Category Archives: pattern design

Introducing Fantasia Cowlette

Posted on September 30, 2025 | 6 comments
Woman wearing a hand knit cowl featuring assigned pooling fans

I’m so pleased to publish the Fantasia Cowlette! Fantasia is a fingering weight bandana cowl knit in the round, featuring easy assigned pooling fans on a stockinette stitch background.

Choose a single skein of fingering weight yarn that is dyed for assigned pooling. I used A Chick that Knitz Singles Fingering in Tropical Flowers for mine.

yarn dyed for assigned pooling

The pattern is available through Ravelry and Payhip. Use coupon code FANCY for 15% off the pattern through October 9, 2025. Let’s get knitting for fall!

Reminder: The Knit Your Own Adventure Summit is next week! This free online event will help you be a more confident knitter. Learn more about the Knit Your Own Adventure Summit, and grab your free ticket here (The links to the summit give me credit for you signing up, which is free. If you upgrade your access with an Expedition Pass, I receive a commission. Your choice!)

I’m presenting a segment on frogging your knitting and how to get back on track. And I’m participating in a Zoom presentation on Tuesday, too. Come join the fun!

Onward!

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Will it go round in circles

Posted on September 13, 2025 | 5 comments

Progress report on my jewelry storage project. I want to hang my necklaces so they don’t tangle.

This circle isn’t quite as big as the embroidery hoop, but it’s going to be stretched while wet blocked. It seems a bit ruffly, and if I fold it in half it’s slightly more than a half circle.

Wet blocking solves that. And the little yarn over holes are a good guide for centering it in the hoop.

It definitely grew when wet. Now what should I do with the excess fabric? I don’t want to keep it looking like a mob cap.

I can turn it to the back and trim it off, but it might still show. Or I could try to glue it to the inside of the hoop. Or I could take yarn and sew across the hoop to hold the extra in back, like spokes on a wheel. That might show through to the front, though. What do you think?

I’ve decided I want a brighter color for my bedroom; the gray/blue isn’t as contrasty as I thought it would be. Also, I think I don’t want it to be a single ply; it’s going to get some bumping and handling as I hang and swap out jewelry on it. So this lovely yarn is on its way to me from Sharon Spence at Garage Dyeworks. It’s a plied MCN blend (merino/cashmere/nylon), colorway April in Paris. I think it’s going to be perfect.

Let’s find out!

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Introducing Simply Stellar

Posted on September 1, 2025 | 5 comments

Simply Stellar is an asymmetric triangle brioche shawlette, knit on the bias from narrow end to wide end. It features assigned pooling stars. The pattern requires two skeins of fingering weight yarn, one of which should be dyed for assigned pooling.

I knit my Simply Stellar with A Chick That Knitz Deluxe sock in Wildflowers (pooling) and Sassy, a fabulous hot pink.

I designed this shawlette as a slightly simpler version of my Starstruck. Tammy Pelfrey, the dyer at A Chick that Knitz, told me that some people were intimidated by the syncopated border on Starstruck, so Simply Stellar was designed as a simpler introduction to brioche plus assigned pooling. The shaping is very simple, and the yarn tells you when it’s time to make a star.

This pattern is available through Ravelry, link here, and Payhip, link here. Use coupon code SHINE for 15% off through September 9, 2025.

Have fun!

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Busy as a bee

Posted on August 29, 2025 | 5 comments

We’re barreling towards September, and I am juggling several projects! I’ll have a new design out next week (Tuesday, September 2), another one ready for tech edit and test knit, and a fun online project for October. I had a photo shoot with my sister yesterday. She doesn’t work for cash, so we go out for our favorite lunch instead. Her: chicken and waffles. Me: usually the perfect fried chicken sandwich.

Lunch at Screen Door, PDX Pearl District

But this time I had a fried chicken salad. It’s salad, so it’s healthy, right? (Look away from the bacon.)

I’m still editing pictures, so you’ll see those later.

I’ve been looking for a way to store my everyday necklaces and earrings. Right now they’re jumbled in a pretty box, and they’re always tangled. I’m planning to use a big circle of knit fabric in an embroidery hoop, and add some hooks to hold the necklaces. Those hooks may be spiral stitch markers; we’ll see if they work. Earrings can go directly into the fabric. Wish me luck!

I started knitting with leftover yarn, but I really wanted something that coordinated with our bedroom, and I wanted it to be more interesting than a stockinette circle. Assigned pooling is doing the trick.

