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
I taught two classes this past weekend. One was Brioche Pastiche, beginning brioche, at For Yarn’s Sake. So busy that I forgot to take a picture! So here are my samples of the various things you can knit with this pattern: Cowl or hat, plain or fancy, or somewhere in-between! Picture taken at the end of class.
I also taught an entrelac class at Hook and Needle.
Entrelac is just a series a small stockinette squares or rectangles. It’s a good opportunity to evaluate your stockinette stitch! Does yours look like this?
or like this?
In conventional Western knitting, stitches sit on the needle with the right (leading) leg in front. In Eastern knitting, stitches sit on the needle with the left (trailing) leg in front. In either case, to keep your stitches open, not twisted, you work the stitches going into the open loop, not twisting them.
What makes your stitches sit on the needle with the right or left leg in front? It’s how you made your stitches in the previous row or round. If you wrap your stitches counterclockwise, the stitches will be mounted with the leading leg in front (conventional knitting). If you wrap your stitches clockwise, your new stitches will be mounted with the trailing leg in front. Do you mix it up? In Eastern Combined knitting, knit stitches are wrapped counterclockwise, and purl stitches are wrapped clockwise, resulting in a mix of stitch mounts.
Do some of your knit stitches have a little cross at the bottom of the V shaped stitch instead of being open? Do you want that crossed stitch? It does make your knitting tighter. But if you want it, you’re set. As long as you get the result you want, you’re doing it right! If you don’t want that cross, read on.
If you’re an Eastern Combined knitter and some of your stitches are twisted, and you’d like your knit stitches to be open at the bottom instead of twisted, you have two choices. You can change the direction of your purl, which would be conventional Western knitting. Or you can continue to wrap your purls the same way, but change how you enter the stitch on the next row or round.
Here’s a little video to show you how.
One more thought: If you wrap both your knits and purls clockwise, you’re an Eastern Uncrossed knitter. The principle is the same. As long as you work into the open stitch (not making it cross when you enter it), your new stitches will be fine. You just need to know how to work them on the following row or round.
How do you knit? English, right hand carry? Continental, left hand carry? Western? Eastern? Eastern Combined? Interestingly, four of my eight entrelac students were Eastern Combined knitters, some English and some Continental. One knew how to untwist her stitches already. The other three learned a new thing, besides entrelac.
Again, as long as you get the result you want, you’re doing it right. And if you’re mid-project and want to switch, wait until you’re done because it will definitely show.
Knit on, my friends!
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 finished my current design project in a hurry so I could wear it at VogueKnitting Live last weekend. But I had 15 g of my pooling yarn left, and I still needed to make a video tutorial on how to make the assigned pooling stars, and the shawlette needs re-blocking anyway so I can take product photos…
so I tinked the bind off and the last couple rows, and put it back on the needles. I added 18 more rows at the wide end, about 3 inches longer and 1.5 inches wider, unblocked.
Yarn chicken is so much better when you have a scale to keep track. I won!
I had great helpers. Caturday knitting in bed is great, even when it’s work!
Video tutorial is done. Shawlette is blocking, again. Pattern has gone to tech editor and test knitters. It’s still called Stardust Nebula for now. We shall see. If you’d like to be the first to know when this pattern is published, sign up for my newsletter here!
In the meantime, here are a couple book recommendations from me. I like to read while I knit; I can control the pace, unlike television. I usually read fiction, but the last two books have been nonfiction. First off, The Wide, Wide Sea by Hampton Sides. It’s the story of Captain James Cook’s final journey from England to the South Seas to Alaska to the South Seas again. I knew he died at Kealakekua Bay on the Big Island of Hawaii, but this filled it all in for me.
We were at Kealakekua Bay last month. I didn’t want to hike 2 miles down and 2 miles back up (you can also get there by boat), so I settled for seeing it across the bay from Hikiau Heiau at Nāpo’opo’o Beach, a place that Cook had visited (and been mistaken for a god). Apparently he was mortal, after all.
The other book is The Art Thief by Michael Finkel. It’s the story of Stéphane Breitwieser, who stole more than 300 artworks from museums and churches across western Europe in the 1990’s and early 2000’s. Fascinating true crime.
What are you reading and knitting? January is flying by!
Posted in book review, Knit, pattern design
Tagged book recommendation, Knit, knitting, stardust nebula, tinking, yarn, yarn chicken
I had a quick weekend in New York City, teaching at Knitting Live by Vogue Knitting (the official name, but we mostly still call it Vogue Knitting Live). I taught five classes, saw friends old and new, checked out the market, and came home! Thursday to Sunday, bam. Some pictures to amuse you:
I left Portland at dawn Thursday, and enjoyed the view of Mount Hood. I arrived in time for the teachers’ meeting Thursday evening, and saw lots of teacher friends.
I didn’t remember to take photos in all my classes, but here are a few.
No one ever goes home sad from my steeking class! It’s empowering, and you know everything you need to finish your two Sheepy Steeky Coasters.
Maria has one cut down, one to go. I’m teaching this class again this coming weekend at Hook and Needle Fiber in Vancouver WA. Come snip with me!
Barbara was in my Tink Drop Frog (fixing mistakes) class, but I think she really wants to fix brioche mistakes. She ordered a copy of my Brioche Knit Love book on the spot.
