KNITmuch | Issue 04

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* 4 steps to the art
of swatching and
sampling yarn
* Crossing stitches
is easier than
knitting cables
* Lace Wedding Stole
Pattern
* Knitting
SUMMER tees
YARNS WITH SEQUINS ADD GLITZ
to your knitting

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Charles Voth
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Knitting with Radiant Cotton by Fibra Natura
Knitting summer tees with Radiant Cotton yarn
Knitting delicate lace in a summer stole with cotton yarn
Lace Wedding Stole Pattern
1 cotton yarn that makes this scalloped cast-on edge stand out
Crossing stitches is easier than knitting cables
1 knitting pattern to show someone you love them
Knit the best wrister pattern ever!
Knitting with Rozetti Cotton Gold yarn
4 steps to the art of swatching and sampling yarn
Knit a benchmark sample using Rozetting Cotton Gold yarn
Knitting Rozetti Cotton Gold with another yarn
Creating knitted accents with Rozetti Cotton Gold yarn
Knitting with Classic Shades Sequins Lite
Knit an easy lace mega-scarf with gradient and glittery yarn
The creme de la knitting creme cotton yarn
4 reasons why knitting dishcloths is practical
The thick and thin of knitting with Unforgettable Waves Yarn
What knitting projects are ideal for Unforgettable Waves Yarn
3 tips for knitting with braided cord using Red Heart Cordial
From sheep to stitches, following the lead of Irish knitters
contents
KNITmuch | issue 4
3

hooked on books
Yarnitecture
Jillian Moreno
Create your dream yarn! Discover the pleasures
of designing and building custom-made yarn by
spinning it yourself, choosing everything from color
to feel and gauge. Jillian Moreno leads you through
every step of yarn construction, with detailed
instructions and step-by-step photos showing you
how to select the fiber you want (wool, cotton,
silk, synthetic), establish a foundation, and spin
a beautiful yarn with the structure, texture, and
color pattern that you want. Moreno also offers 12
delicious original patterns from prominent designers,
each one showcasing hand-spun yarns.
240 Pages, ISBN 978-1-61212-521-3
Upper Canada Quilt Works Publishing
Storey Publishing
www.thomasallen.com
Cool Chunky Knits
Tabetha Hedrick
Get your knit on with this stylish and quick-knitting
collection of patterns designed for today's super
popular chunked-up yarns and fashions! Knitters
from beginner to intermediate levels will enjoy
exploring the simple but engaging stitch patterns–
easy lace, subtle textures, and fun cables.
• Includes patterns for the fashions knitters want:
cowls, infinity scarves, shawlettes, slouchy hats,
fingerless gloves, headbands, and more
• All designs are knit with bulky, super bulky, or
chunky yarns
• Many patterns require only one or two skeins of yarn
112 pages, ISBN 978-0-8117-1648-2
Globe Pequot Press / Stackpole Books
www. rowman.com
Dyeing to Spin & Knit
Felicia Lo
“Unapologetic” is how Felicia Lo always describes
her obsession with colour and craft. In Dyeing to
Spin and Knit, Felicia, founder and creative director of
SweetGeorgia Yarns and highly sought after teacher
and lecturer, provides clear and accessible guidance
for creating gorgeous hand-dyed yarns and spinning
fibers and an understanding of how dyeing affects
knitted yarn and handspun yarn.
Complete with detailed photographs from Felicia’s
own dyeing studio, Dyeing to Spin and Knit offers a
master class in preparing hand-dyed yarns and fibers.
Ignite your love of colour – unapologetically!
162 Pages, ISBN 978-1-63250-410-4
Interweave
interweave.com
Bath Knits
Mary Beth Temple
Pamper yourself with knitted bathroom style! Create
a spa-like-feel in your own bath with luxurious
knitted towels and accessories. These designs offer
a clean, modern look in contemporary colours
and fibers. Most patterns are easy to intermediate
in skill level and are quick knits that will have your
bathroom looking its best in no time.
Looking to knit the perfect gift? These items make
thoughtful housewarming or hostess gifts and are
also great for recent grads and new moms. Features
30 original knitting patterns and instructions, like
washcloths and mitts, a robe, slippers and pedicure
socks and it includes bathroom décor accessories.
80 Pages, ISBN 978-0-8117-1657-4
Stackpole Books
stackpolebooks.com
4 KNITmuch | issue 4
Knitted Animal Nursery
Fiona Goble
Everyone loves babies, and everyone loves Fiona
Goble’s wonderful knitted animal designs, so what
could be more loveable than this collection of
animal knits for babies up to three years old? All the
animals have terrific personality and charm, and will
be loved by children and their parents alike. With
simple stitches, full instructions for making up, and
clear photographs to illustrate the details that give
each animal its character, you will be able to knit
something wonderful for the nursery in no time.
128 Pages, ISBN 978-1-78249-433-1
Cico Books
thomasallen.ca
Knit Blankets & Throws with Madmoiselle Sophie
Mlle Sophie
Mlle Sophie brings her clean, modern look and international
flair to this collection of blankets and throws
for the home and family. Her designs have a timeless
vibe that works well in any decor; just change the
yarn colour to suit your favorite palette. The 18 funto-knit
patterns are suitable for beginners but have
just enough detail to keep the knitting interesting
and give each piece a unique allure.
Blankets make wonderful, heartfelt gifts, too! Send
off a recent grad to college with a throw in school
colours. Cuddle a baby in fluffy softness. Warm a
home with an elegant new afghan. This is a book
that you will turn to for years to come.
124 Pages, ISBN 978-0-8117-1791-5
Stackpole Books
thomasallen.ca

I might as well proclaim 2017 the
year of the shawls. Although I've
been knitting for many years, I had
never knit a shawl. I sunk my teeth
primarily into knitting cardigans,
pullovers, scarves, vests, and a
couple of hats. My joy has been
learning to make alterations to the
pattern for that perfect fit.
But this sudden obsession with
shawls started at the end of last
year, when I wanted to make a
shawl for my young goddaughter,
and I wanted to make it current. I
searched the internet until I found
a style I thought she would like,
which lucky for me, she did.
As I finished her shawl, I was taken
by the simplicity and beauty of it,
and decided I should have one too.
You know you're a good knitter
when people start putting in their
editor's letter
The year of the
S hawls
orders, so I have 2 shawls to knit
before the end of the year. Half the
fun is finding the most suitable
yarn for the shawl in mind.
And let's not forget the yarn I
received from Universal Yarns
called Universe, to make the
exquisite Going Places Shawl. This
particular shawl is a free pattern
on the Universal Yarns website.
I'm sure my shawl obsession will
continue because shawls are very
much like Doritos, as our knitting
contributor Cynthia MacDougall
says, you can't stop at one.
Furthermore, I have my eye on
knitting a sparkling shawl out of
the Rozetti Cotton Gold as Cynthia
has done in this issue, color to be
determined… I'm seeing this as a
perfect accessory for a New Year's
Eve party, or a wedding too.
But as I finished knitting the shawls
on this page, I was encouraged
to keep knitting shawls by how
elegant an accessory a shawl could
be to an outfit. Marry the right
yarn to the right pattern, and we
have a dazzling piece of wardrobe
that will turn heads!
Read Cynthia's blog posts on
KNITmuch.com where she explores
making a wedding stole using Flax
Lace by Fibra Natura, you'll be
amazed how well suited this linen
yarn can be for a summer stole or
shawl.
You wanna stand out at a party?
Then make an entrance with a great
attitude and stylish shawl knitted
up in the yummiest yarn ever!
Cheerfully,
Share the love of knitting. Own the obsession.
follow me
5

Knitting with
Radiant Cotton
by Fibra Natura
Charles Voth
This yarn has a beautiful twist and definition which is really clear when
wound into a yarn cake.
Do you have one of those favorite shirts or t-shirts
that just feels right next to your skin? Radiant Cotton
is a yarn that gives me that sensation. It feels nice in
the hank. It feels nice wound into a cake. It feels very
nice going through my fingers to the needles. And it
feels great in the knit fabric.
Let's look at some lovely ideas for knitting up
projects for warmer weather.
Fibra Natura makes Radiant Cotton distributed by
Universal Yarns. This cotton yarn is made 100% of
cotton grown in Egypt and processed in Turkey.
Egyptian cotton has developed quite a reputation
in the hand-knitting world, but some of you may
recall that it’s been in high demand for bedding and
linens as well because of its superior characteristics.
Egyptian cotton has a very long staple and its
own natural sheen. It absorbs color extremely well
compared to some other cottons. Another key
aspect about the integrity of this cotton is that it is
hand-picked rather than machine harvested, which
keeps the fibers sturdy.
Radiant Cotton by Fibra Natura in soft colors Winter Blues and Custard. A
soft and shiny Egyptian cotton yarn for light garments and baby clothes
6 KNITmuch | issue 4

Untwisted end of
Radiant Cotton
shows 4 individually
spun plies that are
twisted together to
make this soft yarn.
2 tufts of Egyptian
cotton fibers pulled
from one ply of
Radiant Cotton
When spun for hand-knitting,
Egyptian cotton keeps its famous
softness and sheen at the same
time. Four individually spun plies
of the cotton fibers are spun
together to make Radiant Cotton.
I tugged out the fibers and
was able to get some tufts and
individual strands that were
between 1″ – 1½” [2.5 – 3cm] in
length, but I was pulling from
a cut end. If I were to untwist
a single ply more gently rather
than tug at it, I’m sure I would
find individual fibers three times
as long.
Radiant Cotton isn’t a springy
yarn and like so many cotton
hand-knitting yarns, it doesn’t
have much, if any, elasticity, but
as it passes through your hands
and fingers, it doesn’t feel like a
cord or like kitchen string. It is
already soft and subtle to the
touch. The stockinette swatch
I talk about in the next couple
of pages has a lovely drape
and proved to me that it would
be very suitable to knit baby’s
garments, too.
Radiant cotton comes in 24 colors,
from the soft pastels shown here,
to some intense brights that
would be fun to include in any
spring or summer wardrobe.
This Egyptian cotton yarn is nice to the touch in the hank and in the swatch it has amazing drape,
with a subtle sheen and great stitch definition.
Photos by Charles Voth
KNITmuch | issue 4
7

