knitting with handspun – PLY Magazine

Although you can use handspun yarn in almost any knitting pattern, sometimes there are patterns that work better than others for handspun. This is especially true if you have limited yardage, have any inconsistencies in the yarn, or aren’t sure about what gauge you should be aiming for.

With those ideas in mind, finding patterns that allow for variations in gauge and yardage are the most helpful to make something you’ll love that allows your handspun yarn to shine in all its glory.

Variable gauge

One of the places to start is to look for patterns that can be adapted based upon your gauge. That way you can find the needle size that creates a fabric you like with your yarn and use that gauge for the pattern. If you’re searching for patterns on Ravelry, for example, in the advanced search options, you can select “any gauge” under Weight to help find these patterns. Here are some of the ones that caught my eye (note: all links are to Ravelry).

Musselburgh Hat by Isolda Teague: This has been one of my go-to patterns for hats because it’s adaptable to various yarns with tables that give you all the stitch counts based upon your gauge (which you take by casting on the hat and measuring when you have an inch or two of fabric—no gauge swatch needed!). It creates a double-sided hat, which you wear by folding one side into the other, so you’re making two hats in one. This allows for using two different yarns (switching at the halfway point of the knitting), stripes, or even adding in stitch patterns. (Pictured is my in-progress handspun Musselburgh.)

The Traveler Cowl by Andrea Mowry: This cowl is knit on the bias (flat and seamed), which makes it a great candidate for handspun yarn of any size as you can adjust the final size of the cowl as you go. In fact, the designer had handspun yarn in mind for this pattern.

Boomerang shawls, various designers: Another great option is to look for boomerang-shaped shawls. These shawls are not quite crescent shawls and not quite triangular shawls but somewhere in between, and the idea is to keep working on them until you run out of yarn. So they’re great both from a variable gauge standpoint as well as from a yardage standpoint. I’m currently working on the Handspun Boomerang Shawl by Natasha Sills and have also made a Quaker Yarn Stretcher Boomerang by Susan Ashcroft (pictured).

Speaking of Susan Ashcroft, you should check out more of her patterns (Stichnerd Designs) because she has several other “yarn stretcher” or “boomerang” patterns that can work wonderfully with handspun. She has a whole bundle of her patterns that she’s made specifically for those patterns that work well with handspun yarn.

Tensfield or Langfield by Martina Behm: These two hat patterns (the second is the slouchy version) have a fun construction that will showcase your handspun yarn. Even better, because you adjust the size as you knit, it doesn’t matter what weight of yarn or gauge you use. I haven’t made one of these yet, but I’ve just added the pattern to my queue!

Aunt Maggie by Shilo Weir: This free knitting pattern was created after the designer received encouragement during a spinning class with Maggie Casey to make sure to knit with their handspun. Written with a variety of yarn weights in mind, from sport to bulky, the pattern information includes a note about how much yarn you’ll need to complete the cowl.

What if you don’t want an accessory but instead want to make a sweater? Designer Elizabeth Felgate has several sweater and cardigan patterns that can be made using any weight of yarn. Even better – you don’t even have to calculate your gauge! The construction of the garments has you measure your progress as you go (in inches or cm) to get the size you want.

What other patterns have you found that work well with handspun? Share them in the comments!

words & photos by Jane Daniels

Hats are often a first knitting project because they can be finished quickly and involve only knitting if done on circular needles with a rolled edge.

In 2013, I embarked on an adventure to knit 500 hats, as in the Dr. Seuss book The 500 Hats of Bartholomew Cubbins, and decided every hat needed to be unique. Since I had pictures of hats I had made, I figured I had already knit 100 of them, and I understood basic hat construction of several styles.

Since I’ve been knitting since 1963, my stash had many small balls. It could have been considered the Fort Knox of tiny wool treasures, and I wanted to eliminate them. So I took seven different yarns (dark, light, textured, multicolored, and 3 coordinated colors) and created stripes as I knit the hat. The ribbing was a neutral color and it separated 3 different yarns. By changing one or two of the yarns, I could create hats that were different yet similar. I learned how colors would interact with each other. When someone wanted a particular color for their hat, by using several shades of that color, I didn’t have to worry about the hat matching a particular outfit.

Some balls didn’t have quite enough yarn for a hat. So as I knit, I added some stripes or intarsia. But those projects didn’t completely solve the problem of too many small balls and sometimes contributed additional ones.

My stash also had yarn that came to my house with a message: “My mother [aunt or neighbor] passed away, and she was a knitter. So here is some yarn.” Another message was “I bought too much yarn for a project, so here are some leftover balls for your hat project.” With multiple balls of the same yarn, I knit different style hats or knit the same style hat but changed the ribbing, size, or how I finished the top or added a rosette to the side.

While I religiously swatch for any knitted garments that follow a pattern, I don’t swatch for hats, scarves, or mittens. Because those items are frequently for charity, I know they will keep someone warm.

