SISTA CLAUDIA
By Claudia Eisenkolb
This pattern is part of a cowl-series FIVE SISTAS. A collaboration between three best friends forever having fun together at the Edinburgh Yarn Fest 2016, strolling the beautiful, inspirational city, and their two best friends forever who unfortunately could not accompany them. Three of us bought a single sport weight skeinin a neutral color and one of those inspiring gradient kits by Easyknits.co.uk. We also bought one gradient set each for our two friends. The idea w as to design a cowl with the yarn giv en - just like in one of those famous "Cooking shows" on V => "same ingredients - different output" => Same same - but different!
MATERIALS
Yarn Easyknits.co.uk Squidge, 80% NZ Polwarth, 20 % Merino D'Arles, 330 meters/360 yards per 100 grams skein Easyknits.co.uk Smoke Cakes, Gradient Set, 100 % British Blend, 5 x 69 meters/75 yards per 20 grams skeineach Sample shown in colorway Near Nude (MC) and in colorwayLagoona (CC1-CC5) Yardage 1 skein Squidge or approx. 264 meters/289 yards sport weight yarn 1 Gradient Set Smoke Cakes or approx. 5 x 42 meters/ 46 yards each Each knitter knits differently, therefore yardage is an estimate. Needles US 3/3.25mm circular needle 24 inches US 5/3.75mm circular needle 24 inches Gauge 25 stsx30 rows = 10cm/4", in pattern with needle US5/3.25 mm after blocking Take time to check gauge and adjust needle size if necessary to get gauge. Notions tapestry needle, 1 stitch marker Required Techniques (see page 4) Long-Tail CO, knit and purl stitches, k2tog,kfb, Traditional BO. stranded knitting in the round, catching floats in Fair Isle Knitting. Skill Level Intermediate
DIRECTIONS
The cowl is worked in the round repeating an 18-stsrepeat withtwo colors. Take care to carry the pattern color yarn (here CC) always above the background color yarn (here MC). I recom mend catching the floats in Chart rounds 1, 2,5and6afferstitch4andstitch8,inChartrounds 3, 4, 7 and 8 afferstitch4 (see how to catch floats in Fair Isle Knitting in Techniques on page 4). Startjoining CC with CC1on round 8. Change CC affer 21 rounds and then every20 rounds. When changing from CC1 to CC2 work the first two CC sts on next round in CC1 and when changing from CC 3 to CC 4 work the first two CC sts on next round in CC3. When changing from CC5to MC after round 109 work the first two sts on next round in CC5 to com plete the last triangle. With MC cO 160 sts using the Long-Tail CO (see Techniques on page 4) or your preferred CO method. Join for working in the round and take care not to twist your sts. Place marker for beginning of round. Slip marker in following rounds as you go. Rounds 1-4: \*K2, p2, repeat from \* to end of round. Round 5: \*K7,kfb, repeat from \* to end of round. - 180 sts on your needle. Rounds 6-7: Knit all sts. Rounds 8-109: w ork Chart rounds 1-8 in stockinette stitch. Repeat until a total of 1o0 rounds are worked. You should end witha round 4 of the Chart. Cut CC5. Round 110-112:Knit all sts Round 113: \*K7, k2tog,repeat from \*to end of round. - 160 sts on your needle. Round 114-117:\*K2, p2, repeat from \* t0 end of round. Remove marker. BO all sts on next round using the Traditional BO (see Techniques on page 4) or your preferred BO method that matches your CO method. Cut yarn. Pull thread through loop and tighten. W eave in all ends,soakandblocktomeasurements. CHART
STITCHES AND ABBREVIATIONS
approx. approximately BO bind off CC contrasting color co cast on k knit k2tog knit 2 sts together kfb knit into front and back of st, 1 st increased MC main color p purl st(s) stitch (es)
TECHNIQUES
Long-Tail CO
Measure out the tail of yarn, three or four times of the width of your cast on edge, make a slipknot and place it on the needle. Hold the needle in your right hand. Create a slingshot withthe tail end of the yarn over your thumb and the working yarn over your index finger. Using the needle, reach under and into the loop on the left thumb. Go over the yarn on your leftindex finger and bring that yarn through the thumb loop. Drop the yarn off your left thumb and gentlytighten (not too tight!) the loop on the needle. Repeat for the desired number of stitches.
Traditional BO
W ork the first 2 stitches. From the front, insert left-hand needle tipinto the first stitch you made (the one from the needle tip) on the right-hand needle, pullit overthe second stitch and off the needle. W ork the next stitch and repeat until you have I stitchremaining. Cut the yarn and pullit through last loop.
Cat ching floats in Fair Isle Knitting
Floats get especiallylong if your pattern has too many stitches between one color change and the next. You can carry yarn no longer than 5 stsina cowl, every 5 sts you need to catchthe float.lf you are knitting with one ratherthan two hands, you secure the float in the nonworking yarn (assume that it is the MC) to the wrong side of the fabric asfollows: W ork a few stitches with the contrasting color (abbreviated CC). Then drop the CC. Bring the float color (MC) to the left over the CC and hold it looselyin your leff hand. You hold it so that it doesn't fall. Pick up the CC again and knit a few more stitches. The MC (main color) willbe caught against the fabric by the working strandof theCC. Repeat these steps,if necessary, every 5 stitches or so until you begin working withthe MC again. Be sure that the nonworking strand remains relaxed across the back of the fabric and doesn't pucker. This is best av oided by drawing the just-knitted sts very gently down along the right needle. This guarantees that the float covers the distance between the first and last st in CC that it has to coverinthe finished piece. Design and Layout: Claudia Eisenkolb Technical editor: Sabine Riefler Photography: Claudia Eisenkolb www.himawari-knits.blogspot.de himawari_knits on Twitter and Instagram himawarion Ravelry himawari-knits@web.de
