Tag Archives: entrelac

Busy weekend of entrelac, frog hats, music

Posted on December 8, 2025 | 3 comments

I was grumbling to myself about having to finish all those ends, and the rest of the design work for this project, when I reminded myself that I had successfully done small circumference entrelac in the round before.

I knit these on dpns, and had no trouble with them. Hmm. Easier than magic loop or flexi-flips. I never thought I’d say that!

It seems a lot less fussy this way. And I do love Brittany birch dpns. I’ll see if I can make this piece be what I want it to be…

two people wearing frog hats

We took a stroll to see some Christmas decorations in the neighborhood. Froggy shenanigans continue! I was pleased to receive a letter this week from a church group that knit 27 frog hats, sold them at their holiday bazaar, and donated $550 to Oregon Food Bank. And I received a note from Northeast Emergency Food Program thanking me for the $100 donation from my frog hat sale. I’m glad the hats help people get fed!

winter choir concert
Alameda Women’s Choir

Our choir concert was on Saturday. We sing pop music, and it is fun!

What Is This Feeling? (from Wicked)

I had a fun solo at the beginning of this song. It’s such a gleeful piece, all about loathing!

Back to work. I’m prepping handouts for Vogue Knitting Live NYC and Red Alder Fiber Arts Retreat. My goal is to have them all turned in by tonight. Wish me luck! And register for these events now, if you’d like to come.

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Onward!

Posted on December 2, 2025 | 2 comments

It’s been a hot minute since I last checked in! I finished the Portland Frog Hat and sent it off to Sheryl, and donated her $100 to Northeast Emergency Food Program. And I started swatching a new project.

So far I’ve established that yes, you can do entrelac in the round on magic loop or 2 circulars or Flexi-Flips, but no, it would be terrible to try to write that pattern. If it’s confusing for ME, it would only be more confusing for someone trying to learn from it!

Athena

My Athena Entrelac Neck Warmer is knit in the round, and knit flat for the split at the bottom (top, really). It works because it’s on an appropriate circular needle with no extra cable to fiddle with. For a small circumference item like my current project, I’d need a 9 inch circular, and I don’t like working with those.

So the project is flat, and that means a lot more ends to weave in later. I could use a color changing yarn so I don’t have to work in different colors for each tier, but it’s supposed to be a stashbuster. Well, I have color changing yarns in my stash! But I’ll figure that out later. I have a couple other things I need to puzzle out with this swatch first.

Since I last checked in, I’ve had two Thanksgiving celebrations, one in St. Louis and one in Portland. I get around!

When in St. Louis, we have to acknowledge one of DH’s favorite things growing up. We actually had a box of 30, not 20, for a group of 9.

Calvin the Christmas CATcus sends you the greetings of the season.

It’s December, and I already have the lights on my house…because I didn’t take them down last spring! I just didn’t turn them on until now. Winning!

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Posted in cat, Knit, pattern design, travel

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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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Posted in classes, Knit, pattern design, yarn

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Berroco Wizard yarn review, Minerva entrelac

Posted on December 29, 2024 | 2 comments
Minerva entrelac scarf knit with Berroco Wizard yarn
Minerva entrelac scarf

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.

entrelac knitting

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.

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International Springsteen trip

Posted on November 25, 2024 | 5 comments

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.

Photo credit: Terry Weiner

Good friends, good times!

Berroco Wizard in Fluorite colorway

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!

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Posted in travel, yarn

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Upcoming classes

Posted on January 18, 2022 | 2 comments

I’m teaching for Virtual Knitting Live from Vogue Knitting this coming weekend. Want to learn a new skill? I’m offering Petite Brioche, Log Cabin Knitting, Slip Away Cowl, and Sheepy Steeky Coasters. A potpourri of classes! I love how Vogue Knitting jumped right into online events in 2020, and has continued to put them together on a monthly basis. There’s always something new and interesting to learn; I’ll be taking a couple classes, too.

I’m also teaching Sheepy Steeky Coasters via Twisted on February 5, and Stranded Colorwork Knitting via For Yarn’s Sake on February 6. All classes are via Zoom.

And in February I’m making my first foray back into in-person teaching, at Red Alder Fiber Arts Retreat with Brioche Pastiche hat, Syncopation Shawl, Minerva Entrelac Cowl, and Designing with Favorite Shawl Shapes. Vaxed, boosted, and masked. I’m hoping to have a book signing at the market, too.

Are you ready to learn something new? I feel like 2022 is whizzing by already!

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Minerva Entrelac KAL: Casting on

Posted on March 25, 2020 | 8 comments

Ready to cast on? Almost! Are you planning to knit a cowl, or a scarf? It’s good to plan your ending before beginning.

