new pattern release

New Pattern Release: Texture Times Two!

I have two new pattern releases for you today! Here’s the Texture Times Two Hat and Scarf:

The pattern stitch I used is nice at first glance, but the coolest thing about it is the wrong side, which looks completely different:

It’s like the accessories have a split personality–classy on one side, sort of kooky and fun on the other. Plus I love it when scarves have an attractive backside (because who doesn’t love those? Hehehe. Yes, I am twelve).

The pattern is easy enough to memorize pretty quickly, but difficult enough to stay interesting through a whole scarf and matching hat. I knit mine in buttery-soft Malabrigo Worsted (you might remember the skeins of Purple Mystery from my birthday haul), which made the whole knitting experience highly enjoyable.

The patterns are for sale for $3.50 each here and here, or through my Ravelry store. If you want both patterns, you can buy the set for $6.00 (about a 15% discount).

I can trust you guys to keep a secret, right? After seeing my mom’s reaction to the FOs, I’m planning to give them to her for a Christmas present. Shhhh….

New Pattern Release: Dream a Little Dream!

Dream a Little Dream has been released! It’s available through my Ravelry page, or on this website here.

From the pattern page:

Have you been dreaming of a lightweight pullover for indoor wear, changing seasons, or winter in temperate climates? Look no further than Dream a Little Dream. This stylish but still casual pullover is light as a feather and easy to knit. Mock cable rib at the hems and upper back adds texture and keeps the knitting interesting.

This sweater is constructed from the top down in the round and is completely seamless. The only finishing is picking up and knitting the neckband and buttonband placket.

SIZES AVAILABLE
XS (S, M, L / 1X, 2X, 3X)

Finished bust measurement:
30.5 (33.75, 37, 41.25 / 44.75, 49, 53.25)”, or 77.5 (85.5, 94, 105 / 113.5, 124.5, 135.5) cm

Shown in size M with 1” of negative ease

YARN REQUIREMENTS
madelinetosh tosh merino light (100% merino; 420 yds/384 m per 100g skein): 3 (3, 3, 4 / 4, 4, 5) skeins in Worn Denim

If substituting yarn, you will need approximately 900 (1000, 1150, 1300 / 1450, 1600, 1750) yds, or 825 (925, 1050, 1175 / 1325, 1450, 1600) meters, of fingering or sport-weight yarn.

NOTE: This sweater is designed to be knit at a loose gauge. A DK or worsted weight yarn won’t drape like the original, even if the gauge is right. Fingering or sport-weight yarn is recommended.

Three new patterns!

Guess what guess what guess what? I just found out not one, not two, but three of my new patterns are now available for purchase!

These are designs I did for Universal Yarn back in March (remember when I had all that knitting I couldn’t show you right around that time?). Well, the pattern collection, Universal Yarn PC550 Deluxe Worsted Vol. 4, is out!

With no further ado, here are the patterns (all pictures by Shane Baskin/Black Box Studios):

Clifden Cardigan

I’m very fond of the cables on this sweater (they’re on the back too, although I don’t have a picture to show you, unfortunately). Increases between lines of rib on the sides give it a swingy A-line shape. Let’s just say it’s lucky this sample was knit in a size too small for me… I would have had a really hard time giving it up otherwise.

I named the sweater after this little town we stayed in when we visited the west coast of Ireland a few years ago. It was August, and although it was warmish, it was damp and drizzly most of the time. A wool cardigan like this would have been perfect.

Zingy Beanie

This hat uses a lot of twisted stitches to make those cool lines of rib between the diamond patterns. I was inspired by pictures of some old Aran sweaters that currently reside in museums. When the hat was right off the needles, the fabric was doing this really cool bias thing (due to the twisted stitches). I decided to block it out straight, but I think I’m going to make another one of these and let it do its thing. It was a different look, but still neat.

Saunter Mitts

I think these little mitts knit up in about four episodes of Doctor Who. Totally fun, and just enough pattern to be interesting without frustrating.

I’m so glad to finally be able to share these patterns/FOs with y’all! I had a lot of fun knitting them, and I’d love to hear what you think. :-)

New Pattern Release: Blue Betty!

Remember Blue Betty?

She’s all grown up and released as a pattern! I’m so thrilled about this one. It only took me a few weeks to go from concept to sweater, and I couldn’t be happier with the results. I think I achieved my original goal–a bust-friendly colorwork sweater!

Blue Betty is available to purchase for $6.00. The specs and the purchase link can be found on this page of my website, or on the Ravelry pattern page here.

