New Knitting Pattern - Ascend Cowl

 

I'm very happy to introduce my newest knitting design, the Ascend Cowl.

I've long admired intricate Estonian lace knitting and I've knit a few projects in this delicate style, but I wanted to design a pattern that was approachable for newer lace knitters (especially without nupps!), cozy in a chunky wool, and pretty without being fussy.

After a little experimentation, I came up with a variation of a traditional Estonian stitch that swirled easily up around the cowl, in the manner of a spiral staircase, requiring nothing more of the knitter than working the simple pattern repeat. 

Spiral staircases can be so intriguing, and our trip to Ireland last May provided us the chance to climb dozens of them. This one is located in Aughnanure Castle. 

After joining in the round, the ribbing edge flows seamlessly into the main lace pattern, then back through the ribbing to the top, using simple lace stitches. 

Ascend is easy to wear singly or doubled up to keep out the cold. 

The yarn used is the gorgeous Plucky Bulky from The Plucky Knitter. Plucky Bulky is soft and cushy with a nice amount of twist, and it comes in an amazing variety of colors. The pattern project was worked in the Narragansett Gray colorway, a serene blue-gray.

The easy stitches, heavier weight yarn and larger needles make the project zoom by at lightning speed. Plucky Sarah also knit an Ascend up herself (in about a day!) in Snug yarn, featured on her Ravelry page in a delicious pink. 

If you'd like to try Plucky yarn, an update is scheduled for tomorrow and I recommend shopping early because her yarn sells fast.

My thanks to my 7 awesome test knitters - your expertise is appreciated!

Much of the US, including our area, has been hit with unusually early cold weather and snow, so I'm glad I've had my Ascend cowl to keep me toasty. I hope you are staying cozy where you are, knitting and crocheting with one of your favorite yarns. 

Thanks for stopping by today, happy stitching! 

Knitting Giftables & Review - Vogue Knitting Holiday 2010

 

A blog I saw recently had a counter with a large, blinking number '40' - as in 40 days until Christmas! Suddenly the newspapers are full of toy ads and I already know every word to "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus" just from one trip to the grocery store.

I guess it's time to put on my Santa hat and get into full gifting mode.
 

 

Oh, and if you like vintage clip art graphics like this one, I recommend the Graphics Fairy's cool site.

I've been squirreling away completed projects all year, but there are still one or two things I want to make, and I thought I'd share some ideas for fast, giftable items (all photos to follow not mine, see source links). 

 

Gudrun Johnston's Shetland Shorty shrug from Knitty.com is sweet, simple and uses popular fingering-weight yarn.

 

 

My Estonian blogging friend Anna has some beautiful patterns for download on Ravelry (her username is Kuduja), including this lace shawl Sivilla.

Shawls and wraps make great gifts as they're very popular in current fashion trends, practical and useful items, and you don't have to worry about sizing for the recipient.  

Now might be a good opportunity to try cabling if you've never done so.  It's a lot easier than you might think!  You can't go wrong with Knitty.com's classic Fetching cabled mitts by Cheryl Niamath, 

 

or it's more male-oriented version, Dashing.

I love that fingerless mitts let you to keep your hands warm while driving, and still have a firm grip on the steering wheel. And these make perfect gifts for teens or anyone who does a lot of texting.

For a super fast option, you might consider a very easy pattern I knitted for my husband last year, Ysolda Teague's Garter Stitch Mitts (seen photo at the top of this post).  My husband works at a computer in a chilly office building and he loves these for on-the-job warmth.

If lace is more your thing I (cough, cough) recommend my Greyhaven cowl, 

or for a super speedy project, the Lavande neckwarmer.

Both are easy introductions to lace knitting. 

And it wouldn't be the holidays without all the knitting magazines' special editions, including Vogue Knitting's recent Holiday 2010 issue.

 
This issue is a mix of styles, but I'd say on the whole, Vogue played it safe, rather than daring, with this one.

There does seem to be a little something for most tastes, albeit items more complicated to make than those discussed above and more likely to be worn by you for holiday revelry.  If you've already completed your gift preparations, maybe a little reward to yourself is in order?

The flowing lines of Mari Tobita's "Raindrops" dress are simple and flattering. 

Norah Gaughan's classic cabled yoke turtleneck is gorgeous in lush angora-blend tweed.

Several smaller items including a leaf lace capelet,

 

and a selection of delicate, traditional lace scarves could serve as gifts or festive accessories, depending on yarn choices.

For more everyday-type wear, Wayne's slouchy mohair stripe pullover.

By the way, according to their website, all of Vogue Knitting's patterns are on sale for $2.99 each now through November 19th. 

