Bixby--Knitscene, Fall 2012

© Interweave

I have a new pattern in the Fall 2012 issue of Knitscene: Bixby Pullover. This is a dolman-sleeved pullover with massive zipper detail. The yarn used is Takhi Yarns Donegal Tweed, which is a delightfully rustic wool in Aran weight, which makes this a quick knit. And the zipper adds a sleek toughness to the mix. There are some short rows on the front sleeves to drop the neckline, as well as on the back of the yoke to raise the back of the neck.

© Interweave

 For more information, check out the Knitting Daily blog and Ravelry. And if you're the kind of knitter who prefers buying individual patterns to entire issues (but have you checked out the issue? lots of pretty stuff here), be sure to follow the blog - I'll announce when the pattern is available individually.

© Interweave

Thought you might enjoy seeing one of my sketches from the submission. Clearly, I am not a fashion illustrator, but this will give you an idea of my idea. I was going for a bit of a punky, Flashdance vibe. Try unzipping one side and letting it slip off your shoulder!

"It's the best day ever!"

Many thanks to Spongebob Squarepants (and consequently, my children and in-laws, for acquainting me with the porous fellow and his song--there will be ear-worm-ish music at that link--you've been warned!) for today's post title. Actually, it was yesterday that was the best day ever for me, at least as far as notice on Ravelry goes. Check it:

SQUEE!!!! After Veera's lovely Color Affection, which is blowing up right now thanks to the Yarn Harlot's latest FO, my two sweaters were "hot right now" all day yesterday. As of this writing Sotherton has 540 hearts, and An Aran for Anne 144. That's in, like, one day. I've never had a day like that, and it feels so very, very nice.

To be honest I've been moping around a little this spring. After banging out two sweaters and three patterns in a month-and-a-half, I was pretty fried, mentally and physically (my hip is still kind of wonky from sitting in my "groove" on the couch knitting away for such long stretches--clearly I need to follow Rebecca Watson's advice in the Summer 2012 issue of Interweave Knits). That's on top of all the usual family wrangling and presiding over the PA at Penelope's preschool and my ex's father passing away and, just, life. Then I had to whip my existing patterns and Avast No. 1 into shape for print to do the trunk show in March, which reacquainted me with my Art Director muscles.

The dreaming-up and knitting-up portion of this job I'm creating for myself are the parts I love, and the wrestling with spreadsheets and numbers gets my inner geek going, but the sales and marketing parts are challenging for me, so I'm working on that. I purchased Tara Swiger's Market Yourself the other day (though I'm having a problem with the download that has yet to be resolved) and am exploring all the ways to get myself out there more (for a homebody like me, that's more challenging than you might think).

So, thank you so much to everyone who hearted and queued Sotherton and An Aran for Anne! And extra thanks to those of you who discovered one of my older patterns. This is the kind of marketing I like best :)

An Aran for Anne--Jane Austen Knits, Summer 2012

Not one, but two of my sweater designs are in the new Jane Austen Knits! Today's "share" is An Aran for Anne, my companion to An Aran for Frederick, which you may recall from last years issue of JAK (and may see below in the pictures from the magazine).

After I submitted Frederick last Spring, a bag of Louet Gems Worsted, procured from the lovely Loopy Yarns in Chicago, started pestering me. It was the perfect foil to the Brooklyn Tweed Shelter of Frederick: smooth and sleek in contrast to Shelter's airy, worsted-spun yarn. And by late summer it was a pretty sweater with empire-style waist shaping and Elegant Ribbing to enhance the shapeliness. Like Frederick, Anne is worked in the round from the bottom up and has a saddle-shoulder style hybrid yoke, which allows the cables and twisted stitches to keep going all the way up the back. The neckline is wider, almost a boat-neck, and, thus, flattering to the delicate collar bones of elegant ladies.

As you can see, I knit this sweater for me with 0-1" of negative ease. Not all models are as voluptuous as I am :) , yet it still looks very pretty on the lovely model from JAK (I need that skirt!).

Originally, I planned to release the pattern myself last Fall. I dropped Amy, JAK's editor, a note about it, and she asked about the possibility of including it in the Summer 2012 issue. For various and sundry reasons I kept putting off releasing it myself (I'm not even sure why now), and so it is now a part of this lovely collection. Yay!

