s01 ep06 : the body (again) | the sweater with kathleen dames {iTunes}

Show Notes
Questions about Episode Six? Visit the Ravelry thread to see if your question has already been answered: http://www.ravelry.com/discuss/kathleen-dames-design/3373497/

Going on a #buttonhunt? Some of my favorite resources include:

• Some of my favorite buttons on Etsy
• Etsy button search
• M&J Trimming
• Mood Fabrics
• Your LYS (or favorite online yarn store)

Share your project on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter with hashtags #kdsweater and #solsticecardi.

Happy knitting!
xoxo, Kathleen

----------
Kathleen’s yarn is Camelot in the Orkney colorway from Round Table Yarns
Buttons from Remembrances Pottery on Etsy
Tech editing by Corrina Ferguson/Picnic Knits
Tara Swiger helps small, creative business owners (like me!)

Visit kathleendames.com/thesweater to sign up for the newsletter and get your free Solstice Cardi pattern*

*Free pattern available until 25 March 2016. After that date Solstice Cardi will be available for purchase from my Ravelry shop
-----------
periscope
instagram
twitter
ravelry
facebook
music: Cafe Parisien with accordion iStock.com/frobisher

Kathleen is wearing Benwick. Pattern available at http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/benwick

Lady Jane is wearing the original sample for Solstice Cardi in Julie Asselin's Stella yarn in the Diamant colorway

Episode 6 | The Body (again) {YouTube}

Show Notes

Questions about Episode Six? Visit the Ravelry thread to see if your question has already been answered: http://www.ravelry.com/discuss/kathleen-dames-design/3373497/

Going on a #buttonhunt? Some of my favorite resources include:

• Some of my favorite buttons on Etsy
• Etsy button search
• M&J Trimming
• Mood Fabrics
• Your LYS (or favorite online yarn store)

Share your project on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter with hashtags #kdsweater and #solsticecardi.

Happy knitting!
xoxo,

----------
Kathleen’s yarn is Camelot in the Orkney colorway from Round Table Yarns
Buttons from Remembrances Pottery on Etsy
Tech editing by Corrina Ferguson/Picnic Knits
Tara Swiger helps small, creative business owners (like me!)


Visit kathleendames.com/thesweater to sign up for the newsletter and get your free Solstice Cardi pattern*

*Free pattern available until 25 March 2016. After that date Solstice Cardi will be available for purchase from my Ravelry shop
-----------
periscope
instagram
twitter
ravelry
facebook
music: Cafe Parisien with accordion iStock.com/frobisher

Kathleen is wearing Benwick. Pattern available at http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/benwick

Lady Jane is wearing the original sample for Solstice Cardi in Julie Asselin's Stella yarn in the Diamant colorway

Episode Five: The Shaping

Show notes

Questions about Episode Five? Check the Ravelry thread first.

Today it's all about that shaping, plus close-ups on different decreases. Did you know that the first stitch you stick your needle into when working a decrease indicates which stitch will come out on top? Stay tuned to find out more!

Have you already created your project page on Ravelry? If not, visit the Solstice Cardi pattern page to cast on.

Happy knitting!
xoxo,

----------
Kathleen’s yarn is Camelot in the Orkney colorway from Round Table Yarns 
Buttons from Remembrances Pottery on Etsy 
Tech editing by Corrina Ferguson/Picnic Knits 
Tara Swiger helps small, creative business owners (like me!)

Visit this page to sign up for the newsletter and get your free Solstice Cardi pattern*

Share your project on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter with hashtags #kdsweater and #solsticecardi

*Free pattern available until 25 March 2016. After that date Solstice Cardi will be available for purchase from my Ravelry shop.
-----------
periscope
instagram
twitter
ravelry
facebook
music: Cafe Parisien with accordion iStock.com/frobisher

Kathleen is wearing Mermaid's Cardigan. Pattern available here.

Lady Jane is wearing the original sample for Solstice Cardi in Julie Asselin's Stella yarn in the Diamant colorway.

Now available on iTunes: The Sweater with Kathleen Dames

If you prefer listening to watching, you're in luck! The Sweater with Kathleen Dames is now on iTunes. So, you know what to do... Go. Subscribe. Leave a review. Give stars. Most importantly, enjoy.

Happy knitting!
xoxo,

P.S. I will embed the audio episodes in blog posts (in case you prefer listening from the site) over the next few days and add links to The Sweater page on the site until we are all caught up.

Episode Four: The Body

Show notes

Questions? Check the Ravelry thread first.

