Category Archives: pattern design

Re-introducing the Puget Sound Shawl

Posted on February 9, 2018 | Comments Off on Re-introducing the Puget Sound Shawl

The Puget Sound Shawl is a two color half-pi (semi-circular) shawl, knit flat. It features sunshine and rain, seagulls, the Olympic Mountains, and waves lapping the shore. The magic of slipped stitches creates two-color motifs in the sunshine and seagull sections, but only one color is worked in each row.

This was my shawl for By Hand Serial’s Look Book #4, Puget Sound. Publication rights have returned to me, and I’m pleased to offer this pattern on Ravelry. The pattern page is here.

If you’re a newsletter subscriber, check your email next week for a special offer. I’m nearly ready to publish the brioche hat patterns, and want to put it all into one newsletter on Monday.

My favorite part of this shawl? The seagulls. You may remember that I used them again in my Cannon Beach cowl and mitts.

It’s the motif that keeps on giving! Happy Friday!

Comments Off on Re-introducing the Puget Sound Shawl

Posted in Knit, pattern design

Tagged

Re-introducing Athena

Posted on January 27, 2018 | 3 comments

I’m teaching my Athena Entrelac Cowl at Madrona Fiber Arts Festival in February. I love entrelac; it makes a knitter feel ever so clever! It’s even easier when you have a slow color changing yarn to make the color choices for you. And the work just kind of pulls you along; you want to knit just one more square, and then another, and another.

The original Athena is all in the round. I’ve taught this class a lot, and it’s easier to teach entrelac in the round. But learning to knit entrelac flat is good, too. It just requires two more units, the left and right edge triangles. Too much at the beginning of a class, but it’s not hard.

So I’ve just updated my Athena pattern with an optional split ending; there’s just a little smidge of those left and right edge triangles to try after getting comfortable with the left and right leaning rectangles.

If you’ve already purchased Athena through Ravelry, you can download the update there. If Athena is new to you, I’d like to entice you to try entrelac with a 10% discount on the pattern through February 5. No coupon code needed.

If you’re a newsletter subscriber, there will be a 20% discount code in your next newsletter. You can subscribe to the newsletter here.

In other news, the brioche hat patterns have gone out to test knitters; I’m looking forward to feedback on those. I did re-work the top of the plain ribbed hat. Twice. It wasn’t pretty enough the first two times. Now I’m in LOVE.

I’m teaching a beginning brioche class at Twisted on Thursday, February 22. I’m using my free Petite Brioche pattern as the basis. If you’re local and want a kick start to your brioche knitting, come join us!

What’s on your knitting bucket list? Entrelac? Brioche? Steeks? Do tell!

3 Comments

Posted in classes, Knit, pattern design

Tagged , ,

Two steps forward at the coast, one step back at home

Posted on January 23, 2018 | 5 comments

I finished this hat on Saturday evening, but changed my mind about the crown shaping. About to start that again.

In other news, happy birthday to DH! I decided to get cases for his autographed baseballs. They’ve been rolling around in a drawer for 30 years, so it’s about time we did something with them. Top to bottom: 1984 Portland Beavers (AAA farm team for the Phillies back then, and DH’s first job in baseball); 1986 World Champion NY Mets (DH’s first year working in Major League Baseball); 1968 St. Louis Cardinals (boyhood home team).

My Saturday stranded colorwork class was full, and my Sunday class was cancelled, so I ran away to the coast overnight.

Sasquatch lives! The ocean was rough, and the wind was intense, but the coast always clears my mind and brings me joy.

What’s bringing you joy this winter? I’ll have more joy when these hats are done!

5 Comments

Posted in Knit, pattern design, travel

Tagged , ,

The beat goes on: More brioche, more entrelac!

Posted on January 19, 2018 | 4 comments

First, if you’re looking for the Shetland Lace book giveaway post, click here. *After* you read this post, of course!

I’m almost done knitting the third of my three brioche hats. Silly me, I started with the most complicated stitch pattern of the three, and now I’m doing the simplest. It’s plain two color brioche rib, and will be deep enough to turn up the bottom edge. You, dear knitter, can choose how deep to make yours; you don’t have to cuff the bottom if you don’t want to, or if you don’t want to knit endless brioche rib! I’m getting close…I think. I’ll be looking for a few test knitters for these lovelies; leave a comment if you’d like to knit one!

I’m also prepping an update of my Athena entrelac cowl pattern. I’ve added an option for a split ending (Athena has split ends!), which introduces a bit of flat entrelac. I’m updating the yarns used (the original is discontinued), giving more gauge options, and including this video tutorial on purling back without turning your work. It’s great for entrelac and for lace edgings, too. If you’ve already purchased Athena, you’ll be notified of an update which will include both options, soon.

