New Releases: Alana Sweater and Stole

Both the Alana Sweater and Alana Stole are now available! The Alana Sweater combines a center front cable panel and complementary sleeve cables with top-down construction and simple stockinette for casual elegance. Written in 7 sizes with waist and hip shaping for a flattering fit. Cables are charted and written.

Named Alana from the Celtic word meaning harmony or stone because the cables evoke both ancient stone carvings and the blending of individual parts into harmony. This sweater was originally published in Knit Now magazine. The rights have released back to me so I’m now free to republish it! I’ve reworked and updated the pattern and formatting! Sample Size S worked in West Yorkshire Spinners, The Croft Shetland Tweed Aran in the color Clousta and used just under 500 g or 910 yards.

The Alana Stole combines the same center cable panel with complementary smaller cables and a moss-stitch edging in a modern wrap with the feel of a vintage stole. Simple stockinette between the cables helps to keep the Alana Stole a quick knit with cables to spice up the rows.

Perfect to layer as the temperatures turn cooler and the seasons change. Cables are charted and written. Sample worked in Cascade 220 color 9600 Antiqued Heather and used about 450 g or 990 yards.

The Alana Sweater and Alana Stole are available at Ravelry now and will be available through other venues later this year!

Knitting: October Projects

Here is a quick look at what I finished last month and what I’m working on in October.

Finished! 

I finally finished my coffee inspired project out of Madelinetosh Tosh Vintage in the color Pecan. The color is a beautiful brown that I love and I really enjoyed working with this yarn. It’s lovely and the written pattern is almost through final edits of the pattern getting it ready for test knitting. I’m excited to get this one into test knitting. I really value all the comments, questions and suggestions I get from testers as they work through a pattern. And the fresh eyes are so very necessary because by the time a pattern has made it to test knit, designers (and editors) have already looked at it so often that is easy to miss simple errors or think a thing is clear when it really isn’t or “see” a thing that was deleted three edits ago as still being present or whatever else.

On the Needles

I’ve got several things on my needles for the month of October.

First, I’ve been working with the DK Treasures Yarn I got from Treasure Goddess Yarn at Knitting in the Heartland in April of 2018. I got the colors Ghost Ship and Pieces of Eight. I’m using US Size 5 needles and like how the slightly smaller size needle really helps the cables pop. From the very beginning I envisioned a pirate inspired two-tone cabled….something. So I’ve been playing with different cables. My first thought was a shawl (if you follow me on Instagram you’ll know that I was thrilled when my knitting math came out exactly right when I double checked the logic using a geometry calculator) and the shawl was lovely. But eventually (about 300 yards into the project) I realized a shawl wasn’t quite the right fit for this yarn and the cables I’ve chosen. So I frogged it back to zero and started over. Now it I’m pretty far along in a different design and I’m loving it!

Next, I cast on a new top down sweater design! I’m knitting the sample garment out of Knit Picks Simply Wool Worsted in the color Wallace. I’m using US Size 6 needles which is again on the small side of the suggested needles on the ball band. I find that I knit almost all my worsted weight sweaters on US Size 6 needles these days which is two needle sizes up from what used to be my norm. The sweater is just now starting to take form as I work down the body from the cast-on at the neck. I’m really loving having the wool on my lap as the weather turns cooler (yes! I’m making the sample garment in my size and I can’t wait to add it to my winter rotation). The color Wallace is a muted grey-brown that I had trouble getting to show up quite right in my photos. I’m really going to like wearing it with a bright solid long-sleeve tee underneath. I was super excited to try this new-to-me yarn. I’m really liking the rustic, slightly airy feel of it and I’m certain it is going to be a warm, cozy sweater.

I also made it a bit further on my Close To You shawl worked in Mountain Colors Bearfoot in the Rosehip colorway. I have now completed 11 of the 14-row pattern repeats (that’s three repeats further than the 9 I had finished last time). The pattern is written with nineteen total repeats, so I past the halfway point on this one! I’m using US Size 1 (2.50 mm) needles for this and I almost wonder if I should have gone up a needle size or two for it. I definitely not changing it now though.

And finally I cast on a new pair of socks. I found this Austermann Step in the deep, deep, deep stash so I’m not certain how long I’ve had it. It has been marinating in with the other sock yarn since at least 2012 but I’m thinking probably even longer than that. Austermann Step is 75% wool and 25% nylon treated with jojoba and aloe vera. Mine is the 03 Greens colorway. I’m using US Size 1 (2.25 mm) needles and really like how solid the knit fabric feels as I work. These socks feel like they are going to be warm, cozy and durable to wear.

