Thursday, February 23, 2017

Quatrefoil Cowl

Quatrefoil Cowl
Quatrefoil Cowl

What can I say about this yarn? The minute I saw the color I KNEW I HAD TO HAVE IT, even though this yarn weight (worsted) in a mostly-cotton blend can be hard to design for (Why? Because lace isn't very crisp in this weight, the lack of stretch compared to wool makes it less ideal for cables, etc). So I had to play around with a few patterns before I came up with something I liked, but I enjoy the way this combination of a picot hem and a basic eyelet design creates a feminine, but not overly girly, aesthetic. Of course, just because I used a mostly-cotton fiber doesn't mean you're stuck with that choice; this design would look equally good with wool, and would probably even take the right variegated yarn as well... 

Oh, and before I forget - special thanks to my friend Nikki at Zender Studios for helping me with the pics! :)

Yarn: Lana Grossa 365 Yak (66% Cotton, 12% Yak, 22% Polyamide; 159 yards [145 meters]/50 grams); #004 - 2 skeins

Quatrefoil Cowl
A better look at the eyelets.
Needles: 16" or 20" circular needle in size US 9

Notions: Tapestry needle, stitch marker

Gauge: 18 stitches = 4 inches in stockinette

So let's make a cowl! First, then, we're going to start with a picot hem. You can find tons of tutorials for this online if you need extra help, but I'll walk you through the steps here as well. So, to begin, cast on 96 stitches loosely, place marker, and join in round. Knit five rows around. Then, work the following row:

Thursday, February 2, 2017

Arrowhead Hat

Arrowhead Hat
Arrowhead Hat
Pictured in Adult Large (that's why Hedwig's in
her big hair today)

The story behind this hat is simple: I have a friend who struggles to find a hat big enough for her hair, and I happen to know an independent knitwear accessory designer who loves to make people stuff they can't seem to find in stores (hint: it's me!). So, basically, the Arrowhead Hat is designed with plenty of slouch and two different sizes to accommodate as much or as little hair as you'd like to put inside of it.

Sizes: Adult Small (Adult Large) 

Yarn: Sommer Merino 125 (100% Superwash Wool; 136 yards [125 meters]/50 grams); #167 - 2 skeins (both sizes)

Arrowhead Hat
A better look
at the back.
Needles: One 16" circular needle in size US 5, one 16" circular needle in size US 6, and one set of double pointed needles (dpns) in size US 6

Notions: Tapestry needle, 1 stitch marker

Gauge: 22 stitches = 4 inches in stockinette on size US 6 needles

And that makes it hat time! Using your size US 5 needle, then, cast on 112 (128) stitches loosely, place marker, and join in round. Then we'll work some ribbing, as follows:

Ribbing Row: * k1, p1; rep from *

Knit this ribbing row until piece measures roughly 2.5" in length, and then transfer work to your size US 6 circular needle. Then we'll begin our main pattern, which is a combination of Arrowhead Lace and Little Arrowhead Lace from page 193 of Barbara G. Walker's A Treasury of Knitting Patterns, and goes as follows:

Row 1: knit

Thursday, January 19, 2017

Super Baby Beanie

Super Baby Beanie
Super Baby Beanie
Pictured in size Adult Large

Before we dive into the specifics of the pattern, let's get one thing straight: yes, this hat is practically the same color as the last one I posted, the Four Winds Hat. As you'll remember, though, that's the yarn I snatched away from my husband before he could get too attached to it, and subsequently, the yarn that made me feel very, very guilty for the snatching. Hence the Super Baby Beanie for the Super Baby himself (hmm, that doesn't sound quite as flattering as I imagined it did). Anyway, this hat is made with an extra bulky fiber and big ol' needles, which makes it a perfect quick knit that still has plenty of pizazz. And while my girl Hedwig here looks pretty freakin' nice with it on (yes, I spent time braiding her wig), I should mention that it looks ever cuter on my husband!

