Get Some Texture with the Pass the Honey Knitting Pattern

I love a good stockinette stitch pattern because of the classic look and the fact that I don’t have to pay a lot of attention to what I’m doing.

But I’ll admit I’m a sucker for a good textured knit, too. They make the knitting more interesting, and the look is a little more special. I always feel more of a sense of accomplishment from a project if it has some kind of technique to it more than stockinette stitch. I also feel like something with special details like a fun texture makes it look more like I made it, if that makes sense.

The Pass the Honey cardigan by Joy Friedman for Knit Picks is a pattern like that. This long-line cardigan uses a mock honeycomb stitch pattern to give a look that’s reminiscent of honeycomb. The pattern is rated intermediate but it’s not difficult once you get the hang of the pattern.

The cardigan is worked flat in one piece from the bottom up to the armholes. It includes faux seams at the sides, and after the top parts are worked, you knit the sleeves in the round. There’s a wide ribbed edging on the open fronts.

The pattern is available in nine sizes, ranging from 38 to 70 inches in circumference. Using the same yarn as used in the sample (Knit Picks Brava Worsted Tweed) the smallest size can be made for about $25 worth of yarn, and the largest size is about $40, making it a pretty good value for a big project.

You can download the free pattern (email signup required) from Knit Picks.

[Photo: Knit Picks.]

Generally I like knitting patterns where I feel like you can use whatever yarn you have (because my stash is big enough and I want to use it, thanks) and make a successful project. This is one of those times when a special yarn makes the process that much easier.

The Floral Bouquet Shawl from Xandy Peters uses a specific extended color pooling yarn from Feisty Fibers, which allows you to place the bobble flowers with increasing frequency as you knit the project.

It starts with a solid color yarn, then the two color yarn is added in, and you make a bobble whenever you encounter the color pops. This would be hard to replicate with other yarn that doesn’t have the extended color pooling built in.

The background of the shawl is ribbed, making the project reversible.

The shawl uses fingering/sock yarn and comes out to be an asymmetrical triangle that’s 54 inches/137 cm long and 36 inches/ 90 cm deep and 60 inches/150 cm across the top edge.

Xandy says the pattern is for intermediate to advanced knitters. Knowing how to work traditional bobbles would probably help, but there’s a great video tutorial for how to work the floral bobbles so you can practice on other yarn or even incorporate the bobbles into other projects.

The bobbles are five-petaled flowers but they also kind of look like starfish to me, which could be fun on a child’s cardigan or other pattern. They’d also be fun on the leg of a sock or around the brim of a hat for extra whimsy.

The pattern includes photo and video tutorials, and written and charted instructions. It also includes tips on what to look for if you choose to use different yarn for the project, and instructions on how to dye your own yarn to use in the project.

If you want to give it a try, you can find the pattern on Ravelry.

[Photo: Xandy Peters]

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