Wanna design your own custom colourwork yoke sweater?
YOU CAN.
Strange Brew makes it easy, exciting and fun!
We’ve been cooking up this special pattern for quite awhile now, and we are oh so excited to share it with you!
We have been working on many Fair Isle designs and swatches in the last little while, and have so loved looking at all of the beautiful colourwork yokes out there. Inspired by our participation in Knit Stars 2.0, and the great interest in our Holiday Hackathon last winter, we developed a recipe so that you can design your very own sweet Fair Isle yoke sweater too! We wanted a pattern that knitters could dive right into and come out with a sweater, without too much fuss or fear. Strange Brew is a bottom-up sweater, designed for DK weight yarn in 25 sizes for babies, children, women, and men.
Strange Brew features a simple plug-and-play recipe which allows you to simply choose colourwork motifs you love, follow the instructions and design your own round yoke without doing any math! For the slightly more adventurous knitter it also outlines a method for designing your yoke by creating a wedge-shaped chart. Whether you choose to paint by number or colour outside the lines, this recipe makes knitting your own custom sweater accessible and a whole lot of fun!
The Strange Brew recipe includes:
- instructions for sweater body and sleeves
- a ‘plug and play’ yoke recipe
- swatch hat and cowl patterns for testing gauge, yarns, and motifs
- nearly 100 colourwork motif charts to try
- a ‘wedge design’ method for developing larger vertically aligned designs
we’re more than a little bit colour obsessed
Strange Brew is really only the tip of the (colourwork) iceberg. We’re brewing many more designs, tutorials, and inspiring tips to get you started or help you take your colourwork and design to the next level!
KAL with us
We’re hosting an epic Strange Brew Knitalong, starting Thursday October 19 and running for a full 7 weeks, until Monday December 11th. Join in the chat on our Facebook group, then list your finished knit in our Ravelry thread for a chance to win a prize. We will release more details when the KAL begins, but for now just get the pattern and start choosing colours!
We have noticed most knitters aren’t big fans of making swatches (*gasp*), however, when knitting sweaters and colourwork, the process of checking for gauge and experimenting with pattern, yarn, and colour combinations is important. So the Strange Brew recipe includes a hat and cowl pattern that you can use to make (our favourite) ‘useful swatches’ as you plan your sweater.
does colour leave you a little overwhelmed?
Are you feeling uncomfortable at the prospect of designing-your-own?
A bit uncertain if colourwork is for you?
If you’re ready to take the plunge, but need a helping hand, join the KAL and ask all your questions – we’ll be there to help! Or skip the design aspect, and cast on our newest pattern – Dog Star – a sparkly yoke sweater developed using Strange Brew as a base. This could be a great first colourwork project, or perhaps a Christmas jumper?
get started with our resources
Over the coming months we will add more colourwork resources, but we already have a number of tutorials you may find useful:
- Fair isle tips and tricks
- Choosing your sweater size
- Choosing a fair isle colour palette
- How to read a knitting chart
- Gauge in knitting
- German short rows
- Sweater blocking
Do you have a favourite colourwork pattern or tip? A yarn you love for Fair Isle? Share your knit knowledge:
Colourful projects from TCK:
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October 4, 2021 @ 7:45 pm
I just love your patterns . They are pure inspiration. Thank you so much for all of the tutorials as well.
February 14, 2018 @ 3:37 am
Lovely article. Thanks for sharing
October 22, 2017 @ 3:05 pm
So to enter the KAL we just buy the pattern? I joined the Facebook page but am still not sure how this all works. Thanks
October 23, 2017 @ 7:40 am
Hello Ettenna – To participate in the KAL, you just get started knitting either the Strange Brew or Dog Star pattern. You can buy these on our website: http://www.tincanknits.com or on Ravelry.com. Then you knit along with us, and ask any questions you may have on the Facebook group here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/249851778762566/ . When you’ve completed your knit, in order to enter to win a prize you list your completed knit here: https://www.ravelry.com/discuss/tin-can-knits/topics/3684804
I hope you join us! It’s so much fun :)
October 21, 2017 @ 4:34 pm
Is it possible to purchase the Strange Brew pattern book that you had available at Knit City. I hear it is lovely!
