I’m so happy to share that I’ve just released my latest knitting pattern, Fayne. You can purchase Fayne on Ravelry, or keep reading for more links at the end of this post.
If you’re a sucker for plaid like I am, I hope you’ll fall in love with Fayne!
Model: Madison Steward
Fayne is a knitter’s take on a favorite print: plaid! Named after Nancy Drew’s short-haired sidekick (George Fayne), Fayne is a fetching plaid beret that’s a little bit retro and a little bit traditional.
Because plaid isn’t usually very knitting friendly, Fayne plays a little trick on the eye to resemble plaid while sticking to two colors per row, with no fussy intarsia, duplicate stitch, or crochet needed. It’s an enjoyable, unique knit, and the result looks much more complicated than it is!
In my teaser post last week, I said that Fayne uses four colors of sport weight yarn to mimic the spirit of plaid. For the best results, two should be a lighter and darker shade of the same color (light green and dark green in the sample shown), and the other two should be contrasting colors. A bright color and a lighter color work well (like red and white). In a couple of days I’ll show you a lovely version I’ve just finished knitting in shades of gray, white, and red.
Fayne is a relatively quick knit, great for a last minute holiday project or to make sure your own head stays stylishly toasty this winter!
Yarn
1 skein of Quince & Co. Chickadee (181yd / 166m per 50g skein) in the following 4 colors: Cypress (dark green), Snap Pea (light green), Winesap (red), Bare or Egret (undyed)
Select a yarn that has at least a bit of wooliness to it. If wearing wooly yarns against your skin is an issue, the darkest color is the band color (such as dark green in my example), so pick a yarn for the band that is smoother on your skin, and then match it with a woolier yarn for the colorwork.
Needles
2.75mm (US 2) circular needles (for ribbing) and 3.00mm (US 2.5) circular needles (for body of hat)
Notions
Yarn needle and 14 stitch markers
Gauge
28 sts / 30 rounds = 4” / 10 cm in stranded st st using 3.00mm (US 2.5) needles, or size needed to obtain gauge
Size
One size. However there are two cast on options for tighter or looser ribbing, as preferred (especially helpful if your yarn doesn’t contract or keep its shape well in 1×1 ribbing). Larger cast on will stretch to comfortably fit head circumferences up to 24” / 61cm. If a slightly larger or smaller size is desired, simply go up or down a needle size from needles that give you correct gauge.
How to buy the pattern
You can buy the pattern directly from Ravelry, even if you’re not a member!
Or, you can visit the Fayne pattern page to add it to your Ravelry queue or purchase from there.
Interested in one of my other patterns? Visit my design page on Ravelry for a few more links.
I’m mad for plaid, and I hope you’ll love Fayne as much as I do. I’ll be sharing a bit more about this pattern later in the week!
(Many thanks to my gorgeous model, Madison Steward, who was also my inspiration to design this hat when I did! ❤)
This is SO cute!! I’m saving this post. I can totally see this plaid in so many colors!
Thanks, Emileigh! I could definitely see you wearing this hat. 🙂
YAH! I love it. I am so excited to start this. I have three skeins of Swans Island All American Sport that has been waiting for my first colorwork project—I currently have a bright red, a pale robin’s egg blue, and cream…Not sure if I want to have the fourth color be a bright/dark blue or what do you think of a dark gray instead? Too many colors to not have two that are a dark/light of each other?
Anywho, I am in love with this and thank you very much for sharing your talents and eye for beauty with this world!
Thanks, Caitlin! Hmm, that’s a good question! My inclination is to say a darker shade of blue, because I’ve found that it looks the most ‘plaid’ if two of the colors are different shades of a similar color. In fact my first test knit before I’d finalized everything was a red, white, a light blue and a darker blue, and I really loved the palette.
That being said, you could totally try it with a gray, maybe a grayish blue? You can always try swatching both to see what you like!
And thank you for the kind compliments! ♥
So excited for this one! My mom just bought the pattern for me for Christmas ?
Thanks! And go mom! 😉
Beautiful pattern, Tasha! I love that there are only 2 colours per row, that makes it so much more user friendly to knit. Great work!
This is such a great idea, my daughter has already booked me to knit her one. Thank you so much, something to cheer us up!
So exciting! Really looking forward to knitting (and wearing) the heck out of this!!
I’m very excited about this. I love hearing that it looks more complicated than it is! I was playing with colour combinations in a yarn shop today, starting to narrow it down!