Everything You Need to Know About the Flor KAL

I’m absolutely thrilled to announce I will be hosting my very first KAL! For those of you who have no idea what a KAL is: it’s a Knit Along. You’re basically knitting a (specific) project at the same time with a bunch of other knitters. There are often prizes involved than can be won by the participants. Keep reading if this has sparked your interest, and if you’d like to find out more about the Flor KAL (and the yarny prizes that will be given away)!

I’ve participated in a few KALs myself, and I think they’re one of the best things the knitting community has come up with. Participating in a KAL is a great way to connect with other knitters. Working on a the same project at the same time (while often being hundreds or thousands of miles apart) creates a unique sense of community spirit. It’s a great way to meet new people and make new friends! Besides that, participating in a KAL is a great way to receive inspiration, reassurance, and help from other knitters, as well as the designer. You can share your progress, but also ask about any problems you run into while working on your project. I personally also really love browsing through everybody’s Instagram photos to keep up with their progress!

In this post, I will be providing you with all the info you need to participate in the Flor KAL. I’ll share some basic info on the yarn and the pattern, and of course a link to the sweater kit preorder (you’re not obligated to use the same yarn as the sample, though!). I will also explain how you can connect with other Flor KAL participants (if you want to), and how you will be eligible to win one of the yarny prizes!

How to Participate in the Flor KAL (and Connect with Other Participants)

Participating in the Flor KAL is very simple! You basically just need to purchase the Flor Sweater pattern and you’re good to go. Flor will be released on September 5, 2021. The pattern will be available on Ravelry and in my webshop, in English and Dutch. Follow me on Instagram for the latest updates – you might even find a discount code there when the pattern is released!

You can preorder your Flor sweater kit from Ivy & Autumn here. All Flor sweater kits are available with a 10% discount (which will be calculated at check-out). You can choose to pay in full, or in 4 interest-free installments. You are by no means obligated to use the same yarn as the sample. Feel free to use any other yarn that matches gauge! More yarn info can be found under “Yarn + Pattern Info” below. 🙂

To actively participate in the Flor KAL, simply post photos of your Flor sweater (in progress) on Instagram using #FlorKAL and #ChaiCrafts. Don’t forget to tag me (@chaicrafts)! You can join whenever you like, and post as little or as much as you prefer. If you post your photos between September 5, 2021 and November 28, 2021, you will be eligible to win one of the KAL prizes! The winners will be announced on November 28, 2021. Winners will be asked to contact me via Instagram DM. Please do NOT react to any messages from fake accounts asking for personal information. You can find all of the KAL prizes below.

I will be hosting two group chats for Flor KAL participants who’d like to connect with other knitters during the Flor KAL – one on WhatsApp and one on Discord. Participating in the group chat is a great way to meet new people, and make new friends! You can also share your progress with fellow makers (and with me!), and ask help if you run into trouble while making your Flor. If you’d like to participate in one of these (or both) group chats, send me a message on Instagram (@chaicrafts) or e-mail me (chaicrafts@outlook.com) so I can send you the invite link for the group chats. I won’t be posting the link publicly, otherwise I won’t be able to monitor who’s joining the group.

Prizes

There will be 3 prize bundles for the Flor KAL!

1 winner will receive an Ivy & Autumn prize bundle as pictured on the right. The bundle includes three stunning skeins of handdyed yarn, as well as a few notions and stitch markers.

2 winners will receive a Chai Crafts pattern bundle, including three patterns of their choice.

You will be eligible to win one of the KAL prizes if you post photos of your Flor Sweater (in progress) on Instagram between September 5, 2021 and November 28, 2021 using #FlorKAL and #ChaiCrafts. Don’t forget to tag me (@chaicrafts)! The winners will be announced on November 28, 2021. Winners will be asked to contact me via Instagram DM. Please do NOT react to any messages from fake accounts asking for personal information.

FYI: you do not need to finish your Flor sweater by November 28, 2021 to be eligible to win.

