Get Ready for the Olive Knits 4 Day KAL--starting 7/1!
How do you add a new sweater to your wardrobe in just about a week? You join the 6th Annual Olive Knits 4 Day KAL, of course! Yarn Folk is delighted to be a Featured Vendor this year.
I'll share the details of my sample sweater below, but let's talk about what you'll want to know about the KAL here:
- Sailaway is a three color circular yoke cardigan, knit from the top down, with options to use either DK or worsted weight yarn.
- Pattern pre-order (with swatching details) begins Thursday, May 26th at Olive Knits and on Ravelry. The pattern will be offered at a discounted price until June 6.
- Full pattern release is July 1. Do you have to knit your sweater in four days? HECK NO. There will be KAL giveaways and online events throughout the month of July.
I've knit all but one of the 4 Day sweaters, and it's always a fun time. This is the first year I decided to make a store sample in advance of the KAL, so I'll be relaxed and ready to answer any questions you have!
Current open hours are Monday - Thursday, 7am-3:30pm, Friday 8:30am - 5pm and Saturdays, 9am-4pm.
In-store shopping: masks are optional (but welcome and appreciated). Thanks for your help in keeping my business open to the public!
…to learn (and do)
CURRENT CLASSES & EVENTS
Hudson + West Spring 2022 Trunk Show
May 6-21 (Final week!)
In-Person Social Stitching
May 18 (This Wednesday!)
(3rd Wednesdays, May-October), 5-8 pm
May 28, June 11, June 25
(2nd & 4th Saturdays of the month), 2-4 pm
Holiday Hours
May 30 (Memorial Day)
Closed.
...to anticipate
One of the yarns we sampled at the LYS Meet Up in Seattle last month was Lazy Hazy Summer Cotton from Universal. It's a DK weight cotton in colors that really put a person in the mood for summer. It arrived last week, and I'm considering whipping out a new sample of The Shift--I think this cotton blend would make a very wearable summer accessory. Find the colors and additional pattern suggestions here.
…to inspire
Have you tried the Addi Rocket Squared needles? And, more to the point (heh) here, have you tried them for knitting lace?
I'm currently a couple of clues behind the official pace on Romi Hill's 10th Annual Mystery Shawl, but I'm far enough along to be loving how the texture of the needles keeps the stitches in place as I knit them. The Rocket Squared needles have the same longer tapered tip as the regular (and beloved) Addi Rockets, but the slightly squared shape combined with the smoothly textured surface is intended to promote positive knitting ergonomics. But the benefits for lace knitters are an added bonus, and while this is a theory I haven't tested yet, I think they would be a nice choice for slipperier yarns (cottons, linens, silk) as well.
...to stitch
So, here is my shop sample for the Olive Knits 4 Day KAL, Sailaway.
I chose BC Garn Loch Lomond in Baby Pink, Sand, and Moss. As mentioned above, there are options for both a DK and a worsted gauge; I knit the third DK size. The finished chest measurement is 41.5", and I expect it to be true to size once it has been wet blocked. (In order to get pictures to Marie by yesterday's deadline, I had to settle for steam blocking, when my swatch was based on wet blocking.)
I used every bit of five skeins (825 yards) of the MC, and partial skeins of each of the CCs. I wanted this cardigan to be high hip length, so I knit it about one inch shorter than the pattern indicated before beginning the hem ribbing. I eliminated one row of knitting on the buttonband, and I did not use one of the CCs for one row of the button and buttonhole bands, as indicated in the pattern. Both of these choices were the result of where *I* was while finishing the project on Sunday (at home) relative to where the *yarn* was (at the shop). Drive an hour roundtrip or improvise? IMPROVISE. Just a little, I promise.
Sailaway is a fun and uncomplicated knit--the circular increases occur in plain knitting rows, and the colorwork is a stitch pattern that combines slipped stitches with some easy twist stitches. (I would recommend a relatively pointy needle to make these easier, but they aren't difficult or complicated stitches,) Because the sweater is knit from the top down, you can change the body or sleeve lengths. A few fellow shop owners opted for 3/4 length sleeves, and I think that even short sleeves could be a cute summer option. I did choose to knit them full length, because honestly, that's what I wear.
And a note on Loch Lomond--it's a certified organic non-superwash wool, and it falls into the category of wools that are soft...but not smooth. It has a wonderful tweedy texture, and it passed the Clara Parkes Test for next-to-skin comfort for me. (I tucked a swatch under my neckline...and ended up forgetting about it for several hours.)
If your size or knitting preference runs to the worsted weight option, we've got plenty of options for you there, too!
