The spring air and short bursts of sunshine was just the motivation I needed to write up this studio project.

Featured in amirisu Spring/Summer 2021 Issue 22, Calathea, a design by amirisu, is a neckerchief style scarf worked flat using a curious double-twisted purl stitch pattern repeat to create a faux quilted texture that results in an equally interesting front and reverse side.

This spring/summer style is certainly on trend, and the simple colour play and somewhat contradictory yarn choices added to the appeal.

I had so much fun styling this piece, find all my project notes and styling ideas below.

Enjoy!

Andrea | Loom + Spindle

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STUDIO PROJECT | Calathea

DESIGN

Calathea is a design by amirisu Magazine, first published in June 2021. The pattern is available to purchase as a digital download via Ravelry.

SKILLS

• Knit and purl stitches

• Twisted stitches

• Increasing and decreasing

• Following pattern repeats

• Picking up stitches

• Elastic bind-off (instructions are included in the pattern)

TOOLS

• Knina Swivel 40cm (or longer) | 3.5mm

• Knina Swivel 100cm | 3mm

• Stitch markers

• Tapestry needle

MATERIALS

WAITLIST

Cotton Fine | Putty

The Project

INSIGHTS AND OPPORTUNITIES

YARN

• I took a ‘no fear’ approach when it came to subbing in yarns. I didn’t completely disregard gauge but thought there was some room to play.

• I had Jardim and Cotton Fine on hand that was set aside for a shop sample. The colour combo was bright and happy so I locked it in.

• I used Jardim (Amber), a 50/50 cotton and wool blend, with its soft hand feel and springy texture for the ‘quilted’ side.

• Cotton Fine (Putty) was used for the twisted-purl slipstitch side.

CONSTRUCTION + FINISHING

• I note the skill rating on this pattern is rated as high. I think for anyone familiar with knit/purl stitches and comfortable with increasing/decreasing, it would certainly doable.

• The stitch pattern was new to me, after working through a few rows I was able to memorise the pattern.

• The pattern has some really nice details to make the finished piece appear seamless and the design reversible. So do take care when the pattern instructs you to slip or pick up stitches .

• The elastic bind-off was a great knew skill to learn, it produced a uniform and appealing cast-off edge.

• I knit to the length suggested in the pattern. My final stitch gauge was 36 stitches over 10cm - so wasn’t too far out!

STYLING IDEAS

FINAL THOUGHTS

This piece was such a good skill builder. The quilted texture is really unique and the neckerchief size kept things manageable.

Even though I used a 5 ply (Jardim) and a 4 Ply (Cotton Fine), my gauge wasn’t too far off the pattern recommendation. I think you’ll get great results with many different yarns that are on this lighter end of the spectrum.

With less than a ball of each yarn required, you can definitely stash dive for this one or experiment with a few new ones on a modest budget!

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THANK YOU FOR READING!

Add this project to your Ravelry favourites HERE.

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Navelli is our second Studio Project exploring colourwork in Cotton Fine, and I thinks it’s a winner.

It seems Cotton Fine’s 80/20 cotton-wool blend lends itself perfectly to light summer garments with colourwork detail typically reserved for our winter woolies.

With lots of positive ease and seamless design there’s lots to love about the Navelli tee.

Enjoy!

Andrea - Loom + Spindle

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STUDIO PROJECT | NAVELLI

INTENTION

Knit Navelli and explore:

• Working with Cotton Fine

• Working colourwork in a cotton yarn

DESIGN

Navelli, designed by Caitlin Hunter and published May 2019. It’s available to purchase as a digital download from Ravelry.com or Caitlin’s website.

The pattern is available in 12 sizes with finished bust circumferences of 91.5cm to 183cm (36'' to 72'').

I knit size 4 with a finished bust circumference of 122cm (48'').

SKILLS

• Knitting in the round

• Knitting flat

• Colourwork

TOOLS

• 3.25 mm (US 3) and 2.75 mm (US 2) circular needles

MATERIALS

MC: Cotton Fine | Salmon Berry

CC1: Cotton Fine | Cavern

CC2: Cotton Fine | Putty

PROCESS

YARN SELECTION

• When Cotton Fine first came in I was curious to see if it was suitable for colourwork. On a whim I picked up the Navelli colourwork chart and grabbed some Cotton Fine and knit up a swatch. Happy with the results I decided to knit the tee.

