Jennifer

Recovering attorney and emigree from 7th Avenue, I now combine my technical and creative passions to design knitwear. My design viewpoint is all about making simple, attractive garments and accessories, using a bit of interesting construction or an intriguing detail.

Tucked in Snug

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Feb 192014
 

A cozy sweater with ample tucked funnelneck, Tucked in Snug is knit in one piece from the bottom up with ergonomic shoulders. Gentle waist shaping and short dolman sleeves flatter the body, while grafted shoulders and an integrated slouchy funnelneck ensure uncomplicated seamless knitting. Short rows shape the sleeves and shoulder comfortably, eliminating excess fabric at the underarm. The substantial cowl frames the face with a series of narrowing tucks at the front neck, gently pulling down the front edge below the chin. Wear it alone in the transitional seasons, and as a Snug extra layer in the depths of winter.

Techniques & Skills Used: Cable CO, knit/purl, short rows, increasing/decreasing, picking up stitches, tucks. This pattern includes written instructions, links to my short rows and grafting tutorials, as well as a photo and video tutorial for the tuck stitch.

Size: 30 (32, 34, 36, 38, 40, 42, 44, 48, 52, 56, 60)” bust; shown in fourth size worn with 2” positive ease.

Yarn: Malabrigo Yarn Worsted (100% wool; 210 yards/192m/100g) shown in Coco; 3 (3, 4, 4, 4, 5, 5, 5, 6, 7, 7, 8) skeins, or approximately 550 (625, 700, 750, 800, 900, 950, 1050, 1225, 1350, 1450, 1600) yards of worsted weight yarn.

Other Materials: US 8 (5mm) 32” circular needle, or size to match gauge; US 8 (5mm) 16” circular needle or dpns for tucks, cowl and grafting; US 6 (4mm) 16” circular needle or dpns for cowl hem; Stitch markers (2); Removable stitch markers (2); Stitch holders (3); Yarn needle.

Gauge: 16 st and 22 rows/4” in stockinette stitch, after blocking.

See it on Ravelry, to read more or purchase the pattern. 

    

Fish Moderne Hat

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Jan 302014
 

Warm and cozy for winter, the Fish Moderne hat is knit in heavily textured Mistake Rib with a Twisted Rib brim. I wanted a classic wool ribbed hat that would have an updated look and be interesting to knit; this hat is for the modern fisherman or woman, whether they are out in the wilderness or at the urban coffee bar.

This scarf is a companion to the Fish Moderne Scarf; purchase either one on Ravelry and automatically save 50% on the other!

Techniques & Skills Used: Cable CO, knit/purl, twisted stitches, decreasing, knitting in the round.

Size: 19.5” circumference and 9” height, after gentle blocking. With its very stretchy stitch pattern, this hat will fit most adults, or see Designer’s Notes for easy instructions to adjust its size.

Yarn: Cascade Yarns Ecological Wool (100% wool; 478 yards/437m/ 250g), shown in 8010 Natural; 1 skein, or about 135 yards of heavy aran weight wool yarn.

Other Materials: US 9 (5.5mm) and US 10 (6mm) 16” circular needles or dpns, or 32” circular needle if using Magic Loop, or size to match gauge; Stitch marker (1); Yarn needle.

Gauge: 20 st and 18 rows/4” in Mistake Rib stitch pattern on larger needle, after gentle blocking. The ribbing compresses the fabric in width considerably; a comparable gauge in stockinette stitch using larger needle is 15 st and 18 rows/4”.

See it on Ravelry, or on Payhip, to read more or purchase the pattern. 

Fish Moderne Hat front | The Knitting Vortex  Fish Moderne Hat side view | The Knitting Vortex  Fish Moderne Hat | The Knitting Vortex

Fish Moderne Scarf

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Jan 302014
 

Modern fishermen and women need to look stylish and stay warm when trolling about in winter. The fully reversible Fish Moderne scarf is worked in heavily textured Mistake and Twisted Rib, framing a wide ribbed cable. The generous length can be wrapped easily, while the thick and cozy fabric keeps out wind and weather.

This scarf is a companion to the Fish Moderne Hat; purchase either one and automatically save 50% on the other!

