In 2018 I first published my Castaway tee. The inspiration behind this design was to create a super simple, versatile tee that would work well with the textured yarn Quinoa – a new-at-the-time DK-weight cotton blend from Berroco (it’s been since discontinued, but Berroco Meraki is quite similar in texture).
The yarn shop I worked in at the time had just started carrying a new DK-weight from Berroco named Quinoa and I thought it was such a neat, unique yarn to play around with. I kept things as simple as possible – all-over stockinette stitch, an easy silhouette and raw edges (which didn’t roll too much thanks to the cotton fiber). And the boxy, drop-shoulder construction is very forgiving if your gauge is a little off.
And then last year I knit up another sample of this design using Nua Sport by Stolen Stitches, a linen/merino blend that also has a lot of nice texture to it (and in this version I added a broken rib hem trim).
I have found that my personal preference with textured yarns is to keep the stitch pattern as simple possible – a blank canvas of sorts where I let the yarn’s unique look be the star of the show.
The other advantage to this blank-canvas approach is that it allows you the knitter to express your own creativity in lots of different ways. Whether it’s with exploring different variegated yarns, adding stripes or other motifs or using your own handspun (or local yarn you’ve picked up at the fiber fair)!
Recently on Ravelry I noticed a few finished photos posted of Castaway that I thought were such great examples of this creative expression. Each of these knitters really made this design their own and I love the creativity! Thank you to each of these talented knitters for allowing me to share their beautiful work.
Tess from Virginia
Tess’s Castaway is such a beautiful example of using a yarn with lots of color variation. She used Noro Kompeito, a DK-weight cotton/silk/nylon blend, which she picked up at the Yarn Sellar on a trip to Maine (I love the this shop and staff – definitely check them out if you are in the area!). Another great thing about this yarn is that it comes in big 150g/492 yd balls, so only 2-4 balls are needed depending on size.
The simplicity of this design really lets this gorgeous yarn shine. And Tess did such a lovely job!
Check out Tess’s Ravelry project page here.
Savannah from Alabama
I love Savannah’s creativity here! She used the blank canvas of Castaway to create some wide stripes and the final look is so beautiful. She used Berroco Remix, another great Summer-friendly yarn that is made of all recycled fibers.
She also followed my instructions for the broken rib hem trim option (which you can find on my Castaway tips page).
Savannah did such a great job and absolutely love this whole look!
Check out Savannah’s Ravelry project page here.
Katy from Rhode Island
Katy’s Castaway is such a wonderful example of how this design works so well for unique fibers, including handspun! She used her own handspun for this version, and the results are just so lovely. She used a rib stitch for the bottom hem trim in a contrasting color, and also picked-up stitches around the neckline to mimic the hem trim.
Check out Katy’s Ravelry project page here.
Also, Katy is the owner and artisan behind Katrinkles, the fabulous button and crafting tool business! If you’ve ever visited a local yarn shop, I bet you’ve seen her wonderful, unique products. I’ve been a fan of her products for many years. Click here to check out her website!
I hope these Castaway projects have provided a bit of creative inspiration! If you have any questions about the Castaway pattern, feel free to reach out.