© Kathleen & Nicholas Dames

© Christa Tippmann, Jane Austen Knits

© Christa Tippmann, Jane Austen Knits

© Christa Tippmann, Jane Austen Knits

© Christa Tippmann, Jane Austen Knits

© Christa Tippmann, Jane Austen Knits

You can check out An Aran for Anne on Ravelry. Print copies of Jane Austen Knits, Summer 2012 may be pre-ordered here. And if you can't wait, you can purchase the digital edition here.

Sotherton--Jane Austen Knits, Summer 2012

I'm so excited to share my latest pattern! Sotherton is in the Summer 2012 issue of Jane Austen Knits, now available as a digital edition (and arriving at your LYS by the beginning of June).

Sotherton is worked in-the-round from the bottom up with a round yoke and a Gothic grillwork-inspired twisted stitch pattern. Designed with negative ease and empire-style waist shaping, you can see how wildly flattering it is on the beautiful model! Madeline Tosh's tosh dk in Verdigris is the yarn, and it was lovely to use--the different shades of green with spikes of verdigris and golden sunlight is perfect.

4" of negative ease - don't fear negative ease!

Check out the Ravelry page (even if you are not a member of Ravelry, I believe you can access pattern pages). You can also pre-order your print copy here, if you can't wait for your LYS to get their copies.

All photographs of Sotherton are © Christa Tippmann, Jane Austen Knits.

OTN: Mermaid's Cardigan

Bunch o' tosh in Baltic

Here's what I have on my needles right now. I'm about two-thirds of the way through turning this delicious pile of tosh dk in Baltic (love that colorway) into a cardigan. Working with a dk/worsted weight yarn is a nice break from the laceweight thing I've been wrestling with (now in time out for a second time). I've been working on this in fits and starts, since I've had some soon-to-be published patterns to review thrown in there, which I'm very excited to share with you as we approach the publication date.

Not much else to report here. Easter was quiet. And I've got the urge to design a new shawlette - lots of lace and fingering weight yarn giving me the eye from the stash. Still mulling over ideas,  but I think something will crystallize soon.

Trunk Show report

OMG! The trunk show was so much fun. I love the ladies of Yarns in the Farms dearly, and it was such a treat to hang out with them Friday afternoon and meet a bunch of their customers. I was so happy to show off some of my hard work, talk to a variety of real knitters, and sell some patterns and booklets. Since I spend so much time knitting on my own and/or in my own head, the best (and most tiring) part was interacting with people who are (almost) as excited about knitting and yarn as I am. Here are a couple of shots of the table:

Avast No. 1 trunk show at Yarns in the Farms

Walk the Plank, Aphros, Infinite, Babe in the Mist, Matryoshka Japonais and lots of yummy yarn options

My lovely model is sporting the Night Watch Cap (which photographs so dark but has lovely highlights IRL) and Captain Austen's Scarf. And there's the printed version of Avast No. 1! The printing came out very nicely (the art director in me was very nervous, since copies arrived the day before we left for Boston), and I'm quite happy with MagCloud. So happy, in fact, that I've set up a shop over there where you can purchase printed versions of all my patterns and have them mailed to you. It's pretty cool.

Here's the first one, the Avast No. 1 booklet. More to follow shortly!

Avast No. 1: Avast No. 1

Avast No. 1 eight patterns for piratical knitters by Kathleen DamesThis colorful, 24 page booklet contains eight patterns, helpful notes, charts, and written instructions. Suitable for the adventurous beginner or any experienced knitter. Patterns include: Aphros - a lace stole suitab…

When your hobby becomes your "thing"

I can't really say that knitting is my profession now, but I'm working towards that. Certainly, time-wise it's as close to a job as being a wife/mother, and I spend a lot of time thinking about it when I'm not actually knitting.

