Newsletter 865
Hebrides in Knitting for Olive
We're just going to admit it. It's official: we're in our Hood Era. We started this journey with the Hoodola pattern back in Newsletter 862 and we became even bigger fans of the hood concept once we realized how effortless one is to wear and that it doesn't smoosh your hair! The oversized fits we're seeing in new hood patterns bring a fashionable, modern look to a classic and versatile accessory. Our current obsession - the Hebrides Hood - is an oversized hood knitted in Half Fisherman’s rib...perfect for adding some texture and (duh) extra warmth to any outfit.
Knit holding two strands (we used Knitting For Olive Heavy Merino and Knitting For Olive Soft Silk Mohair), the top is worked back and forth. Stitches are then picked up along that top section, and all stitches are worked back and forth with increases and decreases incorporated to provide shaping. A couple of rounds of ribbing are then worked before binding off with an Italian bind-off. The front edge stitches are then picked up and worked in ribbing before the edge is folded over and bound off.
Find KFO Heavy Merino HERE, KFO Soft Silk Mohair HERE and the Hebrides Hood pattern HERE. Three skeins of Heavy Merino and two skeins of Soft Silk Mohair are required to complete a Hebrides. We love the three shades of KFO shown above; Dusty Olive and Dusty Petoleum are both sooo perfect for this - but there's a Knitting for Olive shade for just about anyone!
WARNING: Our current hood obsession led us to make another one almost immediately...we just have to get it photographed before we can share it with you. In other words: you ain't seen the last of these!
Thanks to Steph, who put on lipstick when we told her we needed a model
Baby Surprise / Rowan Mode Cotton DK
We're big fans of Elizabeth Zimmermann’s Baby Surprise Jacket, which has become near-legendary since its conception in 1968. The jacket is knit in a single piece, then cleverly folded and completed with just two seams that run across the shoulders and down the length of the sleeves. It includes extra ease across the back of the garment to fit well over a diaper.
We mention it to you again now because we just got in a big box of Mode at Rowan in their newest base, Cotton DK, and it's an absolutely perfect yarn for a Baby Surprise!
Shop Mode at Rowan Cotton DK HERE! You'll need three skeins to complete your Baby Surprise Jacket (that means just $18 in yarn...a real bargain for a future heirloom!). Macaroon is the closest color to the sample shown, but each shade in Cotton DK's ten-color palette makes for a foolproof choice.
You can find the pattern - a printed copy and/or a digital version - right HERE.
Animal Friends for Everyone!
Learn to make an adorable collection of knitted animal toys with these patterns by My Knitted Doll author Louise Crowther. Louise brings her unique style of coordinated knitwear with cute colorwork details to two spectacular collections of toy animal knitting patterns.
Spread over two books - Knitted Animal Friends and Knitted Wild Animal Friends - each animal in the menagerie has the same basic body - with a few color and tail variations. All of the outfits are interchangeable, so you can mix and match your favorites to create endless possibilities!
Louise's attention to detail means that every outfit fits perfectly and you'll enjoy creating the details that make each one so distinctive. There are instructions for how to construct both the dolls and the clothes, as well as step-by-step photography for any unusual techniques. Louise also explains how to follow charts for colorwork details, as well as step-by-step tutorials for any special stitches.
There are so many possibilities for costume changes you'll be able to make the perfect doll for each of the cheeky monkeys in your life!
Grab a copy of Knitted Animal Friends or Knitted Wild Animal Friends HERE!