Sizes: Adult Small (Adult Large)

Yarn: Lana Grossa Alta Moda Super Baby (67% Wool, 30% Alpaca, 3% Polyamide; 65 yards [60 meters]/50 grams); #01 Oliv Meliert - 2 skeins

A closer look at the pattern
and the finish.

Needles: One 16" circular needle in size US 11, one 16" circular needle in size US 15, and one set of double pointed needles (dpns) in size US 15

Notions: Tapestry needle, 1 stitch marker

Gauge: 10 stitches = 4 inches in stockinette

So let's make a hat! Using your size 11 needle, then, cast on 52 (56) stitches loosely, place marker, and join in round. Then, we'll work the ribbing as follows:

Ribbing Row: * k1, p1; rep from *

Work this ribbing row until hat measures just over 2". Transfer work to your size US 15 circular needle, and then we'll begin the main pattern, which is Ringlet Stitch from page 136 of Barbara G. Walker's A Second Treasury of Knitting Patterns. To do it, you'll need the following notation:

make ringlet (mr): purl 2 stitches, then keeping the yarn in front slip these 2 stitches back to your left-hand needle, pass yarn from front of work to back of work and slip the 2 stitches back to your right-hand needle, effectively wrapping the 2 purled stitches

Wednesday, January 4, 2017

Four Winds Hat

Four Winds Hat

Okay, I should begin any description of this hat with an admission: that I bought the yarn for my husband, and originally intended to design this bad boy for him. Then, however, the yarn told me that it didn't want to belong to him, it wanted to belong to me instead. And then it said that this was the form that it dreamed of taking...

... sure, I'm exaggerating a bit. Truly, though, this design was 100% inspired by the fiber, and creates a very plush, delicious hat because of the twisted stitch pattern. Of course, since ALL of the stitches are twisted every other row it's a tad annoying to work, but I think the end result is definitely worth it!

Yarn: Malabrigo Worsted (100% Merino Wool; 210 yards [191 meters]/100 grams); #56 Olive - one skein 

A closer look at the stitch pattern and the
crown.
Needles: One 16" circular needle in size US 6, one 16" circular needle in size US 9, and one set of double pointed needles (dpns), also in size US 9

Notions: Tapestry needle, four stitch markers

Gauge: 18 stitches = 4 inches in stockinette on size US 8 needles (I'm giving you package gauge in case you're using a substitute yarn)

Okay, so let's make a hat! To start with, then, using your size US 6 needle, cast on 100 stitches loosely, place marker, and join in round. Then, we'll knit the following marker placement row:

Marker Placement Row: (k1, [p1, k1] x 12, place marker) three times; then, k1, * p1, k1; rep from * until you reach the end of the row

Knit this marker placement row. Then we'll work our ribbing, as follows:

Ribbing Row: (k1, * p1, k1; rep from * until you reach next marker, slip marker) four times

Knit this ribbing row until piece measures just over 2". Then, transfer work to your size US 9 circular needle, and continue to work as follows. Notice that you'll need the following terminology to continue (you can find videos below too!):

rt (right twist): knit two together, leaving stitches on left-hand needle; next, insert right-hand needle from the front between the two stitches just knitted together, and knit the first stitch again.  Finally, slip both stitches from left-hand needle together

Wednesday, December 14, 2016

Nightmare Yarn Hat

Nightmare Yarn Hat
Nightmare Yarn Hat
Pictured in Adult Large

Okay, first and foremost, let's get this straight: I'm not actually saying that this yarn (Lana Grossa Colorato Nodo) is a nightmare - I mean, heck, I picked it out, and was pretty darn excited when I saw it! However, as you can clearly see in every picture, this yarn has one peculiarity that makes it difficult to work with - the significant size changes of the fiber, which make roughly 1/10 of the stitches look like they gorged on cured ham until they become monstrously swollen. And because this is not a peculiarity that I noticed until I got the yarn home, my original plan for this yarn was a total disaster - this stuff doesn't take ribbing (who knew ribbing could look terrible!?!?), and looks even worse as a rolled brim (unless you want to look like an incompetent knitter). So, basically, I had to punt. Therefore, I went with the most fool-proof design I could think of, and one that you, too, can put to work for that almost-novelty yarn you accidentally bought and then realized swallows every pattern you put near it (or that you bought on purpose! hi there! no shame, we'll start a club!). (Of course, this pattern is perfectly good for non-nightmarish yarns too!)