Knitting summer tees with
Radiant Cotton yarn
Stockinette Stitch swatch in Radiant Cotton shows excellent stitch definition
and subtle sheen
While these two colors of Radiant Cotton are serene and understated, there
are 22 other colors, many of which are bright and saturated. It is easy to wind
balls off of these hanks without any struggles with tangles.
Some people have a hard time knitting with cotton
yarn, because well, it’s often hard, hard to the touch
that is. Knitting with Radiant Cotton by Fibra Natura
may just change your mind about cotton yarn
though, because it’s soft and once knit, there’s some
body and elasticity to the fabric.
I described Radiant Cotton’s architecture and
qualities, and we’ll look at some other characteristics.
When I knit this stockinette stitch swatch, I used US 6
[4mm] needles and achieved a tension of 24 sts and
32 rows per 4″ [10cm]. So that’s on the lighter side
of a DK, more like a Sport weight, but maybe it’s just
me. The ball band recommends US size 5 [3.75mm]
needles to achieve a 22 st/28 row gauge. I’m not a
tight knitter, generally, but I guess I’ll go up a size or
two to achieve ball-band gauge if necessary.
My swatch has a lovely drape, despite the “tighter”
gauge and the hand of the fabric is very pliable, has
as much elasticity as your average cotton T-shirt yet
it feels much more luxurious.
More about the information on the ball band, or
label in this case. Each hank of Radiant Cotton
weighs 100g and contains 203yd [186m]. The hank
must be wound into a cake on a winder or into a
ball by hand before knitting, but I had zero struggles
when winding it off the swift. There were no tangles
in the hank and the ties around it were made with
each of the two ends, and the label was the third
“tie” keeping the hank strands in order.
the swatch – yardage – winding it – gauge – elasticity – drape
8 KNITmuch | issue 4

Another tidbit of information, once knit up, you
can machine wash and tumble dry your knit
item…another great reason to use this yarn to knit
children’s items, too.
Universal Yarns offers two free patterns for Radiant
Cotton and they’re both lovely spring or summer tops.
The Lucky Star Tee features rows of mesh lace with
a few solid rows separating the bands of eyelets.
There are six sizes from XS to 2X and these are knit
using 4 to 6 hanks of Radiant Cotton, which shows
how ample the yardage of this yarn is.
The other pattern is the Down the Lane Tee, which
debuts a twisted vertical rib through the waistline up
to the bodice which that morphs into a lace panel.
It’s a square scoop neck and the sleeves are worked
in one piece with the body pieces. It comes in 6
sizes as well from XS to 3X.
As you can see from these two patterns, Radiant
Cotton yarn is excellent for lace knitting.
The Lucky Star Tee, a free pattern that uses between 4 and 6 hanks of Radiant
Cotton in the Viola color.
Radiant Cotton in Calypso, a bright salmon pink, is knit into this slimming
summer tee with simple cap sleeves.
KNITmuch | issue 4
9

Knitting delicate lace in a summer
stole with cotton yarn
I’ve been swatching and knitting
with Radiant Cotton by Fibra
Natura. Its brightness and smooth
touch make it ideal for summer
lace and so I thought I’d explore
designing with it, and I think I’ve
come up with a perfect idea for
a summer stole that you can
wear well past twilight to fend off
the evening chill in the prettiest
possible way.
2 lacy leaves flank a column of double decreases
in this swatch of knitted lace
We looked at some free
patterns provided by Universal
Yarn and explored some other
characteristics of this yarn, but
here's why I like it so much.
One thing about Radiant Cotton
that has quickly made it one
of my favorite cottons is that it
makes textured stitches pop!
The sheen and the twist are
very conducive to delicate lace,
but also to twisted stitches and
crossed stitches.
Crossed stitches frame pairs of leafy lace motifs in
this summer stole.
In the picture above you can see
that I’ve started to knit a lace
motif that has two leaves that
lean towards each other. Once
I knit a couple repeats of the
paired leaves, I wasn’t sure I really
liked them paired evenly like that
so instead, I thought I should
stagger them a bit. This is what I
ended up with.
Staggered leaf motifs bring balance to this cotton
stole pattern.
To make the leaves slant towards
the center, I use a double
decrease up the middle stitches
and increase on the outer sides
of the leaves. When I first started,
I used a yarn over on the RS of
the work and purl in the back
loop of the yarn overs on the WS
rows to give a little twist to the
increase. To keep the column of
purl stitches set into the fabric,
I wanted the flanking column
of knit stitches to be twisted all
the way up, but with the yarn
over increases, this effort was
interrupted, so I needed to figure
something else out.
Mistakes and problems inevitably surface when
designing. Here are texture issues I needed to solve.
10 KNITmuch | issue 4

To frame the lace, I decided to
have a nice corded look on either
side, so I chose some crossed
stitches set off by purl stitches
on either side. It really makes the
cord stand out – you can see
what I mean about the sheen
of Radiant Cotton making the
textured stitches look great. I also
decided to keep only the knit
stitches that weren’t affected by
the yarn over increases twisted,
so in this picture it’s just the
column to the left of the purl
stitches that is twisted this way.
Here’s the legend for the chart symbols.
Crossed stitches flanked by purl stitches that are
then flanked by twisted stitches creates a brilliant
opportunity for this cotton to shine.
So, after a few more little tweaks,
I came up with the following
pattern. You’ll need 5 balls of
Radiant Cotton and size 4mm
needles.
The finished stole will measure
20¾” x 59¾” [53 x 152cm].
And below is the chart.
To start the stole, you need a multiple of 28
stitches, plus 16. In this case, cast on 100 sts.
You could do fewer for a scarf or more for a
full-blown shawl.
Knit 4 rows first, then begin the chart. Follow
all the details for this pattern on the next page.
Chart for wedding stole pattern
KNITmuch | issue 4
11

Lace Wedding Stole
instructions
materials
yarn
Radiant Cotton by Fibra Natura
(3) DK weight 100% Egyptian cotton
100g [3.5oz]/186m [203yds] per hank
5 hanks in any light color
needles
US 5 [3.75mm]
gauge
23 sts and 30 rows = 4″ [10cm]
using US 5 [3.75mm] needles over St st
Worked over a multiple of 28, plus
16. For a lovely summer or wedding
shawl, cast on 100 sts. Knit 4 rows.
Start Chart or row by row instructions
below.
Row 1: K5, k-tbl, p1, k2, p1, [k-tbl, k22,
k-tbl, p1, k2, p1] 3 times, k-tbl,
k5.
Row 2: K2, p3, p-tbl, [k1, p2, k1, p-tbl,
p22, p-tbl] 3 times, k1, p2, k1,
p-tbl, p3, k2.
Row 3: K5, k-tbl, p1, 1/1 RC, p1, [yo, k3,
k2tog, yo, sssk, k2, s2tog-k1-
p2sso, k1, yo, s2tog-k1-
p2sso, yo, ssk, k5, yo, p1, 1/1 RC,
p1] 3 times, k-tbl, k5 (91 sts).
Row 4: K2, p3, p-tbl, [k1, p2, k1, p-tbl,
p2, {p5, p-tbl} twice, (p, yo, p,
yo, p) in 1, p-tbl, p3, p-tbl] 3
times, k1, p2, k1, p-tbl, p3, k2
(103 sts).
Row 5: K5, k-tbl, p1, 1/1 RC, p1, [yo,
k2, k2tog, yo, s1, k5, s1, yo, k1,
s2tog-k1-p2sso, {k1, yo}
twice, k8, yo, p1, 1/1 RC, p1] 3
times, k-tbl, k5 (112 sts).
Row 6: K2, p3, p-tbl, [k1, p2, k1, p-tbl,
p14, {p1, p-tbl, p4} twice, p-tbl]
3 times, k1, p2, k1, p-tbl, p3, k2.
Row 7: K5, k-tbl, p1, 1/1 RC, p1, [yo, k3,
k2tog, yo, ssk, k3, k2tog, yo, k1,
s2tog-k1-p2sso, {k1,
yo} twice, k2tog, k4, k2tog, k2,
yo, p1, 1/1 RC, p1] 3 times, k-tbl,
k5 (109 sts).
Row 8: K2, p3, p-tbl, [k1, p2, k1, p-tbl,
p15, [p-tbl, p3] twice, p2, p-tbl]
3 times, k1, p2, k1, p-tbl, p3, k2.
Row 9: K5, k-tbl, p1, 1/1 RC, p1, [yo, k4,
k2tog, yo, ssk, k1, k2tog, yo, k1,
s2tog-k1-p2sso, {k1,
k2tog, k3} twice, yo, p1, 1/1 RC,
p1] 3 times, k-tbl, k5 (100 sts).
Row 10: K2, p3, p-tbl,[k1, p2, k1, p-tbl,
p13, {p-tbl, p1} twice, p5, p-tbl]
3 times, k1, p2, k1, p-tbl, p3, k2.
Row 11: K5, k-tbl, p1, 1/1 RC, p1, [yo,
k5, k2tog, yo, s2tog-k1-p2sso,
yo, k1, s2tog-k1-p2sso,
k2, k3tog, yo, ssk, k3, yo, p1,
1/1 RC, p1] 3 times, k-tbl, k5 (91
sts).
Row 12: K2, p3, p-tbl, [k1, p2, k1,
p-tbl, p3, p-tbl, (p, yo, p, yo, p)
in 1, {p-tbl, p5} twice, p2, p-tbl]
3 times, k1, p2, k1, p-tbl, p3, k2
(103 sts).
Row 13: K5, k-tbl, p1, 1/1 RC, p1, [yo,
k8, {yo, k1} twice, s2tog-k1-
p2sso, k1, yo, s1, k5, s1, yo,
ssk, k2, yo, p1, 1/1 RC, p1] 3
times, k-tbl, k5 (112 sts).
Row 14: K2, p3, p-tbl, [k1, p2, k1,
p-tbl, {p4, p-tbl, p1} twice, p14,
p-tbl] 3 times, k1, p2, k1, p-tbl,
p3, k2.
Row 15: K5, k-tbl, p1, 1/1 RC, p1, [yo,
k2, ssk, k4, ssk, {yo, k1} twice,
s2tog-k1-p2sso, k1, yo,
ssk, k3, k2tog, yo, ssk, k3, yo,
p1, 1/1 RC, p1] 3 times, k-tbl, k5
(109 sts).
Row 16: K2, p3, p-tbl, [k1, p2, k1,
p-tbl, p2, [p3, p-tbl] twice, p15,
p-tbl] 3 times, k1, p2, k1, p-tbl,
p3, k2.
Row 17: K5, k-tbl, p1, 1/1 RC, p1, [yo, {k3,
ssk, k1} twice, s2tog-k1-p2sso, k1,
yo, ssk, k1,
Design by Charles Voth Designs for KNITmuch.com
©2017 Charles Voth
Radiant Cotton by Fibra Natura
k2tog, yo, ssk, k4, yo, p1, 1/1 RC,
p1] 3 times, k-tbl, k5 (100 sts).
Row 18: K2, p3, p-tbl,[k1, p2, k1, p-tbl,
p5, {p1, p-tbl} twice, p13, p-tbl]
3 times, k1, p2, k1, p-tbl, p3, k2.
Repeat rows 1–18 until stole is
approximately 54 inches (138 cm) long
Row 19: K5, k-tbl, p1, 1/1 RC, p1, [yo,
k10, s2tog-k1-p2sso, k1, yo,
s2tog-k1-p2sso, yo, ssk, k5,
yo, p1, 1/1 RC, p1] 3 times, k-tbl,
k5 (97 sts).
Row 20: K2, p3, p-tbl, [k1, p2, k1,
{p-tbl, p7} twice, p6, p-tbl] 3
times, k1, p2, k1, p-tbl, p3, k2.
Row 21: K5, k-tbl, p1, 1/1 RC, p1, [yo,
k22, yo, p1, 1/1 RC, p1] 3 times,
k-tbl, k5 (100 sts).
Row 22: K2, p3, p-tbl, [k1, p2, k1,
p-tbl, p22, p-tbl] 3 times, k1,
p2, k1, p-tbl, p3, k2.
Knit 4 rows.
Bind off purlwise.
Special Abbreviations
k-tbl
Knit through the back loop
p-tbl
Purl through the back loop
p2sso
Slip 2 stitches together
knitwise, knit 1, then pass
slipped stitches over
(p, yo, p, yo, p) in 1
Purl, leaving the stitch on the
needle, then yarn over, purl,
yarn over, and then purl (5
stitches total) into the same
stitch
1/1 RC
Slip 1 stitch to cable needle
and hold in back; k1; k1 from
cable needle
12 KNITmuch | issue 4

