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Giveaway: Color Wheel Knits

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color wheel knits

Congratulations to Susan!

How many of you have knit a Color Affection shawl? Or at least know what I’m talking about? This gorgeous stripey Garter Stitch shawl was a huge hit on Ravelry, and is still super popular, with more than 13,000 people having knit it. (I haven’t yet, but it is definitely on my list.)

The designer, Veera Välimäki, recently released (in English, it had been out in Finnish for a while) a whole book of similarly simple but really beautiful designs in Color Wheel Knits: Knits for Hand Dyed Yarns.

The sections of the book focus on different colors and include garments and accessories for men, women and children, all using tonal hand-dyed yarns.

The book is lovely, the knits are inspiring and I’m sure you’ll want to knit some of them, too, if you’re the winner of this giveaway!

The prize here is an ebook copy of the book (not print), and if you’d like a chance to win leave a comment on this post by the end of the day Sunday, July 20. I’d love to know what your favorite color is. And go ahead and tell me if you’ve knit a Color Affection, too (or more than one, no judging here).

Thanks for visiting, commenting and sharing, and good luck!

Comments

  1. Hi everyone! I’ve never knit a color affection shawl before but I am itching to try it! My favorite colors are warm tones so I really love yellows and reds especially!

  2. I have not knitted one of these yet but when I do I will start with blue my favorite color.

  3. I would love to knit a Color Affection shawl. I am a ”cherries and berries” girl – my favourite colour is rasberry red / pink

  4. I have not knit a Color Affection; I spend too much time knitting for little ones. Favorite color (at the moment!) is green.

  8. I have been gravitating more toward blues lately. I knit a Color Affection shawl a few years ago. My father-in-law went to a yarn store when on a business trip and the staff helped pick the pattern and colors. It is very striking with orange, purple and turquoise. I might never have put those colors together, but it has made me more experimental with colors and putting them together.

  10. .I have not knitted the shawl, as I have still not recovered from knitting a christening shawl for my daughter (34 years ago) to have a go. Favourite colour has to be purple like amethyst.

  11. I don’t have a favorite color but I tend to gravitate more towards bright or bold colors! I haven’t made the Color Affection Shawl yet, but it’s on my list!!

  13. I haven’t knit the shawl yet but when I do it’ll be in shades of grey and black 🙂

  14. Who hasn’t knit a Color Affection!?!? I made a summery version with light blue, off white and pale yellow…very beach-y…and still one of my favorite knits. I LOVE Veera’s patterns and didn’t know the English translation of her book had been released. Yay!!!

  16. I have not made a color affection shawl yet but recently made four shawlsfor the ladies at the symphony. I can’t afford to renew my subscription, so it was my good-bye gift to the ladies I had talked to for the past decade.
    Blue has been my favorite color since the day I was born. Thank you for the chance to win.

  18. Such a pretty shawl, I have not knit this. It would look good in so many colors, I’d have to really think about that….typically I choose earthy greens, grays, blues, etc. Thanks for the chance to win.

  19. Hello.
    My favorite color is purple.
    An I have not yet knit a Color Affection Shawl….

  21. I’ve always admired Veera’s unusual design. Never knitted anything of hers just yet, but would like to make a child & adult sweaters and a shawl. I love all the earth tone colors. No purple please, as I am blond! 🙂 Thank you for the giveaway

  24. This shawl is in my RAV queue and I can just imagine it in all the shades of grey that are my fav… starting with a lighter greyish cream color, on down to a deep charcoal. It is a beautiful design and I would love to win it, so I can make it as a gift for my sister in law.

  25. The Color Affection shawl has been in my queue for a while now. I’d love to knit one in grey and purple!
    lindarumsey on Ravelry.

  26. I did not knit a Color Affection because I had the impression that it would have been a long knit. But I did a Different Lines and I loved it! I follow Vera and her work on revelry. My favorite color at the moment is green. Emerald green!
    patmom on Rav

  27. I haven’t knitted a Color Affection shawl yet but do have the pattern. Current fave color is Raspberry!
    OrangeSmoothie on Ravelry

  28. What a beautiful shawl! I love blue but could see this pattern in soft browns and greys. I’ve actually spent the past few weeks looking for a new book of patterns and haven’t had any luck. This looks right up my alley!

  29. I’ve started a Color Affection twice but got distracted both times. Maybe one of these days I’ll get it done!

  30. I haven’t knit it yet, but have done a similar with some yarn in colors that I wouldn’t have chose myself. But they went well together- I enjoyed seeing the results, and it was a good stretch. I do enjoy colorplay, and gravitate to jewel colors.

  34. So many colors to choose! All time favorite though is red. I have not knit one yet.

  35. I’ve bookmarked many of her designs on ravelry. Favorite color – in yarn anyway….would be all the shades of grey.

Have you read?

Free Knitted Crown Pattern for Kids and Adults: A Sweet Handmade Dress-Up Idea

There’s something wonderfully charming about a knitted crown. It’s playful, useful for the dress-up basket, and just the sort of small project that gives a leftover ball of yarn a proper purpose. Much better than letting it roll around the cupboard for another three years.

This free knitted crown pattern for kids and adults combines a simple garter-stitch band with shaped triangular points. The mustard-gold colour gives it that storybook crown look, although pink, purple or woodland green would be equally lovely.

A Manageable Next Step for Beginner Knitters

The construction is the appealing part of this design. Everything is knitted flat, so you won’t need double-pointed needles or experience joining stitches in the round.

You knit the band first, then work each crown point separately over a group of 12 stitches. Paired decreases gradually narrow each triangle, giving you a small, repeatable section to concentrate on.

I’d describe this as a confident beginner knitting project. You’ll need to know how to knit, work two types of decreases, hold unused stitches and sew a simple seam. There are several yarn tails to weave in, so a little patience with finishing will help.

Three Sizes With Room to Personalise

The pattern includes three sizes, with seven, eight or nine crown points. Choose by the wearer’s head measurement rather than age, and check your gauge carefully. Yarn stretch will make a noticeable difference to the fit.

For birthdays, an embroidered initial would be a sweet finishing touch. Contrasting yarn diamonds could suggest little jewels without adding hard embellishments.

What to Know Before Casting On

This is a soft knitted crown, so expect gentle points rather than a rigid costume accessory. A springy wool or wool-blend yarn should give the shaping more support than a very drapey yarn.

The stitch calculations have been checked, but the design has not yet been sample-knitted. The accompanying image is an illustrative mockup, so the finished texture and proportions may vary with your yarn and tension.

For a small handmade birthday accessory or a cheerful addition to the dress-up box, this is an appealing idea. And if an adult needs a matching crown for supervising the royal household, the larger size has that covered too.