Once I determined how to best make these motifs, this cowl was a hoot to knit. I made it a little longer in the front, to cover any gaps in a V-neckline.
The yarn is a worsted weight space-dyed, from Stranded By the Sea in Edmonds, Washington. I got it at Red Alder Fiber Arts Retreat in February.
Should I write up a pattern?
Someone on Instagram said it reminded them of holiday lights. i don’t want to limit ideas, but Light Bulb Moment felt like a great name. What do you think?
Posted in Knit, pattern design, yarn
Tagged assigned pooling, cowl knitting, knitting, Stranded by the Sea
A small haul from Rose City Yarn Crawl! I didn’t really need another tote, but this year’s was so cute, I had to have it.
I also bought 2 skeins of MadeleineTosh Twist Light in their exclusive colorways for For Yarn’s Sake: Queen’s Chair (pooling), and Night Swimming, which is the most delectable velvety midnight blue. There’s more in the shop if you need some, too.
This zipper pull from Swanky Raven Studio features a rocket, and Melvin the Hedgehog, the mascot of Hook and Needle. Swanky Raven has lots of beautiful jewlery and stitch markers; check out her Instagram. And I bought a much needed bottle of Soak Wash, which is great not only for washing and blocking knits, but I also use it on my swimsuit three times a week. I bought a BIG bottle.
That’s it!
I spent Thursday, the opening day of the crawl, at For Yarn’s Sake with Shannon Squire and Lorajean Kelley (Knitted Wit). So great to catch up with them. Check out my Instagram to more pictures from the day.
I’m currently playing with this, trying to get something going so I have travel knitting on my way to Nashville tomorrow. Yes, it’s time for Nash Yarn Fest!
I’m extremely pleased to announce that I’ll be teaching an online class for Modern Daily Knitting. I’ll be using my Brioche Pastiche pattern to introduce knitters to 2 color brioche rib, and increases and decreases that create beautiful brioche patterning.
The live class will be Friday April 25. It also will be recorded, so you’re covered if you can’t make it on that date. You can also just play it again and again after class if you miss hearing my dulcet tones.
You can sign up for just the class, or include an optional pack of Modern Daily Knitting’s Atlas yarn, which is a lovely and squishable Rambouillet. Register here!
Brioche is my favorite kind of knitting, as you probably know. I love teaching it, designing with it, and playing with it. And I wrote a book about it! Brioche Knit Love: 22 Skill Building Projects from Simple to Sublime. It’s a teaching book, and it has related videos.
Do you knit brioche? Are you brioche-curious?
Posted in classes, events, Knit, yarn
Tagged Brioche knitting, brioche knitting class, knitting class, MDK Atlas yarn, modern daily knitting
The Starstruck shawlette combines two of my favorite knitting techniques, brioche and assigned pooling. This asymmetric triangle is knit from the narrow end to the wide end. The syncopated edging evokes swirling nebulas, and the body of the shawlette features assigned pooling stars.
The shawlette requires two skeins of fingering weight yarn, one of which should be dyed for assigned pooling. The assigned pooling yarn is featured in the body of the shawlette and stars, and the other yarn is featured in the syncopated edging.
Your pooling yarn tells you when it’s time to make the stars. I knit my shawlette with A Chick That Knitz Singles Fingering, in Hibernation and Caramel.
This pattern is available on Ravelry and Payhip. Use coupon code NEBULA for 15% off through March 5, 2025.
Thanks to tech editor Meaghan Schmaltz, test knitters Ann Berg, Debbie Braden, Diane de Souza, Nancy McNally, Annette Morsing, Lynn Murphy, Brynn Riordan, Tammy Pelfrey, Anna Zeigler, and model Sharon Hsu.
Special thanks to Tammy Pelfrey/A Chick that Knitz, for the beautiful yarn for this design.
And yes, I did change the name of this design from Stardust Nebula to Starstruck. Shorter, punchier, easier to remember? I hope so!
I’m playing with Modern Daily Knitting’s Atlas, a worsted weight 3 ply Rambouillet. It’s bouncy and round and fun. The spin and ply aren’t particularly tight, which makes this a bit fluffy! It’s described as a light worsted weight so I thought it would feel thinner while knitting, but it feels substantial and squishy at the same time. Not quite as soft as merino, but nice and wooly.
I need some new Brioche Pastiche samples, so what better way to test drive a new-to-me yarn? I’m loving it so far.
Atlas is USA grown and raised. I don’t see the words superwash anywhere, so I’m guessing it would also felt/full nicely. But I’m not about to try that with my brioche hat! Maybe something for a swatch later.
I have so much knitting and related work to do before VKLiveNYC next week! So I’ll be over here, knitting and writing and packing and…
By the way, if you’re planning to take advantage of the introductory discount for my Peekaboo Shawlette, use discount code PEAKING for 15% off through Ravelry or Payhip by January 10, 2025!
Posted in Knit, pattern design, yarn
Tagged Brioche Pastiche, Knit, knitting, MDK Atlas yarn, Peekaboo Shawlette, yarn
I was tickled to see my Both Sides Now Shawl peeking out under a pile of yarn in an email from Knit Picks.
A green version of Both Sides Now is on the website.
I received another email this morning. It’s like seeing your kids out in the world. Sweet!
I’m not sure how long the sale lasts, but if you want to buy some Hawthorne, here’s the link.
