Sugar Cube Knits
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£9.00
This listing is for the Sugar Cube Knits set of knitting patterns.
If you would prefer to buy individual patterns from the set, you can find the listings here:
2020 has been a strange old year: with a pandemic shutting all of us up in our homes, one thing I really missed was coffee-shop knitting. The Sugar Cube Knits set is a homage to this activity, featuring a simple textured stitch pattern, made up of knits and purls, that looks like stacked sugar cubes.
The set uses a beautiful tonal brown DK yarn, dyed specially by Blue Fern Yarns, to evoke the warm tones of brown sugar. The merino/bamboo blend really helps the stitches to pop. The samples are knitted in Blue Fern Yarns Boo (DK, 225 m per 100 g skein, 80% superwash merino, 20% bamboo) in the colourway Muscovado and size Large Adult – single brim. Yarn support was provided by Blue Fern Yarns; you can find all their yarns on their website: https://www.bluefernyarns.co.uk/ This colourway was dyed specifically for this pattern.
I would recommend using a smooth DK weight yarn with good stitch definition to make the stitches pop. The sample is knitted in merino/bamboo, but a merino or merino/nylon blend would also work well. If you want a warmer pair of mitts, you can use a non-superwash wool.
If you are knitting the hat in hand-dyed yarn and are working from more than one skein, you may wish to alternate the skeins throughout to avoid a colour jog when you start a new skein.
These patterns were tech edited by Jo Torr.
Tension
I like to have many hats for all eventualities: the Sugar Cube Hat is a good one for cooler days that haven’t yet turned to deep winter days. The hat is long enough to cover your ears, but not so large you can’t fit it under a hood. This hat is my go-to for the school run, or for just popping out to the shops; it also makes a good emergency hat – it’s small enough to slip into your bag so you know your head will never get cold!
The hat is worked in the round from the bottom up, starting with a deep ribbed cuff (which you can make double depth if you like your ears to be really cosy!), then the main body of the hat is worked, finishing with the crown decreases. You can add a pom-pom if you like – you can make it a detachable one so you can take it one and off depending on your mood.
Sizes
Premmie (Newborn, 6 months, 12 months, Child/Teenager, Adult, Large Adult)
a: Hat circumference
27.5 (32, 36.5, 41, 45.5, 50, 54.5) cm [11 (12.75, 14.5, 16.25, 18.25, 20, 21.75) in]
b: Hat depth from rim to crown (for folded-back brim, this is measured from the base of the brim once folded)
11 (12.5, 14.5, 16.5, 19, 21, 23.5) cm [4.25 (5, 6, 6.5, 7.5, 8.5, 9.5) in]
Choose a size that is 0–5 cm (0–2 in) smaller than your head circumference, measured around your ears.
If you want a slouchier fit, follow the stitch count for your size, but go up a size for the lengths.
Yarn
You will need DK weight yarn in the following amounts:
Single-brim hat: 45 (60, 80, 100, 130, 160, 200) m [50 (70, 90, 110, 145, 180, 220) yds]
Double-brim hat: 60 (75, 105, 130, 160, 200, 250) m [70 (85, 115, 145, 180, 220, 275) yds]
Needles
3.75 mm (US 5) and 4 mm (US 6) DPNs, set of 5, or
3.75 mm (US 5) and 4 mm (US 6) circular needles at least 80 cm (32 in) in length to work magic loop, or
3.75 mm (US 5) and 4 mm (US 6) circular needle, 40 cm (16 in) in length – note: if you choose to use a small circular needle, you will also need DPNs in the larger size to work the crown decreases
Notions
Stitch marker x 1 to mark beg of rnd
Additional stitch markers to mark pattern repeats (optional)
Balloon for blocking (optional)
Pom-pom (optional)
Sugar Cube Mitts
As soon as the first chill of autumn is in the air, I grab my fingerless mitts. Fingerless mitts are perfect for protecting your hands from the cold while still allowing you to get on with your life – it’s a lot easier to use your phone or sort your change while wearing fingerless mitts than full mittens or gloves! These fingerless mitts feature the textured Sugar Cube pattern on the backs of the hands; the pattern is scaled between sizes, which means it is always in proportion with the rest of the mitt.
The mitts are worked in the round from the bottom up, starting with a deep ribbed cuff, then the main body of the mitt is worked alongside the thumb gusset. The thumbs stitches are placed on hold and the mitt is completed. Finally, the thumb is finished with a ribbed top cuff.
Sizes
S (M, L)
a: Palm circumference
14.5 (18, 22) cm [5.75 (7.25, 8.75) in]
b: Hand length
15.5 (19, 23.5) cm [6.25 (7.5, 9.25) in]
Choose a size that is 1–2.5 cm (0.5–1 in) smaller than your palm circumference, measured around the knuckle joint of your four fingers.