Techniques & Skills Used: Cable CO, knit/purl, twisted stitches, cables; this pattern is both written and charted.

Size: 8” wide and 68” long, after gentle blocking.

Yarn: Cascade Yarns Ecological Wool (100% wool; 478 yards/437m/ 250g), shown in 8010 Natural; 1 skein, or about 460 yards of heavy aran weight wool yarn.

Other Materials: US 10 (6mm) needles, or size to match gauge; Stitch markers (2); Cable needle; Yarn needle.

Gauge: 21 st and 18 rows/4” in scarf pattern, after gentle blocking. One cable repeat is 3.5” tall and 3” wide. The ribbed cable and Mistake Rib compress the scarf fabric in width considerably; a comparable gauge in stockinette stitch is 15 st and 18 rows/4”. Gauge is not critical for this project; however a different gauge may result in a smaller or larger finished scarf, and different yardage requirements.

See it on Ravelry or on Payhip, to read more or purchase the pattern.  

    

Gathering Orchids

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Jan 242014
 

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 little gems that exist nowhere else. When it comes to shopping in thrift stores, consignment shops and resale boutiques, there’s no middle ground; you either love it or you’re horrified at the thought. Obviously, I’m on the love-it side of that dichotomy; it’s like a treasure hunt, only you dont know what you’re looking for. Cashmere? Perfectly fitting pants? Even shoes, although I personally am extra careful when it comes to those. If you’re familiar with what’s out there in the retail market, and you know your fibers and labels, and you can launder with the best of them (and have a good dry cleaner in your back pocket), the possibilities are endless.

As an aside, I’m completely aware that this attitude is appalling to some people. Three of my crafty friends and I get together for lunch periodically, and invariably there will be a resale shop around nearby wherever we’re going. One friend and I always stop – she’s an accessories and jewelry maven – and the other two wont even pause for breath before they’re off to the coffee place – “meet you there!” We cant all be Macklemore.

Anyway, when I’m truly just looking for a surprise, I go to Goodwill. Lots of stuff, small dollar commitment if it comes to that, and something for all occasions. This time, it was a nice start to gathering Orchid, in a rose-influenced sort of way.

Thrifty Radiant Orchid | The Knitting Vortex

Radiant Orchid

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Jan 162014
 

With the Spring 2014 palette forecast by Pantone comes the new reigning color: Radiant Orchid is the Color of the Year for 2014.

Color of the Year 2014 Radiant Orchid | The Knittting Vortex

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.

Radiant Orchid dining | The Knitting VortexRadiant Orchid nailpolish | The Knitting VortexSomehow 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. I personally see it as a successful accent color, although I’m remembering that I painted the walls of my tiny dressing room in our old row house almost exactly this shade – and that room became my daughter’s nursery when she was born 15 years ago. And my Ikea dishes are also this color; maybe if I point out how on-trend we are, my husband will stop ignoring the purple bowls in favor of the black ones for his cereal. Anyway, I feel like I have a history with this color, which makes me like it even more.

For those wanting to adopt, Pantone has provided color value information in various systems. The Pantone color number is 18-3224; the RGB is R177 G99 B163 and the CMYK is C33 M72 Y0 K0, in the Pantone fashion & home color system. For web use, it’s hex#B163A3.

If you want to use it with other colors, Color Scheme Designer is a nifty tool; their suggestion for Radiant Orchid in a triad brings in greens and yellows triangulated across the color wheel, or with reddish and blueish analogous tones.

Radiant Orchid triad from Color Scheme Designer | The Knitting Vortex      Radiant Orchid analog from Color Scheme Designer | The Knitting Vortex

Of course I see it with my favorite grey and blue tones; slate, sky and black. While I might wear, say, an Orchid blouse, I really love the color as an accent. At the very least, I’ll be pulling out my mirrored shades and going from there.

Radiant Orchid street look on Polyvore | The Knitting Vortex

 

Swirligig

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Dec 202013
 

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 40 rows/4” in garter stitch. Gauge is not critical for this project, however a different gauge may result in a smaller or larger finished shawl, and different yardage requirements.

See it on Ravelry or on Payhip, to read more or purchase the pattern.  

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