Oh, and a quick word on sizing - usually, of course, when you're sizing your hat the biggest concern is head size. That doesn't work quite as well with the nightmare yarn conundrum. And in fact, if you're working with a fiber that isn't predominately wool, you may want to veer in the adult small direction just to accommodate the inevitable stretching.

Sizes: Adult Small (Adult Large)

Yarn: Lana Grossa Colorato Nodo (90% Virgin Wool, 10% Polyamide; 120 yards [110 meters]/50 grams); #109 - two skeins 

Nightmare Yarn Hat
A better look at the finish,
the cable, and those pesky big
stitches.
Needles: One 16" circular needle in size US 10, one set of double pointed needles, also in size US 10, one cable needle (cn) or dpn for cabling, and one needle in size US 11 for provisional cast-on

Notions: Tapestry needle, stitch marker, scrap yarn for provisional cast-on

Gauge: 15 stitches = 4 inches in stockinette

So let's make a cute hat from some difficult yarn! Using your size US 11 needle, cast on 18 stitches provisionally. Then, transfer the stitches to either one of your dpns or your size US 10 circular (you can use either since we're starting by knitting flat). Then we'll work the cabled bottom edge of the hat as you'll find below. To do this, you'll need the following notation. And remember you can always cable without a cable needle!

back cross (bc): transfer next 2 stitches to your cn and hold in back; k2, k2 from cn

front cross (fc): transfer next 2 stitches to your cn and hold in front; k2, k2 from cn

Friday, December 9, 2016

Bump Up From Basics Beanie

Bump Up From Basics Beanie
Pictured in Child Size

Okay, I'm doing something a little bit different with this pattern, since I'm not offering it on my website, but through a video tutorial I created on Skillshare instead. Which means that, yes, I've had to face my fear of being on camera (don't worry, I deleted all the takes where I opened my eyes super-wide for no reason), and that this pattern is not technically "free" since it requires a membership on the website to access it. If you sign up through the link above, however, you can get 3 months on the website for $0.99, and access to tons of video content from all sorts of talented and amazing people (and I get some compensation as well!).

Oh, and as far as the actual pattern is concerned - I designed the Bump Up From Basics Beanie as a sort of next-level project for beginning knitters who've gotten comfortable with knitting and purling and are ready to move on to something more complicated. Or in other words, I demonstrate every technique you need to make this hat in the video except for knitting, purling, and tucking in your ends! :)

Anyway, here are the details:

Wednesday, November 30, 2016

Gathered Rib Scarf

Gathered Rib Scarf
Gathered Rib Scarf

Okay, I wish I had a good story behind this scarf, but I don't. Basically, I've just been on kind of a variegated yarn kick lately, in part because I find it super difficult to find good patterns for but I love buying it, so... you do the math! Someone's gotta come up with some stuff, right? Anyway, I designed this particular scarf to be on the shorter side, since I only had 2 skeins of yarn. However, it would look very nice if you have a bit more yardage to work with, also, or even in a solid color yarn! 

