Design with Mohair for a Chance to Win $2,000

Vogue Knitting, Vogue Knitting Live and Mohair South Africa are sponsoring a mohair blanket design contest, the winner of which will gt a prize package that includes $2,000 cash.

Knitters and crocheters are welcome to enter the design contest, which calls for individually designed and hand knit or crocheted blankets no smaller than 48 inches square and no larger than 72 inches square made with yarn that is at least 25 percent mohair. Designers may submit up to four designs.

Entries (which include an entry form and three color photos) must be received by March 16, 2015. Finalists who are selected will then have to send their completed blanket and ball bands to Vogue Knitting, with the final judging happening at Vogue Knitting Live Pasadena on April 17, 2015.

The grand prize winner will receive $2,000, a VIP package at a future Vogue Knitting Live, an editorial feature and pattern publication in Vogue Knitting and coverage on the Mohair South Africa website and other media. A runner up in both knitting and crochet will receive a gift basket of yarn, their pattern in Vogue Knitting and a feature on the Mohair South Africa site, as well as a class package for a future Vogue Knitting Live.

Sounds like fun. If any of you enter I’d love to hear about it!

[Photo via Mohair South Africa.]

As we get into the part of the year with a lot of food-forward holidays, it might be time to start thinking about knitting some new things for your table. While a few of these are more fall/Thanksgiving focused, just changing up the colors would make others work for Christmas, or keep it neutral and use them all year long.

What got me started thinking about this was the lovely and simple Fresh Bread Dishtowel, a free pattern from Purl Soho. Worked in a lovely cotton and linen blend, the towel is mostly stockinette stitch with a bit of texture on the borders.

You could use this same kind of pattern to make anything from placemats to a table runner, but let’s look at some specific patterns for those kinds of projects as well.

The easy moss stitch table runner from Glass Bird Knits is beginner friendly can can easily be modified to fit your table (or, again, to make placemats instead of or in addition to a runner). This version is worked in macrame cord, but you could also use bulky yarn.

Emielle Design has a garter stitch runner pattern that’s made with braided cotton cord for a lot of texture without a lot of work. But be sure to take a lot of breaks when knitting with cord because it can be rough on your hands!

I also love the diamond pattern on the Hamilton Table Runner from Wyndlestraw Designs. It calls for a DK weight cotton and linen blend yarn and comes in three sizes with different widths and lengths. The pattern has both written and charted instructions.

Amy Marie’s Table Pumpkins (on Ravelry) is a fun mosaic knitting pattern that would be great to use as a table runner through the fall and for Thanksgiving. It uses a worsted weight cotton yarn in two colors, and you can make it as long as you like for your table.

The no cable knit placemats from Yarn Culture Studio have a fun faux cable look that would be great for the table through the fall and winter.

Or here’s another pattern from Wyndlestraw Designs, this time for an easy knit and purl stitch placemat pattern that looks different but still good on both sides. It calls for worsted weight cotton and comes in two sizes for placemats, but also has instructions for coasters, a hot pad and a table pad all using the same stitch.

Have you read?