Showing posts with label Jane Austen Knits. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Jane Austen Knits. Show all posts

08 August 2016

Pattern: Strawberry-Picking Shrug


Strawberry-Picking Shrug on Ravelry (no account necessary)

If Mr. Woodhouse insists that Harriet wear a shawl in her portrait, Emma ought to wear something to keep her warm when visiting Donwell Abbey. This shrug offers the perfect compromise: lacy and light enough for Emma to wear picking strawberries in the summer sun, yet cozy and proper enough for her father’s satisfaction.

This is a perfect project for the more advanced beginner who wishes to dip a needle into the exciting waters of knitted lace, as strawberry lace is worked on both sides of the fabric. The garter-stitch hems ensure no rolling and a clean edge. Worked from bottom to top, the only finishing necessary is sewing two tiny seams.



What you'll love about knitting Strawberry-Picking Shrug:

  • You will master knitted lace (working lace stitches on right and wrong sides)--it's not nearly as difficult as you think it is :)
  • A small project with big impact--perfect for taking along with you
  • Learn seven (7!) different decreases


What you'll love about wearing Strawberry-Picking Shrug:
  • A lacy little thing that doesn't require the adjustments of a shawl or stole
  • Perfect when you need a little extra pop of color
  • Just the right size to keep the chill off, whether you're picking strawberries or in extreme air-conditioning



Size/Finished Measurements
12 ¼ (13 ½, 14 ½, 15 ¾, 16 ¾, 18, 19 ¼) inches at center back (as well as around the upper arm) and 19 (20 ¾, 22 ¾, 24 ¾, 26 ¾, 28 ½, 30 ½) inches long from cuff to cuff. Shrug shown measures 22 ¾ inches from cuff to cuff.

Materials
  • Malabrigo, Lace (100% Baby Merino wool; 470 yd (430 m)/1 ¾ oz, (50 g)), color:  Tuareg, 1 (1, 1, 1, 2, 2, 2) skein(s)
  • Size 5 (3.75 mm) 24-inch circular needle
  • Markers
  • Tapestry needle

Gauge
25 sts and 35 rows = 4 inches (10 cm) in Strawberry Lace

Skills Needed
  • casting on
  • binding off
  • knitting
  • purling
  • increasing
  • decreasing
  • following charted instructions for Strawberry Lace pattern



Thanks!
Previously published in Jane Austen Knits 2014
Photography: Nicholas Dames

Everything you need to create your own beautiful Strawberry-Picking Shrug is provided in the professionally designed (by me!) pattern. A charted version of the Strawberry Lace stitch pattern is included.



Thanks for stopping by, and happy knitting!
xoxo,

11 February 2016

Pattern: Benwick


Benwick on Ravelry $8 (no account necessary)

To celebrate the publication of Benwick (and Valentine's Day), use code persuasion2016 at checkout to receive 20% off this pattern, as well as my favorite Persuasion-inspired patterns, A Vest for Charles, An Aran for Anne, and An Aran for Frederick, from 11-14 February 2016.

[Captain Benwick] had an affectionate heart. He must love somebody. 
—Chapter 18, Persuasion, Jane Austen

Louisa Musgrove takes the air on the Cobb. She has finally recovered from her interesting illness and is escorted, of course, by Captain Benwick. A passing breeze gives our invalid a chill. Our gallant captain wraps his coat around her shoulders. How very interesting she is! And how ready to fall in love is he!

Far from an exact replica of naval dress, this cardigan nods to Royal Navy uniforms with it's epaulet-like braids and clean front closure. It is also trimmed with matching braids at the collar, cuffs, and hem. In a nod to all the love Captain Benwick has to give, there is a heart on the sleeve.

Feel like the heroine in your own novel!



