Cotswold Sheepskin
My obsession with Shaggy Chic continues! As soon as I saw this yarn I instantly had a dozen design ideas in my head, and I’m so excited to share two more of them with you! The Cotswold and Wensleydale Sheepskins are delightfully quick projects and make stunning additions to any home. Drape them over your favorite reading chair, the foot of the bed, or an entryway bench to add depth and coziness! The knit Cotswold Sheepskin works up in a couple of days (maybe even one depending how quick you knit!) and is part of Lion Brand’s 2024 Last Minute Gifts collection. All of these designs are meant to be quick but impressive so you can wow your friends and fam with your handmade gifts this year! Check out the free pattern below, grab a kit with all the yarn you need and a free copy of the pattern here, or purchase an ad-free, printer-friendly PDF here.
Looking for the crochet Wensleydale Sheepskin? Click here!
This is not my first foray into faux sheepskins. Back in 2017 I released the Sheepskin Chair Throw worked up in Lion Brand’s Wool-Ease Thick & Quick. With that design, it was the loop stitch that created the texture and look of “fur.” This time around, Shaggy Chic does all the work so you can use simple knit stitches to create a seriously realistic sheepskin without any fancy stitches! The Shaggy Chic fiber mimics long, curly wool locks so beautifully and as a jumbo/category 7 yarn, it makes projects come together incredibly fast. There is definitely a learning curve when it comes to knitting with yarn where you can’t see your stitches, but when the end result is so beautiful and fun, it’s worth the extra effort! Check out my top tips for knitting with faux fur here:
Learn how to master the skills needed to knit with faux fur yarn. While intimidating at first, there are several tricks to ease the fear.
Shaggy Chic comes in 12 colors and the palette is a mix of neutrals and pops of colors, so you can really tailor these sheepskins to your home decor! Choose one of the neutrals like Natural or Mocha for a more realistic look or go with a pop like Hot Pink or Acid Green to add some pizazz to your space!
What I love most about these sheepskins is how effortlessly cool they look in any room! I draped them over chairs in the den, topped them over a rug in the living room, and even laid them across the back of some adirondack chairs around my fire pit. They’re SO incredibly soft and snuggly and I might just have to make more to adorn the foot of my bed and all of my benches.
If you’re looking for a sophisticated handmade gift for ANYONE on your list this year - this is it! They really are showstoppers and since they’re so quick to work up, you can easily treat all of your friends and fam with these impressive pieces. Once you get the hang of knitting with Shaggy Chic, you will fly through this project!
This is an easy level knitting pattern and the techniques involved are knitting, the k2tog decrease, and the KFB increase.
MATERIALS
4 skeins Lion Brand Shaggy Chic in Whisper (329-149AB)
(jumbo, weight 7; 35yds/32m per skein)
Size US 35 (19mm) 24”/60mm or longer circular needles
Tapestry needle
GAUGE
4.5 sts + 7.5 rows = 4”/10cm in garter stitch
FINISHED DIMENSIONS
Width: 30.25”/77cm
Length: 43.75”/111cm
ABBREVIATIONS
*All Two of Wands patterns are written in standard US terms.
CO – cast on
Dec – decrease
Inc – increase
K – knit
K2tog – knit 2 together
KFB – knit into the front and back of the stitch
Rep – repeat
St(s) – stitch(es)
NOTES ON YARN
Faux fur yarn can be a bit tricky to work with as the stitches are not visible so dropped stitches can be nearly impossible to locate and fix. Pay attention to – and feel for – the center core of the Shaggy Chic yarn when inserting the needle to ensure you’re working into a stitch rather than just the locks of the yarn. Carefully count your stitches with each round to ensure you have the correct stitch count.
NOTES ON PATTERN
Sheepskin is worked flat in back and forth rows.
PATTERN
CO 30 sts.
Rows 1+2: K.
Row 3: (Inc) KFB, K to last st, KFB. (32 sts)
Row 4: K.
Rows 5+6: Rep rows 3 and 4. (34 sts)
Rows 7-11: K.
Row 12: (Dec) K2tog, K to last 2 sts, K2tog. (32 sts)
Row 13: K.
Rows 14-23: Rep rows 12 and 13, 5 more times. (22 sts)
Rows 24+25: K.
Row 26: (Inc) KFB, K to last st, KFB. (24 sts)
Row 27: K.
Rows 28-33: Rep rows 26 and 27, 3 more times. (30 sts)
Rows 34-38: K.
Row 39: (Dec) K2tog, K to last 2 sts, K2tog. (28 sts)
Row 40: K.
Rows 41-50: Rep rows 39 and 40, 5 more times. (18 sts)
Row 51+52: K.
Row 53: (Inc) KFB, K to last st, KFB. (20 sts)
Row 54: K.
Rows 55-60: Rep rows 53 and 54, 3 more times. (26 sts)
Rows 61-65: K.
Row 66: (Dec) K2tog, K to last 2 sts, K2tog. (24 sts)
Row 67: K.
Rows 68-81: Rep rows 66 and 67, 7 more times. (10 sts)
Row 82: Rep row 66. (8 sts)
Secure and weave in all ends.
Purchase the printable, ad-free pattern here.
Purchase the kit here.
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