Projects
The Most Interesting Stranded Stripe Throw in the World
Dear Ann,
After a delightful dalliance with Kaffe’s Pinwheel pattern, I turned around and ran straight into the loving arms of a stitch pattern that I’ve already knit for five feet or so.
You guessed it. I’m back at the Coins again.
Sometimes a stitch pattern is Your Pattern. You must embrace that pattern with all your heart.
Ann: This is your fault, kind of. The sight of you wearing your Stranded Stripe Throw as a regal, flowing garment all weekend as you trod the psychedelic carpet of the Marriott Marquis for Vogue Knitting Live—it was intoxicating. That throw, at the enlarged scale of your modification, is a breathtaking piece of knitting. And since I had watched you knitting on it for an entire weekend in Florida back in November, I knew for sure that this project would be Good Fun.
When it crossed my mind that I could knit an entire blanket’s worth of Coins—Coins, Coins, and more Coins—I couldn’t resist it.
To amuse myself, I’m using every color in my big bag o’ tweedies. It’s not the full palette of Felted Tweed that Kaffe deployed for the patterns in MDK Field Guide No. 13, but it comes pretty close. I may be requisitioning the missing shades from MDK World Headquarters, so that my Stranded Stripe Throw can live up to its working title: the Shade Card Blanket.
Things to Know
I cast on 254 stitches. That’s the 8-stitch multiple of Coins times 31, plus 1 stitch to set the pattern symmetrically, plus 5 stitches for the steek. For a frame of reference, the cast-on for the Stranded Stripe Throw in its original dimensions is 174 stitches.
The Coins go on and on…
The background color is Stone. As charted out in the Field Guide, the background color for the coins motif typically changes for each new stripe. I’m not doing that. I like the look of the coins floating in space. The juicier colors of Felted Tweed pop against the Stone background—that Vaseline Green, fourth from the left!—while the more blah shades melt into it, in a way I find very pleasing.
When I’ve done a row of coins in every color I’ve got, I’ll assess the length. To make it long enough, I think I’ll need to work my way through the stripe sequence (30 colors or so) one more time, in reverse order.
I’m vaguely alternating warm and cool colors. I can never figure out whether lavender/purple tones are warm or cool, so they are universal donors.
I am knitting the steek in vertical stripes because it looks cool, and so that I’ll have a nice clear line, in Stone, to cut down the middle.
Vaseline Green, sandwiched between rage and Zinnia—the thrill never gets old.
Yes, I’m planning on doing the needle-felted steek. We only live once! Grab for the gusto!
I can say without exaggeration that this blanket is my life right now. I’ve fallen asleep knitting it. When even partially awake, I’m either knitting on it, or wishing I were knitting on it.
Love,
Kay
You and Ann are my blanket impetus. I sidetracked onto my first blanket in years (ok. It’s my second blanket ever. My first was Mitered Crosses. Oh, the fun! Searching out the discontinued at that time background color. Never wondering why I needed more. Just blindly buying.). Just recently I couldn’t stand it and started a heavily modified 9 Patch blanket. I am determined to use stash. See above. Now, I want coins and that will require more purchasing. Thank you!
PS. I had to give my partially assembled squares away. I discovered the rashes? Yeah. No mohair content for me! Or, alpaca. I can’t bear to admit cashmere is a no.
make it into a sleeping bag!
it would be so cool, and you don’t have to deal with that giant steek
I admire your stamina with blankets, yours are all amazing achievements..
I made the Coins Tubular scarf as soon as I saw it and was so sorry the day it was finished! I have worn it almost every day since and miss knitting those coins every day too. This idea is so tempting!
Kay, it’s absolutely amazing! I’m looking forward to the possible post where you discuss how to decide which color(s) to use for the border. Blah or bright, they are all so lovely. Right now I’m rather smitten with the color Ancient.
Kay, your coins blanket will be a personal masterpiece and is very much an inspiration to me. After reading your articles on felted steeling I pretty much immediately ordered the Clover and a needle felting kit(makes little animals)as I am not as intrepid as you two and need to start much smaller. My venture project, a little dancing fox, is adorable and has definitely given me the self confidence to felt steek any future project!! Now which one should that be
I love it! The dots in all their glory!
Beautiful! The way you arranged your colors is very pretty. You are a knitting machine!
It’s beautiful! I love the floating coins!
So do I. I find myself zoning out . . . floating with the coins . . .
OH!!!! This is just so, so, SO PRETTY.
Both of you are turning my knitting life upside down and inside out, in the most delightful ways!! I’m honing my rule-breaking skills and I am now committed to a Kaffe blanket after banging out a Main Squeeze!
“Universal donor colors”. LOVE.
