Wednesday, September 20, 2025, Issue 408: Happy Wednesday! What is on your needles?

• Posted on 10 September 2025
• By Sue
• Posted in Fall Knitting, knitting inspiration, September 2025, sweater weather
• 0

There is a nip in the air in the morning and again at night already. I am ready to enjoy sweater weather but is it sweater weather yet? Are you wearing your summer knits or fall knits!

It is that time of year when it starts and ends on a chilly note! A shawl is just the thing to throw over your shoulders to chase away the chill.

The BAO BAO shawl by Isabell Kraemer is her newest shawl and it is eligible for her current KAL promo; Use code TYPKAL25 at the Ravelry checkout for 25% off until September 14th at midnight Central European Time. Join the TYP KAL in her Ravelry Group.

BAO BAO (เบา เบา is a Thai expression that is used for something gentle, soft and light)
is a symmetrical triangular shawl. The shawl is worked back and forth from the top down and features the beautiful and fun stitch pattern I used for the HEIMATHAFEN pullover.

Using the dip stitch stripe pattern “all over” creates this super cute retro look.

Starting with a garter tab cast on, stitches are increased every RS row at both edges and at the center of the shawl. Color changes are worked every 4 rows. The cute and easy dip stitch pattern could be worked with many colors for a playful result (and to help stash busting ;) or with 3 colors (as shown) for a more sophisticated and sportive look.

Modification notes
The BAO BAO shawl offers a lot of “playground” for your own creativity (and works well for stash busting too!

The shawl can be shortened or lengthened by working more or less repeats of the 4 row dip stitch stripe pattern before starting the ribbing.
Use more or less colors. Work it as big and as colorful as you like – there are no obligations!

Be aware that the amount of yarn needed will change with each alteration.

Yarn
394 yds (360 m) in C1, 372 yds (340 m) in C2, 142 yds (130 m) in C3
of a heavy fingering to sport weight yarn

Needles
US 4 (3.5 mm) circular needle, 40” (100 cm) long or size needed to get gauge.
needle size is a suggestion only! Please make a gauge swatch to determine the needle size needed to get gauge

Gauge
20 sts x 36 rows = 4” (10 cm) square in dip stitch stripe pattern after blocking.

Gauge is not crucial for this project but will affect yardage and final size when different.

Finished measurements
70” (178 cm) wingspan, 28” (71 cm) deep at center.

Suggested Yarn 
The Fibre Co. Amble, Quince & Co Chickadee

Moulin Rouge Cardigan by Pope Vergara is born from the Moulin Rouge Sweater, now reimagined as a cardigan.

It is worked top-down and completely seamless. The construction begins with a provisional cast-on, followed by the back. Once the back is complete, the stitches are set aside, and you continue with the fronts, which are worked from the provisional cast-on. When joining the pieces, a few stitches are cast on under the arm, and the body is worked flat, combining the fronts and back. The sleeves are worked in the round.

Sizes 
1 (2, 3, 4, 5) (6, 7, 8, 9)
Recommended ease:
Positive ease 4 to 8 cm / 1.5 to 3.25”. The pictures show a size 1, with an 80 cm / 32” bust.

Finished Garment Measurements
Bust circumference:
84 (95, 105, 116, 126) (137, 147, 157, 168) cm / 33 (37.5, 41.25, 45.75, 49.5) (54, 58, 61.75, 66)”.

Yarns 
Fingering o Sport Weight

Yarn A: Fingering / 100 (120, 140, 160, 180) (200, 220, 240, 260) g / 400 (480, 560, 640, 720) (800, 880, 960, 1040) m 

Yarn B: 25 (35, 45, 55, 65) (75, 85, 95, 100) g / 300 (420, 540, 660, 780) (900, 1020, 1140, 1200) m. 

Yarn C: 50 (60, 70, 80, 90) (100, 110, 120, 130) g / 104 (125, 145, 165, 185) (208, 230, 250, 270) m. 

Note: You can replace Yarn C with two strands of Yarn B held together.
Note: All sizes can use 1 skein of beaded mohair and switch to two strands of Yarn B held together when it runs out.

Suggested Needles and Cables
• Main Needles: 3.5 mm (US 4) or the size needed to obtain gauge.
• Ribbing Needles: 3.25 mm (US 3).
• Cable Lengths: Body: 80 cm / 32” - Sleeves and
Cuff: preferred needles for small circumference knitting (Magic Loop or DPNs).

