Wednesday, November 27, 2024, Issue 372: It's fall and sweater weather...Happy Wednesday!

The Grid Gambit Samantha Guerin is a cowl worked flat beginning at one corner, shaped with increases and decreases, and seamed after blocking. The cowl features an allover mosaic pattern, built-in I-Cord edges and an I-Cord bind off. This would be a lovely gift knit!

NEEDLES
One 24” / 60 cm circular needle or longer, US 7 / 4.5 mm or size needed to get gauge

GAUGE
19 sts and 25 rows = 4” / 10 cm in Stockinette Stitch, worked flat, unblocked

Note about Gauge
This pattern uses nearly all of the listed yardage of main color yarn. To conserve your yarn for the cowl, knit a gauge swatch without cutting the yarn and measure the swatch unblocked. When you have gauge, rip back the swatch and cast on.

YARN
Main Color - DK weight approx. 246 yds / 225 m

Contrast Color - Sport to DK weight 200 yds / 183 m

YARN SUGGESTIONS: Kelbourne Woolens Scout or Andorra for MC, Schoppel Wolle Starke 6 or Queensland Collection Rainbow Beach

These Gingerbread Sampler Socks by Jennifer Beaulieu may not be an easy gift knit unless you are experienced at colourwork socks but they sure are beautiful!

What came to life on the socks was a big, fanciful, gingerbread house that spans multiple seasons. she imagined drawing on the gingerbread house with different colors of icing: the red heart between the windows for Valentine’s, the giant flowering plants decorating the walls next to the double doors for spring/summer, a big walkway flanked by conical evergreen shrubs, and a gingerbread person wearing a scarf while snowflakes fall.

After completing her design, she realized that the style reminded her of a cross stitch sampler, thus the name Gingerbread Sampler Socks.

The length of these socks is adjustable. The idea is that you can stop the socks when you are happy with the length. You may wish to knit more rows on the leg to have fewer rows for the foot, or knit fewer rows on the leg to have more for the foot. The motifs at the end of the sock can be duplicated or eliminated to further adjust the length of the sock.

SIZES: S (M, L) to fit foot circumferences 7-8 (8-9, 9-10)” or about 18-20 (20-23, 23-25) cm

YARN
MC: 463 yds (423m) or about 100g of fingering weight yarn
CC: 5 10g miniskeins or leftovers of fingering weight yarn consisting of about 46 yds (42 m) per 10g mini. You can also choose to use one color throughout.

NEEDLES: 2.25mm (US 1)

NOTIONS: Stitch markers, tapestry needle

GAUGE: 36 stitches and 42 rows to 4” (10cm) worked in stranded colorwork

SUGGESTED YARN: WYS Signature 4Ply Solids, SweetGeorgia Tough Love Sockfor MC, SweetGeorgia Party of Five or Koigu Paint Can for CC

Like most knitters, Jessica was happy when to get compliments on something she made—though the potential audience who might see what she made was usually very small.

That all changed in 2024, when she designed a Santa hat for a Hollywood movie. We knew nothing about the plot, or even who was cast as Santa. Our creative brief was simply, “Imagine Mrs. Claus knit this for Nick, years ago.”

It was all bonkers—and extremely fun.

Fast forward to 2024 and the release of Red One, which imagines Santa Claus (played by the fabulous J.K. Simmons) as a sort of head of state with a whole security apparatus around him—one that fails to prevent his abduction by a witch (played by Kiernan Shipka). Two comic Jason Bourne types (played by The Rock and Chris Evans) set off on an international mission to find Santa and save Christmas, battling Krampus and warrior snowmen along the way.

Rustic Red One designed by Jessica Spiegel is the hat in the movie without a fur trim. she assumed the fancy fur-trimmed hat, designed by Lee Meredith, was for special occasions like Christmas—but she was wrong. When she finally got to see the movie, she was thrilled to find that Rustic Red One is Santa’s Christmas hat! It also appears in many of the trailers, as well as the promotional posters and merchandise, including action figures.

