It’s officially a sweater season here in the Czech Republic. And to celebrate, I have just released a freshly new Lola Cardigan. This design is special for several reasons for me. It followed the period of creative darkness in my world and helped me to cope through. And also, because I decided to use my own colorway Lilla Bjorn of Scheepjes Our Tribe yarn.
The pattern is live on Ravelry HERE (and Etsy HERE) now and will stay at a special price through Monday, October 30th, 2023.
When I was thinking about new garment design, I wanted to achieve a kind of vintage look, so used lots of popcorn, bobble and picot stitches. Together they create a highly textured round yoke, and the good news is that you can use scraps of yarn for that.
I believe that you could use leftovers from your stash not only in colors from one brand, but also from different brands in a similar weight. I felt like extending texture to the lower body as well and added ribs throughout. And of course, a tiny textured detail for the cuff.
To make the story short, Lola Cardigan is all about texture, coziness, and warmth.
Lola Cardigan is a top-down garment which is worked as one piece with no seams. It comes in 10 sizes to fit actual bust 32-54in/81-137cm.
I would rate this pattern as an adventurous beginner, as it does not use any difficult techniques. Additionally, it includes video tutorials to explain the tricky parts, like short rows, ribbing and bands.
And for the textured yoke, there are plenty of progress pictures available in the pattern. So, if you know basic crochet stitches and are comfortable keeping consistent gauge (which is critical for correct sizing), then you can absolutely give Lola Cardigan a go.
I have made two samples for myself. One uses variegated Scheepjes Our Tribe yarn, which I truly love. It blocks very well and the drape is just wonderful.
All colors for this line were created by designers and friends of Scheepjes, and I am also a proud creator of the colors Lilla Bjorn and Lilla 2. I guess, I need to design more things with my own color 😊
And another sample was done with Scheepjes Metropolis yarn, which is the same weight as Our Tribe, but different composition and feel. It does not have fluff and the colors are heathered.
I could not decide which one I like more, so now I am a proud owner of both.
You can find Lola Cardigan pattern on Ravelry HERE and Etsy HERE.
Hope you have a wonderful weekend!
Today I suddenly realized that I did not write any conclusions for the year 2021, and no resolutions for the year 2022… Last year I did not do lots of things I usually do. The covid era put a firm, transparent film around my life, and it felt like I was sitting inside my cell, just looking out and not interacting much. There was not much of travelling and not much change from a daily routine. Some exciting things also happened, though.
One of the brightest achievements of the last year was the publishing of A Sea Story book, for sure. It brought lots of excitement, and the feeling of accomplishment. As, what can be better than a finished wip? We, crocheters and knitters, know this better than anyone else.
Hundreds of copies found their new homes in different parts of the world. And the end of the year for my family was about packing, going to the post office, tracking, answering emails, packing again. A whole new dimension of the work of a crochet designer. And such a nice learning curve, and acquaintance with lots of new people. Virtually.
When I was not sure about a certain address, or it looked incomplete to me, I was searching online in the 3D maps, virtually walking in many streets of many countries. Felt great!
Now the life is coming back to its normal routine and the process of packing and shipping is kind of automated, I can finally come back to designing and crochet. By the way, if you do not own a copy of A Sea Story book, we still have them in stock, and you can order one for you or your friends via our website HERE.
January has been a month of swatching. Honestly, I do not even know how many swatches I made. With no time for a big conceptually thought project, the swatching still felt like I have been designing something. I wish I could show you the whole basket of those yarny sketches, but they look ugly as I used leftovers of yarns in different colors. Not matching at all, very often.
One of them has jumped onto my plate right away, and I am going to grow it into a blanket. I can’s wait to share progress with you, but first let me show you the yarn I picked.
Have I even written about Scheepjes Metropolis yarn here on my blog? It was launched several years ago and has become one of my absolute favourites (together with Whirl and Whirlette).
I used Metropolis for many projects already, including garments and home accessories. It feels equally great for sweaters and blankets. The quality and composition are very nice: 75% Extra fine merino wool and 25% Nylon.
The yarn is very soft and comes in 80 yummy heathered shades. So each color carries three colors in it. It is quite difficult to catch those nuances with the camera, but I hope you can see those tiny color shades in the skein.
You can find Metropolis yarn at your local Scheepjes shops and via online retailers: Wool Warehouse* (UK, international shipping), Caro’s Atelier* (NL, Europe), Taemombo* (US&Canada).
So far, I have not decided which exactly color I will pick for my new projects, and if it will be solid or colorful. I guess I just continue swatching and play, and will see where it brings me.
Stay safe,
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