This digital download contains the whole Flombre chapter from the KNITSONIK & Friends: Colour to Knit eBook. The Introduction to the eBook is also included, as are the Abbreviations and Special Techniques sections and a coupon code. The code enables you to buy the book with the price of this pattern removed, should you decide you want to read the rest. 

About Flombre Accessory Set

This colourwork accessory set repurposes the Cherry Blossom motif from the KNITSONIK Stranded Colourwork Playbook as the basis for a shimmery gradient/ombre design, that makes the most of the wonderful Knit by Numbers gradient sets sold by my friends at John Arbon Textiles. The chapter includes:

• an explanation of the design's evolution and underlying colour theory
• instructions (with charts) for knitting a matching cowl, mittens and hat
• black and white and full colour versions of the charts for each accessory in the set
• templates for you to print out and colour-in for planning your own gradients or entirely recolouring the design
• beautiful crisp illustrations of the schematics, for you to print and colour

This chapter is an extract from the KNITSONIK & Friends: Colour to Knit eBook and when you download this chapter, you also receive:

• the introduction to the eBook, so you can read about the creative context in which this design emerged
• a coupon code that will enable you to buy the full eBook with the price of this chapter removed so that, should you really enjoy this chapter, you can get all the others without paying for Flombre twice

Credits

• Models: Heidi and Taia
• Photography: Fergus Ford Photography
• Tech-Editing: Frauke Urban

Yarn

John Arbon Textiles Knit By Numbers 4ply Gradient Sets (100% Organically Farmed Falklands Merino; 100m per 25g / 600m per 150g Gradient Set).

2 Gradient Sets - one in a warm hue and one in a cool hue (find kits here).

Needles and Notions

• Use your preferred needle-type for working small-circumference projects in the round (sample mittens and hat crown were knitted with gauge-size double pointed needles; cowl and main part of hat were knitted with a 40cm/16” circular needle). Instructions for swatching are given at the start of the pattern instructions. 
• Gauge-size crochet hook for provisional cast-on (e.g. 4ply mercerised cotton) for working provisional rounds at start of cowl.
• Tapestry needle for weaving in ends.
• Balloon or similar roundish form over which to block finished hat (or a large dinner plate, if making a tam).
• (Optional) double pointed needles for working crown decreases.
• (Optional) length of smooth, fingering-weight for temporarily drawing brim in while blocking.
• (Optional) 16 stitch markers. One of these will be used per accessory to mark the start of the round; the others are used to space the motifs. Not essential but it makes things a little easier for keeping track of pattern repeats.

• Sharp scissors for cutting yarn between colour-changes.

Gauge

All the samples in the set were knit with 2.5mm needles, but using different needle types and blocking tools has produced a slightly different gauge for each of the projects. The cowl was blocked around a nice broad coat hanger; the hat was blocked over a hat-form; the mittens were blocked over mitten-blockers. The ribbing for the hat and mittens is worked with the same needle-size as the colourwork but, because the yarn is held double, the gauge is different for this part of those projects. For the sample set, an initial gauge measurement was taken from the colourwork fabric of the cowl only, and then same-size needles were used to make the other two projects in the set, without further swatching. If you wish to follow this approach, be aware that your gauge for all three projects will vary, depending on the different needle types and blocking tools you use for each one. For precisely fitting accessories, make a gauge swatch for each project. 

Cowl 34 sts/30 rnds to 10cm/4” over colourwork pattern, after blocking, using gauge-size needles. 

Hat (Colourwork) 30 sts/34 rnds to 10cm/4” over colourwork pattern, after blocking, using gauge-size needles. (Ribbed Head-band) 26 sts/36 rnds to 10cm/4” over colourwork pattern, after blocking, using gauge-size needles. 

Mittens (Colourwork) 33 sts/36 rnds to 10cm/4” over colourwork pattern, after blocking, using gauge-size needles. (Ribbed Cuff) 32 sts/40 rnds to 10cm/4” over colourwork pattern, after blocking, using gauge-size needles. 

Sizing

Cowl 18cm/7” wide (width when laid flat) and 62cm/24.5” circumference around neck. 

Hat 23cm/9” from headband to crown, 60cm/23.5” around brim. 

Mittens 27cm/10.5” tall, 20cm/8” around hand. 

Pattern notes

This matching set of floral stranded colourwork accessories maximises the ombre effects potential of gradient yarns. Marling at the cuff of the mittens, and around the band of the hat, provide further opportunities to experiment with combining light and dark shades in sequence.