So, last month when I visited the Vogue Knitting Live marketplace (I received a ticket for being a last-minute volunteer during set-up), I made sure to be there for the panel discussion on When Knitting Becomes a Career. Melanie Falick moderated, and the panel included Trisha Malcolm (Vogue Knitting EIC, Deb Stoller (Bust founder, Stitch 'n' Bitch creator, you know who she is), Norah Gaughan (! If you don't know who she is, get thee to google), Erin Slonaker (EIC of Yarn Market News and, more importantly, Mintyfresh on Ravelry, who sent me some stashed Manos when I ran out on Nick's blanket), Kristy McGowan (Modern Top-Down Knitting), Kirsten Kapur (Ms. Through the Loops), Betsy Perry (owner of Classic Elite), and Laura Zander (owner of Jimmy Beans Wool). This was a seriously cool panel, and it was really great to be in a room with this bunch of women. I really appreciated the breadth and depth of experience these women have in the industry.

My big takeaway from this talk was that when your passion/hobby turns into your career, you need to find a new hobby. And lately I'm finding that is so true. I love knitting. I get such a thrill out of turning a little idea (often of the semi-crazy, "what if?" variety, like "what if you used ribbing to shape a piece?" or "what would that yoke style look like with cables?") into not just a knitted thing but a pattern for other people to turn into their own knitted things. I love yarn. My stash is barely under control, and visiting places like the VKL marketplace don't help :) But now that I'm trying to make it my business, I have to find something else to become my "down time".

To that end, I've gotten into a few things of late.

1. Trashy, soapy TV: Gossip Girl (it's gotten terrible, but I can't quit it), The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills (obsessed! I think it's partly the codependency between Kyle and Kim, and the rest of it is just voyeurism; plus, I love the recaps on Gawker), Downton Abbey (the classiest of the trashy, but still very soapy and fabulous, don't you think? I'm unsure of whether TV has gotten so bad, or it's so good), and Upstairs Downstairs on Amazon Prime (it's pretty funny to watch this and compare the production values with Downton Abbey - both are such products of their times; it's the same with the original Star Wars trilogy - so 70s - and the second set - epitome of the late 90s/early 00s - just look at the space ships, all sleek and organic in the second, very sharp-edged in the original).
2. Candy making: I've been making marshmallows as Christmas gifts for the kids' teachers for the past few years, and then I saw a copy of Sugar Baby at the library. I tried my hand at the caramel spirals because they reminded me of the Snirkle candy we'd get as kids when up in Wisconsin. I've gotten a little addicted to the caramels - it's probably really bad for me even to eat a few, especially since knitting requires me to spend a lot of time on my derriere. Anyway, my next project is probably macarons because I'm crazy like that.
3. OCM (Oil Cleansing Method): Washing my face with oil. Crazy, no? Pretty great, actually. Crunchy Betty's website has a lot of great information. I use jojoba and castor oils, which work really well for me. I tried switching out the jojoba for sweet almond oil when my face seemed a little dry, but that was a mistake, which I'm now patiently, gently washing away. After discovering that I'm allergic to propylene glycol (in an astounding number of things from sanitizer to all kinds of lip things to mouth wash), I've been trying to simplify my skin care routine. Two ingredients is pretty awesome for a cleanser/moisturizer. Seeing as I sometimes put my face on this blog, I prefer it to be spot-free and not in need of major retouching. I'm vain like that, I guess.

And, I guess this blog is more like semi-weekly at the moment. And sadly devoid of pictures. I will take some pics of the goodies I brought home from VKL for a future blog post. They are pretty!

Maybe it's a weekly blog.

I'd like to get back in the daily swing of things, but for the moment daily activities include knitting like a fiend, shepherding children to/from school, feeding the family, and doing laundry. I will fold blogging back in there at some point. Maybe even with photographs (I received a new lens from my parents for Christmas but for some reason am intimidated by it, even though I put it on my wish list and am really excited to have it and all - just need time to get to know it, I guess).

So, we left off with swatching. When my swatches aren't lie-y lying liars, they are extremely helpful. Heck, even when they do lie, they're helpful. I know most of the time I'd just like to dive in on knitting the PROJECT, but we all know the heartbreak that can ensue. Plus, when I'm designing, the swatch is the cornerstone of the design.

After the swatch comes the math. Luckily for me, it's basic math, which my parents would quickly point out has always been one of my strengths. Once we got to imaginary numbers, I quit, but I'm seriously quick on the basics. Usually, I calculate the cast-on number for my key size, whether that's me or the size I've contracted to produce for the sample. For now, most of my designs are bottom-up, so I start with the hem. Since, in addition to working from the hem, I prefer working in the round, I figure out the start of the sleeve right away and usually cast on a sleeve first. That way I finish one sleeve right away, while I'm "full of prance" as Elizabeth Zimmermann said. Plus, I won't end up on sleeve island or suffer from second sleeve syndrome (cousin to the dreaded second sock syndrome or SSS).

