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Free knitting patterns for baby,
Issue 8

accessories and home decor !

* 36% wool
28% cotton
18% linen
18% bamboo
what yarn is this ?
* unimaginable drape
and comfort in knit
designs made with
Unit y yarn
* Knitting with lace,
the easy way
* knitting snowflakes
into a hat
* the math in knitting a
shrug-yoke top - down
seamless tee shirt
KNITmuch .com

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Cynthia MacDougall
cgknitters.blogspot.com
Michelle Nguyen
www.stitchesbeslippin.com
Charles Voth
www.charlesvothdesigns.ca
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Carla A. Canonico
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Knitting Essentials! the

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2 KNITmuch | issue 8
 KNITmuch
6 The essential yarn for knitting soft garments
7 Center double decrease makes a good knitting mantra for Soft blanket
8 The definition of using stitch definition when knitting
9 Knitting snowflakes into a hat
11 Bella Chenille, a soft and versatile polyester yarn
12 How Bella Chenille enhances basic knit stitches differently than most yarns
13 5 baby gifts to knit up in a few days with chunky Bella Chenille yarn
15 Backwards purling to knit bobbles without all the bother
17 Top-down baby sweater in Bella Chenille Multi and Solids
19 It’s a Wrap by Red Heart
20 Why you should knit with lace weight yarn
21 Knitting with lace, the easy way
23 It’s a Wrap yarn enhances simple knit and purl stitches
24 It’s not a wrap until it’s been blocked
26 Unraveling Unity and Unity Beyond: what makes this yarn unique?
27 36% wool, 28% cotton, 18% linen & 18% bamboo, what yarn is this?
28 Unimaginable drape and comfort in knit designs made with Unity yarn
30 Knitting a shrug-yoke top-down seamless tee shirt

c o n t e n t s
KNITmuch | issue 8 3
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 editor's letter
By the time I was finished making up this
issue, it dawned on me the variety of yarn
weights in this issue. Ranging from lace
weight to chunky chenille, I already have a
list of projects to knit for each one.
The one I
found most
irresistible is On the other end of the
the chunky scale, is the lace weight
Bella Chenille, yarn. Many knitters shy
picturing it away from knitting with
knit up in lace weight, as there's

Share the love of knitting. Own the obsession.

baby cocoons, this feeling of knitting a
sweaters, garment forever. But when
pajamas, hats I think about lace weight
and blankets. yarn, I think about a more
Talk about flattering knit, can I say
quick knits, I'll a slimming knit? I find I
have a whole look better in lace weight
collection of projects, such as tops and
baby garments cardis, where no extra
for hospitals bulk is added. As for the
and charities. knitting part of it, who
said knitting is a race? Although it can sometimes feel
like a marathon. I'm in no rush to finish the project, just
enjoying knitting.

follow me Charles Voth's feature, Knitting a shrug-yoke top-down

seamless tee shirt, makes me happy knitting patterns are
written out for me. This is a two-part lesson about all
the 'math' you need to accomplish a design that suits
your body type. I think it's quite an accomplishment to
tackle designing your own tee, don't you think? It's like
not just knitting anymore, it's creating a garment from
scratch! Will you attempt this? With all those numbers
involved, I'll need a full day to attempt it.
Enjoy the issue!
Cheerfully,

KNITmuch | issue 7 5
 Soft Essentials in the colors
Teal and Greyhound.
One of the most ideal beginner
projects I have found is a simple
hat. Starting at the brim with
a K2P2 rib and going up to the
decreases. Soft Essentials com-
plements that pattern well and
it’s much shorter than a scarf.

Michelle Nguyen

T he essential
Red Heart Soft Essentials is one of your foundation
yarns. It’s good for 90% of projects and comes in all
your basic colors. Soft Essentials can be one of the
yarn for knitting
building block yarns that make sure you can knit
anything from your stash. soft garments
The first thing I want to talk about is the weight of
The fiber is 100% acrylic so that means easy care
the yarn. It’s a bulky weight so anything you choose
instructions. Machine wash and dry! As always, I would
to knit in this fiber will knit up very fast. This is a
make a swatch and wash it to see how this fiber will
major benefit when you just want to take out some
react when you wash it. Acrylic usually relaxes, so you
yarn and get knitting.
can afford to knit the fabric tightly and very stiff, then
I also like this yarn for teaching others to knit. It’s a have the pleasure of watching it relax into the softest
nice large yarn, but it doesn’t have too much texture. garment you’ll ever own. When you’re knitting this
Soft Essentials slides along the needles well, so you swatch with Soft Essentials and washing to see how
don’t have to fight with your tension. I’m always on the fiber will react, also take special care to note if the
the look out for good yarn to teach people with. If you swatch grows at all. This is important information if
start a beginner off with a strange yarn that happens you’re knitting anything that needs to be fitted.
to be difficult to knit with, you’re not setting them up
Now for the question I know you’ve all been asking in
for success.
your head: is Soft Essentials really that soft? The short
answer is yes, it is that soft. When you first touch it,
the fiber is smooth and sleek. No halo or fuzziness to
speak of, but the fiber itself is very springy and smooth.
It’s soft in the way that water is considered soft; cool,
smooth, and flowing.

Photos by Michelle Nguyen

6 KNITmuch | issue 8
Center double
decrease makes a
good knitting mantra
for Soft blanket
I picked up the Relaxing Ripple Throw pattern from
the Red Heart website and immediately loved the
look of it. The chevrons make for a crisp design
and the transitions between colors smooth.
Having talked about the general benefits of Soft The Relaxing Ripple Throw
Essentials yarn we’ll see how it really lets this I stopped counting and took out all the stitch
pattern shine and I’m not just talking about the markers I was able to just knit. I did have to ‘tink’
beautiful sheen of the yarn. back a couple times because I went too far, but
First of all, the chevrons are lined up with either a the time it took me to do that was much less than
center double decrease or a M1, K1, M1 pattern. it would have been had I just kept going with my
This adds vertical lines throughout the blanket as process.
well as the horizontal chevrons. The combination As we all know, I’m a huge fan of patterns that
of those two just makes the OCD part of my brain look like a lot of work while continuing to be very
light up. Perfectly straight vertical lines with the easy. The Relaxing Ripple Throw fits firmly into this
perfect horizontal chevrons is so aesthetically category. The pattern is stunning and really set off by
pleasing it makes my heart sing. I especially love Soft Essentials yarn. There's a shiny sheen to the yarn
how much the center double decrease stands that gives this throw an unreal perfect look that will
up. The yarn weight gives the stitch a little extra make you want to touch it to see if it’s really there.
oomph and extra definition.
The Relaxing Ripple Throw pattern is very easy
to memorize. When I started knitting it, I was a
little concerned. I was just getting over the flu
that had been going around and didn’t feel like I
was on-the-ball enough to knit a pattern like this.
Luckily for me, the pattern was much easier than
it looked.
There are only increases and decreases on one
side and you purl all the way back. Just after I cast
on, I was determined not to mess this pattern up
so I started putting in a bunch of stitch markers.
As I went through the pattern I ended up taking
them out because they were more of a nuisance
than just looking to see the stitches coming
up in the row below. I was also counting every
stitch instead of watching the row below. After
This blanket looks really classy, without a whole lot of work. The best projects
are always those that look complicated but are easy to memorize.

KNITmuch | issue 8 7
 T he definition of using stitch
definition when knitting

One of the aspects I really liked

about the Relaxing Ripple Throw You can even see the stitch definition of the seed
was the definition on the center stitch along the edges
double decrease. I wanted As was the case with the Relaxing
to delve into that a bit more Ripple Throw pattern, you can
because it’s an important topic also create a dip in your fabric
for all knitters who knit patterns. on either side of a knit stitch
The center double decrease is so to make that stitch stand out.
well placed in this throw, it really When I was knitting the pattern,
makes you sit back and admire it. my M1’s were knit in the front
Using stitch definition can give and back. This causes the fabric
Looking at the stitch running down the middle of
garments a bit of a three- of your knitting to create the
this swatch you can really see the definition of the
stitches in this throw. dimensional look. Instead of slightest indent, which gives
using a knit stitch, you’re able to the illusion of the center stitch
knit through the back loop and standing out more. In the
the stitch still looks like a knit Relaxing Ripple Throw pattern, it
stitch, but it sits up higher and is balanced out the center double
more defined than a regular knit decrease and created a line
stitch. I know I’ve talked about running parallel. The pattern
using plain yarns for intricate would have looked a bit awkward
patterns, but if you’re absolutely if there was only one line running
set on having a busy yarn and down through the bottom of the
a busy pattern, this will help. chevron Vs.
Especially when knitting a rib or a This design aesthetic gives your
seed stitch. knitting an elegant extra design
Here is a side view of the raised stitch from the pre- Let’s be clear that I’m not talking aspect and helps take the look
vious photo. You can see just how much it is raised.
about twisted stitches, which from homemade, to handmade.
make more of an X than a V You can definitely find patterns
when you’re knitting. Those that have already incorporated
stitches have their place, but they these techniques, but you can
lay flat along your knitting. What also start to play with them
I’m talking about is the center yourself! When you’re looking at
double decrease, any kind of a new pattern, find the stitches
nupp, or bubble stitch. Creating you think could be a little more
ridges and valleys in your defined and knit a swatch to
garments to make the pattern sample what they would actually
you’re knitting really stand out. look like. It’s the best way to
advance your knitting practice,
just try it!
It is always advisable to knit a swatch first to see
how the yarn is going to knit up.

