Interweave Knits

Dear Reader, Admittedly, summer and I don’t have the best relationship. This fair-skinned, curvy lady melts with temps above 75 degrees, and I’m downright cranky when humidity is involved. For the past several years, I’ve tried to commit to learning to love summer—or at least tolerate it better. It’s tough. One thing that has helped me get to a better place is knitting. Until relatively recently, summer knitting was challenging for me; my favorite wool yarns would felt in my sweaty hands. And who wants a lapful of a project during a heat wave? So, I just avoided knitting from June through August. I was intimidated by “summer yarns” after some unsuccessful projects because I was unfamiliar with the qualities and characteristics of non-wool yarns. But exploring linen, cotton, and silk yarns—and…

1 Let your yarn have a spin in ClockNRollDesigns’ Record Painted Bowl. These colorful bowls are made from upcycled 33 rpm vinyl records that are then handpainted in your choice of 11 colorways (orange shown). Since the bowls are handpainted, each is unique—from the record to the paint! ClockNRollDesigns on Etsy 2 The days of cassettes may be over, but the Mix Tape Needle Gauge, from Creating with Sticks, is one you can certainly still find use for. This nostalgic wooden needle gauge measures needles from sizes 0–13 (2–9 mm) and will fit perfectly in your project bag, measuring just 21⁄16" by 31⁄8" by 1⁄8". The laser-cut gauge is made with beechwood to ensure durability, and each piece will look unique with varying wood grain. CreatingWithSticks on Etsy 3 The…

A – BERROCO PIMA SOFT Content: 100% Pima cotton Colors shown: #4602 Chiffon (white), #4633 Coral Put-up: 124 yd (113 m) /1¾ oz (50 g) Weight: DK Crisp stitches with an ultrasoft hand are easily achieved when making Jennifer Kent’s Cricket Tank (p. 28) with Berroco’s 100% Pima cotton yarn, which is available in 29 gorgeous colors. B – PURL SOHO LINEN QUILL Content: 50% fine highland wool, 35% alpaca, 15% linen Colors shown: #1020 Oatmeal Gray (light gray), #1585 Stillwater Blue (dark gray), and #1573 Green Turquoise (teal) Put-up: 439 yd (410 m)/3½ oz (100 g) Weight: Fingering With an unusual blend of highland wool, alpaca, and linen, this yarn is one you must feel to believe! It’s incredibly soft with vibrant color yet still beautifully rustic, and it’s the prefect yarn for Fiona Munro’s Quench Top (p. 26). C –…

THE METHOD SWATCHING My goal was to make swatches about 6" square. Since the gauge suggestion on a yarn label is usually given over 4", by casting on 50% more stitches than is listed, I should end up with a swatch about 6" wide. For example, if the label suggested a gauge of 20 stitches to 4", I multiplied by 1.5 and cast on 30 stitches. For all these yarns, I used the needle size recommended on the yarn label. I made three swatches with each yarn, using the same number of stitches and rows for each. BLOCKING For each yarn, I blocked two of the three swatches. The third was left unblocked, just as it came off the needles. To block a swatch, I wash and dry it the same way that I would if…

Difficulty Yarn Weight Finished Size 33¼ (36¾, 40, 43¼, 46¾, 50, 53¼, 56¾, 60)" circumference at underarm. Shell shown measures 40"; modeled with 1" of negative ease. Yarn Drops Cotton Merino (50% wool, 50% cotton; 120 yds [110 m]/1¾ oz [50 g]): #28 Powder, 6 (7, 7, 8, 8, 9, 10, 11, 11) balls. Needles Sizes 4 (3.5 mm) and 6 (4 mm): 32" circular (cir) and set of double-pointed (dpn). Adjust needle size if necessary to obtain the correct gauge. Notions Markers (m); stitch holders; tapestry needle. Gauge 24 sts and 32 rows = 4" in Chart A patt on larger needles. A: 33¼ (36¾, 40, 43¼, 46¾, 50, 53¼, 56¾, 60)"B: 11 (11, 11, 11, 11, 12, 12, 13, 13)"C: 6¼ (6¾, 7¼, 7¾, 8¼, 8¾, 8¾, 9¼, 9¼)"D: 5¼ (6, 6¾, 7¼, 8, 8¾,…

Difficulty Yarn Weight Finished Size 31¼ (35¾, 38, 42½, 47, 49¼, 53¾, 56, 60½)" circumference at underarm. Tee shown measures 38"; modeled with 0" of ease. Yarn Shibui Knits Pebble (48% recycled silk, 36% Merino wool, 16% cashmere; 224 yd [205 m]/⅞ oz [25 g]): Crete, 7 (8, 8, 9, 9, 10, 10, 1 1, 11) skeins. Needles Size 4 (3.5 mm): 24–32" circular (cir) and set of double-pointed (dpn). Size 5 (3.7.5 mm): 24–32"cir. Adjust needle size if necessary to obtain the correct gauge. Notions Stitch markers (m); cable needle (cn); stitch holders or waste yarn; tapestry needle; size E/4 (3.5 mm) crochet hook. Gauge 25 sts and 38 rows = 4" in Body chart patt on larger needles with 2 strands of yarn held together. NOTES • For techniques you don’t know, please visit our online…