SIZES
A (B, C) D, JKS, to fit heads measuring 16–18 (18–20, 20–22) 22–24, 23.75″ / 40.5–46 (46–51, 51–56) 56–61, 60 cm

YARN

• Main Color: approx. 106 (160, 220) 300, 155 yards / 97 (146, 201) 274, 141 meters, or the same amount in another red worsted yarn
• Contrast Color: approx. 18 (28, 39) 46, 41 yards / 17 (26, 36) 43, 38 meters, or the same amount in another cream worsted yarn

NEEDLES
US 7 (4.5 mm) and US 8 (5 mm) DPNs, or circular needles on 16″ (40 cm) cables, plus US 8 DPNs or a longer cable to use the Magic Loop method on the crown decreases, or sizes to obtain gauge

GAUGE
5.5 repeats of 2x2 Broken Rib and 25 rounds in 4″ (10 cm), on larger needles, in the round, blocked, unstretched

Red Nick's Fancy Hat by Lee Meredith (left) and the Rustic Ted One by Jessica Spiegel (right)

Knit yourself a fancy hat to wear in December, using stranded colourwork to make snowflakes and hearts. Go bold with high-contrast colors or more subtle by using similar colors. Add a pom-pom to finish it off, and optional fur trim if you want it to really match a hat you may see on the movie screen!

This pattern was designed to be knit for JK Simmons to wear as Santa (or Nick) in the movie Red One (2024). The versions used in the movie were made with lower contrast yarns and had fur added to the brim.

Yardage requirements do not include pom-pom, as the pom-pom may be a faux-fur one, or made with other stash yarn.

Both of the hat patterns are Free Ravelry Downloads so knit some as gifts!

SUGGESTED YARN: Berroco Vintage for easy care or Cascade 220 Heathers and Solids or Estelle Eco Tweed Worsted for a woolly non-superwash.

FOs and WIPs

Last week, I cast on my Mokosh by Teti Lutsak but decided that I wanted my colours in a different order so I cast it on again.

I am using 4 of the 6 colours from 2 Rowan Kid Silk Haze Kits in the Smokey colour pack kit.

I have chart one and the short rows completed and I have started chart 2.

KNIT GROUP AND GALLERY

Diane (boujeeknits) finished her Artus Shawl by Natasja Hornby knit using Lichen and Lace Rustic Heather Sport Artus Shawl Kit.

Michelina (@a.wander.and.her.wool) is wearing her Girdwood Sweater by Caitlin Hunter knit in Toasted Caramel, Bone and Delicate by A Wanderer & Her Wool.

Cathy (MCatherineL) knit this following the stitch count and shape for a Kaleidoscope by Margaux Hufnagel modified into a cardigan and different stitch.

Bev (BevyKnits46) has finished another Flax by tincanknits without the sleeve detail. She loves the new tin can knits app!

Linda (lmcnorton) finished crocheting this Winnie's Wonder by Helen Shrimpton for her local group making lap blankets for seniors.

Linda (lmcnorton) crocheted this Baby Umbreon by Evelyn Pham. All it needs are the eyes.

Paulette (psknitting50) wove this woven v-neck cowl using a pattern.

Paulette (psknitting50) wove this v-neck cowl but had misplaced her pattern when she started and then ended up playing yarn chicken, losing and finishing.

Leanne (TheKnittyStew) knit this pair of Woodland Loafers by Claire Slade using Istex Lettlopi in 1407 Pine Green.

Debbie (debsnubs) finished this pair of socks for a KAL.

Donna (Donna775) finished this pair of Dainty by Lisa Mutch knit using a Timber Yarns Twin Sock in Gingerbread and a Mini Sock in Big Red.

Donna (Donna775) knit this pair of Heel Toe Do Si Do by Crazy Sock Lady Designs using Timber Yarns Twin Sock in North Pole Candy Cane.

Here is the Emotional Support Chicken by Annette Corsino that Donna (Donna775) knit.

Emma (emmlporte) finished another to be gifted Musselburgh by Ysolda Teague knits using Drops Baby Marino.

Emma (emmlaporte) finished this pair of I'm So Basic Socks by Summer Lee.

Elaine (emayea) finished this Tsuzumi by Yoko Johnston.

SHOP UPDATE

With Canada Post on strike, shipping has been put on hold since they are not accepting packages for shipping. I have been trying to get an alternate shipping method set up but there have been technical issues that I am trying to get fixed.

Many of you know that I carry Ashford Spinning and Weaving products but I also carry cones yarns from Gist Yarns. New Gist Yarns Beam 8/2 has arrived to join Beam 3/2, Duet, Mallo, Ode Alpaca and Sero Silk Noil for weaving. Did you know that you can also hand knit with them?

Shown on the floor are the new cones that arrived.

New NNK Press Notions, Stitch Markers and Little Acorn Stitch Marker Keeper have arrived.

Happy Wednesday, Happy Knitting, Crocheting and Crafting!