CONSTRUCTION

• The pattern begins with the cast-on edge for the bottom hem. My go to cast-on for a 1x1 rib is the alternating cast-on method. Given there were a substantial amount of stitches I worked a few rows flat before joining in the round to avoid twisting the stitches.

• The colourwork chart was fairly intuitive. I did need to give careful attention to the placement of the repeat when working each row. Top tip - check you work occasionally. I came unstuck a few times when I missed a stitch and had to un-knit then re-knit the row. 😅

• Once the colourwork was complete the project was fairly straight forward, stocking stitch for the body, ribbing for the neckline and some short-row shaping for the shoulders. A 3-needle bind-off is used to seem the shoulders, always a satisfying way to see the garment transform. The final additions were the sleeves which have a contrast colour edge - I think I obsessed over this detail the most!

FINISHING

• Not much to report here other than weaving in all the ends and blocking the garment.

INSIGHTS AND OPPORTUNITIES

YARN

• Cotton Fine creates a wonderfully smooth and drapey fabric. The wool component ensures a bit of elasticity while the cotton keeps the fabric light and cool.

CONSTRUCTION + FINISHING

• Once all that colourwork is done the piece knits up fairly quickly. The design incorporates a nice mix of technique to keep you entertained. Blocking the garment really helps to even-out all the colourwork stitches.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Navelli is a great spring/summer knit with lots of positive ease for comfort in warm weather. Cotton Fine feels drapey and durable and should last many seasons to come.

If you would you like to save this project for later add it to your Ravelry favourites HERE.

Knitting Navelli in Cotton Fine?

Here’s what you’ll need for sizes 1-12:

MC: 3 (3, 3, 4) (4, 4, 4) (4, 5, 5) (5, 5) skeins
CC1: 2 (2, 2, 2) (2, 2, 2) (2, 2, 2) (2, 3) skeins
CC2: 1 (1, 1, 1) (1, 1, 1) (1, 1, 1) (1, 2) skeins

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THANK YOU FOR READING!

GET 10% OFF YOUR NEXT COTTON FINE PURCHASE.

Simply join or confirm your subscription to the Loom & Spindle email newsletter to get your discount code.

CONFIRM SUBSCRIPTION

10% off Cotton Fine

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Here’s our first Studio Project from one of our team crafters, Marita (Hi, Mum!).

Marita knit up the stunning Nachtschatten (Night Shadow) cardigan testing the limits of Cotton Fine with copious amounts of colourwork and technique.

When Marita’s not knitting she’s cranking sock tubes for customers at Sock Island Rescue.

Enjoy!

Andrea - Loom + Spindle

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STUDIO PROJECT | NACHTSCHATTEN

INTENTION

Knit Nachtschatten and explore:

• Working with Cotton Fine

• Working a garment sideways

DESIGN

Nachtschatten was designed by Sandra Archut, July 2020. It’s currently available to purchase as a digital download from Ravelry.com or Sandra’s website.

The pattern is available in 9 sizes with finished bust circumferences of 86cm to 164cm (33.8'' to 64.5'').

Marita knit size 4 with a finished bust circumference of 114cm (44.8'').

SKILLS

• Knitting flat

• Provisional cast-on

• Picking up stitches

• Colourwork (stranded knitting)

TOOLS

• 3.0 mm (US 2½) and 3.5 mm (US 4) circular knitting needles.

MATERIALS

MC (dark), Cotton Fine | Cavern

CC (light), Cotton Fine | Spring Sage

FINISHED PIECE

FINAL THOUGHTS

Nachtschatten is a perfect transitional piece to wear over a summer dress or casual tee. Cotton Fine produces crisp colourwork providing pleasing contrast for the dandelion motive. Cotton Fine produces a nice smooth fabric with drape and durability.

If you would you like to save this project for later add it to your Ravelry favourites HERE.

Knitting Nachtschatten in Cotton Fine?

