We know we don't need to tell you it has been cold. When -18C is an improvement, well, lets just say we've been considering just draping ourselves in skeins of wool as a stop-gap. If you're anything like us, when it's cold, you wish you had thicker layers and then the minute it warms up you go back to knitting whatever pretty things catch your fancy. It's a new year, though, so this time we're going to be prepared for the next polar vortex by hunkering down now with pretty (and thick!) yarn and fun quick patterns. A few quick knits and we'll be back at the fingering weight yarns dreaming of spring, until then, here are our suggestions to get you through the rest of the winter.
Top: Clockwise from top, Peruvia Quick in Rosa, Ibis, and Franela.
Bottom: Clockwise from top, Misti Alpaca Chunky in #7238, #716, #1380
At a distance, Berroco Peruvia Quick and Misti Alpaca Chunky look pretty alike. On the hands and on the needles, though, they're quite different. Peruvia Quick is 100% Peruvian Highland wool. It knits up in to a fabric that is warm and firm, making it perfect for quick sweaters with textured stitches or that need to hold their shape (we used it for the Belarus Cardigan we have in the shop, for example). In this cold, we love it for Mukluks, a pattern sized for the whole family and sure to keep your toes warm without cranking the heat. Misti Alpaca Chunky, on the other hand, is 100% baby alpaca and feels like knitting with a cloud. It is so, so, impossibly soft, and it creates a fabric that is both very warm and deliciously drapey. We love it for all kinds of projects, but especially for next-to-skin items like the Bandana Cowl, which is a great bottom-layer on multi-scarf days.
Clockwise from top: Malabrigo Chunky in Natural, Emerald, and Holly Hock
This cold has made us very conscious of our ears, so we've been thinking a lot about hats in the last week or so. We love Magnolia, whose cables offer interest without slowing you down too much. If you're someone who likes your accessories to match, we're big fans of Glenna C.'s Cosmpolitan Set, which combines easy cables with deep ribbing for a hat and cowl set that are well suited to either solids or variegated yarns. Both of these patterns would look fantastic in Malabrigo Chunky, whose selection of kettle-dyed solids and fun variegated colourways mean you can you create all find of different looks.