Inside Knitscene : Color Knitting

Forever Knits: 9 Patterns to Knit for Fall

AmyPalmer — Tue, 31 Jul 2012 23:30:00 GMT

Something (hopefully autumn) is coming. Maybe it's the slight chill to the mornings that greets me when I walk out my front door; maybe it's the sinus pressure–inducing shift in the barometric pressure. But I know that sooner or later, summer will transition into autumn and I'll need to break out the layers.

Knitting trends go through transitions as well. Not quite as quickly, usually, but with that inevitable come and go of time. But some knitting trends remain the same; some trends provide a sense of stability.

The Forever Knits collection in Knitscene Fall 2012 celebrates those traditional knitting trends and updates them for the modern knitter. Cables, texture, and slipped stitch colorwork are incorporated into hip, wearable pieces for cooler Fall evenings, or that tricky transition to winter. Traditional cable motifs are just slightly set off in Anniken Allis's Kennedy Sweater. A simple honeycomb stitch is placed on the front of Ruth Garcia-Alcantud's Agnes Pullover, while the back is plain stockinette. In her stunning knit pullover, Mercedes Tarasovich-Clark turns the traditional gansey on its side with Margot. And Silka Burgoyne beautifully blends cables into ribbing in the Kelsey Gloves and Mitts.

Slipped-stitch colorwork knitting requires no stranded, no twisting of yarns, no pesky floats, and yields spectacular results. Brenda K. B. Anderson adds a bill to a familiar beanie-style hat and a star slipped-stitch pattern in the Rhonda Cap. The Amherst Scarf from Marjorie Dussaud works three colors together in a slipped-stitch pattern bordered by an i-cord edge. Amy Polcyn works slipped-stitch motifs at the bottom band and shoulders of the Frances Cardigan.

Lace gets its day in the sun too, with Carol Feller's Prudence Pullover, an easy to knit sweater pattern with a lace panel and cabled funnel neck. And Odessa Reichel lines a simple lace pattern with miniature cables in the form-fitting Sandra Sweater (and a tiny bit of puffed sleeves never hurts!).

The weather changes, our preference for light summer-y plant fibers may shift to lofty, cozy wools, but there are some things about knitting that never, ever change.

Happy knitting,
Amy

First sweater, finished!

AmyPalmer — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 19:22:00 GMT

If you're new to the story of Allison, our managing editor, and her quest to knit her first sweater (Alexis Winslow's Vera Cardigan from Knitscene Winter 2011), you can read the three previous posts here, here, and here. Since we last posted, right after the Christmas holidays, Allison has not only finished her first knitted cardigan ever, but also painted all of the banister rails and trim in her living room! Both of these are big achievements; one of them impeded the progress of the other. I'll let you decide which is which.

I've knit a few cardigans in my knitting career, so I thought it'd be best to let Allison herself tell you about her finished cardigan, and what she learned from knitting a garment.

First and foremost, knitting a sweater = magic. No, it didn’t come together by waving a magic wand, but where would be the fun in that? What was magic was shaping a ball of yarn—bit by bit—into an actual garment. Maybe the state of awe this inspires will wear off once I’ve knitted my second or my seventieth sweater, but I hope not.

I love the design of this cardigan. For my taste, it was just the right amount of shaping and sweet details (like those fun button loops on the cuffs) to make it feel really special. It is also majorly cozy, and terribly exciting to think that I made it myself.

The colorwork was terrifying. I wrote about it a little in a previous post. Fellow beginning knitters, fear not, you too can do colorwork. In fact, in retrospect, that was my favorite technique that I learned. I was also scared of the general idea of knitting a sweater. It seemed like a really big undertaking. It was intimidating. It made my palms sweat. I was fortunate to have the likes of Ms. Amy Palmer and our stellar tech team (Joni Coniglio and Larissa Gibson) helping me out along the way, but in quiet moments of crisis at home I found a lot of great online resources, which leads me to believe that even someone who doesn’t work at Interweave could learn to knit a sweater.

I wish I would have taken more opportunities to knit a row here and there, rather than feeling like I needed a three-hour block of time to work on the sweater. I think chipping away at it that way would have made the knitting go a lot faster. And of course there are little things about the actual sweater I might have done better, but I guess they are good reminders of what I learned along the way (“look, there’s the rough patch where I was figuring out how to pick up stitches around the arm hole” or “mental note, keep working on your mattress stitch technique so stuff doesn’t fall out of the bottom of your pockets next time” or “alpaca grows when you wash it”).

