lace • The Knitting Vortex • Page 2

Katie Scarlett

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Jun 022014

I unveiled Miss Scarlett in March; originally a Wooly Wonka Fibers 2014 Heroines Shawl Club exclusive, Katie Scarlett is now available as a pdf download. The belle of the ball will always be Katie Scarlett O’Hara, the indomitable heroine of Gone With The Wind. Even dressed in a green velvet curtain, she is unapologetically flirtatious, enticing and captivating. This semi-circular shawl is worked from the top down in the shape of a hoopskirt like those worn by Miss Scarlett, using a beautiful wool and silk blend laceweight yarn. Four different lace patterns represent our heroine’s journey. Like her gentle upbringing, simple increases grow into a regular, small scale eyelet mesh, which becomes a swirling diagonal reflecting the tumultuous Civil War years, and finally straightens into strong vertical lines of hard edged diamonds just like her headstrong and determined character. The knit-on ruffled edging is worked sideways in small short row sections and attached to the live stitches of the shawl, avoiding long rows and proving that perseverance will pay off. After all, tomorrow is another . . .

Lorem Ipsum

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May 292014

A feminine cropped cardigan with geometric eyelets, Lorem Ipsum is knit seamlessly from the top down, incorporating simple lace with the techniques of raglan sweater knitting. In graphic design, Lorem Ipsum dolor sit amet begins the scrambled Latin text often used as a placeholder, focusing attention on the style elements of a document. Likewise, this easily-memorized, small scale pattern highlights the raglan sleeves and deeply scooped neckline, without competing. The lace is designed to flow without interruption around the cardi, transitioning to a flattering single rib hem, cuffs and neckline. With a simultaneously worked garter button band and minimal finishing, the focus is all on style in this flattering little sweater. Construction: Lorem Ipsum is cast on at the neckline and worked in an allover lace pattern, with raglan construction and a deep front scoopneck. Sleeves are divided and put on hold, while the body is worked straight to the hem. Slim bracelet length sleeves are then worked with shaping to the cuffs. Finally, stitches are picked up all along the front edge and neck, and . . .

Clubbing with Katie

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Mar 022014

Probably my all-time favorite movie is Gone With The Wind; I love everything about it – the period costumes, the sweeping narrative, the human frailties. And of course the heroine, Katie Scarlett O’Hara. As flawed a human being as she is, with her childish, manipulative, selfish temperament, she is also unflinchingly strong and unfailingly loyal to the people and places she considers her own. Certainly she qualifies as a heroine in my view. Last year, Anne from Wooly Wonka Fibers invited me to design two shawls for her 2014 Heroines Shawl Club, and asked me to pair my choice of heroines with her lovely hand-dyed yarns. And so I designed two shawls, using Artio Lace and Aerten Sock to depict two admirable heroines. The first of these is the design in the March 2014 club kit, Katie Scarlett. It’s a semi-circular laceweight shawl, knit from a garter tab cast on, with four tiers of lace patterns that represent Miss Scarlett’s trajectory through life. The beautiful, jewel-green color is the exclusive Twelve Oaks colorway, meant to . . .

Roam Cowl

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Oct 272013

Roam around in this luxury moebius cowl, featuring the reversible Roman Stripe lace stitch pattern. Using a moebius cast on, this infinity scarf is knit outward from the cast on edge, which becomes the middle of the cowl, until the outside edge is reached and bound off. Long rounds are balanced by a simple 7 row repeat that looks beautiful from both sides and lends itself to the infinity structure. Techniques & Skills Used: moebius CO, knit/purl, working in the round, easy lace; the lace stitch pattern is both written and charted. Size: 46” circumference and 10” tall. Yarn: String Theory Hand Dyed Yarn & Fiber Caper Sock (80% Merino, 10% Cashmere, 10% Nylon; 400 yards/366m/113g), sample shown in Oban; 1 skein, or 400 yards of fingering weight yarn. Other Materials: US 6 (4mm) 40” circular needle or size to match gauge; Stitch marker (1); Yarn needle. Gauge: 14 st and 35 rows/4” in Roman Stripe stitch pattern. Gauge is not critical for this project, however a different gauge may result in a smaller or larger finished cowl, and different . . .

Wisterious

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Aug 132013

The pretty lace pattern and slightly boxy fit of this tee make a sweet yet modern sweater. Worked seamlessly from the top down, Wisterious has a simple dolman shape with special details including ribbed trim with invisible tubular edges, shaped sleeve ribbing, and a feminine I-cord finish with petite buttons and button loops. Over a matching or contrast tank, Wisterious is both girly and casual. Construction: Cast on at the shoulders, Wisterious is worked separately for the front and back with dolman shaping for the sleeves, then joined at the underarm and worked in the round to the hem. A wide band of ribbing pulls in the body, ending neatly with an invisible tubular edge, and matching the sleeve hems which are picked up from the body and shaped with short rows to eliminate bulk under the arms. The final embellishment is an I-cord finish across the neckline and shoulders, which are closed with petite buttons and button loops worked into the I-cord. Techniques & Skills Used: longtail CO, knit/purl, lace, short rows, applied I-cord, grafting; Wisterious . . .

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. . . .

Arcady

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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 . . .

Aqueous

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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, . . .

Zaget

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Mar 112013

Zig it … Zag it. Handpainted superbulky yarn and a simple, reversing diagonal lace pattern make a neckwarmer that curves gently around the face and closes neatly with a satin ribbon lacing or buttons. Techniques & Skills Used: cable CO, knit/purl, easy lace. Size: 10” height and 32” length, measured flat Yarn: Malabrigo Yarn Rasta (100% merino wool; 90 yards/82m/150g); 1 skein, shown in Piedras. As written, this cowl uses almost every bit of one skein. Other Materials: US 17 (12mm) needle or size to match gauge; Yarn needle or K/6.5 mm crochet hook for weaving in ends; Matching .75” wide satin ribbon (2 yards); 1” buttons (3); Matching sewing thread and needle. Gauge: 6 st and 9 rows/4” in stockinette st, after blocking. Gauge is not critical for this project, however a different gauge may result in a smaller or larger finished neckwarmer, and different yardage requirements. See it on Ravelry or on Payhip, to read more or purchase the pattern.

Tosh Lumina – FO Friday

FOs 2 Responses »

Nov 112011

The first accomplishment for what will certainly be a very busy month, my Lumina shawl knit in beautiful Madelinetosh MCN laceweight. I had to rip and restart this, and also begin again on the first lace section – some sort of inexplicable trouble with the YOs. Maddening, because I knit the original prototype without incident, but now it’s finished and fabulous. Based on the prototype, I knit approximately half the yardage as the garter body section – but should have done more, probably at least 3/4. So the lace sections are much larger than I expected, but in retrospect I really like the airiness and the drape is great. The Composition Book Grey colorway is definitely my all-time favorite. And now I’m all jazzed to knit up another laceweight shawl! Really, for size and softness, there’s nothing like it. Typically I do more shawls in summer, but this winter may buck that trend. Remind me to show some of the lovely yarn I got at Stitches East; there’s a shimmery tonal grey that is crying . . .

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