Synergy shawlette in Creative Knitting Magazine

I am very pleased to tell you that my shawlette pattern Synergy is in the current issue of Creative Knitting Magazine! Spring 2015 is looking bright and lovely.

This is a variation on my Double Deco wrap, which is huge and long. Synergy is much smaller with different shaping and striping and is perfect for spring. A quick knit with simple details!

If you can knit, pick up stitches, and decrease, you can do this. Pick 4 colors and go for it!

Finishing up the KAL

My Knit Along with Ewe Ewe (and you?) is wrapping up! Today is the final official day of the Double Deco KAL and I posted about it over here.

I am in love with my new Double Deco wrap!

I knit really loose and it is HUGE.

It's officially cold in Chicago, so I have been using it constantly. Stay warm, fiber friends!

Great TV Knitting

I don't think it's a secret that many designers watch things while knitting. I can only do this when the work is not very "think-y" and doesn't require many visual check-ins... so, garter stitch is the absolute perfect thing to knit knit knit while my attention is elsewhere.

Before you get too jealous of all the lazy, wonderful times I am having watching television, I'd estimate this is probably 10-15% of my worktime... and I usually do it at night after dinner.

While knitting my new Double Deco for the Knit-Along, I have been watching Hannibal and just started Outlander. These are verrry different shows (note to self/everyone: don't watch Hannibal before bed!) and shouldn't be watched back-to-back or whiplash may occur. I MEAN:

"I have feelings for you maybe" 

"I consider you my only friend and maybe also want to kill you and maybe you also want to kill me and maybe we just ate someone together and hey are you hungry cuz I got some nice flank steak in the freezer..."

So.

But hey! Back to the knitting. This is the tops when it comes to letting those stitches fly.

If you still want to join the Double Deco KAL, it's not too late! Check out the Ravelry thread, pick out your colors, download the pattern, and get started. 

If you're already knitting along (or crafting something else) while you watch something, leave a comment and let me know what you consider the perfect TV/movie/knitting combination!

Dolman Tunic Pullover

Somehow, last year in the midst of finishing up my Married to the Sea ebook, I never posted about this sweater. Which I love and wear all the time. It's comfy, sassy, and versatile (all my favorite things), and deserves its day in the sun!

Two versions in the pattern: The "sailor" Breton-inspired version and the three-color ombre version.

 

It's quick, simple, knit with worsted yarn on size 10 (6mm) needles. One piece, very little sewing. Great for a first time sweater knitter!

Dolman Tunic Pullover knitting pattern PDF

$7

Steeking Cape Vertigo and Holla Knits Giveaway!

Steeking! It scares the *&!$ out of most knitters. The mere thought of cutting a knitting project sends shivers down the spines of even the boldest, bad-assiest crafters among us.

Cape Vertigo is my first pattern to utilize steeking, and I was a bit nervous about this (understatement of the year), having only ever steeked a tiny sample before this. "Why," you might ask, "would you want to incorporate such a nerve-wracking process into your pattern?" 

Well, that's a great question. 

Firstly, it allows the piece to be worked in the round, which makes stranded colorwork practically a breeze. When you can bring both colors along for the ride on the inside of the fabric, it makes for a much simpler and cleaner process AND finished product. 

Secondly, steeking is... not that bad! Really! It's all in the preparation, and if you've prepped your steek properly and securely, it works out beautifully.

Finally, it's EXCITING. It's like the knitting equivalent of skydiving. You just have to take the plunge! 

WORTH IT.

Because I knit my cape in the luscious Berroco Flicker,  a gorgeous baby alpaca blend with a bit of sparkle, I wanted to make sure its unique, smooth chain-ply texture didn't try to break free and unravel. Steeking is most often done with 100% wool, the fuzzier the better, to bind to itself and hold the steek in place. Wool like this is sometimes referred to as "sticky"... and Flicker is very smooth. Because of this, the pattern walks you through a double-reinforced process to make sure everything stays where it is supposed to.

The gray crochet chain adds stability for the sewn reinforcement

A crochet chain is the first step, looping through each stitch of each row all the way up the steek line. Then, with a sharp needle and strong thread, we sew a careful running stitch and back-stitch along the line, making sure to pierce EACH stitch and strand of each row. 

Then... we pick up some sharp scissors, take a deep breath (and/or swig of liquid courage), and cut, carefully carefully, so as not to snip our reinforced edges.

EEEEEP

It works! It's secure and strong and ready for the next step of the process.

The end... for now

Knit Picks is giving away some of their excellent Wool of the Andes Tweed (seen below in Allyson's gorgeous dark brown and blue Cape Vertigo). To enter this Subscriber Exclusive Giveaway, subscribe if you haven't already and head over to the HK blog for details!

The Holla Knits blog tour continues! Check out all these amazing designers, yarn companies, and crafters extraordinaire:

Sept 8: Launch

Sept 9: The Sweatshop of Love - pattern giveaway, SEG: 6 skeins KP WotA Tweed in Brass Heather

Sept 10: Klever Knits - pattern and skein of Rowan Kid Classic giveaway, SEG: 6 skeins KP City Tweed Aran in Jacquard

Sept 11: Berroco - review and pattern giveaway

Sept 12: Canary Knits - pattern giveaway, SEG: 1 500 yard skein of Mountain Colors 4/8’s Wool in Harmony Ice

Sept 15: Mountain Colors Facebook Page - SEG: Mountain Colors Perspectives Twizzle in Blue/Turq

Sept 16: Life on Laffer - review and pattern giveaway

Sept 17: Knits in Class - SEG: 1 skein of Knit in Class

Sept 18: Makewise Designs - review and pattern giveaway

Sept 19: Anzula - SEG all the Anzula yarn needed for the vest

Sept 22: Ruby Submarine - SEG: 3 skeins KP WofA Tweed in Thirst Heather

Sept 23: BoKnits - SEG: 8 skeins KP Swish DK in Indigo Heather

Sept 24: Under the Red Umbrella - review and pattern giveaway

Sept 25: DoogKnits - review and pattern giveaway

Sept 26: Cosmos and Cashmere - review and pattern giveaway

Double Deco Knit Along!