A few gratuitous glamour shots:

In my head, this picture is named Betty Boobs.

FO Friday: Knit Your Own Adventure Hats!

I have a new pattern release and three FOs to show off today: my Knit Your Own Adventure Hats!

Here are the specs:

Pattern: my own pattern, Knit Your Own Adventure Hats (Ravelry link, since I haven’t put the pattern page up on this website yet–bad Triona!). All three hats were knit from the same pattern. It includes 3 edgings, 3 cable patterns, and 3 crown decreases, all mix-and-matchable.

Side note: did anyone else love the Choose Your Own Adventure books when they were younger? I used to use scraps of paper to mark all the places where I’d have to make choices so I could go back if I didn’t like the outcome.

Yarn: Wool of the Andes worsted weight in Fairy Tale, Jalapeño, and Hyacinth. I used about 1.5 skeins per hat (around 160 yds). This is a really nice yarn: it’s definitely in the workhorse category, but it’s not itchy and comes in great colors. It’s very reminiscent of Cascade 220, one of my favorites.

Notes: These are pretty awesome hats, if I do say so myself. They’re long enough to cover the ears (a major requirement for me when cold weather rolls around). The purple one is finished with a slouchy crown, so now I can choose whether I want one of the warmer beanies or the hipper, less warm hat.

And isn’t my model adorable? She’s my friend Cheryl, who apparently cannot look bad in a picture. I had tons of good ones to choose from after this photo shoot.

I had fun taking glamour shots of the hat components in my lightbox for the pattern, too. The crown ones were stretched over a balloon, which worked surprisingly well!

FO Friday (and new pattern): Rosanna Wrap!

It’s so nice to have a plethora of projects that I’m allowed to show off!

This is my newest design, Rosanna Wrap:

I picture this wrap being perfect for dressy nights out in the summer–it looks fab with a little black dress. And it’s long (75″), so there’s enough fabric to actually keep one warm.

Blocking the finished wrap was a bit of an adventure. I wanted a nice straight edge (obviously), but I don’t own blocking wires (haven’t ever needed them before) and had only about 50 pins. First, I went out and bought a couple more packs of pins. Then I used a method I found on Ravelry: I ran cotton yarn along each edge, pulled tight, and then braced the cotton with pins so the lace was pulled tight and able to open up.

It worked rather well, if I do say so myself–but slowly weaving in the cotton yarn and putting in a few hundred pins isn’t an experience I care to repeat very often!

I also decided to up the dressy-factor by adding a knotted fringe. I had to look up tutorials on how to do this and I figured others might have to as well… so I included my own photo tutorial in the pattern.

Here are the specs on my FO:

Pattern: my own Rosanna Wrap, available to purchase on this website or through Ravelry here.

Yarn: madelinetosh tosh merino light, 2 skeins in Tart. I blogged here about my worry that my two skeins (purchased at different times) were too different from each other… but oddly enough, that appears to have been completely addressed by blocking. The dye ran pretty severely when I soaked the FO–I had to empty the sink and add fresh water five or six times before it was clear. The excess dye seems to have evened out the difference in the colors, which is so lucky I can hardly believe it. But the proof is in the pictures!

New pattern: Check Slouch!

Knitscene Accessories 2012 is now available for digital download and pre-order–and one of my patterns is in it!

This is Check Slouch, my first magazine pattern:

I am beyond thrilled with the amazing photography and styling. (And I wish I had that model’s hair!)

Check slouch

The hat is knit in the round from the bottom up and uses a super-easy slip stitch pattern to form the checks. There’s only ever one color being used per round, which makes it suitable for colorwork newbies.

The physical magazine will be hitting newsstands at the beginning of June–I can’t wait!

New Pattern: Hipster Stripe!

Here’s the “official” announcement of my newest sweater pattern, Hipster Stripe!

The pattern went live on Knit Picks’ website a few days ago, and now it’s up on this website and on Ravelry.

All the specs can be found here: Hipster Stripe Cardigan.

Really excited about this one!

New Pattern: Bevin Pullover!

My first Knit Picks Independent Designer Program pattern went live this morning!

Bevin Pullover can be purchased through Knit Picks’ website here. Tons more info (and the link to purchase via my site/Ravelry) on the pattern page here.

And my other Knit Picks IDP sweater, Hipster Stripe, went live today too (a total surprise to me–I thought it was going to take a while!). You can see it here on their website. Look for the official release post here soon :-)