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Never participated in a knit-a-long? Curious how they work? There is now a KAL for the pullover shawl, “Magical Thinking,” going on in the Casapinka group on Ravelry. It ends June 30 so there is plenty of time to finish this three colored, simple project. To join in, introduce yourself or post your yarn or your wip, and enjoy the lively and encouraging community that is making this design. All you need is three skeins of fingering weight yarn in colors that you love!
If you are looking for quick and gratifying holiday gift knitting, here are six designs that also come with adult beverages! Each design is fairly simple and several of them are designed to use with that speckly DK that you might be hoarding from the Indie Untangled trunk show at Rhinebeck.
At the end of each pattern is a special winter cocktail or mocktail for you to enjoy during you knitting breaks (or let’s face it – during your knitting “non” breaks)!
These patterns are available individually or as in the “Winter Light” e-book with a nice holiday discount.
The mystery is over, but The Crown Wools was such a popular MKAL that it is now going to be a KAL that starts September 10 and goes for six weeks. This will give you time to finish it (and the matching mitts, which are made from leftover yarn) and wear it to Rhinebeck if you’d like.
The shawl has 12 Sections, with 12 different colors and six different cocktails and mocktails. It’s a lot of fun for the price of a pattern!
See the list of dyers offering special Crown Wools kits here. LYSs – this is also for you if you’d like to host a KAL. Several yarn companies offer gorgeous sets for this. There are also kits in the Casapinka Etsy shop.
Who Loves Mini-skeins? Well, then you are in for a treat!
Who needs diamonds and rubies in tiaras and necklaces? We have our own version in our knitting! What do you mean you can’t knit jewels? Sure you can. Real crown jewels stay in a safe and are rarely enjoyed, but our Crown Wools do not. You will know your own shawl version inspired by the crown jewels and wear it like you own Buckingham Palace! And it’ll be SO MUCH BETTER than a bunch of diamond tiaras.
Designed to be a STATEMENT PIECE, go as crazy or as tame with your colors as you like. I plan to wear mine like a giant necklace wrapped around a couple of times with black or neutral colors on the rest of me… and unlike the crown jewels, the CROWN WOOLS can be worn everywhere, from subway to airplane, to wine store and Rubik’s Cube competitions.
Remember that jewels come in every color of the rainbow, so pink diamonds, orange rubies, etc. are encouraged. And if you think you just need a giant sapphire or all the shades of taupe and brown you can find, power to you!
Details
1. The MKAL begins July 19. There are two clues per week over six weeks. The shape is a parallelogram, or asymmetric rectangle, similar in shape to Goldfish Memory. The design is done in 12 skeins of Miss Babs Toes and kits will be available in several colors from Miss Babs as well as other dyers.
2. Requires 12 different fingering weight mini skeins, 133 yards each; however, if you are stash diving or want to use smaller mini skeins, you can make up for it by just using more of them. As long as you like the colors in the order you place them, you will be just fine. Just continue to follow the clues and change yarns as needed.
3. Gradients, fades, or just colors that you like together, in order from 1-12, are all good choices. There will be very little mixing together of colors so don’t worry about that.
Read more about the colors here.
Signups will begin June 14, one month before the beginning of the MKAL – and feel free to post photos and ask color opinions in the Casapinka group.
Since Local Yarn Store Day is April 21, let’s celebrate our small business owners who specialize in yarn! Not only do they create havens of inspiration, friendship and learning, small businesses are so important for the fiber of our community (in more ways than one).
If you buy yarn for my pattern “Local Yarn Shawl” on April 21 from any of the participating LYSs, you will be given the pattern for free. Many local yarn stores are doing special yarns for this, or you may of course choose your own.
The shawl comes in two sizes. Here, it is shown in one 560-yard skein of Fifty Shades of Gradient by Fiber Studio (the small shawl) or you may use two skeins of fingering weight yarn with at least 360 yards each. The large shawl is shown here in Primrose Yarn Company Sophia (the peach and pink) and Anzula Cloud (the white and purple).
Please take the time to visit your local yarn store on April 21 and support them with some love and yarn purchases.
Your Slip Is Showing is an opportunity to make a large statement piece using a simple slipped stitch technique. It is meditative to knit as it flows from one color combination to the next in 12 different sections. It uses four different colors of yarn and lends itself to speckles, tonals or variegated colors, fade sets, or gradient colors. There is a schematic that allows you to plan your shawl colors using colored pens; use it to determine which color will show up at the beginning, middle and end of your project. Directions for this are described in the pattern. Make it bright or subtle, but make it your own!
“Yondah Window” was designed to showcase two of my favorite yarns, the beautiful drape of Magpie Fibers Swanky Sock with the long color changes of Spincycle Dyed in the Wool.
Repeat after me: “Yondah Window” –
Now, you have used your Rhode Island accent to quote part of Romeo and Juliet!
“Yondah Window” is a boomerang shawl that uses slipped stitches to highlight the long Spincycle color changes. You never know what the next color change is and the shawl is a constant surprise! It looks like beautiful windows aglow in the cold, frosty Rhode Island winter which is why I’ve gifted you the RI (or Maine and Massachusetts) accent in this shawl.
Unsure of what colors look good together? Ask other group members in the Casapinka Group.
Final Measurements
72” long X 14” at deepest point
Shown in Magpie Swanky Sock in Masquerade
and Spincycle Dyed in the Wool in Rusted Rainbow.
The Crunching Leaves Cowl is a simple cowl that allows two yarns to interact and create a woven effect. I used my favorite stitch, along with bulky yarn and some seed stitch to create a simple but cozy cowl that is a striking addition to a winter outfit. Made with two skeins of Dragonfly Fibres Super Traveller (shown here in Golden Compass and Silver Fox), or two skeins of bulky yarn, 100 yards each.
If you’d like to pace yourself with a KAL that comes out in clues but is not a mystery, Moroccan Magique is an excellent way to do this. The rectangular wrap with short rows consists of five colors. One clue is released per week over six weeks. At the end, there will be a “Lagalong” for those who like a low pressure approach. There is one prize per week and there will also be a Lagalong prize. Please visit my Ravelry group if you’d like to discuss colors or join in.
Another Brick in the Shawl is a three-colored boomerang shawl. It has mosaics interspersed with nice, mindless slip stitches if you need something for your latest Netflix series or a long car trip. I chose a melon and aqua because they are such a nice combination for spring but any two contrasting colors would work well.
