Cottonwood Cuffs-The Violets
Materials
6- 60 yd/skeins of Ashland Bay’s Cottonwood Blue Face Leicester wool dyed in a color progression
#2- double pointed needles
Stitch marker
Finished size – 7 ½” long, 6” around flared to 7 ½” at the bottom of the cuff. The width of the cuff can be resized very easily.
Arrange your colors in the dye progression, from the lightest to the darkest. Choose the lightest color as #1.
Project notes: The first section of the cuffs is a flat piece knit in garter stitch on straight needles. The rectangle is sewn together to create the tube. Stitches are picked up on both ends of the tube and are knit in the round. I originally planned to have the cuffs match each other but when I was knitting the second cuff, I accidentally choose the wrong color sequence. This knitting continued longer than I was willing to rip out and start over. I am writing the pattern as though the cuffs match. You, of course can choose whatever colors you would like to use.
Cast on 20 stitches with color # 1.
Pattern
Row 1. With color #1 knit 2 rows in garter stitch; knit all rows.
Row 2. With color #3 knit 2 rows in garter stitch.
Continue pattern rows 1 and 2 with the 2 colors until the piece measures 6” or the length it requires to wrap around your wrist, snug but comfortable.
Option #1 – Leave the stitches on the needle. Using another needle pick up 20 stitches along the cast on edge as shown here. Sharp pointed needles work very well for this or use a needle several sizes smaller to pick up the stitches. With right sides together knit the stitches off in a three needle bind off. Turn right side out.
Option #2 – Bind off last row. With right sides held together, sew the two ends together. Turn right side out.
Using color #6, and with 3 double pointed needles, pick up stitches along one end of the cuff. If your piece was 6” pick up 44 sts. This will be 1 stitch for every garter ridge. If you knit a longer piece, pick up the additional number of stitches. End with an even number of stitches. Place a marker at the end of the round.
The next 2 rows are in seed stitch.
Row 1. K1, P1, K1, P1 continue this pattern for the complete round.
Row 2. P1, K1, P1, K1 continue this pattern for the complete round.
Change to color #4 and knit for ½ inch.
Add color #6 for 2 color knitting in 1X1 rib pattern.
K1 color #4, P1 color #6
Continue knitting this for ¾”
With color #4, bind off with the elastic bind off method.
On the other end of the cuff, with color #6 and double pointed needles pick up 44 stitches place a marker at the end of the round.
The next 2 rows are in seed stitch.
Row 1. K1, P1, K1, P1 continue this pattern for the complete round.
Row 2. P1, K1, P1, K1 continue this pattern for the complete round.
Using color #3, knit in the round for ½”. Increase 1 stitch on the last round (45 stitches). If you picked up more than 44 stitches on the end of the cuff adjust your stitch number to be divisible by 5.
Bobble Row – This row will use color #3 and the bobbles will be knit with color# 5.
K4, MB*, K4, MB*, continue this pattern for a complete round. You will have 9 bobbles if you started the row with 45 sts.
MB* (make bobble)– With color #5 Knit into the front and back of the stitch. Turn work and P 2 stitches, Turn work and slip 1 stitch, k 1 stitch, psso.
With color #3, knit in the round for another ½”.
The last section of the cuff starts with a K2, P1 rib with 2 colors. The increases are in the K2 sections slowly so that there is a soft flare at the end of the cuff. The color changes occur in the P1, stitches.
Change to color # 3 and #4. With Color #4, K2, Color#3 P1, #4 K2, #3 P1, etc. Follow this pattern for 4 complete rounds. On the 5th round continue with the pattern except with color #3 increase 1 stitch (K into f &B for the increase) in every other knit stitch set plus the last knit stitch pair (53 sts)
With color #4, continue with the knit stitch pattern set up in the row above, change to color #2 for the purl stitches. Follow this patter for 4 complete rounds. On the 5th round increase 1 stitch in the knit pairs that only have 2 stitches (60 sts).
Continuing with color #4 as the knit stitch pattern (K3), change to color #1 for the purl and follow pattern for 5 complete rounds.
Bind off loosely with color#1.