Pattern: On the High Seas

On the High Seas on Ravelry $7 (no account necessary)

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. I’ve written out the chart, so if charts don't work for you, you’re out of excuses!

What you'll love about knitting On the High Seas:

• 1 needle + 1 skein of yarn (choose one you love!) = yards and meters of pleasurable knitting
• Crest of the Wave is a wonderful lace with one "action" round to remember that gives you a beautiful undulating edging
• Worked top-down from a center tab makes for an easy beginning with a pleasant stretch of Stockinette knitting before to reach the lace excitement

What you'll love about wearing Upon the Spanish Main:

• Wide-triangle shape is perfect for style or warmth: wear it any time of year as a shawl as I've shown here or bandit-style filling in the neckline of your coat all Winter long
• Perfect for adding a pop of color to your outfit
• Makes a lovely gift for someone special on your list (only one skein of sock yarn!)

Finished Size
Width: 64 inches Depth: 20 inches

Materials

• Laughing Rat Studio Superwash Merino Sock Yarn [100% superwash merino wool; 435 yards/398 meters per 109g skein]; color: Pacific; 1 skein
• US5/3.75mm 24-inch circular needle
• Stitch markers
• Tapestry needle

Gauge
22 sts x 30 rows = 4 inches square in Stockinette St.

Skills Needed

• casting on
• binding off
• knitting
• purling
• increasing
• decreasing
• following written or charted instructions for Crest of the Wave lace pattern (both included)

Thanks!
Photography: Nicholas Dames

Everything you need to create your own beautiful On the High Seas is provided in the professionally designed (by me!) pattern. Both written and charted versions of the Spanish Lace stitch pattern are included.

Lovely knitters who purchased this pattern when it was originally released should have received a message from Ravelry that the updated version of the pattern is now in your library. Don't miss the special customer coupon code!



Thanks for stopping by, and happy knitting!
xoxo,

Pattern: In the Shallows

In the Shallows on Ravelry $7 (no account necessary)

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, worn 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).

After a long detour through Stockinette, I rediscovered the joy and simple pleasure of Garter Stitch. No offense, Stockinette, but sometimes your smoothness and tendency to curl up brings me down (only a little - I love ya, Stockinette). Garter Stitch, with all its squish factor, marvelous ability to lay flat, and awesome ability to mix and mingle stitches in variegated yarn into a more cohesive whole, is awesome too. In the Shallows puts Garter Stitch to great use, and you get to decide if you want to be plain or fancy. Better yet: make one of each!

What you'll love about knitting In the Shallows:

• 1 needle + 1 skein of yarn (choose one you love!) = yards and meters of pleasurable knitting
• Once you get started, the pattern is a breeze to remember
• A lot more fun to knit than the traditional long scarf
• Notes are included for some tips and tricks you'll use again and again

What you'll love about wearing In the Shallows:

• You get to wear that skein of yarn you love!
• Shape of the shawl means you can wear it as a shoulder-warming shawl, scarf with trailing ends front and back, AND bandit-style to keep your neck cozy and provide a pop of color to any outfit
• It's the simple, elegant piece that won't fight with other parts of your wardrobe

Size/Finished Measurements
Plain Shawl
Width: 64 inches Depth: 14 inches

Fancy Shawl
Width: 75 inches Depth: 13 inches

Materials

• Plain Shawl: Fleece Artist Merino 2/6 [100% superwash merino wool; 382 yards/349 meters per 115g skein]; color: Ocean; 1 skein
• Fancy Shawl: Plymouth Yarn Alpaca Prima [100% alpaca; 363 yards/332 meters per 100g skein]; color: Cream; 1 skein
• US5/3.75mm 24-inch circular needle (ndl)
• Tapestry needle

Gauge
18 sts x 22 ridges = 4 inches square in Garter St.

Thanks!
Technical editing: Joeli Caparco.
Photography: Nicholas Dames

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

Lovely knitters who purchased this pattern when it was originally released should have received a message from Ravelry that the updated version of the pattern is now in your library. Don't miss the special customer coupon code!



Thanks for stopping by, and happy knitting!
xoxo,

Pattern: Hap-py

Hap-py on Ravelry $7 (no account necessary)

A new-world homage to the Shetland Hap shawls of old. Worked all in one piece with one needle and one skein of yarn, this makes a perfect travel project, whether you’re waiting on a park bench, soaring above the clouds, or sailing the high seas. Plus, the Crest of the Wave pattern (provided in both written and charted forms), an interesting variant on the traditional Feather and Fan, is easy to master with spectacular results. What are you waiting for? It’s time to get Hap-py!