I know some designers who write up the entire pattern before they knit a stitch (aside from the swatch), but I prefer starting with some calculations, then take notes as I go. Sometimes the design happens on the needles. Oftentimes I'm still working out an idea (usually a crazy, I should be able to do this with knitted fabric kind of idea, like adding ribbing for shaping in Turn of the Glass). As a designer I'm most interested in manipulating the knitted fabric to do what I want it to do, or what I think it should be able to do. And exploring the brilliant engineering that EZ pioneered (if you're interested, you should check out her Knitting Workshop). An Aran for Frederick came about because I was curious to see how cables would work into her hybrid yoke idea.

Once I've successfully finished the piece, I consult all the notes I've taken, mostly in my Moleskine notebooks, and write up the pattern for the size I've knit, leaving spots for the other sizes. And then it's time for the spreadsheet! I'm no Excel power user, but I manage to get my OpenOffice spreadsheets to calculate everything for the various sizes. Usually, I have rough numbers to start and then I massage them to make things smooth for all you knitters. For instance, I will have to adjust the number of stitches between cables, but not too much or it will start to look like a different sweater. I started out looking at Marnie's amazing spreadsheets (that woman really knows how to make Excel do her bidding!), though I ended up creating my own since hers was for a sweater knit in pieces.

When I'm massaging those numbers, I refer to the brilliant chart Ysolda compiled for different sizes [link], which has been extremely helpful. Grading patterns is a challenge. You don't just add an inch or two all around in all directions for each size. You do have to finesse it. I've also built a lot of checks into my spreadsheets, converting stitch counts back into measurements to make sure we haven't veered into crazytown.

And the really cool thing I've figured out sort of how to do is calculate yardage requirements. I was really worried about doing this when I started designing sweaters. It seemed like it would just be guesswork. It is a somewhat inexact science, since knitters take up yarn into stitches at different rates, but still. I keep careful track of how much yarn I use in the sample, then use the spreadsheet to come up with some calculations as to how many stitches went into the whole piece. I always make these a little generous, so you have a cushion. Plus, I wouldn't want to calculate each and every stitch, especially with shaping in some garments. Anyway, I was very excited when I figured out that part of designing and grading.

Happily, all this crazy spreadsheet work has, thus far, meant that my patterns are pretty clean as far as my numbers go. Of course, after it's all written up, it goes off to my tech editor to make sure things are correct.

An Aran for Frederick

Designers have started uploading photos to Ravelry for Jane Austen Knits 2011 [link], so I realized it was time to add mine. If you can't wait for the print versions to show up at your LYS next month, you can purchase the digital edition from Interweave's site [link]. My contribution is called An Aran for Frederick [link] - a men's cabled pullover knit in the round with an EZ-style hybrid yoke to show off all those amazing cables.

© Christa Tippmann

© Christa Tippmann

© Christa Tippmann

You can also see a little of the sweater in Catherine Shields's Fitz fingerless mitts [link].

This bundle of cable-y goodness was knit up in Brooklyn Tweed's Shelter, which I really enjoyed working with. Most of the time I work with Worsted-spun yarn, like tosh dk, so working with a Woolen-spun yarn was interesting. There is a fluffiness to it, and yet the cables really pop. Plus, it spit-splices like a dream, which is perfect for a sweater knit in the round. I only had to weave in the cast-on and bind-off ends, as well as the underarm Kitchener-ed ends.

Ever since I read Elizabeth Zimmermann's description of the hybrid yoke, I've wanted to see what would happen if you tossed cables in there, winding up the arms and shoulders, climbing up the back. So, when submissions for Jane Austen Knits were called, it seemed like the right time to explore this idea.

Persuasion is my favorite of Austen's novels, closest to my own story, and I thought a sweater inspired by Captain Wentworth was a great idea. Happily, clever editor Amy Clarke Moore agreed, and I was able to work some Frederick-themed cables into a handsome, strong-shouldered sweater.

