bobbles – Granary Knits

Yule is the second pattern in The Wheel of the Year Collection.

Yule is a time of celebration, a time to feast on the riches the earth has provided throughout the year and stored against a harsh winter. Yule, originally a twelve-day festival, in modern times occurs on (or around) 21st December and is also known as the Winter Solstice in the Northern Hemisphere. The Holly King is now in the ascendant, and the design of the Yule Shawl reflects his reign.

Yule is a circular loose-fitting cape, knit in the round using an Aran weight yarn for warmth. The relaxed fit caters for a wide range of sizes, and allows plenty of room for arms to move. It has an all-over pattern of branches and holly berries, and an edge reminiscent of the holly leaf. The background to the pattern is garter in the round, and the branches are formed with a combination of slipped stitches, slipped travelling stitches, and knots. The travelling stitches can be worked with or without a cable needle.

Sizes given in the pattern:
teen chest size: 70 – 99 cm / 28 – 39 ¾”
medium adult chest size: 100 – 125 cm / 40 – 50”
large adult chest size: 126 – 150 cm / 50 ½ – 60”

Yarn requirements for the three sizes:
teen 750 m / 820 yds
medium adult 830 m / 908 yds
large adult 950 m / 1,039 yds

Depth of the cape is the same for all sizes, 56 cm / 22 ½”, but may be lengthened (or shortened a little) as described in the instructions.

The sample is shown in Medium Adult size; neck circumference 53 cm / 21 ¼”, length from neck to hem 56 cm / 22 ½”.

This pattern has been thoroughly and professionally tech edited, but has not been test knit except by me. Full pattern support is available by email.

In addition to the pattern instructions, I have produced a photo tutorial for making the knots on the surface and along the edge of the cape.

Yule is available from the Granary Knits Ravelry and Payhip stores.

Knots and bobbles add texture and interest to knitted garments and accessories, but there is no denying the fact that making them interrupts the flow of knitting. Bobbles, with their multi-row construction, can be such a distraction that people avoid adding them, which is a shame as they do look fabulous particularly tucked in amidst cables and other textured stitches. I find knots, however, are much easier to knit and look just as effective as bobbles, whilst taking less time to make and cause less disruption to the flow of knitting.

Knots can be made in any size, just use an odd number of stitches – 3 for small, 5 for medium, 7 for enormous (depending upon your yarn weight). They can be placed in the body of a garment or used as a type of picot along a cast off edge to add stretch and interest. Here I describe how I make the small cast off variety, followed by the larger surface detail knots. The basic principal is the same for any size of knot, edge or body.

Small Knots on a Cast Off Edge

**Cast off up to the point where the small knot will be made, marked with a calabash pin. The cast off stitch on the RH needle, here, waits its turn.**

**Purl, knit, purl into the marked stitch (you could used k, p, k depending on the pattern, but purl first and last helps the knot to “sit” on the RS surface)**

**Reading from the left, pass the 2nd stitch on the RH needle over the 1st**

**Pass the cast off stitch over the remaining knot stitch**

**The completed small edge knot, with the cast off stitches tucked behind it to enhance its prominence**

**The completed edge showing a small 3-stitch knot in the centre of the curved edge, flanked by two 5-stitch knots**

**Close-up of the small 3-stitch knot, an unobtrusive but neat detail on the edge of a cape**

Large Knots as Surface Detail

Large knots add texture and interest on the surface of a garment, and I find they are easier to make than bobbles.

At the point where the knot is to be made, (**purl, knit, purl, knit, purl) into the stitch designated (you could used (k, p, k, p, k) depending on the pattern, but purl first and last helps the knot to “sit” on the RS surface)**. Here I am working into a slipped knit stitch.

**A clearer view of the five stitches in one**

**Pass the 5th and last stitch over the 1st**

**The completed knot after working a few more rows/rounds of the fabric**

The samples shown here are of the Yule cape, second in the Wheel of the Year collection of shawls and accessories. The pattern will be published in December 2024.

Tag: bobbles

Yule

Making Knots

Small Knots on a Cast Off Edge

Large Knots as Surface Detail