Substitute Yarns for a Chic New Take on a Pattern

This is a guest post from Kristen Mangus. She’s a loom-knitter and a blogger with her own series of helpful videos at GoodKnitKisses.com. To follow along with this project, click here.

Cowls always seem so chic and trendy to me; they look cozy without looking disheveled.  As a mom of three small children, cowls are so much easier than keeping a scarf on! I love that I can still look stylish and not have to worry if it was tied just right when on the go, don’t you?

So naturally I started looking for a cowl pattern that I liked. The Loom Knit Ridged Cowl pattern really struck me.  The rich, deep Red Dahlia shade of Martha Stewart Crafts Lofty Wool Blend that is featured in the design was beautiful & soft but wasn’t quite the choice for me. I needed a date cowl; one that is soft and luxurious but stylish for a night out, one that pulls attention to the face.

What I needed was Luxe Fur. It seemed that this yarn told me to make it into the Ridged Cowl. Does your yarn tell you what it wants to be, too? I imagined it to be like making a stylish muff for the hands but instead around my neck for that accessory that just makes an outfit work!

I’m a loom knitter. I can knit with needles but prefer my looms for less stress on my carpel tunnel and no dropped stitches. So I set out to work on my cowl and after some planning, just in GoodKnitKisses style, I made a video from start to finish.  You can find it on my YouTube channel; click here to loom along with me.  This pattern is made on the Martha Stewart Crafts Lion Brand Yarn Knit & Weave Loom Kit.

The Luxe Fur was easy to use on the loom. What I especially loved was that the fabric wasn’t too heavy; it was surprisingly lightweight. Although I could have knit the cowl in the round rather than flat, making it flat let me see how the pattern could be re-imagined into other items.  I think that is one of the best things about trying out a new style of yarn. Adding 9 more stitches at cast on could make it a cute shrug with a statement pin, broach, or even a handmade button at the top. Or you could cast on fewer stitches and use the two semi-circles included in the kit to knit a matching muff or even matching cuffs! The possibilities go on.

The pattern calls for two skeins of the Martha Stewart Crafts Lofty Wool Blend, but I only ended up needing 1 entire skein of Luxe Fur. I found that it knitted up shorter in this yarn than expected, which can happen when you try using a different yarn with an existing pattern. If I were knitting this pattern again, I would add length with two more sections of ribs to make it even more stunning.

I received so many compliments on this cowl and my husband loved it! I hope you’ll join me in trying out Luxe Fur and knitting the Loom Knit Ridge Cowl.  Don’t be afraid to use a loom; it is simply another knitting tool to produce the same beautiful knits your friends and family (…and YOU) will adore!

Happy Looming!  -Kristen at GoodKnit Kisses.

For more tip & tutorials on looms and crafting visit my YouTube channel & subscribe. (Photos courtesy of Kristen Mangus ©2012 GoodKnit Kisses)