the fibre co – Welcome to Granny Cool

Free Pattern – But Not for Much Longer

This week’s Friday Free Pattern is a day early because I’m busy packing for a much needed holiday! This is your last chance to pick this knitted cowl pattern up for free. When I get back it’s going up for sale on my Love Crafts profile. You can find the blog post with all the instructions by clicking here.

Get it while you can knitters xxx

Free Pattern Friday: All Buttoned Up Mittens

UPDATE JANUARY 2020

This pattern is no longer free. It can be purchased via the link from Ravelry. It will make an appearance at some point during 2020 as my “Friday Free Pattern” – look out for that on my Instagram stories, Twitter or my Facebook Page.

This week I wanted to put the spotlight on an old favourite. As we move into Autumn, these simple wrist warmers can be very useful. They can easily be stuffed in a bag or a pocket. Let’s be honest, the buttons are the real heroes of this project. It may take a bit of time to sew them on, but they do add a stunning finishing touch to a project designed for beginners. You can use any 4 ply or fingering yarn (please take the time to check your tension as it can be so disappointing to find your wrist warmers are too tight or too baggy). Each mitten uses about 100m of yarn and you’ll need 14 buttons.

Last autumn, I made myself a new pair using the Fibre Co.’s gorgeous Cumbria Fingering. It’s no secret, the Fibre Co. continue to produce some of my favourite yarns. I love the quality and the continuing commitment to natural fibres. This yarn is a blend of wool and mohair and is very robust, while still soft and comfortable next to the skin.

You can download the pattern from Ravelry

100 Days of Wool: Cumbria

Today I’m enjoying some early spring sunshine here in Cockermouth. I’ve declared the next 4 days a “work free zone” and I’m indulging in some projects just for fun. I found these two beauties in my stash, left over from some design work last year. It’s a gorgeous blend of wool and mohair. It washes beautifully (gentle hand wash please – it’s also a perfect felter!) I’m posting regular photos of my 100 days journey on Instagram, so don’t forget to follow me there or check back here for occasional highlights.

Knitted Cowl

canopy-cowl Let me introduce you to the Coffee Kitchen Cowl. Named after one of my favourite coffee stops in Cockermouth. This is a simple make, comfortable, practical and sure to be essential on those days when you need something you can tuck inside a coat or jacket without adding bulk. The yarn is called Canopy and is produced by the The Fibre Company, I’ll admit I was seduced by the colour and bought it with no project in mind. It is the softest yarn to wear and the colours just gleam.

For a long time it was simply called the “draught excluder”, but now I have finally got around to publishing the pattern I felt it needed a better name. So why the Coffee Kitchen? Well, firstly that’s where most of this sample was knitted earlier this year. Secondly it shares a lot of the same qualities. It’s comfortable, reliable and will always make you you feel warm and cosy – just like the cafe itself. If you ever find yourself in Cockermouth, look it up and peruse their extensive coffee and tea lists, then take yourself round the corner to the bakery and treat yourself to a loaf of real bread.

canopy-cowl-pic

This is a cowl that suits all ages – as you can see from the photos it’s equally at home in the city or in the wild outdoors. You can even make a narrower version and wear it as a head band. The cast on and cast off edges will roll naturally to give a gently curled edge. This pattern is now available as a pdf from Love Crafts or Payhip.

The Cheat Sheet:

I always tell my pupils that in yarn crafts there are no “rules”, do what you love and do what you want – and don’t let the knitting police tell you otherwise.

It’s fine to substitute the yarn, I won’t get cross (but do check out the Fibre Co, the quality is amazing and the colours are stunning).
You can substitute any 4 ply or fingering yarn. Shilasdair luxury 4 ply works well and the now discontinued Rowan Cashsoft 4 ply was perfect. Fyberspates Vivacious would be great.You’ll need about 200m for the size as written. Choose something special as it’s going to be close to your skin. Yarns with a “halo” like Mohair and Baby Alpaca aren’t so great as the stitch definition can be lost – but try them if that’s want you want to use. Look for a soft, smooth yarn with a high natural fibre content. Silk or viscose blends will have a sheen that reflects the stitches well.
If you prefer to knit on double pointed needles or magic loop, then go right ahead – it’s your knitting.
Cast off your way. You might prefer a stretchy cast off or to use a size larger needle. Either way, the choice is yours. No-one but you will ever know…
Want it longer, wider? Just increase the cast on stitches in multiples of 4 – but you’ll need more yarn. Work more rounds as you wish until the cowl is your perfect size.
Make these for friends and family as a quick festive make – if you have horse riders, climbers or cyclists in the family I’m told these are great as they don’t “dangle” and keep out the wind!

Buy this pattern via payhip

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