Knitting: April Projects

Here is a quick look at what I finished in the last month and what I’m working on in April.

FINISHED

The test knit for my Zigzag Hat started the last week of March and runs until May 4th (or sooner if all of the testers finish ahead of time). The pattern is being test in four sizes and I worked up a smaller fifth baby size out of fingering weight yarn. It is super cute and I love the speckles. Now I need to decide if I want to add that 5th size to the pattern or not. The yarn is an older Knit Picks Essential sock yarn from very deep stash and I worked it on size 3 needles.

The Emma sweater test knit finishes mid-April and I’m looking forward to releasing this sweater. 5 of the 9 testers have already finished their samples and love the sweater. I’m so glad to hear that since I always want my testers to end with a project they would love to wear or to gift. I know that April really isn’t the ideal month to release a new sweater. But that is how the timing worked out and I love this one too much to sit on it for a fall release. So I’m releasing it as soon as the test knit is finished and that should give knitters enough time to get this sweater on the needles for an early fall project!

I finished a cowl for a magazine out of this lovely Rowan Denim Revive yarn in the color 211 Bluewash. I used size 5 needles for this project exactly as indicated on the ball band. I really love the sustainability of repurposing and recycling old jeans like this and hope knitters love this cowl as much as I do. I did find that washing and blocking the yarn as I normally do did not work well for this yarn. Luckily I found that out on a tiny, tiny test swatch. For the cowl I did a simple spray block where I laid the cowl out flat on a towel. Then I sprayed it on both sides with room temperature drinking water until it was thoroughly damp. Finally with a tape measure I gently tugged and pulled the cowl into the size I wanted. The dampness from the spray plus some gentle pulling was all it took for the yarn to bloom and soften. I’m already looking forward to getting this one back from the magazine so I can wear it with blue jeans. I have a pair that it matches almost exactly.

I also finished this pile of hats. Of all the road trip knitting that I took with me, these hats are what I actually knit most of the time. I really enjoyed working with all the shades of green and different textures and weights of the yarns. This is a new cabled hat design in five sizes that should go into test knitting in May or June. The yarns from bottom to top are Universal Yarn Uptown Worsted in the color 314 Lime (aran weight for Adult L size), Berroco Vintage Worsted in the color 5124 Kiwi (worsted for Adult S size), Knit Picks Swish DK in the color Green Tea Heather (DK for Teen size), Knit Picks Galileo in the color Firefly (sport for Child size) and Louet Gems fingering in the color Fern Green (fingering for Baby size). I enjoy writing a hat pattern in multiple sizes to give knitters choices. But I think my next several hats will all use the same worsted weight yarn with small differences between the cabled panels to grade the sizing up and down.

The Pirate Scarf is done now too. The pattern needs final edits and tech editing to get it ready for test knitting. And I need to figure out a better name for it. It is a two-tone scarf out of the DK Treasures Yarn from Treasure Goddess Yarn in the colors Ghost Ship and Pieces of Eight worked on US Size 5 needles.

I’ve also been working on submissions to various publications and yarn companies. This picture might not look like all that much time or work. But these swatches represent hours and hours and hours of work and math and written proposals and knitted swatches to get the submissions just how I want them. They also represent the mental strength it takes to send them out into the world knowing that they might not be exactly what the publishers want.

And finally the Tiffany Cowl is finished and the pattern is available for purchase! The Tiffany Cowl combines simple knits and yarn overs with basic decreases in a simple lace repeat. Perfect for quick, easy vacation knitting as well as a good introduction to lace. The cowl is long for a draped-scarf feel. This cowl was originally published in I Like Knitting magazine. The rights have released back to me so I’m now free to republish it! Samples above are out of Knit Picks Gloss DK in the color Black and Filatura Di Crosa Fancy MiniTempo.

ON THE NEEDLES

After finishing all of those projects, I actually don’t have all that much on my needles right now.

I did cast on this sweater before our trip and hopefully have made it past the design stage of knit, rip back to tweak, knit again, rip back to tweak again, knit again. This sweater is top down (like pretty much all of my sweaters), cabled, raglan, relaxed fit with plenty of positive ease and out of this Valley Yarns Northfield in the color 03 Chestnut. After many swatches, I’m using US Size 4 needles for this project and I’m really loving how the cables pop.

I’m also working on this cowl. It was original published in the Knit Picks book Little Luxuries in February of 2017. The rights have reverted back to me and I’m now free to rework the pattern and self-publish it. I’m knitting it out of Knit Picks Gloss DK in the color Doe on US Size 5 needles. I’d forgotten how much I love this design and this yarn. So I’m really enjoying this knit. The Sonoran Cowl combines luxury yarn with simple cables to evoke the living tapestry and beauty of the Sonoran Desert. Named after one of my favorite places on the planet. This cowl also reminds me of the baskets and pottery found throughout the region.

This yarn isn’t on the needles yet. But it will be shortly as I test it to see if I’ve finally found the perfect match for a lace cowl that I’ve been dreaming about for a while now. I love the deep, vibrant red of the yarn and really hope this yarn is the one I have been looking for.

And finally this Malabrigo Arroyo in the color Fucsia is not yet on the needles either. But it will be in the first week of April. I can’t wait to start this scarf!

I purchase the Malabrigo at The Yarn Store at Nob Hill while we were in Albuquerque. I really liked that shop and wish I would have had time to sit down at the tables with all the other knitters while I was there. But with the husband and boys sitting in the car waiting for me, I couldn’t manage it. Hopefully next time I can! I also found these other yarns while I was there.