close to home

once upon a time

there was a little town in south america.

legend has it (and was recently retold at stitches east) that it was a very little town

so small, in fact, that only one family lived there,

and this family makes yarn.

soft as butter, gliding across the needles yarn.

so, if i’ve got this right, the patriarch of the family takes a trip.

he travels from the little town that is home

to another small town quite far from their home.

once there, he is moved by the multitude of greys

in the rocky coast,

and the weathered shingles.

(he also later told me himself

how the lobster left a very favorable impression.)

with these travel memories fresh in his mind

he returned home and created a brand new colorway for his family’s beautiful yarns.

(the new color has absolutely nothing to do with the lobster.

i just threw that in there because it’s true and it’s fun.)

fast forward to recently

when antonio and i exchanged a few notes

about him sending me a skein or two of his lovely silky merino yarn.

i asked him to surprise me with the color.

and he certainly did.

for when the fiber arrived in the post, all the way

from him in uruguay to me in massachusetts,

& i reached for the label to see its name

imagine my delight when i

found printed there:

‘cape cod gray’.

the house i grew up in and am living in once again

sits barely 45 minutes from this seaside new england town that inspired the colorway,

and as far as i know, (thank you malabrigo) the yarn and i live happily ever after…

‘home’ taken from 18:22-24 in exodus.

‘in the heat’

good summer knitting.

big needles & light yarn.

add beads or leave it bare.

enjoy!

‘In The Heat’  By Talitha Kuomi

2 skeins Hemp4knitting ‘Allhemp6’

Size 13 needles

Cable needle

24 beads (optional)

Gauge: 10 sts and 14 rows = 4”

in stockinette stitch

Stitch Guide

Cables

C8LP:  Slip 4 sts to cable needle and hold in front of work, p4, p4 from cable needle.

C8LK: Slip 4 sts to cable needle and hold in front of work, k4, k4 from cable needle.

C8RP: Slip 4 sts to cable needle and hold at back of work, p4, p4 from cable needle.

C8RK: Slip 4 sts to cable needle and hold at back of work, k4, k4 from cable needle.

Optional Beaded Cables

Note: If you are beading this wrap, you should add a bead to each and every cable.

C8LP with a bead: Slip 4 sts to cable needle and hold in front of work, p1, place a bead on the next stitch, purl the beaded stitch, p2 more, p4 from cable needle.

C8LK with a bead: Slip 4 sts to cable needle and hold in front of work, k4, k1 from cable needle, place a bead on the next stitch, knit the beaded stitch, k2 more from cable needle.

C8RP with a bead: Slip 4 sts  to cable needle and hold at back of work, p4, p1 from cable needle, place a bead on the next stitch, purl the beaded stitch, p2 more from cable needle.

C8RK with a bead: Slip 4 sts to cable needle and hold at back of work, k1, place a bead on the next stitch, knit the beaded stitch, k2 more, k4 from cable needle.

The Wrap

Before c asting on, roll the first 7 yds of yarn into a small ball or tied wrap of some kind. You will use this to knit a pocket later on.   Roll up 7.5 yds if you are using a long tail cast on.

Now starting these 7 yds from the end (7 ½ yds if you’re using a long tail cast on), CO 28sts.

Rows 1, 3, 5, 7 and 9: K2tog, yo, k8,* (yo, k2tog); repeat from * to end.

Rows 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10: Purl to end.

Row 11: Same as Row 1.

Rows 12 and 14: (P2tog, yo) 5 times, p8, *(p2tog, yo); repeat from * to the last 2 sts, p2.

Rows 13 and 15: Knit to end.

Row 16: Same as Row 12.

Row 17: K10, C8LK, knit to end.

Rows 18 and 20: Same as Row 12.

Rows 19 and 21: Knit to end.

Row 22: Same as Row 12

Rows 23 and 25: K2tog, yo, k8, (k2tog, yo) to last 10 sts, k8, yo, k2tog.

Rows 24 and 26: Purl to end.

Row 27: Same as Row 23.

Row 28: P2, C8LP, purl to last 10 sts, C8LP, p2.

Rows 29 and 31: Same as Row 23.

Rows 30 and 32: Purl to end.

Row 33: Same as Row 23.

Repeat Rows 12-33, two more times (for a total of 3 times).

Repeat Rows 12-22 one more time.

Rows 34 and 36: K2tog, yo, k8, (k2tog, yo) to last 10 sts, k8, yo, k2tog.