13

1 cotton yarn that makes this
scalloped cast-on edge stand out
We’ll continue discovering how
Radiant Cotton yarn by Fibra
Natura is ideal for knitting
textured stitch patterns, especially
for this scalloped cast-on edge.
We saw how this lovely cotton
yarn works up in a lace pattern.
I’m delving into a little more
texture.
First, the scalloped edging. Isn’t it
fabulous?!
Top-down view of the crocheted scalloped edging! Adorable and worthy of this cotton yarn.
Radiant Cotton makes the bobbles, lace, and
scalloped edging pop on this swatch.
Now – I'm a patient man and
a patient knitter, but when it
comes to scalloped edgings, I’m
not patient at all. I haven’t really
ever found a knitted scallop
edging that either a) didn't look
like bunting banners, or b) didn't
give me a headache. So I cross
over into some of my other craft
skills and turn to crochet. I know
some of you are die-hard noncrocheters,
but we're not making
a whole garment or afghan.
Trying a new activity and using
new hand muscles and brain
cells is important for some of
us who get set in our ways.
New skills are good for aging
synapses, right? So I hope you'll
give it a try. If not, after we look
in detail at the edging, I'll talk
about the other textures in this
swatch, which are ALL knit.
To make this scalloped edging,
you need to know how to chain,
how to yarn over, how to make
a double-crochet stitch and a
treble-crochet stitch. You begin
by making 4 chains, then yarn
over (1 in the photo above), then
insert the hook in the first chain
and pull up a loop (2 in the
photo above). Yarn over and pull
through first 2 loops on hook (3)
and yarn over and pull through
remaining 2 loops (4). That’s the
double-crochet completed. The
next stitch is a treble crochet (tc
or tr). To make it, yarn over twice
(5 in the photo below) and insert
hook in same chain space as the
dc, yarn over and pull up a loop
(6). Yarn over and pull through 2
loops (7) and do that twice more
to finish the treble-crochet (8).
To make the next scallop, chain
four again, and work both the
double-crochet and the treble
crochet under the 2 strands that
are the front loop and the first
vertical bar of the last treblecrochet
you made.
It takes 4 simple steps to make the first double crochet stitch.
The second stitch is a treble crochet in the same chain.
14 KNITmuch | issue 4

To do a little planning for your
knitting project, you need to
know that you can get 4 knit
stitches to each scallop of this
crocheted border.
A strand of 6 scallops, ready to become a cast-on
scalloped edging.
To pick up and knit stitches, start
with the loop that was on your
crochet hook and slip it onto
your right needle. Then flip to the
wrong side of the row of scallops
where you'll find…wait for it…purl
bumps! Yes, on the back of each
treble crochet stitch you can find
3 bumps. Each one is an insertion
point to pick up and knit 3 of the
4 stitches that will be allotted to
each scallop.
“Purl” bumps on the back of the scallops are
highlighted to show where to pick up and
knit stitches.
Then after you pick up 3, you flip the
scallop back to the right side up and
you can see the juncture between
the scallops. This is where you pick
up and knit the fourth stitch.
Pick up and knit every 4th stitch from the right-side
under the highlighted strands on the scalloped edging.
When you've picked up all the
stitches across you’ll have a multiple
of 4, plus 1. The first row is a purl
or wrong-side row. In this row, you
can increase or decrease the 1 or 2
stitches you may need to adjust to
get the given stitch count for your
pattern. For this bobble and lace
swatch however, 25 sts was just what
I needed.
4 stitches per scallop, plus 1 for the edge creates a
balanced row ready for knitting.
This scalloped edging or
cast-on (if you want to think
of it that way) is great for
blankets, and other items of
home decor. You may like
it on a shawl or scarf, too.
It adds a marginal amount
of weight, so to balance a
finished item, like a blanket, I
would crochet on a scallop
border that looks exactly the
same after I had bound off
the last row. To do an added
on edging, you simply join
the crochet to the knit fabric
with a slip stitch. Then you
chain 4, double crochet in
the same spot the chains
come from, treble crochet
in the same spot, too. Then
you lean the scallop across
the edge to equal a distance
of 4 stitches and you slip
stitch into the edge of the
fabric and you’re ready to
repeat from there.
Now, on to the bobbles
and lace of this swatch. I
saw a little baby bunting
on Pinterest that was
completely covered in
bobbles and it struck a
chord with me. Once I
started knitting with Radiant
Cotton, this stitch seemed
like a perfect pairing to
knit with this soft glistening
cotton. Here’s the lace
pattern I re-engineered
from a very blurry
photograph on Pinterest.
KNITmuch | issue 4
15

Knowing that not all of you love
knitting charts, I've added the
text instructions below, too. This
isn’t a complete pattern, but you
can use this chart for any project
that you like. Explanations for
some of the abbreviations are
given in the Stitch Glossary, below,
but the trickiest bit is the bobble,
so I'll explain that separately.
Make bobble (MB): In next st, (k
1, yo, k1) all together, turn your
work, leaving rem sts unworked,
purl 3, turn, knit 3, turn, purl 3,
turn, slip first st purlwise, knit 2
together, pass slipped stitch over
the first st and then proceed
to follow the rest of the row
instructions. You can do it at any
time, but popping the bobble out
to the RS of the fabric is easiest
right after you’ve made it.
Row 1: Knit.
Row 2 and all even rows: Purl.
Row 3: P2, [p1, yo, k1, ssk, k1,
k2tog, k1, yo, p4] across to
last 11 sts, p1, yo, k1, ssk, k1,
k2tog, k1, yo, p3.
Row 5: P2, [p2, yo, k1, s1-k2togpsso,
k1, yo, p5] across to
last 11 sts, p2, yo, k1, s1-
k2tog-psso, k1, yo, p4.
Row 7: K1, rki, [ssk, k3, mb, k3,
k2tog, k1, yo, rki] across to
last 11 sts, ssk, k3, mb, k3,
k2tog, yo, k1.
Row 9: P1, yo, [k1, ssk, k1, yo,
s2tog-k1-p2sso, yo, k1,
k2tog, k1, yo, p1, yo] across
to last 11 sts, k1, ssk, k1,
yo, s2tog-k1-p2sso, yo, k1,
k2tog, k1, yo, p1.
Row 11: P2, [yo, k1, ssk, k3, k2tog,
k1, yo, p3] across to last 11
sts, yo, k1, ssk, k3, k2tog, k1,
yo, p2.
Row 13: P2, [p1, yo, k1, ssk, k1,
k2tog, k1, yo, p4] across to
last 11 sts, p1, yo, k1, ssk, k1,
k2tog, k1, yo, p3.
Row 14: Purl
Repeat Rows 5-14 for pattern.
Special Stitches
rki: Lift the stitch 1 row below the
next stitch onto the left needle
and knit this stitch.
mb: (K, yo, k) in 1, turn work, p3,
turn, k3, turn, p3, turn, s1-
k2tog-psso.
s1-k2tog-psso: Slip one stitch
knitwise, then knit 2 stitches
together and pass the slipped
stitch over.
s2tog-k1-p2sso: Slip 2 stitches
together knitwise, knit 1, then
pass slipped stitches over.
Try something new! Use this scalloped edging on
one of your upcoming projects!
Symbol chart for this easy and charming bobble and lace stitch pattern
Legend for chart symbols
16 KNITmuch | issue 4

don't miss these
projects & tutorials online!
KNIT much
...to K, is to
.com
Things I will and
won’t do again in
CUFF-DOWN KNITTED
SOCKS…
READ NOW
READ NOW
READ NOW
2 things I learned from my
knitted swatch other than
GAUGE
What amazing cleaning
tool do you get when you
cross SCRUBBY yarn
and slippers?
and there's so much more!
KNITmuch | issue 4
17

Crossing stitches is easier
than knitting cables
This is a top-down sweater for a toddler featuring centered decreases and
sharp, lovely braided cord made of crossed stitches.
This top-down yoke has two main elements, the centered decrease and
the 2-stitch crossed stitch cord which is set off by purl stitches.
I’ll show you how to knit
crossed stitches, which look like
fabulous regal braided cording
and are easier than knitting
cables.
After knitting different swatches
with this soft and shiny yarn, and
focusing on a scalloped cast-on,
I couldn’t help but move from
swatch to sweater. So I started a
top-down sweater for a toddler
with a 20″ chest. I didn’t have
enough time to make the whole
sweater, mind you. I’m fast, but not
that fast.
I kept some of the elements of the
leaf lace swatch that I wrote about:
the center double decrease and
the yarn over and twisted stitch
increases, and the crossed stitch
cording. This panel is without the
leafs made for easy increasing
around the yoke for my top-down
design.
The design element in this yoke
that I like the most is the crossed
stitches. In this case, I made all the
stitches cross to the right, but it is
possible to make them symmetrical
and cross to the left as well, but
we’ll leave that to another design.
18 KNITmuch | issue 4

To make a crossed stitch leaning
to the right, insert the right-hand
needle under the front leg of the
second stitch on the left-hand
needle and tug a little towards
you and towards the tip of the
left needle, too, but be careful
not to take it so far that the stitch
is passed over the first one.
Then remove the right needle and
instantly re-insert it in the front
leg of that stitch to knit it without
removing it from the left needle.
Then insert the right needle into
the second stitch and knit it,
removing both stitches from the
needle. And that… is that.
The crossed stitches are so quick
to knit up than knitted cables, so
it won’t take long.
When I set out to write about
Radiant Cotton, I really didn’t
know what to expect. I have
knitted for a long time, and
I have used a lot of different
cotton yarns. So basically, I came
at this with no expectations at all.
Truly.
Lift the 2nd stitch and bring the front leg forward to make it easier to
knit into it.
Knit into the front leg of the 2nd stitch first, but don’t slip it off the LH needle.
Knit the first stitch and slide them both of the LH needle.
Charles Voth
twitter.com/stitchstud
charlesvothdesigns.ca
KNITmuch | issue 4
19