Yarn
80 (115, 175) m [90 (130, 195) yds] of DK weight yarn
Needles
3.75 mm (US 5) and 4 mm (US 6) DPNs, set of 5, or
3.75 mm (US 5) and 4 mm (US 6) circular needles at least 80 cm (32 in) in length to work magic loop, or
3.75 mm (US 5) and 4 mm (US 6) circular needle, 22.5 cm (9 in) in length – note: if you choose to use a small circular needle, you will also need DPNs to work the thumbs
Notions
Stitch markers x 3
Waste yarn
Mitten blockers (optional)
Sugar Cube Cowl
As summer turns to autumn I find myself wanting a lightweight additional layer: cowls are my favourite solution. The Sugar Cube cowl is knitted in DK weight yarn and can be made either short or long (to be wrapped round the neck twice) to add a little extra warmth without resorting to a coat. The stitch pattern is fully reversible, so the inside of the cowl is as attractive as the outside.
The cowl is worked in the round from the bottom up, starting with a small section of ribbing, then the large, textured pattern section is knitted. The cowl is finished with a final ribbed section.
Sizes
S - short (M - short, L - short // S - long, M - long, L - long)
Short loop: S - short, M - short, L - short: Depth: 24 cm (9.5 in); Circumference: 50 (54.5, 59) cm [20 (21.75, 23.75) in]
Long loop: S - long, M - long, L - long: Depth: 30 cm (12 in); Circumference: 132 (141, 150) cm [52.75 (56.25, 60) in]
For the short loop, choose a size that is approximately 0–5 cm (0–2 in) larger than your head circumference, measured around your ears; for the long loop choose the size that would fit if you were knitting the short loop.
Yarn
185 (205, 220 // 610, 655, 695) m [205 (225, 245 // 670, 720, 765 yds)] of DK weight yarn
Needles
3.75 mm (US 5) circular, 40 (40, 40 // 100, 100, 100) cm [16 (16, 16 // 40, 40, 40) in] in length
4 mm (US 6) circular, 40 (40, 40 // 100, 100, 100) cm [16 (16, 16 // 40, 40, 40) in] in length
Notions
Stitch marker x 1 to mark beg of rnd
Additional stitch markers to mark pattern repeats (optional)
A version of this pattern was published in Knit Now issue 91 of Knit Now magazine.
If you would prefer to buy individual patterns from the set, you can find the listings here:
2020 has been a strange old year: with a pandemic shutting all of us up in our homes, one thing I really missed was coffee-shop knitting. The Sugar Cube Knits set is a homage to this activity, featuring a simple textured stitch pattern, made up of knits and purls, that looks like stacked sugar cubes.
The set uses a beautiful tonal brown DK yarn, dyed specially by Blue Fern Yarns, to evoke the warm tones of brown sugar. The merino/bamboo blend really helps the stitches to pop. The samples are knitted in Blue Fern Yarns Boo (DK, 225 m per 100 g skein, 80% superwash merino, 20% bamboo) in the colourway Muscovado and size Large Adult – single brim. Yarn support was provided by Blue Fern Yarns; you can find all their yarns on their website: https://www.bluefernyarns.co.uk/ This colourway was dyed specifically for this pattern.
I would recommend using a smooth DK weight yarn with good stitch definition to make the stitches pop. The sample is knitted in merino/bamboo, but a merino or merino/nylon blend would also work well. If you want a warmer pair of mitts, you can use a non-superwash wool.
If you are knitting the hat in hand-dyed yarn and are working from more than one skein, you may wish to alternate the skeins throughout to avoid a colour jog when you start a new skein.
These patterns were tech edited by Jo Torr.
Tension
- 22 sts and 32 rnds = 10 cm (4 in) in stocking stitch worked in the round on 4 mm (US 6) needles after wet blocking, or size needed to obtain correct tension
- 22 sts and 34 rnds = 10 cm (4 in) in Sugar Cube pattern worked in the round on 4 mm (US 6) needles after wet blocking, or size needed to obtain correct tension
I like to have many hats for all eventualities: the Sugar Cube Hat is a good one for cooler days that haven’t yet turned to deep winter days. The hat is long enough to cover your ears, but not so large you can’t fit it under a hood. This hat is my go-to for the school run, or for just popping out to the shops; it also makes a good emergency hat – it’s small enough to slip into your bag so you know your head will never get cold!
The hat is worked in the round from the bottom up, starting with a deep ribbed cuff (which you can make double depth if you like your ears to be really cosy!), then the main body of the hat is worked, finishing with the crown decreases. You can add a pom-pom if you like – you can make it a detachable one so you can take it one and off depending on your mood.
