Patterns

A New Cowl Pattern

/ Cowls, Patterns / 1 Comment

For each of my Knit For Fun Retreats I design a cowl and give the pattern along with specially-dyed yarn to each attendee. For my recent retreat in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, I designed Crimson Leaves Cowl, which I’ve now uploaded on Ravelry. 

This lacy cowl pays homage to the stunning autumn colors of turning leaves. The luxurious yarn is MCN Fingering (80% merino, 10% cashmere, 10% nylon) dyed by Wisconsin’s own Sun Valley Fibers.

The simple lace pattern resembles panels of paired leaves. It repeats over 18 stitches and 4 rounds, and it easy to follow once the panels are established. Unlike most lace patterns, this one includes increases and decreases every round–there are no “rest” rounds.

A tidy row of eyelets borders the scalloped cast-on and bind-off edges. I used the Old Norwegian (also called Twisted German) cast-on and the Sewn bind-off for matching top and bottom edges, but you can use the methods of your choice.

Between now and midnight October 26, you can get 20% off the price of this pattern by using the code RED LEAVES when checking out on Ravelry.

 

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Ode to the Longest Day

/ Patterns, Socks

I’m happy to announce that I’ve uploaded a new pattern on Ravelry.

I designed Longest Day Socks while knitting from sunup to sundown as a fundraiser for Alzheimer’s awareness and research. During the 16 hours of sunlight, I completed one and half socks and raised more than $2,000.

I admit that I took a a little break from knitting and didn’t finish the second sock until a few days after the event.

These socks are worked from the top down in columns of traveling stitches that resemble vertical lines of lightening bolts, Harry Potter fashion.

The socks begin with a Twisted German cast-on, followed by a few rounds of twisted rib. The remainder of the leg and the instep are worked in the embossed lightening bolt pattern for an interesting, but not-too-complicated knit. A traditional round heel (composed of a heel flap and gusset) provides a comfortable fit. The tip of the toe is closed with Kitchener stitch.

Use the coupon code CURE ALZHEIMER’S to receive 20% off the purchase price of Longest Day Socks between now and midnight September 15.

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Knit Stars 3.0 Update

/ Classes, Patterns, Technique, Video / 2 Comments

I recently taped my segment of Knit Stars 3.0: North Stars Rising. Unlike other video workshops I’ve done, I got to tape this one in the comfort of my own home.

It took about six hours to tape what will be about 60 minutes of class. During the class, I instruct how to secure steek stitches with slipstitch crochet, cut the steek open, then finish the edges with a zipper or button band. It’s similar to a class I’ve taught for a couple of years.

I’ve found that many knitters are wary of cutting their knitting (and, honestly, who can blame them?) and are uncomfortable attaching a zipper to knitting. To minimize the knitting time, I teach the techniques on a cool little cup cozy. The cozy can be knitted in a couple of hours so students don’t feel as though they may sacrifice a whole lot of knitting time if the cutting goes wrong (it never does, by the way).

I knitted nine step-outs in preparation for the day of taping. I didn’t want to waste time knitting on set when I could easily grab a separate cozy for each technique.

We set up stage on my desk, which I covered with a linen tablecloth to provide a neutral background. Once the camera was set up, we used masking tape to mark off the edges of the field of view. The tape helped me stay focused in the center.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After the last segment was tapped, I’m not sure who was more delighted — me because I got through it all or my videographer, Daniel who had time to join his girlfriend at a local brewery! Suffice it to say that we were both happy.

Now Daniel’s real work begins — he has to put together a cohesive class from all the starts and stops of the taping, and cut out all my blunders!

Knit Stars 3.0 will debut November 26 – December 14.

Freebie videos will become available October 16, 19, and 23, followed by a live Q&A with the makers of Knit Stars on October 24.

Enrollment for Knit Stars 1.0, 2.0, and 3.0 (including yours truly in 3.0) will be open for one week between October 25 and November 1. After that, the classes will be unavailable for an indefinite amount of time. Mark your calendars for the dates if you’d like to join in (and I hope you do!).

Live Q&A with the teachers will take place December 15 and December 16.

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A New Pattern

/ Patterns, Raffle, Socks

I’ve recently posted the pattern for my Hygga Delight Socks on Ravelry.

Like a lot of people, I’ve embraced the Danish concept of hygge, which roughly translates to “cozy.” And what is cozier than slipping your feet into a blend of merino, cashmere, and silk? I designed these socks for unbridled self-indulgent luxury. Wear them while sipping cocoa in front of a fire, reading a novel on a stormy night, or simply relaxing at the end of a cold day.

These socks are worked with one strand each of two luxury fingering weight yarns held together throughout. The cuff begins with a decorative Channel Island cast-on followed by a few slouchy welts. The heel is composed of a flap and gusset; the toe is finished with the Kitchener stitch.

I realize that the heat of the summer is not exactly prime time for knitting such thick and warm socks, but I promise that cold weather will be here before we know it. Like any good Girl Scout, you’ll want to be prepared.

You’ll find my Hygge Delight socks on my Ravelry page. Use the code COZY to get 20% off the purchase price between now and midnight August 1. Then be prepared to laugh in the face of winter.

