The Sweet Affair Holiday Gift Set is the ideal set of knitting needles for beginner and professional knitters alike. It redefines the art of your craft to unprecedented levels of elegance. The set includes four lavish skeins of the exquisite hand-dyed Symfonie Terra wool, ensuring that your crafted pieces this autumn and winter will not only be breathtaking but will also draw admiring looks.
The included Merino wool is of premium quality, offering a softness that's gentle on the skin while being strengthened with nylon for enhanced durability in all your projects. It's also convenient to care for, being machine washable. Are you wondering what to create with the 175 grams of Symfonie Terra wool using the double-pointed or circular needles from the Sweet Affair Gift Set? Essentially, you can knit any seamless circular or flat piece your heart desires. To spark your creativity, we've compiled a list of charming and gratifying projects to get you started.
Fingerless Mittens with Fair Isle colorwork
Creating extra-long fingerless mittens with blocks of Fair Isle colorwork is a rewarding project that showcases your knitting skills and the beautiful color transitions of ca. 120 - 150 g of Symfonie Terra wool.
Cast on enough stitches using the variegated Summer Romance yarn on double-pointed knitting needles, size, 3 mm (US 2.5) to fit around the lower arm comfortably, and join in the round being careful not to twist the stitches. Knit in ribbing (k1, p1 or k2, p2) for the desired length of the cuff. Then knit two or three rounds in stockinette stitch as a buffer between the ribbing and colorwork. Place a marker for the beginning of the round.
For your blocks of colorwork, use a single color like Jodhpur Blue and combine it with a contrasting color, such as Pink Mauve or even the Summer Romance yarn blend. Use a simple knitting chart for the pattern. Remember to carry the yarn not in use loosely across the back of the work to avoid puckering.
When you reach the thumb, increase on either side of a marker to create a gusset. You'll do this every few rounds until you have enough stitches to accommodate the thumb's width. Put the thumb gusset stitches on a stitch holder, then cast on a few stitches over the gap to continue working the hand in the round. Remember to leave the top end open for the fingers.
Cabled poncho for a 2 - 3-year-old Toddler
Knitting a cabled poncho for a 2-year-old toddler with the Symfonie Terra yarn from the Sweet Affair knitting set will create a charming and warm layer for those chilly days.
For a top-down poncho, start by casting on stitches to fit comfortably around the child’s head, considering it will need to stretch over the head. Work a 2x2 or 3x2 rib for about 1 inch to create the neckline.
Now, switch to stockinette stitch (knit every round) and place markers for the increased points. These are usually at 'four corners' to mimic a raglan increase, even though you are knitting in the round. Start with the neckline on your double-pointed needles, then switch to larger circular needles as the poncho's circumference increases.
Begin your increase rounds:
- Knit to marker
- Yarn over (yo)
- Slip marker (sm)
- Knit (or purl if setting up for a cable)
- Yarn over (yo) again
- Repeat from * to * at each marker
This will create a hole characteristic of a yarn-over increase, but it's acceptable in this context as it adds a decorative eyelet detail to the yoke. Work these increase rounds at regular intervals, say every other round, to flare the poncho out gradually.
After several rounds, when you have increased enough stitches, you can start introducing cables.
Color Block Balaclava
Knitting a balaclava hat is an exciting winter project. You can knit this trendy accessory using a set of double-pointed or interchangeable circular knitting needles. For a simple color block design, switch colors after a few inches to create stripes of your preferred width.
For the neck ribbing, begin with the color you’d like for the balaclava base. Cast on enough stitches to fit around your head comfortably. Then create a snug neck that should be long enough to be folded up if desired. Now switch to stockinette stitch (knit every round) and your primary body color. Knit several rounds until you reach where the mouth opening will be.
For the mouth and forehead opening, switch to circular knitting needles and work flat (back and forth in rows). Use stitch markers to mark the beginning and end points of the face opening. Halfway through your project, it’s time to shape the head and start decreasing evenly spaced around the balaclava until you have reduced the circumference by about one-third.
After the face opening is tall enough to reach the top of the head, rejoin the round on your circular knitting needles. Optionally, you can switch to your DPNs as you will decrease rapidly now, shaping the top of the balaclava to fit the crown of the head. When only a few stitches remain, cut the yarn, leaving a long tail. To finish, pick up stitches around the mouth and face openings and add a border with ribbing or a simple crochet edge for a neat look.
As our journey through the enchanting knitting terrains with the Sweet Affair Holiday Gift Set and Symfonie Terra yarn comes to a close, it’s clear that the only limit to what you can create is your imagination. Whether gifting your hand-knit creations to loved ones or adorning yourself in knitted luxury, remember that each piece you create with the hand-dyed Symfonie wool and the elegant and professional Sweet Affair knitting needles will become a unique testament to your skill and passion.
