(02) 6021 5066
www.k2tog.com.au
Tue-Fri 9.30 - 5, Sat 9 - 12
Winter 2011
What the Cleck ???
Australian Country Spinners are the company that manufacture yarn
brands Cleckheaton, Patons, Shepherd and Panda, and they
have leapt into the 21st century with a vengeance.
They have new yarns, modern (even sexy!) patterns and a re-vamped
website with heaps of knitting advice. See some of their new products
below...
WORLDWIDE KNIT IN PUBLIC DAY WAS GREAT
If you didn’t make it to KIP day, we
hope to see you next year (see our
photos here). We had competitions
and prizes galore. About 25 men,
women and children joined us for our
fun day. Fran from Wooragee won the
Tea Cosy Competition with her Plum
Pudding. And she also won the Trivia
Quiz. And a Lucky Door Prize... Good
on you Fran.
You can download our quiz here (and here are the answers if you need them).
**NEW PRODUCTS**
Come and see Cleckheaton’s beautiful
new yarn Perfect Day 8ply. A
gorgeously soft blend of wool and
alpaca, there are 6 natural colours with
no dye used. The patterns are lovely, or
use it in your favourite 8ply pattern.
$8.25
Romance 8ply is a new Patons yarn
with 90% merino and 10% cashmere.
Soft and lofty, the pattern book
showcases some pretty designs. Again,
it will adapt to your standard 8ply
pattern.
$11.50
Country Style Magazine is a great
addition to your pattern collection with
30 designs. Classic and modern
patterns use the Cleckheaton Country
yarn range.
$34.95
SAVE 20% OFF* PATTERNS WHEN YOU BUY YARN
*Conditions apply, see in-store for details.
YARN PRICE RISE DELAY
Due to the worldwide rise in the cost of wool, most suppliers have already raised their prices. We’re holding off on our
increases until August, so take advantage of the current prices through July.
Tahki Rio is the most beautiful blend of alpaca,
fine merino and silk. It is a rustic-looking yarn
with a thick and thin spin to it that creates a
gorgeous look in a hand-knit item. A Bulky weight
(12 – 14 ply), it knits up quickly and looks great.
$12.50 per skein
Aurora Oversized Pullover
14 – 20 skeins
$5.95
Flint Gauntlets & Hat
4 skeins
$5.95
Luna Raglan Shrug
7-8 skeins
$5.95
Cocoon Cardigan/Vest
11 – 13 skeins
$5.95
WE WANT YOUR ADVICE...
As you can imagine, a knitting store cannot survive on Winter alone. We’d like your advice and
suggestions on how we can encourage knitting through the Summer months. We have some beautiful
cotton and bamboo yarns and some surprises from overseas coming at the end of August which I hope
will inspire you.
What do you do in Summer? What kind of yarn would you use? Are there any particular workshops you’d
like? Any ideas for promotional events? What would move you to cast on in warm weather?
We welcome all your ideas via email or (02) 6021 5066.
(All replies will go in the draw to win a copy of “At Knit’s End” by Stephanie Pearl-McPhee)
WHAT IS WORSTED?
Seeing terms like Worsted and DK more often? This is because overseas they
have ditched the notion of ply as it doesn’t mean what it used to anymore.
These days you can have a yarn that consists of only 2 plies, yet is thicker than
what we know as a 16 ply. Likewise, you could have 12 plies, but it’s thinner
than a traditional 8ply. So to say a yarn is 8ply can be misleading. See the table
at right for what these terms refer to.
Our Cascade 220 Wool from Peru is great for most patterns from the USA
calling for worsted weight yarn, and is fantastic for felting too!
Weight
Ply
Lace
2
Fingering
4
Sport
5-6
DK
8
Worsted/Aran
10
Bulky/Chunky
12
Super Bulky
14+
KNITTING TIP: GETTING GAUGE
Getting the correct tension/gauge is absolutely essential to a well-fitting
garment, but how do you achieve this? And what if you have a different yarn to
that in the pattern?
The only way of ensuring your gauge is correct is to knit a tension square. You
do this by knitting a square 15 x 15cm in the pattern and needle size specified.