1 knitting pattern to show someone
you love them
Michelle Nguyen
Red Heart’sBaby Hugs yarn in Ladybug colorway
Red Heart paired their Baby Hugs yarn with a
pattern for called Valentine’s Day Mug Hug which I
believe isn’t just for Valentine’s Day. This is such an
adorable knitted pattern to show someone they are
dear to you, all year ’round!
What better yarn for a mug hug than Baby Hugs
yarn? This pattern calls for a medium weight yarn,
however I wanted to small-size my mug hug, so
I used the thinner yarn, Baby Hugs Light. If you
wanted a normal sized mug hug, then you would
use the recommended yarn, Baby Hugs Medium.
I started off knitting this pattern exactly to
specifications. I’m a notorious pattern adjuster,
but this time, I set out to knit it exactly as written.
I suppose it would have helped if I read the
instructions carefully. I assumed this pattern was knit
in the round. It isn’t – it’s worked flat. You rib to the
end of the row and turn to continue this rib pattern
all the way back. Going through this whole pattern
it never dawned on me that if I made it in the
round, there wasn’t going to be space for a handle,
and most mugs have handles.
The Valentine’s Day
Mug Hug pattern by
Red Heart! Originally
designed with
Valentine's Day in
mind, but change
the colors up to
suit your kitchen, or
make it in pink for a
friend going through
cancer treatment.
Finished Mug Hug with a hand made pottery mug! Handles are really overrated!
20 KNITmuch | issue 4

I continued knitting along until I arrived at the end of
the pattern and the instructions said to make a button
loop. “A button loop?” I thought to myself, “what good
is a button loop going to be?” I looked at the picture. I
looked at my own version. I looked at the picture again.
Then, bam, like a bus, it hit me all at once. The handle!
I’m lucky because in my house I have a plethora of mugs
without handles.
When first looking at this pattern I thought the heart was
colorwork. As we all now know, the heart’s a separate
piece. If you’re a colorwork fiend like me, you would
prefer to use colorwork in your mug hug, so I’ve made
the chart below so you can work this piece however
you’d like!
Knitting up my heart applique for my mug hug. Make sure you
leave long tails at the ends to shape the top of the heart and sew it
onto the rest of your mug hug!
Here's the chart and key for a color work mug hug. Don’t forget to do the button loop according to pattern
instructions and seam up the bottom ribbing.
Photos by Michelle Nguyen and Red Heart
KNITmuch | issue 4
21

Knit the best
wrister pattern EVER!
Red Heart’s Sleek Striped
Wristers pattern is one of my
favorite things to knit! They
can be used on their own or in
tandem with a heavier mitten for
those really cold days. Plus, they
cover the space between your
mitten and coat; no more cold
breezes!
This is a very easy pattern that’s
perfect if you’re thinking about
attempting something made
in the round. It’s a stockinette
stitch pattern and you switch up
colors every two rows. If you’re
nervous about the color changes,
just leave them out and make
your first pair all one color. These
wristers are the very essence of
“potato chip knitting”: you just
can’t stop at one pair!
The medium weight of Baby
Hugs the pattern calls for works
very well with wristers. The yarn
stretches to fit over your hands
but has the durability that acrylic
is known for. One of the most
problematic things about wristers
is they go over the palms of your
hands. Your finger tips are the
area that gets the most wear and
tear, but second in line are heel
and palm of your hands. With
this yarn, there’s no pilling or
felting, which makes it great for
garments that get a lot of wear.
Baby Hug yarn comes in 18
colors, so the possibilities for
color combinations are almost
22 KNITmuch | issue 4
I love the play between the colors Dolphin and
Pool! This is definitely my color palette.
Work in progress, everything is striping up nicely!
So happy with my Baby Hug Wisters in the colors,
Pool and Dolphin!
endless. If you really want to get
technical, the number of color
combinations is 306, (when you
have made all 306 combinations,
please send me a picture!) If you
knit the pattern with a three color
stripe the math gets beyond me.
If you’re looking to practice
knitting on double pointed
needles, give this pattern a try. I
remember making it a personal
challenge to like double pointed
needles. I used to hate them and
would use all sorts of interesting
methods to get around using
them. I bought a set of double
pointed needles to help myself
learn the technique. If I owned
the needles I would have to use
them, or my investment would
have been a waste. Shaping a
thumb gusset is something that
is awkward to do on magic loop
or two circulars, so I’m glad I
took the opportunity to learn a
new skill.
I’m completely in love with my
Baby Hugs Sleek Striped Wristers.
They’re fabulously soft and warm,
perfect for knitting during the
summer in preparation for the
chill of winter.
Michelle Nguyen
stitchesbeslippin.com

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23

Knitting with
Rozetti Cotton Gold yarn
Cynthia MacDougall
When I was a young girl, I
followed in my mother’s
footsteps and had several
penpals. It was an exciting day
when the mail arrived and there
was something for me! When I
grew up, the mail became much
less exciting, because most of the
mail for me was bills! These days,
on-line shopping and blogging
means that I occasionally get that
“penpal feeling” again.
That’s what happened when I
was asked to write for KNITmuch.
All I knew was that the yarn was
going to be one of Universal
Yarn’s products.
I was a excited to see the slip in
my mailbox that indicated there
was a parcel waiting for me. What
would it be? Soft, scooshy wool?
Crisp cotton or linen? Something
cool and novel?
I’ll be honest, I was not expecting
Rozetti Cotton Gold! I cracked
open that box and found this:
Ooh, shiny! Cotton Gold is twinkly!
24
KNITmuch | issue 4

Dramatic lighting highlights the sparkle of Rozetti Cotton Gold.
WOW! Now what?
One of my knitting passions is
lace knitting, so that was the first
thing to cross my mind. I went to
the Universal Yarn website and
found the lacy shawl I expected
to find, as well as a sweater that
was made with Cotton Gold and
another Universal Yarn, Amphora.
I didn’t have Amphora, but I did
have some fine, soft laceweight
wool yarn.
Cotton Gold comes in 10 colors,
perfect for bringing bling to your
project. I received colors 1100
(blue with sapphire payettes) and
1096 (pale gray with holographic
payettes) to sample. The three
balls of the gray is enough to
make either of the two free shawl
patterns on the Universal Yarn
website.
Sequins are placed very evenly
at 3″ [7.5cm] intervals. They're
“trapped” in one of the 3 cotton
strands, before a strand of glitter is
wrapped around the cottony core.
By combining the Cotton Gold
with the laceweight yarn, I could
make a heavier-weight lace.
The Phantom Shawl (left) and Amphora sweater (right). The shawl takes only
3 balls of yarn! Both patterns are offered free on the Universal Yarn website.
Photos by Cynthia MacDougall and Universal Yarns
KNITmuch | issue 4
25

4 Steps
to the art of swatching & sampling yarn
Having been supplied with a healthy quantity of
Rozetti Cotton Gold, I want to show you the steps
I often use when I’m approaching a new yarn.
So many knitters don’t like to sample or swatch a
new yarn, but there are so many good reasons to
do it. Since starting Canadian Guild of Knitters in
2002, I’ve sampled dozens of different yarns, and
I’ve quite enjoyed the whole process. I’ve learned
some new ways of approaching a new yarn, and
I’ve learned a LOT about the yarns themselves.
I’ve learned that every yarn has a purpose, and
that sometimes you can knit a silk purse from a
sow’s ear, so to speak.
I like to use my “Vulcan logic” for analyzing and
sampling a new yarn, but you don’t need to be
Spock to have fun with this! (Did Spock ever have
any fun?) If you want to skip one or more steps,
I’m not going to drop by your house and write
you a ticket!
Here are the 4 steps I take to analyzing and
sampling a new-to-me yarn:
1. Examine the yarn. Look at the yarn. Which
way does the twist go? Does it look like the
middle stroke of an S, or of a Z? Is it a single
ply or are there many plies? Are all the plies
the same? Do they have slubs or loops?
What’s the fiber content?
While they will also work in a knitting project,
many yarns that appear with a Z twist are well
suited to crochet projects. Rozetti Cotton Gold
has an S twist in the finished yarn.
The other features will help you understand the
construction of the yarn you’re working with.
26 KNITmuch | issue 4

Knowing the fiber type helps you
decide what project is best suited
to the yarn. A cotton sweater isn’t
going to keep a skier as warm as
a wool one will!
2. Knit a sample according
to the ball band. I call this
my benchmark sample, and
almost always make it using
the recommended needles,
and the number of stitches
recommended for 4″ [10cm].
If my tension is “way out” on
a test swatch, I might rethink
my pattern choice, especially
if it’s something like a sweater,
that needs to fit. When you’re
reading the label, it’s also a
good time to check out the
laundering info.
Cotton Gold has a recommended
tension of 26 sts and 39 rows
to 4″ [10cm]. It can be washed
by hand, but an iron would
surely melt the glittery strand,
and probably the payettes, too.
(When I was growing up, I used
to see “payettes” spelled with
the original French spelling,
“paillettes”.)
3. Branch out – Do you think
this yarn would be good for
lace? Pull a stitch dictionary
and try a lace pattern that
tweaks your interest. What
about cables? This is a REALLY
great part of the exercise,
because you can build a
“library” of stitch patterns you
might like to incorporate into
a future project.
Branching out can be as
organized as you want. Some
people keep detailed records of
their swatches, recording yarn
and needle size info for future
reference. Oddly I don’t do this
(which is strange, because I
journal almost everything!)
My idea to knit Rozetti Cotton
Gold with a strand of laceweight
yarn is part of my branching
out – you never know when
you’ll hit upon a discovery that
could be your very own knitting
design! I even sample new stitch
patterns with leftover yarns from
old projects. I’ve come up with
interesting colorways right from
my scrap yarn boxes!
4. Analyze – What do you think?
Would this yarn make a good
something-else-than-whatyou’ve-planned?
It’s really
going to be everything you
want for this project?
Analysis can completely change
the direction of your knit, or it
can underscore that this yarn is
perfect for the job. Again, it can
be as organized as you want
– if you use a knitting journal,
you might want to mount your
swatch into a book, to refer back
to in the future.
I have most of the yarn swatches
I’ve made over the last 35 years
of knitting! Most of them are
in boxes, but I’ve sewn some
together into what ultimately will
be a bed jacket. Some samples
were mounted onto display
boards over the years, and
some have been placed with my
workshop materials.
I heartily recommend that you
discover the joy of knitting
samples! Next, I’ll begin with my
first swatch.
The silver strand of yarn echoes the diagonal
stroke of the letter “S”, which means that Cotton
Gold was spun “Z” and plied “S”
This small area of the ball band contains a lot of
helpful information!
The original colorway for the pattern was in
orange, brown, and oatmeal, but changing
the contrasting colors to purple and gold
really changed the look!
KNITmuch | issue 4
27

