These multicolored knit and felted cups were imagined as a way to help my daughter learn about sorting things by color (I made them in yellow, blue, red, green and purple -- there should be an orange one, too, but I didn't have the right color yarn in my stash!). They tie in nicely with a Waldorf/Montessori-style environment in which handmade things are regularly used (and, of course, Waldorf schools teach knitting at an early age).
I also used this pattern as an experiment in working the same project in different yarns and trying out hand felting versus using a machine (a front-loader, in my case).
But first, the pattern. This is a great one for using little scraps of bold colors, and you can do your own felting experiment if you use different brands of yarn.
Materials:
- about 30 yards medium weight wool yarn (per cup); the red and yellow cups are worked in bulky yarn and so required more yardage
- set of four size 10 US (6 mm) double-pointed needles
- tape measure, scissors, yarn needle
- supplies for felting
Gauge:
Gauge is not critical, but I got 3.5 stitches and 5 rounds per inch in the medium weight yarn, 3.5 stitches and 4.75 rounds per inch in the heavier red yarn (which was from Peace Fleece) and 3 stitches and 5 rounds per inch in the yellow (Louet Riverstone Bulky.
Size:
Finished size will vary, but before felting the medium-weight pieces are 8 inches long and about 8 inches around. The bulky pieces came out about the same width but I knit them to 9 inches instead (see, I told you it was experimental!).
Knitting the Cups:
- Cast on 25 stitches. Divide onto 3 double-pointed needles and join in the round, being careful not to twist.
- Knit straight for about 6 inches (7 for the bigger version).
- *Knit 3, knit 2 together. Repeat from * around. 20 stitches.
- Knit 3 rounds.
- *Knit 2, knit 2 together. Repeat from * around. 15 stitches.
- Knit 2 rounds.
- *Knit 1, knit 2 together. Repeat from * around. 10 stitches.
- Knit 1 round.
- Knit 2 together around. 5 stitches.
- Cut yarn, leaving a tail. Thread tail onto yarn needle, slip stitches onto yarn and pull tight. Weave in ends.
Repeat as many times as you want with as many different colors as you want.