Here’s what you’ll need for sizes 1-9:

Yarn A | Dark colour 4 (4, 4, 6, 6) 7, 7, 7, 8 skeins
Yarn B | Light colour 2 (2, 2, 3, 3) 3, 4, 4, 4 skeins

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THANK YOU FOR READING!

GET 10% OFF YOUR NEXT COTTON FINE PURCHASE.

Simply join or confirm your subscription to the Loom & Spindle email newsletter to get your discount code.

CONFIRM SUBSCRIPTION

10% off Cotton Fine

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I took so long to get this piece online the colourway Honey Butter is now discontinued, sorry!

None the less, Nasreen is still a cute graphic tee for the coming spring/summer season.

I’m sure you’ll be able to find an acceptable palette from the current Cotton Fine range.

Enjoy!

Andrea - Loom + Spindle

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STUDIO PROJECT | NASREEN

INTENTION

Knit Nasreen and explore:

• Working with Cotton Fine

• Working a garment flat and in pieces

DESIGN

Nasreen was designed by Lana Jois and first published in Pom Pom Quarterly issue Summer 2018. It’s currently available to purchase as a digital download from Ravelry.com.

The pattern is available in 6 sizes with finished bust circumferences of 92.5cm to 141cm (36½'' to 55½''), and has both a long and cropped length version.

I knit size 3 with a finished bust circumference of 111.5cm (44'') in a cropped length.

SKILLS

• Knitting flat

• Decreasing

• Picking up stitches

• Seaming

TOOLS

• 2.75mm (US 2) straight knitting needles and one size smaller for ribbing.

MATERIALS

Colour A: Cotton Fine | Honey Butter

Colour B: Cotton Fine | Putty

PROCESS

YARN SELECTION

• I went with Cotton Fine as it seemed to have the perfect palette for recreating this look.

CONSTRUCTION

• The garment was knit flat in pieces.

• The combination of garter stitch and the decreasing edge stitches ensured the project flew off the needles.

• On picking up stitches - I’ve always found it a bit challenging. I did a bit of research on how to neatly and evenly pick up stitches before tackling this aspect of the design. I came across a method that I’ve used ever since without fail. It simply requires picking up as many stitches as there are holes in the pickup edge. Then, on the following row make enough decrease stitches evenly across the row to meet the stitch count specified in the pattern. Super easy, nice and neat, no holes!

FINISHING

• I blocked all pieces before seaming, taking care to match the seam lengths to the pattern and stretch everything out to the correct shape and size.

• I used a baste stitch to hold and align the pieces for seaming. This kept everything in place while using back stitch to seam the selvages.

INSIGHTS AND OPPORTUNITIES

YARN

• Cotton Fine creates a wonderfully smooth and drapey fabric. The wool component ensures a bit of elasticity while the cotton keeps the fabric light and cool.

CONSTRUCTION + FINISHING

• I particularly like the finished edges on the armholes and side vents, they really give this piece a professional finish. I highly recommend blocking the individual pieces before attempting to seam the garment.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Nasreen is a great spring/summer knit. Good to finally master picking up stitches without the anxiety. Cotton Fine knit-up feels durable and should last many seasons to come.

If you would you like to save this project for later add it to your Ravelry favourites HERE.

Knitting Nasreen in Cotton Fine?

Here’s what you’ll need for the cropped version in sizes 1-6:

Yarn A | Dark colour 3 (3, 3, 3, 4, 4) skeins
Yarn B | Light colour 2 (3, 3, 3, 3, 4) skeins

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Swatching with Cotton Fine

A knitted sample of Tegna, by Caitlin Hunter

Here at Loom & Spindle, we’re proud omni-crafters! Passionately dabbling in all things fibre.

Today we’re taking a look at our first knitted swatch for Cotton Fine. Specifically, a sampler of Caitlin Hunter’s popular Tegna pattern.

We thought this light-weight summer style would be a good match for this sumptuous blend of Pima cotton and merino wool.

We knit the swatch to explore the interaction between gauge, knit fabric and fibre and assess the suitability of the yarn for a knitted project featuring lacework.