8 KNITmuch | issue 8
Knitting snowflakes into a hat
We talked about stitch definition, The yarn weight is a little different,
it’s only fitting then, to talk about Soft Essentials is heavier than
color-work. The Snow Speckled Hat Super Saver, but this can be
pattern by Red Heart is made to easily mitigated by going down a
look like there are snowflakes on needle size. The recommended
the hat, this is achieved by good needle size for Soft Essentials is a
selective color-work. With a brim 10US [6mm] bringing the needle
of a different color and the top size down to an 8US [5mm]
of the hat a solid color like a would make a world of difference.
cloud, it’s sure to help stave off As I said in this week’s first article,
the snow coming this winter and it’s okay to knit this hat a little
make us really appreciate this firm because the yarn relaxes
summer-time heat. so much when you block it. The
The Snow Speckled Hat pattern garment might feel too firm
is pegged at an intermediate when you first finish knitting it,
pattern, but I wouldn’t call it but will be worth it in the end.
intermediate. If you’ve done When I was knitting the Snow
any Fair Isle knitting before this Speckled hat pattern I thought
is a great pattern to work on. the hat looked a little bit small
It’s nice and easy. Don’t let the and was worried about it actually
pattern rating scare you away if fitting. I contemplated going
you haven’t done Fair Isle before down too many needle sizes,
but have knit in the round, this and have irrevocably messed up
is a great place to start color- the pattern. Once I blocked it
work. I think knitting in the round everything was fine though. The
I knit this hat at a tighter tension than I normally
is much easier than knitting hat relaxed quite a bit and there
would have. The fabric is quite stiff, as you can
see, it stands up on its own.
back and forth, so I’m already were no issues with the hat fitting.
predisposed to color-work hats In fact, I’d be worried about it
and mittens. being too large if I had knit it and
I knitted the Snow Speckled Hat it didn’t look small.
in different colors so you could The Snow Speckled Hat is the
see what it looks like. I tried to perfect easy color-work knit pattern,
invert the colors as much as I with a size that’s easily adjustable.
could, but I think it still looks like
snow! The yarn called for in this
pattern is Super Saver, but you
can definitely knit this hat with
Soft Essentials.
The hat itself, in my color variation, post blocking.

KNITmuch | issue 8 9
10
Bella Chenille, a
There are two inner core threads and each consists
of 2 plies with a tight twist. These inner core strands
are twisted and as they are, the short fuzzy strands

soft and versatile

are caught in the twist and lay at a perpendicular
angle to the inner threads. One would think that
this would still make it easy for the short fuzzy fibers

polyester yarn
to come apart easily, but there is a heating process
which sets the fibers in place and keeps the integrity
of the yarn.
Charles Voth Yes, if you were to pull aggressively at the little tufts
of fuzz, they would slowly loosen up and come out,
but many a baby and toddler have snuggled with
knit items made of chenille and they don’t have
the strength to loosen the fibers. There are many
commonly used acrylic yarns with short fibers that
are not chenille and knit into baby garments that
have a higher chance of releasing short fibers into
the fingers of little ones, so you need not worry
about Bella Chenille not standing up to the strokes
and squeezing of baby fingers.
If you're a very tight knitter or tend to need to
unknit your stitches a lot, you need to be aware
Bella Chenille Multi features a predominant color and two or three that chenille yarns like this don’t fare well if you
complementary colors in dots along the length of the yarn.
need to rip out your work repeatedly. The fuzz
I’d like to introduce you to Bella Chenille Multi, one of gets compacted when knit too tightly…which looks
the softest baby yarns I’ve ever had on my needles. lovely in the finished fabric, but those compacted
In this feature, I'll go over its assets, some free fibers do not spring back into place. If you have
patterns, and then I’ll teach you a few techniques to reuse some frogged yarn, I would say that one
which take advantage of this yarn’s squishy goodness. re-use only is advisable, after a second or third
Bella Chenille is a chunky weight fuzzy and lush ripping back and re knitting, the fabric starts to
chenille type yarn which when knit creates a velour look a little shabby. Wet-blocking does help relax
or velveteen-like fabric because of the way the yarn the compacted fibers a bit, but it’s not the same as
is constructed. I had to struggle a bit to get this knitting with the yarn once only.
yarn to come apart enough to show the anatomy of
how it’s built.

Anatomy of Bella Chenille, fuzzy strands are held in place by twisted plies of yarn. Columns of stockinette show that the placement of the dots is truly random
and there won’t be any unwanted pooling.
Photos by Charles Voth

KNITmuch | issue 8 11
 Did you know that “chenille” is Bella Chenille is made of a very
derived from the French word for soft polyester. This makes it
caterpillar? Makes sense, doesn’t washable and non-allergenic. It’s
it? Fortunately, Bella Chenille is listed as a super-bulky (#6) yarn
completely bug free! It’s dyed and knit with US10.5 [6.5mm]
three different ways. needles or even larger, but you
There are Bella Chenille Multi
Colorway names (from left to right) Tidal Wave, can work it with size US10 [6mm]
Candy Store, Sweetness
that come in nine colorways needles and achieve a bulky (#5)
The above 3 colorways do not gauge as well.
(see right). There are also four
feature white prominently or at
colorways of Bella Chenille Dots In each ball there are 131yds
all while the remaining six consist
which actually consist of evenly [120m] per 100g. You can
of a white background with other
spaced segments of 3 or 4 colors. machine wash it in warm water,
sets of complimentary dots.
In my opinion the Multi should but you’ll need to skip the dryer…
be called Dots and the Dots too much heat mats the fibers,
should be called Multi because and you’ll lose the softness in the
of how they are dyed, but what’s knit fabric.
done is done. Then there are 21
solid colors, too.
Colorway names (from left to right): Peach Pie,
Tropical Mix, and Sugar Spots

Colorway Names (from left to right): Denim The colors of the dots coordinate very well with
Patch, Toy Cars, Grape Jam many of the solid colors of Bella Chenille.

stitches on it with one hand and

How
Let's try out some basic stitch
patterns to see how different the bottom of the knit columns
they look in this yarn. with the other hand and pull to

Bella Chenille
stretch the stitches vertically as
Bella Chenille has almost zero
a group. Repeat this ‘pulling’ for
elasticity, so this means that
the remaining stitches across

enhances
you as the knitter will need to
the needle.
focus on as even of a tension
on your yarn as possible so that Chenille in stockinette tends to

basic knit the stitches are consistent. The

fuzziness of the yarn makes it
create wide stitches with a deep
channel in the middle of each

stitches
necessary to manually work any stitch. By pulling it, the yarn goes
extra loose or extra tightness into the strands that create the
in an individual stitch into the typical “V” appearance of a stitch

differently than neighboring stitches.

This next tip is an important
rather than the horizontal strands
that make the bumps on the

most yarns
purl side. If you don’t stretch the
one to get gauge. After knitting
fabric vertically, these horizontal
several rows or rounds of
strands are visible through the
stockinette stitches, grasp as
stitches from the right side.
much of the needle and live

12 KNITmuch | issue 8
If you study the picture on the right you’ll notice
deeper grooves between each column. These are
actually the stacked center of the stitches. The
vertical V strands like to snug up close to the
neighboring V strands / stitches rather than with their
own paired strands.
When you want the purl side or the reverse Horizontal ridges are actually purl bumps which are “hidden” because of the
stockinette stitch side of the fabric to be the public fuzziness of the chenille.

side, you’ll see that the typical “purl bumps” take on

the look of plied yarn in horizontal ridges. The usual
zigzag look of purl rows is hidden by the fuzz of the
chenille. I really like this look, especially for side to
side items.
When Bella Chenille is knit into garter stitch rows, the
ridges are more like squiggly horizontal bumps
with a wider space in between them than in reverse
stockinette, and look more like their namesake, the
‘caterpillar’, I mentioned befoe. These mitered squares
are part of a blanket pattern I’ll show you later. Bella Chenille in garter stitch rows, has a rippled horizontal ridge look to it,
Lastly, when you knit 1×1 ribbing with Bella Chenille, but a wider space between them than in reverse stockinette.
you’ll achieve the more characteristic columns of Vs
separated by bumps. In moss stitch, the horizontal
and vertical ridges are broken up and the fabric loses
the strong grain in either direction, making it look
more homogeneous. I also think the squishy factor is
heightened in the moss stitch fabric. This last photo
on the right is taken from one of the free patterns I’ll
feature next.

5 baby gifts to 1×1 ribbing looks itself in Bella Chenille, and moss stitch is the best way to re-
move the very ridge-like appearance of the other basic stitches shown above.

knit up in a few days

with chunky
Bella Chenille yarn
Let’s look at some free patterns that you can knit in
a few days as baby gifts, or for your own baby, if
you’re in the nesting stage!
In the photo, you can see a beautiful pairing of
a red solid and a multi with pinks and reds that
are knit with a zigzag ripple stitch. Here’s the free
pattern for this colorful baby blanket called Lil’
Lightening Blanket. It’s easy to find a solid color of Bella Chenille that coordinates with one of the
Multi, like the red in this ripple stitch blanket.

KNITmuch | issue 8 13
 It’s also possible to knit lace motifs with Bella Chenille,
and it looks best in solids so that the speckles don’t
deter from the visual effects of the lace. The aqua
one draped over this basket is ready to receive the
little one home from the delivery room. This too is a
free pattern called Soft Vines Blankie.
Using moss stitch is a great way to evenly distribute
bars and strands of Bella Chenille Multi so that the
fabric has a denser squish factor. This baby beanie
and pullover with raglan sleeves, and a raglan
Lace stitches and motifs look great in solid colors sleeve tab opening is a great free pattern to try as
of Bella Chenille. your first garment with chenille yarn. This one is
called Snowbaby Set.
I love how stockinette stitch on this onesie gives
vertical stripes to a knit fabric that’s covered in dots
without any tricky textured stitches. This pattern
comes in four sizes from 6 months to 4 years and
called It’s a Party! Onesie.
The free pattern, Doodle Bug Hoodie, features easy to
make drop-sleeve armholes, and a cute no-shaping
neckline. The Bella Chenille Multi will really be
suitable to give the little wearer a modern twist!
I hope you try out some of these free knitting
patterns for Bella Chenille.