All ready for Minerva entrelac class, with step-outs at the ready. This is how we stay ahead of the students in class.
So many smiles!
The marketplace was hopping, with fashion shows and interviews on stage, and lots of beautiful yarn and clever products.
My favorite thing: Talisman necklaces by Birdie Parker Designs. A stockinette themed charm, semi-precious stone, crochet hook, hand-made silver darning needle, and two stitch markers.
Remember my DIY cable hook holder? This is next level.
There are art installations outside the marketplace (which is on two floors). Here’s a taste:
And it’s not VKL NYC without an iconic escalator video!
I finished my last class at 5 pm on Sunday, and scurried to the airport. It was snowing lightly, and I was worried about my flight home. We ended up with a 3 hour delay for plowing the runways and de-icing the plane.
I was relieved that we actually took off!
I love teaching at VKLive. It’s a big vibrant show, with something for every knitter, at all levels. Definitely something to experience!
Now it’s back to work. I need to finish writing the pattern for this shawlette, which I enjoyed wearing this weekend. I think I’m going to remove the bind off and use the rest of the yarn to make it just a little bigger, now that I have time.
If you want to know when the pattern is published, sign up for my newsletter! You’ll be the first to know, and you’ll also get the subscriber discount of 25% off. Sign up here.
I hope you had a great weekend, too!
Posted in events, Knit, pattern design, travel
Tagged knitting, knitting classes, VKLive NYC, vogue knitting live
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
These are the 16 projects that I completed in 2024. A couple aren’t published yet, but there’s a lot of duplication this year! I see Prosecco Pop and Bellini Bubbles, Fuzzy Memories in Cabrito, two Emotional Support Chickens, 4 (!) versions of Trailing Leaves while I was trying to get it just right, Peekaboo Cowl, Peekaboo Shawlette (coming soon), Starstruck Shawlette (also coming soon), 3 out of a whole bunch of korknisse that I knit this past week, and a Minerva entrelac scarf that is just off the needles.
I see assigned pooling, brioche, and assigned pooling + brioche. You know my favorite techniques! And Minerva, because party trick knitting is my favorite.
Many thanks to my sister Sharon, who is a fabulous model! And I even modeled my Peekaboo Cowl myself, via selfie.
Here’s what Top Nine says were my top nine Instagram posts in 2024. I see 3 Emotional Support Chicken posts, assigned pooling yarn and Bellini Bubbles (green shawlette in progress), Whale Conga Line, Rabbit Hole Knits’ knitted Victorian housecats at VKLive NYC, Olle Bolle (a Thomas Dambo troll), and my Apple watch mistaking my yarn winding for an elliptical workout. Ha!
Wishing you a very happy new year, with lots of knitting fun to come in 2025.
How it started
And then this happened
Followed by a couple more. They’re addictive!
This all started because I wanted a little red one for the neighbors, like my Stopover Korknisse above. I may knit a couple more today while procrastinating about wrapping presents. If you want to knit some too, here’s a quick set of instructions. The original pattern is in Norwegian by Manne, and is only available via Wayback Machine/Internet Archive. I’ve adapted it for champagne corks.
I used Malabrigo Worsted for most of these (Stopover is in Lopi). US 5 needle, worked in the round.
Sweater: CO 18 sts
2 rnds k1p1 rib.
1 rnd stockinette
2 rnds 1×1 colorwork
BO round in neckline color
Hat: CO 16 sts
2 rnds ribbing, 3 rnds stockinette, then decreases every other row; 3 per decrease rnd. If you work the first dec rnd as K2tog, k2, k2tog; (k3, k2tog)2x, that will make your following dec rnds simpler. You’ll knit one fewer st before the dec on each dec rnd, until you have 3 sts remaining.
This all started because I wanted a little red one for the neighbors, like mine above. I may knit a couple more today while procrastinating about wrapping presents.
Here’s a crew of korknisse from 2014. I’ll catch up with my current Kona post…soon!
I’m a little slow getting ready for the holidays, but I work best under pressure. We arrived home from Kona (Hawaii) on Thursday night, and Friday I put new lights on the porch.
It wasn’t raining, so the timing was perfect.
I put up my tree, on top of the piano. That surfing Santa is finally getting his legs glued back onto the surfboard this year; one of our cats knocked him off the piano years ago. I also put up the Christmas stockings on the mantel.
Old picture, same stockings!
I’ve added my knitted lights bow to my Christmas wreath. I’m skipping the knitted ribbon with dpns, because last year the dpns got…moldy? Mildewed? Gross, whatever. The bow is fine by itself.
I made a double batch of Irish Cream from the recipe in this post, and I’ll make one more batch today.
I helped a friend decorate cookies. Aren’t these cute?
And I knit this little korknisse for Carole at coffee this morning.
Shopping is done. There are a few presents to wrap, a little more housecleaning to do (tomorrow, because it needs to be tidy the day after). And we’re hosting Christmas dinner here on Wednesday.
Lots of pictures in this post, so I’ll do a Hawaii post separately. We had a great time!
Are you ready for the holidays? I actually cleaned the wax off our menorahs, so I’m ready for Christmas AND Hanukkah!
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
PDXKnitterati 