Today we will cast on for the body with with the Two-Tail Long-Tail Cast-on, then we will move our working yarn over to the end of the button band, as well as go over making buttonholes. Just a reminder that buttonholes are made on *both* button bands. And if your row gauge is different than the pattern gauge, be sure to account for that when creating your buttonholes as we work our way up the body.

Have you already created your project page on Ravelry? If not, visit the Solstice Cardi pattern page to cast on.

Happy knitting!
xoxo,

----------

• Kathleen’s yarn is Camelot in the Orkney colorway from Round Table Yarns
• Buttons from Remembrances Pottery on Etsy
• Tech editing by Corrina Ferguson/Picnic Knits
• Tara Swiger helps small, creative business owners (like me!)

Visit The Sweater to sign up for the newsletter and get your free Solstice Cardi pattern*

Share your project on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter with hashtags #kdsweater and #solsticecardi

*Free pattern available until 25 March 2016. After that date Solstice Cardi will be available for purchase from my Ravelry shop.
-----------
periscope
instagram
twitter
ravelry
facebook
music: Cafe Parisien with accordion iStock.com/frobisher

Kathleen is wearing Sailor's Valentine. Pattern available here.

Lady Jane is wearing the original sample for Solstice Cardi in Julie Asselin's Stella yarn in the Diamant colorway.

Episode Three: The Cast-on

Show notes

Questions? Check the Ravelry thread first.

Today we will begin our sweater with the first sleeve, first casting on with the Two-Tail Long-Tail Cast-on, then working make-1 (m1) increases with a backwards loop. Plus a little guidance on altering sleeve length. Be sure to get more yarn if you plan to alter the pattern.

Happy knitting!
xoxo,

----------
Kathleen’s yarn is Camelot in the Orkney colorway from Round Table Yarns

Buttons from Remembrances Pottery on Etsy

Tech editing by Corrina Ferguson/Picnic Knits

Tara Swiger helps small, creative business owners (like me!).

Visit here to sign up for the newsletter and get your free Solstice Cardi pattern*

Share your project on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter with hashtag #kdsweater or #solsticecardi

*Free pattern available until 25 March 2016. After that date Solstice Cardi will be available for purchase from my Ravelry shop.
-----------
periscope
instagram
twitter
ravelry
facebook
music: Cafe Parisien with accordion iStock.com/frobisher

Kathleen is wearing An Aran for Frederick, originally published in Jane Austen Knits 2011. Pattern available here.

Lady Jane is wearing the original sample for Solstice Cardi in Julie Asselin's Stella yarn in the Diamant colorway

Episode Two: The Yarn

Show notes

• Kathleen’s yarn is Camelot in the Orkney colorway from Round Table Yarns.
• The adorable ruler is from the Ravelry Mini Mart and made by Katrinkles on Etsy.
• This is a great Magic Loop photo tutorial from Tin Can Knits. (Save it for when we do the pullover season of The Sweater.)
• A little more on integrated button bands. And, yes, you do work buttonholes on both bands as you go, so you'll know *exactly* where to sew on your buttons. 
• If you want to learn more about spins and plies and weights of yarn, Clara Parkes’s first book, Knitter's Book of Yarn, is an excellent way to get started. 
• And now that you know all about yarn, you might be interested in learning more about the wool itself from the Knitter's Book of Wool. 
• Breed-specific yarns hand-dyed in beautiful shades from Sheepspot. 
• Does your new project need a new bag? My friend Alex makes lovely ones!

Visit The Sweater to sign up for the newsletter and get your free Solstice Cardi pattern*

Share your project on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter with hashtag #kdsweater

*Free pattern available until 25 March 2016. After that date Solstice Cardi will be available for purchase from my Ravelry shop.

-----------
periscope
instagram
twitter
ravelry
facebook
music: Cafe Parisien with accordion iStock.com/frobisher

Kathleen is wearing Sotherton, originally published in Jane Austen Knits, Summer 2012. Pattern available here.

Pattern: Solstice Cardi

Solstice Cardi on Ravelry (available free to subscribers)

You need one of those little cardigans that you throw on over everything. But wouldn’t you like it to have a v-neck, flatter your figure, and be fun to knit with little finishing?

Solstice Cardi is the one for you! Stockinette with shaping where you need it keeps things smooth and simple. Garter stitch edges and integrated button bands give a crisp finish and are easy to work. Join us on The Sweater with Kathleen Dames podcast to knit this pattern with me!