I bought this yarn, MadelineTosh Tosh Merino Light, at For Yarn’s Sake on the way to a meeting. I didn’t have the right sized dpns with me, so I bought these Knit Pro Cubics. They’re square shaped. I like them!

We’re heading into a holiday weekend. Hope yours is full of knitting. I hope mine is, too!

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On the needles

Posted on August 17, 2025 | 2 comments

And off, and on, and off, and on again! Sometimes it takes a while to figure out what your yarn really wants.

This yarn is A Chick that Knitz Singles Fingering in Tropical Flowers. I got it at Nash Yarn Fest, intending to pair it with another color for brioche plus pooling.

Here it is with Caribbean.

It was nice, but the stars didn’t really pop against the background.

I liked the contrastier combination of Wildflowers and Sassy. this is A Chick That Knitz Deluxe Sock. This pattern, Simply Stellar, is coming soon. It’s been a busy summer, and this will make a nice intro to fall knitting.

I frogged the blue version, and decided to try a different assigned pooling pattern, without brioche. I want this to be a cowl, and it has to be worked in the round because the motif has to be worked from the right side of the fabric.

I love how the colors pop against the background when it’s just the pooling yarn. The second color in brioche really didn’t add anything meaningful.

But do I want the motifs to be flowers?

Or volcanoes? I knit on this last weekend, while we were traveling to and from Ellensburg, Washington for a friend’s birthday/retirement party. And by the time we were halfway home, I decided I wanted flowers.

And voilà, my project was instantly transformed into a swatch! I needed to frog the whole thing, and work it from the bottom up instead of top down.

That meant choosing an edging for the beginning, and doing some math. Easy peasy. The nice thing about working it from the bottom up is that there won’t be any yarn chicken shenaningans going on. The edging is completed first, so I know there’s enough yarn for it. And I can knit the top of the cowl to be as tall as I want it to be with the yarn that’s left; the height isn’t a critical measurement.

I’m about halfway done, and looking forward to showing you the result. It’s an easy knit.

Cheers! (Cocktails at Julep in Ellensburg. Backwoods Barbie on the left, Rhinestone Cowboy on the right.)

What’s on your needles?

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Frogging brioche

Posted on July 18, 2025 | 5 comments

I started a brioche project with a new to me yarn. This lovely Andante worsted from Sweet Paprika is 195 yards/110g, or 1.77 yards/gram. My usual worsted is Malabrigo Rios, which is 210 yards/100g, or 2.1 yards/gram. So the Andante is a bit heavier/thicker than what I’m used to. I cast on with Andante based on my previous gauge with Rios, and it turned out that it was noticeably bigger.

Ripping out brioche knitting, one layer at a time

As usual, my project is a project, until it’s a swatch. At least I measured my swatch for gauge before frogging!

You can really see that brioche is a 2 layered fabrc when you frog the colors separately. I find this highly amusing.

I’m back on track, and have a fun project that is easily memorizable. It will be fairly simple, for newer brioche knitters. I’m designing this for Sweet Paprika’s Skill Builder Yarn Club; it will be published in 2026.

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Introducing Scattered Petals

Posted on July 6, 2025 | 3 comments
brioche knit cowl with assigned pooling motifs
Larger cowl

Scattered Petals is a bandana cowl knit in the round. It features a dusting of assigned pooling petals on a two-color brioche rib background. Choose two skeins of fingering weight yarn, one of which is dyed for assigned pooling. Knitting begins in the round at the bottom with a contrast color brioche rib edging. Simple shaping at the center front creates the look of a triangle shawl.

Smaller and larger cowls stacked, for comparison

The pattern offers the cowl in two sizes, depending on how much coverage you like.

assigned pooling stitch detail
Assigned pooling stitch detail

I used Yarn Snob’s A Good Fingering for my cowls, in Black Orchid (pooling color) and Wicked Green. I love, love, love how this turned out.

yarn dyed for assigned pooling

The Scattered Petals pattern is available on Ravelry, link here. It is also available on Payhip, link here. Use coupon code ROSES for a 15% discount on either site. I hope you enjoy this sweet knit!

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Entrelac Encore

Posted on July 4, 2025 | 4 comments
Flower Power?

I’m knitting away on this new entrelac piece. It’s much like Minerva, my usual entrelac teaching piece, but it has fewer units in width, so it grows more quickly in length. There’s also an optional flower motif in the center squares, because why not add something new?

