Rugged Knits Pattern Highlight: Sun Flare

This week's Rugged Knits pattern highlight is a fun one for summer! Sun Flare is a triangle kerchief with a subtle, intuitive, and fun textured pattern that's created with just knits and purls.

CONSTRUCTION
- Worked bottom-up, starting with just a few stitches for the tip of the triangle.
- Simple garter stitch borders the sides and top of the triangle
- The fabric lays flat because of the textured stitch pattern.
- Wrong side rows are easy - just knit the first and last few stitches for a garter edge and purl the rest!

FIT
- The triangle has a wingspan of 41 in/104 cm, so it's more of a shawlette than a shawl. I wear it kerchief-style with the point in the front and the fabric tied in the back

YARN
Swans Island Natural Colors Fingering (100% certified organic merino wool; 525 yd 480 m/100 g)
- A light fingering weight plied yarn with a fairly tight twist gives great stitch definition.
- I love how the semi-solid color gives the stitch pattern the subtle look of an antique tapestry. (You could use a more solid color for clearer texture if you prefer.)
- Soft Merino makes it wonderful to work with and perfect for wearing right next to the skin.

TIPS FOR SUBSTITUTING
- I used almost the entire skein for the sample, and Natural Colors Fingering comes with more yardage than is common in sock yarns - 525 yd/480 m). For more standard 400 yd sock yarn skeins, you'll need two skeins.
- If you want stitch definition, choose a yarn without a halo (so avoid alpaca and mohair).
- A solid-colored yarn with silk content like Quince and Co. Tern could make the texture bolder.
- For an affordable warm-weather option, consider Knit Picks Comfy Fingering Yarn.

MY FAVORITE DETAIL
The texture is so fun to work and adds such a great subtle look.

GENERAL TIPS
Don't be daunted by all the charts! They're there to help you maintain the edge pattern, but the center of the pattern is intuitive and doesn't change throughout.

Be sure to use the hashtags #RuggedKnits #Sunflare, and #AndreaRangelKnits when you post pics of your Sun Flare projects!

UPCOMING EVENTS
Come to my book launch events and take my intro to color work class using the Boreal Toque pattern!

Tolt Yarn and Wool, Carnation, WA - July 30, 2016
Boreal Toque Workshop 10am-2pm
Book Launch Party & Signing 3-5pm

Beehive Wool Shop, Victoria, BC - August 6-7, 2016
Book Launch Party & Signing, August 6, 11am-3pm
Boreal Toque Workshop, August 7, 1-4pm

PATTERN DETAILS

Finished Size
About 41 in/104 cm wide and 19.75 in/50 cm long.

Yarn 
541 yd (495 m) fingering weight (#1 Super Fine).

Shown here: Swans Island Natural Colors Fingering (100% certified organic merino wool; 525 yd 480 m/100 g): color #YF124 Bittersweet, 1 skein (sample shown uses almost an entire skein; to ensure sufficient amount of yarn for swatching, you may consider purchasing a second skein).

Needles 
Size U.S. 2 (2.75 mm): 40” (100 cm) circular (cir). 
Adjust needle size if necessary to obtain the correct gauge.

Notions
Size C-2 (2.75 mm) crochet hook; markers (m); tapestry needle; blocking wires.

Gauge
28 sts and 48 rows = 4 in/10 cm over Textured Stitch pattern.

See it on Ravelry

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