What you'll love about knitting Benwick:
  • Seamless saddle-shoulder construction is so much fun to knit - you'll feel so clever using the specified decreases to set in the sleeve and make a saddle for each shoulder
  • Matching braid at collar, cuffs, hem, cardigan fronts, and epaulets are delighfully matchy-matchy and a good excuse to practice cabling without a cable needle
  • Who doesn't want to knit a heart on their sleeve? This one makes clever use of increases to make a lovely heart
  • Finishing work is modest: seam up the sleeves (or work them in the round if your gauge is similar working flat vs. in the round), weave together the underarms, and sew on those hooks and eyes

What you'll love about wearing Benwick:
  • You've got your heart on your sleeve!
  • Matchy-matchy cables makes everything look sharp
  • Hook-and-eye front closures are crisp and elegant



Size/Finished Measurements
32 (34, 36, 38, 40, 42, 44) inches bust circumference, closed. Shown in size 36-inch with two inches negative ease

Materials
  • Seven Sisters Arts Nova (100% Bluefaced Leicester; 200 yds [183 m]/4 oz [113 g]): cobalt, 5 (6, 6, 7, 7, 7, 8) skeins {approx. 900 (950, 1050, 1150, 1200, 1300, 1400 yds}
  • Size 6 (4 mm): 29-inch circular (cir) needle (ndl)
  • Markers (m)
  • Cable needle (cn)
  • Removable stitch markers (rm)
  • Stitch holders or waste yarn
  • Tapestry needle
  • 7 hook-and-eye sets, sharp-point sewing needle, and matching thread

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

Skills Needed
  • casting on
  • binding off
  • knitting
  • purling
  • increasing
  • decreasing
  • working stitches out of order (otherwise known as cabling)
  • following charts



Thanks!
Previously published in: Jane Austen Knits, Fall 2013
Photography: Angela Lee

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



Thanks for stopping by, and happy knitting!
xoxo,

28 October 2015

Pattern: Colonel Brandon


Colonel Brandon on Ravelry (no account necessary)

Available in Jane Austen Knits 2015 $14.99 (print and instant dowload)


Manly yet sensitive, in the end Colonel Brandon is the perfect match for Marianne Dashwood. And his sweater embodies their story: Hartshorn Cable is the central motif (Marianne is dosed with hartshorn after she encounters the feckless Willoughby in town), Waves of Honey highlight the sweet reward of Marianne’s hand after all the colonel suffers, and the Alternating Cables embody the dichotomy of Colonel Brandon’s persona: romantic hero with his poor Eliza versus wearer of flannel waistcoats in Marianne’s initial impression. The seamless hybrid yoke allows the cables to wrap up around and square off the shoulders, while garter stitch creates a crisp collar, cuffs, and hem.

What you'll love about knitting Colonel Brandon:

  • Seamless design worked in the round means you are always looking at the front of your work and can better keep track of all those cables
  • The cable patterns are aligned, which means you work the "action" rounds all together - it's easier to keep track of what you're doing this way
  • The hybrid yoke cleverly shapes the sweater to the body while still showing off those wonderful cables

What you'll love about wearing Colonel Brandon:

  • Garter stitch collar/cuffs/hem provide a clean finish
  • Hybrid yoke creates lovely square shoulders
  • Cables tell the story of Colonel Brandon's romantic life

Size/Finished Measurements

38 1/4 (41 1/4, 45 1/4, 48 1/2, 54 1/4, 58 1/4)" bust/chest circumference. Sweater shown measures 38 1/4".

Materials

  • Brooklyn Tweed Shelter (100% wool; 140 yd [128 m]/1 3/4 oz [50 g]): birdbook (medium green), 10 (11, 12, 14, 15, 17) skeins.
  • US6 (4 mm): 16" and 29" circular (cir) and set of doublepointed (dpn). Adjust needle size if necessary to obtain the correct gauge.
  • Stitch markers
  • Removable markers
  • Cable needle
  • Stitch holders or waste yarn
  • Tapestry needle

Gauge

18 sts and 25 rnds = 4" in St st; Hartshorn Cable chart = 3" wide; 16 sts of Double Moss Stitch chart = 4" wide; Alternating Cable chart = 1 1/4" wide; 12 sts of Wave of Honey chart = 2 1/4" wide.

Skills Needed

  • casting on
  • binding off
  • knitting
  • purling
  • increasing
  • decreasing
  • cabling (I highly recommend learning how to cable without a cable needle)
  • following cable charts

Thanks!

Many thanks to the entire staff at Jane Austen Knits/Interweave/F + W Media

Purchase your copy of Jane Austen Knits 2015 today at your favorite LYS or directly from Interweave.

