Barrymore Slouch Hat is a wonderful knitting project by the editors of Interweave Knits.

Tussah silk is produced by the larvae of a number of different species of wild silk moths. The color varies from light beige to amber, depending on the species of moth and the diet of the larvae. Tussah fibers are almost twice the diameter of white or cultivated silk, making tussah silk an excellent choice in situations where strength and resistance to abrasion are an advantage. These mitts are an example—their warmth and light support may help to ease the strain of handwork or long sessions at the computer. Nonetheless, they are elegant and would be perfect for a night on the town!

This design is all about the materials. I wanted to find a way to isolate the color repeats in Ozark Handspun’s bulky, multicolored yarn. I made a simple scarf and created nubs of color in a free-form manner, following the wild nature of the yarn itself. The scarf works up in just a few hours, and the concept can be tailored to your own tastes.

Inspired by her ruggedly active family, designer Robyn Chachula designed this pair of sweaters for the family on the go. The sweaters are easy to throw on when the weather gets cold but are still lightweight enough to play in. The understated texture is easy to master, making these sweaters a quick gift for the boys and men in your life. See the Winter 2007 issue of Interweave Crochet for a men's version.

This Empire-waist sweater is crocheted with two different weight yarns to create a layered feminine look. The sporty, ribbed sleeves are complemented by the feminine stitch patterns of the body and the elaborate trims.

This dressy ribbon bolero can be whipped up in a day—just in time to wear for the holidays. Ask for the yarn as a gift and have it ready for New Year’s. You can make it longer with the addition of another skein of yarn.

Adapted from a thread doily pattern in a vintage crochet book, this cap is lacy at the crown and spirals down to the lower edge. Perfect for cool winter days, it’s a quick gift that can be stitched up in an afternoon.

The color shades in and out of this yarn gradually so that the skein has one long dark section that grades into white at both ends. The hat uses a simple repeat of slanting V-stitches, and the flared ribbing can be worn down, creating a bucket-hat look, or rolled up as a cute derby.

When I first touched this yarn I could not wait to begin designing. These simple cuffs can be completed in just a few hours but will add years of elegance to your wardrobe. The 100% wool yarn means these cuffs keep you warm on cold days, and the variegation in the coloring allows them to be worn with multiple outfits.

The stitches of Irish crochet are simple; what strikes the beginner to this craft is the sheer number of them required to make the smallest piece. The pincushion with rose center and leaf appliqués shown here, of the sort our grandmothers made by the gross to join into banquet cloths and fullsize bedspreads, requires nearly 2,000 stitches. Its 12-inch (30.5-cm) length of simple edging, also of the sort our grandmothers worked by the furlong to trim bed and table linens, hankies, curtains, corsets, and petticoats, is fashioned of more than 1,200 individual stitches.

The pincushion takes some shortcuts. The center rose is worked from the center out; its petals have detached edges, which provide the threedimensional effect of traditional Irish crocheted lace. The background network, rather than being worked separately, is worked continuously outward from the last row of rose petals. The leaf motifs are worked separately and appliquéd in place to the finished piece.

If you are new to crocheted lace, this small project will give you a taste of how such work was done and a sense of the time and attention it commanded. If you are familiar with the chain, slip, single, and double stitches used in all crochet, you can expect to spend perhaps four hours on the rose square and an equal amount of time on the edging. Stitching up the pincushion takes only a matter of minutes.