I hope you like it! And the best news is that Interweave is already planning another edition for 2012 - call for submissions may be found here.

August Trip Report

I'd better write this up before October arrives!

In August we went up to Massachusetts so Isobel could spend some time with her father and a bunch of his relatives. We stayed in Cambridge while they went up to Burlington. Conveniently, this was the same weekend as the Fiber Revival in Newburyport (yay! if you know me even a little, you know that the combination of knitting supplies, old friends, and an antique farm in the summer in New England is pretty close to perfect). Inconveniently, the traffic out of Boston was ridiculously awful (and Penelope gets carsick in stop-and-go traffic), so we almost bailed. I am so glad that we didn't! In addition to seeing my Yarns in the Farms ladies (hi, Carolyn, Jill, Joanne, and Suzanne!), I got to meet Amy King, Ms. Spunky Eclectic herself. I also had a chance to catch up with Leslie Wind who made the beautiful C-pin on Turn of the Glass and who lives on Cape Ann.

Dugout

Outfield of corn

Stephen watching; beards, beer, and baseball

But the best part was that Nick, Stephen, and Penelope came with me, and they had fun! There was a triple-header of antique rules baseball (1861 - no gloves, balls caught on one bounce are an out, underhand pitching, sideburns and charming uniforms) played in a grass paddock with a field of corn for an outfield. Nick had seemed ... not terribly enthusiastic when I mentioned this beforehand. But once we got there, it turned out to be really neat for all of us to watch. And there was a beer truck from Ipswich Ale (yum!) with hot dogs and whatnot. Penelope discovered the popcorn popper (and an adorable cast iron toy stove in the gift shop). Stephen found some other kids to play soccer and baseball with. And I came away with a bag of The Woolen Rabbit's Sporty that is destined for greatness (well, that's the vague plan, anyway) in Storm and Midas. I haven't even tried to take a picture because I'm not sure I can do these colors justice. I'll try at some point, but today is not picture day.

The rest of the weekend was nice, too. It was as if New England was on its best behavior (except for the traffic Saturday morning and the lack of a Red Sox game in town). The weather was lovely - sunny and warm during the day, cooling off at night. New England in the summer can be so delightful. We had dinner at Farnham's in Essex where I realized that I have a painting of this house:

Essex marsh house

Painting of the Essex marsh house

Why, yes, dinner at Farnham's was good. Thanks for asking!

After a long weekend in Massachusetts, we high-tailed it back to New York for lots of laundry, showering the cats with affection, and repacking before we headed to Chicago. Nick's parents live within walking distance of Loopy Yarns, so I got to visit there (with Nick - his first time), though I couldn't find yarn I wanted to buy (that Woolen Rabbit yarn was still on my mind, and I kicked myself for not bringing it along, even though I was working on another sweater, which I finished). I have some gorgeous yarn in my stash that I need to knit up before I invest in something new.

And then we made the great migration North to Door County, Wisconsin. My sister came from Berlin (via Paris and Detroit), and my brother and his family came up, too. It's tons of fun for the kids, and the grown-ups have a good time, though with six kids things get a little crazy. We even made it up to Washington Island, where I got to visit the famous Sievers School shop. Again (is something wrong with me?), I didn't buy any yarn, but my sister came away with some lovely, dark grey alpaca. Of course, the stop caused us to miss the ferry, but we caught the next one. My sister and I also checked out Whitefish Bay Farm and Spin in Sturgeon Bay. I was tempted by the hand-dyed yarns at Whitefish Bay Farm but couldn't decide what I wanted, especially as I still have a sweater in various shades of their undyed yarns OTN (I think I have a gauge issue - it's biiiig - and can't really face how much work I've put into it already).

Of course, the end of our week saw Miss Hurricane Irene pop up on everyone's radar, and we started to panic that we wouldn't get back to the East Coast. A phone call to the airlines had some nice lady in India talking about flying back in September, which would not do at all. We even reserved a car and started gearing up for driving the kids back from Chicago to New York. Luckily, our flight was one of the first to land at La Guardia on Monday. Whew!

Somewhere in there I also finished a shawlette (pattern TK) and a sweater I can't wait to wear and show you. I also reviewed the edited pattern for Jane Austen Knits and saw photographs of the sweater on a model. So cool! Publication date is 8 November, so you've got a little time to wrap up your current projects ;)

September!

