Finished: CustomFit Featherweight Cardigan

A few months ago Amy Herzog added my popular design Featherweight Cardigan to her CustomFit catalog.  If you aren't familiar with this amazing tool Amy has created for knitters, you should check it out.  She has a growing number of patterns you can purchase directly from the CustomFit website.  But CustomFit is designed to work hand and hand with any knitting pattern.  You enter your gauge, your detailed body measurements, and her website outputs modifications you can apply to your pattern to make it fit your body perfectly.  How cool is that?

In the case of the CustomFit Featherweight, it differs from the original Featherweight in the sleeve cap and added waist shaping which is worked in the back.  Instead of a raglan sleeve, it is a set in sleeve.  I wondered about this change, if it would read true enough to the original design.  Now that I have knit one for myself, I can say it does in fact hang and feel like the original!

A very cool thing about the CustomFit Featherweight, as with all Amy's CustomFit patterns, is that you enter your own gauge and it generates a pattern for you based on that gauge.  So that meant I could knit a worsted weight version, which was good news as my knitting time can be limited these days.  As much as I wanted to knit a fingering weight version, I was happy be able to complete my worsted weight version in a month.  It fits perfect and I know I will get a lot of wear out of it!

If you're curious about the CustomFit Featherweight, there has been a knit-a-long happening HERE on Ravelry.  You can join in anytime and knit your very own whether you're working from the CustomFit version or the original pattern!  I'll be adding a gallery of finished CustomFit Featherweights to the CustomFit Featherweight page on my website if you'd like some inspiration! 

Simple Hat KAL: Yarn & Color Inspiration

Purchase Knitbot Simple Hat or Simple Beret and choose one other Knitbot pattern for FREE! Put the hat pattern and the pattern you'd like for free in your Ravelry shopping cart and enter coupon code: knitbot hat  

Offer good thru 11/30/14 EST.

We're all going to knit ourselves and perhaps our loved ones properly fitting hats, right?  Together!  

So what should we all cast on with?  Hats are a great way to experiment with color, and if you're able to knit several you can rotate depending on your outfit  or mood.  I find if I knit a comfortable hat in a neutral shade I wear it ALL winter, and I mean all winter because I usually keep it on indoors, too!

Here's what I'll be casting on with for myself - a new yarn company, YOTH yarns, sent me a skein of their Big Sister yarn in the most beautiful shade of gray called Black Mission Fig.  If you are a gray person, they have an entire pallete of grays, feast your eyes!

YOTH yarns in Black Mission Fig

Here are some other ideas...head to the Knitbot Simple Hat KAL group to share pics of your yarn and color inspiration!

The Knitbot Simple Hat pattern features Quince and Co. Chickadee, Lark and Osprey.  I especially love these gray heathers!  How about Kumlien's Gull?

The Simple Beret features yarns by The Fibre Company, including Acadia.  How about this beautiful shade called Poppy?

Fancy Tiger Crafts Heirloom Romney in Fig is so rich!

Brooklyn Tweed Loft in Meteorite - I love how this color is neutral and colorful at the same time!

A beautiful "farm to needle" yarn from SNOQUALMIE VALLEY YARN, can't you just smell the wool?  

Imperial Yarn Erin in Rain, a beautiful worsted 3-ply, don't you think?

Knitbot Winter Hat KAL and BOGO!

Last year I set out to create a hat that truly fit my head.  This came about after realizing how many hats I have knit for myself over the years that are too big.  For a hat to properly fit, negative ease is necessary.  And the only way to ensure you will have the proper fit is to knit a gauge swatch!  We all know this is true, but can resist this all important step anyway.

Well, I lost the hat I knit myself last year during the Knitbot Simple Hat KAL.

As sad as I am, as it was my most perfect hat, it is always nice to have a fresh hat for a fresh season!  So I am resurrecting the Knitbot Simple Hat KAL, for myself and for you.  Here's what will happen:

Now through the end of the month you can gather supplies.

1. Patterns: choose either the Simple Beret or Knitbot Simple Hat.  Buy either pattern through Ravelry and choose one Knitbot pattern FREE with coupon code knitbot hat.  (Offer good thru 11/30/14 midnight EST)  If you have a different hat pattern, well, you're still welcome in the KAL! The community and I can aim to help you knit a perfectly fitting hat, whatever the pattern might be. 

2. Choose your yarn.  A hat pattern can be a great stash buster!  But we won't judge you if you want to go out and purchase a pretty new skein.  The great thing about Simple Beret and Knitbot Simple Hat patterns is that they each include instructions for multiple gauges, and Simple Hat includes multiple sizes!

