Monday, August 29, 2016

Team PSL

Recently, I got an email from Starbucks advertising Pumpkin Spice Latte season, and with it, a new travel mug that has a "knit" sleeve built onto the tumbler.  The sleeve is part of the ceramic, but the design is made to look "knit."  I loved it as soon as I saw it and wanted to actually knit my own sleeve.  After doing some internet research, I discovered that this is actually based off of a promotional marketing campaign last year!  @TheRealPSL was/is a Twitter handle that sent out "Orange Sleeve Society" membership cards and REAL knit "TEAM PSL" sleeves!  As obsessed with Starbucks and Pumpkin Spice Lattes and reusable knit coffee sleeves as I am, I wonder why I didn't know about this until now - nearly a year later! 



Fortunately for me, I am a knitter, and figured out how to knit my own!  I haven't seen one in person, but I found plenty of pictures on Google Image and Instagram of these sleeves, and counted the stitches and rows.  I determined that this is double-knit for extra thick protection, and knit in fingering weight yarn.  I am inept at double-knitting, so this pattern is simply for the color scheme, row and stitch count, and chart.  If you know how to double-knit, I highly recommend you use this method when making this sleeve!

I got Knit Picks Stroll Sock Yarn in Pumpkin (natch), White, and Aurora Heather.  The latter was a hard color to decide on, as it is a hunter/forest/ivy green.  I decided Ivy was closest to a pumpkin vine green, but Ivy wasn't an available option. 

Here is the pattern, and I also uploaded a picture of the chart I made below.  I did not upload any pictures of the actual sleeve, as all images belong to someone other than a corporation, but I will upload pictures of my finished sleeve.

Materials:
Fingering weight yarn in orange, white, and dark green
Size US 1.5 DPNS
Stitch markers if desired
Scissors
Yarn needle to weave in ends

Gauge:
I do not have a gauge for this pattern, but it should be knit at a tight gauge to keep the stitches crisp

Directions:
With orange yarn, cast-on 65 stitches
Knit two rounds in orange
Knit two rounds in dark green
Knit six rounds in orange
For the next ten rounds, follow the TEAM PSL chart with orange and white yarn: letters are in white and the space between is orange - start with the "pumpkin" and working all the way across the round to the "T" and knit one stitch in orange in between every letter and the pumpkin, ending each round with an orange stitch;
Knit six rounds in orange
Knit two rounds in dark green
Knit two rounds in orange
Bind off as established pattern
Weave in ends and block


I apologize that the chart is a picture of a hand-drawn chart, but I do not have the computer software (or savvy) to make a nicer chart, nor a scanner on hand.  Please let me know if you have any questions!


Note: this pattern has NOT been tested yet!