Wine-Twist Winter Accessories

The name for this set of knitted items comes from the colourway of the yarn, Wine-Twist from Bernat Super Value Ombres. I fell in love with the jewel-toned hues, and even though I had nothing particular in mind at the time, I just knew I had to do something with it.


I started with a scarf using the drop stitch, which I had just started to teach myself at the beginning of July. I chose this as my knitting project for attending the Polaris Con because it was so easily – I just had to keep track of four rows, so I could easily knit while listening to the speakers. Got most of it done at the con.

Wine-Twist Drop-Stitch Scarf
Free pattern (for personal use only).

Materials:

• US 6 / 4.0 mm knitting needles


• 1 skein Bernat Super Value Ombres Wine-Twist worsted-weight yarn


• Tapestry needle

Instructions:

Cast on 24 stitches.

Rows 1-8 K (produces a garter stitch border)

Begin drop stitch pattern:
Row 1: K
Row 2: Knit each stitch, wrapping the yarn around the needle twice instead of once when completing the stitch
Row 3: Knit each stitch, dropping the extra wrap off the needle as you complete each stitch
Row 4: K

Repeat these four rows until there is just enough yarn left to create an 8-row border in garter stitch (K all sts).

Bind off and weave in ends.

© 2010-01-18 N0Nightowl

Wine-Twist Mittens

After completing the scarf, I used my favourite mittens pattern (Patons No. 303, Beehive Publications (from the 1970's)) for the second skein of Wine-Twist yarn I had originally purchased. Unfortunately, I cannot tell you where to find this pattern, as it appears to no longer be in publication.

After completing the mittens, there was enough yarn left over in the skein to do a matching cloche, to complete the 3-piece set.

Wine-Twist Cloche with Flower Decoration
Free pattern (for personal use only).

Technique: French Knitting, also know as looming or spooling, used for the cloche, and regular single-pointed needle knitting for the attached flower.

Materials:

• Provocraft Knifty Knitter Round Loom -- green for small-adult size or yellow for large-adult size


• Knifty Knitter Hook


• US 6 / 4.0 mm knitting needles


• 1/2 skein Bernat Super Value Ombres Wine-Twist worsted-weight yarn


• Large metal button, preferably gold-coloured, with a shank on the back instead of button holes (the one I used was recycled from an old worn-out jacket)


• Tapestry needle

Instructions:

Actually, the instructions for this project are very simple, because I am just going to tell you to merge two free patterns by different folks.

Step 1: Make the rolled-brim basic cloche following the instructions that come with the round Knifty Knitter looms.

Step 2: Make a Lydia Flower, which is a free pattern from the Lazykate website. I tried to follow the pattern, but just couldn’t get it right to save my life (the number of stitches simply would not match up!), so I ended up adapting it to what worked for me. It looked best using two knit ruffle rounds rather than the three in the pattern. Also, my stitches looked ragged in the centre compared to Kate’s example.

Step 3: Sew the button to the flower and then the flower to the hat at a jaunty angle.

© 2010-01-18 N0Nightowl

Warm Scarf with Fuzzy Tips

Free pattern (for personal use only).

After an unusually warm fall, it's been a very cold winter in Toronto this year. My friend Hauntfox, for whom I made the Fuzzy Headband I blogged about in November, came to me shivering in December and asked if I could make her a nice light but really warm scarf like the pink one I did back in the summer when I was learning how to use the Provocraft long looms... and no, I never did get around to writing that up.

Here’s a picture of the original scarf, produced following the instructions that come with the long loom set. Note that this is double-knitting, which produces a bulky but extremely lightweight flat panel that is reversible. I made one modification to the base pattern, because casting off according to the instructions resulted in one end’s being much tighter than the other. Luckily, the ladies from the Yahoo Frame_Knitting Group I belong to gave me a solution, which was to replace the beginning loops back on the loom and then cast them off with the yarn tail the way the finishing end had been cast off.

This new scarf is incredibly simple to make, but looks quite impressive because of the richness of the boa texture at each end.

