I finished the knitting last night, so today was all about weaving in ends – and with a multi-striped sweater, there were a lot of them. Working in the round and twisting the colors created a tidy RS, but a bit of work to do on the private side. After a soak and block, I’ll see how the final result looks. And I’ll just mention that with the coming of spring (finally!), my mind is totally on sorbet; blueberry, raspberry, strawberry, pistachio . . .
I mentioned how pleased I was with the color of the year, Radiant Orchid. The thought of plummy pinks and purples being all over the stores just fills me up with excitement and anticipation; I love purple – wearing it, being around it, soaking up the purpley vibe. This week has been busy with working on some new upcoming patterns, and I needed a morning off – so, why wait to seek out some purple inspiration? I do consider shopping to be recreational, and by “shopping,” I certainly do not necessarily mean “buying.” For me, it’s all about going to look around, touch things, and find a little eye candy. If I actually need something specific, I’m more than likely to buy online – and that’s not quite “shopping” but more like “acquiring things I need.” The really real shopping is all about going out of my everyday environment and seeing what sort of fabulous thing I might discover. One of my favorite subsets of shopping is thrifting, because there’s no better way to find . . .
With the Spring 2014 palette forecast by Pantone comes the new reigning color: Radiant Orchid is the Color of the Year for 2014. Out with the regeneration and healing of Emerald, and onward with the innovation and creativity of Orchid. Pantone opines “an enchanting harmony of fuchsia, purple and pink undertones, Radiant Orchid inspires confidence and emanates great joy, love and health. It is a captivating purple, one that draws you in with its beguiling charm.” I’m certainly beguiled by purples, which are more daring and unexpected than the red, green and blues. This one in particular is a bit off-beat, with the very pink undertones, and the creamy, strong white value. It’s a color that makes you think, hey, that would go with my favorite black outfit . . . and in my living room . . . and I need new nail polish. Somehow it goes with everything in the rest of the Spring palette, and it’s strong enough to stand up to what are sure to be the deeper, richer fall colors. . . .
An elongated, asymmetrical, swirling shawl that uses two colors, and simple knit, increase and decrease stitches to achieve a striking shape. Cast on with 3 stitches at one corner, Swirligig grows asymmetrically on the bias; adding stitches to each triangular section, while at the same time shifting the triangles by increasing and decreasing on a bias tilt. The garter stitch wedges are set off by swirling lines of yarnovers, and a matching line of yarnovers finishes the long edge. Techniques & Skills Used: knit, increasing/decreasing; this pattern includes written instructions, as well as a helpful stitch count table. Size: 112” length and 18” depth, after blocking. Swirligig forms a spiral shape expanding from one narrow point to the other wide end; see schematic for approximate shape. Yarn: Madelinetosh Tosh Sock (100% superwash merino, 395 yards/ 361m/100g); 1 skein MC and 1 skein CC, or approximately 380 and 295 yards respectively. Sample shown in Logwood (MC) and Ginger (CC). Other Materials: US 6 (4mm) 40” circular needle; Stitch markers (8); Yarn needle. Gauge: 20 st and . . .
Hail, Tartania! Plaid hands are glad hands, and these tartan fingerless mitts make the technique easy. The horizontal colors are knit as stripes using one color at a time per row in a wide rib, then the vertical stripes are added at the end with a crochet hook in the purl columns; no crochet skills are needed. The Tartania Cowl is part of Hail, Tartania! an ebook collection which also includes a matching hat and fingerless mitts. Techniques & Skills Used: cable CO, knit/purl, knitting in the round, increasing; this pattern includes written instructions, as well as a chart and table for the plaid; a video tutorial is provided for the non-stranded plaid technique. Size: S (L); 6.75 (8)” circumference and 7 (8.75)” length; size S shown on 7” circumference hand. Yarn: Malabrigo Merino Worsted (100% Merino; 210 yards/192m/100g); 1 skein each MC, CC1, and CC2, shown in MC Tortuga, CC1 Hollyhock and CC2 Cadmium; the sample used approximately 75 (95), 10 and 10 yards respectively. Other Materials: US 8 (5mm) 24” circular needle for Magic Loop, . . .
I usually go to fairs, and even stores, with the “look around and see what I find” sort of mentality. Several things are at play there; I design around stash that I have (those yarns I’ve “found”), I like the thrill of discovery, and if I really NEED something I go straight to sourcing it online and ordering. But this year at Rhinebeck it was different, because I was hunting the Tiger. Tigers . . . quick, what do you think of? Orange and black, and fierce. I have a concept, and it requires orange and black yarn – which is alarming. Especially the orange part. Fortunately, I had my best orange-loving peeps with me. If anyone knows orange, it’s Amy and Jenny. They know when it’s too rusty, not golden enough, or just plain pumpkin overload. We must’ve looked at every orange yarn at the festival, plus taken in the foliage inspiration, and visited the wool sources themselves. And as if orange weren’t enough of a challenge, black is NOT a . . .
A plaid hat is just the thing for fall, and this easy tartan method requires no stranding and produces a graphic result. The horizontal colors are knit as stripes using one color at a time per row in a wide rib, then the vertical stripes are added at the end with a crochet hook in the purl columns; no crochet skills are needed – it’s as simple as picking up dropped stitches. Mix and match your colors with the cowl and mitts for an eye-catching accessories set. The Tartania Hat is available as part of the Hail, Tartania! ebook collection, which includes the cowl, hat and fingerless mitts. If you are using Malabrigo Merino Worsted, you should be able to make all three accessories with a total of 3 skeins, one in each color, if you use a different MC for each as in the sample photographs. Techniques & Skills Used: knit/purl, cable CO, decreasing, knitting in the round; this pattern includes written instructions, as well as a chart and table for the plaid; a . . .
Hail, Tartania! Who isn’t mad for plaid? This tartan cowl uses an easy non-stranded method to produce a graphic plaid. The horizontal colors are knit as stripes using one color at a time per row in a wide rib, then the vertical stripes are added at the end with a crochet hook in the purl columns; no crochet skills are needed – it’s as simple as picking up dropped stitches. Worked in the round in your choice of three colors, the possibilities are endless for this colorful and stylish accessory. The Tartania Cowl is part of Hail, Tartania! an ebook collection which also includes a matching hat and fingerless mitts. Techniques & Skills Used: cable CO, knit/purl, knitting in the round; this pattern includes written instructions, as well as a chart and table for the plaid; a video tutorial is provided for the non-stranded plaid technique. Size: 27” circumference and 10” height. Yarn: Malabrigo Merino Worsted (100% Merino; 210 yards/192m/100g); 1 skein each MC, CC1, and CC2. Shown in MC Hollyhock, CC1 Cadmium and CC2 . . .
Capes are the new coats for fall, and Plaidscape features a topography of colors knit seamlessly from the top down in bulky weight wool. Choose classic colors, or indulge your rainbow fantasies, and learn a new skill for making plaid without stranding. The horizontal colors are knit as stripes using one color at a time per row in a wide rib, then the vertical stripes are added at the end with a crochet hook in the purl columns; no crochet skills are needed – it’s as simple as picking up dropped stitches. Construction: Plaidscape is cast on at the garter stitch collar, then the body is worked in the horizontal plaid pattern with raglan increases to the end of the wide elbow-length sleeves. The sleeves are divided from the body, which continues to grow in an A-line shape to the curved hem. The body and sleeve hems are worked in garter stitch, and applied I-cord neatly finishes the front edges; the double-breasted front closes with I-cord frogs and knots. Sizing Notes: The large scale plaid . . .