Thanks for stopping by, and happy knitting!
xoxo,

26 October 2015

Pattern: Marianne cardigan


Marianne cardigan on Ravelry

Available in Jane Austen Knits 2015 $14.99 (print and instant dowload)


“Mrs. Jennings was perfectly convinced of it. It would be an excellent match, for Colonel Brandon was rich and Marianne Dashwood was handsome.”
—Jane Austen, Sense and Sensibility, Vol. 1, Ch. 8

And so begins the extraordinary fate of Miss Marianne Dashwood. What better attire for our heroine than an Empire-waist cardigan with an intriguing cabled lace skirt and picot edging around the mitered neckline. Stockinette-stitch panels at the side make waist shaping easy, and the garter-stitch hem, cuffs, and integrated button band give a clean finish, allowing the picots to draw attention upward to your pretty face.

The Lace Lozenges pattern uses a novel technique with a cable needle to create the lovely ovals, which remind me of cameos. This is one of the few times I bother actually using a cable needle - generally I find you move along more quickly working cable without a cable needle (or spare DPN). But in this instance, I was unable to find a way to work the Lace Lozenges safely without a cable needle.

As this design was partially inspired by Regency era gowns, the bust area is not as modest as you might prefer. You can wear something underneath (like the model here) that makes up the difference for you, or you could choose to work the front stitches for a few more rows to raise the neckline before holding them aside. Knitter's choice!



What you'll love about knitting Marianne cardigan:

  • Exciting-to-work skirt pattern makes clever use of a cable needle to create pretty cameo shapes
  • Integrated garter stitch button band (matches cuffs and hem) means you'll have minimal finishing work to do - seam the sleeves, weave the underarms, then it's time to go on a button hunt!
  • Pretty picot bindoff at the neckline is fun to work and hearkens back to lace trim on Regency gowns


What you'll love about wearing Marianne cardigan:

  • Waist-shaping in side panels creates a figure-flattering empire shape that you'll love to show off
  • Squared neckline with picots brings the attention up to your face (where it belongs!)
  • Fingering-weight yarn and 3/4-sleeves make this a cardigan you'll reach for year-round


Finished Measurements

30 3/4 (34 3/4, 38 3/4, 42 3/4, 46 3/4)" bust circumference buttoned. Cardigan shown measures 34 3/4".

Materials

Madelinetosh Dandelion (90% superwash Merino wool, 10% linen; 325 yd [297 m]/31/4 oz [90 g]): glazed pecan, 3 (4, 5, 5, 6) skeins.
Needles: Size 4 (3.5 mm): 32" circular (cir). Adjust needle size if necessary to obtain the correct gauge.
Markers (m)
Removable m
Cable needle (cn)
Stitch holders or waste yarn
Tapestry needle
7 (7, 8, 8, 8) 1/2" buttons.

Gauge 

24 sts and 32 rows = 4" in St st; 18 sts of cable panel chart = 21/2" wide.

Skills Needed

  • casting on
  • binding off
  • knitting
  • purling
  • increasing
  • decreasing
  • working with a cable needle
  • following chart for Lace Lozenges

If you've knit up one of my other designs, you may recognize some techniques I like to use. If not, here are some links to help you get started:

  • Two-tail Long-tail Cast-on - this method also sets you up nicely for alternating skeins of hand-dyed yarn to ensure well-blended fabric
  • M1 increases (for sleeves)
  • Integrated button bands (hmm, I need to do a post on this for you - they are worked at the same time as the rest of the sweater body but in garter stitch, and I recommend working buttonholes at the beginning and end of the row so you'll know exactly where to sew on your buttons)
  • Centered Double Decreases, sometimes known as sl2k1p2sso or s2kp2 for short - I love how this decrease does away with two stitches at once and stands straight and slender; this decrease is used for the waist shaping and the raglan decreases in the yoke, which is the perfect spot for such delicate lines

Come back on Wednesday to meet Colonel Brandon!

Thanks!

Many thanks to the entire staff at Jane Austen Knits/Interweave/F + W Media

Purchase your copy of Jane Austen Knits 2015 today at your favorite LYS or directly from Interweave.

Thanks for stopping by, and happy knitting!
xoxo,

21 October 2015

Jane Austen Knits 2015

It's Jane Austen Knits time, my darlings! The new issue is live and printed copies are winging their way to your LYS (might even be there already).

