ribbing • The Knitting Vortex

Not Quite Plaid

Featured, New Release, Patterns, Wraps 2 Responses »

Oct 082015

Colorblocks, stripes and vertical dropped stitches – it’s Not Quite Plaid, but looks vaguely tartan. An asymmetric bias shape and an atypical approach to creating a stitch pattern result in a fabric on which to combine colors for a nontraditional and modern shawl that is infinitely customizable. Choose colors and yarns that speak to you from your stash for your own perfect (not quite) plaid. Techniques & Skills Used: cable CO, knit/purl, increasing/decreasing; instructions are both fully written and charted. Size: 84” length and 32” depth, customizable to any size. Yarn: Baah! La Jolla (100% merino wool; 400 yards/366m/100g); 1 skein each of color A/Night Sky, color B/Obsidian, color C/Grey Onyx and color D/La Perla. A plied sock yarn with a somewhat tight twist helps maintain the integrity of the dropped stitches. The sample used approximately 275/100/205/215 yards respectively of colors A/B/C/D but any amount of yarn in any combination may be used; see Designer’s Notes. Other Materials: US 6 (4mm) 32” circular needle or size to match gauge; marker (1); removable markers (optional); Yarn . . .

Pax Vobis

New Release, Patterns, Sweaters Comments Off

Jul 102015

Let Pax Vobis bring peace to you, as rhythmic baby cables flow into a gentle A-line silhouette. Seamless topdown raglan construction and an intuitive cable twist stitch pattern enable serene and uncomplicated knitting. The cropped length, elbow sleeves and deeply scooped neckline are perfect with a summer outfit, and the lightweight yarn brings a whisper soft harmony. Construction: Pax Vobis is knit seamlessly from the top down using raglan construction. Stitches are cast on for front, sleeves and back, and the bodice is worked with allover Baby Cable twists easily created without a cable needle, stockinette sleeves and wide raglan style lines. Once established, the Baby Cable stitch pattern is very intuitive; both written instructions and charts (on p. 8) are provided for reference. Once the neck depth is reached, stitches are cast on for the front neckline and the body is joined in the round and worked to the bottom of the armhole. Sleeve stitches are placed on hold while the lower body is worked in stockinette, creating a slight, natural A-line shape below the . . .

Veruschka

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Feb 172015

Dolman three-quarter sleeves and an easy silhouette make Veruschka the perfect cozy sweater for casual autumn days. Knit in one piece from the top down, the body features gentle shaping to flatter your curves, and chunky ribbing to keep the mood rustic. A foldover turtleneck finishes the look and keeps out the chill. Construction: Veruschka is knit in one piece with minimal seaming. The back body and sleeves are cast on provisionally and worked to the armhole depth, then the CO stitches are worked in the opposite direction for the front sleeves and body, to the same point; there the sleeves are divided, and back & front are joined and worked in the round to the bottom ribbing. The sleeves are grafted at the underseam, then stitches are picked up for the ribbed cuffs. Stitches are picked up along the neckline, and the turtleneck is worked inside out with strategically placed increases, and finished with a narrow rib. Techniques & Skills Used: backwards loop CO, provisional CO, knit/ purl, short rows, picking up stitches, increasing/decreasing, working in . . .

The Fisher Queen

New Release, Patterns, Sweaters Comments Off

Feb 242014

A modern take on the fisherman sweater, The Fisher Queen blends classic cable and rib elements with a non-traditional shape and construction. Heavily textured Mistake Rib, along with Honeycomb and Snake cables cover the front and back, while the fitted sleeves are worked in Rib. The slim modified dolman sleeves, scooped neck and curved hem bring updated details to the silhouette, mixing traditional and modern in a contemporary classic. Construction: The Fisher Queen is worked seamlessly from the top down; the shoulder saddles are knit first, with stitches picked up for front and back and worked flat to below the armhole, then joined to work in the round. Long, skinny sleeves are picked up and worked in rib, then finished with twisted rib cuffs, matching the hem and neckband. Techniques & Skills Used: backwards loop CO, knit/purl, cables, decreasing, short rows, picking up stitches, grafting. Body stitch patterns are both written and charted. Size: 31 (35, 39, 43, 47, 51, 55)” bust; shown in third size worn with 4” of positive ease. For a similar . . .

