Natural fibers are the heart and soul of Farm & Fiber Knits. We want to help you explore these yarns no matter where you find them—your local yarn store, at a farmer's market, or deep in your stash. We’ve gathered three great pattern recipes by Sandi Rosner into one convenient eBook, and we hope this collection helps you find the perfect use for great yarns—even those precious odd balls.
Using a simple set of measurements, Sandi knitted a sweet pair of mitts with less than 100 yards of leftover Wooldreamers La Rinconada.
Editor Kate Larson loves exploring new fibers and yarns, so she most often begins a new project by falling in love with a yarn before looking for a pattern to go with it. Sitting down with a new skein, trying a few needle sizes, and then mulling over which she likes best is a joy. Especially when it comes to accessories such as socks, mitts, and hats, Kate prefers choosing the needle size and gauge that create the right fabric, rather than knitting more tightly or loosely to suit pattern instructions.
Sandi's recipe for making classic afterthought-heel socks was originally published in Spin Off Fall 2024. Kate's knitted this pair using two small-batch beauties: Bear Mountain Sock from Hudson Valley Fibers and Masham Mayhem 4ply from Ginger Twist Studio. These "sister socks" are knitted using a helical knitting technique (see Resources).
When we are working with small-batch yarns or interesting fibers, the knitted gauge we like best might not fit neatly into common pattern requirements. A great solution is to use pattern recipes like those in the Wanderlust Collection. These recipes are designed to allow you to adjust the instructions to suit the yarn as well as fine-tune the finished size. Knitwear designer and technical editor Sandi Rosner created all three of the recipes in this eBook to give you control over your knitting!
Sandi knitted this beanie using about 145 yards of Green Mountain Spinnery Cozy Cotton that remained from other projects.
Here’s how it works:
STEP 1: Knit a swatch and measure the stitches per inch and rows per inch.
STEP 2: Take the body measurements detailed in the pattern (head, hands, or feet).
STEP 3: Follow the instructions in the worksheet to calculate cast-on, increases, and more.
STEP 4: Get knitting!
Worksheets
You can print and fill out the worksheets included in the Wanderlust Collection eBook, or you can download a print-friendly PDF in the Farm & Fiber Knits library that includes only the worksheets. We are excited to help you make use of the great yarns, and we would love to see the results. Share your makes in the Farm & Fiber Knits library at the link below!
Happy knitting!
Subscribers can find the Wanderlust Collection eBook, complete with printable worksheets, in the Farm & Fiber Knits library.
Resources
- Learn how to use the tidy and stretchy Twisted German cast-on for your Wanderlust Socks.
- See Kate’s tips for working jogless stripes in any Wanderlust pattern.
- Get Sandi Rosner’s expert advice on joining new yarns.
- Learn the Magic Loop for knitting in the round.