Wow, it's my favorite time of year again. I do love September, and it's not just because my birthday is this month (13th for those of you worried about getting my present here on time ;) I love the still-warm days and cool nights, that hint of crispness in the air, and, as a parent, that the kids are heading back to school.

To celebrate the anniversary of my birth and all the lovely things September brings, you can get 20% off anything in my Ravelry and Etsy stores all month long. Just use the code "September20" on either site.

We were all over the place in the month of August, so once I get my new pattern off to the tech editor, I'll be able to write up a "trip report". Hope you had a great August - I'll let you know all about mine tomorrow.

Aloha!

Greetings from beautiful Maui! We've had a lovely week here, lots of swimming in the pool, enjoying the sun before it gets too intense (Isobel got a light sunburn on her nose and cheeks on day two - very mild, and we've been extra-vigilant everywhere/when else since). I do wish we could just buy a vat of zinc and titanium dioxide and dip everyone in it a few times a day.

As you may have seen on Ravelry the other day, I've released half of the patterns for my first booklet, Avast No. 1, and the other half should be ready to go next week (a couple are out for tech edit, and I need a few more photographs for the other two - my smallest model is proving somewhat recalcitrant, and there is no arguing with a two-year-old, however close to three). So, I will be blogging about Wench, Night Watch Cap, Aphros, and the reissue of Captain Austen's Scarf over the next few days.

If you can't wait until the booklet is released and buy a pattern now, I will be happy to send you a coupon for the pattern price off the book. But that offer will only be good for people who buy individual patterns before the booklet is available.

In the meantime, Aloha! from Isobel, Stephen, and me - Nick was behind the camera, and Penelope was sitting at on the steps down to the beach complaining about the sand.

Turn of the Glass FAQ (edited 10/19/11)

First of all, thanks to all of you who liked Turn of the Glass. I hope those of you who knit it like yours as much as I like mine (wearing it again today). Since its publication I've received some questions and thought I would reiterate my answers here in case other knitters had similar questions. But if I haven't answered yours, please ask.

Q. What other yarns might work?

A. Not everyone can use madeline tosh DK for whatever reason. If you are looking for a similar hand/kettle-dyed yarn, Malabrigo Rios would be a good choice and is also superwash. A knitter has already worked up the sweater in Malabrigo Merino Worsted, which must feel dreamy, but it certainly pills - the tradeoff you must accept when working with this yarn. Since tosh DK is something of a light worsted, Cascade 220 (regular or superwash) would work, as would Berocco's Vintage or Plymouth Encore. Goodness, there are lots of yarns in this range!

Q. Wait! I thought the yarn you used was a DK-weight, but you're talking about Worsted-weight. Which is it? And under materials it is listed as 50g/skein, but on Ravelry it looks like tosh DK is sold in 100g skeins.

A. It is a little confusing, but tosh DK is a heavy DK or light worsted yarn. It used to be called tosh Worsted, but the company renamed it to align some other yarn names. Tosh Worsted is now a single-ply yarn, and the yarn used to knit this sweater  (tosh DK) is a multiple ply, which will make it a little sturdier. The yarn comes in 100g skeins; the listing of 50g/skein is a typo.

Q. I'm having trouble getting started with the chart. Do I have to worry about mirroring the cables on the other half? Any advice?

A. Although these look like cables, technically they are twisted ribs; you don't need to use a cable needle to work them, since they only involve two stitches. The twisted ribs are set up so that you don't have to worry about mirroring. By working an odd number of ribs and adding a pair at each increase, all you have to do is remember which rib to work next.

Let's call Little Hourglass Rib "A" and Twisted Cross-Stitch Rib "B". In the first row of ribbing, after working Seed Stitch and Stockinette, work the ribs as follows: B, A, B, A, B. After working four rows bookend these ribs with a pair of A's.

For those who have trouble with charts, here are the rib patterns written out:

Little Hourglass Rib

Row 1 (WS): K2, *p2, k2; repeat from * to end.

Row 2: P2, *k2tog-b, then k2tog the same stitches again through the front loops, p2; repeat from * to end.

Row 3: K2, *p1, yo, p1, k2; repeat from * to end.

Row 4: P2, *ssk, k1, p2; repeat from * to end.