Slaunter Hat

Accessories, New Release, Patterns Comments Off

Nov 052013

With just the right amount of slouchy style and comfort, the Slaunter Hat features smooth reverse stockinette with high-relief knit rib accents, and a stretchy textured mistake rib brim. Instructions are included for both the traditional and the modern split brim versions, for double the style options! Techniques & Skills Used: cable CO, knit/purl, increasing/decreasing, knitting in the round. Size: one size, which easily fits women’s M or 21-23” head circumference; approximately 18” brim circumference and 9” depth, unstretched. Yarn: Madelinetosh Tosh DK (100% Superwash Merino; 225 yards/ 206m/110g); 1 skein. Traditional brim version shown in Ink, and split brim version in Iris, using 145 and 155 yards respectively. Other Materials: US 7 (4.5mm) 16” circular needle and dpns, or 32” circular needle if using Magic Loop, or size to match gauge; extra US 7 dpn for split brim facings; Stitch markers (8); Yarn needle. Gauge: 20 st and 26 rows/4” in reverse stockinette stitch; 22 st and 28 rows/4” in Mistake Rib, after blocking. See it on Ravelry or on Payhip, to read more or purchase the pattern.

Slauntering towards a Swatch

WIPs Comments Off

Aug 262013

At my house, we have a word we like to use when someone is lazily, casually moving towards an objective: Slaunter. As in, “I saw you slauntering around by the coffee shop this morning,” or “Could you please pick up the pace from a slaunter to a stride; we’re late.” It’s meant to suggest relaxed and unconcerned action; maybe a little bit indolent, but typically in a good way. Weekend mornings are perfect for slauntering; we’re achieving things, but in a relaxed and non-stressful way. Slaunter is a little bit saunter, mixed in with a dose of slouch. It’s imperfect, comfortable and forgiving. The concept of slauntering is all over my next bit of knitwear, from a mistake-rib beginning, to an easy, relaxed result. I’m loving the concept so much that I’m exploring some accessories, like a split-brim hat: (Some color, huh? That’s tosh dk in Iris; I popped into the LYS near my daughter’s orthodontist the other day just to pass some time, and they had three cubbies’ worth of colors and bases. Can . . .

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. . . .

Chunnel Mitts

Accessories, New Release, Patterns Comments Off

Nov 012012

The Chunnel Mitts are long armwarmers with fitted rib cuffs and hands, and deep textural gauntlet forearms which can be scrunched up or worn straight depending on the weather and your coat sleeve length. An easy and fast knit with a thumb slit and no increasing or decreasing, the deep channel tunnels of the gauntlet stitch pattern do an excellent job of breaking up pooling in variegated yarns. Weave the ends in neatly and the Chunnel Mitts are completely reversible, showing a different but equally attractive pattern on the reverse side. Techniques & Skills Used: cable CO, knit/purl, knitting into the stitch below with link to my tutorial, working in the round. Size: S (M, L): to fit 6.5 (7.5, 8.5)” palm circumference; 4 (4, 5)” length from wrist and 7 (8.25, 9.25)” cuff length. The Chunnel Mitts are very stretchy; size M will fit a wide range of hand sizes from teen to women’s large. Yarn: Malabrigo Rios (100% Superwash Merino; 210 yards/192m/100g), Size M shown in Candombe and Azules; 1 (1, 2) skeins, or . . .

So much colors!

FOs 1 Response »

Oct 112012

Variegated yarns are an ongoing challenge; they look so appealing in the skein that you cant resist, and yet – what to do with them, really? Socks, maybe; those are mostly covered up and are like a secret crazy. I think that’s why sock yarns tend to have the most numerous, exuberant instances of variegation. But what about something like a worsted weight superwash? My solution was to make fingerless mitts with a K1below stitch pattern. The hand and cuff edge are regular rib, but the long gauntlet arm section transitions to a K1below rib that breaks up the colors and makes a fluffy, less elastic brioche, good for scrunching up. Both pairs use Malabrigo Rios, one in the Candombe colorway, the other in Azules. I made the Candombe pair first as the design prototype, when I was trying to find a way to love all that yellow in my skein. Then I thought I’d try a shaded-variegated with some of the Azules left over from Blue Honey. It may be mostly blue, but . . .

Laura

Accessories, Patterns Comments Off

Feb 242012

A close fitting cowl with alternating cables, Laura is worked seamlessly in ribbing from bottom edge to top. The clean, sculptural lines of the ribbed cables complement every style, and careful finishing makes the cowl completely reversible. Techniques & Skills Used: cable CO, knit/purl, cables, knitting in the round; the cable is both written and charted. Size: 18” circumference and 8” height. Yarn: Malabrigo Yarn Merino Worsted (100% merino wool, 210 yards/100g); 1 skein, shown in Uva. The sample as written used 130 yards. Other Materials: US 9 (5.5mm) 16” circular needle, or size to match gauge; Cable needle; Stitch markers (8, one different color); Yarn needle. Gauge: 21 st and 28 rows/4” in unstretched K1P1 Rib, after blocking. See it on Ravelry or on Payhip, to read more or purchase the pattern.

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