For example, the pattern might say: 22 sts and 30 rows to 10cm using 4.00mm needles over stocking stitch. This means
you would cast on about 33 stitches and knit the square in stocking stitch until it measures 15cm. If there are cables or
ribs in the garment, the tension might be specified “over patt”, which means you have to knit your square in the pattern
stitch. Once you’ve finished the square, measure 10cm in a few different places and count the stitches. If you have too
many stitches, you are a tight knitter, and need to go to a larger sized needle. If you have too few stitches you are a loose
knitter, and need a smaller sized needle. Once you know your knitting style, you can save time and knit your tension
square in the smaller/larger needle size right off the bat.
If you don’t want to bother about gauge, simply stick to knitting garments that don’t require
an exact fit, such as scarves/wraps, throws etc. Even baby/kids’ garments will fit them the
next year if you make it too big.
If you don’t want to use the yarn specified in the pattern, you’ll need to substitute. Firstly,
try and get a weight/ply similar to the pattern. For example, if the pattern uses DK weight,
try to find a DK weight yarn etc. If you don’t know the weight, look at the specified gauge,
e.g. 22 sts to 10cm. Then try and find a yarn with a similar gauge. The point to remember is
that you need to match the tension in the pattern by whatever means possible. So if your
pattern says 22 stitches with 4.00mm needles, and your yarn says 22 stitches on 3.75mm
needles, then you need to use 3.75mm needles to knit your garment.
You don’t need to worry overly about the row count. If you can get a match,
great. If not, it is more important to get the stitch count correct, because a lot of
the time, a pattern will tell you to knit 5 cm, not to knit 10 rows. If you match the
stitches, the row count shouldn’t be vastly different anyway.
One last point: if you’re not going to knit a square, but you do want your
garment to fit, at least measure your tension a few inches into your knitting. Yes,
it takes time to knit a square when you’re excited and want to get started on your
project, but think how many hours you’ll waste if you just go ahead and
disregard tension altogether. Better to spend that extra time at the start to make
sure your garment is going to be right.
KNITTING TIP: PATTERN CORRECTIONS
Before you start knitting your pattern, be sure to check if there are any known errors. Unfortunately, errors
can creep into the designs and there can also be mistakes at the printers. You can check our special
“Pattern Corrections” page on the website, which has links to most of the patterns we sell.
KNITTING TIP: CASTING OFF
Don’t you just hate the last cast-off stitch? It always looks loose and sloppy. An easy fix for this problem is to do a k2tog
for the last 2 stitches of the cast-off row, slip the final stitch over and you’re done!
WHAT ARE YOU KNITTING?
Knit by: Jocelyn from Albury
Garment: Ribbed Coat
Yarn: Patons Jet
Knit by: Billie from Lavington
Garment: Fair Isle Sweater/Hat
Yarn: Sublime
Knit by: Judy from Albury
Garment: Ribbed Cardigan
Yarn: Silkroad DK Tweed
Knit by: Ann from Lavington
Garment: Baby Cardigan
Yarn: Patons Dreamtime 4ply
Knit by: Bev from Albury
Garment: Crocheted Flower Blanket
Yarn: Panda Magnum 8ply
Knit by: Jean from Lavington
Garment: Shawl Collar Sweater
Yarn: Sirdar Crofter DK
Knit by: Val from Lavington
Garment: Lacy Scarf (see next page)
Yarn: Heirloom Alpaca & Jo Sharp
Alpaca Kid Lustre
Knit by: Ann from Lavington
Garment: Felted Snuglets
Yarn: Pick up Sticks Kit
Knit by: Jean from Lavington
Garment: Cabled Cardigan
Yarn: Sirdar Crofter DK
Knit by: Vivien from Albury
Garment: Fiesta Frock
Yarn: Noro Silk Garden Sock
Knit by: Laurel from Lavington
Garment: Smocked Cardigan
Yarn: Sirdar Baby Bamboo DK
Knit by: Laurel from Lavington
Garment: Sailor Cardigan
