I wanted to try my hand at big (ish) knitting, but those can get super expensive. One can easily spend $300+ on one throw. So I started with this Bernat Mega Bulky yarn, which falls in the new yarn category “7” Jumbo. These start at $7.91 on Amazon. The Boye 25 mm knitting needles were $6 and change at Walmart.
For this project, I followed the Nantucket Throw pattern from Loopy Mango. But instead of casting on per pattern, I cast on 34 instead to compensate for the smaller yarn. Five skeins of the Bernat Mega Bulky made a good square throw measuring 40 inches. It took me maybe 2 sittings over 2 days. I’m a mom of a toddler, so if I skipped some chores it could be done in a day/less than 24 hours.
The Yarn: Bernat Mega Bulky. It is categorized “7”/Jumbo. This yarn is hand wash only, dry flat. Made of 100% acrylic. Gets fuzzy quick and when overhandled, and was noticeable to my perfectionist eye when I frogged. After noticing this, I realize this must be why it is hand wash only. I’m waiting to find space to be able to lay it flat to wash it, but I’m in no rush.
The needles: Boye US 50/25 mm knitting needles. I would have preferred to use circular needles for this project, but these worked for my purposes just fine. They’re lightweight, so you’d only have to worry about carrying the weight of the yarn when using these needles. They’re long enough to squeeze stitches on for a small blanket or throw, but I would say they’re perfect size for scarves (which we never need where I live).
Overall, big knitting can be a quick project to whip up for fast-approaching, gift-giving events. Assuming of course you can find this at stores near you (I had to order these, Hawaii’s yarn availability sucks). Next time I feel like doing some big knitting, I’ll try knitting with 2 or 3 strands of super bulky or jumbo yarn! Oh the possibilities!
Something by Vera 