The driving force behind this new piece? I’m teaching an online entrelac class for Marie Greene’s virtual Knit Camp at the Coast in September. I decided that I want a minimalist project that better fits into the allotted time.

I love the yarn that I’m using here. It’s Berroco Wizard, which is a fluffy chainette. It’s listed as chunky/bulky, but the chainette construction makes it almost weightless. So cozy! One skein is enough for up to a double looped cowl or scarf, but you could stop at any time after 20” and seam it up for a shorter cowl.

Pattern coming soon! This will be my entrelac teaching piece after it’s published.

I’m headed to San Diego on Monday to speak and teach for the San Diego North Coast Knitters Guild. We’ll be playing with brioche, fancy elongated stitches, and steeks. And I’ll have plenty of knitting time on the plane to finish this entrelac project!

assigned pooling stitch detail

In the meantime, happy 4th of July to the Yanks! I’m working this weekend, prepping for San Diego, and getting ready to launch Scattered Petals on Monday. Knit on!

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Whirlwind

Posted on July 2, 2025 | 5 comments

It’s been a busy couple weeks. I did a photo shoot with my sister for my two upcoming designs, Scattered Petals and Simply Stellar.

Scattered Petals and Simply Stellar

I’m publishing Scattered Petals next Monday, after the July 4th weekend. If you’d like a 25% discount on the pattern when it’s published, sign up for my newsletter by Saturday July 5, and you’ll receive the coupon code via email on Monday. I publish my newsletter once or twice per month. I promise I won’t spam you; I don’t have the energy!

My favorite public art, by Botero

This past weekend DH and I went to St Louis to celebrate his mom’s 92nd birthday. It was an art-filled weekend! There is a wonderful exhibit at the St Louis Art Museum called Roaring: Art, Fashion, and the Automobile in France, 1918–1939. There are 12 fantastic motorcars, lots of art, and some exquisite fashion items.

The theme image at the entrance is from the painting “Eiffel Tower” by Robert Delaunay, 1924.

Coco Chanel, 1937. The whole sheath dress is covered in flexible gelatin sequins, covered with a net overskirt and bodice.

My favorite gown. Coco Chanel, 1937. The whole sheath dress is covered in flexible gelatin sequins, covered with a net overskirt and bodice. So gorgeous. Very Downton Abbey, don’t you think? And timeless. I’d wear it in a heartbeat.

This Lanvin gown (1929) features a rhinestone spiderweb.

This Lanvin gown (1929) features a rhinestone spiderweb. I love it.

Sweater by Elsa Schiaparelli, 1935.

Sweater by Elsa Schiaparelli, 1935. The information card noted that women’s knits maintained silhouettes while allowing for comfort and movement. But that asymmetric detailing at the shoulders makes me twitch!

A stack of W

I felt the need to make my own art, too. Probably more along the lines of Andy Warhol!

I have a ton of work to finish this week. I need to do all the background work to publish Scattered Petals. And I’m prepping and packing to go to San Diego on Monday to present and teach for the San Diego North Coast Knitters Guild. Git ‘er done!

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Re-introducing: Honey Bee Mine

Posted on June 18, 2025 | 3 comments
Honey Bee Mine in Spark Speckle, Slate Kettle, and Compass Kettle

Honey Bee Mine is a cozy three-color bandana cowl that features sweet honey bees flitting among the honeycombs. The cowl looks like a triangular shawl when worn, but it needs no fussing or pinning to remain stylishly in place.

Honey Bee Mine is worked in the round from the bottom up, so the bees are flying upwards. Multiple yarnovers over several rounds are dropped and scooped up to form the wings of the honey bees, and double yarnovers create bold eyelets for the honeycomb. The pattern uses 3 colors of fingering weight yarn. The edging can be knit in either Brioche Rib or 1×1 Ribbing. (I’m always sneaking in brioche!)

Honey Bee Mine in Panettone Speckle, Slate Kettle, and Gold Hill Tonal

I designed this for Knit Picks in 2022/2023 using Hawthorne Fingering. I love this workhorse of a yarn! The Honey Bee Mine pattern rights have returned to me, so I am now able to offer this through Ravelry and Payhip. Use coupon code SWEET for 15% off through June 26, 2025.

The pattern is still available from Knit Picks too, as an individual pattern download, or as part of the Nature Walk Lace Patterns ebook.

Thanks to Sharon Hsu for modeling for me (top picture)!

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