The ruler shows that my gauge is just about right on — 26 sts to 4" [10cm]
Knit
a benchmark sample
using
Rozetti Cotton Gold yarn
We’re making discoveries with
Universal Yarn’s Rozetti Cotton
Gold yarn.
that we have examined the
structure of the yarn, it’s time to
start sampling.
As I mentioned, the first step I
take is to cast on the number of
stitches prescribed on the ball
band with the manufacturer’s
recommended needles.
In this case, I should get 26 sts
to 4″ [10cm] if I use size US 4
[3.5mm] needles.
The primary purpose for this
sample – to me – is to check for
the distribution of the payettes.
Sometimes, when a yarn has
something bumpy in it such as a
sequin or a bead, the item wants
to gravitate to one side of the
work. Because of this, I want to
see if the payettes will be inclined
to float to the back of the
fabric, or whether they’ll behave
themselves regardless of which
stitch I use.
As is my habit, I begin with garter
stitch at the base. This keeps
the swatch from rolling. Then, I
switch to stockinette stitch, as
this is the stitch used for almost
all gauge swatches. In this case,
I reversed my stockinette stitch
for the next section, again to test
my theory and be able to show
you how the payettes distribute
themselves on the reverse side
of stockinette stitch. Ordinarily, I
would knit a few rows of garter
stitch at the top of the sample,
again to keep it from rolling.
However, I wanted to be able to
tell the top of the swatch from
the bottom, and if I had added
another garter stitch section, it
would have made it more difficult
to tell.
Analysis: As you can see from the
photo, the yarn is very fine, so
many of the payettes on the back
side of the work show through
to the right side. This makes it
hard to see a difference in the
distribution of the payettes in the
top two sections.
The Phantom shawl pattern uses
size US 6 [4mm] needles, so the
fabric made with them would be
even more lacy, and the payettes
would show through perhaps a
bit more.
The payettes also tend to appear
in little clusters. While this is
attractive, if I were to re-knit the
swatch with 27 or 28 stitches, I’m
certain we would see a difference
in their distribution.
My last observation is that my
ruler confirms that my horizontal
tension is just about exact.
Next up, let's combine Cotton
Gold with a laceweight yarn and
study that effect.
The upper left corner of the yarn details section
from the ball band
28 KNITmuch | issue 4

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50wt - 252 colours. Bobbin threads, black & white:
60 and 80wt. Polyester threads 240 high-sheen
colours. Wool threads 180 colours.
Country Concessions
1 Dufferin St, Cookstown, ON L0L 1L0
705.458.4546 or toll-free 1.888.834.4407
countryconcessions.com
quilting@countryconcessions.com
Visit our lovely and unique quilt shop in the quaint
village of Cookstown. We have over 7000 bolts of
cotton fabrics plus a wide selection of patterns, books
& notions. You will be so glad you came for a visit.
Evelyn's Sewing Centre / The Quilt Store
17817 Leslie St, Unit 40, Newmarket, ON L3Y 8C6
905.853.7001 or toll-free 1.888.853.7001
thequiltstore.ca
Evelyn's Sewing Centre in Newmarket is your Quilt
Store Destination! The staff here at Evelyn's is always
on hand to provide Quilt Wisdom, Quilt Inspiration
and most of all we pride ourselves as the place to
make... All Your Quilt Dreams Come True!
Gitta's
271 Lakeshore Rd E, Mississauga, ON L5G 1G8
905.274.7198 gittas.com
questions@gittas.com
Gitta's, named after owner Gitta Al-Basi, nestled in
the east village of Port Credit, is the place where
stitchers meet with their stitching friends, shop for
stitching supplies and see the new stitching designs
from Europe and the United States.
Hardanger House
4708 52 St, PO Box 1223, Stettler, AB T0C 2L0
403.742.2749 or toll-free 1.866.742.2749
tnplisting.com/hardanger-house.html
Patterns from Canadian, American and European
designers, linen and evenweave fabrics from Zweigart,
DMC pearl Cottons, Caron Collection threads, and
all the related stitching accessories are kept in stock.
Many additional items can be special ordered.
Haus of Stitches
626 Main Street, Humboldt, SK S0K 2A0
306.682.0772 or toll-free 1.800.344.6024
hausofstitches.ca
Our one of a kind store offers everything you need
for sewing, quilting, knitting, rug hooking and
needlework.
Impressions Embroidery & Engraving
#8-449 Mayor Magrath Dr S, Lethbridge, AB T1J 3L8
403.942.3934 impressionslethbridge.ca
impressions22@shaw.ca
Our shop does embroidery and laser engraving.
Laser engraving is a beautiful process for fabric,
as nothing cuts cleaner and more precisely than a
laser. We now carry a nice array of fabric as well to
compliment the abilities of the laser.
Joyce's Sewing Shop
325 Wortley Rd, London, ON N6C 3R8
519.433.5344 joycessewingshop.com
joycesewingshop@bellnet.ca
Our mission is to make sewing fun by providing
professional training to teach the benefits of sewing,
to provide excellent service and quality products
to make your sewing easier and to provide friendly
customer service to make you a happy sewer.
My Sewing Room
148-8228 MacLeod Trl SE, Calgary, AB T2H 2B8
403.252.3711 mysewingroom.ca
Queenofeverything@mysewingroom.ca
Canada's Largest Independently Owned Quilting
Store with fabric, patterns, kits, notions, sewing
machines and more! My Sewing Room boasts over
10,000 bolts of 100% cotton fabric from designers
and manufacturers from around the world.
Needles & Knits
15040 Yonge St, Aurora, ON L4G 1M4
905.713.2066 needlesandknits.com
Fabulous selection of yarns. Extremely
knowledgable and expert help. Cozy and friendly
atmosphere. Classes. Guild night every first
Tuesday of the month. Tea with Tove, the owner,
every Thursday from 6-8pm.
Pine Ridge Knit & Sew
17477 Hwy 2 PO Box 68, Trenton, ON K8V 5R1
613.392.1422 pineridgeknitsew.com
yvette@pineridgeknitsew.com
We have knitting machines by Artisan and Silver
Reed, embroidery machines by Husqvarna/Viking
& White. Sewing notions and supplies, books and
software. Hands-on lessons and classes. Wide
variety of yarns, threads, dress and pant zippers.
Ruby Pearl Quilts
500 King St W, Suite 8, Oshawa, ON L1J 2K9
905.436.3535 rubypearlquilts.com
joy@rubypearlquilts.com
We are your full service source of professional quilting
equipment, products, & courses. Led by 44 years of
sewing experience & more than 20 years of quilting
experience, we have the experience necessary to
help you push your hobby to the next level!
Ruti's Needlebed
10 Thomas St, Mississauga, ON L5M 1Y5
905.821.9370 ruti.ca
Mississauga's Finest Quilting and Knitting
Store!! Come see our huge selection of yarn,
fabric, supplies, sewing machines and knitting
machines…a local store for all your quilting, sewing,
knitting needs! We offer a wide variety of classes.
The Yarn Guy
15 Gower St, Toronto, ON M4B 1E3
416.752.1828 or toll-free 1.800.836.6536
theyarnguy.com info@sewknit.ca
See us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter!
Knitting machines, sewing machines, repairs, parts
for Passap, Studio, Singer, Silver Reed, Superba,
White. Sewing notions and supplies, books, ball
yarns, coned yarns, TAMM yarns, Paton's yarns,
Bernat yarns, Phentex yarns, Bernat kits & crafts.
Sew Fancy Inc.
Guelph, ON
519.824.4127 sewfancy.com
sales@sewfancy.com
Your Premier Canadian Source for Specialty Sewing
Supplies including Smocking, Heirloom Sewing,
Goldwork, Silk Ribbon Embroidery, Needle Tatting,
Swarovski Crystals, Sashiko, Quilting and more. Visit
the website for the latest in sewing supplies.
That Sewing Place
16610 Bayview Ave #10, Newmarket, ON L3X 1X3
905.715.7725 thatsewingplace.ca
jaret&liana@thatsewingplace.ca
Introducing That Sewing Place as your sewing
source and Authorized Dealers for Bernina and
Brother machines. Jaret & Liana focus on placing
your sewing needs first, providing outstanding
support, service, and training.
The Stitching Corner
#2, 185 First St E, Cochrane, AB T4C 2E9
403.932.3390 stitchingcorner.ca
nygabe@telus.net
Your Needlework Shop in Cochrane.
The Stitcher's Muse
99 Commercial St, Nanaimo, BC V9R 5G3
250.591.6873 thestitchersmuse.com
info@thestitchersmuse.com
A divine little shop with supplies for all your hand
stitching needs! Friendly, knowledgeable, helpful
staff. Cross stitch, canvaswork, needlepoint,
embroidery, counted thread, lace making and
more. Books, patterns, fabric, threads, tools.
Ultimate Sewing Centre
191 Bloor St East, Oshawa, ON L1H 3M3
905.436.9193 ultimatesewing.com
ultimatesewing@bellnet.ca
For all your sewing needs be sure to call Durham’s
largest one stop shop: Janome and Elna Sewing
Machines, Sergers, & Embroidery machines,
over 3000 bolts of first quality cottons, Floriani
Embroidery supplies, the latest notions, books, &
patterns, year round classes, and so much more!
Upper Canada Quiltworks
PO Box 64, Brockville, ON K6V 5T7
613.345.3956 Fax: 613.342.3327
uppercanadaquiltworks.com
Visit us online for a wide selection quilt patterns
and books. Techniques include felted wool, fusible
appliqué, punchneedle, rag quilting and printing
photos on fabric.
KNITmuch | issue 4
29

Knitting
Rozetti Cotton Gold
with another yarn
The Halo and
Sparkle sweater
is a free pattern
on the Universal
Yarn website
that uses Rozetti
Cotton Gold
and Amphora,
worked with
a strand of
each yarn
throughout
In this series of articles, we’re testing Universal
Yarn’s Rozetti Cotton Gold, a fine yarn with
sequins (or payettes) spaced evenly apart.
Such topics addressed so far were the yarn
attributes and knitting what I call a “benchmark
sample”, where you take the manufacturer’s
recommended gauge and needles, and make a
sample. At each step analyzing the day’s sample
to complete the analysis.
The next couple of topics, is about branching
out, where the fun really begins. It’s a process of
experimentation that can lead to creating your
own design.
Branching out is a bit like doodling with yarn. I
like to call it “play time for the right brain.” It’s a
great time to pull out a knitting stitch dictionary
and test out some new stitch patterns. In this
article, though, we’re doing another simple
pattern, with the addition of a second yarn.
One of the free patterns on the Universal Yarn
website is the Halo and Sparkle sweater. I drew
inspiration from this piece to create this sample.
Having seen what the fabric made with yarns
of similar color looks like, I opted to take the
sapphire blue ball and knit it with cream colored
lace weight yarn.
I made this sample a little larger and also used
larger needles — size US 7 [4.5mm].
30 KNITmuch | issue 4