Instructions are given for a swatch, which will make a perfect little shawl for an 18" doll, plus the full-size shawl, which measures 32" square. Swatch and shawl do use all of the skein of Madeline Tosh Prairie, so be aware that not achieving gauge may lead to your needing more yarn.

I do love projects like this for travel: one "small of size but large of yardage" skein of yarn paired with a circular needle provides hours of knitting entertainment without the danger of losing a needle (or stabbing your seatmate). The central square (really a diamond kept on the square by working in Garter Stitch) is worked like Grandmother's Dishcloth plus the excitement of occasional eyelet rows. Then the edging is picked up all around the flexible sides of said diamond. Working the center from point to point means your shawl is free from the tight edges that can result from casting on and binding off many stitches. I've included my recommended bindoff for producing the perfect, flexible edge for your shawl.

What you'll love about knitting Hap-py:

• 1 skein + 1 needle + 1 pattern = 1 perfect portable project
• With only three stitches to cast on and the lace bindoff, the shawl is free of tight spots and a dream to block
• Center section is made of up Garter Stitch and Eyelet rows - straightforward knitting you can work without constantly referring to the pattern
• Crest of the Wave is a wonderful lace with one "action" round to remember that gives you a beautiful undulating edging

What you'll love about wearing Hap-py:

• Laceweight yarn gives you a lightweight shawl - perfect for style and warmth and easy to tuck into your purse to always have on hand
• Garter stitch and increases every row blend multi-colored hand-dyed yarns into a beautiful whole
• Square shape gives you multiple options for wear - drape it over your shoulders for elegant drama, fold it on the diagonal and cozy it up around your neck for warmth

Size/Finished Measurements

Shawl: 32 inches square
Doll Shawl/Swatch: 13 inches square

Materials

• Madeline Tosh Prairie [100% Superwash Merino; 840 yards/768 meters per 114 gram skein]; color: Plaid Blanket; 1 skein Note: With swatch, entire skein was used.
• One US6/4.0mm 40-inch circular needle
• Stitch markers, including one different to mark end-of-round
• Tapestry needle

Gauge

18 sts x 18 ridges (36 rows) = 4 inches square in Garter Stitch after blocking

Skills Needed

• casting on
• binding off
• knitting
• purling
• increasing
• decreasing
• following written or charted instructions for Crest of the Wave edging pattern (both included)

Thanks!
Technical Editing: Ruth Garcia-Alcantud
Photography: Nicholas Dames

Everything you need to create your own beautiful Hap-py is provided in the professionally designed (by me!) pattern. Both written and charted versions of the Crest of the Wave stitch pattern are included.

Lovely knitters who purchased this pattern when it was originally released should have received a message from Ravelry that the updated version of the pattern is now in your library. Don't miss the special customer coupon code!



Thanks for stopping by, and happy knitting!
xoxo,

Pattern: Upon the Spanish Main

Upon the Spanish Main on Ravelry $7 (no account necessary)

Wrap yourself in a luscious shawl dripping with Spanish Lace before heading out onto the deck of your galleon. A little stockinette over your shoulders, and then Spanish Lace flows down your back. This worked-on-both-sides lace is so spectacular, it doesn’t need a separate edging, though it will require your concentration. You will have pride of place on the treasure fleet in this extra-wide triangle shawl!

I am excessively fond of the wide triangle shawl. The wider shape places more fabric around your shoulders and upper back, while the shorter depth prevents that "arrow pointing directly at your bum" thing that sometimes happens with standard triangles. Plus, I find that no matter how gorgeous a shawl, eventually I stop wearing it occasionally as a decorative piece and start wearing it all the time wrapped around my neck for warmth and gorgeousness-close-to-my-face.

This shape does make lace patterns more complicated to present, since we increase twice as often at the outer edges as we do in the middle of the shawl. But don't worry! My job is to make your knitting easier, and I have done that here with multiple yet tidy charts and cleverly color-coded written instructions for Spanish Lace.

What you'll love about knitting Upon the Spanish Main:

• This lace pattern only looks complicated - there are just two sides and four pattern rows, but they flip back and forth between the sculptural flowers and delicate faggotting that make this pattern so spectacular
• Spanish Lace is provided in both charted and written formats for every row (I have to be honest here: it was a LOT of work to get this right, and my test knitters were particularly awesome in working with me to make sure this pattern was clear and precise)
• You will be incredibly chuffed that you can work lace on both sides

What you'll love about wearing Upon the Spanish Main:

• Spanish Lace! What else is there to say? It is one of the most gorgeous lace patterns out there
• Wide-triangle shape is perfect for style or warmth: wear it any time of year as a shawl as I've shown here or bandit-style filling in the neckline of your coat all Winter long
• If you've chosen a yarn as decadent as Jill Draper Makes Stuff Splendor Sock (Merino/Cashmere/Nylon), you will want to snuggle up in this shawl all. the. time.

