The “Cool Boots” Shawl goes Neutral!

Here is my finished version of the Cool Boots Shawl in neutrals:

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I designed this pattern a few years ago and offered it for free on the blog to celebrate my 300th post.  The original was knit in shades of red, coral, and fuchsia in fingering weight wool:

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I am a bright colours kind of girl and I love this original version – I have worn it everywhere – but I had an inkling that it would also be great in neutral tones.  I had some beautiful skeins of Blue Sky Fibers Metalico in Opal, Gold Dust, and Silver, and decided to give them a try.

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I purchased the yarn at Tribe, a lovely yarn store in Richmond, London.  Doug and I wandered in there last summer, and I spent at least an hour picking out yarn, and then just as I was checking out, I spied these beautiful skeins of Blue Sky Metalico.  Milli, the very charming owner of Tribe, told me of a lovely shawl she had made some years ago from these same three shades, and I ended up putting away the other yarn and buying three skeins in each colour.  They then sat in a box at home for quite a while before I had the idea to use them to knit another Cool Boots.

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The yarn is gorgeous.  It is a sportweight yarn, 50% alpaca and 50% silk.  It is soft and silky, and has lots of bounce.   It is a bit splitty to work with as it is unplied, but so soft on the hands, and it is truly luminescent.  Notice the way the colours change dramatically against the white background of the top photo and the warm beiges of the photo above.  (The fantastic Gold Dust really pops against the white wall, while the Opal takes prominence against the warm bricks and stone.)  Notice also how transparent and airy the yarn looks against the light:

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While I was knitting this, I became fairly skeptical about it.  It looked so plain and unexciting compared to my more usual brights, and in particular compared to the original Cool Boots Shawl.  But I must say that my opinion changed dramatically (as did the shawl) once it was blocked.  The texture, post blocking, is so fantastic; its hard to describe but it is bouncy and springy.  It has weight to it, but it also flows and drapes and catches the breeze:

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The shawl is knit sideways, with long triangles formed by short rows; it leads to the lovely assymetry of the two sides as above.   (You can see the shaping clearly if you look at the pattern post.)  The only changes that I made to the pattern were to accomodate the sportweight yarn.  I used a US5 needle instead of a US4, and I cast on 348 stitches instead of 380.  It turned out almost the same size – it blocked out to 19″ x 70″.

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There is a storm battering the UK today, but yesterday we took these photos in the lovely town of Watlington.  The sun came out and the town made a perfect backdrop for a photo shoot.  It even provided the answer to life, the universe, and everything:

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Nevertheless, I was very happy to get back into my coat afterwards, and enjoy a coffee:

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While I love the original shawl, I must admit that I do find it a bit itchy on my neck.  It was knit with a very wool-y wool, and while I love the way the wool holds the garter stitch so beautifully, I have found that I am wearing it less often because of the itch factor.  This shawl is cozy and soft with zero itch.  So it not only looks fabulous, but it is very comfortable.  Even this guy thinks it deserves a toast:

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I am now cozy inside while the storm rages.  I have been working on a hat this week, and it has turned out too small, but there is something rather fitting about ripping out a project during a storm; don’t you think?  I have a box of homemade truffles and a cup of tea.  Bliss.

A pattern to celebrate my 300th post!

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This is my 300th post on this blog!  I am very excited to still be writing the blog, and happy that people keep reading it.

To celebrate my 300th post, I designed and knit a beautiful, colourful shawl and have posted the pattern here for you.

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I had three goals in mind with this pattern:

  1. It had to be in garter stitch. (Mindless knitting, yeah!)
  2. It had to use yarn already in my stash. (Limited funds, boo!)
  3. It had to match my COOL BOOTS! (Cool boots, yeah!)

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(The boots are from Camper.)

Here is a photo of it laid flat:

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I love this shawl.  It is a deceptively simple pattern, composed of long, thin triangles, but once it’s off the needles it has fabulous drape and the colour pops!

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Please enjoy the pattern.

Cool Boots: a shawl pattern by Kelly Sloan

The shawl is knit lengthwise in garter stitch, with six very long triangles formed with short rows.  Please read the pattern through before knitting, particularly the Notes at the end.  You should review the instructions for German short rows in garter stitch (which you can find in this post on the blog).

Size: Approximately 18” x 70”

Yarn: Fingering weight wool in three colours; approximately 70 grams (350 meters/383 yards) of each colour.  For this shawl I used Tvinni Tweed by Isager in shades 17S, 28S, and 32S.  These are 100% wool tweed yarns in shades of red, coral and fuchsia, with a grey tweed undertone.