Why the update? I’m teaching Athena for an entrelac class at Madrona Fiber Arts Festival, and the split end option gives you a chance to try a little flat entrelac after you have some experience with entrelac in the round. It’s not hard, but it’s too much to learn at the beginning of a 3 hour class, so now the option will be there at the end. Are you going to Madrona? There is still room in some of the regular classes, and the mini class schedule is up now, too. I’m teaching two minis, blocking and novelty stitches. Hope to see you there! It’s such a great event; the market is fabulous and there is always a lot going on besides the classes.

And! Do you know that Columbia Gorge Fiber Festival has added a spring event? It’s the Knot Another Fiber Festival at the Oregon Garden Resort in Silverton, Oregon, April 27-29. Check out the link here. I’m taking an all day class with Andrea Mowry on my favorite new technique, BRIOCHE! Always lots more to learn, right?

Knit on…and on. Have a great weekend!

4 Comments

Posted in classes, pattern design

Tagged , , ,

Fiendishly simple? And aloha!

Posted on January 3, 2018 | 8 comments

A hat is a fiendishly simple thing. It’s a tube, closed at the top. Easy peasy, right?

I’ve been playing with this hat project all week. It’s been a Goldilocks experience. Too tall? Too short? Just right? The top of this pink hat has been reworked a couple times, but I can’t complain about the view.

The pink version is snug and a little (but not too) short; it’s a cute beanie.

The blue version has 12 more stitches than the pink one, and at the same height it doesn’t feel quite secure on my head. I’m re-working it to be a little taller so it can come further down over the ears, or folded up at the bottom.

I’ll be knitting one more for a size in-between. Who said hats were simple? There’s a lot of planning going on here!

Oddly enough, it’s been very comfortable knitting with this wooly yarn in Hawaii! I brought a fingering weight shawl project, too, but I’ve been so smitten by this brioche I can’t stop playing with it.

We’ve had a great week. We came over on December 26, and now it’s time to go home. But here are some pretty pix from the week.

Beautiful He’eia Bay is just around the corner from our condo.

Lots of honu (green sea turtles) at Ai’opio Beach, Kaloko-Honokohau National Historic Park.

More turtles at Kiholo Bay, and we saw this petroglyph at the water’s edge.

When Hualalai erupted, these shells were caught in the lava. They’re being revealed through erosion. They look like frosting!

Kiholo Bay

We went night snorkeling with the mantas! (Picture from the Eka Canoe Website; I highly recommend this.) There were at least five of these magnificent creatures swimming with us, somersaulting and backflipping, close enough to touch (but you’re not supposed to. One brushed by DH; he said it felt like a shoe.

My favorite bird, the yellow-billed cardinal.

And favorite guy, on our morning walk.

Moonset in the morning (January 2)…

Sunsets in the evening…bliss.

Aloha!

8 Comments

Posted in Knit, pattern design, travel

Tagged , , ,

Plus de brioche

Posted on December 29, 2017 | 5 comments

The brioche knitting continues. I’m smitten!

I knit this cowl for my sister. She’s a big University of Oregon Ducks fan, and the swirling circles made perfect O’s. After the perfect mirror symmetry of plain brioche rib, I was startled to see how different the front and back sides of patterned brioche are. Cool!

I ripped down this beginning of a brioche cowl; it wasn’t wide enough, and I wanted the leaves to be taller. But it all got sidetracked anyway…

because I wanted a hat. With those taller leaves.

I’m currently playing yarn chicken while trying to decide how to close the top. This is yarn left over after 3 Petite Brioche headbands. We’ll see if there’s enough to finish this hat. I hope so!

Is brioche knitting on your bucket list? Am I getting to you? Take a dip in the brioche pool with my free Petite Brioche headband/earwarmer pattern! It’s a gateway…

5 Comments

Posted in Knit, pattern design

Tagged ,

Free Pattern: Petite Brioche

Posted on December 20, 2017 | 10 comments

This is Petite Brioche, a little headband/earband to keep the chill away. It’s also a great introduction to two color brioche rib in the round. It’s a quick little project, and you can still whip one out for a wee Christmas gift! Or save it for learning a new technique in 2018.

You can download the free pattern here.

I used Malabrigo Merino Worsted for the purple version. Mmmmm, Malabrigo!

Happy new year!

10 Comments

Posted in Knit, pattern design

Tagged ,

Introducing: Cannon Beach Accessories Collection

Posted on December 7, 2017 | 3 comments

I’m so pleased with my newest design, the Cannon Beach Cowl. It just rolled off my needles because the yarn knew what it wanted to be. I love it when that happens!

