Spring ... Grignasco Sahara 25% Off

Grignasco Sahara

Grignasco Sahara looks lovely, it's easy + feels great to knit with, and it looks amazing knitted up. Sahara is a soft, luscious fibre blend for Spring + Summer: 20% silk, 40% bamboo, 40% linen. It has a lovely semi-matte sheen and uneven texture that gives it a very modern, very urban texture. It's also discounted (Squee!) because it has been discontinued (Boooo-urns!). 

The Deets

• 50g-100m
• 4.5 to 5mm needles
• 18 sts + 24R = 4"/10cm
• 20% silk, 40% bamboo, 40% linen
• Hand wash in cold water, lay flat to dry
• Made in Italy
• SALE $7.50 (regularly $10)

Dropped Stitch Spring Cowl

This project is my favourite combination of simple, fast, easy, and deceptively impressive looking. For a snug fit cast on 75 to 80 sts, for something longer that can be wrapped twice cast on 140 to 150 sts (you'll need 4 balls). 

Notes

Initially we started making the Easy 1-Ball Cowl pattern (much cred to the designer!) but made changes to make the most of this very pretty yarn and to make it easy for you to make one too. 

Size
17” wide x 12” high (unstretched)

Materials
2 balls Grignasco Sahara colour 1195 (50g/100m)
5mm-24" circular needles
stitch marker

Abbreviations

K            knit

R            row or round

Rep         repeat

St/s         stitch(es)

YO          yarn over: bring yarn over the needle

Techniques
YO 2 Times (Double Yarn Over)

Directions

Cast on 100 stitches. Join in the round being careful not to twist the stitches, place marker on right needle.

R1 + 2: knit. 

R3: YO 2 times, K1; rep from to end of round.

R4: drop 2 yarn overs, k1; rep from to end of round.

R5 to 7: knit.

Repeat R3 to 7 nine more times.

Repeat R3 to 6 one time.

Bind off loosely. Weave in ends. 

You can always find us at Knitomatic.com

New Madeline Tosh DK

Madeline Tosh Tosh Merino DK
Delicious is the best way to describe Madeline Tosh Tosh Merino DK. It is a seriously sexy yarn. It is a 100% superwash merino wool, with a generous 225 yards per skein. This single ply yarn is the thicker cousin of tosh merino light using the same fiber to create a hand-dyed skein with rich depth of colour and tone. It knits up at a versatile dk to worsted gauge, perfect for sweater and accessory projects. Each squishy soft skein is hand-dyed in small dye lots and machine washable.

• 100% superwash merino wool, single ply
• 206m/225yds
• machine wash in cold water, air dry
• fibre base from South Africa, hand dyed in Texas
• see pattern ideas

Rikke Hat

• FREE pattern via Ravelry
• 170 projects made with this yarn
• 1 skein Tosh Merino DK
• 3.5mm-16" circular needles
• 4.5mm-16" circular and double pointed needles

Honey Cowl

• FREE pattern via Ravelry
• 330 projects made with this yarn
• 2 sizes, 22(44)" length
• 1(2) skeins Tosh Merino DK
• 5mm-24(36)" circular needles

Age of Brass & Steam

• FREE pattern via Ravelry
• 50 projects made with this yarn
• 1 to 2 skeins Tosh Merino DK
• 5mm-29 to 36" circular needles

Mara

• FREE pattern via Ravelry
• 53 projects made with this yarn
• 3 skeins Tosh Merino DK
• 4.5mm-29 to 36" circular needles

Eternity Scarf

• pattern via Ravelry
• 19 projects made with this yarn
• 3 sizes available
• 1(2,2) skeins Tosh Merino DK
• 5mm-24(29)" circular needles (see pattern for size)

Effortless Cardigan

• pattern via Ravelry
• 47 projects made with this yarn
• 5 to 8 skeins Tosh Merino DK
• 5.5mm needles (see pattern for exact size)

Bullseye

• pattern via Ravelry
• size 12mos to 12 yrs
• 2 to 4 skeins Tosh Merino DK
• 3.75mm needles
• see pattern for amount of yarn required

You can find us at Knitomatic.com!