Needles: US 4 (for the shawl); US 6 (for casting on and binding off)

Gauge:  24 stitches and 48 rows (24 garter ridges); very lightly blocked.

When I took the shawl off the needles, it measured 16.5″ x 64″.  I very lightly wet blocked it to 18″ x 70″.

 

Directions.

With Colour A and US 6 needles, cast on 380 stitches.

Switch to US 4 needles.

Triangle 1:

Row 1 (RS) – knit 2 rows.  (You will have one garter ridge on RS of work).

Row 3 (RS) – knit to 12 stitches from end, turn work.

Row 4 (WS) and each remaining (WS) row – slip first st as if to purl, pull yarn to the back, knit across all remaining stitches (you have thus performed a German short row; see Notes).

Row 5 and RS rows: Knit until 12 stitches from the last German short row (indicated by the “double stitch”), turn work.

Continue until 18 stitches remain before the last German short row.  (This number could vary depending on how you count your short rows.  Continue until you have between 12 and 24 stitches before last short row.)

Next row (RS) – knit all the way across, knitting each ‘double stitch’ together as one stitch. (See Notes for German short row.)

Next row (WS) – knit all stitches

You should now have two garter ridges at the narrowest edge of the triangle with the right side facing you.  At the wide edge, you should have 32 garter ridges (note that this number is not important, but it should be the same for each triangle.)

Triangle 2:

Change to Colour B.  Knit 3 rows, ending with a RS row.  You should have one garter ridge with Colour B with the right side facing.

Row 4 (WS) – Knit to 12 stitches from end, turn work.

Row 5 (RS) and each remaining (RS) row – slip first st as if to purl, pull yarn to the back, knit across all remaining stitches (you have thus performed a German short row; see Notes)

Row 6 and WS rows: Knit until 12 stitches from the last German short row (indicated by the “double stitch”), turn work.

Continue until 18 stitches remain before last short row (or same number of stitches as for last triangle).

Next row (WS): knit across all stitches, knitting each ‘double stitch’ together as one stitch.

You should now have two garter ridges at the narrowest part of triangle 2, when viewed from the right side.

Repeat these instructions twice more, thus making a total of 6 triangles, changing colours as indicated in the chart.

schema for cool boots pattern

With RS facing, and using a US6 needle, cast off all stitches.

Finishing: Weave in ends.  Wash and block lightly.

 

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Notes

Note 1.  Weigh your yarn.  At the end of the first triangle, weigh remaining yarn of Colour A.  You will need enough yarn for two triangles in each of the three shades.

Note 2.  In the beginning, mark the right side (RS) of work with a removable stitch marker.

Note 3. All colour changes are made at the beginning of a RS row.

Note 4.  The narrow edge of each triangle has two garter ridges.  The first of these is made before you begin the short rows; the second garter ridge is made at the end of the triangle, after the short rows, when you knit across all of the stitches.

Note 5. On the first, third and fifth triangle, the short rows are made (the work is turned before the end of the row) on the RS rows; on the second, fourth, and sixth triangles, the short rows are made on the WS rows.

Note 6.  There is a photo tutorial of how to do German Short Rows in garter stitch on my blog.  You can find it in this post.  This is by far the easiest way to make short rows in garter stitch, and should not leave any holes in your work.

Note 7.  Put a removable stitch marker into the ‘double stitch’ formed by the German short row.  After each short row, you can move the marker, so it always marks the last short row knitted.  This makes it easier to know when to turn on the next turn row.

Note 8.  When counting the 12 stitches between short rows, I counted the ‘double stitch’ from the previous short row as stitch number 1.  This is illustrated here:

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Note 9. You can make the shawl shorter or longer by casting on fewer or more stitches, respectively.  You can change the width of the shawl by increasing or decreasing the number of stitches between each short row (the more stitches between short rows the “narrower” the triangle will be).

That seems like a lot of Notes, but the pattern is very intuitive and easy peasy.  Please enjoy!

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This shawl has not been test knitted.  If you find any mistakes, or have trouble understanding any part of it, please let me know.  You can leave a question on the blog, or you can write to me on Ravelry (my Rav name is kellydawn).

A final note: Please respect my copyright.  Do not reproduce or publish any part of this pattern without my permission.

Business Class Cowl

 

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© Knitigating Circumstances

I wanted to design a cowl for Doug that could be worn with a business suit.  Doug does a lot of business travel; he needed a cowl which would be very lightweight but warm, which could be easily slipped into a briefcase or bag, and which would look both professional and classy.  This cowl meets all of these requirements and has a subtle texture which looks great on both sides.  Whether you travel business class or economy, you will look classy in this cowl!