I’m using the same basic sock recipe that I use for all my socks adapted from one of the very first knitting books I ever own (The Knitters Handy Book of Patterns). Because these will likely go into the Christmas Gift Basket, I did decide I wanted to give them a little extra stretch so I’ll keep two lines of simple ribbing (p2, k2, p2) running along the length of the leg and onto the top of the instep of the foot to the toes.

That seems like not all that much knitting going for me. But I’m keeping plenty busy running three test knits and getting other designs ready for release plus keeping up with boy activities of band, cross country, taekwondo, soccer and band again for another age group.

A Closer Look at Knitting Charts

I don’t want to reinvent the wheel here and there are already many great resources available for reading knitting charts. Two of my favorites for covering the basics and beyond are from Knotions and Tin Can Knits. Here are links to both: https://knotions.com/knoted/tutorial-read-knitting-chart/  and https://blog.tincanknits.com/2014/06/06/how-to-read-a-knitting-chart/

Or this video is a very clear look at beginning chart reading: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ytbcX5R6G98

For a more in depth look at reading charts I also like this from Brooklyn Tweed: https://www.brooklyntweed.com/reading-charts/

Instead of hashing back over things that many others have already presented really well, in this post I want to offer some quick examples of charts from some of my designs. Basically a knitting chart gives you a visual or graphic representation of written instructions telling you how to work the stitches in your pattern.

Here below are examples of some of the cables used in my designs with each of the sample knits shown next to their charts. From this you can start to see how a chart mimics the fabric (or the knitting mimics the chart if you prefer it that way).

 

 

In each of the above samples, the chart is shown next to the cable or cables it “describes”. And if you pull back a bit and let your eyes fuzz, many knitters can almost see the way the knit fabric will look by imagining the knit stitches as the white squares of the chart and the the purl stitches as the dark squares (usually denoted by a dot or a dash and sometimes shaded grey depending on designer preferences or charting software).

And now below is a second look at the side-by-side of the cable shown next to the chart that represents it, this time with directional arrows added. The first two examples I’ve only added lines to the chart since they are basic cables. I added lines to the knitting of the the third example since it is a braid which makes it slightly harder to see.

 

 

 

I intentionally did not include lace charts in the above samples because reading lace charts (even while squinting to blur things a bit) is not as intuitive to me as reading cable charts. I work from lace charts instead of written directions almost exclusively because it is faster to translate the picture of a stitch to the motion of my fingers while knitting, but I’ll be honest that the first time or two through a lace chart I have to simply trust the magic instead of intuitively understanding how the fabric will look. I am absolutely certain there are knitters out there for whom the complete opposite is true so I’m including a couple of knit lace samples here below next to their charts just in case you are one of those people and these next two side-by-side samples give you the moment of clarity you need to see how it all pulls together.

 

 

For my designs the lace or cable is almost always written and charted so that knitters can pick to follow whichever directions are more intuitive for them. If space allows, I’ll even include the written directions next to the chart for added clarity.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Knitting: August Projects

It was pointed out to me recently that for a knitting designer, I don’t actually talk about knitting all that much on the blog. So I’ve started a project round-up once a month to talk about everything I’ve got on the needles that month. Here is a quick look at what I’m working on in August.

I finished my test sample of the sweater made out of Valley Yarns Colrain (50% Merino/50% Tencel) in the Navajo Red color. I love this one and can’t wait to wear it when the weather cools down this fall into winter. After washing and laying flat to dry the drape from this yarn is even lovelier than it was while I was knitting with it. I’m working on final pattern edits now and plan to start a test knit of it in the next week or so.

The gift socks for my mother-in-law out of Knit Picks Felici Sock Yarn in Maple Leaves are finished and gifted. They were much appreciated. But we somehow missed getting a picture of her with the finished socks. So here’s another look at them in progress.

An undisclosed project for Cascade Yarns out of their Pacific Sport in the color Deep Lavender. I’d forgotten how much I enjoy the feel of this yarn as I knit. It is so soft it feels like butter to knit. This one is due by September 1st.

A sample cowl worked in a solid color out of Knit Picks Stroll in the color Buckskin from my deep, deep stash. The cowl was designed with gradient yarn kits in mind and already has some lovely samples of finished cowls in both sizes made out of gradient yarns. I’m looking forward to knitting on this one along with my testers as the test knit progresses throughout the month.

And another Judy Hat out of Knit Picks Felici Worsted in the color Lost Lakes. I’m trying to save this project for movie knitting since simple, small projects like hats are perfect for movies. But we don’t make it to all that many movies and I really love self-striping yarn in worsted weight so I may finish the hat before we make it to our next movie. These simple ponytail hats were snatched out of last season’s Christmas basket as fast as I could knit them.

