One is none

Let's leave aside the question of when to knit everything. When I slip into the realm of dreams in the evening (and therefore sometimes fall asleep before the children) and think about my next Maschenfein order, I don't want to burden myself with doubts!

So back to project planning. Sometimes it starts with spotting a new design or a (new) yarn. That's what happened to us recently with Poppy from Sandnes. The yarn, which consists of 50% superfine alpaca, 35% cotton and 15% virgin wool, has been around for a while now. But new colors have been added - and we had to take a closer look.

Sandra has received a package with the new colors. While the first set was mainly focused on speckled shades, it now includes a beautiful natural white, a light and dark gray and a deep navy tone. What you can do with them!

We already have some kits for the yarn in the store, which you can also use as an alternative for Kos from Sandnes and Snefnug from CaMaRose. All three are tubular yarns, just in different compositions.

You can also play with the yarn composition this week with the Waves model from ChrisBerlin. Virgin wool, silk and mohair - and if you like, add a touch of cashmere.

How do you do that? By varying the set. We have prepared two versions for you: You can either knit the beautiful scarf with wide but flat cables using Como and Premia from Lamana or you can use the yarn Como Cashmere instead of Como. I already mentioned it last week: both yarns are identical in length and weight, only the composition varies (100 % virgin wool vs. 70 % virgin wool and 30 % cashmere). The finished size of the scarf is approx. 180 x 40 cm.

Scarf or sweater? This cannot be said quite so clearly for the following model: the FAKE SWEATER scarf from Paula_m looks like a sweater at first glance, but it only consists of one half and can be worn loosely around the shoulders - just like a sweater.

The design is easy to knit and a perfect beginner's project. It is worked in one piece in rows. Start by knitting the back in stockinette with a half brioche hem. Then the work is divided: The right and left "sleeves" are worked separately and then finished with a half brioche cuff. You can choose the yarn again. You can either use Como and Premia from Lamana or Snefnug from CaMaRose.

Jule and I also stumbled across some knitted little things again this week, which can also come in a particularly elegant version. How about a beautiful cashmere hat for Christmas? PetiteKnit has brought out her gaudy Weekend Hat, which she once knitted from Cashmere Worsted by Pascuali.

Unfortunately, the yarn has been discontinued, but Cashmere Charis (70% virgin wool, 30% cashmere) is a wonderful substitute. You won't find the same shade of red here, but you will find a deep bordeaux, for example. And if I look into my crystal ball, I dare to predict: Bordeaux will be a theme in the coming weeks - I've been coming across this color again and again lately!

For those who want to go all out: We have also added a set with Cashmere Large from Cardiff to the hat. Here you will find Hermes, a strong shade of red. And of course the set with Double Sunday is still available - a beanie made from merino yarn is and remains a safe bet - and you can also find great shades of red here!

We have also added the same yarn alternatives to Mette's Sophie Shawl. And even though I have absolutely no capacity at the moment, I really have to hit my fingers here. How great would a nice, simple shawl like this be for the cooler weather? And didn't we want to think about knitting obstacles at a later stage anyway?

So the same applies to this garter stitch model: you can choose Alpakka Ull from Sandnes as usual or you can switch to Cashmere Large from Cardiff or Cashmere Charis from Pascuali. Of course, the knitting sets differ in price, but maybe one or the other is still looking for a nice gift (for herself).

In keeping with the end of Socktober, I have another ultra-cute sock tip for you: I came across the Happy Reindeer Socks from Lary Knits on Instagram - and I absolutely have to show you the model!

The toe of the socks is adorned with a reindeer head with - of course! - red nose. The shaft features the familiar holly branches with red berries. Unfortunately, they are difficult to make as a set as only one size is specified and you can vary the size using the needle size. This is very individual, but if you fancy trying it out: We recommend Edelweiss Alpaka from Kremke Soul Wool. The great thing here: The 4-ply sock yarn comes in 25-gram balls and is particularly suitable for multicolored socks.

To make it easier for you to find knitting ideas for the Advent and Christmas season, we have added "Christmas kits" to the navigation bar under "Knitting and crochet kits". This makes it even easier for you to search and browse and make ambitious plans. In the meantime, you can also listen to our latest podcast episode. In it, Marisa and I talk about Christmas sweaters and what you could still make before Christmas ...