Amy again: Congratulations, Allison, on knitting your first cardigan! I think all of us agree that it's pretty spectacular. In theory, Allison is tackling another knitting milestone, her first pair of socks as part of the Simply Sockupied Knitalong, but she's talking about re-painting her trim. Don't worry—she'll get her priorities sorted quickly enough. Knitting always comes first, am I right?

Happy knitting!
Amy

Summer Knitting, Knitscene Style

AmyPalmer — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 19:08:00 GMT

Spring officially arrived last week, and here we are talking about summertime knitting! Our second Knitscene Summer issue debuted today, and if you ask me, it's a scorcher!

Thank you, I'll be here all week.

Terrible jokes aside, my own tastes gravitate more toward knitting projects that would be more at home in Fall and Winter issues—long sleeved cardigans with cables or colorwork elements, elaborate colorwork mittens and socks, basically, projects that make you feel warm just by looking at them. This new Summer issue, however, is bursting with 23 knitting patterns that stay true to the Knitscene motto of simple, stylish, and spirited, while also not giving the wearer heat exhaustion.

Designer and Sexy Knitter Sarah Wilson is our featured designer for this issue, and delivers the goods in her four-piece collection. Sashay around town in the Sundance Square Pencil Skirt or cover up at the beach with the Lakota Tank. I love the versatility of all of Sarah's pieces—each is perfect for a day at the office or a night on the town.

Amy Christoffers takes knitting on the bias to the gorgeous level with her Robin Tank and Amy Gunderson plays with asymmetrical hems in the Quinn Sweater as part of our Slightly Askew story.

In yesterday's Knitting Daily newsletter, Kathleen hinted at our biggest story of this issue, Stitch by Leaf. Inspired by the leaves that will, presumably, be unfurling in the coming weeks, the eight knitting patterns in this story are all inspired by knitted leaf motifs. Andrea Babb's Ginkgo Camisole is a light and airy layering tank with delicate ginkgo-inspired leaves extending into faux-princess seams. Andrea Jurgrau's Filigreen Shawl employs a geometric leaf pattern in a triangular shawl decked out with a tassel!

Summer knitting stays cool with our Plaza del Sol story, featuring cotton and cotton-blend yarns in seven patterns. Amanda Bell's Cara Cara Pullover is our cover project. Knit in Brown Sheep Cotton Fleece, this raglan pullover features a kangaroo pocket and seed stitch details. Leah B. Thibault's Westwood Blouse is a comfy tank with a simple lace yoke, knit in Kolláge Yarns' Riveting Sport. And Terri Kruse's Michaela Tee, knit in Rowan Amy Butler Belle Organic DK, is another simple knit with particular detail in the asymmetrical button placket and raglan sleeves.

Knitscene editor Lisa Shroyer highlights up-and-coming organic cotton yarns, while I had the toughest job of all, reviewing six amazing knitting bags with a limited amount of word space. Tabetha Hedrick shows you how to measure your gauge to better ensure the perfect fit, Laura Birek sits down to talk sexy knitting with Sarah Wilson, and senior project editor Joni Coniglio shares seven amazing leaf motifs to knit. It may not quite feel like spring, even, but at least you can start knitting for your summer vacation. Download Knitscene Summer 2012 now and get a jump on your summer knitting, or pre-order the physical edition. If you prefer to wait until you can see the magazine for yourself, look for it at your local yarn stores, on sale April 17.

Happy knitting, and don't forget the sunscreen,
Amy

A New Knitter's Adventure in Top-Down Knitting

AmyPalmer — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 19:18:00 GMT

A few weeks ago, I introduced you to our Managing Editor, Allison, and her plan to knit her first cardigan. A quick recap: Girl sees Vera Cardigan sample in the office, girl falls in love with cardigan, girl asks Amy to knit cardigan for her, Amy says "No. You will knit this yourself."

And lo, a sweater-knitting addict is born.

Almost every day since she finished her second gauge swatch (that's right, I am a tyrant who made her knit a second gauge swatch when the first came out too big), Allison's come into the office to tell me about her sweater knitting progress.

"I started the colorwork part last night! It's a lot easier than I thought it would be."

"These rows are so long, I can't wait to separate for the sleeves."

"Wait, how do I separate for the sleeves?"

My friends, Allison is a master colorwork knitter in disguise. Look at how even the stitches are! And nary a blip in the pattern. I'm pretty sure I can't say the same for most of my colorwork projects.