Benchmark sample
The distribution of sequins on this sample of Cotton Gold with a
cream colored laceweight yarn is quite attractive. Larger needles and
a lace pattern would make a nice warm shawl.
Analysis The sequins are well
distributed, and combining a
bold color with a neutral results
in a blended shade that from a
distance takes the bold out of the
Cotton Gold color. This might be
desirable, or a bolder blue similar
to the Cotton Gold blue might be
preferred.
A shawl made of Cotton Gold
alone would be a striking piece to
wear to a holiday event or black
tie affair. Combining Cotton Gold
with a rich wool or even a blend of
acrylic, mohair, and alpaca, such as
Universal Yarn’s Amphora, grounds
the sparkle and makes a more
subtle piece that could be worn on
other occasions such as weddings,
and perhaps even under a business
jacket to the office.
What would you
want to make from
this sample?
KNITmuch | issue 4
31

Creating knitted accents with
Rozetti Cotton Gold yarn
In our last article of our work with
Universal Yarn’s Rozetti Cotton
Gold yarn, we’re going to look
at using it as a complement to
another yarn. Knitters who like to
work with fine yarns are going to
want to keep reading branching
out with our “yarn doodling”.
For this sample, I chose a soft,
medium gray ball of laceweight
yarn to complement the soft,
light gray of the Cotton Gold.
Rozetti Cotton Gold is a laceweight, sequinned yarn with 65% cotton, 27%
paillettes and 8% twist of glitter yarn.
A gray laceweight yarn combined with a “V” of Cotton Gold makes one
daydream of a lightweight shell with a dash of sparkle
As I knitted the previous sample,
I thought that a touch of Cotton
Gold would look great near the
face and it would also look nice
with a fine knit fabric, so I picked
up my size US 4 [3.5mm] needles,
and started knitting a fine,
stockinette stitch fabric. Once I
had a few inches, I added the
Cotton Gold to make a v-neck
insert. Didn’t even pull a stitch
dictionary for this one; I just went
“organic” with a diamond pattern
that would naturally fill the “V”.
32
KNITmuch | issue 4

Analysis If working this into a
sweater or shell, I think I would
choose a slightly paler shade of
gray for the main yarn. Apart
from that, there are SO many
possibilities for this concept.
The “V” insert here could be
done in a boatneck style, as
shown, or a second “V” could
be made in the Cotton Gold, to
make a “v within a v” neck. The
diamond could be made wider,
with wide shoulders that would
be draped in at the front to
create a cowl front (or back!)
Speaking of the back, this
concept could be applied to
form a large diamond to make
a dramatic fashion statement.
On a smaller scale, this could be
done on one (or both) sleeves,
or even to make a gusset on a
skirt for evening.
Now, I’m off to find a pattern for
an asymmetrical triangle shawl
to make with this yarn!
I found JUST the thing! This pattern is called Pheilraupe. The original
design by Alpi Alpenrose is worked in a heavier yarn – a double
knitting weight – but knit up in Cotton Gold makes it a sparkly
accent to wear to a holiday party or other glamorous event!
Cynthia MacDougall
www.cgknitters.blogspot.ca
Ravelry name: macknitnow
KNITmuch | issue 4
33

Knitting with
Classic Shades Sequins Lite
Charles Voth
I LOVE glitter. Some would call
me a magpie. I also LOVE fall
colors, and I'm mesmerized by
the trees that turn in the fall.
As luck would have it, I get the
chance to review Classic Shades
Sequins Lite by Universal Yarn,
and my skein of the Volcano
colorway has both!
Classic Shades Sequins Lite is
a DK weight yarn that’s very
versatile because it comes in a
variety of gradient colorways.
Each colorway has sequins
that coordinate well with each
color in the gradient (I love
the red sequins in this Volcano
colorway), and even though
it’s single ply, it has enough
twist that’s well set, so it can be
worked with larger needles and
still keeps its integrity.
Sequins Lite is 22% wool, and
74% acrylic. Like the other yarns
in the Classic Shades family, the
acrylic fibers are long enough
that pilling doesn’t happen
without an extreme amount of
friction in one place, and the
yarn is lofty and soft. There’s
no scratch to the wool content
either. But if you’re good at
mental math, you’ll note that
these numbers only add up to
96%. The last 4% is the payette
material, aka “the sequins!” Part
of the acrylic fibers are spun in
a separate, tight thread which
traps the sequins and spaces
them randomly throughout
the skein. There are plenty of
sequins with 7 or 8 appearing in
each yard of yarn.
I worked up this little slipper sock
on size 5 US [3.75mm] needles to
see what the yarn looked like at a
firm DK-weight gauge and I really
like the results. When I showed
these slippers to someone they
asked about whether the sequins
would irritate the skin or catch
and rip off. You cannot feel the
sequins at all, and I made these
kid size so they would only be
worn for a season at most. While
I haven’t yet been able to put it
to the test, I don’t really find that
these “catch” on anything as the
knit fabric grazes across tile or
hardwood floors.
This warm and glittery yarn is perfect for those
who love autumn colors like plum and merlot
and coral.
A slipper sock knit with Sequins Lite shows
the random placement of the payettes in the
stockinette fabric
Close-up of slipper sock shows how randomly yet
consistently the sequins appear in stockinette fabric
34 KNITmuch | issue 4

There are over 250 yards of intense colors and scattered, understated glitter
from sequins in this versatile yarn
There are 264yds [240m] on
each skein, so I would be able
to make about 3 or 4 pairs of
kids slipper-socks with one skein.
Some lucky child could have the
same slippers, just 1 size bigger
each year, 3 or 4 years in a row.
The ball band recommends
size 7 US [4.5mm] needles for
a gauge of 20 sts to 4″ [10cm],
which is the normal combination
for a worsted weight gauge. But
I tried it and it works. With size
7 needles, the fabric has lovely
drape and the stockinette stitches
are consistent and even. I would
show this, but I forgot to take
a picture before I frogged my
swatch to make next project.
Speaking of frogging, Classic
Shades Sequins Lite took the
treatment of being knit and
frogged once quite well. The
tricky part is ripping out the
knitting and not catching the
sequins. So while it does un-knit
quite well, I’d suggest you undo
your knitting with care rather
than rip out in haste.
To give you an idea of other
colorways, I’m sharing photos of
2 of the 8 other colors, and a free
shawlette pattern worked up in a
third colorway.
Zig Zag Lace Shawlette – free
pattern courtesy of Universal Yarn.
Next we’ll look at the pattern for
a mega-scarf in that lacy stitch
pattern you may have noticed
in the background of the above
photo.
Mustard, pumpkin, coral pink, and merlot
transition gently from one to the other in this
gradient yarn.
The “Rainforest” colorway on the left and the
“Lucky Rose” colorway on the right feature royal
blue and mother-of-pearl sequins respectively, the
perfect complement to the other colors in the yarn.
The Zig Zag lace shawlette in the 405 Primrose
colorway is a warm, shoulder-hugging capelet
style shawl.
Photos by Charles Voth and Universal Yarns
KNITmuch | issue 4
35

Knit an easy lace mega-scarf
with gradient and glittery yarn
The Volcano colorway of Classic Shades Sequins Lite is a perfect match for
this dijon yellow pea-coat.
Some of the mega-scarves that
I’ve seen posted online are quite
bulky and while beautiful, they
add maybe more volume around
the neck than some women may
want. To address this, I thought
I would design a lighter-weight
scarf using Classic Shades Sequins
Lite, which offers not only bright
gradient colorways but also an
element of bling from its sequins.
Now that we are familiar with the
yarn, I want to show this stitch
pattern from a lot of different
angles.
This mustard yellow coat
belonging to my wife was my
inspiration for the design, and
well, the yarn itself.
The finished dimensions of the
scarf will be 60″ x 18″ [150 x
45cm]. The scarf begins in one
corner and is worked on an angle
to create the diagonal stripes with
the gradient yarn.
Even though this is a DK-weight
yarn, I wanted the mega-scarf
to stay lofty and have lots of
drape, so I’m knitting it with size
10 US [6mm] needles. The lace
stitch is very straight forward and
other than a little shaping at the
edges, you do the same 2 rows
over and over.
This scarf starts in one corner.
The way I knit it, the beginning
corner is a bit lopped off, but in
the instructions that follow, you’ll
have a fully developed corner. I
love how the different angles give
the lace a different appearance.
Here are several different pictures.
To shape the first end of the scarf,
increase by 4 stitches every other
row (2 on each end of right-side
rows) until you get the width you
want (I recommend 18″ [46cm], or
68 stitches), to make a nice triangle.
Once the width is established,
continue to increase on the left
edge, but decrease on the right
edge to create the long sides
of the mega-scarf. Finally, when
the longest side of the scarf (left
side) measures 60″ [150cm], start
decreasing on both sides until you
finish off the opposite far corner.
The colors of the volcano colorway include rich
tones of red, plum, grey and brown
36 KNITmuch | issue 4
This easy lace consists of one kind of double
decrease and some well-placed yarn-overs to
produce a texture that moves diagonally in
different directions.

Mega-Scarf Instructions
Special abbreviation
ddec = double decrease: slip
each of next 2 sts as if to knit,
k1, pass both slipped sts over
st just knit.
With 10 US [6mm] needles and
Classic Shades Sequin Lite (for
which you’ll need 2 balls), cast on
4 sts.
Row 1 (WS): Purl.
Row 2 (RS): Inc, yfwd, k1, yfwd,
k1, yfwd, k1. (8 sts)
Row 3 and all odd rows: Purl.
Row 4: Inc, yfwd, k1, yfwd, ddec,
yfwd, k1, yrwd, k1, inc. (12 sts).
Row 6: Inc, yfwd, [k1, yfwd, ddec,
yfwd] across to last 3 sts,
k1, yfwd, k1, inc. (16 sts).
Rows 8-32: Rep Row 6. (68 sts
after Row 32).
Row 34: Ssk, ddec, [yfwd, k1,
yfwd, ddec] across to last 3
sts, yfwd, k1, inc. (68 sts).
Row 35: Purl.
Rep Rows 34 and 35 until left
edge of scarf is 60″ [150cm] or
desired length (being aware that
you may have to purchase more
yarn to make a longer scarf).
Next even row: Ssk, ddec, [yfwd,
k1, yfwd, ddec] across to
last 3 sts, k1, k2tog. (64 sts).
Next odd row: Purl
Rep last 2 rows until 12 sts remain.
Next Row: Ssk, ddec, yfwd, k1,
yfwd, ddec, k1, k2tog. (8 sts).
Next Row: Purl
Next Row: Ssk, ddec, k1, k2tog.
(4 sts).
Bind off purlwise.
TIP At the end of Row
33, weigh the ball of
yarn on a kitchen scale.
Round down to the
nearest ¼ oz [5g]. The
difference between the
weight of all the yarn
and this weight is the
amount of yarn you’ll
need for the triangle
at the top of the scarf.
Once you know how
much yarn you need for
that triangle, as much
yarn as possible can be
knit into the length of
the scarf.
I truly hope you do try
this mega-scarf pattern.
Please come back and
share your photos and
comments and let us
know how your version
turned out.
Charles Voth
www.twitter.com/stitchstud
www.charlesvothdesigns.ca
The horizontal (or vertical, depending on the angle) ridges that are
formed by the double decreases
The adjacent eyelets form a little hexagon grid with stitches
forming lines in 3 directions, giving a lot of depth to this
mega-scarf design.
Knit this easy lace mega scarf in a gradient and sequined yarn by
Universal Yarn: Classic Shades Sequin Lite
I just LOVE how you can see the glint of the sequins in the blurred
parts of this photo. This scarf will be a great addition to your
inventory of gifts and to your own wardrobe.
KNITmuch | issue 3
37