And then there were fingerless mitts too, because why not?

Both the cowl and mitts are knit in the round from the top down in worsted to Aran weight yarn. The patterns are available individually, or as an e-book collection that includes both patterns. The pieces feature two slip stitch patterns, one resembling seagulls, the other resembling waves. Cannon Beach, Oregon, is one of my favorite places on earth, and the cozy cowl and mitts are just right for a stroll on a breezy beach.

The cowl was inspired by the loveliness of a yarn, Woolfolk Får. This is a beautiful merino wool chainette yarn. When I saw it I knew it wanted to be a very soft cowl featuring a stitch pattern with long floats to show off the construction of the yarn.

The pattern is also pretty but very different in more conventional yarns like single ply Malabrigo Merino Worsted, or a plyed yarn like Malabrigo Rios.

The cowl instructions include three sizes, from a cozy 22″ neck warmer to a larger 24″ cowl. The circumference and height of the cowl are easily adjusted.


Small cowl shown in Malabrigo Merino Worsted


Medium cowl shown in Woolfolk Får


Large cowl shown in Malabrigo Merino Worsted

The mitts are written for one size, 7.5″ in circumference, and will stretch to fit an 8″ palm. Because of the large number of stitches in the seagull and wave stitch pattern, sizing should be altered by changing needle size.

The patterns are available for $6 for a single pattern, or as an e-book of both patterns for $10. Ravelry page link is live!

Subscribers to my newsletter will receive a coupon code for 20% off the single patterns or the e-book. Not a subscriber? Subscribe by clicking this link, or letting me know in the comments below.

Thanks to tech editor Amanda Woodruff, test knitter Ann Berg, and model Erin Hocraffer.

Sunset at Haystack Rock, Cannon Beach…a little chilly, needs a cowl!

3 Comments

Posted in Knit, pattern design, yarn

Tagged , , , , ,

Coming soon: Cannon Beach Cowl

Posted on November 20, 2017 | 10 comments

I fell in love with some yarn recently. It begged me to take it home from Knit Purl.

This is Woolfolk Får, a very soft worsted weight merino wool with a chainette/icord construction.

Look at that chainette! Yarn doesn’t always talk to me, but this one did, loud and clear. It said, “Design something with slip stitch and long threads showing on the right side, so you can see the chainette!” Well, of course.

This cowl knit up in a flash. It features seagulls and ocean waves.

See the chainette yarn structure? So lovely. So soft, too. It’s perfect in this cowl. But do you have to use this yarn for this project? Knitter’s choice! I love it, but I’m also knitting up a sample in Malabrigo Merino Worsted.

I’m curious about how it would look with a plyed yarn. More swatching is in order.

I’ve written up the pattern, and it’s off to the tech editor and a test knitter. Meanwhile, I’m still swooning. I love these stitch patterns; you know how I love elongated stitches. The pattern will be out soon. Do you subscribe to my email newsletter? Newsletter subscribers get discounts on newly released patterns. Comment below if you’d like to subscribe. (You can also subscribe to this blog, which is a separate thing.)

I think I have my Thanksgiving knitting cut out for me! When I’m not cooking…

Happy Thanksgiving to all who celebrate it. I’m thankful for family, friends, and fiber! And gravy. Mmmmm, gravy. What are you thankful for? (Or, more properly: For what are you thankful?)

10 Comments

Posted in Knit, pattern design, yarn

Tagged ,

Introducing: Tumbling Leaves

Posted on October 19, 2017 | 2 comments

Finally ready for prime time!

This is Tumbling Leaves, a wide crescent shawl. I designed this sample with Bumblebirch Heartwood, a lightweight 75/25 superwash merino/nylon blend. It was a delight to knit!

The shawl is wide enough to wear wrapped once, as shown above, or twice, with both ends in front.

The pattern is available for $6 USD through Ravelry as a PDF download. As usual, subscribers to my email newsletter will receive a coupon code for 20% off new releases. Not a subscriber? Let me know in the comments, and I’ll add you to the list. Yes, someday I’ll automate that. But I’m too busy designing!

This has been a summer of shawls. I designed four new shawls (and knit one of them 3 times) this summer, and more design work is on the way. So many ideas to knit!

And! We have a winner for the Merry Knitmas book: Joelle! I’ll be sending her a pdf copy. Congratulations! If you’re not Joelle and you’re dying to get this book; you can get it in softcover or as a PDF download from Knit Picks. Thanks for playing along!

2 Comments

Posted in Knit, pattern design, yarn

Tagged ,