Here’s Both Sides Now, available for purchase on the Knit Picks website. It was on the cover of their brioche book several years ago. So pleased to see it again!
Posted in Knit, pattern design, yarn
Tagged Both Sides Now shawl, knit picks, Knit Picks Hawthorne
The Peekaboo Shawlette is a 2 color brioche shawlette, knit flat. It features assigned
pooling/algorithmic knitting motifs that peek between the brioche ribs. When your pop color arrives, you begin a Peekaboo motif, which is worked over the next several rows.
Peekaboo is reversible, with a different motif on the “wrong side”. Choose 2 skeins of fingering weight yarn, one of which should be dyed for assigned pooling. I used A Chick that Knitz Singles Fingering.
Gauge is not critical, work to get a fabric you like. A video tutorial for the Peekaboo motif is provided in the pattern. Most of the knitting is simple 2 color brioche.
You know I love brioche, and you know I love assigned pooling! I’m thrilled with both the Peekaboo Cowl and this new Peekaboo Shawlette.
The Peekaboo Shawlette pattern is available on Ravelry, link here. It is also available on Payhip, link here. Use coupon code PEAKING for 15% off on either site through January 10, 2025.
I’ve enjoyed playing with this new-to-me yarn. This is Berroco Wizard, 85/15 Superwash Wool/Nylon. It’s a very light and lofty chainette, classified as bulky. Recommended needle size is 10-10 1/2 (6-6.5 mm), but I’m using a US9 because I like the fabric better. I knit til nearly the end of the ball, and the result is a short scarf, but long enough to cross over my chest. Based on the light and lofty fabric, I decided that this version would be a great Minerva scarf instead of a cowl. You get to see more of the entrelac fabric if it’s not doubled up around your neck.
I’m planning an entrelac class at Hook and Needle in Vancouver, WA on March 29, and I wanted to see if this yarn they carry is appropriate. Why yes, it is. If you’d like to learn to knit entrelac with me, you can do so in person at Hook and Needle, and also at Vogue Knitting Live in New York City on Sunday, January 19. Minerva is bi-coastal! You can use this lovely yarn for a scarf, or you can use a gradient yarn for a different effect. The pattern gives instructions for both scarf and cowl.
Or a different color changing yarn for a short or long cowl. Knitter’s choice!
About the Berroco Wizard: I loved knitting with it. It’s very airy, so the fabric is pretty fluffy in hand. That’s the other reason I wanted it as a scarf rather than a cowl; it wants to drape itself artfully. Sometimes you have to let the yarn tell you what it wants to do! I highly recommend it; it’s fun to knit.
Are you looking forward to learning new things in 2025? I know I am!
PS: The Wizard colorway is called Fluorite.
Posted in classes, Knit, pattern design, yarn
Tagged Berroco Wizard, entrelac, entrelac knitting, knitting classes, minerva cowl, Minerva entrelac, minerva scarf, vkl nyc
I finished the knitting on this entrelac piece, but I haven’t decided if I want to seam the ends for a loop cowl, or keep it as a shortish scarf. The light and airy fabric doesn’t want to be a single loop, so I’d have to make sure it’s long enough to be a double loop. Or I could leave it as a shortish scarf, held with a shawl/scarf pin. I think that would show more of the little squares, which is the whole point of this piece! So I may have just talked myself into a scarf. Onward!
I’m still on my brioche + pooling kick. Yarn Snob’s Black Orchid is so pretty! I chose Silver Fox to go with it, but after I started knitting the two together, I’m not so sure about the combo. The black is really more like a deep dark purple, and the gray feels “cold” next to it. It doesn’t help that I haven’t actually seen my knitting in daylight! But I think I’d like it better with Winter (cream) to warm it up a little. I’ll have to take one more look in the morning before frogging. I do have Winter waiting in the wings.
In the meantime, I also have this yarn from A Chick That Knitz; it’s Hibernation, with a choice of either Caramel or Silver Fox (yes, another Silver Fox!) to go with it. I’m starting with Caramel, but as you can see, everything is up in the air until the swatching is done.
Are you gift knitting for the holidays? I’m shopping my samples; that takes a lot of pressure off!
Posted in Knit, pattern design, yarn
Tagged A Chick That Knitz, assigned pooling, brioche plus assigned pooling, knitting, yarn, yarn snob yarns
We went to Vancouver BC to see The Boss.
We had seats on the floor, Row 19. But if you’re short, the floor is not ideal for actually seeing the performers. Thank goodness for the monitors!
The show went 3 hours, 20 minutes. Lots of great music, and the band was in fine form.
This was our Airbnb. The heater in the main area wasn’t working properly, so it was a bit chilly. We had a good time anyway.
The view was great, and we were right by Rogers Arena, the concert venue.
Good friends, good times!
And I got to play with a new-to-me yarn. I’m planning an entrelac class at Hook and Needle on March 29, and I wanted to see if this yarn they carry is appropriate. Why yes, it is. This is Berroco Wizard, 85/15 Superwash Wool/Nylon. It’s a very light and lofty chainette, classified as bulky. Recommended needle size is 10-10 1/2 (6-6.5 mm), but I’m using a US9 because I like the fabric better. Based on current progress, I’m guessing this 100g ball will result in a 36 – 40” length. Perfect for a light and lofty Minerva cowl. If you’d like to learn to knit entrelac with me, stay tuned!
PDXKnitterati 