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© Knitigating Circumstances

 

Business Class Cowl by Kelly Sloan

Size: 47 x 9 inches, lightly blocked

Yarn: WOOLFOLK TYND, 100% wool, fingering weight, 2 skeins (cowl used approximately 420 yards).   The cowl pictured used the shade 08 Darkest Bronze.

Needles: US 4 (3.5mm) or size to obtain gauge

Gauge:  24 x 40, in pattern, lightly blocked

 

Pattern stitch (knit in the round):

Rounds 1-3:  *k2, p1* repeat to end

Round 4: purl all stitches

 

Cowl:  Cast on 282 stitches and join in the round being careful not to twist stitches.  Place marker at beginning of round.  Begin pattern stitch.  Repeat these four rounds of pattern until desired length, ending with a Round 3.  Cast off in pattern.

 

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© Knitigating Circumstances

Though any fingering weight wool would work, I highly recommend the WOOLFOLK TYND.  It is incredibly soft, and is light and lofty.  It is beautiful to work with and has wonderful drape.

Note: Although gauge is not crucial, the dimensions of the cowl will vary if your gauge differs from that stated.

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© Knitigating Circumstances

Wedgewood Mitts

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Happy New Year!  I hope that everyone is off to a good start for a great year!  I hate making New Year’s Resolutions because they rarely stick.  So, this time, I’ve made mine exceedingly simple:  Move more!  Procrastinate less!

For knitting resolutions, I want to experiment and explore and knit more things that Emma and I have designed.  So, on that note, and serendipitously checking the procrastinate less box, I bring you a free pattern here; my first design of the year.

Wedgewood Mitts by Kelly Sloan

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Yarn: Buachaille, 100% wool yarn by Kate Davies Designs, 35 grams of MC and 15 grams of CC; two skeins should (just) make two pairs of mittens if you reverse the main and contrast colours for the second pair.

In the photos, I have used Between Weathers (mid-blue) for the MC, and Ptarmigan (natural white) for the CC. This combination reminded me of Wedgewood china, thus the name of the pattern.

Gauge: 24×32 in stockinette, 28×32 (unblocked and unstretched) in corrugated ribbing

Needle: US 3 or size to obtain gauge

Notes on size and gauge: This pattern gives one size only (7.25” width) but can easily be adjusted to fit your hand. You can change the mitt size by changing the needle size, or you can adjust the number of stitches. The stitches must be a multiple of 4. (If you adjust the stitch number, then in Row 1 of the thumb gusset, knit half the stitches before placing the first marker.)   Knitters will also vary quite a bit on how tight their corrugated ribbing is compared to their stockinette, so my advice is to treat your first mitt as a gauge swatch: knit the cuff, and then try it on. If it is too tight, you can rip it out and start again with a larger needle size or simply cast on more stitches (in multiples of 4). Depending on the contrast between your stockinette gauge and your corrugated ribbing, you may need to decrease or increase some stitches for the body of the mitt: again, trying it on is always the best policy.

There is no left and right; both mitts are the same.

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Cuff: 

Using CC cast on 44 stitches, using the cast on method of your choice.  Join in the round and purl 2 rows.

Knit 14 rows in corrugated ribbing:  *K2 with MC, P2 with CC*, repeat to end

Next  row: With CC, knit the knit stitches and purl the purl stitches

With CC, purl 2 rows.  Break yarn.

Body:

With MC, knit  4 rows.

Begin thumb gusset:

Row 1: K22, pm, m1, pm, knit to end

Rows 2 and 3:  Knit

Row 4 (increase row):  K to marker, sm, m1, k to marker, m1, sm, knit to end

Repeat rows 2-4 until there are 13 stitches between the markers, then knit 2 rows.

Next row: Knit, transferring the 13 stitches between markers onto waste yarn.

Knit 15 rows.  Break yarn.

With CC, knit one row, purl two rows, and cast-off purl-wise.

Thumb: 

Transfer the 13 stitches from waste yarn back to needles. Rejoin MC and join in the round, picking up 2 stitches in the thumb gap. Be sure to place a marker beginning the start of the round.

Knit 4 rows. Break yarn.

With CC, knit 1 row, purl 2 rows, and bind off purl-wise.

Finishing: With a darning needle, weave in ends.  Wet block.

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Abbreviations:

CC – contrasting colour

K – knit

m1 – make 1 (Insert the left needle from front to back into the horizontal strand between the two stitches: Knit the stitch through the back loop.)

MC – main colour

P – purl

pm – place marker

sm – slip marker