Video Friday: Mermaid's Cardigan

So, I made another video today and hope you will be able to see it (I'm still figuring this stuff out and have yet to actually edit any video, so apologies if you find me a little ramble-y, or if the file is huge - still not sure what is normal/acceptable).

I am wearing Mermaid's Cardigan here and talked a little bit about it's structure and the perils of hand-dyed yarn. By it's very nature hand-dyed yarn is imperfect, and that's one of the things I love about it. Just be sure to alternate skeins as you work, even if you are sure you have chosen the matchiest skeins in your LYS.

Since I got so chatty about the sweater, I didn't have a chance to talk about the class I'm teaching, which I believe I've mentioned before. Isobel, Stephen, and four of their friends from Isobel's grade come over after school every Thursday to learn how to knit. We have mastered knitting, binding off, casting on, and now purling! Many people find purling difficult, and I think that comes from spending too much time learning to knit and building up that muscle memory until it becomes so ingrained that purling doesn't make sense. We got to purling yesterday at just the right time. Everyone was moderately comfortable with their yarn and needles, so purling just became a new move.

Stephen even claimed that he found purling easier, which I loved to hear. Perhaps because I am a thrower I find that I am not purl-averse. Or perhaps it's because my friend Emily, after our wrassling with casting on for so long, taught me to purl soon after I mastered the knit stitch. It really is beneficial to learn them close together and master both to avoid self-imposed limitations on what you'll knit. You don't want to knit garter-stitch rectangles and stockinette tubes all your days, do you?

You know you're a knitter when...

You see the word "Blackstone" and automatically supply "Tweed".

In this instance Blackstone is a company looking to hire an art director, but I don't let context stop my Knitter's brain :)

I heard from the folks at the Fiber Factor yesterday that I will hear from them Saturday night to find out if I will be one if the twelve contestants. Apparently, they will announce the list at the dinner at Vogue Knitting Live in Seattle and then send out an email. There were almost 100 entries.

Tomorrow looks to be the best day to make a new video. Penelope is home from school today (conferences), and I am wearing a design I submitted to Knitty but haven't heard back about yet, so you can't see it yet (I love it and can't wait to share it with you). But tomorrow I will wear a published pattern and chat, perhaps a little about the class I'm teaching this afternoon.

Video Valentine

So, here's an outtake from one of the videos I didn't use when applying for The Fiber Factor. In this clip I talk a little bit about Sailor's Valentine. I had a lot of fun making this, even if it was after our flight back from Chicago on Sunday afternoon (as the light was going). So, now you know what I sound like, assuming this thing uploads and works (show me what ya got, Blogger, when I press "Publish", since the Preview gives me nuthin').

And, yes, I did apply for The Fiber Factor, so keep your fingers crossed for me! While magazines put out calls for submissions on the same mood board, I love the idea of sending the same materials to a bunch of designers and see what they come up with. So, six challenges worth $500 each (and bragging rights) is pretty cool. Then the winner of the whole thing gets a trip to Germany - my sister lives in Berlin, so getting to see her would make the trip extra special.

The contestants will be announced in a week or two - I'll keep you posted.

Pattern: Sailor's Valentine

Sailor's Valentine by Kathleen Dames

Whew! This one has been in the works for a long time. Happily, it's finally ready to meet the world, thanks to liberal doses of mathematics and common sense from the test knitters and tech editor.

Similar in yoke structure to An Aran for Frederick and An Aran for Anne, with a seamless hybrid yoke thanks to the originating genius of Elizabeth Zimmermann, Sailor's Valentine went "cardigan". The seafaring motifs of Reef Knots, Triple Gull Stitch, Sailor's Rib, and Twin Waves are romanticized with the Heart Strings motif running up the center back all the way to the hoods conclusion. And that hood concludes at the front, thanks to it's short-row-heel-style construction.

I hope you like that hood because the amount of re-knitting necessary to make that happen could have produced another sweater! But that's what happens when I get an idea in my head. Sometimes it clicks right away and other times I have to work it until it makes sense. Happily, it worked out.

Sailor's Valentine by Kathleen Dames

Like my other arans, this one jumps into the cables right away. I'm not a big fan of ribbing at the bottom of sweaters - it's not a look for me. However, Knitter's Choice, so if you need to start with some ribbing, go for it. Also, Knitter's Choice is the ribbing at the sides, which I used to add a little shapeliness to this sweater without having to do actual waist-shaping. If your Valentine prefers things a little looser, try Seed or Double Moss Stitch instead, which would make things a little more jacket-like.

Sailor's Valentine by Kathleen Dames

The original Sailor’s Valentines were shell-encrusted boxes brought back from Barbados for sailors’ sweethearts. Today, keep the love alive with Reef Knots, Heart Strings, Twin Waves, and Triple Gull stitch (cables provided in chart form). All those cables combine to make a seafaring sweater of love, perfect for any Valentine (replace the side ribbing with seed stitch for a less-fitted, more unisex sweater). Cardigan is worked flat in one piece, with sleeves incorporated into a seamless hybrid yoke topped off with a turned-heel hood that allows the Heart Strings to continue all the way up and over the hood.

