Fun
So Long, Marlalong & Swarfalong!
Hello dear knitting chums!
We are reaching a milestone this week: the official end of our dual knitalongs for Cecelia Campochiaro’s stunning marled designs featured in MDK Field Guide No. 19: Marls.
I hasten to note, though, that like all good knitalongs, there is no actual end. It’s not a race. Take as long as you want to finish your projects, and please continue posting them to your place of choice, whether that’s Instagram, the MDK Lounge, or Ravelry.com. We will keep looking for your Marlalong projects and sharing them with the world.
Here’s a clear takeaway: knitters are having a blast with Cecelia’s approach to marled knits in this Field Guide. I can’t remember so many knitters casting on a second project as soon as they bind off the first one. Ann and Cristina and Ashley and I are definitely not the only ones who discovered the joy of combining colors into marled masterpieces, and wanted to ride that ride again.
Let’s Take a Tour!
There were so many fantastic projects to feature that we had to call on Cristina’s mighty Canva skills to cook up some photo collages.
Feast your eyes! And then treat your needles! All the yarns for these beautiful projects are available in the MDK Shop.
Spectra Sweater
Knitters really took to the unusual construction of the Spectra Sweater, and accepted the invitation to be bold with their marls.
Cases in point: Spectra Sweater WIPS by KarenGrace and Sharleo
Swarf
It’s a scarf that looks like a sweater, when you wear it with a jacket. (In other words: it’s a dickie, but a long, elegant, updated dickie.)
To get our own Swarfs (Swarves?) done, and to celebrate the Year of the Dickie (as proclaimed by us), the Swarf received its own mini-knitalong: the Swarfalong. This is a lightning-fast knit, perfect for relaxing at the end of the day or toting along in the car, train, or bus. No seams, no picking-up of stitches—a pure joy ride that feels so good on your neck.
The star of the Swarf is the yarn: Woolfolk’s Tynd, a specially developed merino that shares its micron count with cashmere. Tynd comes in such a subtle, rich palette that it’s impossible to make a wrong marl.
And guess what: we’ve just restocked our popular Swarf Bundle, available in four colorways. Get the fixings for your Swarf at a 10 percent bundle discount, while supplies last.
Swarfs by mollgillister, lmills, redheadedsusie, mfilareckie, and mardegull
Marlogram Scarf/Cowl
Is there anything more entertaining than watching Tina Whitmore’s beautiful Ombré Merino Lace change colors as you knit? Yes—marling two skeins of those shifting colors, and watching the colors change in a kind of tango. It’s mesmerizing, and the resulting scarf or cowl (the only difference between the two is a short seam at the end) is a beautifully soft accessory.
The Marlogram is perky knitting, for when you’re bright-eyed and bushy-tailed and full up on caffeine. The sequence knitting stitch pattern reminded us that it’s possible to mess up counting to ten, but it rewarded us for getting the hang of it with a uniquely beautiful textured fabric.
Marlogram WIPs and Fos by elizblock, lynda, currie4, jennyellen, and meganc
Color Explosion Throw
If a knitalong were a runway fashion show, the Color Explosion Throw would be the wedding dress. It’s a showstopper that sails right over the top.
Lordy, did knitters love this pattern! Simple, intuitive knitting, at a comfortably big gauge, and never not entertaining. You knit one marl and you’re eager to knit the next, and the one after that, and before you know it, Netflix is asking you, “Continue watching?”—for the fourth time.
While lots of knitalongers went with our Color Explosion Throw bundle (should we add more colorways?)—there were also people digging deep in their Felted Tweed troves, and their stashes of other yarns, like Ann’s freestylin’ Mohonk Light version.
It’s such a fun way to knit. Ann is on her second Explosion (what got into her!)— and she’s worried she’s getting close to the end again. Can’t stop/won’t stop knitting at its finest.
Color Explosion Throw exploration by marykatherine, longkat, lguilders, lucy.fleming, kendal711, courtney, mmouse15, plhollingsworth, silvana29, and bewareofknitter
Ooh, Prizes!
The main reason we declare an official end to a knitalong is to award the prizes! Our two final randomly selected winners are: Longkat and MeganC! We’ll be sending them each a Knitter’s Pride Self-Love interchangeable needle set, courtesy of the nice folks at Knitter’s Pride.
Self Love Interchangeable Needles Gift Set by Knitter’s Pride
Looking forward to shipping these beauties out, with a hearty thank you to Knitter’s Pride.
Beautiful projects! I chose to marl high and low temps of the day for my temperature blanket so I’ll be marling all year!
So much beauty! WOW!
All so pretty! But I keep going back to look at mmouse15’s throw. The colors are just fabulous! Can she share what she did please?
I just went and checked the Marlalong thread in the Lounge, and it looks like mmouse15’s project is the blue-green one which does include a color card in the photo (in this article, it’s the 2nd row, lefthand picture).
If that’s the one you meant, you should be able to tell which colors from that color card in the picture. Or I’d suggest posting a reply to mmouse15 in that thread, since she’ll get an alert the next time she signs into the Lounge.
Thank you. The picture I am referencing is the bottom left throw. Maybe I am not reading the legend correctly to identify the maker?
Bravo to all! An amazing source of inspiration.
The color combos are spectacular! What a creative knitting community! Need to get my knitting mojo back!
I especially love the pillow!! Great fun!!!
This has been a very inspiring Marlalong. The color combinations are all terrific!
I finished my Swarf last evening in the very muted and beautiful Elizabeth colorway. I think Tynd may be my new favorite yarn to work with. Thanks for a fun Swarfalong!
Congratulations to the winners (and all the runners-up)! When do the Meowlalong and Swoofalong start?
I wonder what yarns MaryKatherine and LGuilders used in their projects pictured in this post. Are they marling two colors together? These projects and all the others are beautiful! I had so much on my needles I couldn’t knit along, but I’m going to knot a throw before too long!
I was so inspired by Kay’s swarf for her dog Olive, I’ve started one for my little gal. Will post pics when it’s a little closer to complete….
The Marlalong was such fun! I have been wearing my Marlogram cowl a ton, have ordered yarn for a second one, am almost finished with my Swarf, and made some good progress on finishing my marled Picket Fence blanket.
Thank you to MDK for hosting the fun, and thank you in advance for the Knitter’s Pride set! I never win random drawings and it was such a lovely and unexpected surprise after what’s turned out to be a particularly difficult week for me. Onward to the Daytripper!