As my project progressed, I began knitting series, which were typically done within a short period of time. For the most part, the results were for charity. I gave my series names such White Out, which had different types of stripes on white hats. Another type of series was knitting the same base hat, but adding stripes, using two yarns to make stripes, and then using one of them with another yarn.

To add some variety to my knitting, I took pictures of hats or designs I saw that I liked and asked if I could recreate that design.

Or I created something that coordinated with a snow suit. When I visited Iceland, the landscapes and the wool inspired me.

Honestly, some attempts produced better results than others. One can learn from duds, and that hat will keep someone warm, everyone has different tastes.

I addressed color pooling on hats several ways. Knitting one row of a color that was in the ombre yarn and then two rows of ombre either tricks the eye and decreases the impact or creates a design spiraling up the hat.

Another way was to randomly purl 1–3 stitches in the body of the hat and on the following round, purl another stitch or two offset from the first stitches purled. Again, it tricks the eye. A third way is to knit first one row and then use another ball or the other end of the same ball on alternate rows. But sometimes, I just let the pooling happen and added embroidery to make a picture.

While I am primarily a knitter, I also spin, but I don’t produce consistent results. So my stash of handspun textured yarns had either limited yardage or were not good enough for a project. Often, limited yardage means stripes.

But those textured yarns were ideal for a “picture.” Having knit a landscape on a vest, I decided to try knitting a hat with a landscape. Guessing at a gauge, I cast on and then use intarsia to create the landscape, designing as I knit, adding purl stitches for texture. My landscape hats feature mountains, streams, or even the seashore with vegetation in the foreground and a blue sky with white fluffy clouds. There are lots of ends to sew in, which I do.

What did I do with all the hats? As soon as I had a stack, I primarily gave them as gifts to thank people or to charity. My family and friends benefited as well. My daughters and grandkids always checked the pile of hats when they came to visit to see if they might find one they really liked.

My 500 hats project taught me design, construction, and new techniques, and my knitting friends gave me the moniker “Hat Queen.” Making a hat allows you to experiment with color, use some handspun, try different beginnings and endings, see if you like a new technique, or knit with an expensive yarn. Playing with yarn satisfied my urge to be creative and was like an artist’s sketchbook. I could experiment knowing someone would be able to wear that hat and keep warm.

Basic hat

To knit a medium size hat using either worsted or DK, I cast on 88 stitches with either US size 7 or 8 needles if I wanted k2 p2 ribbing or 90 stitches if I was doing k1 p1 ribbing. The weight of the wool and needle size would determine the size of the hat. I worked the ribbing for about 2 inches and knit until the hat was about 5½ to 6 inches. I chose between 2 styles of decreases: I decreased once every 8 or 9 stiches every other row. Or, when I had used k1 p1 ribbing, I decreased every 10 stitches. At some point, I changed to double pointed needles and decreased stitches until I had 8, 9, or 10 stitches left. I then added one of the finishing touches (see below).

A good beginning

The samples in my photos show a variety of ways to begin a hat.

Ribbing –You never go wrong with k1 p1 or k2 p2 ribbing.

Garter – When knitting in the round, remember to alternate knit and purl rounds.

Rolled edge – The easiest beginning, just keep knitting.

Cables – Cast on a multiple of 6 stitches, k4 p2 for two rounds. On round 3, cable the 4 knit stitches and purl the purls for one round. On rounds 4–6 knit the knit stitches and purl the purls; round 7 repeats round 3; rounds 8 and 9, knit the knits and purl the purls. On round 10, continue to knit the hat.

Lace – Use 8 stitches and an 8-row repeat with 88 stitches in the body.

Finishing touches

My photos show various ways I finished the top of the hat.

Easy Peasy– Cut yarn, leaving 10 inches; thread yarn needle and draw through stitches remaining on needle.

I-cord point –Continue k2tog until 3 stitches remain. Make a short length of I-cord so it is just a little point (about inches). Cut yarn, leaving 8 inches. Draw through remaining 3 stitches and weave in the end.

I-cord button – Continue k2tog until 3 sts remain. Make enough I-cord so you can form a button or a knot. Cut yarn, leaving about 15 inches and draw through the remaining stitches. Make a knot and sew down with the remaining yarn.

Crocheted Loops – Cut yarn, leaving 24 inches. Crochet a chain, making loops which you fasten down.

Braids – Cut yarn, leaving 8–10 inches. Thread yarn needle and draw through stitches remaining on needle; bring any excess yarn up through gap in the circle of stitches or supplement as needed. Make small braids using the excess yarn. Make a knot at the end, leaving a small tassel.

Pompom – Cut yarn, leaving 8–10 inches. Follow instructions on a pompom maker. Once you have formed the pompom and secured it, thread the end of the yarn mentioned above through the yarn which had drawn in the pompom back through the top of the hat. Repeat and then secure the end.

When Jane Daniels was 10, her mother’s 2 attempts to teach her how to knit failed. But as a college freshman, she tried again and found she loved it. Since then, Jane has designed and knit more sweaters than she can count, including 7 original designed fisherman sweaters. Find her as JDHiker on Ravelry.

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