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.

Ripping Lace

 WIPs  2 Responses »
Aug 072013
 

Those are two words a knitter doesn’t ever want to hear – ripping lace. And yet I was not only hearing it, but doing it.

This is the summer of lace for me, specifically lace sweaters; the last of which is almost ready for release. But getting there involved a nerve-wracking interlude of ripping back the lace pattern. I kept trying on this tee shirt (with the shoulders pinned together, since they were to be finished later), and thinking, hmmm, it’s not long enough, just another 8 row repeat before the ribbing. Somehow I got off track; it was originally meant to be cropped and boxy, over a wide ribbed hem, but then with the short sleeves I thought that would be too square shaped. Then I thought about those generic length end-at-the-bottom-of-the-pants-waistband tops which are kind of boring, so I just kept adding on and adding on. And you know when you suspect you’ve done something that’s not really working out, but you think, oh, it’ll be fine, and keep going? Yeah, me too. So I had a couple inches of K1P1 rib before I finally admitted that it was neither tee shirt nor tunic, and just wrongly proportioned.

ribbing gone wrong

Sad enough to have to tear out all that time consuming ribbing; I had also to go back 16 rounds of lace pattern. No, I did not have a lifeline (and I do often put those in if I’m not sure I’ll like the next part of something. This time I went on blithely). Running a lifeline after the fact in lace is something I’ve found to be frustrating and inaccurate, so I ripped back fiercely to the last pattern round of what would be the last rep, then gingerly undid that as well. Then ever so carefully, with a tiny size 1, I went back stitch by stitch on the next rest round (thank goodness for rest rounds! only had to worry about recovering YOs and separating the decreases). Then reworked the pattern round with the correct needle, fixing up any little problems and adding stitch markers, and IT WORKED!

back OTN!

The knitting goddess was with me this time – a huge relief. And I discovered that gold glitter polish looks great with wisteria blue.

gold glitter accents

Next time, some more of the details of this last lace project; then the pattern itself!

Phi

 Featured, New Release, Patterns, Wraps  Comments Off on Phi
Aug 022013
 

The Golden Ratio, or Phi, represents harmony in nature, art and mathematics, and embodies the human perception of beauty. This asymmetric shawl harmoniously blends two colors to the Golden Mean, and then back again, using the Fibonacci sequence to determine the width of the stripes and their relation one to the next . . . All knitting, always pleasing, with a graphic , and harmonious result.

Techniques & Skills Used: increasing/decreasing, knit; Phi includes instructions in written and quick table format, and a link to my video tutorial for carrying the unused color along the garter edge.

Size: 90” length and 16” depth.

Yarn: Malabrigo Yarn Finito (100% merino; 200 yards/183m/50g; 2 skeins MC and 2 skeins CC, or about 370 and 300 yards respectively of fingering weight yarn. Sample shown in Plomo (MC) and Mostaza (CC). The yardage requirements ratio of MC to CC is approximately 1.25 : 1 – make sure you have about 80% as much CC as MC to complete the sequence.

Other Materials: US 5 (3.75mm) 32” circular needle, or size to match gauge; Yarn needle.

Gauge: 21 st and 42 rows/4″ in garter stitch, after gentle blocking. 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.     

Pomona Mitts

 Accessories, New Release, Patterns  Comments Off on Pomona Mitts
Jul 182013
 

Among my favorite design themes, Harry Potter is undeniably one which keeps appearing as if by magic in my knitwear. The Magickal Quidditch Socks, Amortentia and Cauldron Full of Hot, Strong Love have been expressions in knit of my love for the wizarding world. Now I can show another small item, the Pomona Mitts, which I designed for The Unofficial Harry Potter Knits Special Issue from Interweave.

Professor Pomona Sprout’s fingerless mitts reflect her personality; earthy, robust, and ready for hard work. Cast on provisionally at the outer edge of the hand, the fingerless Pomona Mitts are worked flat using short rows, then grafted for a seamless finish. The cuff is shaped into a point with increases and decreases, and made to flare with a short row wedge. The finger opening is embellished with a spikey picot edge worked by repeatedly casting on and binding off stitches, and an optional narrow decorative satin ribbon is laced through the eyelets on the back of the hand as embellishment. A rich and tweedy yarn brings depth and texture to the fabric, making a rustic contrast to the sleek and shiny ribbon.

Techniques & Skills Used: provisional CO, cable CO, knit, increasing/ decreasing, short rows, grafting; a link is included to my short row tutorials.

Size: S (M, L); 6 (7, 8.25)” palm circumference; 7 (7.75, 8.75)” length from cuff point to tip. The stretchy garter stitch will fit a wide range of hand sizes; sample shown in size S worn on a 7” circumference hand.

Yarn: Rowan Felted Tweed DK (50% wool, 25% alpaca, 25% viscose; 191 yards/175m/50g), shown in 154 Ginger; 1 skein.

