ridges
Change to Color 5 and repeat rows 1 and 2 for a total of 26 garter ridges
Change to Color 6 and repeat rows 1 and 2 for a total of 26 garter ridges
Change to Color 7 and repeat rows 1 and 2 for a total of 26 garter ridges
Change to Color 8 and repeat rows 1 and 2 for a total of 26 garter ridges
Change to Color 9 and repeat rows 1 and 2 for a total of 26 garter ridges
Change to Color 10 and repeat rows 1 and 2 for a total of 26 garter ridges
Change to Color 11 and repeat rows 1 and 2 for a total of 26 garter ridges
Change to Color 12 and repeat rows 1 and 2 for a total of 26 garter ridges

Decrease Section:
Change to Color 13 and knit as follows:
Row 1 (RS): SSK, knit till 2 stitches left, K2tog
Row 2 (WS): Knit all the stitches
Repeat Rows 1 and 2 for thirty more garter ridges. 
Change to Color 14 and knit Rows 1 and 2 till four stitches left on the needle.
Row (RS): SSK, K2tog
Row (WS): Knit 2 stitches,
Last Row (RS): SSK and pull working yarn through
Weave in the ends, wash and block the Nostalgic Wrap.

~coffeeteaknits

 

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The Warp and Weft Floats in Weaving

Posted in March 18, 2023 by

In the past year I’ve been exploring different variations in plain weaving on a rigid heddle loom. Rigid heddle loom weaving consists of warp and weft threads (or yarn). The warp thread is held vertically (lengthwise) under tension while the weft thread is passed horizontally through the warp threads by the weaver.

One way to add some texture to a plain weave is to have warp, weft or both warp and weft floats. Pictured below is a woven scarf and a woven wrap/shawl that has both warp and weft floats. These floatsThe scarf was woven with same cotton yarn for both its warp and weft. The wrap/shawl was woven with two different colors of wool yarn for its warp and weft.

Floats are skips (not passed through) in the warp or weft threads and are created by using a pickup stick. A warp float is when the warp thread skips over two or more weft threads and a weft float is when the weft thread skips over the two or more warp threads (see picture below). Both warp and weft floats are created by how the pickup stick is placed behind the heddle. For the warp float, the pickup stick is turned on its side behind the heddle and for the weft float the pickup stick is turned on its edge behind the heddle.

These woven items are just the beginning of my exploration of the various combinations and textures created by a pickup stick and one heddle. I look forward to learning more about the different weaving techniques on a rigid heddle loom and how to combine them with some knit or crochet stitch patterns.

~coffeeteaknits

The Interwoven Earwarmer Pattern

Posted in February 2023 by

One of the things I find interesting as a knitter is how some knit stitch patterns look so similar to certain crochet or woven stitch patterns. To me a plain weave is much like a garter knit stitch pattern. So when I wove this wrap in houndstooth weave pattern (pictured above) using 2 different colors of yarn, I wanted to see how the same weave pattern and yarn would translate into a knitted houndstooth stitch pattern.

The Interwoven Earwarmer is knit bottom up and in the round. It is knit with two different colors of yarn in the houndstooth stitch pattern that uses garter stitch pattern along with slip stitches. A crochet slip stitch is then used for the cast on and bind off edges. Lastly, a duplicate stitch is used to reinforce the stockinette stitch in the back of the Interwoven Earwarmer

Materials needed to knit the Interwoven Earwarmer:

Yarn: Loops and Threads Cozy Wool Merino DK weight yarn in Colorway A: Cream and Colorway B: Purple (The yarn has been discontinued but substitute yarns are listed here on Yarn Sub website)
Knitting Needles: US #6 16-inch circular needles; US #8 knitting needles for the cable cast on and bind off
Crochet Hooks: US F-5 and US G-6
Tapestry needle to weave in ends and for the duplicate stitch
Gauge: 5.5 stitches per inch in garter houndstooth stitch pattern with US #6 knitting needles 
Size: M – about 20 inches in circumference and about 3.75 inches in length without stretching 
Abbreviations:
K: Knit
P: Purl
pm: place marker
sm: slip marker
BOR: beginning of round
s1 purlwise: with working yarn in back slip 1 stitch purlwise from the left needle
[…]: stitch pattern repeats

