by Rachel Price and Kate Burge

Layers of warm wool are a must up here in the quiet, cold, misty climes of the Pacific Northwest; these ultra-cozy armwarmers with deep, decadent, sidewinding cables are the perfect accessory for the weather.

These armwarmers were inspired by the travels that landed us, independently and quite accidentally, in The City of Subdued Excitement, also knows as Bellingham, Washington. Kate found home here after a road trip from Ohio that was abruptly but fortuitously halted by the exhaustion of her gas money. Rachel hitchhiked from her home state of Mississippi out to California, but was pulled further and further north by the increasingly green and lush scenery. Both of us came out west with just the bare necessities, which somehow included a spinning wheel each. One short conversation -- in the bulk isle of the food coop -- later, Spincycle Yarns was born. Now, eight years later, our tendencies toward wanderlust are somewhat tempered by motherhood and urban homesteading responsibilities, but we can't forget the adventures we had getting here!

Here's how we got this yarn: We kettle-dyed the BFL roving using acid dyes that we mixed to get a lovely burnt orange. We love solids, but only if they are semi solids, so we don't mind if the dye solution gets a little more or a little less concentrated on parts of the roving. Variegation is kind of what makes our yarn ours. This colorway, Gluttony, was spun worsted after splitting the roving several times, with the forward hand taking special care to smooth the yarn and show off the luster of BFL.

SIZE
One size – easily stretches to fit arms of circumference up to 12 inches

FINISHED MEASUREMENTS
Length: 12 inches
Circumference: 8 inches

MATERIALS
Fiber:
Spincycle Yarns Gluttony [100% BFL; roving]; 6 ounces


Finished Yarn:
Wraps per inch: 11
Drafting method: worsted draw
Ply: singles
Ratio: 9:1
Yardage: 240

	Spinning Tool: HansenCrafts miniSpinner

Commercial Yarn Alternative
Spincycle Yarns [100% bluefaced leicester wool; 120 yd per 80 gram skein]; color: Gluttony; 2 skeins

Recommended needle size
[always use a needle size that gives you the gauge listed below -- every knitter's gauge is unique]
1 set US #9/5.5 mm needles

Tools
yarn needle
cable needle

GAUGE

PATTERN NOTES
[Knitty's list of standard abbreviations and techniques can be found here.]

C12B: Slip next 6 sts to cn and hold in back of work; k6, then k6 from cn.
C12F: Slip next 6 sts to cn and hold in front of work; k6, then k6 from cn.

Right Cable Pattern
Rows 1, 3, 5 [RS]: K2, p2, [k18, p2] to last 2 sts, k2.
Row 2 and all following even rows [WS]: P2, k2, [p18, k2] to last 2 sts, p2.
Row 7 [RS]: K2, p2, [k6, C12F, p2] to last 2 sts, k2.
Rows 9, 11, 13 [RS]: As Row 1.
Row 15 [RS]: K2, p2, [C12B, k6, p2] to last 2 sts, k2
Row 16 [WS]: As Row 2.

Left Cable Pattern
Rows 1, 3, 5 [RS]: K2, p2, [k18, p2] to last 2 sts, k2.
Row 2 and all following even rows [WS]: P2, k2, [p18, k2] to last 2 sts, p2.
Row 7 [RS]: K2, p2, [C12B, k6, p2] to last 2 sts, k2.
Rows 9, 11, 13 [RS]: As Row 1.
Row 15 [RS]: K2, p2, [k6, C12F, p2] to last 2 sts, k2
Row 16 [WS]: As Row 2.

DIRECTIONS
RIGHT ARMWARMER
CO 86 sts.

Work 2 full repeats of Right Cable pattern, ending after Row 16.

Thumb Hole
Work Rows 1 and 2 of next repeat of Right Cable Pattern as set.

Next row [RS]: Work 64 sts in pattern as set; BO next 6 sts; work to end of row in pattern as set.

Following row [WS]: Work 16 sts in pattern as set; using backward loop cast-on, CO 6 sts; work to end of row in pattern as set.

Complete the repeat of Right Cable pattern, ending after Row 16.

Final row [RS]: Knit.
BO.

LEFT ARMWARMER
CO 86 sts.

Work 10 rows of Left Cable Pattern.

To work thumb hole:
Next row [RS]: Work 64 sts in pattern as set; BO next 6 sts; work to end of row in pattern as set.

Following row [WS]: Work 16 sts in pattern as set; using backward loop cast-on, CO 6 sts; work to end of row in pattern as set.

Complete the repeat of Left Cable pattern, and work 2 more full repeats, ending after Row 16.

Final row [RS]: Knit.
BO.

FINISHING
Fold each finished piece so that the cast-on and bound-off edges are touching. Seam horizontal edges, paying careful attention to tension so that the seam is invisible.

Kate and Rachel are the hardest working spinsters in town. Their specialty is designing comfy and practical knitwear inspired by the textures and colors of handspun yarn. They reside in Bellingham, Washington, with their respective husbands, children and chickens.

Kate and Rachel's yarns have been featured in Spin Off, Knit.Wear, Vogue Knitting and The Wheel; their designs have been published in Intertwined and are available on Ravelry. Spincycle Yarns are available online.