from the designer:
“This pattern is my tribute to the men of Boulder, Colorado. Boulder is home to the University of Colorado, high-tech businesses, and some of the best rock climbing in the world. The men here are highly educated, athletic, casual but stylish, and living in the beautiful Rocky Mountains, many of them care deeply about animals and the environment.

”A great many Boulder men are vegetarians, and this puts them in a bind. I’ve heard them lament about the trials of trying to dress well while living by their values. For a man who would no more wear a dead animal than eat one, it is very difficult to find a stylish belt. Most have had to settle for an army surplus webbing-and-D-ring belt that doesn’t suit their sense of style, or a vinyl imitation-leather belt that feels sticky and still looks like the animal skins they are trying not to wear.

“I’m hoping my creation will fill a void for animal lovers everywhere, giving men an option that is casually stylish, masculine, and a statement that is nothing like an ordinary leather belt. To give a knitted item the firm body that a belt requires, I’ve chosen durable hemp yarn and knitted it with needles two sizes smaller than the label suggests. The aran-style cable pattern gives the belt more structure, as well as a classically masculine look. If you’d like to substitute yarns, linen gives a similar tough, firm feel; lace-weight cotton or wool will produce a softer belt. I salvaged my belt buckle from an ugly, inexpensive belt from a thrift shop. You can also find buckles at most fabric stores. I’ve written the pattern for a belt with holes -- if the buckle has a center prong -- or without, for prongless buckles.”

sizes S M, L, XL, XXL

finished measurement Width: 1.25 inches

Length: 38.544, 49.5, 55, 60.5 inches

Size S uses exactly one skein, with very little left over. A second skein may be desired.

1 set US #0/2mm double-point needles

Cable needle

1 belt buckle, with or without center prong, 1.5 inches wide

gauge: 28 sts/32 rows = 4 inches in stockinette stitch

68 sts/32 rows = 4 inches in wheat ear cable pattern, after ironing flat