Technique: French Knitting, also known as loom knitting or spooling

Materials:

• Provocraft Knifty Knitter 10" long loom
  
• Knifty Knitter Hook
  
• 1 ball Bernat Boa Cardinal eyelash yarn
  
• 1 ball Red Heart Ltd. Comfort Sport black worsted-weight yarn
  
• Tapestry needle

Instructions:

Step 1: Using a strand each of the boa and the worsted-weight yarn held together, cast on using the figure eight wrap method and loom for 3 inches.

Step 2: Cut the boa strand, leaving a 7-8 inch tail, which you will weave in later. Do not cut the worsted-weight yarn.

Step 3: Add a second strand of the worsted-weight yarn and continue looming (each loop will be composed of two strands), until the scarf is the height of the person for whom it is being knit.

Step 4: Cut one of the worsted-weight strands, leaving a 7-8 inch tail to weave in later.

Step 5: Add a strand of the boa, and holding it together with the uncut worsted-weight yarn, loom for 3 more inches.

Step 6: Cast off with a crochet hook.

Note that the use of the fuzzy boa yarn means that both ends look practically the same, so there is no need to re-cast-off the beginning the way it was with the pink scarf, which was knit with a single strand of worsted-weight yarn only.


© 2010-01-10 N0Nightowl

Tasselled and Warm

Free pattern (for personal use only).

A friend gifted me with some lovely silvery-grey yarn, and I knew I had to turn it into a winter hat. I decided to take the basic concept of my pattern for my Demonic Thoughts Tuque and adapt it to something slightly warmer for Canadian winters. The original tuque was done in traditional loom-knitting e-wrap (also known as single stitch), which leaves a somewhat airy result. I’ve since learned that the double stitch produces a tighter, thicker finish.

This hat is incredibly simple to make, but looks quite impressive because of the richness of the boa texture of the brim and the addition of the tassel.

Technique: French Knitting, also known as loom knitting or spooling

Sizes: Small adult (with instructions between brackets for large adult)

Materials:

• Knifty Knitter Round Loom -- green for small-adult size or yellow for large-adult size


• Knifty Knitter Hook


• 1 ball eyelash (boa) variegated yarn (I used a dollar-store generic eyelash yarn)


• 1 ball worsted-weight yarn (this was an unlabelled gift, so I don’t know what brand it was)


• Tapestry needle


• Optional: French Knitting Bee

Instructions:

Step 1: Using a strand each of the eyelash and the worsted-weight yarn held together, e-wrap the loom three times counter-clockwise. There will be three loops on each peg when you are done.

Step 2: Using the hook that came with the loom kit, lift the bottom loop on each peg over the top two loops and over the peg (this is what is meant by "double stitch"). When you have completed the entire circle, you will have two rows of loops remaining on the pegs. Push these loops to the bottom of the pegs.

Step 3: E-wrap the loom. You should now have three loops on each peg once again.

Step 4: Repeat Step 2.

Continue repeating Steps 3 and 4 until your knitting measures 5.5 inches (6.5 inches) long.

Step 5: Cut the boa strand, leaving a 7-8 inch tail, which you will weave in later. Do not cut the two strands of worsted-weight yarn.

Step 6: Pull your knitting through the inside of the loom to access the beginning edge. Place each loop from the originating row over its corresponding peg (hint: start by placing the loop to the right of the original loose yarn over the peg to the right of the outer tie-off peg and continue around the circle counter-clockwise until you have two loops on each peg -- the bottom loop being from the last row you knit and the top loop being from the edge).

Step 7: Lift the bottom loop over the top loop and over the peg. When you have completed the entire circle, you will have one row of loops remaining on your pegs, and the bottom and top of your knitting will have been knit together to form a double-thick brim.

Continue repeating Steps 3 and 4 until your knitting measures 7.5 inches (8.5 inches) beyond the brim. There should be two loops on each peg at this point.

Step 8: Lift the bottom loop over the top loop, so that only one stitch remains on each peg.

Cut your yarn (both strands), leaving 7-8 inch tails.