The top down cabled cloak in Valley Yarns Amherst Jungle Green that will be similar in construction to my Brianna Cabled Cloak is getting big. I’m really loving this one and I hope to have it finished and photographed in time to wear to the Renaissance Festival this year! It is a little hard to get scale from this picture – I had to put it on three needles to lay it out flat here where it is draping off both sides of my 4-foot-wide dining room table.

And finally at Knit Night the other day I realized that I almost never knit something that isn’t a pattern of mine. Thinking about it made all my knitting feel a little more like work (but really can you call doing something you love work?) than fun. So I decided to remedy that and cast on a Close To You shawl in another gift yarn from my deep, deep stash just for fun. The yarn is Mountain Colors Bearfoot in the Rosehip colorway. I’v been saving this yarn for years and decided it is finally time to get it on the needles. The reds are just beautiful and I’m really enjoying knitting on this project! I’m also loving my Star Wars themed stitch markers my husband and boys gave me. Win, win and win – gift yarn, gift stitch markers and a lovely pattern.

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: Starry Night Cowl

The Starry Night Cowl finished test knitting in June and is now available!

The Starry Night Cowl uses simple increases and decreases to draw groups of stitches into soft, undulating curves to evoke the wild beauty of the dense clouds of gas and dust in our night sky.

Named Starry Night because the curves also remind me of the swirls in Van Gogh’s Starry Night. Written in two sizes. Cowl uses the same lace as my Nebula Shawl.

The Starry Night Cowl is available at Ravelry now and will be available through WEBS and LoveKnitting later this summer!

 

Pattern Spotlight: Brigit

Published in 2017 Brigit is a seamless top-down capelet with a round yoke and long, long cables for simple cozy elegance.

Brigit is a quick, easy knit. Written in 4 sizes. Pattern includes tips to adjust your fit! Cables written and charted.

Brigit available through Ravelry, WEBS and LoveKnitting!

Note: The sample knitter for main photographs (me) managed to twist at least one cable the wrong direction in every frame I could use to photograph the sample. Drat and ack – sample knitting during soccer games might not be the best idea! The good news is that the capelet is lovely even with the errors.  

New Pattern: Nebula Shawl

The Nebula Shawl test knit finished earlier this month and the pattern is now available!

The Nebula Shawl uses simple increases and decreases to draw groups of stitches into soft, undulating curves to evoke the wild beauty of the dense clouds of gas and dust in interstellar space that form into nebulae in our night sky.

The main body of the Nebula Shawl is a triangle worked from the top down in stockinette stitch with simple yarn over increases and garter stitch edging. Nebula uses the garter tab cast-on discussed in this earlier post.

The Nebula Shawl is available at Ravelry now and will be available through WEBS and LoveKnitting later this summer!

Designing: Some of my Favorite Knitting Books

I love my knitting books. I feel like I can never have enough. I like being able to look up a small tidbit in one book and a piece of a neckline in another and possible cable idea in the next book and read some insight in another book. Here I’ve listed some of my favorites and what I use them for.

I think I own almost all of Elizabeth Zimmermann’s books. Although I love really anything by her I do have two favorites. Knitting Without Tears for the straight forward technical help that offers throughout the book. Sometimes when I’ve got a design that just isn’t doing what I expected it to do, I’ll go back and read over different bits of this book to see if she can tell me why exactly. And Knitting Around where she shares pictures and stories of her life. I love those glimpses she shares.

Knitting from the Top by Barbara Walker is another book I find myself coming back to time and again as I think through a new design. I like to reread the sections before I set down to start a new pattern so I’m sure I don’t miss any of the important steps to consider in a top-down sweater design.

For design inspiration, I have a regular rotation of all three of Barbara Walker’s Treasuries (in my head I think of them as the blue one, the red one and the yellow one) and several of the Harmony Guides from the 1980s. I find I use three of them consistently with Volume 4 being my favorite by far. In fact, I’m going to need a new-to-me copy since every time I leaf through mine another few pages comes loose from the binding.

For a while this Spring most of my knitting books were stuck in a closet I couldn’t reach due to our ongoing construction (I talked about that here.) So I’ve been looking at new books. So I now I have four new books. I’ve only cracked open one of them so far.

Pattern Spotlight: Market Day Cowl

Published in May of 2017 the Market Day Cowl combines basic purls, knits and cables with vibrant colors to evoke the beautiful traditional textiles of West Africa. Market Day Cowl is extra-long so it can be looped once for a draped-scarf feel or twice for colder days.

 

Sample is knit in Wonderland Yarns Mad Hatter in the colorway Shillings and Pence and evokes the traditionally indigo-dyed Leppi Cloth from Guinea where my husband and I were Peace Corps Volunteers.

Market Day Cowl

Leppi Cloth from Guinea, West Africa, 1997

 

The Market Day Cowl is available through Ravelry, WEBS and LoveKnitting!