This is exciting! I'm leading a KAL for one of my favorite recent patterns, Double Deco. 

 

Starting Wednesday October 1st you can knit along with us, learning tips and tricks along the way... and in the end you'll have your very own gorgeous wrap.

Head over to the Ewe Ewe blog to find out how to join in. There's a coupon for 25% off the pattern price!

Once you've got your materials, join us on the Ewe Ewe blog and/or the Double Deco KAL forum on Ravelry!

Here are the colors of Ewe So Sporty I'll be using for the new version of the shawl. What do you think? If you're having trouble choosing colors, check out my color combinations blog post!

 

New crochet pattern! Patches the Elephant

Do these curtains make my ears look big?

Patches is here! I made this squishy, huggable pillow-toy for Ewe Ewe Yarns in their excellent superwash Wooly Worsted.

This happy creature is about a foot long, a nice large size for playing or snuggling at nap time. Patches only has two legs-- but really, how many legs do you need when you're a pillow?

The better to hear you with, my dear

I chose colors that were sunny and bright and unisex (at least in my opinion! I was never one for the pink-or-blue dichotomy). The pattern involves minimal finishing: the belly-ful body is join-as-you-go, stuffed with plenty of cushy stuffing, quick embroidered eyes and sew the ears on-- done. 

It's times like these when I wish I had a handy kid-model for scale. We'll have to settle for this shot of me being a goof.

Do the Pachyderm Rock

Patches the Elephant crochet pattern PDF

$6

Octo Shawl all purty and finished

The colors, they are strange.

It's no secret at this point that I am a big fan of all things Grellow (grey + yellow). This color combination was what inspired my Kitefish Shawlette, and as soon as I designed the Octo Shawl I knew I'd make a grellow version at some point. 

With my grellow Malabrigo Lace in hand, and the addition of a purpley deep mauve, I got started on this version for the Octo Shawl KAL last fall. Deviating a little from the stripes in the pattern turned out to be very fun (whew!) and I adore how it turned out.

Blocking this shawl is really satisfying. Is it weird that blocking is my favorite part of the process?

Eight pins, that's it!

Floaty mohair perfection - Parfait Scarf(ait) pattern

I am an intermittent blogger. What we have here is an overdue post on Parfait Scarf(ait), a "new" pattern (shhh let's pretend it's not almost a year old) that I adore. It has come in really handy during this Chicago-Winter-From-The-Frozen-Depths-Of-Hell.

Los Angeles flashback photos! This is NOT my Chicago winter wardrobe.

Parfait has 3 keyholes, so there are many ways to wear it. I like options, what can I say!

About the yarn: how good is Shibui silk cloud?

So good.

It's the finest, silkiest silk/mohair blend I've encountered. Gorgeous sheen, super soft mohair (not too fuzzy and not itchy), I am a serious convert after years of using another hazy silk/mohair blend that shall remain nameless for now. It's the one from the British company named after a tree.

Parfait Scarf(ait) pattern PDF

$5

Ewe So Sporty, gurrrl.

Hi fiber friends.

Lest you think that I've fallen off the face of the earth since moving to Chicago, here's a little sneak peak of an upcoming project. I am working on a pattern for Ewe Ewe Yarns' new sportweight, Ewe So Sporty! I love this yarn, it is so soft and smooth... and 100% merino superwash (score).

I can't wait to share this fun knitting pattern! Stay tuned.

Binding off the Octo Shawl

Stretchy bind-off, lots of stitches.

I can't wait to block this thing!

The curled points remind me of soft lambs' ears or flower petals. Malabrigo Lace is so lovely. 

The fun curlies alllmost make me want to leave it as is, but blocking tends to be my favorite part. 

If you're working on the Octo Shawl, share a pic here!

Gitana Hat knitting pattern

This is still one of my favorites. 

Easily customizable, One-And-A-Bit Skein Wonder (the contrast color is the Bit), quick to make, rolls up if you want, easy to wear... it's almost like I DESIGNED the thing, I love it so much! 

Gitana Hat Knitting Pattern PDF

Ravelry info here
buy now

$5

New knitting pattern - Stegosaurus Cap!

hello!

This one developed naturally from my love of chevrons and clean decrease lines. And dinosaurs.

Using a self-striping yarn, like Noro Silk Garden or Trendsetter Tonalita (pictured) makes for really fun, slightly unexpected stripes and color combinations. The pattern uses 4 colors (including one self-striping) and is a fantastic stashbuster.

Using larger needles than is usually recommended for dk-weight yarn, this hat knits up fast and is lightweight, drapey, and great for spring/summer/fall.

And of course, there had to be a wee size of this one-- the baby size fits 6 months (but is fairly stretchy) and has a pointy crown which I think looks sort of elfin and adorable. Nicely unisex.

Thanks to Julia and her baby daughter Harper for modeling. Look at those cheeks, oh man.

 

Stegasaurus Cap! -- Baby and Adult sizes

$6