While she's not yet in the home stretch of the knitting, having separated for the sleeves means that she'll be knitting over fewer stitches than she had been. And of course, one of the beautiful things about knitting a top-down sweater is that you can try it on as you go.

Yep. Not only is her colorwork perfect, but the sweater is fitting quite nicely so far (obviously, when it's washed and blocked, the beautiful Berroco Ultra Alpaca will loosen up a bit and even out for a fantastic fit). If you are a little jealous and maybe shaking your fist at the screen, that's totally understandable.

Have you bought your copy of Knitscene Winter yet? Started knitting your own Vera Cardigan? Knitscene Winter will only be on the shelves for about a month longer; pick yours up today at your LYS (and get $5 back from us with this coupon!) or order your digital edition from the Interweave Store.

Until next time, happy knitting!
Amy

A First Knitted Cardigan

AmyPalmer — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 15:44:00 GMT

Allison is the Managing Editor for Interweave Knits, Knitscene, and Interweave Crochet, and Allison is knitting her first cardigan. Allison came to us from our sisters in the Jewelry magazines earlier this year, and while she'd had some experience as a knitter early on, she hadn't really graduated from knitting scarves.

Scarves are great, and who doesn't need some knit scarves, but when Allison caught a glimpse of Alexis Winslow's Vera Cardigan while Lisa and I were working on Knitscene Winter, Allison fell in love. And who could blame her? Alexis's cardigan is so fantastic, with its fairly simple colorwork bands at the hem, waist, and yoke, cute pockets, and a classic silhouette.

When Allison asked me if I thought she could knit this cardigan, I said "Of course!" Well, first I said "No, that will not do" when she asked if I would knit it for her.

If you're looking at your screen like I've gone crazy, I'm sure you're not alone. I know that the jump from scarf-knitter to cardigan-with-some-basic-stranded-colorwork-knitter is a big jump. But more than that, I know that every project I've been less than enthused about knitting has languished mightily in my work-in-progress bin for a ridiculous amount of time. I know that love of the craft is best caught by people who are excited about and interested in a particular project, regardless of the perceived skill level. I know how Allison's eyes lit up when she tried on the sample cardigan and how enthusiastic she was as we went back and forth discussing color options. And I know that Allison and I will spend many a lunch break going over very basic cardigan construction and step-by-step knitting. Which, quite frankly, is how I feel most lunch breaks should be.

I wanted to get a few initial impressions from Allison to see what she was thinking as she stared down the length of the knitting needles, before we really dove in to casting on for a cardigan.

You tried on the Vera Cardigan in the office one day, amongst almost all the other garments in the Knitscene Winter 2011 issue. What was it about this cardigan that really made you want to knit it?

I immediately loved the shape of the Vera Cardigan—the way it nips in at the waist just a bit and that it hits a little lower on my hip than a typical cardigan. The colorwork details make it feel special. And on top of all that love for the style of it, the cozy-factor was very high. But, oh my goodness, there were a lot of cute projects in this issue. I figured that since I’ve never knitted more than a scarf I should limit myself to starting on one sweater, rather than six and a cloche…and a dress and…well, you can see the problem.

I know you’ve just started working with the yarn on your gauge swatch, but what are your initial impressions of Berroco Ultra Alpaca?

Soft, soft, soft. It feels so nice and, to me, it’s the perfect thing for late fall knitting. I can’t wait to curl up by the fire while I work with this pretty yarn.

Have you started planning your next project yet? ;)

Working here at Interweave is dangerous business. It’s hard not to be thinking about future projects when so many pretty ones cross my desk every day. We recently published the premiere special issue of knit.wear, and I’d love to make the Shaped Capelet with Braided Cables by Erica Patberg (it’s the cover project). I’d better hope for a long Colorado winter so I’ll have time to learn how to knit both of these projects—and, of course, time to wear them too!

All of us as crafters have to, at some point, make the leap from so-called simple knitting to more advanced techniques, or our interest in the craft, be it knitting, crochet, tatting, wood-working, whatever, will wane and fade. If you're reading this blog, odds are you've made that leap at some point, maybe after a few years, maybe after a few scarves. So I hope you'll join me in encouraging Allison through this progress as she takes this leap of faith in herself as a knitter and in my abilities as a teacher. She's just getting started, having almost finished her gauge swatch (of course I made her knit a gauge swatch). Are you planning to knit the Vera Cardigan yourself? The pattern is available in the brand new Knitscene Winter issue, available on sale now, our first standalone Winter issue ever! Why not get your gauge swatch going and join along? We'll be checking in once a month or so with her progress, and we'd love to hear how you're getting on with your own cardigan knitting.