Easy to knit beanie and raglan sweater in the

Denim colorway of Bella Chenille Multi

How adorable is this onesie?

14 KNITmuch | issue 8
Backwards purling to knit bobbles
without all the bother
3rd Block
With right side facing, pick up
and knit 1 stitch in the top tip of
the First Block, and then pick up
and knit 10 stitches along the
other edge, working into the
ends of the garter stitch ridges as
for the 2nd Block. Cable Cast on
10 more stitches. Then knit the
first row.
Filler Blocks
These are the blocks that are
worked into the V-shaped gaps
between the other 2 blocks.
With right side facing, pick up
and knit 1 stitch in the top tip
Well-placed bobbles make this cute mitered square blanket fun for the baby to squeeze. of the right-most block in the
next tier of blocks. Then pick up
and knit 9 more stitches along
I’ll share another blankie pattern I First Block the edge, using the ends of
designed that has a few bobbles You only do this block once, right the garter stitch ridges. Then
worked in. at the start. The best cast on for pick up and knit a stitch in the
So many people don’t like this non-elastic chenille is the bottom of the V, and 10 stitches
bobbles because it’s tedious to cable cast-on, because it’s much along the other side for a total
turn the work back and forth to stretchier than long-tail or similar of 21. Knit the first row.
work the little extra short rows to cast-ons. Cast on 21 sts, and knit
build up the bobble. I’ve figured the first row. I’ll give you the rest
out a creative solution by using of the pattern after we’ve read
backwards purling. Read on to about all the other set-up rows.
learn this technique. 2nd Block
This blankie pattern features Most right-hand knitters start
mitered squares. I chose this with the block to the right of
technique because I liked the the First Block when it’s rotated
different directions of the garter into a diamond. Cable cast-
stitch ridges, particularly how on 10 stitches. Then, with right
they look when knit with Bella side facing, pick up and knit
Chenille. There are 4 different into the middle right corner of
ways to set-up a mitered square the First Block rotated to be a This solid purple diamond, or mitered square, is
one of the Filler Blocks.
for an attach-as-you-knit type diamond, pick up and knit 10
pattern. The set-ups all happen stitches evenly along the block Before you get started on
in the cast on or pick-up rows, so edge, usually into the garter your blanket, it's important to
let’s look at how to do each set- stitch ridges, ensuring to have 2 review how to work a double
up row. strands of yarn under the right- centered decrease and how to
hand needle when you insert it knit a bobble.
to pick up. Then, knit the first row.
KNITmuch | issue 8 15
 The decrease stitch required to Remainder of the Blocks Fasten off.
maneuver these mitered squares Row 2: K10, p1, k10. If you don’t want the bobbles
is the centered double decrease Row 3: K9, sl2tog, k1, psso, k9. along the center line of the block,
(sl2tog, k1, psso). Insert the right- Row 4: Knit to center st, p1, knit simply work a normal centered
hand needle into the front legs rem stitches. double decrease in those three
of the first 2 stitches as if to knit Row 5: K8, sl2tog, k1, psso, k8. stitches.
2 together, and slip them off the Row 6: Rep Row 4.
left needle. Knit the next stitch Row 7: K3, make bobble in next
and pass both slipped stitches st, k3, slip 2, work step one
over the stitch just knit. Here’s a of bobble in next st, pass
video demonstrating how to do 2 slipped stitches over the
this. 3 just made, work steps 2
We also need to know how to and 3 of bobble, k3, make
work a bobble stitch. bobble, k3.
Step 1: (K1, k1tbl, k1) all in the A non-bobble row 7 would be: K7, Bobbles look like squishy rosettes and add
next stitch. Step 2: To make a sl2tog, k1, psso, k7. attractive texture to the blanket.
bobble without too much bother, Row 8: Rep Row 4. Making the blanket
we need to learn how to purl Row 9: K6, sl2tog, k1, psso, k6. You can use as many colors as
in reverse. To do this, insert the Row 10: Rep Row 4. you like for a mitered square
left-hand needle from back to Row 11: K5, sl2tog, k1, psso, k5. blanket. It’s a good way to use
front up into the front leg of the Row 12: Rep Row 4. up odds and ends of yarn, but I
first st on the right-hand needle. Row 13: K4, sl2tog, k1, psso, k5. thought one multi-colored Bella
Wrap the yarn counter-clockwise Row 14: Rep Row 4. Chenille and one solid color
around the left hand needle, and Row 15: K3, slip 2, work Step one would look the nicest.
purl through that strand. Do this of the bobble as follows: Begin First Block with a solid yarn.
2 more times. Step 3: Slip first Slip 1 stitch, working into
stitch of bobble from left hand front legs of both of the For the 2nd strip of diamonds,
needle, ssk in next 2 sts, pass next sts together, work use a multi-colored yarn and
slipped st over. The bobble is (k1, k1 tbl, k1). Then work work a 2nd block and a 3rd
now done. Steps 2 and 3 of bobble as block.

In this video, I show you how to explained above or shown By the way, I weave in ends
work the bobble in the middle in the video, k3. every 2 strips of diamonds, just
of a centered double decrease, Alternative Row 15: K3, sl2tog, k1, so I don’t have that task to do at
which is a little trickier than Step 1 psso, k3. the end.
explained above, but Steps 2 and Row 16: K3, p1, k3. For the 3rd strip of diamonds, use
3 are the same and will appear in Row 17: K2, sl2tog, k1, psso, k2. a solid yarn and work a 2nd Block,
the video as well. Row 18: K2, p1, k2. 1 Filler Block, and one 3rd Block.
Row 19: K1, sl2tog, k1, psso, k1. For the 4th strip of diamonds,
other abbreviations Row 20: Insert right hand use a multi yarn and work a 2nd
k = knit needle from back to front Block, 2 Filler Blocks, and end
p = purl through back leg of 2nd with a 3rd Block.
sl = slip stitch on left hand needle
tog = together Continue adding strips of
and immediately through diamonds until the length along
psso = pass slipped stitch(es) over back leg of first stitch on
st(s) = stitch(es) the edge of the work is the
left hand needle as if to desired width of your blanket.
rep = repeat purl 2 together, but just
Then you need to choose
slip them, purl 1, pass 2
between a rectangular version
slipped stitches over the
and a square version; regardless,
stitch just purled.
keep alternating yarns each strip.
16 KNITmuch | issue 8
Rectangular Version Square Version
For the next strip, do not work For the next strip, do not work
a 2nd Block. Begin with a Filler a 2nd Block, Begin with a Filler
Block in the first gap and in each Block in the first gap and in each
gap across, end with a 3rd Block. gap across.
For the next strip, begin with a Repeat this strip until you work a
2nd Block, work a Filler Block in sole diamond for the final strip.
each gap across, but do not work I hope you have fun knitting this
a 3rd Block. mitered square blanket using
Repeat the last 2 strips until your the exciting color combinations
longer edge if the work is the you can make with Bella Chenille
desired length of the blanket. Then Multis and solids. The reverse side without the bobbles highlights
the edges of each block where the stitches are
continue with the Square Version. picked up. A lovely braid-like border separates
each block.

Top-down baby sweater in

Bella Chenille Multi and Solids
It only took
3/4 of each
ball of Bella
Chenille to sizes
make a size
9 months 6 mo 9 mo 1-2 yrs 3-4 yrs
baby sweater
skeins of Bella Chenille
combining
a solid 1 in each color, solid: Indigo; multi:
blue and Denim Patch
a speckled
denim 2 2 2 4
finished chest circumference
colorway.

20½" 23" 25" 27½"

needles and hook size

It only takes 1 US 10¾ [7mm] circular needle and
skein in each
color for the G/6 [4mm] crochet hook
smallest 3 other 2 stitch holders
sizes. You
may even be gauge
able to get
the largest
11 sts and 14 rounds = 4″ in
size out of 2 Stockinette Stitch
abbreviations
skeins, but
only if you
don’t want K = knit; P = purl; rem = remaining;
full length st(s) = stitch(es); m1 = make 1;
sleeves.
k2tog = knit 2 together; ssk = slip,
slip, knit together through back
loops; rep = repeat; WS = wrong
side; LH = left hand