KNITBOT SIMPLE HAT

average head circumferences 
Baby 16” (Toddler 18”, Child 20”, Adult 22”, XL Adult 24”)

version a: bulky weight 
finished circumference: 15 (17, 19, 21, 23)” / 38 (43, 48, 53, 58) cm 
finished height: 6 (6.75, 7.75, 8.75, 9.75)” /15.25 (17, 19.5, 22.25, 24.75) cm

yarn: Quince & Co Osprey (100% American wool, 170 yds / 155m, 100 g) 1 skein Peaks Ferry #132 OR 45 (56, 70, 88, 110) yds / 41 (51, 64, 80, 100)m of bulky weight yarn

gauge: 14 sts and 20 rows = 4” / 10 cm in St st

NOTE: in my opinion this bulky version is the best bang for your buck. One skein of Osprey, and I only used about 60% of it to knit the largest hat, which allows plenty of extra to knit your gauge swatch. Just sayin’.

version b: worsted weight 
finished circumference: 14.5 (16.75, 19.25, 20.75, 22.5)” / 37 (42.5, 49, 52.75, 57.25) cm 
finished height: 5.5 (6.25, 7.25, 8.5, 9.75)” / 14 (15.75, 18.25, 21.5, 24.75) cm

yarn: Quince & Co Lark (100% American wool, 134 yds / 123m, 50g) 1 (1, 1, 2, 2) skeins Clay #113 OR 75 (95, 115, 140, 170) yds / 69 (87, 105, 125, 155) of worsted weight yarn

gauge: 20 sts and 28 rows = 4” / 10 cm in St st

version c: dk weight 
finished circumference: 15 (16.25, 18.75, 21, 22.75)” / 38 (41.25, 47.75, 53, 57.75) cm 
finished height: 5.75 (7, 7.25, 8.5, 9.5)” / 14.5 (17.75, 18.25, 21.5, 24) cm

yarn: Quince & Co Chickadee (100% American wool, 170 yds / 155m, 100 g) 1 (1, 1, 2, 2) skeins OR 92 (116, 144, 180, 215) / 84 (106, 132, 165, 197)m of dk weight yarn

gauge: 24 sts and 32 rows = 4” / 10 cm in St st

SIMPLE BERET

finished measurements 
Brim circumference: approx. 17.5” 
Widest point circumference: approx. 26” 
Height: approx. 8.5”

fingering weight 
YARN: 1 skein The Fibre Company Canopy Fingering (50% Baby Alpaca, 30% Merino Wool, 20% Bamboo; 200 yd per 50 g skein) in Obsidian OR 200 yd of fingering weight yarn 
NEEDLES: US1 / 2.25 mm 16” circular needle; US2 / 2.75 mm 16” circular needle and set of dpns NOTIONS: Tapestry needle, 10 markers 
GAUGE: 28 sts and 40 rnds = 4” / 10 cm in St st

dk weight 
YARN: 2 skeins The Fibre Company Acadia 
(60% Merino Wool, 20% Baby Alpaca, 20% Silk; 145 yd per 50 g skein) in Bog OR 200 yd of DK weight yarn 
NEEDLES: US3 / 3.25 mm 16” circular needle; US5 / 3.75 mm 16” circular needle and set of dpns NOTIONS: Tapestry needle, 10 markers 
GAUGE: 23 sts and 32 rnds = 4” / 10 cm in St st

worsted weight 
YARN: 1 skein The Fibre Company Canopy Worsted (50% Baby Alpaca, 30% Merino Wool, 20% Bamboo; 200 yds per 100 g skein) in River Dolphin OR 200 yd of worsted weight yarn 
NEEDLES: US5 / 3.75 mm 16” circular needle; US7 / 4.5 mm 16” circular needle and set of dpns NOTIONS: Tapestry needle, 11 markers 
GAUGE: 20 sts and 28 rnds = 4” / 10 cm in St st

bulky weight 
YARN: 1 skein The Fibre Company Tundra 
(60% Baby Alpaca, 30% Merino Wool, 10% Silk; 120 yd per 100 g skein) in Taiga OR 120 yd of bulky weight yarn 
NEEDLES: US9 / 5.5 mm 16” circular needle; US10.5 / 6.5 mm 16” circular needle and set 
of dpns 
NOTIONS: Tapestry needle, 10 markers 
GAUGE: 14 sts and 18 rnds = 4” / 10 cm in St st

Monday I'll follow up with a post on yarn and color ideas!  If you want to get started today you can read through last years KAL threads.  We'll all join you there soon with fresh content!