Step 9: Thread your tapestry needle with a 2- to 2.5-foot length of the worsted-weight yarn. Sew through each loop on the pegs, from bottom to top of the peg. When all loops have been sewn through, join the ends of the sewing yarn with a slip knot.

Step 10: Using the hook, lift all the loops off the pegs. They will now be strung on the yarn you sewed through them with the tapestry needle.

Step 11: Using your favourite technique for creating iCord, make a cord 6.5 (7.5) inches long, leaving a 3-ft. tail on end. Personally, I make my iCords using the French Knitting Bee. However, if you prefer to loom your iCord, click here for video instructions at the Knit Knot Purl Curl website.

Step 12: Make the tassel. Wrap a single strand of the worsted-weight around your hand until you get an amount of yarn that you think would make a nice thickness for your tassel. I wrapped my hand 9 times, which makes an 18-strand tassel. Using a 10-12 inch strand of yarn, tie one side of the loops together with a square knot.

Step 13: Attach the tassel to the end of the iCord with another square knot. Then use the long iCord tail to wrap tightly around the top part of the tassel and the bottom of the iCord. Complete by sewing down through the inside of the wrap and cut off the remaining end of the tail. Cut off the loops at the bottom of the tassel.

Step 14: Turn the hat inside out. Pull the two ends of the sewing yarn together to gather the material for the top of the hat. Before you have completely closed the top, slip through the opening the top end of the iCord.

Step 15: Tighten the sewing yarn until the hole at the top of the hat is completely closed and tie off with a square knot. Then tie one end of the sewing yarn to the tail of the iCord with a square knot. Tie all loose ends of yarn together with one more square knot.

Step 16: Cut the ends of all the yarn tails approximately one inch from the knots. Optionally, you can weave all the tails into the knitting instead of cutting, but I find that it's easier just to leave the short, cut strands as they are on the inside the tuque and cannot be seen.

Step 17: With the tapestry needle, weave in the tails of yarn on the inside of the tuque where the brim joins the top of the hat.

Step 18: Turn your hat right-side-out, and your project is complete.

© 2009-12-08 N0Nightowl

Fuzzy Headband

Instead of blogging, I’ve been knitting and looming like mad, trying to get all my winter projects done before the cold weather arrived. The cold came… and passed, giving me a short reprieve to catch up, except I ended up editing a book for a friend, instead of knitting. I did finish one set (matching mitts, hat and scarf) in time for a friend’s birthday, but almost everything else is behind.

One thing I did manage to complete was a headband for another friend. I’d offered to do her a tuque (that’s a traditional winter knit cap, to those non-Canadians reading this) to wear as she walked to work through Toronto’s winter cold, but she finds herself overheated with a hat. We were talking about earmuffs, when I remembered earlier thoughts that the Knifty Knitter round-loom cap instructions for making the brim of the cap could probably easily be turned into a double-thickness headband to keep the ears comfy warn.

Here’s the pattern I came up with.

Fuzzy Double-Thick Winter Headband
Free pattern (for personal use only).

Technique: French Knitting, also know as looming or spooling. This pattern uses double-stitch, which provides a tighter, more wind-proof finish to the headband, and the ribbing bind-off method.

Sizes: Small adult or large adult, depending on which loom is used

Materials:

• Knifty Knitter Round Loom -- green for small-adult size or yellow for large-adult size
  
• Knifty Knitter Hook
  
• 1 skein Bernat Boa Cardinal eyelash yarn
  
• 1/2 skein Red Heart Classic Black worsted-weight acrylic yarn
  
• Tapestry needle

Instructions:

Step 1: Using a strand each of the boa and the worsted-weight yearn held together, e-wrap the loom three times counter-clockwise. There will be three loops on each peg when you are done.

Step 2: Lift the bottom loop on each peg over the top two loops and peg. When you have completed the entire circle, you will have two rows of loops remaining on the pegs.

Step 3: E-wrap the loom. You should now have three loops on each peg once again.

Step 4: Repeat Step 2.

Continue repeating steps 3 an 4 until your knitting measures 6.5 inches long (7 inches for larger size).

Step 5: For the last row, do NOT add a third loop to the pegs. With only two loops remaining on each peg, lift the bottom loop over the top loop.

