Knitter's - Fall 2014 K116

What inspires you to knit? Is it a lovely yarn, a fun stitch, a spectacular pattern, or just the glint of an idea?
Whatever it is, it takes time and energy to produce the result. The Fall issue brings you a collection of knits with fun approaches to the craft. Some are pretty easy, others offer a bit of a challenge, and still others are well worth the extra effort they require.

Opening rounds
If you can knit, purl, make a yarn-over or slip a stitch , you can make Chocolate ribbons or Well groundedcowls with little effort. Simply cast on, work one with lace accents or the other with slipped stitches, then bind off. The cuffs and fingerless mitts add increases into the mix, but that is really all you need to know to accomplish them.
Three-to-one windows is a traditional Fair isle take on mittens and a matching toque. In our case they are worked in hand-dyed yarns. The cap has the added feature of a knit lining.
Projects in hand-dyed yarns require very little stitch patterning. The Empire shawl incorporates traditional top-down construction with side and center increases to create the silhouette. Three strands of the same colorway are worked alternately in stockinette to attain the shawl’s proportions, then a little added lace and garter finish the piece.
Slipped-stitch floats create surface interest with Strategic strands of woven-like texture in an open-neck Henley pullover. It is the sweater maker’s answer to the slipped-stitch hat and mittens described above.

Heavyweights?
Not quite. This is a sweet take on knit coats and jackets that aren’t cumbersome. Perfect for when the weather changes and temperatures drop. Cables are the focus, but shaping make the pieces weather ready, and the yarn choices make them sensible.
Cables twist their way up either side of the buttonbands in a lofty alpaca-blend coat in Gutsy grape. The longer, curved, back hem and generous collar will protect as those autumn winds begin to blow.
There are more Tempting twists in a long, A-line coat with strategic shaping amongst the cables and turns. The mohair-wool-, and angora-blend yarn is a no-brainer. Box checks and cables forge deeper with silhouette shaping as you deal with the more classic Hey, sport! This jacket is worked in a chained-construction wool/cashmere yarn.

Mix it up!
Cardigans can often act as jackets or layers for work. The Layer me jacket takes a relaxed approach to the blazer with texture and color, contrasting lapels and collar, and a zipper in front. A ribbed jacket is Jazzed up with colorful stripes and slipped-stitch cable accents that merge the colors. This open-front cardigan fastens at the neck with a hidden clasp, making it a perfect layer for carefree dressing.
For a more Bohemian feel, the Artist smock becomes the jacket of choice. This gutsy jacket challenges your skills while exploring ways to combine color, stitch, texture, and openwork.

Double bill
The power of 2 or more stitch patterns within a single sweater can be very graphically appealing. You can choose to go quietly with a single color?—?Enchanted cables transitions.