How in the world do you do it?? I’m still knitting on my tubular scarf. I hope to finish today. It feels like it has taken forever. Never mind that I have frogged half of it . . . . You and Ann are my hero’s!!
And here I was feeling triumphant with my doublewide Parallelogram! You are amazing. I think I’ve got some compatible stash to at least try a few coins, but I’m thinking cowl, not cover-up!
The Double Wide is no small achievement! Kudos Maggi!
Universal Donor! Perfect.
I am joyfully working on the stranded stripe throw but I’m wondering what the back is going to look like when I’m finished. Will all those floats really snuggle up together or will I have to dream up a backing? Suggestions please!
KAFFE FOR-EVAH!!!❤️❤️
No backing needed! Enjoy the woven effect that comes with your stranded knitting.
Agree!
Kay, What beauty—and what FUN! You and Ann continue to inspire me—thank you!
So magnificent!!!! Absolutely love this!
Stunning! And please, when this is finished, photos of you and Ann together wearing your magnificent blankets!
Yes! For posterity. Think of the great grandchildren!
I feel stupid asking but why did you make your blanket wider than the one in the book? Did you just want a bigger blanket?
Yes, simple as that. It’s so easy to change the dimensions given the utter lack of shaping, and I think I am programmed to always tweak a pattern…just a little…
How many skeins of the Stone would I need to make mine like yours? You’ve set me a challenge for 2020.
At the size I’m knitting (254 stitches), I go through a ball of Stone for every 5-6 single stripes of Coins. So I’m estimating 9 or 10 balls of Background color will be needed. I’m going to quit when it feels long enough but I think the maximum will be 60 stripes of Coins.
It is absolutely stunning as is Ann’s. Truly a tour de force. My question (for both of you–or anyone really), is what about all the floats on the reverse side? Won’t they snag on cat’s nails, people’s toes, etc.?
Just when I think I’ve found the perfect Kaffe blanket to make, you show us another one! I love this coins blanket with a solid color background! I think I need to order even more balls of yarn in a solid, either the stone or clay. How many balls do you think I would need for the solid background if doing a 40’ x 60’ blanket or throw?
gah… this is just stunning!! I have a major urge now to make one!!!
Love the light gray as background color. It seems like the perfect backdrop for all those other colors while still maintaining each one’s integrity (you know how colors usually seem to change their look depending on what’s next to them?). Like everyone else your knitting output amazes me. I get all giddy just completing a baby tee.
Lavender is the type O of knitting! Still averting my eyes from the pile of Starcroft Fog leftovers that are getting louder every day, whispering that they want to be a coins project.
The cowl was great, but those FLOATING coins…they’re EVERYTHING. ❤️❤️❤️
I knew I’d like it but had no idea how much I’d love it.
Did you trap floats on coins at their widest? Inquiring minds want to know!
Nope I’m not trapping. Floats are 7 stitches long at their widest and they will not be a snagging hazard unless someone tries to grab a float on purpose. It’s so much more fun to knit without trapping.
Yay! I was looking for validation and I got it! I am hooked on these Kaffe projects, and really want to do a coins blanket. First I need to complete the Kaffe blanket that I am working on…
Lovely…..and oh so interesting. Thank you for all your efforts, as well. QUESTION: Why steek? I don’t understand. I should google it, but figure you folks would answer in five words of less; LOL!! Thanks!!
I am knitting a scarf with striped coins now and love it! I want to try a blanket..but are you really going to felt steek this one? I have never steeked anything, and I hate using a sewing machine. I read through the comments and agree that no backing would be preferable.
Thanks!!!
oh my goodness I feel the same way about the blanket I just crocheted for my soon-to-be great niece! I used the ‘Crop Circles’ guide from Amanda Perkins’s book ‘Rainbow Crocheted Afghans’, but switched up the colors, yarn, sequence, size, etc..all but the exact numbers for the basic circle – which was perfect & easily followed, as well as the edging turning the circle into a square.
I’m about to finish a coins cowl (I also kept the background one color instead of the stripes) and I just know there are more coins projects in my future. In fact, I’m imagining that for the rest of my life, there will be a coins project on the needles at all times. I think next is a long tubular scarf of the coins with the stripes.
I plan to start a blanket soon. I’ll be knitting in the round as you did. I understand the steek , however, I don’t understand the one extra stitch to center the knitting. Is it necessary?
I can’t figure out why you knit this as a tube, rather than straight back and forth knitting. It’s gorgeous and I’d love to make one, but I lack courage for steeking and stranding.
I’ve not put down my felted tweed projects in 2 years now. I love this throw and I’m wondering if a finished photo was ever posted. I believe this is where my remaining felted tweed will be used:) Thanks!