When I was at H+H this past summer, my friend Josie of KnitChats took me to meet Pam Powers and introduce beautiful yarn line, Ikigai Fibers. This booth was filled with color, knit and crochet projects alike, and a feeling of joy. Because Pam has been a designer for years she knew exactly what she was looking for when she created her line. Ikigai “is the Japanese philosophy of having a source of value in one's life that makes everything worthwhile”.
She says it best herself:
“I have been fascinated with Japanese crafting for many years and have been fortunate to take workshops on Sashiko, boro and indigo dyeing. Since I am 100% Japanese, I feel a profound connection to the history, culture and social value of handcrafting in Japan. I hope you join me in exploring Japanese-inspired handcrafts and maybe you'll find your Ikigai too in the process.”
Pam has thought through this whole line, Chibi Paka Chunky yarn, the carry along yarn, Tama, embroidered buttons to match the yarn, pom poms, and crystals for a bit of fun.
This week I thought I would share some patterns for the bouncy and soft, Chibi Paka Chunky. I have both knit and crochet with this yarn and it is a joy to work with. Paka Chunky is a blend of 75% merino and 25% alpaca. Each hank weighs 50 grams and has 55 yards (50 meters) on it. Being a chunky yarn, it knits up quickly, giving you 3.5 to 4.25 stitches per inch on a US 9 or 11 (5.5 - 8 mm) needle. If you need a larger amount of yarn for a project, you can purchase one of the cones, that is equal to 5 of the skeined hanks. They have 275 yards (251 meters) on the 250 gram cone. The care for Paka Chunky is hand wash, lay flat to dry.
This cozy shawl will warm you right up! Gumdrop is so cute and so versatile. A shallow triangular shape is worked from the top down in simple stockinette stitch with carefully placed color stripes. The edging, reminiscent of old-school pom-pom trim, is knitted with bobbles and looks just like gumdrops!
Have some colorplay fun with this cute colorful and textured cowl, Trinity. Knitted in three sections, it starts and ends with some fun colorwork patterning and an easy mid section featuring a three stitch cable pattern. Chibi Paka Chunky is perfect for this combination!
Once you knit one of these sweet floral hats, you'll want to knit one for your whole family. Sized from baby to adult, the Tussie Mussie Hat is an easy to follow colorwork pattern– you only use three colors! The added mini pom-pom makes them all the more adorable.
The little one in your life will have a beary good time wearing this darling hat! Bearanowski Hat is sure to be a hit with both the recipient and you, the knitter–it's such a fun little knit!
Cozy up with this beautiful baby blanket, Hachi Blanket. A clever honeycomb pattern showcases a kaleidoscope of colors like stained glass. Easy to memorize, you won't want to put your needles down as it takes shape. You'll have it finished and ready for a little one in no time.
Whether you select a big project or small, you will not be disappointed that you have some Chibi Paka Chunky on your needles. The yarn and the projects are joyful.