Pattern Spotlight: Snow Day Hat

Published in February of 2017 the Snow Day Hat combines all-over seed stitch with earflaps, tassels and a pompom for extra warmth and “style”.

Perfect for an elusive snow day or a fun day hanging out with friends.

On a more personal note this hat also reminds me of Sheldon’s hat that he wears when sick, incognito or moving to Bozeman. I’m finally watching The Big Bang Theory and realizing that I’m raising my own personal almost-Sheldon. I love him fiercely. Always being one of the smartest kid in the room is hard especially when you miss social cues or just don’t know how to relate. I hope for him friends that are true enough to see past any mistakes and the strength to truly show the world what he can do with his amazing mind.

The Snow Day Hat is available through Ravelry, WEBS and LoveKnitting!

 

 

New Pattern: Sweet Clover Tee

Sweet Clover is a simple top down raglan with a square neck and an optional lace panel on the body. Linen Stitch finishing on the neck, sleeves and body. A-line shaping with positive ease for a relaxed fit.

Written in 7 sizes. Lace is charted and written. Sample knit in Cascade Ultra Pima Fine color 3826 Golden Rod. Name Sweet Clover because the lace and color both remind me of the roadside wildflowers on the Midwest prairies known by the same name.

I really loved working the Linen Stitch edging for this design. Knitting it is somehow relaxing and the almost woven look of the fabric that it creates is lovely. The pattern is written with the option to skip the lace panel completely and simply work the Linen Stitch edging at your desired length.

Sweet Clover Tee is currently available through Ravelry! Look for it at my venues soon.

And I’m adding it to my Summer Tees Promotion! 3 for the price of 2! Purchase any two of my tee patterns and get a third tee pattern for free! (No code needed. Just put your chosen tees in the cart and the price of the third tee will be automatically discounted.) Promotion ends July 31, 2018.

 

 

Pattern Spotlight: Masala

Published in 2015 Masala is a simple top down raglan v-neck with alternating leaf stitch at the bottom of the sleeves and body. Tunic length with instructions to shorten if desired. Waist and hip shaping for flattering fit. Written in 7 sizes. Leaf stitch is charted and written. Sample knit in Cascade Ultra Pima Fine color 3771 (Paprika).

Masala is my favorite of my series of top-down tees. The color, the length, the neckline and the drape of it make it a great fit for me. And Masala works well for me with my two favorites – either jeans or a maxi skirt.

Masala is available through Ravelry, LoveKnitting, WEBS and Craftsy.

 

 

New Pattern: Sedona Cowl

The Sedona Cowl uses simple knits, purls and basic cables to evoke the vortexes in the Sedona area of Arizona. Vortexes are swirling centers of subtle energy coming from the surface of the earth. The Sedona Cowl is perfect for a quick, easy gift as well as a good introduction to cables. The cowl is extra-long for a draped-scarf feel. Cables are written and charted. Sedona Cowl is part of my Arizona Collection along with the Rock Art Shawl and Grand Canyon Scarf.

The Sedona Cowl just finished test knitting and is available now! Look for the Rock Art Shawl (in test knitting now) and Grand Canyon Scarf later this Fall.

Tutorial: Garter Tab Cast-On

The Rock Art Shawl uses the garter tab cast-on to blend seamlessly with the garter stitch edging and form a smooth finish to the center top line of the shawl. The initial instructions can be confusing, but it is well worth the extra effort!

Once you understand the basic plan, the process is simple. I took pictures of a recent sample shawl as I worked and below I walk you through my process. Like many other top-down triangle shawls, the Rock Art Shawl starts at the center top with just a few stitches.

For the initial cast-on the first lines of the pattern read “Garter Tab cast-on: Loosely cast on 2 sts. Knit 7 rows. After the last row, gently stretch your rectangle up to form a line with your 2 live sts. Pick up and knit 3 sts in the garter ridges along the edge of your rectangle. Pick up and knit 2 sts from the cast-on edge. (7 sts)” See photos below for the steps.

Voila! You’ve finished the garter tab cast-on.

You can see here how it forms a smooth top horizontal line for the tiny sample shawl. From here the Rock Art Shawl shawl grows down the body with garter stitch edges, yarn over increases and two sides separated by the center stitch.

You can skip the garter tab and cast on your first 7 stitches however you like best. But do be aware of the center dip and break in the top horizontal edge of the shawl that will result.

You can see here what I mean. It really is hard to miss that center dip.

The Rock Art Shawl is in test knitting and will be available as part of my Arizona Collection along with the Grand Canyon Scarf and Sedona Cowl later this Fall.

Pattern Spotlight: Beatrice Cowl

Published in 2016 the texture of Beatrice Cowl uses simple decreases and yarn-overs to evoke the movement and flow of water or flames. My inspiration for the design came from the Elemental Mysteries book series that I was reading at the time. I even named the pattern after my favorite water vampire from the series.

Cowls are some of my favorite patterns to design and to knit. Because they are relatively small with fewer stitches and rounds than a sweater, they are great introductions to new skills like simple lace or cables. They are also perfect for quick and easy car or travel knitting.

 

Because I originally designed the pattern with a water vampire in mind, I chose blue for my first sample. But as you can see from the projects page, the design is adaptable and looks nice in a range of colors – including blues, reds, pinks and even color-transitioning yarns.

The rust sample here evokes the ebb and flow of flames.

Beatrice Cowl is available from Ravelry, WEBS, LoveKnitting and Knit Picks.

Sneak Peek: Mistborn Poncho

The Mistborn Poncho test knit is almost finished. I love these cables! Named Mistborn because the cables remind me of the mists winding in and around Vin as she learns to harness them to play her part in the skaa rebellion in the book series by the same name. And who doesn’t love a good rebellion story these days?

The pattern will be published just as soon as I finish final edits at the end of the test knit. (Note: My hair in the photos is purple for pancreatic cancer awareness and support for a friend recently diagnosed.)