Tag Archives: knitpicks

And Something Else Different

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I’ve *technically* finished my crochet sweater, but I just am not sure about it. Maybe the sleeves need to be shorter… or longer? Or maybe it’s just not the sweater for me. I don’t know. But either way, it’s in time out for a minute. I’ll show it to you later, don’t worry.

Anyway, I was looking for something else to work on. Something simple and brightly colored and something that is sure to be successful. I dug around and found, in the bottom of my WIP box, this just-started sock. It’s just a regular-degular sock in Felici from a couple years ago. I could make it in my sleep, which makes it easy to pick back up again.

It was about three inches long when I found it, and now I’m fully around the heel. It’s funny though, I truly don’t know when I started it. Last year? Maybe. Longer? Could be.

But, I suppose that’s the good thing about knitting, you can put it down and pick it up again months (or even years) later.

What’s the longest you’ve had a project in hibernation before you started working on it again?

New Pattern: Olympic Pullover

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I know- it’s crazy, but I’ve another new sweater for you!  Exciting!

This one’s feels pretty on the nose for me, as it’s just starting to get cooler out, and I’m dreaming of getting into the thick of fall.  And there’s nothing that says “autumn” to me better than a thick, cabled, over-sized wool sweater.  (Though, honestly, this is really more of a “deep winter” sweater if you’re a normal person, and not a cold-blooded lizard person like me.  My husband tried it on and managed maybe five minutes before he started to overheat.)

It’s the Olympic Pullover!52715220_06.jpgIt’s named after the Olympic Peninsula, the gorgeous part of Washington between the Puget sound and the Pacific Ocean.  It’s full of lush forests, misty coastline and snowy peaks.  (And it’s where Twilight was based, if that gives you an idea.  Though I imagine that people that live over there don’t love that reference.)  It’s the perfect place to traipse around in a woolly cabled pullover.52715220_15.jpgThis sweater is beyond simple- dropped shoulders mean almost no shaping, and everything’s worked in pieces and sewn up, so it would make nice travel knitting.  Plus, the cables look super-complicated, but once you get them established, they’re pretty simple. 52715220_12

You can get a copy of the pattern here, or grab the whole collection (highly recommended- there’s some great sweaters in here!) here.

Pattern: Truly Everyday Socks

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Time for another new pattern!  It’s one that’s dear to my heart (or feet). And it’s in Knit Picks’ newest collection: Simply Socks, which is all about those socks you want to knit again and again and wear every day.75339D

These are my Truly Everyday Socks.  If you’re related to me, they’re probably really familiar to you, because I’ve been making them for years and have been given out on more than one Christmas morning.YPxPiMmk
They’re a super-simple top-down sock with 2×2 ribbing at the top, a turned, reinforced heel and nice, neat toe.  I’ve covered the leg and instep with a really simple knit/purl basket-weave pattern that you’ll be able to memorize before you’re even an inch into the first sock. RG62pByRI love these socks.  I’ve made probably a dozen pairs using this basic pattern over the years.  They’re unisex and utilitarian, but not boring (to wear or knit), and could easily be sized up or down.  Plus, they’re a great way to show off that special skein of hand-dyed yarn you’ve got squirreled away.

Head over to Knit Picks and pick up a copy of my Truly Everyday Socks, and make yourself a pair (or twelve).

Pattern: Modernist Dishcloth

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New pattern day!  And even better, it’s a free pattern!

Introducing, the Modernist Dishcloth!It’s a simple square of seed stitch, with lovely blocks/stripes of color based on my favorite painting at the Seattle Art Museum.It’s a Mark Rothko and is named (creatively) “#10, 1952.” It’s a beautiful painting, and even more gorgeous in person.  I love the way the contrasting colors play against one another, and the subtle textures in each color block.  I mean- that cornflower blue in the bottom half of the painting… come on!

If you ever get a chance to visit the SAM, definitely check out the Rothko.  But, if you can’t make it, maybe try your hand at working up a little Rothko-inspired dishcloth.Grab the pattern here!

Pattern: Socks for Everybody

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I’ve got a heck of a surprise for you guys!

