Knit Stars | July 31, 2023
Put more rosy in your day ☺️
BY SHELLEY BRANDER
“Strength grows in the moments when you think you can’t go on, but you keep going anyway.” – Unknown
Knitters find a way.
When we find the fortitude to frog back 50 rows.
When we forget our cable needle, and find a paper clip does the job in a pinch.
We find the strength to keep moving on.
And as simple as it sounds, a beautiful yarn in a cheery color can give you something to look forward to, even on the cloudiest days.
These kits that Beata from Hedgehog Fibres dyed up for us really fit the bill.
This melon-colored Hedgehog Sock yarn and speckly melon Alpaca Bouclé brighten up your day – and when you wear the finished object, it brightens up any complexion, adding a rosy glow.
We’ve got two great pattern ideas for this kit…
“Rosy Blooms” by Stephen West is the pattern the kit was curated for…it’s a surprisingly simple lace pattern, with a garter and brioche border.
Not feeling the brioche? There’s an option for an all-garter edge instead 😘
Ravelry user gsarah said, “Easy to follow and fun to knit.
I especially loved the fact that the project and wool kept my excitement with every row and part I knitted. Even felt a little sad when I finished!”
In the mood for something more mindless? These kits are also perfect for “April Wind Shawl” by Life is Cozy.
Light and airy yet warm and soft, this shawl hugs you just like gentle April wind. Its generous size combined with the light weight make it a great companion for that fickle in-between-seasons weather.
This pattern was designed to highlight the beauty of combining weights and textures – the alternating stripe patterns are easy to memorize and very satisfying to knit. The shawl is knit from the corner in the shape of a skewed triangle – knit until it is the perfect size or until you run out of yarn. Add tassels to make corners pop!
You can find Rosy Blooms by Stephen West and April Wind Shawl by Life is Cozy on Ravelry.
Buy our exclusive Hedgehog Kits here.
A comfy handknit can help lift those clouds even on the darkest days. ⛅️
“Dark Cloud” by Joji Locatelli is a quick and easy, casual-chic that’s perfect for the Work From Home lifestyle. Throw it on for that Zoom meeting (with or without pants!) and feel comfy all day.
Jane paired “Dark Cloud” with Katia Cotton-Merino – an affordable yarn with a wonderfully soft and lofty chainette tube construction.
Ravelry user TheLadyLovesRed said of Cotton-Merino:
“This yarn is gorgeously soft and easy to knit. No snags or splits, and the stitch definition is awesome. It feels snuggly warm with little weight – perfect for my sweater to be scrunched into carry-on luggage.”
And knitter kdwisni said,
“This is an absolutely fabulous mostly cotton yarn. Perfect stitch definition. Doesn’t feel heavy. No blocking needed. I’m sold!”
Knit your Dark Cloud on size 8 needles and find Joji’s pattern on Ravelry.
Shop our Katia Cotton-Merino here.
You might be counting the days until Pumpkin Spice… ☕️
And if you cast on now, you’ll have a light and tweedy pullover to go with it!
“Altheda” by Jennifer Steinglass is a simple circular yoke sweater, worked seamlessly from the top down. After the stranded color work, short-row shaping is added to shape the shoulders and neckline. Then the sleeves and body are separated and worked in the round. The garter stitch cuffs and hem are simple yet elegant.
With its easy and rhythmic color work chart, this pattern is even suitable for beginners! 🥰
Loretta knit her Altheda in Queensland Drover – an affordable yet luxurious tweedy DK blend of merino, silk, and nylon. It makes a super soft sweater with great stitch definition to make your stitches pop.
With about four balls of your main color and one of the contrasting (check your size to be sure!) you’ll be ready for the change of season. We have 10 colors to choose from. Here are some pairings to get your started!
Granite + Byzantium = warm plum color work
Denim + Graphite = a “goes with everything” pop
Chia + Gold = rich fall tones
Ivory + Graphite = a classic contrasting palette
Find Jennifer Steinglass’ “Altheda” on Ravelry.
This quick and no-cook meal from Healthy Seasonal Recipes is a perfect way to use up that prolific zucchini from your garden. No need to turn on the stove or oven! You can make zucchini noodles with a spiralizer or veggie peeler, or for even less-cooking-more-knitting-time, find them pre-made in the produce section.
Ingredients:
4 medium zucchini
½ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
½ cup pesto
1 large ripe heirloom tomato, chopped or 1 cup chopped cherry tomatoes
freshly ground pepper to taste
freshly ground parmesan to taste
coarse salt
Directions:
1. SOFTEN THE ZUCCHINI NOODLES WITH SALT
Set your noodles into a colander in the sink or over a bowl.
Sprinkle them with salt and toss them to let them get coated in the salt.
Then leave them in the colander to drain for ten minutes. The salt will wilt the zucchini and make them softer (more like the texture of al dente cooked spaghetti.)
To get rid of the excess salt, run cool water over the zucchini noodles to rinse away the salt.
Then just shake the colander to get the excess water out and give the zucchini a good squeeze to get rid of the water.
2. MIX THE NOODLES WITH OIL AND PESTO
Since the pesto is thick, you’ll want to thin it out a bit without diluting the flavor too much.
Drizzle a tablespoon of Extra Virgin Olive Oil over the zucchini noodles and toss to coat.
Add on the pesto and then use kitchen tongs to work the pesto into the noodles.
3. TOP WITH TOMATOES, PARMESAN AND SALT
To finish the dish, add on fresh chopped tomatoes.
Add on Parmesan for a savory touch.
Finish with a coarse sea salt for a crunchy, savory finish.