Yarn: Lana Grossa Cinque Multi (60% Virgin Wool, 40% Polyacrylic; 164 yards [150 meters]/50 grams); #013 - two to three skeins

Gathered Rib Scarf
A better look at the rib,
and the gathering. See how it
works with the variegation???
Needles: Straight needles in size US 6

Notions: Tapestry needle

Gauge: 20 stitches = 4 inches in stockinette

And now that we've got all of that covered, let's make a scarf! To begin with, then cast on 50 stitches loosely. Then, we'll work as follows:

Rows 1, 3, 5, & 7 (wrong side): slip 1 stitch purlwise with yarn in back (sl1 wyib), k1, (p6, k4) four times, p6, k2

Rows 2, 4, & 6: slip 1 stitch purlwise with yarn in front (sl1 wyif), p1, (k6, p4) four times, k6, p2

Row 8: sl1 wyif, p1, (k2tog through back loops [k2tog-tbl], k2, k2tog, p4) four times, k2tog-tbl, k2, k2tog, p2

Wednesday, November 16, 2016

Susan's Scarf

Susan's Scarf
Susan's Scarf

I doubt many of you realize this, but what this scarf represents is actually a tiny miracle; namely, it's the second piece of a hat/scarf set that I designed to go together for the first time, EVER!!! (if you're interested, you can find Susan's Slouch Hat here) But of course you don't have to be interested in the set to enjoy this pattern, partially because, while I made it with only 2 skeins of yarn (roughly 250 yards), as long as you cast on an odd number of stitches and have a rough idea of your gauge, you can make it any size you like! That also means that this pattern is easy to adapt for different gauges of yarn - and please, feel free to hit me up in the comments if you need any extra help!!!

Yarn: Malabrigo Mecha (100% Pure Merino Superwash Wool; 130 yards [120 meters]/100 grams); #063 Natural - two to three skeins 

Susan's Scarf
A closer look.
Needles: One 40" or longer circular needle in size US 10, one 40" or longer circular needle in size US 10.5, one 5 or 6 mm crochet hook, 2 lengths of scrap yarn measuring roughly 6' apiece

Notions: Tapestry needle

Gauge: 14 stitches = 4 inches in stockinette on size US 10.5 needles

So let's make a scarf, then! Using your size US 10 circular needle, cast on 189 stitches loosely. Then, we'll work some ribbing, as follows, for the edge of the scarf:

Ribbing Row 1 (wrong side): slip 1 stitch with yarn in front (sl1 wyif), * k1, p1; rep from * until end of round

Ribbing Row 2: sl1 with yarn in back (sl1 wyib), * k1, p1 *

Work ribbing until piece measures between roughly 2.25" and 2.5" and you've just finished a wrong side row (of course this part of the pattern is also adaptable - if you have the yarn and want to make it wider, go to town!). Then, we'll add a bunch of stitches that we'll later use to work the band that runs between the ribbing and the stockinette. Once we add them, we'll simply hold them all on a piece of scrap yarn on the right side of the scarf. So, to that end, work these two transition rows:

Wednesday, November 2, 2016

Susan's Slouch Hat

Susan's Slouch Hat
(even though Hedwig is wearing it)

As you can probably guess from the name in the title, this hat was designed with a specific person in mind. And in fact, I've been meaning to knit this person something for some time, but it wasn't until autumn descended and I saw her seasonal red jacket that I realized EXACTLY what she needed (to be fair, she also told me she wanted something in the white/natural color family and tried to get knitting tips before I stole the project right out from under her and told her I'd come up with something instead). What was I saying? Oh right, Susan's Slouch Hat will be your go-to head covering since it knits up quickly in chunky weight yarn and has a simple but elegant design. (Oh, and let's keep our fingers crossed that it becomes Susan's go-to head covering as well, or the whole thing is a monumental failure!)