KNITmuch | issue 8 17
 Sleeves
Rnd 1: Transfer sts from holder
onto your needle. Join yarn
Rnd 15: [K – (–, 15, 14), m1] – (–, and knit around, pick up
6, 7) times, knit to end of and knit 6 stitches across
rnd–(104, 109) sts. the opposite side of the
Rnd 16: Knit. cable cast on under the
Rnd 17: [K – (–, 18, 17), m1] – (–, armhole. Join to knit in the
6, 7) times, knit to end of round–26 (28, 32, 32) sts.
Change up the number of rounds per stripe and
the frequency of changes for a custom look. rnd–(110, 116) sts. Rnd 2: Knit to last 7 sts, ssk, k4,
k2tog, place market to
All Sizes
indicate beginning of
instructions Knit until yoke measures approx.. round–24 (26, 30, 30) sts.
Yoke 4″ (4.5, 4.75, 5.25)” from cast-on Rnd 3: Knit.
With solid yarn, cable cast on edge if necessary. Rnds 4-5: Knit.
46 (50, 56, 60) sts and join in Divide for Body and Sleeves Rnd 6: K2tog, k16, ssk, knit rem
the round being careful not to Rnd 1: K26 (32, 34, 38), cable sts–22 (24, 28, 28) sts.
twist. Place a marker to indicate cast on 4 (5, 5, 6) sts, sl Rep last 3 rnds twice–18 (20, 24,
beginning of round. next 20 (22, 26, 26) sts 24) sts.
Rnd 1: Knit. onto a holder for sleeves, Rnds 13-15: Change to solid and
Rnd 2: Purl. K26 (32, 34, 38), cable rep Rnds 4-6.
Rnd 3: [K6, m1] 7 (8, 9, 9) times, cast on 4 (5, 5, 6) sts, sl Rnd 18: Change to speckled
knit to end of rnd–53 (58, next 20 (22, 26, 26) sts and knit.
65, 69) sts. onto a holder for other Rnd 19: Change to solid and knit.
Rnd 4: Knit. sleeve. Join to work in the
Continue knitting in the round
Rnd 5: [K7, m1] 7 (8, 9, 9) times, round–56 (64, 68, 76) sts.
until sleeve from armhole
knit to end of rnd–60 (66, Rnds 2-10: Knit.
measures 6.5″ (7.5, 8, 9.5)”.
74, 78) sts. Rnds 11-13: With solid yarn, knit.
Rnds 14-15: With speckled yarn, Last Rnd: Purl.
Rnd 6: Knit.
Rnd 7: With speckled yarn, [k8 (8, knit. Turn work so you are working
12, 13), m1] 7 (8, 6, 6) times, Rnd 16: With solid yarn, knit. across the WS of the rounds.
knit to end of rnd–67 (74, Continue to knit around until Bind-off: *Purl 2 together, return
80, 84) sts. body from sleeve opening st to LH needle; rep from *
Rnd 8: With solid yarn, knit. measures approx. 7″ (7.5, 8, 9)”. around.
Rnd 9: [K9 (9, 13, 14), m1] 7 (8, Last Rnd: Purl. You can change the stripes to
6, 6) times, knit to end of
Turn work so you are working your taste, just balancing yarn
rnd–74 (82, 86, 90) sts.
across the WS of the rounds. amounts used so that you don’t
Rnd 10: Knit.
have to start a new ball of either
Rnd 11: Change to speckled Bind-off: *Purl 2 together, return
the solid or the speckled yarn.
yarn. [K10 (10, 14, 15), m1] 7 st to LH needle; rep from *
(8, 6, 6) times, knit to end around. Fasten off and close the gap
of rnd–81 (90, 92, 96) sts. while weaving in ends.
Fasten off and close the gap
Rnd 12: Knit. while weaving in ends. finishing
Rnd 13: [K10 (10, 15, 16), m1] 7 (8, Weave in all the other ends with
To weave in ends, you’ll want to
6, 6) times, knit to end of the crochet hook as well.
use a small crochet hook instead
rnd–88 (98, 98, 102) sts.
of a darning needle, going under
Rnd 14: Knit. Charles Voth
1 strand at a time on the WS of
Sizes 1-2 years and 3-4 years only. twitter.com/stitchstud
the work. charlesvothdesigns.ca

18 KNITmuch | issue 8
It’s a Wrap by Red Heart Michelle Nguyen

It’s a Wrap yarn from Red Heart is Choosing your pattern will be
a gradient yarn. The yarn shifts an important part of this knitting
through several different shades, project. The way the colors block
or colors, as you knit with it. It’s a will be an integral feature of your
harder color change rather than garment. If you’re thinking about
a true gradient, so the previous knitting a sweater, the sleeves
color suddenly stops and is taken would have a different pattern
over by a new color, giving the than the body. Unless you’re
effect of chunks of color. planning on cutting portions of
Let’s start at the beginning and the yarn out to make the sleeve
It’s a Wrap yarn from Red Heart!
talk about the composition of stripes match. I’ll refer back to
the yarn. It’s half cotton and this article about knitting with
half acrylic, which is a new and color shifting yarn during the rest
interesting combination. The of the feature.
cotton will lend its antibacterial It’s a Wrap is the ideal yarn for
and heat releasing features, while a shawl. Yes, I’m still on a shawl
acrylic will add its flexibility and knitting binge, thank you for
durability. Cotton is never spun asking. The yarn is a very light
very tightly because it already weight, which doesn’t lend itself
has so little stretch, this makes for well to a blanket, but it goes
yarn that is splitty. It’s a Wrap is along perfectly with a shawl, or a
spun with an average tension so small lap blanket.
there’s a little bit of texture and Keep reading for a couple of ideal
I love it when the washing instructions are
carefully laid out.
it makes for a yarn that’s much patterns and tips on knitting for
easier to knit with. light weight yarn. It’s a Wrap is a
The washing instructions are to very versatile yarn and a great
machine wash on gentle and place to start if you’re looking to
lay flat to dry. Everyone knows switching from a sock weight yarn
that I love to machine wash my down to something a little smaller.
knitting, I simply don’t have the
time to play with finnicky fabrics.
Cotton and acrylic are normally
okay to be thrown in the washer,
so I'm glad that has carried over
to It’s a Wrap.
If you look underneath 50% cotton and 50%
acrylic, you will notice that there’s 1100 yards of
this yarn in one ball!

Photos by Michelle Nguyen

KNITmuch | issue 8 19
 Why you
should knit
with lace
weight yarn
Super fine weight yarn. See the swatch knit with It’s a Wrap yarn, lovely stitch definition.

If you’re not used to knitting with this was not one of them. It be thinner and give you more
lace, this might deter you, but made the whole sweater look control over your pattern.
it shouldn’t! It’s a Wrap comes in bulky and anyone who wore it
all sorts of fun colors, and color- looked bulky. Where there were If you’re worried about being
blocks in a unique way. If that isn’t two layers of yarn around the cuff too cold (or too warm) look to
enough to convert you over to and hem, the fabric was so thick fiber composition for that. If
lace knitting, I’ll give you a couple it constantly flipped over. Without you’re knitting with cotton, it
good reasons to knit with lace. a doubt this was the ugliest, will keep you a little cooler. You
lumpiest, unformed, swelteringly want it even cooler than that?
When I first started knitting, I Use a pattern with an open
walked into a yarn store to buy hot, and unwearable sweater.
weave stitch. If you’re looking for
yarn for a sweater I was going The moral of this story is, thin warmth, use those fluffy fibers
to make. I asked the proprietress yarn might take you a little longer with air space in them, such as
to show me the thickest yarn to knit your project, but it’s worth wool, mink, angora.
they had. I didn’t want this to the time in the end.
take forever and I didn’t want to Now that you’ve decided you’ll
Thinner yarn shows more stitch give It’s a Wrap a try, pick your
buy 87 balls of yarn for this one detail, if you’re looking at color
project. Thick yarn was the way to pattern carefully. Do something
work, it will be more precise. If that will keep you engaged. I
do that. I can remember this poor you want to do fancy stitches,
lady trying to convince me to use know that doing long stretches of
they will be easier to see. stockinette stitch doesn’t bother
a different yarn, a thinner yarn, a
medium or worsted, anything The other aspect I mentioned is me at all, but if I must focus on
but the super chunky sale stuff I thicker yarn adds mass. If your every stitch, I’m sure never to
picked out. I’m probably one of sweater is half an inch thick and pick up that project. You might
those customers that haunts this you’re wearing it, that sweater be the opposite! Know yourself
poor lady’s dreams. is going to add the illusion of a and know what kind of knitting
half inch to everything is covers. you enjoy. There’s no wrong
I didn’t know any better, but I don’t know about you, but I’ve answer so don’t choose a pattern
using a large yarn adds mass got problems enough. A sweater because everyone else is doing it,
to a sweater. There are patterns made from lace weight will chose it because it’s right for your
where that look is intended, but knitting style.

20 KNITmuch | issue 8
 Knitting with lace, the easy way
There are a few tips and tricks that will make your knit your swatch, are your measurements far off?
life a bit easier. It’s a Wrap is a great yarn to start with Can you adjust the pattern?
because it’s on the heavier side of lace, and it has a Depending on what you’re knitting, some of these
nice firm twist. If you get a yarn that’s a bit slippery questions will not apply, but you need to consider
or easily splits, it can be a very technical knit. them before you start.
The number one thing you can do to make your Another important thing you can do to make
lace knitting easier is to swatch and make sure you your lace knitting experience a pleasant one is to
are using the right needle size for your tension. carefully consider your pattern. I know I mentioned
With larger yarns it’s easy to not quite have the right it as well, but it will go a long way to making
needle size and the yarn makes up for the rest. your experience better. Knitting a garment with
With It’s a Wrap, if your needle size is off, your techniques you enjoy will make it seem much faster.
knitting will either be too tight, which is easier to fix, You’ll know if you like the pattern by reading
than too loose. If your needle size is too large, your it through before you even swatch. The whole
knitting will be very relaxed. pattern, from start to finish. By doing this you’ll
Just knitting a couple rows isn’t enough, you need catch anything in the pattern that doesn’t make
to knit a proper swatch. The cast on, knitting, and sense, or any of those situations where the pattern
bind off are all important and you need to see how says, “but before you do the previously outlined
your needle size compares. My knitting tension, for decreases do this” or “At the same time as the
example, is looser so I usually have to go down a instructions, also do this other technique.” I’ve
needle size or two. Normally I can get away with been caught by passages like those, and I’m sure
knitting larger yarns with the recommended needle I’m not the only one.
size, but lace I need to be very conscious of how Life lines are also a good idea. If you’re knitting
my fabric looks. a lace pattern that is in lace weight yarn, I would
Knitting It’s a Wrap with a larger needle size, will highly suggest putting in life lines. If you have to rip
make it go faster, but make sure it’s really how you back to the start of your pattern repeat, it will be
want your garment to look. much easier to pick everything back up. Small yarn
In order to purely make your knitting go faster, you and yarn overs are never fun to pick up.
can double up the yarn. There are a few things Knitting with a lace weight yarn like It’s a Wrap is
you need to think about when you’re using this just like any other knitting technique, scary when
technique though. Gauge, knitting with two strands you look at it from the outside, but never as bad as
will change your gauge. Are you knitting something it seems. Just give it a try and with the helpful tips
that requires your gauge to be spot on? When you here, you’ll be knitting lace weight yarn in no time!