Step 6: Pull your knitting through the inside of the loom to access the beginning edge. Place each loop from the originating row over its corresponding peg (hint: start by placing the loop to the right of the original loose yarn over the peg to the right of the outer tie-off peg and continue around the circle counter-clockwise until you have two loops on each peg – the bottom loop being from the last row you knit and the top loop being from the edge.)

Step 7: Lift the bottom loop over the top loop, until only a single row of loops remain on the pegs, and the bottom and top of your knitting has been knit together to form a double-thick band.

Step 8: Cast off using the ribbing bind-off method.

8a: To get the proper length of tail to work with, wrap the working yarn around the whole circle three times, then cut. Thread the end into the tapestry needle.

8b: Starting with the peg to the right of the tie-off peg, run the needle and thread down through the loop on that peg.

8c: Then bring the needle and thread up through the loop on the peg to the left of the one you just did.

8d: Now, skipping the peg to the right (the one where you sewed downward) and holding the yarn behind the skipped peg, sew downward through the loop on the next peg.

8e: Sew the yarn up through the loop on the peg to the left (which will have already been sewn through downward during step 8b.

Repeat Steps 8d and 8e until all the loops have both up and down stitches.

8f: Remove the loops from the pegs and weave in the tail of the yarn.

Step 9: Roll the cast-off seam to the inside where it can’t be seen, and your headband is ready to wear.

© 2009-11-14 N0Nightowl

Six Degrees of Babies

In my post about the original Baby’s Joy Cap, I complained about not having any family or friends in the age group to have babies to knit for (all those baby patterns just look *so* cute, are quick to knit and don’t use huge amounts of yarn). Well, as it turns out, finding babies is like playing the game, “Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon”. I may not have a first degree of contact with any baby mommies, but I’m finding I have a number of second, third and fourth degree contacts as my friends turn out to be aunts, great-aunts and grand-mothers, most of whom are looking for original baby gifts like hand-knit items. My little French-knit cap with the bow on top turned out to be a big hit. So, I just finished a second one, this time for an aunt instead of a great-aunt. I have enough Baby’s Joy sayelle in my stash to do one more of these caps before having to switch to a different yarn

Baby's Joy Cap

When a friend told me she was about to become a great aunt, I quickly volunteered to whip up a baby cap for her. At my age (don’t ask), I don’t know many folks with little ones to knit for, so this was an excuse to pull out my trusty set of Knifty Knitter looms and pounce on the smallest one, used for making caps for newborns and small babies. I find it wonderfully restful to sit and watch TV while creating a cunning little cap in no time flat and with very little effort or thought. Yes, this type of French knitting (also called "looming") is that easy.

I've used the little blue Knifty Knitter loom and the cap-making instructions that come with it to make a number of baby caps already, but this time I wanted to experiment a little. I'd seen something called the "double stitch" on a number of looming websites, so I decided to try that, otherwise I followed the pattern exactly as set out in the pamphlet. Double stitching consists of wrapping the pegs three times instead of twice, then lifting the bottom loop over the top two. This produces a tighter, thicker knit.

The yarn I used was a remnant from my stash – Zeller’s Baby sayelle in a variegated colour called Baby’s Joy. I could not find any references to this specific colourway anywhere on the net, so I am assuming it is no longer in production. I acquired it a long time ago for a crocheted edging project that I never finished and then forgot about.

I loved the multi-coloured stippling of the finished product, but it still felt a little incomplete when I looked at it. I don't like adding handmade pompoms to baby caps because I find that the cut yarns can come apart too easily if the baby tugs on it. Then I thought of the pattern for a knit bow that I obtained as part of a pattern for knitting slippers. So, I knit up a bow (using 3.25 mm needles), and that turned out to be the perfect finishing touch.

Demonic Thoughts Tuque -- my first pattern

Free pattern (for personal use only).

This tuque (Canadian variation on the word "toque" for knitted hat) doesn't actually cause the wearer to indulge in evil thoughts. The name comes from the design's inspiration, the television show Supernatural, where one of the main characters, Dean Winchester, has been to Hell and back and is now caught in a battle between Hell (thus the colour red) and Heaven (feather decoration for the angels).