What you'll love about knitting Solstice Cardi

• You can knit along with me over the 12-week podcast season beginning 8 January 2016! 
• Both pattern and podcast are filled with tips and techniques that you'll use on all your knitting projects 
• Integrated button bands cut down on finishing work, so you'll get to wear your sweater more quickly 

What you'll love about wearing Solstice Cardi

• You'll look fabulous! 
• Fingering-weight yarn makes this the cardigan you'll grab all year long 
• Figure-flattering shaping is built into the pattern 

Size/Finished Measurements
28 (32, 36, 40, 44, 48, 52) inches circumference, closed. Shown in size 36-inch with two inches negative ease.

Materials
Julie Asselin Stella (84% Merino, 16% Metallic; 400 yds [366 m]/4.06 oz [115 g]): color, 2 (2, 2, 3, 3, 3, 4) skeins; {approx. 600 (700, 800, 950, 1100, 1250, 1450) yds fingering weight yarn}
US6 (4.0 mm) 24-inch (or longer) circular needle
Markers
Removable stitch markers
Stitch holders or waste yarn
Tapestry needle
6 (6, 6, 6, 7, 7, 7) 1/2" buttons

Gauge
24 sts and 32 rows = 4 inches in St st

Skills Needed
Casting on
Binding off
Knitting
Purling
Increasing
Decreasing

Thanks!
Photography: Nicholas Dames
Technical Editing: Corrina Ferguson/Picnic Knits

Everything you need to create your own beautiful Solstice Cardi is provided in the professionally designed (by me!) pattern.

Don't forget to tag your project with hashtag #kdsweater on social media.

Sign up for The Sweater with Kathleen Dames newsletter to get your free copy of the Solstice Cardi pattern.

Thanks for stopping by, and happy knitting!
xoxo,

The Sweater with Kathleen Dames | Episode Zero: The Basics

Meet the Solstice Cardi!

Learn the basics of what you'll need to get started knitting your very own.
Click here to sign up for the newsletter and get your free Solstice Cardi pattern*
Share your project on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter with hashtag #kdsweater

*Free pattern available until 25 March 2016. After that date Solstice Cardi will be available for purchase from my Ravelry shop.
-----------
periscope | instagram | twitter | ravelry | facebook
music: Cafe Parisien with accordion iStock.com/frobisher

In the video Kathleen is wearing Sotherton, originally published in Jane Austen Knits, Summer 2012. Pattern available here.

Planning The Sweater

If you watch me on Periscope (see the previous post for more) or follow me on Instagram/Twitter, you may have seen some stuff recently about my plans for a podcast (and sweater-knitting evangelism). I am busy wrestling technology into submission right now, awaiting feedback from my technical editor, and trying to decide which microphone will work best on camera (and with my camera). So many exciting things to do to get ready...

So, yes! I am planning on producing a podcast called The Sweater with Kathleen Dames. Eeeeee! It will be a video podcast on YouTube (you can subscribe to my channel from that link) with an iTunes audio version a little down the line (when I wrestle that technology to the ground).

Pretty soon you will see a link to it in the top navigation on the site (actually, it's there now but will be wrestled/prettified and occupied with more info soon). There will be a newsletter that will not only deliver a free copy of the pattern (available during the season), but that will also deliver direct YouTube links to you once episodes go live. (More technology to wrestle!) After the season is finished, the pattern will be available to purchase in my Ravelry shop (and subscribers will receive a coupon for a substantial discount off that version of the pattern should you wish to store it in your Ravelry library). And if you enjoy the first season, I'll produce more seasons going forward with more patterns (pullovers! cables! lace!).

There will be 12 episodes that will cover all aspects of knitting my Solstice Cardi pattern (coming soon!) from measuring your bodacious self to binding off the neck stitches and everything in-between. Even if you choose not to knit the Solstice Cardi, you will find lots of helpful tips and tricks to apply to all your knitting projects (especially largely-seamless bottom-up sweaters).

The episodes will include:

1. the pattern
2. the swatch (yarn and needles)
3. the cast on (first sleeve)
4. the body
5. the shaping
6. the body (again)
7. the second sleeve
8. the yoke
9. the bind off
10. the finishing
11. the blocking
12. the sweater

I will knit a new version of the pattern along with you, and I'm getting the yarn sorted for that as I type. I'm also thinking of including one or two live chat sessions on YouTube if you are interested in that. And I will broadcast my recording the episodes on Periscope (but not all the editing), so if you want to watch in advance, you'll be able to do that. I hope to bring episodes in around 25 minutes each, though I expect recording sessions to go longer than that.

Next Monday I will release Episode Zero, which will give you a little intro to what we are going to do and give you time to finish your obligation knitting and get through the holidays before we begin. The first actual episode will go live (tentatively) on January 8th, which will have us wrapping up just in time for the Vernal Equinox.

So, what do you think? Let me know in the comments below.

Thanks for stopping by, and happy knitting!
xoxo,