New Free Pattern: Rialto Baby Beanie

Rialto Baby Beanie

Size

° preemie (newborn, baby, toddler)

° Head circumference: 11(12-13, 14-15, 16-17)” or 27.5(30-32.5, 35-37.5, 40-42.5)cm

Materials

° Debbie Bliss Rialto DK Print;50g/105m, 1 ball

° Debbie Bliss Cashmerino DK; 50g/110m (or Debbie Bliss Rialto DK), 1 ball

° 4mm-16” circular needles

° 3.5mm-16” circular needles

° 4mm double pointed needles

° 1 stitch marker

° darning needle (preferably pointy & small)

Hat on the left:

Newborn size, Debbie Bliss CashmerinoDK colour 18 (navy), Debbie Bliss Rialto DK Print 05 (Ravenna)

Hat on the right:

Toddler size, Debbie Bliss Cashmerino DK colour 43 (beige), Debbie Bliss Rialto DK Print 01 (Florence)

Dowload the pattern Here

New Free Pattern: Easy Loose Cabled Cowl

Easy Loose Cabled Cowl

This pattern is a simple, straightforward, easy project great for new knitters (great way to learn cables). It knits up fast on thick yarn and BIG needles (12mm).  It's easy, is a satisfying quickie, and looks impressive to non-knitters (hint: it's very giftable).

It is made with one skein of Brown Sheep Company Burly Spun (not bad at $20.97 per skein),  but it would also make an excellent excuse to buy a couple of skeins of Malabrigo Rasta (especially in their luminescent semi-solid colours). 

Read more about it on Ravelry

Download for FREE at knitomatic.com

As always, you can find us at Knitomatic.com!

New Free Patterns for Simple Cowls

Brand spankin' new from us, 2 patterns for simple, easy, elegant cowls using Berroco Boboli, a new yarn for Fall 2011. The yarn is beautiful, prismatic, and does most of the work for you. The rest of the pattern is in the beginner skill spectrum. It's also a non-thinker, a great project for those times when brain no work good. And of course, both patterns are Free!

This sweet little thing is the Boboli Cowl Worsted Version. It's a beautiful weight for fall, moving into  winter, and early spring. It's a straightforward knit and made with 2 skeins of Boboli and 4.5mm circular needles. The yarn knits quickly, and you'll be done before you know it! I made this version second and had no idea I would love it's delicate drape so much!

Here's the Boboli Cowl Bulky Version.  It's made on larger, 7mm needles, holding 2 strands together. Besides creating  a faster knit, it's also a thicker fabric, perfect for when the weather starts getting chill and carrying you into real winter.  It also has more body than the worsted version, and the colour takes on a tweedy quality that transcends the yarn's inherent variegation.


By the way, don't forget to follow the instructions and block your cowl in a bath of white vinegar and Eucalan - it softens up beautifully!

As always, you can find us at knitomatic.com!  

New Pattern for Thirty Minute Cowl

Download a new, Free cowl pattern from Knit-O-Matic, the Thirty Minute Cowl!  It is knit up with one skein of new Berroco Link, and 25mm needles - and it flies!  Above is colour 3241 (Superb Starling). 

As always, you can find us at Knitomatic.com!

NEW Organic Cloud Cotton - Natural & Dyed

FREE Crocheted Fruity Trivets & Potholders

or FREE Knitted Fruity Trivets & Potholders

1 skein of each colour

Cloud Cotton ~$9.50

Cloud Cotton is a soft, comfortable, easy to knit and crochet yarn that you'll love to use all year. The yarn 100% Organic, which is great because cotton is one of the most pesticide dependent crops in the world. It comes is a variety of dyed colours (commercial dyes used, not 'natural' ones), as well as a couple of undyed, natural shades. It compares with Misti Alpaca's defunct Pima Cotton & Silk, but a closer contemporary might be Blue Sky Alpaca's Dyed Cotton and/or Organic Cotton, which rings in at $3 more per skein than Cloud Cotton. (Do they come from the same mill? I can't say, but these things do happen). Why is it less expensive? Cloud Cotton is imported directly by the distributor, so it isn't branded, marketed, and advertised, thus reducing the price - kind of like Costco's Kirkland brand, it's the same great product, but without the seductive packaging and price. 

• Worsted weight
• 18 sts = 4" 
• 5mm needles
• Super soft: great for babies, kids, & everyone!
• $9.50/ skein ($3 less than similar products)

Log Cabin Blanket (Freebie Here) 

Baby Blanket: 1 skeins each of min 5 colours

Adult Blanket: 2 to 3 skeins of each of min 5 colours

FREE Moderne Log Cabin Blanket

Adult Blanket: 4 skeins Cream, 5 skeins in each of 3 other colours

Baby Blanket: 3 skeins in each of 4 colours

FREE How-To Hexagon Banket

approx 2 skeins in each of 6 colours (or more)

FREE Relaxed Pullover

6 to 11 skeins

FREE Quonset Worsted

5 to 9 skeins

FREE Que Sera

5 to 9 skeins

FREE Child's Placket Pullover

(Click on the 2nd link to get pattern)

2 to 5 skeins 

FREE Cupcake Pincushion

1 skein each colour

As always, you can find us at Knitomatic.com!

