Here we are at the last post of the week with the wonderful new Truva by Universal Yarn.
It’s been wonderful using this cotton and cashmere blended yarn to create different knitting designs and see how versatile it is. The lace design I knitted for yesterday’s post exceeded my expectations!
Truva yarn in Chambray (top), Medallion (left), and Sandcastle (right)
Someone asked, or rather challenged me a while ago to create a project where they didn’t have to count the rows between the cables. When I started working with Truva by Universal Yarn in my first post, Knitting with the NEW TRUVA Universal Yarn is TRULY luxurious I decided to try this challenge out by knitting a chemo cap in the round. The heathery tones of Truva make a more subtle yarn, well suited to an all-over cable pattern.
Truva’s unusual blend of cotton and cashmere fibers makes it very soft, and the fact that it has little elasticity means it’ll be even more gentle on patients who have lost their hair due to chemo treatments. This is a great way to try out this new-to-me yarn and end up with something to donate to a worthy cause.
This cap is knitted from the top down in the round, so it will appeal to no-sew knitters.
I tested my no-count cable challenge on flat knitting, too, and have included a small swatch for that as well. This could be applied to an all-over textured sweater.
The flat swatch is worked in the color Medallion with size 6 [4mm] straight needles. The cables are the same as for the hat: 4 stitch cables, crossed behind to form a right twist. The pattern repeats every 15 stitches and every 6 rows. The cables step to the left on every pattern row. This stepping makes it possible to work the pattern without counting the rows between each twist.
My tension on this piece measured 28 sts to 4” over the cable pattern.
Cast on 49 sts.
Bottom border
Row 1: *k1, p1; rep from * to last st, k1.
Repeat Row 1 8 more times.
Set up Row: (k1, p1) 3 times, k1, *p3, in next st work p1, k1; rep from * to last 6 sts, (p1, k1) 3 times (58 sts).
Row 2: (k1, p1) 3 times, *p1, c4b, (p1, k4) twice; rep from * twice, p1, (p1, k1) 3 times.
Row 3: (k1, p1) 3 times, k1, *p4, k1; rep from * to last 6 sts, (p1, k1) 3 times.
Row 4: (k1, p1) 3 times, *p1, k4, p1, c4b, p1, k4; rep from * to last 7 sts, p1, (p1, k1) 3 times.
Row 5: as Row 3.
Row 6: (k1, p1) 3 times, *(p1, k4) twice, p1, c4b; rep from * to last 7 sts, p1, (p1, k1) 3 times.
Row 7: As Row 3.
Repeat Rows 2 through 7 for desired length.
Top border
Decrease row: (k1, p1) 4 times, *k2tog, p1, k1, p1; rep from * 8 times more, (p1, k1) 4 times (49 sts).
Work Row 1 9 times. Cast off all sts, weave in ends.
Once the first repeat is complete, the knitter can ‘read’ the pattern. When the third cable twists nearest to the needle, the next right side row cables twist on the first cable, and so on.
As I work these cables, I can feel the twist from the cable worked on the second last row (or round). I use this as a tactile cue that the next four knit stitches will need the cable needle.
The entire center panel of this sample, shown below, (after the first repeat of cables) was done while I socialized at a knitting gathering – no rows were counted! To block this sample, I pinned it out slightly on my wool pressing pad, gave it several shots of steam from my steam iron, then left it to dry.
No-count cable swatch
The hat pattern has two options for the brim. On the gray one, I carried the cables down into the bottom band, incorporating them into the ribbing until the third cable of the repeat was complete. On the mandarin hat, I changed to larger needles twice and carried the cable pattern to the bottom edge of the hat to make the cables flare out and form the brim. To give the cast-off an extra bit of structure, I added a second strand of yarn and worked the cast off with two strands and the largest needles.
The effect is subtle, but the cables continue twisting into the first few rows of the ribbed brim. This cap weighs exactly 48 grams, so it’s a squeaker for using up a full ball of yarn.
In the interest of full disclosure, for the cloche brim, I needed about 10 yards of yarn from a second ball, so 3 balls of Truva make two chemo caps.
This no-count cable challenge was very successful. I knitted one entire cloche hat while binge-watching an Italian drama series with English subtitles. And I had to read those subtitles because my Italian isn’t that good!
No-count Cable Chemo Cap
materials
- 1 ball Universal Yarn Truva, 50% cotton, 50% cashmere, 1.75oz [50g], 164 yd [150m] per ball (Sample is in mandarin)
- Size 5 [3.75mm] double point needles – also size 6 [4mm] and size 7 [4.5mm] for cloche version
Tension: 30 sts to 4” in cable pattern using size 5 [3.75mm] needles.
abbreviations
K – knit
P – purl
Kfb – knit into the front and back legs of the same stitch.
M1 – lift the bar from the space between the stitches on the left and right needle, place the bar over the left needle so the left end of the bar is behind it and the right of the bar in front, knit the bar through the back of the loop.