Even if you’re
downloading a free
pattern from an
amazing database of
patterns, you should
still be reading the
whole thing over.

KNITmuch | issue 8 21
 10 Night Aran Islands, Donegal & Causeway Coast (Ireland)

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22 KNITmuch | issue 8
 It’s a Wrap yarn enhances
simple knit and purl stitches
The Squared Off Shawl pattern

When I was originally looking for a pattern to go

over, I searched for patterns in the It’s a Wrap section
and immediately found the Squared Off Shawl. Usually,
I like to cross pollinate with yarns and patterns,
pairing things up that you wouldn’t normally think
to pair. I just loved this pattern so much, I had to
do it. The fact that the product photo is done in my
favorite colors is totally irrelevant.
I know it’s marked as an intermediate pattern, but
the steps are not difficult. Don’t let the rating of the
pattern fool you, if you take your time and knit the
pattern one row at a time, you’ll be fine. I, of course,
didn’t take my own advice and read over the pattern
first, so it took me a minute to get into the swing of In the first few rows, I will admit, it was a little
things. Once I did though, the pattern just flowed. confusing. Once you figure out the pattern it
becomes second nature. The increase is always at
the end of a row, if you’re worried about forgetting
you can leave a stitch marker in there and always
make the increase just before the stitch marker.
Easy-peasy! With that reminder, you only have
to worry about making the square pattern and
changing to decreases at the right time.
The Squared Off Shawl pattern is a really fun knit.
You’ll have to pay attention to what you’re knitting,
but it is easy to read your knitting and remember
where you are. If you’re ever lost in the pattern
when you try to pick it back up, you can look at the
amount of stitches on your needle and know where
you’re going from there.
The pattern is quite easy and progresses very quickly. If you’re just getting into lace weight yarn, this is
a good place to try it out. If you want to try lace
It was a combination of knits and purls to make the knitting with lace weight yarn, I recommend to start
squares on the shawl. The texture of the pattern, in with a heavier yarn weight first and learn to read
tandem with the color blocking of the yarn makes lace knitting. A yarn like, With Love, or Super Saver
the pattern look more complicated than it is and would be ideal.
we all know how much I love that effect.
It’s a Wrap really does this pattern justice and vice
The pattern is a steady increase while maintaining versa, which makes sense because they were written
that square pattern. That could be why it’s marked for one another. If you’re looking for a pattern to try
as intermediate. You have to be paying attention to out the It’s a Wrap yarn on, this is an excellent one
creating the pattern and steadily increasing at the to choose. There are also hundreds of free patterns
same time. on the Red Heart website if you’re looking for
something a little different.
KNITmuch | issue 8 23
 It’s not a wrap until it’s been
Knitting with lace is interesting
because it’s a type of knitting
blocked
that must be blocked. Especially
My Squared Off if worked in a lace pattern. The
Shawl before
blocking. eyelets need to be opened up and
the pattern aligned. If your knitting
doesn’t look good while you’re
knitting, don’t despair! It may just
need a good, hard, blocking.

A lot of the different blocking You’ll be able to have those

techniques depend on sharp shawl edges and open
your space, your time, what eyelets without compromising
you’re trying to achieve with the structure of the shawl.
blocking. All these techniques With wet blocking it was a
are intertwined together and little easier to manipulate the
some are better than others for dimensions of the garment. Wet
different situations. blocking takes space, time, and
Steam blocking is something you must be able to lay it in a
Post steam blocking! It looks so much better!! You
of which I’m a huge fan. I was can now see the pattern and all the hard work place where it won’t be disturbed
curious to see how It’s a Wrap from knitting and purling this lovely pattern. for a day or two. You completely
would block out because it’s submerge the garment then
lace knit up with a cotton gently squeeze the water out.
acrylic blend. Acrylic will relax Pin it to the dimensions you
completely, but cotton doesn’t want. While you can manipulate
normally change too much this fiber, it keeps its shape more
when it’s blocked because, by than wool or acrylic, so double
nature, it’s a less flexible fiber. check your gauge before starting
With steam blocking, the shawl if you’re knitting a sweater or
laid flat and kept its stitch something that needs to be
definition, and relaxed a bit, but fitted. After wet blocking It’s a
not as much as a pure acrylic. Wrap yarn, the swatch was more
This means when you block It’s My swatch before blocking. You really cannot relaxed than steam blocking
a Wrap into a shape, it will keep
even tell what shape it is, it’s got an interesting and still retained its ‘strength’. I
ruffle effect happening.
that shape and you will need to felt like I could have tugged and
re-block much less often. Cotton pulled it in different directions
is a less malleable fiber that likes and it would stretch, but not
to stay in the shape it was knit become disfigured.
into and this factors into what I Overall, I was very impressed
said earlier about what you want with the ability of It’s a Wrap
the fiber to do. If you’ve knit to blend the stability of cotton
something a little too short, you with the softness and pliability
can block it longer. Usually you of acrylic. All the while, keeping
can get length or width from a machine washable yarn that
blocking a garment, but not makes a beautiful garment.
both. With cotton, the garment After wet blocking the swatch lays completely flat
will stay how you knit it. and you can clearly see it’s a square. Michelle Nguyen
IG michelle_stitchplease
24 KNITmuch | issue 8
 LM6463
Great Squares
Knit Blanket

Anytime you sit down with yarn you are creating

happiness. Make something for yourself, friends, family
or a charity. Yarning = Happiness.

For free pattern, please visit: redheart.com

© 2018 Coats & Clark. All rights reserved. Coats & Clark is a registered trademark.

25
 Unraveling Unity
and Unity Beyond:
what makes this
yarn unique? Charles Voth
The subtle bouclé texture and the moderate thick and thin twist of Unity
result in textured knits that have a lot of body and visual depth.

and then at its fiber content and thin plies and is tightly twisted
what that does for knit fabric. with an S-twist, and then twisted
Unraveling Unity yarn led me to around the core and the first 2
an interesting discovery. There’s thin plies also with an S-twist. I
an inner core of loosely spun would hazard a guess that the
fibers, but around this core, there loose, fluffy fibers and this thicker
is a tiny strand of what looks like binding ply are all a blend of
Unity Beyond is the same yarn but has been
bamboo (there’s a definite sheen) wool, cotton, and linen as they
painted in a series of multi-color hues.
that is spun with a Z-twist (spun are soft, yet matte.
I’m excited to share my knitting counter-clockwise) around the Unity Beyond colors are added by
experiences with Unity and Unity core. You can see the glimmer of one of two ways. In one process,
Beyond, an amazing blend of the bamboo in each segment of the dyers pass the yarn through
natural fibers by Fibra Natura. the bouclé, but it just looks like a rollers where only the top rollers
strand that is parallel to the other have the dye colors on them, and
Unity by Fibra Natura comes
fibers, but with the Z-twist, it is one half of the yarn is “painted”
in 10 solid colors. Its painted
actually stabilizing those loose while the other side retains its
version, Unity Beyond, comes in 6
core fibers. Then there is another natural white. In the other, the
complementary colorways. The
equally thin ply that is spun with yarn goes under dye jets that
palette is reminiscent of French
a S-twist around the core and the spray only one half of the yarn.
Country decor with its muted,
bamboo strand, basically criss- The effect in either case is similar
subtle colors that remind me of
crossing the bamboo strand to to a marled yarn where one ply
gardens and summer days.
hold the core in place. This is also is a light color and the other is
In the case of Unity, the fiber very loosely twisted and looks a contrasting color. The look
content and the architecture like one of the core’s strands of Unity Beyond when knit up
of the yarn give it its unique when you aren’t analyzing this reminds me of acid wash denim,
character and strengths. Let's up close. The final ply is about only with in gradient stripes.
look at the structure of the yarn 3 times as thick as these first 2