I hope this gets your creative juices flowing whether making something smashing for yourself, or a nice gift for someone else.  More gift ideas, reviews, and holiday recipes  coming soon!

New Knitting Pattern - Greyhaven

Today I am very excited to present a new pattern for you to enjoy, the Greyhaven lace cowl.  I designed this cowl to be an easy-to-knit, quick project, great for yourself or a special gift.

The pattern offers both written directions and lace charts for easy knitting, and the small size requires less than one 100g skein of worsted-weight yarn. The larger size uses less than two skeins.

Knit in the round seamlessly, the Greyhaven lace stitch pattern uses basic increases and decreases and one double decrease (SK2P) . The first garter stitch border takes advantage of a softly waving edge, along with a simple decrease sequence.

A version of the Greyhaven lace pattern stitch is seen in several national knitting cultures, but this particular variation is one I adapted myself from a traditional Estonian stitch for this pattern.

The Greyhaven lace cowl knitting pattern is available here on my blog, and through Ravelry as a PDF download. I'd love to know if you make this cowl, so please let me know!  I might even feature a photo of your completed project.  

You can read a more detailed description of this pattern here.

FO's - Misti and Mohair Lace Projects

 

Last weekend, Labor Day weekend, we went on a road trip to my MIL's home on the shores of Lake Erie, Ohio's Great Lake.  We spent the weekend zipping around the area, or just hanging around the house.  It's nice to get away from the regular routine once in a while.

On Monday morning, we got up around dawn and walked out to the beach for some spectacular sunrise photos.  

It's so peaceful in the early morning when no one is around yet, and even the gulls are quiet.

 

The lake was glassy smooth and calm and we walked along with our tea and coffee, enjoying the serenity and yet contemplating our soon return to the hectic, work-a-day world.

Some of the best parts about the trip were I got to visit two yarn shops (which I'll share in my next post) and I was able to finish more knitting projects!  Some of the FO's are blocking but I did manage to get a few photos.

The photo at the top of the post is a lace cowl in Feza Iplik Kid Mohair blend yarn. This yarn is typically mohair-sticky, but makes a pretty and soft lace cowl for a bargain price.  It may not be as luscious as my favorite mohair/ silk blends, but it makes a beautiful project.  I knitted this piece on US 7/ 4.5 mm needles to keep it light and airy. 

I also finally took a few photos of my shawlette in Misti Alpaca Hand Paint Lace.  I loved the colors, which remind me of spring wildflowers - phlox, cranesbill, violets, spring beauties, and dogwoods.  I wanted to keep it fairly simple since the yarn was so colorful, and started with a garter stitch tab and worked down from the neck in a wide triangle silhouette.  

I intended to stay simple with just garter stitch, but the exquisitely soft alpaca begged to be made into something feminine, so after the garter section, I added some simple lace and a small ruffle. I love the silky softness and pretty colors over a plain camisole top for summer and cooler, early fall evenings.  

The yarn, while lovely, is a delicate weight and maddeningly slippery, so wood or bamboo needles are highly recommended!  I knitted this on US 6/ 4mm Knitpicks Harmony circular wood needles, which have a nicely pointed tip, great for lace or tiny yarn.

I have much more to share, but I will save that for next time...

Inspiration - Water Lilies

This morning I emerged from a wooded trail to the sight of this peaceful pond against a brilliant blue sky.  The clear light and sweet bird song made me stop in my tracks for a few moments to soak in the serenity of the place.  

It's kind of hard to see in the photo (sorry!!!)  but the surface of this pond is covered with water lilies blooming in the softest shades of creamy pink against a lush green backdrop, similar to this free photo I found online.

As I headed back down the trail, the soft pink lilies inspired my thoughts towards knitting (big surprise!) and how that beauty could be interpreted in stitches, preferably lace.  I'd probably start with soft, shimmery yarn in a similar color, and something with a bit of silk would be nice.

I've had this Adrienne Vittadini Celia silk yarn in my stash for a while, waiting for just the right project. Or maybe a soft, hand-painted roving or batt, like this one from Oceanwind Knits  spun into an ethereal lace weight yarn would be a good choice? 

I think the Estonian stitch I've seen called a 'star' stitch, like the one used in Elizabeth Freeman's Laminaria Shawl is absolutely gorgeous and reminiscent of the shape of a water lily.  The shawl itself is a work of art, but the stitch alone could also be used in another type of project.

The Echo Flower shawl by Jenny Johnson Johnen might be another pretty option.
  

Sigh... I probably won't get to this anytime soon, but it is fun to dream!  Who knows where it might lead?  Other ideas?