Feeling Warm All Over:
This is a fun, quick-knitting project that you will use in a million different ways. Wrap it simply around your shoulders, wear it as a scarf, or drape it over your head and around your neck.
This "bodywarmer" is stretchy and warm, so you'll want to wear it all the time. Because of the stretch, it's a great gift for someone whose exact size you don't know.
Materials:
- three skeins each Moda Dea Cahce in Rave and Gleam in Rubelite or colors of choice; or around 200 yards each of your favorite bulky, textured, fuzzy yarns
- size 15, 40-inch circular needles
- scissors
- crochet hook or tapestry needle
Gauge
12 stitches and 12 rows make a 4.5 inch square.
Size
Finished project is about 44 inches around and 9 inches long, which makes is roomy for a small or medium-sized woman. There's a lot of stretch, so this size should work for most people. Need to resize? Check out the article on altering simple patterns.
Instructions:
- Holding a strand of each yarn together, cast on 116 stitches using the long-tail cast on. This will make your cast-on edge stretchy but still structured-looking.
- Join in round, being careful not to twist the stitches.
- Knit in knit 2, purl 2 ribbing for pattern. Continue in pattern for nine inches or to desired length.
- Bind off loosely in pattern.
- Cut the yarn, leaving a couple inches of tail. Weave in ends with crochet hook.
About the Yarn:
These two Moda Dea yarns are a lot of fun to work with. Cache is a blend of wool, acrylic and a tiny bit of polyester, while Gleam is mostly nylon and kid mohair spiked with acrylic and polyester. Both yarns are slubby, meaning they have thick and thin parts. They also both contain metallic accents, so this piece would be great as a shrug for an evening out.
Both of these yarns will felt, so the finished piece must be washed by hand in cool water unless you want to felt it. Dry flat and stretch back into shape if necessary.