Gauge 
23 stitches x 32 rows = 10 cm / 4”. Measured over stockinette stitch after blocking,
worked flat with main needles and Yarn B.
Make another swatch using the same needles and the lace stitch found on page 6 with Yarn A, and see
If you need to adjust the needles depending on the stitch you’re working.

The Moulin Rouge by Pope Vergara was reimagined into this elegant cardigan.

Suggested Yarn (for either)
Lichen and Lace 80/20 Sock or Madelinetosh Tosh Merino Light and Marsh Mohair or Garnstudio Drops Flora or Koigu Collector Club KPPPM and Drops Kid Silk.

The 'mega adorable' Gnumpkin and Gnettle by Sarah Schira were designed her October Mystery Gnome Knitalong. In her Ravelry group, the PreKAL chat Gnumpkin and Gnettle thread can found HERE. Gnumpkin is a pumpkin-inspired mystery gnome, and Gnettle is a very witchy variation.

You’ll get BOTH options as the clues roll out and two full PDFs at the end of the knitalong.

In the lands of Willowdell, where dozens of streams crisscross each other in meandering paths and the gardens burst with good things to eat, the gnomes have a particularly gourd-geous look to them.

Gauge (stockinette in the round on smaller needles)
Fingering Weight: 30 sts and 44 rounds = 4” / 10 cm
DK Weight: 26 sts and 34 rounds = 4” / 10 cm

Yarn Advice
You’ll need 3 x 20 g of fingering weight yarn per version. Or 3 x 50 g of DK weight per version. Colour advice is in the preKAL info PDF available when you purchase the pattern.

Dates
Oct 3: Clue 1
Oct 7: Clue 2
Oct 10: Clue 3
Oct 13: Clue 4
Oct 17: Clue 5
Oct 20: Clue 6
Nov 1: last day to enter for MKAL 18 prizes
Nov 7: prizes announced, patterns updated as single PDFs

The pattern is 33% off with code “OctGnome33” until Sept 30th.

Suggested Yarn
CoopKnits Socks Yeah! or Koigu Collectors Club KPPPM or a Koigu Paint Can.

FOs and WIPs

On Saturday, August 30th, I took this progress shot of my second Step by Step Cardigan by Florence Miller. I finished the first sleeve. I used a 16 inch 4.5 mm fixed circular for only the first few rounds before switching to using my short ChiaoGoo Blue Shorties. I used two 3 inch tips and then one 3 inch plus one 2 inch when the circumference needed it. I used the 2 inch 3.5 mm tips for the ribbing. 

On Sunday, I picked up the stitches for the second sleeve.

On Monday, September 1st, I finished the second sleeve!

It took me a lot longer to pick up the stitches for the front bands and work the double knit button band. I used 3.0 mm tips based on my going down a needle size from the designer for all of the needles. I got gauge using the 4.5 mm instead of the 5.5 mm, the 3.5 instead of the 4.5 mm but I am not liking the gauge on my double knit bands using the 3.0 mm instead of the 4.0 mm. I decided yesterday to change my needle tips and one double pointed needle that I am using to 3.5 mm and to start frogging back at least to the last button holes.

Of course, I have also been working on the new website theme so my knitting time has not been as regular!

KNIT GROUP AND GALLERY

Marilyn (MarilynWanamaker) finished her Maudie by Libby Jonson. 

Marilyn knit it using Hedgehog Fibres Tweedy.

Brandi (@thegreenbuttonjar) finished her second No Frills Sweater by PetiteKnit using her own The Green Button Jar Neon Tweed held double with mohair.

Debbie (@love.knit.spin.weave) finished this gorgeous Cluaran Sweater test knit for Sarah L Kelly.

Debbie used BC Garn Bio Balance GOTS.

Stefani (stefanilittle) knit herself this EasyLine by Judith Brien using yarn stash that she had enough yardage to knit it with!

Jan (mrsjanknits) finished this generously sized half pi/semi-circle Floating Shawl by Helen Stewart.

Jan (mrsjanknits) finished knitting all of these pairs of socks that she started in May!!

Elaine (emayea) finished this pretty Linen Top by Samantha Stadter using yarn stash.

Sandi (sandima) knit this tiny pair of Gno Fun Like Gnome Fun by Sarah Schira for the September gnome project for her Year of Gnomes 2025 since this will be a super busy month for her.

Karen (kmae64) knit these three pairs of fun vanilla socks for her BC grandkids using a skein of yarn from Michelina (@a.wanderer.and.her.wool).

SHOP UPDATE

Happy Wednesday, Happy Knitting, Crocheting and Crafting!