Yarn: Sirdar Baby Bamboo DK
Knit by: Margaret from Deniliquin
Garment: Farmyard Sweater
Yarn: Debbie Bliss Rialto DK
Knit by: Margaret from Deniliquin
Garment: Farmyard Sweater
Yarn: Debbie Bliss Rialto DK
Knit by: Laurel from Lavington
Garment: Cardigan
Yarn: Noro Silk Garden
Knit by: Marie from Adelaide
Garment: Waterfall Scarf
Yarn: Katia Ondas
Knit by: Jenny from Albury
Garment: Cabled Vest
Yarn: Baby Cashmerino
Knit by: Jenny from Albury
Garment: Moss Stitch Jumper
Yarn: Silkroad DK Tweed &
Alpaca Kid Lustre
Knit by: Kathy from Albury
Garment: Flowers
Yarn: Noro Silk Garden
Knit by: April from Warrnambool
Garment: Pinstripe TenScarf
Yarn: Cascade 220 Wool
Knit by: Jenni from Albury
Garment: Baby Shawl
Yarn: Patons Dreamtime 3ply
Knit by: Jenny from Albury
Garment: Button Jumper
Yarn: Heirloom Alpaca 8ply
Knit by: Debbie from Albury
Garment: Mathilde
Yarn: Debbie Bliss Rialto DK
Knit by: Marion from Armidale
Garment: Triana Scarves
Yarn: Katia Triana
Knit by: Shirley from K2TOG
Garment: Shadow Moebius Wrap
Yarn: Tahki Rio
Knit by: Jenny from Albury
Garment: Toe-up Socks
Yarn: Zauberball Sock
Knit by: Kathy from Esperance
Garment: Side to Side Cardigan
Yarn: Noro Silk Garden
Knit by: Penny from Albury
Garment: Fair Isle Socks
Yarn: Opal Sock
Knit by: Sonja from Albury
Garment: Ruffle Scarf
Yarn: Alpaca Silk Georgette & Rare
Comfort Mohair
Knit by: Betty from USA
Garment: Ladder Stitch Cardigan
Yarn: Desert Garden Aran Cotton
Knit by: Debbie from Albury
Garment: Camille
Yarn: Debbie Bliss Luxury Tweed
FREE PATTERN: LACY ALPACA SCARF
Yarn: 3 - 4 balls Heirloom Alpaca 8ply or Jo Sharp Alpaca Kid Lustre
Needles: 6.00 mm
First make the tassels: Cut 136 strands of yarn double the length of
your finished tassels (mine are 25cm, so I cut 50cm lengths)
Now knit the scarf:
Cast on 34 stitches
Work every row in Lace pattern: K1 *yo, K2tog* K1
Continue until you run out of yarn. Cast off loosely.
Attach the tassels:
With 2 strands together, fold in half, feed loop through each cast on/cast off stitch (use crochet hook if necessary), then
draw the ends of the tassel through the loop. Pull to tighten, trim if necessary.
Abbreviations:
yo: yarnover – take the yarn forward in between the needles, then over the needle, back into the knit position, creating a
stitch
BABY BEANIES FOR CHARITY
At K2TOG we wanted to get behind a local charity and it was suggested we might knit some beanies for premmie babies
born at Wodonga Hospital. When we contacted them however, they advised they need beanies for babies born by
emergency caesarean section. These babies are close to or at full-term size, so the beanies need to be a bit bigger than for
premmies.
Below is a pattern for a knitted ribbed beanie using 4 or 8ply yarn. Because of the rib, your beanie will look small, but don’t
worry, this ensures it will fit various head sizes. This pattern is for straight needles but can be easily adapted for knitting in
the round by casting on 2 less stitches. It doesn’t matter if the yarn is synthetic, but it needs to be soft.
Bring your finished beanies into K2TOG. Your contribution will be recognised on our list of donors to the hospital
and in the newsletter, and if you buy your beanie yarn at K2TOG, when you return your beanie we’ll credit your account
with 25% off the purchase price as a thank you.
Pattern:
Using 3.25mm and 4ply, cast on 82 stitches
Using 4.00mm and 8ply, cast on 66 stitches
Row 1 (WS): [P2, K2] repeat
Continue in rib as set until work measures 13cm ending with a WS row
Decrease for crown:
Row 1: [K2, p2tog] repeat across
Row 2: [P2, K1] repeat across
Row 3: K2, [P1, k2tog] repeat
Row 4: [P1, K1] repeat to last 2 sts, K2
Row 5: [k2tog] repeat across
Row 6: Purl
Repeat rows 5 & 6 until 5 – 12 sts remain. Cut yarn and draw through remaining stitches. Weave in ends and sew side seam
(we recommend mattress stitch). Add pom pom or i-cord top if you like.
Happy Knitting!