I’ve whipped up a couple of quick samples for the shop lately that I feel like I HAVE to share with you.
First of all, last week’s blog mentioned a super cute, marled hat from Eugenia Kim for a whopping $245. I told to Patty that I wanted to knit some of Katia’s Air Lux with some Rasta or Loopy Mango Merino No. 5 to make some thick and ribbed beanies, inspired by Kim’s cool and colorful hat. Whelp, while Patty was on some travels over Labor Day weekend, she came upon Lace Lux (Trendsetter’s predecessor to Katia’s Air Lux) in some awesome colors, and brought them for the shop. Yes, Katia’s Air Lux is totally amazing in it’s light shine it brings to a fabric – but these amazing colors of Lace Lux are bright and FUN. I asked Patty if I could knit up a sample using some bright red Rasta with the fuchsia Lace Lux – and just like that – we have an awesome ribbed beanie that is super similar to Eugenia Kim’s Elaine hat – at a fraction of the price. I enjoyed this combo so much that I am hoping I can add a little shine (with the help of Lace Lux or Air Lux) into all of my wintry knits. Whether it be mittens, hats, cowls and scarves, Lace Lux and Air Lux are so light they can add marled shine to any knit without adding bulk or weight. Given that a skein of Lace Lux and Air Lux goes a lot farther than a skein of Merino No. 5 or Rasta, I would not hesitate to bang out a bunch of cold-weather accessories as gifts to spread the shiny-marled joy to lots of loved ones.
The other big fun I had this past week was making a one skein cowl out of Knitting Fever’s Big Freakin’ Wool. Each skein is just 12 yards (12 yards of some really freakin’ thick yarn) and it seemed like a fun challenge to make something out of this minimal yardage. I started with a provisional cast-on and put a small number of stitches on the needle, and kept going until I had just about 15″ left, grafting together the two ends with my hands – no needles required. I needed to preserve every inch of that yarn that I could! The end result was a cowl that doubles as a huge headband. It totally reminds me of one of those big fur headbands that you see old UES ladies wearing in the coldest weather! Since I love a little drama and don’t like taking myself too seriously, I LOVE this, especially as a headband. And while the cowl is something that any gal could work on a cold day, I do think you are fully embracing your awesomeness when you wear the headband.
By the way, we have patterns for both of these projects at the shop for you – free purchase of yarn! And FYI, some of these yarns aren’t on our website, so stop by to see them for yourself!
Clearly my wheels are already turning for gift knitting this year – and I think both of these little projects are a fun start. Whether you add a little shine to your quick knit projects or settle in with some Big Freakin’ Wool, you’re bound to have some fun and spread some love along the way!
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