Photos by Charles Voth

It took a few minutes to fray the end of Unity yarn The painted effect of Unity Beyond creates gradual transitions
because of its sturdy architecture. between each color of this long-spaced self-striping yarn. The speckled
appearance is reminiscent of Impressionist Art.
26 KNITmuch | issue 8
36% wool, 28% cotton, 18% linen & 18% bamboo,
what yarn is this?
I’ll explore the fiber It’s very strong and helps a
characteristics of this yarn garment keep its shape, and it
and I've inserted a video in provides an amazing amount
this feature to show how the of drape and lightness to knit
knit fabric behaves because fabrics. I’ll show you how the
of the qualities of each yarn drapes in this video.
component fiber. Cotton fiber adds coolness and
Unity (and Unity Beyond) by softness to yarn. In Unity and
Fibra Natura has four different Unity Beyond, cotton is the
fibers, one animal based, second highest fiber content. It
and 3 plant based. Each fiber lives up to its duties of keeping
brings its own characteristic the yarn very comfortable to
to the yarn. The fiber content the touch and it helps keep
is 36% wool, 28% cotton, 18% The wool content of Unity and Unity Beyond helps with the finished knits cool.
linen and 18% bamboo. blocking. The finished piece can be stretched out to
There is proportionally more
highlight lace or to modify row gauge and the wool content
Bamboo fiber is actually a is sufficient to give the yarn “memory.” wool in Unity than any of
biodegradable rayon thread the other fibers individually,
made from a pulp mash but overall, wool makes up
that is made with the pith just over ⅓ of the yarn’s fiber
from the inside of bamboo content. What I found about
stalks. It’s shiny and extremely the wool in this yarn is that it
strong, however, it has little has no scratchiness at all, and
to no elasticity. In Unity, the it adds loft and drape. Wool
bamboo provides sheen and is the only component of
also some of the strength in Unity and Unity Beyond that
the binding plies. Reverse stockinette stitch shows of the reflective gleam of the has elasticity. That’s important
Linen comes from the flax bamboo content easily. to a bouclé yarn so that you
plant. The strands of this long, don’t get an extremely loose
grass-like plant are processed stitch or an extremely tight
mechanically to remove the one that doesn’t relax during
outer bark from the long the blocking process. It also is
inner strands of cellulose. The key to helping the finished knit
stalks go through a soaking, hold its shape after blocking.
fermentation and drying Now that we’ve looked at
process called retting which both the architecture and fiber
makes it easier to remove content of Unity and Unity
the outer bark. When linen Beyond, we’ll review some
Many of the Unity Beyond colorways have solid colors in Unity
is added to yarn it brings that complement them well. Here’s Adobe and Rose Villa (solids) designs that have been knit
in three positives. It adds to accompany Biscotti. with these yarns.
absorbency, which makes it
cool to wear in hot, humid
weather.
KNITmuch | issue 8 27
 Unimaginable drape and comfort in knit
designs made with Unity yarn
This 4-fiber yarn is excellent for spring,
summer, and fall knits because of the
balance it has between wool and plant-
based fibers. I’d like to share some designs
that have been knit with this yarn.
A ripple or zigzag scarf is a really good
project for a beginner knitter who wants
to move past just the knit and purl stitches.
This free design, the Coastline Scarf, uses
only 2 skeins and there are yarn-overs for
increasing and straightforward decreases
to draw the columns of stitches into points.
Use only one skein of the
multicolored Unity Beyond, and
one skein of the solid Unity to make
this sophisticated ripple scarf.

A scarf worked along

the long edge truly
feels like it takes less
time to knit. With
only 2 skeins in this
design, you could
knit several for the
holidays.

By adding a third skein, and one with a bit more contrast, you can
knit this elegant triangular shawl.
Even though this shawl could be knit with 3 skeins of Unity Beyond,
I really like how the designer chose a darker solid blue called “Ink”
to make eyelet rows that divide the wider bands of gradient stripes.
This free design lives up to its name, the Flying V shawl.

From all angles, the Flying V shawl is a graceful wrap, perfect for chilly spring or fall evenings. The aptly named “Flying V” shawl uses a starker contrasting solid
Unity yarn to highlight the lace motif that break up the multi-
colored tones of Unity Beyond.

28 KNITmuch | issue 8
In addition to these free designs in
Unity and Unity Beyond, designers Amy
Gunderson and Rachel Brockman have
teamed together to write an e-booklet
collection. You can obtain each design
individually if you wish.
The Tanami Tee has a solid front and a
multicolored back with a lace motif on the
back and the top yoke.
This is another pattern that would be
great for a beginner knitter to try. The
construction of the Sonoran Tank isn’t Pairing a solid blue with a Unity Beyond colorway in a lace motif, this Tee
standard and adds a bit of interest to uses 4 skeins for the smallest size and 6 to 8 skeins for the plus sizes.
the project, particularly at the beginning,
when the bottom edging is worked in one
long band. This pattern is part of a larger
e-book collection, but can be purchased
individually.
The Kalahari Wrap is one of the most
beautiful renditions of a blend of diamond
and zigzag motifs that remind me of the
signature Missoni fabrics in dresses and
sweaters. I really love the versatility of a
wide wrap like this. The best thing is, with
the linen and bamboo content, this wrap The Sonoran tank top starts with a lacy motif worked around the bottom
is sure to drape with drama, or feel soft edge. Then the stitches are picked up and the body is knit from the bottom up.

and silky if bundled up as a scarf.

Designer Amy Gunderson truly interpreted
the drape of this linen blend, Unity Beyond,
in this design called Mojave Poncho. For
the knitter who gets bored of stockinette
stitch, this design has a solution as there is
a lovely textured stitch that’s easy to knit,
and it repeats often.
A couple of months ago, I went into some
depth on using Ravelry.com to find The Kalahari Wrap uses 8 skeins, 4 of a solid Unity color and 2 each of a
patterns that enhance the yarn of your Unity Beyond gradient self-striping version of this drapey yarn.
choice. I delved into the collection and
found this lovely version of Pfeilraupe.
Edmoejewel gave me permission to share
her photo of the end result. Again, this
pattern is a perfect interpretation of how
Unity and Unity Beyond look good when
drape is what you want.
I hope you’ve enjoyed my foraging into
patterns that look great knit with Unity and
Unity Beyond. Next, I’ll share my recipe for
knitting an over-the-head yoke and top-
down tee-shirt. The Mojave Poncho is another design that celebrates the drape and
texture of Unity and Unity Beyond.
KNITmuch | issue 8 29
 Knitting a shrug-yoke top-down
seamless tee shirt – part 1
There are a few key measurements that
you’ll need to take for this:
• Your full bust
• The cross-back width (which is from
shoulder bone to shoulder bone). You
can measure this easily by wearing your
favorite T-shirt and measuring from one
shoulder-sleeve seam to the opposite one
across the top of your back. There should
be no slack in the measuring tape.
• The upper arm circumference at the
widest spot
• The circumference of the hips at the point
where you want the bottom hem of the
Tee to land
• The desired length of the sleeve taken
Maybe you’ve never heard of a shrug-
from the top of the shoulder
yoke sweater construction. I’m not sure I’ve
heard the name before, but I haven’t seen You’ll need between 5 and 8 skeins of Unity
this type of design before either, so to me or Unity Beyond depending on whether
this is something new. you’re making a size X-small/Small up to a
3x/4x Tee. I used size US 6 [4mm] needles for
We’ve been looking at Unity and Unity
the body and size US 5 [3.75mm] needles for
Beyond yarn, and I’ve used this lovely multi-
the ribbing edges.
colored and multi-fiber yarn to design
a summer tee for my wife. I’m sharing a Cast on 26 to 30 stitches with US 6 [4mm]
recipe for making your own version of this needles and knit a swatch as follows:
to adapt to your measurements, but if you Rows 1-6: Knit.
want to follow a fully written multi-size Row 7: Knit.
pattern, refer back to last couple of pages, Row 8: K3, purl to last 3 sts, k3.
where I shared quite a few designs worked Rows 9 – 42: Repeat Rows 7 & 8.
in Unity and Unity Beyond. Rows 43 – 48: Knit.
To knit this tee, you’ll need some Bind off.
intermediate knitting skills – working a
provisional cast-on, short-rows, increasing
and decreasing. You’ll also need to be
comfortable with knitting a gauge swatch,
and keeping track of several different stitch
counts and row counts, as different shapings
happen at the same time.

30 KNITmuch | issue 8
 The shrug yoke
starts at the front
bust line and is
worked up and
over the head
and shoulders.

Thoroughly soak your swatch in warm water. At the end of the neck shaping, you’ll be partway down
Remove as much excess moisture as you the back bodice. The back underarm shaping is worked
can, then pull the swatch vertically and let differently than the front. It has a lace motif at the
its natural elasticity return it to its natural shoulder to mimic a shoulder seam (and provide a bit
shape. Lay the swatch flat, pin it out (without of ventilation). At the end of a few more short rows and
stretching it width-wise), and allow it to dry. a few rows to complete the back bodice, you’ll arrive
Then measure your gauge. I got 21 sts and back at the bust-line, where the stitches on your needle
33 rows per 4″ [10cm]. will join the ones from your provisional cast on and be
finished off by being worked in the round.
If you’ve ever knit, worn, or seen a shrug,
you know that basically it’s two sleeves The body is worked with gradual increases to achieve
with a rectangular or oval ‘back’ piece that the hip circumference.
connects the two sleeves. We’re doing
something similar, but in this design, we’ll
also knit a front.
The shrug yoke starts at the full bust line.
You knit the front and the fronts of the
sleeves first, then shape the underarm and
front bodice by working short rows for
the sleeves. At the neck, separate balls are
required to knit both sides at the same time.

Eyelets define the faux sleeve seam at the back of this bodice.

