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Pattern suggestion: Bibbe pullover

Posting date: 4 October 2022

 

Fall is officially here. The start of fall in the Northern Hemisphere was couple weeks ago and what is the best way to celebrate than to knit up an oversized pullover? Creative Yarns is here with a weekly pattern suggestion.  

Step one is to pick a nice pattern. Creative Yarns suggests Bibbe pullover by Meghan Kelly. It is an oversized dolman pullover worked in pieces from the bottom up. Increases are worked at the underarms to shape the sleeves. Short rows shape the shoulders. When working the front, the neck shaping is worked simultaneously with the short row shaping. pattern suggestion bibbe pullover

Step two is to pick a nice yarn. We decided to knit this beautiful pullover with Arranmore Light by The Fibre Company. It is woollen spun DK weight yarn. It is 80% merino wool, 10% cashmere and 10% sillk. Garments made with this yarn are light and warm at the same time. 

pattern suggestion arranmore yarn

Pattern suggestion: Halmstad Sweater

Posting date: 27 October 2021

Today’s sweater suggestion is the Halmstad sweaterby Todd Gocken.  It is available as a free pattern from Knitty.com.  Men are notoriously difficult to knit for.  Maybe your favourite man is an exception, but they do have a reputation for not liking anything that’s actually fun to knit.  This pattern is the answer!

The colourwork patterns are conservative enough for average male preference, but interesting enough for average knitter interest.  Plus, there’s a surprise in the construction.  A fun surprise.  You work the sleeves and body together in one piece, then cut it open at four steeks.  And then sew side and arm seams.   Take a look at the pattern to see how it’s done.  If you’ve done any stranded colourwork before, you’ll know that this makes the knitting very, very easy.  And the stripes are guaranteed to line up.

A steek, for those unfamiliar, is an area of a few stitches on every row that form a bridge between different parts of the garment.  It becomes a safe place to cut the knitted fabric for a seam to be added later.  With a nice, ‘sticky’ yarn like BC Garn Bio Shetland, it is easy to stabilize the fabric before cutting – any method will work, without special precautions.

BC Garn Bio Shetland is a slightly lighter weight yarn than used in the original pattern.  You can use it without modification at the specified gauge, just be sure to check your tension before you start, and modify needle size if needed.  The finished sweater will be lighter in weight, but still warm and comfortable..

 

 

Pattern suggestion: Earflap Hat

Posting date: 27 October 2021

This free Purl Soho pattern for an earflap hat, designed by Jake Canton, demonstrates the versatility of the BC Garn Bio Shetland yarn.  Just hold two strands of the yarn together to substitute for a worsted weight yarn.

This particular hat was knitted by Mairi, using substantial leftovers from her Tobermory Tam project.  One skein would be plenty for even the largest size of hat.  Mairi had a bit less than that, so added a second colour at the tip.  You could also work the hat in blocks or stripes to use up odds and ends of different colours.  And, of course, a contrasting colour for the optional tassles adds a bit of drama.

The pattern is written for sizes from baby up to adult large.  Mairi made the largest size hat, and warns that it is very large indeed.  The yarn is also very soft and stretchy, with lots of room for big hair with a loose fit.  A smaller size would work for most people.

Pattern suggestion: Tobermory Tam

Posting date: 24 October 2021

The Tobermory Tam pattern was designed by Mairi McKissock especially for our Bio Shetland promotion.  The pattern is exclusive to Creative Yarns until the end of the promotion, and it is available for free with the purchase of yarn for the project.  The sample hats will be in the store this week for you to look at in detail.

A Scottish tam, like the French beret, is a style of hat with a flat top and extra width at the sides, so it can be styled in different ways.  It is particularly easy to wear, and suits most face shapes.  If you think you don’t look good in hats, try a tam!

Pattern suggestion: Raglan Sweater

Posting date: 20 October 2021

This top-down raglan sweater pattern is a must-have.  It was written by our own Michelle Porter

We don’t want to forget basic essentials when we’re posting pattern suggestions for our Bio Shetland promotion.  And this one is super-flexibile.  Make it in any size, and at any gauge.  Make it with long sleeves or short.  Give it a turtleneck, or a crew neck, or a scoop neck.  Knit it in one colour, or in stripes.  Use lots of different colours, or just a few.  Add cable details, perhaps down the arms or along the raglan lines.  Or use eyelet increases for the raglans, like in this picture, for a really easy tough of elegance.

The possibilities are endless, and a good, basic pattern like this gives you a framework to build on.

The basic pattern is written for aran-weight yarn, but you can hold two strands of Bio Shetland together as a substitute.

We think that BC Garn Bio Shetland makes wonderful, light sweaters.  There’s a lot of yardage in those inexpensive skeins, and a lot of warmth in that woolen-spun yarn.  So, here’s a raglan sweater pattern to help you make that sweater-to-live-in that everyone needs.

Pattern suggestion: Full of Minis Welted Hat

Posting date: 12 October 2021

This welted hat pattern belongs in the Fun category!  Fun to knit, and fun to wear.  It is the Full of Minis hat pattern by designer Barbara Nalewko.  You can make it with just about any fingering weight yarn, but we’re suggesting it for use with the BC Garn Bio Shetland currently on promotion.  The welts combine beautifully with the woolen-spun characteristics of the yarn. multiplying the warmth factor.  Most knitted hats are less effective in windy conditions, but the extra layers of fabric in the welts make this hat warm even in windier weather.

The welts in this hat are quite easy to make, because the colour changes for every welt.  So, it’s easy to see which stitches to pick up on the welt rows.  You could make it with just two colours, alternating colours on every welt.  Or, you could make it with dozens of colours, using up scraps from your stash.  Either way, it will be an eye-catcher and a conversation piece.