The
Creme de la knitting creme
cotton yarn
Michelle Nguyen
Creme de la Creme is a worsted weight cotton
that comes in so many colors it will give you some
serious indecision. This is a yarn that I get from Red
Heart, personally, all the time. I also always suggest
this yarn to beginners to start with since you can
knit a stockinette dishcloth from it and you get
something functional as well as fun.
As I mentioned, there are tons and TONS of colors
for this yarn. I feel 100% safe in saying that there’s
truly a color for everyone. That is part of the reason
why I always suggest Creme de la Creme yarn to
people who come to me to learn how to knit. With
all those colors to choose from, they can pick one
that resonates with them and knit away. They could
even pick out two or three skeins in case they want
to mix and watch or they get bored easily.
Creme de la Creme is 100% combed cotton so it’s
soft, but there’s also not very much stretch at all. If
Colors Wood Violet (background) and French Country Ombre (closeup)
Creme de la Creme in color Brite Green
38 KNITmuch | issue 4

you’ve ever knit with cotton before you’ll know what
I mean, some knitters find that knitting with cotton
is hard on the hands. If this happens to you, listen
to what your hands are telling you. If they’re done
knitting, then so are you. Don’t try to marathon
through and cause yourself pain.
Creme de la Creme is a worsted weight which
is smack dab in the middle of the whole bigger
or smaller yarn spectrum. It’s big enough that
beginners aren’t scared of it, yet small enough
seasoned knitters won’t mind using it for their
projects as well. Since cotton is a light fiber
it’s great for use in any number of summer
accessories. If you’re not tempted by the lighter,
airy fiber, then you should be tempted by the
durability. Creme de la Creme starts out soft, and
only gets softer as you wash it. Machine washable
and dry-able means you can do that as often
as you like. Repeated washing isn’t going to felt
your stitches either. Cotton shows excellent stitch
definition and doesn’t pill much over time.
No matter what you’re making, it’s bound to be
long-lasting and durable. These are two of the
many reasons why most dishcloths are made from
cotton, but let's discover more about this yarn in the
article that follows.
These cloths are freshly knit, but it will look like this for a while! No more pills!
Creme de la Creme on the needles! That green is such an uplifting color!
Photos by Michelle Nguyen
KNITmuch | issue 4
39

4 reasons
why knitting dishcloths is so practical
Scrub scrub scrub, dishcloths in a tub!
There are a myriad of things you can make with
cotton yarn, but one of the most common things to
make with it are washcloths.
My personal favorite about knitting cotton
dishcloths is, of course, machine washable and
dry-able. You could have dishcloths for any number
of things in your house and just throw them in the
wash. I did mention briefly in my articles about
Scrubby yarn, that I color code my dishcloths so
that I’m not using the same cloth for washing your
face that you once used for cleaning the tub.
If you’re looking at starting a new project and want
to try out the stitch pattern before-hand Creme de
la Creme makes a great testing place. Even though
it probably isn’t the same yarn, you’re still able to
get a feel of the pattern itself while knitting it. When
I’m picking out a project with a stitch pattern, I
generally attempt to find the ones that are easy for
both my mind and my hands to remember. If I don’t
have the “mental bandwidth” to go through a really
complicated pattern, I choose something I can just
sit and knit while watching TV. This way of testing
let’s you try out your stitch pattern and end up with
an interesting little dishcloth.
40 KNITmuch | issue 4

I always use blue for kitchen dishes use!
My attempt at making up a stitch pattern. It looks interesting, even though I’m
sure someone else has already imagined it. Stitch pattern books for the win!
Daisy dishcloth in the lovely Wood Violet color again
Dishcloths are a great small gift so they’re
something I always keep in my gift stash (see my
blog post from February 17, 2016). I stash a small
collection of gifts already knitted and on-hand in
case of an emergency gift-giving situation. When
your friend, colleague, family member makes plans
and you just remembered that it was their birthday
and you didn’t manage to get a small gift, a card, or
anything, just pop a couple of these into a bag with
a nice hand written note. Make it even more special
by adding a bottle of soap in a small basket or add
a soap dish. Then these little but highly effective
gifts are ready to go at a moment’s notice.
Last but not least, handmade dishcloths are a great
eco-friendly alternative to sponges or disposable
cloths. With Red Heart’s Creme de la Creme yarn,
we can knit them up and use them again and again
until they disintegrate, and, given the strength of
cotton, that could be quite some time.
KNITmuch | issue 4
41

The thick and thin
of knitting with
Unforgettable Waves yarn
Unforgettable Waves in the Spices colorway
Another interesting yarn I wanted to review is Red
Heart’s Unforgettable Waves from their Boutique line.
This is a thick and thin yarn with a lot of texture. Even
when I was unpacking this yarn one of the first things I
noticed was the halo surrounding it.
Unforgettable Waves is thick and thin, and also
lightly spun. This means that the yarn is a bit
fluffier, where it’s thicker. It also gives it the look of
a very smooth lopi yarn. The natural variation in
the thickness of the yarn creates a lot of texture
and interest in your stitches. The halo I mentioned
earlier is the “fuzz” that surrounds the yarn itself.
It creates a really nice soft effect which will make
your individual stitches look more subtle. The focus
is on the overall garment rather than the stitches
themselves, which makes this yarn more forgiving if
you have trouble with tension.
The fun and funky Parade colorway joins a ball of the Spices colorway.
You can see the thick-and-thin nature of the yarn.
42 KNITmuch | issue 4

The different grist (thickness) of the
yarn will change your tension to begin
with, but the softness of the yarn will
minimize any differences in gauge. If
you’re having issues with your gauge
and looking for a yarn that will be a
little more forgiving this is the yarn for
you. I would not suggest practicing your
gauge with a yarn like this yarn. If you
want to practice your knitting gauge
I would go for something with a little
more spring in it, like Red Heart’s With
Love yarn. If you’re crazy about art
yarns and only want to knit with thick
and thin yarn then you’ll have a ball! I,
personally, find it a little disconcerting
to knit with thick and thin because all of
a sudden your yarn goes really thin and
my brain goes “OMG WHERE DID THE
YARN GO… Oh wait… it’s still there. We’re
fine people. Keep it moving.”
Unforgettable Waves yarn is 100% acrylic
which leads me into my favorite part
again… machine washable and dryable!
Yaaaay! I cannot stress how much I dislike
hand washing things… “machine wash
and dry” are music to my ears. The label
does say to wash and dry on the gentle
cycle, which I can completely understand
since it’s not spun all that tightly. I can
tell you as well, normally wool blooms a
bit when you block something like this.
I’m curious to see what will happen with
this yarn since it’s an acrylic. I think it will
probably stay the same since acrylic is
totally different from wool.
So much texture but they look so neat at the same time!
KNITmuch | issue 4
43

What knitting projects
are ideal for
Unforgettable Waves yarn
The Multi-Wear Cowl! I love this pattern!
When I received Red Heart’s
Unforgettable Waves in the mail,
I immediately looked up pattern
support for it. I wanted to make
the Multi-Wear Cowl, but it takes
four balls of yarn. I absolutely loved
this cowl and think it is a really
excellent use of this yarn, so I made
a matching hat using a the Twilight
Knitted Hat pattern I wrote up on
October 1, 2015.
While the cowl takes four balls of
yarn, the hat is only one, two if you
want to make it really slouchy. The
hat is also a great way to test out the
yarn, I remember the first time I ever
saw thick and thin yarn, I was really
not sure how it would turn out or if
I would like it. The yarn I saw back
then was also presented differently
so it looked messy. Unforgettable
Waves is in a ball and looks all neat
and tidy. I don’t think I would have
been as put off by thick and thin yarn
had I seen this one first. Start with
one or two balls to make a hat, but
keep in mind a matching cowl would
look really good, and plan your yarn
purchase with that in mind. If worst
comes to worst, you can make a few
hats to add your finished “gift stash”.
Photos by Michelle Nguyen
44 KNITmuch | issue 4

You can really
see the ‘waves’ in
Unforgettable Waves
in the texture
of this hat.
Knitting with Unforgettable Waves was
just like any other thick and thin yarn:
my brain had a little freak out anytime
it came to thin places. I obviously got
used to that, or else this would have
been a very stressful knit. The change
is actually very gradual so you don’t
notice it as much as you would think. It’s
not like you’re working with super thick
yarn then all of the sudden you have
tiny cobweb yarn. This yarn is actually
more consistent than other thick and
thin yarns I’ve worked with because
the gradual changes happen evenly
the whole way through. If you’ve ever
tried spinning you’ll know how difficult
this is to get consistently even changes
in the thickness of the yarn. I would
unintentionally make thick and thin yarn
that was quite uneven.
I think because of the texture and
the color patterning, I would not use
Unforgettable Waves to do a super
complex stitch pattern. There’s already
enough going on with the yarn that
you can get away with a very simple
pattern. I imagine a knit poncho
because I tried to make one in seed
stitch when I first started knitting and it
did not go well. I wished I could have
made it in plain garter stitch, but that
wasn’t a look I was going for. I can’t
help but think Unforgettable Waves
yarn would be perfect for that pattern.
Unforgettable Waves worked up
perfectly to my Twilight Knitted Hat
pattern.
Good luck with all your summer knitting
and I hope you give Unforgettable
Waves a try. It’s really interesting and
the perfect starting place if you’re
interested in art yarns. Before trying out
something really difficult to knit with, I
recommend that you let the color and
texture of this yarn take you on a ride.
You can really see the thick and thin of the yarn when
it’s in the ball like this.
Voilà! The Twilight Knitted Hat becomes the
Unforgettable Wave hat!
KNITmuch | issue 4
45