It’s big news!  Exciting news!  Guess what?!

I wrote a book!Look at that!  It’s got my name on the cover and everything!

It’s a super-comprehensive “how to knit socks” book!The book is basically one big old recipe for making socks of every possible variety.  You want to make top-down socks with cables? Covered.  Want to make toe-up socks with stripes? No problem. Are you thinking about baby socks with afterthought heels? Done.

Socks For Everybody is a big a la carte instruction book that lets you make any sized socks using any yarn you prefer with any heel/toe/cuff/design combo you want.

I’ve included tons of tutorials detailing how to get through the trickier parts of sock construction (with lots of beautiful pictures to help you on your way), making this book perfect for people who have never quite gotten up the guts to try sock knitting before.Sure, this book is great for people who are new to the amazing world of sock knitting, but it’s also great for experienced sock knitters who are looking for help with designing their own socks.  I’ve included instructions on custom-fitting socks to your feet (and your yarn), as well as tips on picking the right heel/toe combo and design elements.I think this book has the potential to become a great resource for any sock knitter- a book that you can come back to again and again, whenever you need a new, customized pattern for that next pair of socks.I’m super happy with how this book turned out, and I really hope that you guys are as excited about it as I am.

If you want your own copy of Socks for Everybody, head over to Knit Picks.  (Or, if you prefer an e-book, follow this link.)

New Pattern: Tannenbaum Tree Skirt

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It’s a very special day today.  (No, it’s not just Friday, October 13th, the spookiest day of the year)  It’s new pattern day!  And, better than that, it’s new Christmas Pattern day!

Knit Picks just published an insanely adorable collection, cram-jammed with cozy holiday patterns.

Everything in this book is stinking cute, and gives me “Cozy Christmas Cabin” vibes, which is exactly what I want when I’m gearing up for the holidays.

I think the cutest pattern might be this adorable color work Santa pillow.  I see myself spending the next couple months knitting up a handful of these bad boys.  I love how the hats of one row of Santas form he shoulders of the next row- very clever!

Santa Pillow by Kathy LewinskiAnd these stockings are just too sweet!  I love that they’re worked in bulky yarn (making them extra-big for extra presents!) and the non-traditional burgundy, navy and cream are a really nice alternative color scheme.  If I hadn’t already made my stockings, I’d be seriously considering whipping up a few of these guys for my family.  Maybe I’ll end up with a sweater featuring the reindeer and snowflakes…

Holiday Stockings by Michele Lee Bernstein

But, if I can totally toot my own horn, I think my pattern might be my favorite.  It’s the Tannenbaum Tree skirt!

It’s a creamy, cabled, cozy tree skirt knit in a single piece, featuring Christmas-tree-shaped cables all the way around.  (Trust me, it’s even cuter in person!)It’s a smallish skirt, about 30″ in diameter, so it’s perfect for a skinny tree, or a small table-top tree.  It’s worked in bulky yarn, so it works up in no time at all.  Plus (and I realize this might not be something that everyone agrees with), the cables are insanely fun to work, all complicated and twisty, but really satisfying at the end of the day.

If you want to get a copy of my pattern, head over here!

Or, if you want to get a copy of the whole Merry Knitmas book (and why wouldn’t you?), head here!

Papaya

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Woo!  I’m free!  I finished all my “work knitting!” (For now, at least.)

It’s weird- it’s like that feeling I got back in college, right after Finals Week.  Every minute has been taken up with studying, or thinking you should study, or worrying that you’re not studying enough.  But they you finish your last exam, and BAM! you’ve got nothing particularly important to do.

It’s both very freeing and a little bit unsettling.

When I have that feeling, I like to go into my closet and see what kind of yarn I have waiting for me.  I’m not a huge “Stash Person.” I generally don’t go out and buy a big bag of yarn “just because.”  At most, I’ll buy a skein or two of sock yarn as a splurge, but that’s about it.

But, hidden deep at the bottom of a pile of yarn in the back of my closet, I found a treasure.

