Barb's Beginner Entrelac Cowl Adventure (Oct)

Description:  A recipe for creating an entrelac cowl with knitters’ choices of needles, yarn, and size.

Skill level Beginner for Entrelac:  Intermediate knitting, beginner entrelac – knit, purl, work in the round, pick up stitches.  Knitting backwards will be taught in the first class, but is not necessary to work the project. We will be working with a standard entrelac rectangle of 8 stitches x 15 rows in stockinette. Anyone wishing to work in different sizes or patterning within rectangles should take the intermediate/design class to be offered later this year.

Yarn to Use: 

• DK, Worsted, or Bulky see below for suggestions for gradient yarns.  Please remember that the finer the yarn you use, the more knitting and more time will be required to complete a project.
• Instructor is allergic to angora; please do not select angora or angora blend yarn for this class.

Needle Size:  Compatible with yarn weight recommended – see ball band for suggested needles.  Circular length should be shorter than desired length of cowl.

Gauge:  Gauge will be used to calculate the size of the cowl and the number of stitches needed for desired length.  To start, use needle size on yarn band.

Yarn Weight recommended:  DK, Worsted, or Bulky, or a combination of yarns held together for a similar weight.  Gradual or self-striping color changes work especially well for this technique.  Rows can also be worked using different skeins, leading to a checkerboard effect. 

Materials: 

• Approximate yardage needed depends on individual knitting but some extra is included.  Entrelac knitting includes bound-off edges as part of the interior structure, so will require more yardage than a standard scarf (Yardages below taken from Ann Budd’s scarf estimates)

• Needles as recommended on ball band of yarn, circular length should be shorter than desired length of cowl.  Two sets will be helpful for practice.
• Scrap yarn for practicing knitting backwards, roughly the same weight as your project yarn, about 20 yards should be enough.
• Regular and locking stitch markers.
• Crochet hook of similar size to needles, Stitch Fix or similar tool (hook on one end, point on the other end) as preferred, tapestry needle, scissors.
• Notepad for keeping track of progress.
• Finishing:  no special requirements.
• Optional – a gram scale and a calculator

Color-shifting yarn suggestions:

Yarns with some stretch will generally be easier to work with for entrelac. Some of the listed yarns are cotton or non-stretchy blends – they will work but may be a bit more difficult to use.

You are not restricted to these yarns; you can use one or more colors in the same weight in dk, worsted, or bulky. Again, a yarn with some stretch is suggested, and the thinner the yarn, the more knitting time is involved.

Homework for first class:

• Please purchase yarn before first class. Unwound skeins can be returned if unused.
• Please bring to class a notepad, along with the size of cowl you wish to make. A short cowl is about 22-24” long and can be as wide as you like. We will be working in the standard entrelac interval on 8 x 15 stitches per rectangle.
• Please bring extra needles and scrap yarn of a similar size to your project yarn. Cast on 24 stitches with this scrap yarn, and work several rows in stockinette or garter; we will use this in the first class to practice knitting backwards. It is easier to learn if you have an inch or so of already-knitted fabric to hold onto.
• On a second set of needles, cast on 24 stitches using your project yarn to swatch in class – we will calculate your project cast on for finished dimensions using this swatch. You can cast on both swatches on the same set of circulars if you are comfortable doing that; they will be worked separately, starting with your project yarn cast on.