The 2025–2026 fall/winter season in Japan has basically been the season of DARUMA GEEK yarn.
Everywhere I looked, knitters were posting:
“I bought GEEK!”
“I knitted this in GEEK!”
Of course… I did too.
And I failed. :'(
You can read the full disaster here:
The sweater turned out way too small — sausage-casing level tight — so I gave it to my mom.
Choosing REGOLITH for My Second GEEK Project
Even before realizing that my Cable V-neck sweater was a failure, I had already been thinking:
“I want to knit more with GEEK…
Maybe Lemon × Cobalt Green… or Black × Blue next.”
So when I wondered what to knit next, I remembered a pattern designed specifically for GEEK yarn:
REGOLITH
t’s from the Japanese yarn shop amirisu’s pattern book:
COSMOLOGY – DARUMA Collection 2022
(amirisu also ships internationally and sells imported yarns and tools.)
English shop:
I originally thought the patterns in the book weren’t sold individually — but they actually are on Ravelry.
The Great GEEK Yarn Hunt
At first, I couldn’t decide whether to knit it in Black × Blue (#4) or Lemon × Cobalt Green (#9).
Then came the problem…
Everything was sold out.
Especially Black × Blue (#4) — gone everywhere.
Some stores still had Lemon × Cobalt Green (#9), but not many.
After checking stock across multiple shops and waiting into the New Year, I finally found one store during a Japanese major online shopping mall’s New Year sale and bought four 5-ball packs.
Why I didn’t choose Black × Blue
- I wanted a brighter color heading into spring
- I can recreate a similar dark combo using yarn I already own
- So I chose a color family I don’t normally have
Be careful!
The REGOLITH pattern lists yarn amounts using the 50g international version of GEEK.
But most yarn sold in Japan is the 30g version.
That changes the ball count.
| Item | Japan Version | International Version |
|---|---|---|
| Ball weight | 30g | 50g |
| Yardage | 76yd(70m) | 126yd(116m) |
| Amount needed (L size) | 15 balls (450g) | ~9 balls (450g) |
No More Mistakes — Even If I Miss Spring
The sizing failure last time?
A gauge mistake.
My gauge was tighter than the pattern, and I just kept knitting anyway.
Not this time.
This time I WILL match gauge — or adjust size.
I also have plenty of yarn now!
So I carefully washed and blocked my swatches according to the pattern.
Pattern Gauge
14 sts × 20 rows
My Swatches
US 10.5 / JP 13 → 16 sts × 24 rows
US 11 / JP 14 → 14 sts × 23 rows
The larger needle matches stitch gauge but not row gauge.
Fortunately, the pattern body has no armhole shaping — it’s knit straight —
so I’ll adjust the length while knitting.
Project Progress
I decided to knit size L on larger needles.
The back panel is finished, and I’m halfway through the front.
(CO date: February 10)
As expected from big needles — it’s flying!
Unless something unexpected happens (or I change my mind…),
I should definitely finish in March.
My goal:
Wear it as a spring outer layer!