C4b – slip 2 stitches onto a cable needle, knit the next 2 stitches, and knit stitches from the cable needle.
Rnd – round
Sts – stitches
instructions
Cast on 4 sts onto one dpn, slide sts to the opposite end as for an i-cord.
Rnd 1: kfb in every st (8 sts), divide sts onto 3 or 4 needles.
Rnd 2: kfb in every st (16 sts).
Rnd 3: *p1, k1; rep from * around.
Rnd 4: *p1, k1, m1; rep from * around (24 sts).
Rnd 5: *p1, k2; rep from * around.
Rnd 6: *p1, k2, m1; rep from * around (32 sts).
Rnd 7: *p1, k3; rep from * around.
Rnd 8: *p1, k3, m1; rep from * around (40 sts).
Rnd 9: *p1, k4; rep from * around.
Rnd 10: *p1, k4, m1; rep from * around (48 sts).
Rnd 11: *p1, k4 p1; rep from * around.
Rnd 12: *p1, k4, p1, m1; rep from * around (56 sts).
Rnd 13: *p1, k4, p1 k1; rep from * around.
Rnd 14: *p1, k4, p1, k1, m1; rep from * around (64 sts).
Rnd 15: *p1, k4, p1, k2; rep from * around.
Rnd 16: *p1, k4, p1, k2, m1; rep from * around (72 sts).
Rnd 17: *p1, k4, p1, k3; rep from * around.
Rnd 18: *p1, k4, p1, k3, m1; rep from * around (80 sts).
Rnd 19: (p1, k4) around.
Rnd 20: *(p1, k4) twice, m1; rep from * around (88 sts).
Rnd 21: *(p1, k4) twice, p1; rep from * around.
Rnd 22: *(p1, k4) twice, p1, m1; rep from * around (96 sts).
Rnd 23: *(p1, k4) twice, p1, k1; rep from * around.
Rnd 24: *(p1, k4) twice, p1, k1, m1; rep from * around (104 sts).
Rnd 25: *(p1, k4) twice, p1, k2; rep from * around.
Rnd 26: *p1, c4b, p1, k4, p1, k2, m1; rep from * around (112 sts).
Rnd 27: *(p1, k4) twice, p1, k3; rep from * around.
Rnd 28: *p1, k4, p1, c4b, p1, k3, m1; rep from * around (120 sts).
Rnd 29: *(p1, k4) around.
Rnd 30: *(p1, k4) twice, p1, c4b; rep from * around.
Rnd 31: *(p1, k4) around.
Rnd 32: *p1, c4b, (p1, k4) twice; rep from * around.
Rnds 33, 35, and 37: *(p1, k4) around.
Rnd 34: *p1, k4, p1, c4b, p1, k4; rep from * around.
Rnd 36: *(p1, k4) twice, p1, c4b; rep from * around.
Repeat Rnds 32 through 37 until length from last inc measures 4½ – 5” [11-12cm], ending with a Round 37.
Cloche brim
Change to size 6 [4mm] needles and work Rounds 32 through 37, then change to size 7 [4.5mm] needles and work Rounds 32 through 37. To give the cast-off edge structure, join in a second length of yarn and cast off all sts with size 7 [4.5mm] needles.
Ribbed brim
Continue with size 5 [3.75mm] needles.
Rnd 1: Work Rnd 31.
Rnd 2: As Rnd 32.
Rnd 3: *p1, k1, p1, k2tog, p1, c4b, p1, k4; rep from * around (112 sts).
Rnd 4: *(p1, k1) twice, (p1, k4) twice; rep from * around.
Rnd 5: *(p1, k1) 3 times, p1, m1, p1, k1, p1, c4b; rep from * around (120 sts).
Rnd 6: *(p1, k1) 6 times, p1, k2tog; rep from * around (112) sts.
Rnd 7: *p1, k1; rep from * around.
Rep Rnd 7 10 times, cast off all sts. Weave in ends.
Changing needle sizes gives the brim of the hat a soft, bucket-style flare that flatters many face shapes.
It would be great if we could all buy some Truva and create a wave of donations to our local cancer centers!
L-R: Squared Check pattern in Crocus (Post 3); ‘vanilla’ stockinette sample with ribbed borders in Sandcastle (Post 2); Cable Chemo Cap in Mandarin (Post 5); Little Leaf Lace (Post 4); Cable Chemo Cap in Sandcastle and no-count cables swatch in Medallion (Post 5).
So, that’s a wrap for this week. Hope you’ve enjoyed seeing the many designs you can knit with the new Truva Universal yarn, and how plentiful the possibilities are.
From the editor: Here is a very informative post with more knitting ideas, including crochet and quilting, Decorate Your Home with Crochet, Knitting, and Quilting: The Experts Tell Us How to Do It