Reverse Cross-Stitch Rib

Row 1 (WS): K2, *p 2nd stitch and leave on left needle, p 1st stitch and slip both stitches to right needle, k2; repeat from * to end.

Row 2: P2, *k2, p2; repeat from * to end.

Q. How do I choose a size?

A. That depends upon your measurements, but it's probably best to go by your chest measurement, since the ribs are more elastic. The ribbed section can stretch quite a bit without looking stretched out and still, through the play of light and shadow on the purl and twisted sections of the ribs, give the illusion of a curvier figure than you may have. Can you tell that I'm a classic apple shape?


Q. At the Waistband, you say to work the Waistband Chart, but the charts are labeled A, B, and C. Which one?
A. Chart B is the Waistband Chart, although at this point in the sweater you probably don't need it, since you've been working the stitches in the twisted rib pattern. Just keep everything in their respective patterns: 10 stitches in Seed Stitch, the next whack of stitches in their respective twisted ribs, and the last 10 stitches in Seed Stitch.


Q. Right before the Neckline shaping begins, it looks like I'm supposed to work three WS rows, in a row. How can I do that?
A. I think there is a typo there, and the row where you place the underarm markers should be labelled RS (and should be one last repeat of chart B, row 4).


Q. Eep, the Joining Round! I'm confused. Something seems wrong with the numbers. And what's up with those held stitches?
A. If you've never knit a sweater "together" rather than in pieces, this will seem a little confusing, but it will be OK. I promise! On your sleeves set aside 'x' stitches at the beginning and end of each sleeve - these held stitches will, combined with the same number of stitches on the body, be your underarms when the sweater is complete. 


Start with the sweater body, work your way *in pattern* (Seed Stitches in Seed Stitch, Stockinette in Stockinette, twisted ribs in twisted rib) until you get to 'x' (as in pattern) stitches before the first marker. Place 'x' times two stitches from the body on waste yarn or a stitch holder, then get a sleeve. It doesn't matter which, since they should be identical. Place a marker on your right needle and, starting after your set-aside 'x' stitches on the sleeve, knit across until only the other 'x' stitches remain. The numbers for this sleeve should be 54[54, 54, 60, 66, 76, 82]. Add another marker, knit across the back stitches until you reach 'x' stitches before the other marker on the body. Repeat the setting-aside-body-stitches-and-sleeve thing with the second sleeve, using the same numbers. Work across the second front in pattern.

Now your entire sweater is on one needle. This is the fun part! You're going to magically set your sleeves into the body of your sweater.

I'm sure there will be more questions, so I will add to this post or post another.

Pattern: In the Shallows

In the not-so-distant past I started a basic triangular shawl (or so I thought), but I wasn't paying attention to my increases and, suddenly, I had In the Shallows. It worked out so well I tried some variations, so there are plain and fancy versions. It makes for a cozy bit of color popping out of your coat collar this winter or an added bit of flair when spring comes.

What's that? You have more sock yarn? You're in luck! In the Shallows will allow you to use up just about every last yard in a cozy shawl to be tossed casually around your neck like a scarf, work bandit style, or gently draped across your shoulders for modesty or warmth--the shallowness of the triangle makes long ends that can be tied, if you like. And the fabric choice is yours: Plain (garter) or Fancy (eyelet).

The pattern is available here on Ravelry or you can purchase it immediately using the button below.

Pattern: Turn of the Glass

Last summer I fell in love with some madelinetosh dk yarn in Mourning Dove at Purl Diva, and I decided to turn it into a cardigan. But not just any cardigan, of course! I started to think about different methods of shaping knit fabric and wanted something that shaped the waist without traditional waist-shaping. And I really wanted to try out seamless set-in sleeves. So, armed with some interesting ribbing patterns and my interpretation of EZ's über-cleverness, Turn of the Glass was born.

Where did the name come from? One of the rib patterns is Little Hourglass Rib (the other is Reverse Cross-Stitch Rib - not quite as poetic). Mash that up with my focus on shaping and penchant for all things nautical, and Turn of the Glass just seemed to fit. I hope you like it - I wore mine again yesterday and am looking forward to wearing it next weekend at Vogue Knitting Live! Maybe I'll see you there.