Sizes
Premmie (Newborn, 6 months, 12 months, Child/Teenager, Adult, Large Adult)
a: Hat circumference
27.5 (32, 36.5, 41, 45.5, 50, 54.5) cm [11 (12.75, 14.5, 16.25, 18.25, 20, 21.75) in]
b: Hat depth from rim to crown (for folded-back brim, this is measured from the base of the brim once folded)
11 (12.5, 14.5, 16.5, 19, 21, 23.5) cm [4.25 (5, 6, 6.5, 7.5, 8.5, 9.5) in]
Choose a size that is 0–5 cm (0–2 in) smaller than your head circumference, measured around your ears.
If you want a slouchier fit, follow the stitch count for your size, but go up a size for the lengths.
Yarn
You will need DK weight yarn in the following amounts:
Single-brim hat: 45 (60, 80, 100, 130, 160, 200) m [50 (70, 90, 110, 145, 180, 220) yds]
Double-brim hat: 60 (75, 105, 130, 160, 200, 250) m [70 (85, 115, 145, 180, 220, 275) yds]
Needles
3.75 mm (US 5) and 4 mm (US 6) DPNs, set of 5, or
3.75 mm (US 5) and 4 mm (US 6) circular needles at least 80 cm (32 in) in length to work magic loop, or
3.75 mm (US 5) and 4 mm (US 6) circular needle, 40 cm (16 in) in length – note: if you choose to use a small circular needle, you will also need DPNs in the larger size to work the crown decreases
Notions
Stitch marker x 1 to mark beg of rnd
Additional stitch markers to mark pattern repeats (optional)
Balloon for blocking (optional)
Pom-pom (optional)
Sugar Cube Mitts
As soon as the first chill of autumn is in the air, I grab my fingerless mitts. Fingerless mitts are perfect for protecting your hands from the cold while still allowing you to get on with your life – it’s a lot easier to use your phone or sort your change while wearing fingerless mitts than full mittens or gloves! These fingerless mitts feature the textured Sugar Cube pattern on the backs of the hands; the pattern is scaled between sizes, which means it is always in proportion with the rest of the mitt.
The mitts are worked in the round from the bottom up, starting with a deep ribbed cuff, then the main body of the mitt is worked alongside the thumb gusset. The thumbs stitches are placed on hold and the mitt is completed. Finally, the thumb is finished with a ribbed top cuff.
Sizes
S (M, L)
a: Palm circumference
14.5 (18, 22) cm [5.75 (7.25, 8.75) in]
b: Hand length
15.5 (19, 23.5) cm [6.25 (7.5, 9.25) in]
Choose a size that is 1–2.5 cm (0.5–1 in) smaller than your palm circumference, measured around the knuckle joint of your four fingers.
Yarn
80 (115, 175) m [90 (130, 195) yds] of DK weight yarn
Needles
3.75 mm (US 5) and 4 mm (US 6) DPNs, set of 5, or
3.75 mm (US 5) and 4 mm (US 6) circular needles at least 80 cm (32 in) in length to work magic loop, or
3.75 mm (US 5) and 4 mm (US 6) circular needle, 22.5 cm (9 in) in length – note: if you choose to use a small circular needle, you will also need DPNs to work the thumbs
Notions
Stitch markers x 3
Waste yarn
Mitten blockers (optional)
Sugar Cube Cowl
As summer turns to autumn I find myself wanting a lightweight additional layer: cowls are my favourite solution. The Sugar Cube cowl is knitted in DK weight yarn and can be made either short or long (to be wrapped round the neck twice) to add a little extra warmth without resorting to a coat. The stitch pattern is fully reversible, so the inside of the cowl is as attractive as the outside.
The cowl is worked in the round from the bottom up, starting with a small section of ribbing, then the large, textured pattern section is knitted. The cowl is finished with a final ribbed section.
Sizes
S - short (M - short, L - short // S - long, M - long, L - long)
Short loop: S - short, M - short, L - short: Depth: 24 cm (9.5 in); Circumference: 50 (54.5, 59) cm [20 (21.75, 23.75) in]
Long loop: S - long, M - long, L - long: Depth: 30 cm (12 in); Circumference: 132 (141, 150) cm [52.75 (56.25, 60) in]
For the short loop, choose a size that is approximately 0–5 cm (0–2 in) larger than your head circumference, measured around your ears; for the long loop choose the size that would fit if you were knitting the short loop.
Yarn
185 (205, 220 // 610, 655, 695) m [205 (225, 245 // 670, 720, 765 yds)] of DK weight yarn
Needles
3.75 mm (US 5) circular, 40 (40, 40 // 100, 100, 100) cm [16 (16, 16 // 40, 40, 40) in] in length
4 mm (US 6) circular, 40 (40, 40 // 100, 100, 100) cm [16 (16, 16 // 40, 40, 40) in] in length
Notions
Stitch marker x 1 to mark beg of rnd
Additional stitch markers to mark pattern repeats (optional)
A version of this pattern was published in Knit Now issue 91 of Knit Now magazine.