KNITmuch | issue 8 31
 The
Math
Here are a few calculations you need to complete to
begin your design.
A. Number of bust stitches required
Bust measurement × stitch gauge ÷ 4” = Bust Stitches.
Round this down to an even number if necessary and
divide by 2.
Example 44″ bust × 21 sts ÷ 4 = 230 ÷ 2 = 115.
If your result is an odd number then subtract 1. Since
our result is 115, I’ll reduce it to 114.
You could also simply divide your sts per 4″ by 4 to get
the number of stitches per inch, which may help you
figure out the numbers more easily.
B. Number of bodice stitches required To finish off the neck opening,
Cross-back measurement × stitch gauge ÷ 4” = Bodice I used [k2, p1, k1, p1] ribbing.
Stitches. Round this down to an even number. It’s a little different, and it gives
a nice effect.
Example 16.75″ across back × 21 sts ÷ 4 = 230 = 88 stitches.
C. Amount to decrease during sleeve/bodice
shaping
A. (Bust Stitches) – B. (Bodice Stitches) = Sleeve/Bodice
Decreases.
Example 114 – 88 = 26 stitches

32 KNITmuch | issue 8
 For a more revealing neck opening use 60% and for
I used my examples to make this Unity Beyond a more conservative neck opening use 40%.
Summer Top knit to fit a 44'' bust. By using G. Number of stitches for neck opening
custom measurements for shoulders and Neck Opening at Widest Point = 42% of Bodice
sleeves. I achieved a great fit! Stitches (B) rounded to the nearest even number.
Example 88 × 0.42 = 36.96 stitches
The nearest even number is 36.
H. Shoulder Width
B. (Bodice Stitches) – G. (Neck Opening) ÷ 2 =
Shoulder Width
Example (88 – 36) ÷ 2 = 26 stitches
J. Sleeve Stitches
Desired sleeve length (in inches) × stitch gauge ÷
4, rounded to the nearest even number = Sleeve
Stitches.
Example 5.5 inches × 21 ÷ 4 = 28.87 stitches
The nearest even number is 28.
The decreases happen at each underarm and at
K. Short row turns
the stitches ⅓ and ⅔ of the way across the front
body stitches approximately. D. (Front or Back Armhole Rows) – E. (Sleeve Rows) =
Short Row Turns
D. Number of rows for armholes
Example 70 – 60 = 10 short row turns
Upper arm circumference measurement plus 4″ for
ease (you don’t want your sleeves to choke your Half of the short row turns are used in each sleeve,
upper arms and this leaves a little room to breathe) halfway across the number of sleeve stitches.
× row gauge (from swatch) ÷ 4″ = Total Armhole So after you’ve done a little math, and taken
Rows. Round up to an even number, if necessary, detailed notes, you’ll be ready to use the recipe for
then divide by 2 to get the number of Front this sweater that I’ll share with you next.
Armhole Rows (which is also the number of Back
If you’re a visual person, it will help you to draw a
Armhole Rows).
schematic on paper, and insert the information you
Example (12.75 + 4) × 33 ÷ 4 = 138 ÷ 2 = 69 have worked out. Here are some of the results of today’s
If the result is an odd number round up to the next examples, put onto a sketch.
even number. I will round up to 70 rows.
Example 70 rows for front half of shrug yoke
E. Number of rows for sleeves
Sleeve Rows = 85% of Total Armhole Rows,
rounded up to an even number.
Example 70 × 0.85 = 59.5 rows
I will rounded up to 60 rows for my sleeves.
F. Number of rows for neck opening
Rows for Front Neck Opening = 50% of Front
Armhole Rows (result of D) rounded to an even
number.
Example 70 × 0.50 = 36 rows

KNITmuch | issue 8 33
 Knitting a shrug-yoke top-down
seamless tee shirt – part 2

This schematic
shows where key
shaping needs
to be worked
to fit your body
perfectly.

Using the numbers that you calculated, you can knit As I started working in stockinette stitch for 2 rows,
a custom fitted summer top. The schematic shows I also added more stitch markers. I needed to
the placement of shaping details that will make this work both the bottom yoke shaping for the bust
tee fit perfectly. and the short-row shaping for the sleeves. To do
The placement of the symbols shows approximately this yourself, you’ll need your number L. I needed
where the shaping will be worked – the actual to decrease 26 stitches at the lower bust, but the
number of symbols is just representative. Where design looks best if you decrease both at the
I have shown 4 increases, you might have as few underarm and then at the places where a princess
as 3 or as many as 8. It will completely depend on seam would land, which is about the ⅓ and ⅔ spot
your calculations. across the width of the body stitches. So I took 114
and divided it by 3, which is 38 sts. So I added stitch
Let’s get started markers with 38 stitches between the sleeve seam
Now we can cast on. We’re using a provisional cast stitch markers.
on, so you’ll need some scrap cotton or acrylic yarn For the short row calculations, I use the value of
that is the same weight or slightly finer than your K. Work short rows halfway across the number of
Unity Beyond. You can use a crochet cast on or any sleeve stitches, placing a stitch marker at that point
other type of provisional cast on. to remind you to do the turns. In my case, I need
Cast on the whole amount of stitches for the front to work 5 pairs of short rows. I begin them halfway
and both sleeves(the results of A and J × 2). In my across the 26 sleeve stitches, placing a stitch marker
case that’s 114 + (26 × 2) = 166 stitches. Place stitch at the 13th stitch point. I now have 6 stitch markers
markers where your “fake seam” will go – on my on my needles. To sum up, my needle now shows:
sweater, it is after the first 26 stitches and before 13 sts, sm, 13 sts, sm, 38 sts, sm, 38 sts, sm, 38 sts,
the last 26 stitches. This helps keep track of the sm, 13 sts, sm, 13 sts.
“boundaries” for the sleeves and body.

34 KNITmuch | issue 8
 The circled areas
indicate where
shaping occurs on the
shrug yoke.

Wrong side: Slip the first stitch purlwise, bring yarn

over the top of the right-hand needle to the back
of the work, and up between the needles to the
front of the work, and tug hard (but not so hard as
to break the yarn) to create a “hitch stitch” on the
right-hand needle (this hitch stitch will look like a
messy 4 strand stitch), purl across to the last stitch
marker, leaving the marker on the left needle, turn
work.
Your numbers will be different, as they will be based Right side: Slip the first stitch purlwise, bring yarn
on your measurements. over the top of the right-hand needle to the back
After your stitch markers have been placed into the of the work, knit the next stitch and tug to tighten
knitting in the first two rows of stockinette stitch, both the stitch just knit and the hitch stitch behind
you can begin shaping. I’ve written out what I did in it. Knit across, working the decreases as established,
these instructions. You can copy my instructions and to the next hitch stitch, knit into the hitch stitch so
paste them into a document then substitute your there are 2 strands on either side of the right-hand
numbers as necessary. needle when you insert the tip into the stitch, then
knit remaining stitches.
Row 1: Knit to second marker, sm, ssk, knit to next
marker sm, ssk, [knit to 2 sts before next Wrong side: Purl across to the first marker, remove
maker, k2tog] twice, knit remaining stitches. marker, purl 3, place marker back, purl to 2 stitches
before the other hitch stitch, place a marker, purl
Row 2: Purl across.
2, purl the hitch st with 2 strands on either side of
This makes 4 decreases. I need 26, so I’ll repeat the right-hand needle when you insert the tip to
these 2 rows 5 more times to reach a total of 24 purl, remove the previously placed marker, purl the
decreases, then on the next decrease row, I will only remaining stitches.
make decreases at the sleeve seams.
These 4 steps create the pair of short row turns. This
At the SAME time, I need to work short-row turns. will add 2 rows to the inside of the body, but not at
I use the German short row, but you can use any the edge of the sleeves. As you work, you can see
technique you like. that the location of the row turns change by a few
Right side: Knit across working the decreases as stitches. This is important to keep the sleeves from
established above to the 6th stitch marker, leaving forming visible pleats.
the marker on the left needle, turn work (which In my case, as I was decreasing, I also worked 4
means the marker is now on the right needle). more pairs of short row turns. Then, I worked even
in stockinette stitch on my 88 (for front) plus 2 x
26 (total 140 sts) until it was time to bind off for
the front neckline, which in my case was after row
34. For your row count take your result of D and
subtract F. For me it was 70 – 36.

KNITmuch | issue 8 35
 The shrug yoke after
all shaping is done,
and with sleeve
seams completed,
and all body stitches
on a circular needle.

Using your calculation for neckline width, G, To knit the back, I didn’t reverse the shaping
you can figure out how many stitches will be from the front exactly. I started by immediately
bound off. You’ll need to leave some stitches increasing 1 stitch at each edge of the neckline
for the diagonal corners of the neckline. I 4 times and decreasing on the outside of the
decreased 4 stitches on each side, so with my sleeve seam stitch markers. This gives the back of
value of G being 36, minus 4 at each side, I the neck a gentle scoop that allows room for the
had an initial bind off of 28 stitches. With 140 ribbing to come up the back of the neck later.
total, I simply subtracted 28 from 140 and Once those decreases were done, I cast on 28
divided the result by 2. stitches for the center of the back neck and
(140 – 28) ÷ 2 = 56. began working work all the way across again.
For the beginning of the neck opening, I knit Because we don’t need the extra shaping in the
across 56 stitches, bound off 38, and knit the back, I left out the princess seam stitch markers.
remaining 56. Then, I purled across the first half, When my stitch count equaled 140, I had this on
joined another ball of yarn and purled across the my needle:
second half. To help keep my striping “in sync,” I 13 sts, sm, 13 sts, sm, 88 stitches, sm, 13 sts, sm,
joined the new yarn in at the same place in the 13 sts.
color sequence so that both halves of the front Then I started the eyelet lace, which incorporates
would match. the shaping to bring my stitch count back up to
For the next 8 rows, I decreased 1 stitch at each the number needed to match the cast on.
edge of the neck opening on the knit rows. That Row 1: Knit to 2nd marker, slip marker, k1, yo, ssk,
left me with 52 stitches on either side of the neck yo, ssk, knit to 5 sts before next marker,
opening. Your mileage will vary! k2tog, yo, k2tog, yo, k1, slip marker, knit
The next shaping required are the increases for across.
the sleeve cap which are worked on the sleeve Row 2: Purl.
side of the seam stitch markers. I increased 2 Row 3: Knit to 2nd marker, slip marker, k1, yo,
stitches on each side every 4th row beginning ssk, yo, knit to 3 sts before next marker, yo,
about 10 rows before the end of the front. You k2tog, ko, k1, slip marker, knit across.
may want to increase 3 or 4 stitches on each side, Row 4: Purl.
so just begin early enough.
At this point, you’re ready to work the back of
the yoke.

36 KNITmuch | issue 8
 This photo of the back
yoke of the
Unity Beyond Tee shows
the lace eyelets next to
the armhole shaping.