The pictures here are from the first photo shoot (see the Flickr set here), showing the sweater with one of Leslie Wind's beautiful "C" pins, which is the way I wear it most of the time. However, we wanted to show it worn open on Knitty (and looking more wintry), hence, the photo that shows me with some faux snow at Thanksgiving, though it sure was cold enough for the real thing. Apparently, they were shooting Contagion at one of the grade schools in my hometown (and I missed my chance to meet Kate Winslet, Gwyneth Paltrow, Matt Damon, etc. - shoot!). We were driving by and managed to snap some shots before the Teamsters pulled up the white tarps and carried off the polyfill batting.

Pattern: Captain Austen's Scarf

I've had an idea for a red captain's scarf for quite some time (think "Captain Jack Sparrow", if you've seen the Pirates of the Caribbean movies). Then, one day I walked into Yarntopia and saw this Malabrigo Twist yarn in Ravelry Red - perfect color for what I had in mind and, oh my, what a yarn! All the softness and richness of color that you love in Malabrigo Worsted with multiple plies to keep pilling at bay. 


A cozy scarf is a must for walking the deck of your ship, and what better way to dress it up than with a little of Frank Austen’s fringe? He worked the very same fringe (on some curtains) while on shore leave with his sister Jane. Luscious, bulky Malabrigo Twist makes for a quick knit, and the reversible Seaweed stitch pattern will keep your interest until it’s time to tie that fringe and board your ship.

The pattern is available here on Ravelry, or you can purchase it directly using the button below.

Pattern: On the High Seas

Sometimes it’s a little chilly at the helm of your ship. Or perhaps you want to drape a little something across your shoulders (for modesty?) to greet that boarding party. A shawlette is just the thing. This one uses your favorite sock yarn and the beautiful Crest of the Wave lace pattern, which has enough “lace action” to keep you interested without being so complex that you can’t keep an eye on the horizon. Pattern includes chart and written-out instructions for lace.  

The pattern is available here on Ravelry or you can purchase it directly using the button below.

Pattern: Vines

You've seen the preview, now you can buy the pattern. Apologies for taking so long -- the schematic intimidated me, since I'm a designer, not an illustrator. You'll laugh when you see how simple it is, and I knew it would be.

Anyway, I hope you like it! My test knitters (thanks, ladies -- you rock!) were enthusiastic and, happily for me, tried it in different kinds of yarn. Should you want to use an inelastic yarn (silk or cotton), you'll want to lean more towards two inches of negative ease rather than four for a stretchier yarn.

I've graded this piece for sizes XS, S, M, L, and XL. The lace pattern is both charted and written out (and it's a really straightforward lace pattern), so you have no excuses! You need a spring layering piece, don't you? The sun is out here in New York City, but it's still brisk.

The pattern is available here on Ravelry or you can purchase it directly using the button below.

Patterns for Haiti

From now until January 31st I will donate 50% of all pattern sales to Doctors Without Borders/MSF to aid in Haitian relief efforts. You can find my patterns for sale at my Etsy store and on Ravelry, where a whole bunch of designers are also donating portions of their proceeds. Help Haiti and get to know some new-to-you designers' patterns (or buy the ones you've got in your queue).

Pattern: Dennis

Back in the day, I remember my dad, Dennis, sporting a cool knit tie like this for casual wear. Now everyone seems to be getting in on the action. Quick to knit from luxurious alpaca and silk, this tie has an elegant texture that makes it stand out (quietly) from the crowd and would make a great gift for the man (or woman) in your life.

I used the entire skein of Blue Sky Alpaca's Alpaca Silk for the small tie, so if you want to knit a gauge swatch, be sure to buy a second skein or be prepared to frog your swatch. The men’s tie will leave you with plenty of yarn for a swatch and the tab, to keep the tail of the tie under control (men like that kind of thing; ladies usually wear their ties with a little more insouciance).

The Spot Stitch gives interest for knitter and wearer while being easy to remember. It is also a good lesson in “seeing” your knitting with purl bumps every other stitch every other row.

Columns of purl stitches up both sides help it to lie flat in the front, while the back, knit flat, helps the yarn go further, keeps the around-the-neck area slim, and the front lie smoothly over the back.

The pattern is available here on Ravelry or you can buy it directly using the button below.