Below, we’ve included our notes on how we interpreted the pattern to become a swatch and our thoughts on the resulting fabric.

This ‘recipe’ is a great starting point if you want to have a go at swatching for your next knitting project.

P.S. At the end we’ve detailed the yardage required for all sizes should you wish to knit your own!

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PROJECT

A knitted sample of Tegna by Caitlin Hunter, using Cotton Fine by Brown Sheep Co.

AIM

Knit a swatch in Cotton Fine to explore:

• The fabric’s hand-feel at the resulting gauge

• The suitability of Cotton Fine for lacework, and

• Knitting garments in Cotton Fine

SKILLS

• Casting on

• Casting off

• Knitting flat

• Reading charts for lacework

• Familiarity with decreasing, yarnovers, knitting through the back loop

• Translating pattern instructions into swatch parameters

TOOLS

• 3.25 mm (US 3) circular needles (we used Chiaogoo Spin Bamboo Interchangables)

• Scissors

• Tapestry needle

MATERIALS

WAITLIST

1 x VINTAGE LINEN

PLANNING

We focused on setting parameters for the piece and interpreting the pattern to accommodate the swatch.

SIZE

• Working with the patterns suggested gauge of 22 stitches over 10cm (4'') in stocking stitch and the stitch count for the lace repeat, we decided three lace repeats would provide a reasonable sample size and a visually balanced sample.

• 60 stitches were required for the cast on.

SETUP

• Cast on: Long-tail method

• Cast off: A tapestry needle to thread the yarn tail through live stitches

LACEWORK

• The pattern details the lace repeat both written (worked in the round) and as a chart.

• We chose working with the chart as the visual aid was convenient when working the swatch flat.

• We used stitch markers to define the beginning and end of each lace repeat.

NOTES

• As 3.25mm was the needle size suggested in the pattern, we thought this would be a good starting point to explore gauge.

• Our swatch will be knit flat as noted above. Please note the Tegna pattern, as written, is worked in the round.

METHOD

STEP 1

60 stitches were cast on using the long-tail method.

STEP 2

The lace repeat was worked flat until the end of the chart.

STEP 3

Approximately 10cm (4'') was knit in stocking stitch to complete the swatch.

STEP 4

The live stitches were secured by simply threading the yarn tail through the loops using a tapestry needle.

FINISHING

The swatch was soaked in a bath of cool water for around 5 minutes, the excess water pressed out using a towel. The swatch was then pinned out on a blocking matt, attention given to opening up the lacework and aligning the stitches that frame the lace detail.

GUAGE

The final measurements were:

• 22 stitches over 10cm (4'')

• 28 rows over 10cm (4'')

• Overall dimensions, 20cm x 25cm (8'' x 10'')

INSIGHTS AND OPPORTUNITIES

THE GAUGE

Amazingly, we got gauge! When does that ever happen ;)

Though, it’s important to note that we worked the swatch flat. Working in the round could produce a slightly different row gauge.

Based on these results we’d go ahead and knit the garment on 3.25mm needles, monitoring row gauge and adjusting the body length in the stocking stitch section if necessary.

THE FABRIC

At this airy gauge, Cotton Fine has produced a soft drapey fabric with a smooth hand-feel.

The cotton/merino blend offers great stitch definition, the detail in the lace panel is clear and structural elements well defined.

The resulting texture is feminine and cool.

FINAL THOUGHTS

The lacework was intuitive and the pattern easy to follow. Using stitch markers definitely helped us track the lace repeats and catch those missed yarnovers!

Cotton Fine worked up nicely and we think it has great potential for light-weight knitted garments.

Tegna is an exciting introduction to both lacework and knitted garment construction and is highly recommended to anyone motivated to give it a try.

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THANK YOU FOR READING!

Tegna by Caitlin Hunter can be found on RAVELRY.
Knitting in Cotton Fine? Here’s what you’ll need:

• X-Small - 4 Skeins

• Small - 4 Skeins

• Medium - 5 Skeins

• Large - 6 Skeins

• X-Large - 6 Skeins

• 2X-Large - 6 Skeins

• 3X-Large - 7 Skeins

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