Yarn + Pattern Info

Flor is a delicate and romantic sweater with a lovely texture. The sweater features a simple stitch pattern, balloon sleeves and a folded neckband. It is comfortable, elegant and stylish – so it’s bound to become a staple in your wardrobe! Flor is worked in the round from the bottom up, then divided at the armholes to work front and back separately. The sleeves are worked in the round from the bottom up and are later attached to the body. Flor is designed to have some negative ease around the bust (approx. 0 – 10 cm / 0 – 4 inches). However, if you prefer wearing your garments with a little more positive ease, you can also opt for 0-10 cm (0-4 inches) of positive ease to achieve the desired fit.

I designed Flor with handdyed non-superwash yarns from Ivy & Autumn. These yarns knit up beautifully and create a lovely texture. I used yarn bases Flock and Cumulus for my sample. Flock is a brand new base – it’s a fingering weight 100% non-sw Peruvian Highland wool that comes in 100 g skeins (à 420 meters / 459 yards). Cumulus is a single-ply lace weight kid silk yarn (72% Kid Mohair, 28% Mulberry Silk) that comes in 50 g skeins (à 420 meters / 459 yards).

Ivy & Autumn offers Flor Sweater kits in 4 stunning colorways (as seen in the photo on the right). I used Wisteria for my sample, and I would LOVE to see some Flors worked up in the other available colorways! All Flor sweater kits are available with a 10% discount, which will be calculated at check-out. You can choose to pay in full, or in 4 interest-free installments.

Please note: the pattern is not included with these kits, and will be released on September 5 on Ravelry and in my webshop, in English and Dutch.

You are by no means obligated to use the same yarn as the sample. Feel free to use any other yarn that matches gauge! However, I highly recommend purchasing an Ivy & Autumn sweater kit if you’re able to do so. This dreamy yarn is soooo soft and squishy! And let’s be honest – who needs an excuse to buy more yarn?!

You can contact Courtney from Ivy & Autumn here if you have any questions about the yarn or kits.

Sizes + Garment Measurements

The pattern will be available in 10 sizes, ranging from a 73 cm (28½”) bust to a 160 cm (63″) bust. The pattern includes an extensive size chart, which you can find below. Choosing the right size is of utmost importance. Take your body measurements and choose the size that corresponds with them. The recommended ease for this design is approx. 0-10 cm (0-4 inches) of negative ease. However, if you prefer wearing your garments with a little more positive ease, you can also opt for 0-10 cm (0-4 inches) of positive ease to achieve the desired fit. The measurements below are the finished garment measurements, not your own. Please note: D, the wrist circumference, is quite stretchy and supposed to have a tight fit around your wrist.

A = Chest circumference; B = Armhole depth; C = Armpit to hip length; D = End of sleeve width – wrist circumference; E = Overall length

Materials

Needles

4.5 mm circular needle (US size 7, UK size 7) or other needle size that matches gauge. I recommend using an 80 cm or 100 cm circular needle for the body, depending on the size you’re knitting. The sleeves can be worked on a 40 cm circular needle, but DPNs or the magic loop method may be easier for the smaller sizes.

4 mm 60 cm circular needle (US size 6, UK size 8) for the neck ribbing, and 4 mm DPNs or circular needle for the sleeve ribbing. You can use DPNs or the magic loop method with a longer circular needle.

Yarn

Sport weight yarn or fingering weight yarn held together with a strand of lace weight kidsilk. You will need approx. 1000, (1100, 1250, 1350) [1500, 1650, 1700] (1800, 1950, 2100) meters / 1095, (1200, 1370, 1475) [1640, 1800, 1860] (1970, 2130, 2295) yards. Please note: when using fingering weight yarn held together with a strand of lace weight kidsilk, you will require the aforementioned yardage for both yarns.

Other tools

Darning needle, scissors, stitch markers, scrap yarn OR extra cable.

Gauge

The gauge is 24 sts x 26 rows = 10 x 10 cm; on 4,5 mm needles in main stitch pattern as described in pattern. I highly recommend blocking your gauge swatch because your gauge might change after blocking. The measurements given in the pattern are based on the final (blocked) gauge.

I can’t wait to see your Flor sweater, and I would love to get to know y’all a little better. Feel free to contact me if you have any other questions about the Flor pattern or the Flor KAL.