Size/Finished Measurements

Width: 64 inches Depth: 19 inches

Materials

• Jill Draper Makes Stuff Splendor Sock Yarn [80% Merino, 10% Nylon, 10% Cashmere; 435 yards/398 meters per 100 gram skein]; color: Glacier; 1 skein
• US6/4.0mm 29-inch circular needle
• Stitch markers
• Tapestry needle

Gauge

20 stitches x 30 rows = 4 inches square in Stockinette St.

Skills Needed

• casting on
• binding off
• knitting
• purling
• increasing
• decreasing
• following written or charted instructions for Spanish Lace pattern (both are included)

Thanks!
Technical Editing: Karen Clark
Test Knitting: galzanne, jennieeilerts, KnitterlyGoodness, luise-k, arzucarolina, chau7, mattnmay, ninjacassy, bluemodesty, bills25, and ludivine77
Photography: Nicholas Dames

Everything you need to create your own beautiful Upon the Spanish Main is provided in the professionally designed (by me!) pattern. Both written and charted versions of the Spanish Lace stitch pattern are included.

Lovely knitters who purchased this pattern when it was originally released should have received a message from Ravelry that the updated version of the pattern is now in your library. Don't miss the special customer coupon code!



Thanks for stopping by, and happy knitting!
xoxo,

Shawl Week

All this week I will be releasing upgraded versions of these five lovely shawls. Stay tuned!

quick + purly: 5 fingering cardigans

With cooler nights coming (or already here for some of you), layering and lightweight cardigans are on my radar. Here are five that I would love to have in my cedar chest for Fall (and Spring and all year 'round, really).

1. Almwegerl by schneckenstrick €5.50 EUR 

   

   Love the open neckline and stitch patterns on the fronts

2. Audrey by Jane Richmond $6.95 USD 

   

   WANT the garter stitch squishiness and puff at the cuffs

3. MarieMarie Cross-over cardigan by Anne B Hanssen €4.70 EUR 

   

   Open or closed the wrap front is lovely, and the surprise of the lace back is charming

4. Lorem Ipsum by Jennifer Dassau $6.50 USD 

   

   One of those classic yet special patterns that you'll wonder how you lived without

5. Left Bank by Linda Wilgus $6.50 USD 

   

   Yay for v-necks and patterns that look good on the well-endowed

All images from patterns' Ravelry pages. No copyright infringement intended. I just want to share the love!

In case you need just one more...

• Pomegranate Cardi by Kathleen Dames $7 USD 

  

  Pomegranate cables and Seed Stitch work together

There were so many fantastic patterns to choose from! Here is the full search, if none of my selections is quite what you're looking for. Then let me know your favorite(s) in the comments below.

Thanks for stopping by, and happy knitting!

xoxo,

NYC Yarn Crawl is coming up! 25-27 September 2015

Ooh, it's getting to be that time of year. The time when it's not in the 80s, when you want to grab a sweater before you head out, when thoughts turn to yarn and knitting. The most wonderful time of year!

Kicking things off this Fall for me is the NYC Yarn Crawl from 25-27 September. This year there are 11 shops participating in Manhattan and Brooklyn. I will, of course, visit Knitty City (my knitting home away from home) and may venture to some other shops. Purl Soho and Downtown Yarns are always fun to visit, and you never know what sort of direct-from-Milan treasure you might find at School Products Yarn, so we shall see if I can make time to visit those shops. I've never been to Seaport Yarn or any of the Brooklyn shops, so perhaps it's time to leave my borough!

If you're going to be crawling, let me know! I'd love to meet up and squish skeins of yarn together. And if you visit Knitty City, be sure to say "Hello!" to Caught in the Rigging - she's hanging out in the Knitty City window until the end of the month.

The 2015 #NYCYarnCrawl map is ready! Check out the website to download a copy and get store hours, prize info and more. See you there! www.yarncrawlnyc.com #followtheyarn #yarncrawlnyc #yarncrawl

A photo posted by NYC Yarn Crawl (@nycyarncrawl) on Sep 12, 2015 at 2:16pm PDT