The Interwoven Earwarmer Pattern (text and images for personal use only)

Cast on 112 stitches with Yarn Colorway A (cream) and US #8 knitting needles using the cable cast on method. Transfer all the stitches to US #6 16-inch circular needles. Place a BOR marker, join the round by knitting as follows:

  • Round 1: With Colorway A (cream), knit to the BOR marker, slip BOR marker
  • Round 2: With Colorway A (cream) knit the first stitch, switch to Colorway B (purple) yarn and  [K2, s1 purlwise] repeat […] till BOR marker, slip BOR marker
  • Round 3: With Colorway A (cream) knit the first stitch, switch to Colorway B (purple) yarn and purl all stitches till the BOR marker, slip BOR marker
  • Round 4: With Colorway A (cream) knit the first stitch, and with the same Colorway A [s1 purlwise, K2] repeat […] till BOR marker, slip BOR marker
  • Round 5:With Colorway A (cream) knit the first stitch, and with the same Colorway A purl all stitches till the BOR marker, slip BOR marker

Repeat Rounds 2 to 5, nine more times. 
Repeat Rounds 2 and 3, one more time.
Repeat Round 1, one more time
Bind off stitches with US #8 and Colorway A yarn. Insert the US F-5 hook in the last stitch for a slip stitch crochet edge.

  • With the last stitch on US F-5 hook and Colorway A (cream) yarn, chain 1 and then insert hook under the first bind off stitch, yarn over and pull the yarn over under the bind off stitch and slip stitch it with the first stitch on the hook. Repeat this with the next bid off stitches till one stitch left on the hook. Bring the working yarn through the last stitch.

Feb2023_a

Feb2023_b

Feb2023_c

Feb2023_d

Repeat the same with slip stitch crochet method as above for the cast on stitches with Colorway A yarn and US G-6 hook

Duplicate Stitch or Swiss Darning (optional):
Using a tapestry needle and Colorway A yarn reinforce the first knit stitch of each round with the duplicate stitch (to learn how to do this watch a video tutorial on duplicate stitch by Staci of verypink.com)

Earwamerback_Feb2023

Weave in the ends, wash and block the Interwoven Earwarmer

Feb2023pic

~coffeeteaknits

The Winterland Neckwarmer Pattern

Posted in 2023, January 2023 by

The Winterland Neckwarmer

Hello folks, it’s 2023 now and time to either plan or start working on our goals for this year. This year my goals are to write and learn more about rigid heddle loom weaving as well as complete my lingering knitting/crochet projects from the previous years.

The Winterland Neckwarmer is knit bottom up and in the round. The cable stitch pattern and the yarn used for this pattern are the same as the ones used for the Winterland Hat. These two knitted items can be worn together. The bulky yarn makes it a quick project to knit. The Winterland Neckwarmer is light and warm making it quite suitable to wear for the freezing temperatures of this month.

The Winterland Neckwarmer Pattern (text and images for personal use only)

Yarn: Lion Brand Scarfie® yarn in the Cream/Silver colorway
Knitting Needles: US #7 and US #8 16-inch circular needles; US #9 knitting needles for the cable cast on and bind off
Tapestry needle to weave in ends
Cable Needle
Gauge: 4.5 stitches / 6 rows per inch in stockinette stitch pattern with US #8 knitting needles without blocking
Size: M – about 20 – 21 inches in circumference and 8 inches in length without stretching (the width can be altered by increasing or decreasing ten stitches and the length can be changed by increasing or decreasing the number of rounds) 
Abbreviations:
K: Knit
P: Purl
pm: place marker
sm: slip marker
BOR: beginning of round
C4F: slip 2 stitches onto the cable needle and hold in front, K2 stitches on the circular needle then knit the 2 stitches on the cable needle.
C4B: slip 2 stitches onto the cable needle and hold in back, K2 stitches on the circular needle then knit the 2 stitches on the cable needle.
[…]: stitch pattern repeats