October 23, 2017 @ 7:48 am
We aren’t sell it directly, but if you ask at your local knitting shop, they may be able to order it in if they order from Deep South Fibers (our distributor) – http://www.deepsouthfibers.com/strange-brew/
October 9, 2017 @ 7:06 am
Is there a timeline for each project? Can you start anytime?
October 9, 2017 @ 10:31 pm
Strange Brew Knitalong, starting Thursday October 19 and running for a full 7 weeks, until Monday December 11th
October 20, 2017 @ 1:17 pm
What skill level do you recommend??
October 20, 2017 @ 2:17 pm
Adventurous intermediate? Is that a thing? I would say it mostly depends on how complicated you want to get. If you use the pattern in the simplest way (knit a body and sleeves and work some of the fair isle patterns suggested, with the decrease rounds we lay out in the pattern) it’s a pretty simple sweater. There are MANY opportunities to customize in different ways, but that’s the simplest way to use it!
October 5, 2017 @ 6:07 am
Love the colours! Thanks for sharing!
October 2, 2017 @ 11:07 pm
Lovely sweater! Love the sublte colors!
October 2, 2017 @ 10:20 am
Will there be any guidance or instructions for using Shetland fingering weight yarn!
October 3, 2017 @ 8:28 pm
Hi Joanne – stay tuned……
October 1, 2017 @ 6:58 pm
Hi, I’m interested in doing the Dog Star sweater in the colours shown in the kid’s version but can’t find a Sweet Fibre colourway called Tree Line. I love how it looks in the sample and would like to do the same or similar – can you suggest anything?
Thanks!
October 3, 2017 @ 8:29 pm
Hi Sherrie – Tree Line was a specialty colourway, but I would personally sub in her beautiful ‘ever grey’ without skipping a beat!
September 30, 2017 @ 8:26 am
This is going to be so fun!!! What a genius pattern!
September 28, 2017 @ 8:49 pm
Beautiful! If we want the Strange Brew pattern, but also want to make the Dog Star version, do we need both patterns? Or is Dog Star kinda covered in the Strange Brew version? Thanks, aimee
October 3, 2017 @ 8:38 pm
Dog Star is kinda covered in the Strange Brew version. The charts we used are in there, you just have to put them in as you see fit.
September 28, 2017 @ 5:29 pm
Could you also share some thoughts on DK weight yarns with the combination of rich, bright color and durability? I love those long wearing yarns that just get better with time: Highlands, Peace Fleece – neither come in a DK weight. I end up skipping DK weight patterns as I’ve not found a yarn to love!
October 3, 2017 @ 8:40 pm
Good question, I’m currently using BT Arbor and I love it. You might want to try doubling a fingering weight yarn you love (check your gauge but it usually comes out about right for me), or you can always knit a smaller size in a heavier weight yarn. Love Peace Fleece too!
September 28, 2017 @ 5:05 pm
I’m participating in Knit Stars 2.0 and am wondering if the Strange Brew pattern is part of that experience or a completely different resource?
October 3, 2017 @ 8:40 pm
It is! You will receive a copy of Strange Brew when it starts, but drop us an email if you want it early.
September 28, 2017 @ 7:58 am
Tin Can Knits is brilliant. Thanks for empowering those of us in the knitting community who want to step gingerly into designing/individualizing the sweaters we knit for the people (both big and little) we love!
September 28, 2017 @ 7:53 am
This could not have arrived in my inbox at a better time! I’m just now swatching for various yoke patterns … but what I really wanted was to create my own. Thank you!
September 28, 2017 @ 7:35 am
Brilliant concept & already in my Ravelry shopping cart! I hope you’re okay with it, but I prefer to buy your patterns on Rav so I they’re all together & easy for me to get to.
October 3, 2017 @ 8:41 pm
It makes no difference at all to us, our website works through Rav, I love having everything saved in my library too!
September 28, 2017 @ 7:33 am
This looks wonderful but any chance of doing the same with a button to the neck cardigan
October 3, 2017 @ 8:42 pm
Hi Ann – hmmm, maybe a steek hack is needed!
September 28, 2017 @ 6:37 am
Is this included in knit stars 2, as I joined that group. I am a slow knitter and can’t do both at this time.
October 3, 2017 @ 8:42 pm
It is!