SizesChest: 30 [34, 38, 42, 46, 50, 54] inches

Materials 

Bartlettyarns Fisherman 2-ply 100% Wool 210 yards/192 meters per 113 gram/4 oz. skein; color: Cranberry #378; 5 [5, 6, 7, 8, 8, 9 ] skeinsOne US6/4.0mm 29-inch circular needle Set of four (or five) US6/4.0mm DPNs Stitch markers Coil-less safety pins or other removable stitch markers Waste yarn or stitch holders Tapestry needle 23” (or desired length) zipper in color to match yarn Knit-picker tool, or desired tool(s) for zipper installation

Gauge 

16 sts x 20 rows = 4” in Stockinette Stitch

Skills Needed 

Cast on 

Bind off 

Knit 

Purl 

Increase 

Decrease 

Work stitches out of order (cabling)

Sailor's Valentine by Kathleen Dames

Okay, I don't usually toot my follicular horn, but I really like the way my hair looked during this photo shoot. I wish I wouldn't wrinkle my forehead so much, though ;)

Sailor's Valentine is available for $6 on Ravelry, Craftsy, and Etsy, or by using the button below.

Spring Break

It doesn't feel much like Spring here, considering the snow that fell last night, but I'm OK with that, since it means I get to wear my woolly sweaters a bit more (an unpublished design today - I will be looking for test knitters soon). And parenthetically speaking of test knitters, I'm about done with the testing phase for Sailor's Valentine and am getting very excited to share it with you.

But now I'm packing for a quick trip to Chicago to deliver a Babe in the Mist to a very special young lady. There will be pictures when I return.

Actually, the packing is almost complete. So, now I just need to figure out what to bring to knit. The project I've been working on is close to complete, so I don't think I want to bring that (it requires blocking wires, which I'm not keen to pack). I have another design in process, but it's not compelling knitting, if you know what I mean. It's perfect when you want to work on something without having to give it too much attention. So, that will come, and I like the yarn a lot.

But I need something else for those times when I want to focus a little more. The caveat is that it shouldn't be a big project, since I have two submissions that have recently been accepted (yay!) that will probably need my full attention when we return to NYC. I'm thinking lace or a little laceweight sweater might fit the bill. There are two skeins of sale-purchase Malabrigo lace in a pale pink that whispers "little cardi to warm you up this icy Spring", but there is also a Neon Rose skein of tosh lace that is practically shouting at me from the yarn jar. Decisions, decisions!

Happy St. Patrick's Day

With a name like "Kathleen", I must be Irish, right? Well, only a little, but enough to count (1/8). And what better way to celebrate being Irish than designing Aran sweaters? Better than drinking green beer in my book.

An Aran for Frederick by Kathleen Dames

An Aran for Frederick was my first design in a print publication, the inaugural Jane Austen Knits. I still love it and am so happy that it's been cold enough in New York City this winter to wear it (last winter did not count as winter for sweater makers IMO).

An Aran for Frederick by Kathleen Dames

Recognize the skirt? When we were doing the photo shoot for Mermaid's Cardigan, I asked Nick to snap a few of An Aran for Frederick styled in a feminine, romantic way. I feel sort of "Rowan" in these.

An Aran for Frederick by Kathleen Dames

Want to knit your own or one for your very own Frederick? Individual downloads are available from Interweave here. [I am considering releasing the pattern in my own line, which would be available on Ravelry. What do you think? It would mean more work for me in producing the pattern and a change in the contract for this pattern, but you would be able to have it in your Ravelry library. Things to think about...]

Pattern: Mermaid's Cardigan

Mermaid's Cardigan by Kathleen Dames

It's been a long time coming with this one, but the timing is perfect now, as Spring gets ready to ... spring. The lace sleeves lighten things up and allow for a hint of skin (or contrasting shirt layered underneath), while the princess-seam style waist shaping flatters your figure.

An elegant cardigan just right for a mermaid. Gentle waist shaping follows your curves, and Fishtail Lace sleeves pique the knitter’s interest. By eliminating sleeve increases, the lace is not too difficult and the sleeves blouse out from an i-cord cast-on. To keep the lines clean and the hems from rolling, the entire cardigan is edged in i-cord. Lace instructions are provided in written and chart form.

Chest: 30 34, 38, 42, 46, 50, 54 inches; shown in M/38” with 0” ease

Mermaid's Cardigan by Kathleen Dames

Materials Madeline Tosh tosh dk 100% Superwash Merino Wool 225 yards/206 meters per 50 gram skein; color: Baltic; 4 5, 5, 6, 6, 7, 8
One US6/4.0mm 29-inch circular needle
Set of five US6/4.0mm double-pointed needles (DPNs)
Coil-less safety pins or other removable stitch markers
Waste yarn or stitch holders
Tapestry needle
Eight 5/8” buttons

Gauge

17 sts x 24 rows = 4 inches in Fishtail Lace pattern
20 sts x 28 rows = 4 inches in Stockinette stitch

Mermaid's Cardigan by Kathleen Dames

Skills Needed
Cast on
Bind off
Knit
Purl
Increase
Decrease

Tech editing by Ruth Garcia-Alcantud

Test knitting by 3catos and elizek (on Ravelry)

Pattern available for $6 on Ravelry, Etsy, and Craftsy, or by using the button below.