A bag of 11 balls of Knit Picks Wool of the Andes Sport in Papaya Heather!I literally have no idea when I bought this, or what I bought it for.  It must have been years ago.  I almost never wear pink, and I never wear orange.  I don’t know what would have possessed me to buy so much of this shade.  (It really is pretty, but it’s just not a color I normally go for.)  Maybe it was on sale?

I’ve got 11 skeins, though. Which means I can make something cool.  A sweater maybe?  Or a smallish throw blanket?  Or a big shawl?

What do you think I should do with my surprise stash yarn?

Have you ever been surprised by what you found in your stash?

Drawing Day

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It’s my favorite day of the month!  Drawing Day!

Last week (OK, last Monday and the Friday before that) I posted not one but two giveaways of KnitPick’s newest pattern collections, On the Go Knits and Knits for Everybody.  Quite a few of you entered the giveaway, and now it’s time for the drawing.

First off, On the Go Knits!330141Let’s head over to Random.org for a random drawing….hats-drawingAnd, number 9 wins it!  Amanda!  That’s you! Woo!

And now over to Knits for Everybody.  (This is too exciting- two drawings, in one day! Unheard of!)330131And the random number generator says:socks-drawingCommenter number 3!  You’re the big winner!  Audrey, that’s you!

I’ll be emailing you two today so we can arrange getting your books to you.  If you don’t see my email, let me know (sometimes they end up in the spam folder).

Congrats ladies!  And if you weren’t the lucky one this time, head on over to KnitPicks and pick up copies of the books for yourself (they’re really great- and on sale right now!).

Pattern: Bitterlake Cardigan

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I’ve got a new pattern!

And I’m so happy with this one.  (Sure, I’m happy with all of my patterns, otherwise I wouldn’t  publish them, but still.)  I’m so proud of how it turned out!

My pattern is in Knit Pick’s new collection, Creative Color: 2016 Fair Isle Collection.33010This collection is so pretty- I can’t stand it.

Happily Sweater by Katy Banks

33010106Summer Wanes Cowl and Hat by Heather Storta

33010114And in among all the gorgeous patters, I’d like to introduce you to my sweater, the Bitterlake Cardigan!52092220_23 copyIt’s a zip-up cardigan, knit back and forth in a single piece (no seaming!), with a little bit of shaping at the sides for a nice fit.  But the best part (so excited about this bit!) is the Fair Isle button band/neckband/hem combo.  It’s worked in the round using 5 colors (4 shades of brown, and a contrasting saffron orange), then backed  with a facing to cover all the floats for a really professional finish.52092220_12 copyI love how the designs on the bands match up, and I love the practicality of a zippered cardigan.52092220_2 copyHead on over to Knit Picks if you want a copy of this collection!  It’s so good!

OR! If you want to try your luck, comment below with your favorite pattern for a chance to win your very own copy of Creative Color!  

Pattern: Magnolia Sweater

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What’s that?  A new pattern?  In a new KnitPicks collection?  Ooh boy!

This collection is just in time for spring! And it might be my most favorite collection ever!  It’s dreamy, light, and feminine but somehow not too”girly.”  The sky outside my studio window is blue and I can see tulips blooming in my yard.  It’s all too perfect.

These 16 gorgeous garments is collected in KnitPick’s newest book, Aura!

75230DI’m loving the openwork cardigan, Solana, from the cover.

75230D113And I’ve never been tempted to make a knitted t-shirt, but this Rippling Top is to die for.75230D128And I am just in love with this light-as-a-feather Muse Top.  Sigh.75230D119Oh!  I almost forgot to show you the pattern that I made, I’m so enchanted by the other patterns!

It’s the Magnolia Pullover!75230D101It’s a slightly over-sized sweater, meant to be loose at the bust and upper arms, but well-fitted at the waist and cuffs.  Knit in super-soft Stroll Sock and Stroll Glimmer (The back is glittery!  I know! Exciting!), this sweater is super comfy, but light enough for sunny spring days.  (I made mine in black, and it looks super cute with a bright colored shirt underneath.  Just sayin’.)

75230D102Do you want this collection?  (Yes, you do.)  Comment below with your favorite Aura pattern, or your favorite springtime activity for a chance to win a copy!  I’ll be holding the drawing next week!