Readalong and Knit this Amazing Mountain Throw

It must be the season for knitalongs, because here’s another great one coming up soon.

Heidi from Hands Occupied is hosting her fall Read Along Knit Along with the book The Snow Child by Eowin Ivey and Instarsia Mountain, a lovely, rainbow-colored mountain worked mostly in Garter Stitch using the intarsia method.

I want in just for the blanket, honestly, though the book sounds really good, too (it was a finalist for a Pulitzer in 2013).

The knitalong officially starts Sept. 1, and parts of the pattern will be released through the end of October. There are portions of the book to be read for each clue. In addition she’ll be hosting in-person knit night events for Chicago-area knitters, with broadcasts on social media from the events. There will also be discussions on Ravelry and prizes throughout the event and at the end, too, just for fun.

The model was knit with Paintbox Wool Mix Aran yarn, and Love Knitting is working on bundles in vibrant and neutral colors to go with the project. Check back with Heidi’s page for more details on those.

This looks like so much fun and combines my two favorite pastimes; what could be better?

[Photo: Hands Occupied.]

Next Pattern:

If you’re new to lace knitting or just aren’t sure how to incorporate the technique into garments, check out these tops and sweaters that use lace as a decorative element.

The easiest lace out there is eyelets, and you can practice them plenty with this eyelet covered sweater from Knitcro Addict. It uses light/DK weight yarn and is worked in four pieces knit flat. It’s intended to be a little cropped and a little oversized, and includes sizes XS to XXL in the pattern.

If you’re in parts of the world where it’s getting colder as you read this, the Nora sweater from Bummbul might be a good choice. This is actually a great one for learning lace because it’s worked in super bulky yarn, which makes it easier to see what you’re doing and makes the lace super graphic. This one just comes in one size, with a 42 inch (106) cm bust, but that could fit a variety of people depending on how much ease you like.

Minimi Knit Design has a cute allover lace cardigan worked in one piece from the bottom up. It’s worked in lace weight mohair held double, which maybe isn’t the best for those new to lace (because it can be hard to rip out) but it sure is pretty. Sizes range to fit from 30 to 66 inches/76 to 168 cm bust measurements.

If you’d rather not have lace all over your sweater, you can knit the Lumi sweater from Originally Lovely, which has a chevron lace pattern on the yoke and is otherwise worked in reverse stockinette stitch. (It’s worked inside out so you don’t have to purl every stitch.) The pattern has 9 sizes from XS to 5XL and uses worsted weight yarn.

Or try the super romantic sookie blouse from Trust the mojo (available on Ravelry). This sweet top is started working flat from the bottom up and has a V-neck and I-cord edgings. The sleeves are worked separately in the round, and the pieces are all joined together to work in one piece to finish off the top. It comes in eight sizes and is available in English and French.

You can also pair lacy sleeves with an otherwise plain top, like on the Starflower Wrap from Annelise Driscoll Gingrow. This intermediate pattern makes a wrap sweater with generous lacy sleeves and a double wrap belt. The pattern has nine sizes, from XS to 5XL, and is available for free from Hobbi.

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