The Winterland Neckwarmer Pattern (text and images for personal use only)

Cast on 120 stitches with US #9 knitting needles using the cable cast on method. Transfer all the stitches to US #7 16-inch circular needles. Place a BOR marker, join the round by knitting as follows:

  • Setup Round: [K4, P2, K2, P2, pm] repeat […] 10 more times, K4, P2, K2, P2, slip BOR marker
  • Rib Pattern Round: [K4, P2, K2, P2, sm] repeat […] 10 more times, K4, P2, K2, P2, slip BOR marker

Repeat Rib Pattern Round, eight more times. Change to US #8 circular needles to knit the cable stitch pattern:

  • Round 1: [K4, P2, K2, P2, sm] repeat […] 10 more times, K4, P2, K2, P2, slip BOR marker
  • Round 2: [K4, P2, K2, P2, sm] repeat […] 10 more times, K4, P2, K2, P2, slip BOR marker
  • Round 3: [K4, P2, K2, P2, sm] repeat […] 10 more times, K4, P2, K2, P2, slip BOR marker
  • Round 4: [K4, P2, K2, P2, sm] repeat […] 10 more times, K4, P2, K2, P2, slip BOR marker
  • Round 5: [C4B, P2, K2, P2, sm] repeat […] 10 more times, K4, P2, K2, P2, slip BOR marker
  • Round 6: [K4, P2, K2, P2, sm] repeat […] 10 more times, K4, P2, K2, P2, slip BOR marker
  • Round 7: [K4, P2, K2, P2, sm] repeat […] 10 more times, K4, P2, K2, P2, slip BOR marker
  • Round 8: [K4, P2, K2, P2, sm] repeat […] 10 more times, K4, P2, K2, P2, slip BOR marker
  • Round 9: [K4, P2, K2, P2, sm] repeat […] 10 more times, K4, P2, K2, P2, slip BOR marker
  • Round 10: [P1, K2, P2, K4, P1, sm] repeat […] 10 more times, P1, K2, P2, K4, P1, slip BOR marker
  • Round 11: [P1, K2, P2, K4, P1, sm] repeat […] 10 more times, P1, K2, P2, K4, P1, slip BOR marker
  • Round 12: [P1, K2, P2, K4, P1, sm] repeat […] 10 more times, P1, K2, P2, K4, P1, slip BOR marker
  • Round 13: [P1, K2, P2, K4, P1, sm] repeat […] 10 more times, P1, K2, P2, K4, P1, slip BOR marker
  • Round 14: [P1, K2, P2, C4F, P1, sm] repeat […] 10 more times, P1, K2, P2, C4F P1, slip BOR marker
  • Round 15: [P1, K2, P2, K4, P1, sm] repeat […] 10 more times, P1, K2, P2, K4, P1, slip BOR marker
  • Round 16: [P1, K2, P2, K4, P1, sm] repeat […] 10 more times, P1, K2, P2, K4, P1, slip BOR marker
  • Round 17: [P1, K2, P2, K4, P1, sm] repeat […] 10 more times, P1, K2, P2, K4, P1, slip BOR marker
  • Round 18: [P1, K2, P2, K4, P1, sm] repeat […] 10 more times, P1, K2, P2, K4, P1, slip BOR marker

Repeat Rounds 1 to 18, one more time. Change to US #7 circular knitting needles
Repeat Rib Pattern Round, seven times
Bind off in pattern with a US #9 knitting needles removing markers.
Weave in the ends and wash the Winterland Neckwarmer.

~coffeeteaknits