Tag Archives: Patons Classic Wool

Electric Etta

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Etta_blockedThis is Etta, a great free hat pattern by Black Sheep Knitting Guild‘s own Kim Whelan. Kim has generously made her hat pattern available on Ravelry and nearly 900 Ravelers have knit it and posted photos of their creations. That must mean that Kim’s Etta is warming heads all over the world.

This hat is so popular that 4664 Ravelers have favorited it. And, even more exciting, it’s one of the featured designs in the new collection by Judith Durant “Lace One-Skein Wonders, 101 Projects Celebrating the Possibilities of Lace.”

My Etta is knit in Paton’s Classic Wool Worsted, a workhorse wool that I knit with often. I see it as a somewhat less rustic Cascade 220 competitor. And, unlike Cascade 220, it’s easier to find sale bin orphan skeins of Paton’s Classic Wool. This colorway, Lemongrass, was at the bottom of a Mary Maxim bin marked $2.99. For 210 yards, quite the deal!

I blocked my Etta, but it also looks great unblocked as a slouchy beanie.

Etta_blocked2

 

Scarf Times Three

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More knits from “60 Quick Knits: 20 Hats, 20 Scarves, 20 Mittens in Cascade 220.”  I know, that title is quite a mouthful.

This is Ruffled Scarf, designed by Cathy Carron. It’s knit in hurdle stitch, something I haven’t seen used in many patterns.This oldie but goodie is a 4 row repeat, on an even number of stitches. The first two rows are knitted and the next two rows are knit 1, purl 1 across the entire row. Obviously, the ruffles are knit in garter stitch. Best of all? You end up with a totally reversible scarf that looks different (but nice) on both sides. Worst of all? It gets boring after awhile. I knit mine in Paton’s Classic Wool. The pattern calls for a 48 inch scarf. With about 470 yards of wool, mine ended up at 56 inches, which I think is a better length for a scarf. The ruffle  is a sweet, retro touch.  I think Mary Tyler Moore would like it.  Or at least Laura Petrie.

This one is the sensibly-named Eyelet Scarf, designed by Lisa Bucellato. It’s knit in Cascade 220 wool. I usually knit little pigs out of this yarn, but a little scarf is OK for a change. The scarf is about 5 inches wide and 40 inches long. A one skein project. Looks nice on both sides.  Meant for an adult, but my sense is it’s not quite long enough and it would be great for a kid. As the book title says, definitely a quick knit.

This is the Wave Scarf. It took about 430 yards of Kramer Naturally Nazareth. (That’s Nazareth, Pennsylvania). It was not a particularly quick knit.  Knit 1, purl 1 rib never is.  The design is Debbie O’Neill’s. It was a bit troublesome to knit. At the beginning, the increases and decreases held my interest. Then I got cocky and made mistakes. Then I got bored and made even more mistakes. Then I got miffed with the ripping back. But, persistence paid off and the finished scarf is worth the effort. This is a very long wave. The designer suggests 68 inches. For me, that was mid-wave, so mine ended up about 72 inches long. There is one error in the chart: the stitch count is not going to come out correct unless you skip rows 83 and 84. With that correction, it worked well.

And, in case you are wondering why I decided to knit three wool scarves during a summer of mostly hot sticky weather, it is a mystery to me too.