Rows 35 and 37: Purl to end.

Row 38: Same as Row 34.

Row 39: P2, C8RP, purl to last 10 sts, C8LP, p2.

Row 40 and 42: Same as Row 34.

Row 41 and 43: Purl to end.

Row 44: Same as Row 34.

 

Rows 45 and 47: (P2tog, yo) 5 times, p8, *(p2tog, yo); repeat from * to the last 2 sts, p2.

Rows 46 and 48: Knit to end.

Row 49: Same as Row 45.

Row 50: K10, C8RK, knit to end.

Rows 51 and 53: Same as Row 45.

Rows 52 and 54: Knit to end.

Row 55: Same as Row 45.

Rows 56 and 58: K2tog, yo, k8, (k2tog, yo) to last 10 sts, k8, yo, k2tog.

Rows 57 and 59: Purl to end.

Row 60: Same as Row 56.

Row 61: P2, C8RP, purl to last 10 sts, C8RP, p2.

Rows 62 and 64: Same as Row 56.

Rows 63 and 65: Purl to end.

Row 66: Same as Row 56.

Repeat Rows 45-66, two more times (for a total of 3 times).

Repeat Rows 45-55, one more time.

Repeat rows 1-11, one final time.

Last row: (ws) Loosely bind off all stitches purlwise.  Do not cut yarn.

 

Tiny ‘Hidden’ Pockets

Lay the wrap flat, right side up and with the cast on edge nearest to you.  Pick up 12 sts at the cast on edge under the square of stockinette stitch to the far right.  Using the 7 yds that you wound just before you cast on for the wrap, work the following rows.

Row 1: K12

Row 2: Purl to end.

Row 3: Same as Row 1.

Row 4: Purl to end.

Row 5: Same as Row 1.

Choose one of the following:

Row 6 for a beadless wrap: P2, C8LP, p2.

Row 6 for a beaded wrap:  P2, C8LP with a bead, p2.

Row 7: Same as Row 1.

Row 8: Purl to end.

Row 9: Same as Row 1.

Row 10: Purl to end.

Row 11: Same as Row 1.

Row 12: Cast off 3, p2tog, bind off this stitch and one more, p2tog, bind off this stitch and 3 more.  Cut yarn and tie off.

Turn the wrap so that the bind off edge is now closest to you.  Pick up 12 sts under the square of stockinette stitch at the far left of this end of the wrap.  Using the yarn that you didn’t cut after binding off, work the following rows:

Row 1: K12

Row 2: Purl to end.

Row 3: Same as Row 1.

Row 4: Purl to end.

Row 5: Same as Row 1.

Choose one of the following:

Row 6 for a beadless wrap: P2, C8RP, p2.

Row 6 for a beaded wrap:  P2, C8RP with a bead, p2.

Row 7: Same as Row 1.

Row 8: Purl to end.

Row 9: Same as Row 1.

Row 10: Purl to end.

Row 11: Same as Row 1.

Row 12: Cast off 3, p2tog, bind off this stitch and one more, p2tog, bind off this stitch and 3 more.  Cut yarn and tie off.

Finishing

Sew down both side edges of each pocket.  Weave in ends.

Block to 11” wide by about 76” long with 3” points at each end on the edge opposite each pocket.

now go on out there and have some fun

while you’re wearing your new summer wrap!

‘in the heat’ taken from 32:4 in the psalms.

photos with model taken by triplec photography.

© talithakuomi 2011 All rights reserved. Pattern for personal, non-profit use only.

mysterious

today’s the day.

(one day early, i know.  there was peer pressure involved…)

the first bit of clue #1 has been posted on ravelry in the ‘appalachian yarns’ group.

size 13 needles,  30 beads(optional), 2 skeins of louet kidlin (light worsted weight)

and you’re good to go.

i started with this gorgeous color.

the kidlin’s mix of linen/mohair

was a really pleasant surprise.

now i’m thinking

that i might want

a more everyday kind of wrap.

being machine wash and dry

and also nearly indestructible,

allhemp6 is one of my ‘go to’ yarns.

i’ve got a hat,

a winter scarf

and a woven stitch belt.

i want to make a top,

a cardigan

and a big ol’ bag.

maybe a wrap, too.

now i just have to figure this out

‘to bead or not to bead,

that is the question’.

‘dry’ taken from 1:9 in genesis.