Until next time, happy knitting.
Amy

P.S. - I get very confused every time I talk about this cardigan, as my cat's name is Vera. "Why are you knitting my cat a cardigan? No, wait, that's not what you're talking about."

3 Things to Remember About Seamless Yoke Pullovers

AmyPalmer — Tue, 23 Aug 2011 19:12:00 GMT

I've become a little obsessed with seamless yokes lately. For as much as I knit, I am a fairly lazy knitter, so seamless knitting patterns are very much up my alley—I don't mind finishing, but if I can find a way out of it, I'll do that. A seamless yoke also allows for endless permutations and personal customization (which yes, does require some work, but it's creative work, not minutia and detail work; it's totally different!). In the Fall issue of Knitscene, we featured two sweaters patterns with lacy seamless yokes: Lien Ngo's Abbey Pullover and Melissa J. Goodale's Counterfort Pullover.

But really, with a seamless panel as your base, you can do pretty much anything. Stripey colorwork, Fair Isle colorwork, funky stitch patterns—the yoke is your canvas. Before you begin, though, there are a few things to keep in mind about knitting a seamless yoke:

A seamless yoke has a different armhole depth than your standard set-in sleeves. A quick glance at a schematic for each kind of sweater will tell you that.

Spacing out your decreases or increases depends on your shoulder depth. If you're altering a knitting pattern with a seamless yoke, make sure you adjust the number of rows between decrease or increase rows.
Planning the decreases or increases rows is pretty much up to the designer—there aren't any rules to follow. Typically, most seamless yokes will have three to five rows of changing stitch counts (either more stitches, in a top-down sweater, or fewer stitches, in a bottom-up sweater). In her book Knitting Plus, Lisa Shroyer points out that traditional yokes have four rounds of decreases, removing 20% of the stitches on the first round, 25% of the stitches on the second round, and 33% of the stitches on the third and fourth rounds.

I know seamless yokes, in this context, may seem overwhelming, but find a pattern that appeals to you and try it out for yourself—knitting a seamless yoke is really quite easy.

Till next time,
Amy

PS - Did you see the preview for Interweave Knits Holiday Gifts yet? Let us know what you think, and look for that issue on-sale September 6.

New year, new knitting goals (and new Knitscene!)

AmyPalmer — Tue, 04 Jan 2011 17:34:00 GMT

Happy new year, everyone! I hope you had a fantastic time doing whatever it is that makes you happy.

I took a little break from knitting over the holidays, though I did whip up a project that I'll be showing you in a couple of weeks. But even though I wasn't actually knitting, I was thinking about knitting. Frequently. It's a sickness.

As I was thinking about knitting, I decided to set a few goals for myself. Last year was the first year I'd really attempted knitting garments. This year, I want to knit more garments, and try different constructions, like top-down raglans (...how have I not done that yet?), saddle shoulders, etc. And I've said this every year for the last three years, but this year, this year will be the year I conquer my fear of steeking.

I understand the concept of steeking, and I've seen people do it, and I know it can be done. And I can do it! Nothing like positive self-talk, huh? Steeking can be avoided, but I feel like it's one of those useful skills that I "should" know, being so handy in colorwork projects and large garment shaping.

If you're not quite ready to take the steeking plunge, I don't blame you one bit. Luckily for you, our upcoming Knitscene Winter/Spring 2011 issue (on sale January 25!) features a whole section of fantastic colorwork garments that require absolutely no steeking, like Elinor Brown's Solveig Yoke and Amy Christoffer's Kenning Mitts. If you subscribe to the Knitting Daily emails, keep an eye out for more info on this issue in tomorrow's email!

What knitting goals have you set for yourself, either for 2011 or in the past? Any tips for staying on track and accomplishing those goals?

Knit on,
Amy

Swatching Fair Isle: Tips for placing color

LisaShroyer — Sat, 04 Dec 2010 16:05:00 GMT

Last time I wrote, I was contemplating a colorwork design with nine colors of Brown Sheep Nature Spun Sport. Whenever I start planning a colorwork pattern, the hardest and most fulfilling step is planning the color placement and repeat.

This swatch shows my first run. In my experience, the color arrangement and motif is never right the first time. Or the next three times, possibly. You have to swatch a lot. If your reaction to a swatch, upon leaving it for an hour then walking back into the room to regard it from a few feet away, is not "I love it", then you have to keep swatching. If you have to squint your eyes to make yourself believe it looks good, it's not right yet.

