Originally published in the Winter ‘07/Spring ‘08 issue of Knitscene, the crochet pattern is now available as in a free eBook from CrochetMe (How to Crochet Granny Squares with CrochetMe). The pattern with full article on how to dye the motifs with food coloring is available for sale through the Interweave online store.
Boutique Knits by Laura Irwin
Interweave Press
Every knitter I know who has seen the cover shot of the Boutique Knits book has gasped and said something like "that hat!" I looked at the release date (October 2008) and sighed. I've got it wishlisted, I've checked out the preview on the Interweave site, and a few days ago, I cast on.
Peace Fleece DK Sport, Antarctica White, US 4/3.5mm needles
I looked at the photo carefully and have been reverse-engineering it to the best of my ability. If, after I get the book, my reverse-engineered version has substantial differences, and I can explain them without giving away Laura Irwin's pattern, I'll post them in my Ravelry notes for this project. The yarn used for the book project looks softer and cozier; don't be surprised if I wind up knitting it from the book even though chances are quite good I'm going to have to gift the hats because I won't be able to wear anything that warm on my head. If you've seen only the cover, do take a minute to check out the Interweave Press preview for Boutique Knits! And while you are there, why not take a look at some of the other previews for Interweave Press books I'm getting excited about, like French Girl Knits by Kristeen Griffin-Grimes and Blueprint Crochet by Robyn Chachula?
Pattern: Four Corners Headbands
Knitscene Winter 2007
As of August 2010: the pattern is currently available in the free eBook, “How to Crochet Granny Squares with Crochetme“. This does not include the instructions for how to dye the motifs with food coloring.
Pattern with accompanying article on dyeing the motifs with food coloring is available for sale as a PDF download through the Knitting Daily Online Store.
Don’t want to wrap wool around your head? Try the pattern in a lightweight plant fiber, like Blue Sky Alpacas Skinny Cotton, Hemp for Knitting allhemp6, or or Hemp for Knitting Hempton.
UPDATE August 2010: the Four Corners pattern is currently available in the free eBook, “<a href=”http://www.crochetme.com/media/p/112298.aspx”>How to Crochet Granny Squares with Crochetme</a>”. This does <em>not</em> include the instructions for how to dye the motifs with food coloring.
UPDATE May 2008: the pattern + dyeing instructions are now available for sale as a PDF download from the Knitting Daily shop!
The Knitscene Winter ‘07/Spring ‘08 Preview is up! The projects are aimed to transition from cold weather to warmer weather, with tops, sweaters, handbags, and headbands. The Curvy Top-Down Raglan by Shannon Okey has an accompanying article on knitting top-down for plus sizes, and I’m looking forward to reading it. The Souvenir Hoodie by Amy King looks like something The Teen would wear (done up in cream with another light color), and I’m liking the crocheted Singular Tee by Regina Rioux Gonzalez. Norah Gaughan’s Quicksilver Bag looks like a quick knit that would be easy to modify with stitch patterns or different yarns, and I like the leather handles.
The Four Corners Headbands are a project that I designed, crocheted, and shot the article tutorial photos for as well as writing up the article. It’s a fun project using food coloring to dye crocheted pieces (instead of dyeing skeined yarn) and I enjoyed the process. I’m working on one done up in a silk/wool blend and I’m thinking that soysilk would be even better for a tropical-weight version, even though the yarn called for (Morehouse Farms Merino Sport Weight 2-ply) is reportedly suitable for warm weather wear. The Morehouse Farms Merino is a pleasure to work with – it is amazing high quality wool, very soft and springy, and incredibly comfortable against the skin. The processing is minimal, no chemicals involved, and Morehouse is located right here in the US (upstate NY). The wool is so healthy, in fact, that it doesn’t take dye as readily as more heavily processed wools. I like the softer, more muted tones you see in the photos – food coloring usually yields super-bright colors – but if you want stronger, brighter colors, you can up the amount of vinegar used (I’d suggest doubling it and doing a test).
