While I am waiting to start our March projects, I wanted to share knitting two of our kits from January. The first kit is the Brother Hat, pattern by Elizabeth Felgate. This pattern is actually part of of an overall booklet, The Hat Family. There are hat patterns for every member of the family. We used Lotus Yarns Mya, and doubled the yarn. You can use the double yarn method of your choice, either by using two balls of yarn, by making two balls out of the one, or even by taking one strand from inside and one from the outside. I used the latter, but use whatever works for you. Using such fine yarn can be a little challenging so doubling the yarn makes knitting this hat much easier. This pattern calls for the German Twisted Cast On. The pattern contains written, video and pictorial tutorials. I also used knitpurlhunter.com German Twisted Cast On http://knitpurlhunter.com/blog/?p=142.
This is a stretchy cast on and it does take some practice to master, but I think it is worth the effort. It did take a few tries, but this cast on is a great addition to the usual go-to Long Tailed Cast-On. The knit/purl pattern comes makes a very attractive hat. The geometric step ladder pattern offers a lot of texture. If your "Brother" has a larger head, in addition to using the largest circumference, we suggest lengthening the body of the hat, prior to the crown, to 6" to 6 1/2". This pattern is excellent for sharpening your chart reading skills. The chart is very clear and is a good starter for those more intricate charted patterns. The pattern has one area of possible confusion on page 5, Round 18. You will see the initials "NB". NB is an abbreviation for the Latin phrase nota bene, meaning “note well.” It is used to emphasize an important point. We all learned about using NB in high school or earlier, but having not seen this term in many years, it's easy to think this might be some obscure knitting abbreviation (I did for a few minutes!). But no, your first inclination was correct. So, like other things we learned in school and wondered when we'd every use them again, here is an example where you never know what might pop up and you have to recall an old lesson or two! The finished hat has an interesting and modern-looking pattern that goes beyond typical ribbing. And while this hat is for the Brothers in your life, my Sisters also loved the hat for themselves. This interesting hat is a big hit for anyone.
Here is my finished Brother Hat which is currently warming my Dad's head (and yes, he is a Brother).
The second kit is from our January designer, Joji Locatelli. The pattern is 3-Color Cashmere Cowl. We used a cotton-cashmere blend as an alternative to pure cashmere yarn. We knitted with Lotus Yarn Autumn Wind and Katia Concept cotton-cashmere blends. This is a long, draped cowl that can be pulled up on your head as a hood. The yarn feels so good in your hands, you won't mind that you'll be knitting a series of bands, each beautifully elegant with clean lines. Joji gives instructions on how to avoid the jog when changing colors. I found the particular method of slipping the first stitch on the second round to be particularly helpful on the entire pattern, to include band changes and striping, over other methods previously discussed in our January blogpost. I also used the ribbing technique from our January blogpost. The tighter ribbing lines work especially well with the lighter weight yarns where loosely knitted stitches are much more visible. This cowl looks deceptively simples. There is a lot of detail, different stitch patterns, and color changes to keep your interest and surprise you as your cowl grows.
The combination of lace and stripes look great with work or casual wear. It even goes with your favorite jeans, workout or yoga attire. I think all JoJi Locatelli's designs are amazing. I look forward to exploring her other patterns.
Knit On! Lisa
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