So this swatch is definitely not right yet. I wanted a soft subtle perimeter to transition into a hard, contrasting, almost simple center motif. I think that 1) the motif is not really right and 2) to make the eye believe that the dark brown and the light brown are the same element (ie, they're both foreground colors of the same motif), then that transition shouldn't occur so close to the teal-white background transition. You can see at the top of the swatch I tried carrying the dark brown over into the teal more, which helps but is not exactly graceful. I will keep playing. This is the fun stuff!

This process is exactly how I approached color in Road to Golden and the Bandelier Socks. Obviously, I like strong color and stark contrast in my Fair Isle. But these traits can work alongside subtle transitions. That's the key with designing colorwork with this many colors--subtle transition with deliberate and well-placed contrast.

Some tips:

symmetry out from a midline is always pleasing to the eye (the motif/color should be mirror-image up and down from center row)
the more colors you're working with, the more rows high your motif can be
only use each background color for 2-4 rows to create subtlety and avoid obvious striping
don't change background and foreground colors on the same row; stagger the changes by 1-3 rows
be open to strange color combos; two colors in the ball may not look great together but can harmonize unexpectedly when knitted

And have fun! ~Lisa

Keeping up with the scene: 5 New Patterns from Knitscene Designers

AmyPalmer — Tue, 30 Nov 2010 17:43:00 GMT

Lisa and I are hard at work, racing to our deadline on Knitscene Winter/Spring 2011, but I thought I'd take a quick break to see what some of our designers from Knitscene Fall 2010 are up to.

Our featured designer, Hannah Fettig, has been hard at work, designing two patterns for Interweave Knits Weekend 2010 (the Mariner Pullover and the Tree Line Cardigan), as well as self-publishing a few other designs, including the Mediumweight Pullover through her store. This sweet cowl neck sweater is stamped with Hannah's signature style!

Melissa Wehrle is an incredibly prolific designer, and her Aryn Tunic Cardigan is a favorite among Knitscene readers. Since Knitscene Fall 2010 was published, Melissa's also published the Elementary Vest in Interweave Knits Fall 2010, as well as the drop-dead gorgeous Origami Shrug from Brave New Knits.

As I mentioned a couple weeks ago, Elinor Brown's Northumbria Cowl would make a great stash-busting project (or holiday gift!). Elinor is the Queen of great stashbusting colorwork projects. Her Slanted Peerie Mittens from Interweave Knits Holiday Gifts 2011 are on the top of my Must Knit List, and I just love her Forest Mushroom mittens from twist collective's winter issue and her self-published Ladybug Picnic Mittens.

Every once in a while, sock knitters like myself have to come up for air, and Debbie O'Neill is no exception. Her Brise-Soleil Cardigan from Knitscene Fall 2010 is such a fabulous study in lace and asymmetry. Since then, Debbie's been hard at work on a few more designs for us (in fact, she's our featured designer for Knitscene Winter/Spring 2011!), as well as churning out sock patterns left and right, such as this revision of her Cascading Leaves socks.

This is just a small sampling of what some Knitscene designers have been up to. We're so lucky to work with amazing designers day in and day out, and as much as we love seeing what designs they make for us, we get just as excited seeing what they're doing on their own. The Fall 2010 issue is on sale for a few more weeks; grab a copy and check out what our other designers have been knitting!

'Till next time, happy knitting.
amy

P.S. - Have you knit any patterns from Knitscene Fall 2010? How about any other patterns from our fabulous designers? Let me know, either in the comments or on Twitter! You can find me there as AmyPalmerKnits.

Thankful for colorwork + a sneak peek + 5 Fair Isle resources

LisaShroyer — Tue, 23 Nov 2010 13:59:00 GMT

Beyond cooking and, let’s face it, cleaning for guests, this week I plan to get in some quality Mom time. Let me describe my mom—she’s a knitter/spinner/weaver who makes the best pies and is always followed by a flurry of little dog and bits of wool fluff. She introduced me to the needles and to bad jokes. We can chat and knit for hours quite happily. Needless to say, I hope my other guests are bringing their own entertainment.

I recently bought a bunch of Brown Sheep Nature Spun in nine colors—I’d like to spend some of that fireside time swatching for a colorwork sweater. Maybe something like this southwestern number.

I had originally been thinking pullover, but cardigans are so wearable. I think a busy Fair Isle pullover becomes a signature piece that demands its own outfit, while an equally crazy cardigan can be thrown on with anything. And when you work from home like I do, those go-with-anything sweaters get worn a lot.