This hat is incredibly simple to make, but looks quite impressive because of the richness of the boa texture of the brim and the unusual feather decoration.

Technique: French Knitting, also known as loom knitting or spooling

Sizes: Small adult (with instructions between brackets for large adult)

Materials:

• Knifty Knitter Round Loom -- green for small-adult size or yellow for large-adult size
• Knifty Knitter Hook
• 1 ball Bernat Boa Cardinal eyelash yarn
• 1 ball Red Heart Classic Cherry Red worsted-weight acrylic yarn
• Tapestry needle
• Two leather laces with feathers attached. I used the laces and feathers from barrettes after detaching the barrettes.
  

Instructions:

Step 1: Using a strand each of the boa and the worsted-weight yarn held together, e-wrap the loom twice counter-clockwise. There will be two loops on each peg when you are done.

Step 2: Using the hook that came with the loom kit, lift the bottom loop on each peg over the top loop and over the peg. When you have completed the entire circle, you will have one row of loops remaining on the pegs. Push these loops to the bottom of the pegs.

Step 3: E-wrap the loom. You should now have two loops on each peg once again.

Step 4: Repeat Step 2.

Continue repeating Steps 3 and 4 until your knitting measures 5 inches (6 inches) long. There should be only one loop on each peg at this point.

Step 5: Cut the boa strand, leaving a 7-8 inch tail, which you will weave in later. Do not cut the worsted-weight yarn.

Step 6: Pull your knitting through the inside of the loom to access the beginning edge. Place each loop from the originating row over its corresponding peg (hint: start by placing the loop to the right of the original loose yarn over the peg to the right of the outer tie-off peg and continue around the circle counter-clockwise until you have two loops on each peg -- the bottom loop being from the last row you knit and the top loop being from the edge).

Step 7: Lift the bottom loop over the top loop and over the peg. When you have completed the entire circle, you will have one row of loops remaining on your pegs, and the bottom and top of your knitting will have been knit together to form a double-thick brim.

Step 8: Add a second strand of worsted-weight yarn to the original strand of worsted-weight yarn (remember, it was the boa yarn that you cut off) and kit the remainder of the tuque with the two strands of worsted-weight held together.

Continue repeating Steps 3 and 4 until your knitting measures 6 inches (7.5 inches) beyond the brim. There should be only one loop on each peg at this point. Cut your yarn (both strands), leaving 7-8 inch tails.

Step 9: Thread your tapestry needle with a 2- to 2.5-foot length of the worsted-weight yarn. Sew through each loop on the pegs, from bottom to top of the peg. When all loops have been sewn through, join the ends of the sewing yarn with a slip knot.

Step 10: Using the hook, lift all the loops off the pegs. They will now be strung on the yarn you sewed through them with the tapestry needle.

Step 11: Turn the hat inside out. Pull the two ends of the sewing yarn together to gather the material for the top of the hat. Before you have completely closed the top, slip through the opening the ends of the leather laces with the feathers attached (the feathers and 2-4 inches of lace should be on the finished outside, while the ends of the laces should be inside and should be long enough to tie into the tails of your yarn). I like to leave the outside laces different lengths to add visual interest to the finished product.

Step 12: Tighten the sewing yarn until the hole at the top of the hat is completely closed and tie off with a square knot. Then tie one end of the sewing yarn to one of the tails of wrapping yarn with a square knot. Tie the other end of the sewing yarn to the other tail of wrapping yarn. Now, tie the ends of the leather laces to the yarn tails with square knots.

Step 13: Cut the ends of all the yarn tails approximately one inch from the knots. Optionally, you can weave all the tails into the knitting instead of cutting, but I find that it's easier just to leave the short, cut strands as they are on the inside the tuque and cannot be seen.

Step 14: With the tapestry needle, weave in the tails of yarn on the inside of the tuque where the brim joins the top of the hat.

Step 15: Turn your hat right-side-out, and your project is complete.

© 2009-07-01 N0Nightowl