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LoveFest!

/ Accessories, Patterns, Retreats / 1 Comment

Last January I was the Knit Doctor at the first-ever Loops retreat in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The other teachers were Romi Hill, who taught lace techniques and surgery, Andrea Mowry, who taught brioche and shawls, and Carson Demers, who taught knitting ergonomics.

As a special treat, owner Shelley Brander asked Ross of Yarn To Dye For to create a colorway for each of the four teachers (well, the three “real” teachers and me, the Knit Doctor). On the left is a photo of “my” skein in the colorway Loops Loves Ann.

I love the colorway and asked Ross if he’d dye a semi-solid to pair with it. After a bit of back and forth, we settled on a rich teal color that I’ve named Ann Loves Loops.

I’m now in the process of combining the two color in a crescent shawl. If I do the yarn justice, a pattern will be forthcoming! I plan to name it LoveFest!

 

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How Does a Square Sock Fit?

/ Books, Patterns, Socks / 2 Comments

Since I posted my completed my version of Nicola Susen’s Square Socks from New Directions in Sock Knitting, I’ve received a lot of questions about how the sock fits.

I have to admit that I didn’t take time to knit a gauge swatch (I can’t believe I’m admitting this!) and these are a little too big for me. I’m confident that I’ll find the perfect feet someday.

Here are a few images of the socks on my feet. They are surprisingly comfortable, given the unusual construction. The slanted bind-off at the top of the leg evens out greatly when the sock is on a foot. The only issue might be the circular starting point at the ball of the foot. People with sensitive soles may find it uncomfortable.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hmm, I wonder which socks I’ll knit next…

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Savannah Trees Cowl

/ Accessories, Cowls, Patterns, Retreats / 1 Comment

I’ve put a new pattern up on Ravelry!

Savannah Trees Cowl was designed as a tribute to the historic Savannah location of my Spring 2018 Knit For Fun Retreat. The yarn is Jones Street Sport from Savannah’s own The Copper Corgi Fiber Studio, dyed in a custom Moss and Leaves colorway.  The stitch pattern includes mirrored cables to reflect gnarled tree trunks and dropped stitches to reflect the lacy effect of moss hanging off limbs.

The stitch pattern, which repeats over 25 stitches and 6 rows, is based on a simple k4, p1 rib so, other than the cable-crossing rows, the knitting is quite straightforward. The lacy vertical columns are created on the bind-off row by dropping the purl stitches each side of the center plain knit-4 column. So easy!

Get 20% off the $6.00 price by using the code TREES by midnight Friday, May 18.

Knit happy!

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A Finished Square Sock

/ Books, Patterns, Socks / 4 Comments

I’m having so much fun with Nicola Susen’s Square Socks from New Directions in Sock Knitting that I find myself knitting on it when I ought to be doing other things. I love how this sock is constructed so differently from the standard toe-up or top-down sock.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There’s no real heel to speak of. Once the foot is the desired length, the the leg begins in bias k2, p2 ribbing with mirrored increases worked at the center front of the leg and mirror decreases worked at the center back. This forms a tidy knit columns at the center front and back of the leg, with k2, p2 ribs angled between them. When the leg is the desired length, the top is finished back and forth in rows with a stitch bound off at the center front of each row while decreases are continued at the back of the leg.

The result looks oddly angled, but wet blocking helps it to assume a more sock-like shape.

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A New Skirt

/ Patterns, Skirts

I’ve uploaded a new skirt pattern on Ravelry. Velvety Pleats, another version of my basic pleated skirt pattern, is worked with two strands of laceweight Shibui yarn held together: Cima (70% alpaca, 30% merino) and Pebble (48% recycled silk, 36% merino, 16% cashmere) in the Fjord colorway. You really have to feel the fabric–it reminds me of the softest velvet, hence the name.

The skirt is worked in rounds from the top down, beginning with a casing to accommodate waistband elastic. Four darts shape the taper from the waist to the upper hip circumference, then purl stitches are added in “gores” between mostly stockinette stitch “pleats” to provide ample fabric across the full hips and seat, as well as flare in the lower skirt. Each pleat is decorated with traveling-stitch chevrons and is bordered with twisted stitches to sharpen the boundaries between the pleats and gores. A simple bind-off produces slight scallops around the lower edge.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Worked at a sportweight gauge of 6 stitches/inch, this skirt knits up a bit quicker than others I’ve designed for fingering weight yarn.

Because the upper part of the skirt relies on negative ease for a good fit, you’ll want to choose a size that measures 2″ to 3″ less than your actual high-hip circumference. (Measure your high hip across your pelvic bones.) You don’t have to worry about your full-hip circumference (that’s your widest circumference) because the gores add several inches by the time that circumference is reached. Instead of hugging your bottom, this skirt is designed to skim over the top, then hang freely to the hem. So, if you’ve thought that a knitted skirt isn’t for you, think again. Even curvy girls look great in this classic design!

Use the code VELVET to receive 20% off the $7 pattern price between now and midnight Friday, April 27.

 

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