Mom instilled a love of Fair Isle in me quite young. I went crazy over her Alice Starmore books and she just said “Okay!” to my ambitions. One of my first sweaters was Faroe (Ravelry link). I was fourteen or so when I knit this, with a lot of advice coming from over my right elbow, of course. Thanks to good wool, it still looks great.

I love to put colorwork designs in Knitscene, but I know they have limited appeal. Some knitters aren’t comfortable choosing their own colors. Some of our readers haven’t tackled stranded knitting yet. And if a project has a steek, that really drives down reader interest, especially in a magazine that touts itself as simple-stylish-spirited. But I know there’s a chunk of you who love colorwork, and especially love to see modern and flattering uses of the technique. So we offer a little stranding from time to time, just for you <3

Because I’m on a colorwork kick and to show some thankfulness to our Knitscene readers this week, I thought I’d give a sneak peek of the colorwork projects coming up in the Winter/Spring issue (due out January). This is a small collection that explores constructions that don’t require steeking or working stranded in rows. Isn’t it fun?

If you’re into colorwork, here are some great resources:

Happy Thanksgiving to you all; I hope your week is filled with knitting and loved ones. And pie.

~ lisa

Stashbusting with Knitscene: 5 Great Gift Ideas

AmyPalmer — Tue, 16 Nov 2010 15:25:00 GMT

If you're like me, you're a yarn hoarder—you hang onto every potentially usable scrap of yarn leftover from projects (or in some cases, your friends' projects…) because they could be useful, some day. Most notably, I have a bunch of scraps from past sock projects; little balls of fingering weight that will eventually (so I keep telling myself) end up in a blanket.

These days, though, I have a growing collection of scraps of heavier yarn. I suppose I could just make a lot of blankets, but then again, there are so many great projects out there that I could use for stash-busting and clearing out these scrappy bits of yarn, or the oddball single skeins that have found their way into my yarn collection with no real purpose.

Because of my hoarding tendencies (thankfully, this is pretty much limited to my yarn; I do not yet qualify for a tv show), I'm always on the lookout for projects that would make good stash busters. So I made a list of a few projects from our Knitscene Fall 2010 issue that would help me in my goal of stash-busting before the new year. And with the holidays around the corner, if you're looking for things to knit for friends and family members, maybe some of these projects could come in handy as last minute gifts, too!

Colors

I love colorwork projects, because there are so many variations possible by using different combinations of colors. Plus, if you're doing a stranded colorwork project, the extra strands of yarn will keep you toasty warm!

Marlaina Bird's Bryophyta Cowl and Mitts are perfect for using up bits of fingering weight yarn of various colors. Use all solids, or throw in a couple of variegated yarns for easy, no work color variations.

Amy Polcyn's Pop Quiz Mitts and Ann Weaver's Quantoid Hat are great for stash-busting if you have two of the same yarns in different colors. The corrugated ribbing in the Pop Quiz Mitts would also be a place to experiment with using a variegated yarn.

Single skeins

If you have single skeins of amazing yarns that "just followed you home one day," these projects are for you! Elinor Brown's Northumbria Cowl uses Madelinetosh Pashmina, a delicious blend of silk, cashmere, and merino. A similarly luxurious yarn would make this a great last-minute gift—especially if it's a gift for yourself!

The Xenocryst Hat from Linda Shelhamer looks fabulous in the slightly heathered Cascade 220 skein, but try it in a bright solid to make the cables pop, or a flecked tweed yarn for a different look.

Got any stash-busting tips or suggestions of your own? Let us know! Leave a comment below or drop me a line on Twitter.

Vote on the Knitscene cover!

LisaShroyer — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 14:40:00 GMT

Right now, we are hurtling towards the press day for another issue of Knitscene. Part of the final wrap-up for any issue is fine-tuning the cover. For the Winter/Spring 2010 issue, a transeasonal issue that contains winter and spring projects, and that hits newsstands in late January, we've narrowed the cover image down to two choices: a super cute cardigan designed by Melissa Wehrle and a Boho-chic vest from Berroco. The colorwork cowl on the vest makes the project really pop on the cover, and we all love the coloring and feel of this image. But the peach cardigan really says spring, and the model is so engaging.

So we decided, let's ask our readers! Click here and vote on the cover you'd like for this issue. Voting ends Monday December 7 at 2 pm mountain standard time. Thanks for your help!