This increases 2 stitches every 4 rows and adds I got great mileage out of the Unity Beyond yarn.
the decorative eyelets. My version only used 4 skeins, and it’s a size XL.
At the same time, I worked 5 pairs of short-row In the photo below, you can see a fifth skein, plus
turns as above. a skein of Unity in Adobe red, but there’s enough
left in the ball without the band to finish the
When the stitch count was back to 166, I sweater. I’m sure you’ll be pleased with whatever
continued working rows 1 and 2 until the back you choose to knit with Unity yarn. My wife is
was the same length as the front. thrilled with the feel, fit, and drape of her new
The yoke and sleeves are now complete. At this Tee!
point, you can unpick the provisional cast on and
graft the sleeve stitches to each other or put the
sleeve stitches onto a different needle for the
front and back stitches, then work a 3-needle
bind off for the under-sleeve seams.
The remaining body stitches will all be placed
on a circular needle and you can continue
working in the round.
I decided to continue the eyelet lace in the
locations as established. I also decided to flare
out the body, by incorporating increases every
4th row until I reached the desired number of
stitches for the hip circumference. This gives
a gradual A-line silhouette to the top which
pleases her. You can work the body in solid
stockinette stitch with no shaping if you prefer.
It’s up to you how you “cook” up a summer tee
The gentle shading of Unity Beyond creates horizontal stripes that are softer
with this recipe. and more flattering to the figure than sharp color changes.
As you can see, I still need to add some ribbing
to the neckline and cuffs and the bottom of the
tee. You can also see that my wife will end up
with a lovely top!
Charles Voth
twitter.com/stitchstud
charlesvothdesigns.ca

KNITmuch | issue 8 37
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38 KNITmuch | issue 8
 don't miss these
projects & tutorials online!

KNITmuch ...to K, is to
.com
Colorful
Chic Sheep
pure wool,
pure knitting fun
READ NOW

READ NOW

Butterfly Baby
Blanket knit in
Super Saver Ombre

and
there's
so
much READ NOW
more!
Knitting
with
Alaska yarn,
soft & airy
KNITmuch | issue 8 39
 KNITmuch ...to K, is to
.com

Standard abbreviations & terms

Standards & Guidelines For Crochet and Knitting • YarnStandards.com alt = alternate
approx = approximately
beg = begin(ning)
BO= bind off
Standard Yarn Weight System Standards & Guidelines For Crochet and Knitting • YarnStandards.com
Standards & Guidelines For Crochet and Knitting • YarnStandards.com CC = contrast colour
ch = chain
cm = centimetre(s)
Categories of yarn, gauge ranges,
Standardand recommended
Yarn Weightneedle and hook sizes
System
cn = cable needle
co = cast on
Standard Yarn Weight System
Yarn Weight
cont = continue, continuing
dc = double crochet
Symbol &
Category Categories of yarn, gauge ranges, and recommended needle and hook sizes dec = decrease(s), decreasing
Categories of yarn, gauge ranges, and recommended needle and hook sizes
Names
dpn = double-pointed needle(s)
foll = following
Yarn Weight g = gram(s)
Yarn WeightType of Fingering, Sock, Symbol & DK, Worsted, Chunky, hdc = half double crochet
Symbol & Yarns in Sport,
Category Bulky, Jumbo, inc = increase(s), increasing
10 count Fingering, Light Afghan, Craft,
Category Category Baby
Names Roving Roving in(s) = inch(es)
crochet thread Baby Worsted Aran Rug k = knit
Names
kf&b or kfb = knit into front and back of st (increase)
Knit Gauge Type of Fingering, Sock, DK, Worsted, Chunky,
Chunky, Sport,
ktbl = knit Bulky,
through the back Jumbo,loop
Type of Range* inFingering, Sock, Yarns in DK, 10 Worsted, Fingering,
count Light 6 sts Afghan, Craft,
k2tog = knit 2 sts tog (right-leaning decrease)
Sport, 23–26 12–15 Baby Bulky,7–11 Jumbo, Roving Roving
Yarns in Stockinette10 count 33–40**Fingering, 27–32 Light 21–24 Afghan,16–20 Craft,
sts sts Baby Category
sts
crochet thread
sts sts
Baby
sts Roving sts Worsted Rovingand Aran Rugk3tog = knit 3 sts together (double right-leaning
Category Stitch tocrochet thread Baby Worsted Aran Rug fewer decrease)
4 inches Knit Gauge m = marker
Knit Gauge Range* in m = meter(s) 6 sts
Range* in Recommended 33–40** 27–32 23–26 21–246 sts 16–20 12–15m1 = Make7–11 1 stitch: pick up the horizontal strand
Stockinette
33–40** 1.5–2.2527–32 2.25–3.25 23–263.25–3.75 21–243.75–4.5sts 16–204.5–5.5 sts 12–155.5–8 sts 7–11 12.75 mm sts between
and
StockinetteNeedle in 8–12.75 sts and sts sts 2 stitches from front to back and knit it
sts sts sts Stitch to sts sts sts sts and tbl (lifted increase) fewer
Stitch to Metric Size mm mm 4mm
inches mm mm mm mm fewerlarger MC = main colour
4 inches Range mm = millimetre(s)
Recommended oz = ounce(s)
Recommended 17 4.5–5.5 12.75 mm
Recommended Needle in 1.5–2.25 2.25–3.25 3.25–3.75 3.75–4.5
12.75 mm 5.5–8p = purl 8–12.75
Needle in Needle U.S.
1.5–2.25 000 to 1
2.25–3.25 1 to 3 3 to 5
3.25–3.75Metric Size 3.75–4.5 5 to 7 7 to 9 9 to 11 11 to 17 and p2tog = purl 2 sts tog (decrease) and
mm4.5–5.5 mm 5.5–8 mm8–12.75 mm and mm mmpatt = pattern mm
Metric SizeSize Range mm mm mm Range mm mm mm mm larger larger
larger pfb = purl into front and back of stitch (increase)
Range Crochet pm = place marker
Recommended psso = pass slipped stitch over 17
Gauge*Ranges 32–42 6 sts
Recommended 21–32 16–20
Needle U.S. 12–17 000 to 1 11–141 to 3 8–11 3 to 5 7–9 5 to 7 17 9 to 11RS = right11 side
in Single double and 7 to 9 rem = remain(ing)
to 17 and
Needle U.S. 000 to 1 1 to 3 sts 3 to 5 Size sts Range5 to 7 sts 7 to 9 sts 9 to 11 sts 11 to 17sts and larger
Crochet to crochets** fewer rep = repeat
Size Range4 inch larger rev = reverse
Crochet rnd = round
Crochet Steel*** Gauge*Ranges 32–42 sc = single crochet 6 sts
Recommended
Gauge*Ranges 32–421.6–1.4 mm 21–32 16–20 12–17 15
6 sts mm 11–14 8–11 7–9
21–32 2.25–3.25 16–20 in Single
3.5–4.5 12–17 4.5–5.5double 11–14 6.5–9 9–15 sl = slip and
in Single Hook in Metric sts 8–11 sts 7–9 sts and and sts sts skp = slip one sts st, knit next st, pass slipped st over knit
doubleRegular hook
sts mm sts Crochet
mm to sts mm crochets**sts5.5–6.5mm sts mm sts mm fewer
Crochet to Size Rangecrochets**2.25 mm 4 inch fewerlarger st (dec)
ssk = slip, slip, knit: slip 2 sts knitwise, 1 at a time, insert
4 inch left-hand needle into front of both sts and knit
Steel*** them tog (left-leaning decrease)
Steel*** Steel*** Recommended 15 mm
Recommended 1.6–1.4 mm 2.25–3.25 3.5–4.5 4.5–5.515 mmQ 5.5–6.5mm 6.5–9 sssk = slip next9–15three stitches individually, knitwise.
Recommended
1.6–1.4 mm 6, 7, 82.25–3.25 3.5–4.5 Hook in Metric
4.5–5.5 Regular hook I–9 6.5–9K–10 1⁄2 mm 9–15M-13 mm and
5.5–6.5mmto mm mm mmof left needle from front to back into
Insert tip
Hook in Metric
Hook U.S.Regular
Size hookRegular mm B–1 to E–4 mm E–4 SizetoRange
7 mm 7 to I–9 and and the fronts of these three largerstitches and knit them
2.25 mm mmto M-13 mm to Q
Size RangeRange hook K–10 1
⁄ larger
larger together (double left-leaning decrease)
2.25 mm 2

B–1 st(s) = stitch(es)

Steel*** St st = stocking stitch
tbl = through back loop
Steel*** Recommended 6, 7, 8 I–9 Q
Recommended* GUIDELINES 6, 7, 8 ONLY: The above reflect the mostHook commonly used gauges and needle or hook sizes for specific yarn categories.
Q K–10 tog1
⁄2 = togetherM-13
U.S. Size RegularI–9 B–1 to E–4 K–10 1
⁄ E–4 to 7
M-13 7 to I–9 to tr = treble crochet and
Hook U.S. Size** Lace weight yarns are usually knitted or crocheted on larger needles and hooks to create lacy, openwork patterns. Accordingly, a
Regular B–1 to E–4 E–4 to 7 Rangethe7 gauge
to I–9 stated to
2
and to M-13 to Q
gauge range is difficult to determine. Always follow hookin your pattern. to M-13 to Q K–10 1⁄2 WS = wrong side larger
Range hook B–1K–10 1⁄2
*** Steel crochet hooks are sized differently from regular hooks--the higher the number, the smaller the hook, which is the reverse
larger yo = yarn over
B–1
of regular hook sizing.

This Standards & Guidelines booklet and downloadable symbol artwork

* GUIDELINES are above
ONLY: The available at: YarnStandards.com
reflect the most commonly used gauges and needle or hook sizes for specific yarn categories.