3 Tips
for Knitting
with Braided Cord
Red Heart’s Cordial in Natural and Jazzy
Red Heart’s Cordial yarn was
originally designed with macramé
in mind. This yarn has more of
a ropey appearance and not a
whole lot of stretch, which is ideal
for some projects, but does take
a bit of special care when you’re
knitting with it. Here are 3 tips
for knitting with Braided Cord.
TIP 1
If you have ever knit with cotton,
you’ll know how this yarn feels as
you knit it. There’s usually very little
stretch in cotton, which means
you might have to take a break
more frequently or loosen up your
gauge if you’re a tight knitter.
Most other fibers stretch a great
deal, which acts as a cushion
for the joints in our hands. With
firmer fibers you’re using a lot
more strength from your hands
to knit up your project.
You can see how the natural ends tend to spread
out a bit.
46 KNITmuch | issue 4
TIP 2
Another thing I noticed about
this yarn is the technique used
to put it together. It’s stranded
and all the threads are woven in
together. This gives the yarn an
amazing amount of strength and
endurance. It’s going to hold up
really well to wear and tear over
the years.
It also means that the ends could
fray once cut. For some projects
this would not be a problem, but
others it might be slightly more
difficult. I would suggest putting
a dab of anti-fray liquid or spray
on the cut end of the yarn.
Knitting with braided cord
TIP 3
What you really need to
consider with this yarn is what
projects would benefit from this
particular yarn. Anything you
need to be extremely durable
such as rugs, potholders,
storage containers and anything
that would be used outdoors.
The same factors that contribute
to the durability of this yarn
also give it a slightly stiff gauge,
which is perfect for the previously
mentioned projects.
With these 3 tips for knitting
with braided cord, you’ll have
a relatively seamless transition.
Braided cord offers a wide variety
of projects that would not be
possible with regular yarn no
matter the fiber composition.
One of the larger projects a
friend suggested to me was a
knitted hammock, an interesting
and ambitious idea that Cordial is
perfect for!
Michelle Nguyen
www.stitchesbeslippin.com

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KNITmuch | issue 4
47

10
days
)
of all things wool in the south or north of Ireland is a dream vacation for knitters.
From sheep to stitches
Following the lead of Irish knitters
48 KNITmuch | issue 4

The tours also highlight the ancient and recent history
of the island. Arranged and hosted by The Irish Tourism
Group, the excursions take knitters to mills, shops,
classes, and historic sites.
The tours begin in Dublin and, by going a day early, I had
time to tour Trinity College and view The Book of Kells,
a 9th century illuminated manuscript of the four gospels.
I joined the southern tour at the Museum of Decorative
Arts and History, a former British barracks that houses
some excellent examples of Irish craft.
It would be impossible to do a specialized tour of Ireland
and not see and learn about Celtic crosses, abbeys,
agricultural development, and the Easter Uprising of 1916.
By doing only half the island on the southern tour, daily
hotel changes are minimized allowing free time to explore
the host cities – Dublin, Killarney, and Galway.
A highlight is a two day visit to one of the Aran Islands.
The southern tour went to Inis Oirr, the smallest island,
where we learned from Una McDonagh the history
of Aran knitting and some of the myths about it. She
shared one of her grandmother’s favourite cable patterns
with eager knitters.
KNITmuch | issue 4
49

Other crafts common to Ireland are
demonstrated or taught. At the Spiddal
Craft Village, demonstrator Ciaran
Hogan, wove a baby rattle from willow.
On Inis Oirr, a needle felting workshop
had us laughing about taking out our
aggression as we stabbed at our design!
We also toured Connemara Marble and
composed ribald rhymes as we passed
through County Limerick.
But always there was wool. Sheep dot
the hillsides and crowd pastures and
we learned how these wooly animals
became ubiquitous with the country
and its people. At Kerry Woollen Mills,
we toured the 300-year-old mill and
learned how the fleece is turned into
the wool we were eager to purchase.
Workshops with noted Irish knitters,
Carol Feller, Anne O’Maille, and Mairead
Sharry, gave us the best instruction on
how to read aran charts, accomplish
cables, and use wool in other ways.
The tour was an opportunity to share
our knitting passion with like-minded
needle wielders. Non-knitting spouses
and travelling companions were
offered options to tour abbeys, play
golf, go on walks or visit pubs. Always
there were friendly people to talk to
who are happy to share their stories
and their love of their homeland.
Rosalie I. Tennison
r.tennison@sympatico.ca
Photos by Rosalie I Tennison and the Irish Tourism Group
50 KNITmuch | issue 4

Ireland
Knitting Tours & Luxury Knitting Retreats
9 Night Knitting Tours: Choose to discover knitting & craft in the North & Northwest
of Ireland or the South and West of Ireland. Both tours include workshops and craft
based sightseeing as well as general sightseeing.
New! 6 Night Luxury Retreats: Featuring four nights in the stunning Parknasilla
Resort Hotel in Kerry or the beautiful Harvey’s Point Hotel in Donegal! Spend four days
with an experienced knitting instructor. Optional tours included.
Limited Availability, Book Now to Secure your Place
www.irishtourism.com/knitting
Toll free 1877 298 7205
Local | Flexible | Trustworthy
KNITmuch | issue 4
51

Standards & Guidelines For Crochet and Knitting • YarnStandards.com
Standard Yarn Weight System
Standard Yarn Weight System
Categories of yarn, gauge ranges, and recommended needle and hook sizes
Categories of yarn, gauge ranges, and recommended needle and hook sizes
Yarn Weight
Yarn Symbol Weight &
Symbol Category &
Category Names
Names
Type of
Fingering,
Type Yarns of in Fingering, 10 count
Yarns Category in
crochet 10 count thread
Category crochet thread
Knit Gauge
Knit
Range*
Gauge
in
Range* in
33–40**
Stockinette 33–40**
Stockinette
sts
Stitch to
sts
Stitch to
4 inches
4 inches
Recommended
Recommended
Needle
Needle
in
in
1.5–2.25
1.5–2.25
Metric
Metric
Size
Size
mm
mm
Range Range
Recommended
Recommended
Needle Needle U.S. U.S.
Size Size Range Range
Crochet
Gauge*Ranges
in Single
Crochet to to
4 4 inch inch
Sock,
Sock, Fingering,
Fingering, Baby
Baby
27–32
27–32
sts
sts
2.25–3.25
2.25–3.25
mm
mm
Sport,
Sport, Baby
Baby
23–26
23–26
sts
sts
3.25–3.75
3.25–3.75
mm
mm
DK,
DK, Light
Light Worsted
Worsted
21–24
21–24
sts
sts
3.75–4.5
3.75–4.5
mm
mm
11
11
Worsted,
Worsted, Afghan,
Afghan, Aran
Aran
16–20
16–20
sts
sts
4.5–5.5
4.5–5.5
mm
mm
Chunky,
Chunky, Craft,
Craft, Rug
Rug
12–15
12–15
sts
sts
5.5–8
5.5–8
mm
mm
Bulky,
Bulky, Roving
Roving
000 000 to 1to 1 1 to 13to 3 3 to 35 to 5 5 to 57 to 7 7 to 97 to 9 9 to 11 9 to 11 11 to 17 11 to 17
32–42 32–42
double double
crochets**
Steel***
Recommended
1.6–1.4 mm
Hook
mm
Hook in in Metric
Regular hook
Size
hook
Size Range
2.25 2.25 mm mm
Recommended
Hook Hook U.S. U.S. Size Size
Range Range
Steel*** Steel***
6, 7, 6, 87, 8
Regular Regular
hook hook
B–1
B–1
Standards & Guidelines For Crochet and Knitting • YarnStandards.com
21–32 21–32
sts sts
2.25–3.25
mm mm
16–20 16–20
sts sts
3.5–4.5 3.5–4.5
mm mm
12–17 12–17
sts sts
4.5–5.5 4.5–5.5
mm mm
B–1 B–1 to E–4 to E–4 E–4 E–4 to 7to 7 7 to 7 I–9 to I–9
11–14 11–14
sts sts
5.5–6.5mm 5.5–6.5mm
I–9 I–9
to to
K–10 K–10 1 ⁄2 1 ⁄2
8–11 8–11
sts sts
6.5–9 6.5–9
mm mm
K–10 K–10 1 ⁄2 1 ⁄2
to M-13 to M-13
7–11
sts
Jumbo,
Jumbo, Roving
Roving
6 sts
6 sts
and
and
fewer
fewer
12.75 mm
8–12.75 12.75 mm
8–12.75
and
mm
mm and
larger
larger
7–9
sts
9–15
mm
M-13
to Q
17
and
larger
6 sts 6 sts
and and
fewer fewer
15 mm 15 mm
and and
larger larger
* GUIDELINES ONLY: The above reflect the most commonly used gauges and needle or hook sizes for specific yarn categories.
* GUIDELINES ONLY: The above reflect the most commonly used gauges and needle or hook sizes for specific yarn categories.
** Lace weight yarns are usually knitted or crocheted on larger needles and hooks to create lacy, openwork patterns. Accordingly, a
gauge ** Lace range weight is difficult yarns to are determine. usually knitted Always or follow crocheted the gauge on larger stated needles in your and pattern. hooks to create lacy, openwork patterns. Accordingly, a
gauge range is difficult to determine. Always follow the gauge stated in your pattern.
*** Steel crochet hooks are sized differently from regular hooks--the higher the number, the smaller the hook, which is the reverse
of *** regular Steel hook crochet sizing. hooks are sized differently from regular hooks--the higher the number, the smaller the hook, which is the reverse
of regular hook sizing.
This Standards & Guidelines booklet and downloadable symbol artwork are available at: YarnStandards.com
This Standards & Guidelines booklet and downloadable symbol artwork are available at: YarnStandards.com
7–11
sts
7–9
sts
9–15
mm
M-13
to Q
17
and
larger
Q
and
larger
Q
and
larger
KNIT much .com
...to K, is to
Standard abbreviations & terms
alt = alternate
approx = approximately
beg = begin(ning)
BO= bind off
CC = contrast colour
ch = chain
cm = centimetre(s)
cn = cable needle
CO = cast on
cont = continue, continuing
dc = double crochet
dec = decrease(s), decreasing
dpn = double-pointed needle(s)
foll = following
g = gram(s)
inc = increase(s), increasing
in(s) = inch(es)
k = knit
kf&b or kfb = knit into front and back of st (increase)
ktbl = Knit through the back loop.
k2tog = knit 2 sts tog (right-leaning decrease)
k3tog = knit 3 sts together (double right-leaning
decrease)
M = marker
m = metre(s)
M1 = Make 1 stitch: pick up the horizontal strand
between 2 stitches from front to back and knit
it tbl (lifted increase)
MC = main colour
mm = millimetre(s)
oz = ounce(s)
p = purl
p2tog = purl 2 sts tog (decrease)
patt = pattern
pfb = purl into front and back of stitch (increase)
ptbl = knit through the back loop.
pm = place marker
psso = slip 1 stitch together knitwise, knit 1, then
pass slipped stitches over
p2sso = slip 2 stitches together knitwise, knit 1,
then pass slipped stitches over
RS = right side
rem = remain(ing)
rep = repeat
rev = reverse
rnd = round
sc = single crochet
sl = slip
skp = slip one st, knit next st, pass slipped st over
knit st (dec)
ssk = slip, slip, knit: slip 2 sts knitwise, 1 at a time,
insert left-hand needle into front of both sts
and knit them tog (left-leaning decrease)
sssk = Slip next three stitches individually, knitwise.
Insert tip of left needle from front to back into
the fronts of these three stitches and knit them
together (double left-leaning decrease)
st(s) = stitch(es)
St st = stocking stitch
tbl = through back loop
tog = together
tr = treble crochet
WS = wrong side
yfwd = bringing yarn forward to create a yarn
over when working into next st(s)
yo = yarn over
52