Yarn: Malabrigo Mecha (100% Pure Merino Superwash Wool; 130 yards [120 meters]/100 grams); #063 Natural - one skein

A close-up of the detail that takes this hat from
blah to boo-yah (yeah, nobody says that)!
Needles: One 16" circular needle in size US 8, one 16" circular needle in size US 10.5, one 5 or 6 mm crochet hook, one set of double pointed needles (dpns) in size US 10.5, scrap yarn measuring roughly 24"

Notions: Tapestry needle, stitch marker

Gauge: 14 stitches = 4 inches in stockinette on size US 10.5 needles

So let's make a hat! Using your size US 8 circular needle, then, cast on 72 stitches loosely, place marker, and join in round. Then, we'll work some ribbing, as follows:

Ribbing Row: * k1, p1; rep from * until end of round

Wednesday, October 19, 2016

Swiss Check Scarf

Swiss Check Scarf

If I had one inspiration for this scarf, it was the planned color pooling pictures that keep popping up in my Facebook feed (dude, I follow a lot of knitters). If I had two inspirations for this scarf, it was PCP (such a bad acronym!) and laziness; the idea of fiddling with a yarn and a design until I had nailed a certain color pattern seemed about as appealing to me as taking all three of my children to the dentist by myself for concurrent appointments. So I went with a more relaxed take on the same theme; namely, a slip stitch color pattern worked with two skeins of the same variegated yarn that still creates a fancy pattern but requires much less precision! :)

Yarn: Lang Yarns Viva (100% Merino Wool; 120 yards [110 meters]/50 grams); #0020 - four skeins

A closer look at the Swiss Check.
So Swiss, no?
Needles: One pair of straight needles in size US 8

Notions: Tapestry needle

Gauge: 19 stitches = 4 inches in stockinette

And now that we've gotten the basics down, let's make a scarf! And let's begin by talking some shop: specifically, addressing the fact that this scarf is worked with two skeins of your variegated yarn at once, and that even though they're the SAME DARN COLOR (or combination of colors I suppose), I will be calling one skein A and one skein B. Of course, that's because they need to be worked alternately in order to produce the slip stitch color pattern (and for that reason I also recommend that you make sure to begin the slip stitch pattern with a portion of your skein B ball that does not match your skein A ball at whichever point in the dye you're in after the edging rows). So let's proceed as follows:

Using your skein A yarn (aka any whichever one of your skeins you pick up first), cast on 39 stitches loosely and work the edging rows as follows:

Wednesday, October 5, 2016

True Blue Shawlette

True Blue Shawlette
True Blue Shawlette

On most occasions, I try to keep my knitting fairly seasonal (or representative of the months to come). I'm sure that's why I bought this yarn and started this shawlette months ago, only to get hung up by my uncooperative forearms. Now that I've finally finished the piece, though, we should all just pretend it's summer again, and that the cold breeze I felt this afternoon was actually as balmy as July's winds. Or not, in which case you can file this pattern away for next year, when you've got 300+ yards of a cotton-, silk-, linen-, or bamboo-based fiber and a hankering for a short shawl (or even a big one, if you want to keep working and you've got enough yarn!).

Yarn: Lana Grossa 365 Cotone (88% Cotton, 12% Polyamide; 153 yards [150 meters]/50 grams); #026 Türkisgrün - two skeins

True Blue Shawlette
A better look at the pattern.
Basically, just lace and garter stitch!
Needles: One 32" or longer circular needle in size US 7

Notions: Tapestry needle

Gauge: 20 stitches = 4 inches in stockinette

So let's make a little shawl thing! And in case I wasn't clear enough before, this pattern is good for those occasions when you're not sure if you've got enough yarn or not; since it's designed from the rounded bottom up, it's completely scalable in size - make it small if you've only got 300 yards, or bigger with more. No matter how much yarn you've got, however, you'll begin by casting on 3 stitches loosely, and then working 8 rows in garter stitch to create a tab of sorts. Then, without turning work, yarn over (yo) twice, pick up 1 stitch about 1/3rd of the way down along the edge of the tab, (yo) twice again, pick up 1 stitch roughly 2/3rds of the way down the edge of the tab, and (yo) twice again. Complete tab by picking up 3 stitches along cast-on edge; you should now have stitches coming from 3 sides of the tab - 3 along original working edge - 8 along the side (counting each double yo as 2 stitches), and 3 along the cast-on edge. Then, work a few set-up rows as follows: