opinion

Handmade: Get a little ‘Crazy’ and knit this cozy wrap

Maybe it was here last week where you learned about “Crazy,” a two-ply sport weight yarn by Stonehedge Fiber Mill in East Jordan. Or, maybe you’re like yours truly, and countless other knitters and crocheters who’ve had the pleasure of sinking our fingers into skeins of the super soft wool fibers, while falling in love with the random blend of colors, with visions of a special project!

I went crazy for “Crazy” the moment I laid eyes on it last fall during my first visit to The Wool & The Floss in Grosse Pointe under its new ownership (Melissa MacLeod of Grosse Pointe Park). It was definitely “love at first sight,” as I was attracted to the unique combination of colors in each of the different skeins, and like a kid in a candy store, I danced with excitement! After removing a couple skeins from the bend, I was just as delighted at how soft it felt, and that each color is actually two colors plied together — some more noticeable than others.

That day, I left the shop with four skeins of my new favorite yarn, but not before carefully selecting each, preferring those with mostly jewel tone colors. I wear a lot of black and enjoy popping it with colorful accessories — chunky beaded necklaces, wraps, hats, totes, etc. I envisioned an extra-long knitted wrap, and knew I’d need more skeins, but that I’d have to wait until the shop received another order I could pick and choose from.

Finally, after waiting nearly two months, I was able to purchase five additional skeins. Yippee — I could start my project! I chose a simple stitch pattern (knit one, purl one) because I wanted the main focus to be the colors — colors you don’t typically see side by side. Using long wooden needles in size 6, I cast on 130 stitches, and eagerly began knitting away. I chose wooden needles because I’d recently finished making several projects with metal needles, and my fingers craved the warmth and natural feel of wood.

I knitted one skein entirely from end to end, but decided, from that point on, I wanted more distinction between colors, so, I re-wound all my balls of yarn, separating each into smaller balls of its different colors. That way, I could place the colors side-by-side and knit them in my order of preference — something like, dark against light and bright against muted. There were a few colors I chose not to include, and once I reached 78 inches, I decided the wrap was long enough. I have the equivalent of one skein left over, and although I only needed eight, the ninth one gave me room to play with the colorwork.

It may sound a little “crazy,” but it took 360 hours of knitting, over an eight-week period at seven minutes per row, to complete the wrap! OK — I’ll admit, I went a little stir-“crazy” toward the end, but I now have, what I think, is a very attractive accessory to top some of my all black ensembles!

I must say, all throughout the knitting process, I never experienced any yarn breakage, differences in weight, or those awful slubs that have to be cut out. And, with all that yardage (230 yards per skein), I only came across one tiny knot. How amazing is that? I loved working with this yarn, and look forward to my next “Crazy” project!

Detroit News Columnist Jocelynn Brown is a longtime Metro Detroit crafter. You can reach her at (313) 222-2150, jbrown@detroitnews.com or facebook.com/DetroitNewsHandmade.

Jocelynn’s ‘Crazy’ Knitted Wrap

Level: Advanced beginner

Estimated time: 360 hours

Tools: Size 6 wooden knitting needles, scissors, measuring tape, about a size F crochet hook

Supplies: Eight (or nine) skeins of “Crazy” yarn by Stonehedge Fiber Mill

Gauge: 4 stitches per inch

Abbreviations: K knit, P purl, CO cast on, BO bind off, St(s) stitch(es)

Finished dimensions: 78 by 14 1/4 inches

Instructions

CO 130 sts

Row 1: *K1, P1, K1, P1 to end of row

Row 2: Turn and repeat from *

Continue st pattern until fabric measures 78 inches

BO in pattern, and use crochet hook to work in loose ends