Other Materials: US 6 (4mm) needles, or size to match gauge; Stitch markers (1 color A, 1 color B); Scrap yarn for provisional CO; Stitch holders (2); Yarn needle; ¼” wide satin ribbon (2 x 1 yd).

Gauge: 22 st and 44 rows/4” in garter stitch. Row gauge determines hand circumference, while stitch gauge determines length in this sideways knit.

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

The magazine has some fun pictures channeling Pomona Sprout in the greenhouses (middle pic), using the mitts for a bit of protection with the mandrakes.

Arcady

 New Release, Patterns, Sweaters  Comments Off on Arcady
Jul 122013
 

Highly textured lace and seamless top down construction give Arcady a simple and pretty appeal. A narrow applied I-cord edging at the front and neckline makes delicate button loops for small pearl buttons. The narrow ribbing flows smoothly from the lace, for refined sleeve and body hems with a tiny garter edge. Light and delicate, this cardigan adds whimsy to jeans or a romantic finish over a dress.

Construction: Arcady is cast on at the neckline and worked in lace pattern with raglan construction to the armhole depth. The sleeves are divided and placed on hold, while the body is worked in the  continuous lace pattern, with no shaping to the narrow hem. Stitches are picked up along the front edges and neckline, and a tidy applied I-cord with integrated buttonholes is worked to finish the edges. Finally, the cap sleeves are finished with a narrow rib and elegant slender garter edge, matching the hem.

Techniques & Skills Used: longtail CO, raglan construction, knit/purl, easy lace, applied I-cord (cable CO); Arcady is both written and charted, and includes instructions for increasing in pattern, and a video tutorial for the applied I-cord.

Size: 30 (33, 35, 37.5, 40, 42, 44.5, 47, 49.5, 52)” bust; shown in third size worn with no ease.

Yarn: Blue Moon Fiber Arts Woobu (60% Merino, 40% Bamboo; 620 yards/ 567m/226g), shown in Winter Solstice; 1 (1, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2) skeins, or approximately 500 (575, 650, 750, 800, 875, 975, 1050, 1125, 1200) yards of sportweight wool blend yarn.

Other Materials: US 6 (4mm) 32” circular needle, or size to match gauge; US 5 (3.75mm) 60” circular needle for edging; optional US 5 (3.75mm) dpn for I-cord; Stitch markers (10); Removable stitch markers 12 (13, 14, 15, 15, 16, 17, 17, 18, 18); Stitch holders (2); Yarn needle; 3/8” buttons 13 (14, 15, 16, 16, 17, 18, 18, 19, 19); Matching sewing thread and needle.

Gauge: 20 st and 28 rows/4” in Arcade Lace pattern, after blocking.

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

A Very Special FO

 Random Thoughts  Comments Off on A Very Special FO
Jun 212013
 

Nine years of education in the making, and we now have a new elementary graduate in the house. My lovely daughter, whom I’ve been training up as my knitwear model, received her diploma at the ceremony last night. All the girls were beautiful, the boys I didn’t recognize at all, and now there’s a whirlwind weekend of parties, dinners and merriment.

The graduate and I | The Knitting Vortex

Congratulations!

Aqueous

 New Release, Patterns, Sweaters  Comments Off on Aqueous
Jun 062013
 

A lightweight lace cardigan knit seamlessly in one piece from the top down, Aqueous features frothing waves of lace which roll back and forth in slimming vertical lines. With minimal finishing, this simple cap sleeve raglan pattern is an easy and soothing knit, ready in no time to dress up a summer outfit.

Construction: Aqueous is cast on at the neckline, and worked back and forth with raglan construction, in a simple lace pattern with garter button bands. Body and sleeves are divided at the armscye depth, then the body is worked to the hem. Short sleeves are then finished with narrow garter edges.

Techniques & Skills Used: longtail CO, raglan construction, knit/purl, easy lace. Aqueous is both written and charted, and includes instructions for increasing in pattern.

Size: 30 (33, 35, 37.5, 40, 42, 44.5, 47, 49.5, 52)” bust; sample shown in third size worn with no ease.

Yarn: The Fibre Company Canopy Fingering (50% Baby Alpaca, 30% Merino, 20% Viscose Bamboo; 200 yards/183m/50g), shown in Manatee; 3 (4, 4, 5, 5, 5, 6, 7, 7, 8) skeins, or approximately 550 (650, 725, 825, 925, 975, 1150, 1250, 1325, 1450) yards of fingering weight yarn.

Other Materials: US 6 (4mm) 32” circular needle or size to match gauge; Stitch markers (10); Stitch holders (2); Yarn needle; ½” buttons 13 (14, 15, 16, 17, 17, 19, 20, 20, 21); Matching sewing thread and needle.

Gauge: 20 st and 32 rows/4” in Waves Lace pattern; after blocking.

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

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