New Free Pattern: Spring Mobius Cowl

Many of the links posted here are from Ravelry.com, a free website for knitters and crocheters. If you don't have your own account you can use ours: login: knitomatic2, password: knitomatic. But you should get your own account fast, 'cause you're going to LOVE it!

Spring Mobius Cowl

By Haley Wacberg

This is an easy and satisfying project for a simple, spring cowl. It’s really a no-brainer, the yarn’s self-striping colour and soft texture do most of the work. The pattern uses a Mobius Cast On, which is easy to learn.

To learn this easy new skill you can watch Cat Bohrdi’s great Intro to Mobius Knitting tutorial on you tube. Cat’s instructions are clear and easy to follow and you’ll be an expert in no time!

NOTE: You can not substitute a normal cast on using circular needles to create a mobius – it doesn’t work. By twisting the stitches, you’ll end up with a full twist in your knitting, and you only want a half twist (the mobius).

The yarn used has a very high cotton and silk content, both of which tend to stretch and grow. If you think your cowl is too small, don’t worry, it’ll loosen up.

Size 
Length: 25” 
Width: 8”

Materials 
2 skeins Noro Taiyo, 100g/200m, colour 1 
5mm/36” circular needles 
1 Stitch Marker

Gauge 
15 sts & 30 rows = 4” in K6 P6 ribs

Techniques 
Intro to Mobius Knitting tutorial by Cat Bohrdi on youtube: 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LVnTda7F2V4

Cost

Free

Download HERE

As always, you can find us at knitomatic.com!

Instant Gratification Holiday Gifts - Free Cowls

Yup, it's that time of year, the holidays are closing in fast.  Luckily, you can make up your Holiday gifts fast too!  Over the following weeks we'll try and help inspire you and give you great ideas for gifts that will make people squeal with excitement when they open.  

Big cowls (also called snoods) are big this year, which is a convenient intersection of art and life, because forecasts predict we're in for a very cold winter. 

    

    Dobbs Ferry Cowl 

    Featured in Martha Stewart Living

• 15mm-29" circular needles
• 2 skeins of Cascade Magnum

    Network Cowl

• 15mm needles (straight or circular)
• 2 skeins Brown Sheep Burly Spun

    Cable Neck Piece

    From Rowan Studio 7, by Sarah Hatton

• 10mm needles (circular or straight)
• 2 skeins Brown Sheep Burly Spun or Cascade Magnum

    Marian

• 15mm-24" circular needles
• 1 skein Cascade Magnum

    Sag Snood/Cowl

• 10mm-24" circular needles
• 1 (small) to 3 (large) skeins Brown Sheep Burly Spun 

    

    Bulky Mobius Cowl

• 10mm-36" circular needles
• 1 skein Malabrigo Rasta or Brown Sheep Burly Spun

   

    Long Mobius Cowl

• 8mm-36" circular needles
• 2 skeins of Araucanian Coliumo or Malabrigo Chunky or Dream in Color Groovy

As always, you can find us at knitomatic.com.

Favourite Patterns for Humid Weather - Freebies

I love warm weather, but living in a temperate climate poses a few challenges in warm weather. Who wants to make clothing when you aren't wearing anything, much less knitwear? Fair enough, we get a few months a year to enjoy patio weather, lets enjoy it! You may have started knitting to make sweaters, but they're only a jumping off point.

Summer Knitting Diversion: Toys
Toys can be a very satisfying project. They're fast, simple, you can use any kind of yarn as long as it is the correct gauge for your pattern, you can use up stash or scraps or if you are buying yarn they don't use up large quantities. Toys are always well received as gifts, look great around the house or you can give them to children's charities like the Mother Bear Project or Teddies for Tragedies. If you want to up-size a toy pattern just change to thicker yarn and needles to match.

Classics

• Rag Doll Pattern
• Doll Clothes
  
• Teddy Bear
• Bunny
• Monkey
• Doggie
• Kitty
• Elephant

Pop Culture

• Supermario Mushrooms
• Captain Underpants
• Sanrio Bunny
• Marilyn Monroe
• Audrey Hepburn
• Jack Skellington
• Hello Kitty
  

Kooky & Cool

• Lucky Cat
  
• Happy Banana
• Easy Monsters
• Sock Monkey
• Mexican Day of the Dead Dolls
• Voodoo Doll