Photo by test knitter Paula Sadler

If you’re planning to knit a scarf, you can just begin with a long tail cast on. The first row after that is a purl row, because when you turn to knit back after casting on, you’re looking at the bumpy purl side of your cast on. We’re knitting stockinette based entrelac, so we want all those purl bumps on the back! By purling the setup row, we’re getting ready to work from the public side, the right side, the knit side.

If you’re planning to seam your Minerva into a loop cowl, I’d recommend beginning with a provisional cast on. When you’re finished knitting, you can pick up the live stitches from the provisional cast on, and use these with 3 needle bind off to join the beginning to the end. I did this with my Noro Minerva; I’d always rather knit than sew!

The crochet chain provisional cast on is my favorite provisional cast on. I made this tutorial back in 2012; it’s not as pretty as more recent tutorials, but it still works! You can use whatever provisional cast on you choose, though.

And if you just use a long tail cast on because you thought you were knitting a scarf, and somewhere along the way you change your mind? You can also pick up stitches along the cast on edge, and join those to the end with a 3 needle bind off. It’s a little bit tighter, though, so I didn’t love doing that (on the 2 Chroma cowls). I used an elastic bind off, in combination with the 3 needle bind off, to make the seam more flexible. But that’s for later!

OK, let’s go! Cast on, and purl your setup row. We’ll go from there.

You can find the Minerva pattern here on Ravelry.

Edited to add:
All Minerva KAL 2020 posts:
Introducing Minerva Entrelac Cowl/Scarf and KAL
Minerva KAL: Choosing your yarn
Minerva KAL: Casting On
Minerva KAL: Base Triangles
Minerva KAL: Tier 2
Minerva KAL: Finishing Tier 2

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Minerva KAL: Choosing your yarn

Posted on March 22, 2020 | 10 comments

Let’s talk about yarn. For the Minerva samples shown here, we’ve used worsted weight yarns with a long slow color change. The colors are constantly shifting, but not as quickly as in a variegated yarn. The show color shift makes each block look like a separate color. But the yarn has done all the work; you don’t have a million ends to sew in. (Side note: Today is Calvin’s Gotcha Day anniversary; he’s been part of our family for one year. He’s a love bug!)

These two cowls are knit with Knit Picks Chroma Worsted. Chroma is a mirrored gradient, so the color change in one direction, and then back, around a central color.

This cowl is knit with Noro Silk Garden, a worsted to Aran weight yarn. Noro yarns have delightful color changes. Other options are Berroco Millefiori, Cascade Melilla, and Plymouth Gina.

If you don’t mind sewing in more ends, you could choose two or more colors, and knit each tier in stripes of color. You could even knit an entrelac rainbow! But you’d have a lot of ends to sew in.

For the KAL, I’m planning to knit with a slightly lighter weight yarn, Huckleberry Knits American Dream DK in the Practical Tactical Brilliance colorway. This is the same colorway I used for my Aspen scarf, and I love how it transitions in a continuous rainbow. I won’t get individually colored squares, but I’m hoping for a shimmering rainbow progression. We shall see! The DK yarn will give me a slightly narrower cowl (my worsted version is 8” wide) but I’ll be perfectly happy with that.

What yarn are you choosing for your Minerva? Cowl or scarf? See pattern for yardage information. You can find the Minerva pattern here on Ravelry.

Next up: cast ons!

Edited to add:
All Minerva KAL 2020 posts:
Introducing Minerva Entrelac Cowl/Scarf and KAL
Minerva KAL: Choosing your yarn
Minerva KAL: Casting On
Minerva KAL: Base Triangles
Minerva KAL: Tier 2
Minerva KAL: Finishing Tier 2

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Posted in KAL, Knit, yarn

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A socially distant yet fond farewell to Twisted

Posted on March 18, 2020 | 7 comments

Twisted, my closest LYS, is closing their brick and mortar store. Emily had planned to close at the end of March, and I had one last set of classes scheduled, but the COVID-19 situation means it’s time to shut it down now.

I’m really sad that we won’t have one last party or way to say goodbye in person, but it’s the responsible thing to do. Emily will still have an online shop, too.

Soon after Twisted opened, Emily and Shannon invited me to teach for them, and also to design for some of their clubs. This was my first teaching opportunity, and it changed my life. I love what I do, and it all started in this shop. I’m eternally grateful.

This is such a strange time, with COVID-19 and social distancing. DH and I are both working from home, and the kitties seem to like having us around.

I’m trying to be more mindful about keeping in touch with friends and family, especially those who live alone. And we’ve donated to the local food banks and local Backpack Lunch program (weekend lunches for at risk kids) to try to help make sure that people in need have food.

We’re all in this together, and if we can slow down the spread of this virus, we’ll all be better off. Flatten the curve!

I’m almost done with Minerva; would you like to learn entrelac with me, at a distance?

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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!

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