All New Homespun Handknit from Amy Clarke Moore

Homespun yarn has it’s own character. The textures, colors, and blends all combine to create something unique. No two yarns are alike. Their textures are unmatched.

Amy Clarke Moore, Editor of Spin-Off Magazine brings us this book, with 25 small (most use only a few hundred yards of handspun) projects to be knit with your own (or if you’re lucky enough to be the recipient of) homespun yarn. While not a spinning technique book, it’s chock full of 25 patterns like hats, shawls, jackets, scarves, soakers, bags, mitts, and my favorite, an Andean Alpaca Poncho for your favorite youngster. The yarn is unique, the projects are unique. Each project includes the information needed to create the best yarn for the project, or to even substitute the right commercial yarn.

All New Handspun Handknit discusses spinning a wide variety of fibers with a certain project in mind and knitting with handspun. In addition to basic yarn information (yards per pound, gauge, wraps per inch), each project includes details on the techniques used to create each yarn.

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I know that my posts can be read at different times of year and in different years by different people, but as I write this we’re on teh cusp of summer. And I know a lot of people don’t knit as much, and certainly don’t wear a lot of knits in the summer, but I want to encourage you to make and to wear your makes no matter the temperature.

To introduce you to the joys of summer garment knitting, I offer the Tied Vest from Lion Brand Yarn.

This easy project is great to make and wear throughout the year but it’s especially good for summer. It’s worked flat in one piece from the bottom up, mostly in stockinette stitch with a seed stitch edging. The I-cord ties are worked directly onto the garment so you don’t have to sew them on.

The project uses worsted weight yarn, and calls for a blend of cotton and hemp that’s great for warm weather.

There are eight size options, ranging from a finished chest measurement of 35 to 62.5 inches, or 89 to 159 cm. That makes it sound like it should be worn with at least a few inches of positive ease, but the pattern doesn’t specify.

The ties at the front give it a casual look and make it great to wear over a tank top or T-shirt when the weather is warm.

I also think this one would be good to knit in wool or a warmer fiber, too, to make a version you could wear more comfortably in the winter months, too. Though of course you could layer the summer version over a long-sleeved shirt and wear it throughout the year, too.

The tied vest is a free pattern available from Lion Brand. You can also purchase a kit that includes the yarn and optional needles and stitch markers if you need them.

[Photo: Lion Brand Yarn]

Knit an Easy Hooded Vest

Knit Vests to Help Transition to Warmer Weather

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