Use coupon code, “CrownIt” for 25% off the pattern through 5/20.

Crown It
by Corrado Lark

The Needs:

The Needles:

• For a neckwarmer cowl or infinity scarf: US 6 16” circular needle.

• For a beanie style hat: US 5 16” circular needle. US 6 32-40” magic looping circular needles or DPNs.

The Notions:

• A stitch marker and a darning needle.

Yarn:

• 1 skein of HelloMello HandSpun 100% North American Cormo DK, 276 yds/3.5 oz.(~100g).*

Gauge:

• 18 sts and 28 rows per 4” blocked in Round 2 repeat. I wouldn’t swatch, I’d just cast on for this one. Whatever needle you’d use for a nice DK weight stockinette (Round 2) or Ribbing (Rounds 1 or 3).

Finished dimensions:

• Neckwarmer cowl: 26” circumference and 8 ½” height when knit as written.
• Infinity scarf: 52” circumference and 5” height when knit as written.
• Hat size: sm (m, l, xl). Actual circumference (no ease): 18” (20”, 22”, 24”).

Stitches/Techniques Used:

• Knit, purl, knit through the back loop, knit two together. Beginner friendly!

The Backstory:

I was listening to the latest Alessia Cara EP (“Summertime”, it’s very good, though I’m likely far older than her typical fan base) and she has a song called “OKAY OKAY”.

It talks a little bit about “faking it till you make it”, though in much more current and eloquent terms, and I thought back to my own basics and how, when I started as a designer I was totally just throwing ideas out there that I came up with. Fake it till you make it wasn’t my motto per say, but in essence it’s what I was doing as a self-taught knitter of only a year and a half when I started designing. It’s not that I don’t just throw cool concepts out there now, but my references are much broader these days and my final products are much cleaner.

So I’m not so much faking it as much as I once had. I don’t have the need to; I know what I’m doing and why I’m doing it. I make choices that may not be the most standard. I explore weird textures and mixed patterns and stitches and weights. I offer multiple options in most of my patterns that will let those designs evolve exponentially over time.

And so in honor of Alessia’s tune, I’m saying it’s about time to crown myself as a designer to watch, and one that most knitters should try knitting a pattern from at least once. I work extremely hard at my designs, pushing myself every day of my life. I want to share my knitting journey with as many people as possible, and explore this wild world where numbers meet creativity.

So crown it, people!

The cowl is a super simple reversible knit that resembles a crown. So I turned the pattern into a matching hat; an actual crown. Thematically I go to royalty often, it just feels right.