Big, bulky knits are "in" this year, which is good news for knitters who are rushing to make their Christmas deadline. This trend for oversized knits in simple stitch patterns has been building for several years, and still shows a lot of staying power.
I first noticed the oversized knits trend when someone sent me a link to the GAP-Tastic Cowl. This simple cowl is knit in seed stitch at 3 stitches to the inch, and was inspired by "a really cool, huge loopy cowl at the Gap."
I have made this cowl as a gift item several times, and each time it gets rave reviews from both knitters and non-knitters alike. It's also a good choice for teenage girls and women in their early 20s, who can be a difficult demographic to knit for, fashion-wise. High fashion at a fast-to-knit gauge: talk about a win-win!
Large-scale knits have been around for a while, of course. Designer Wenlen Chia has been producing patterns for super-bulky high-fashion knitwear for years for the likes of Vogue Knitting and her own collections such as Twinkle's Seventh Avenue.
Here are some tips to make a successful high-fashion large-gauge project:
1. Use a light-colored yarn. Oatmeal, very light dove grey, and off-white are all winners. Occasionally a slate gray or dark brown might work. Bright colors are out.
2. Stick to a basic yarn, no frills, halo, or fringe.
3. Choose a simple stitch pattern. Garter stitch, seed stitch, 2x2 ribbing - you're going for a clean, modern look. Anything fancier and you risk making it look too busy.
If the GAP-tastic Cowl isn't quick enough for you, check out the pattern for Superduper in the latest issue of Knitty Magazine. It works up at 3 stitches per 4 inches, and the project's unique construction means that you can wear it several different ways.
Image courtesy Flickr/welshkaren
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