I have two lovely patterns for you: Marianne cardigan and Colonel Brandon. Aren't they a lovely pair? I was tickled to learn that a photograph of the two together would be on the Table of Contents...

photo: F + W Media

Next week I will share all the details on these two. But right now you should know that Interweave is having a Friends and Family event until Friday 10/23/15: Save 30% at Interweave with Offer Code FANDF30 You can order the print edition or magazine download (or anything else you like) and get 30% off.

Thanks for stopping by, and happy knitting!
xoxo,


22 July 2015

Pattern: A Vest for Charles

A Vest for Charles $7 on Ravelry (no account necessary)

Charles Musgrove had the good taste to fall for Anne Elliot, but ended up marrying her sister Mary. Doesn’t he deserve a handknit, too? Inspired by a knitted vest worn by Charles I to his execution in 1649 (and still in the Museum of London today), this vest should bring Charles Musgrove better luck.

Two stitch patterns from the original are used: the Diamonds and Crosses brocade border is separated by welting and topped by King Charles Brocade (a.k.a., Double Diamond). The King’s vest was knit in silk by a master knitter at 21 stitches per inch! A more manageable gauge and rustic woolen-spun yarn make this vest au courant for the  Everyman (or woman).



What you'll love about knitting A Vest for Charles:
  • Worked all in one piece from the bottom up to the underarms, then the fronts and back are worked separately, finally joined with a three-needle bind-off
  • Integrated button bands and Seed stitch edgings make for a handsome, virtually finish-free project.
  • Historic knit-purl patterns, one above the hem and the other over the rest of the body, will pique and keep your interest while knitting
  • Bonus: A vest means no sleeves! You will still create a handsome, fully-fashioned garment without having to knit sleeves.

What you'll love about wearing A Vest for Charles:
  • Subtle knit-purl patterns make this a special knit that whispers about how it was hand-crafted with love and talent
  • Button-up style means this is a versatile garment that you can dress up or down
  • You're wearing an item inspired by Jane Austen's Persuasion, as well as by a pivotal moment in British history



Finished Size
31¾ (36, 39¾, 44, 47¾, 51½)-inch/80.5 (91.5, 101, 112, 121.5, 131) cm chest circumference, buttoned, with 5-stitch front bands overlapped
Vest shown measures 36 inches (91.5 cm)

Materials
Brooklyn Tweed Shelter (100% Targhee-Columbia wool; 140 yds [128 m]/1.75 oz [50 g]): #08 truffle hunt, 5 (6, 6, 7, 8, 9) skeins. Size 6 (4 mm) 29-inch or longer circular (cir) needle (ndl).  Adjust needle size if necessary to obtain the correct gauge, and choose length close to desired chest circumference. 
Markers
Stitch holders or waste yarn
Spare cir ndl same size or smaller than main needle for three-needle bind-off
Tapestry needle 10 (11, 11, 11, 12, 12) ½-inch buttons

Gauge
17 sts and 30 rows = 4 inches in St st

Skills Needed
Casting on
Binding off
Three-needle bind-off
Knitting
Purling
Chart reading
Increasing
Decreasing
Working flat
Sewing on buttons



Thanks!
Previously published in Jane Austen Knits, Fall 2013, and The Best of Jane Austen Knits

 

Thanks for stopping by, and happy knitting!
xoxo,





P.S. Wish you knew about this last week when it was released? Join my newsletter to get the good stuff first, and you'll get a brief note from me once a week with pattern releases, tips and tricks to improve your knitting skills, and coupon codes just for subscribers.

09 June 2015

Benwick Cardigan KAL

As I look ahead to the rest of the year, I see that it is time to self-publish my lovely Benwick Cardigan. But! I can't fit into the wee sample originally published in Jane Austen Knits, Fall 2013. What's a designer to do? Well, I could hire a model or buy a sample-sized dress form or knit one for myself. While I live uptown from ModelLand, at this point I prefer to model my designs, since they are very personal. Living in a New York City apartment, I'm not exactly keen on adding more stuff to the apartment. So, knitting one for me it is!


The original pattern was worked in String Theory's DK yarn, which was lovely to work with, though possibly on the challenging side to photograph. String Theory's two dyers decided to go their separate ways last year, and one of the dyers remained "String Theory", while the other formed a new dye studio called Seven Sisters Arts. I plan to knit the new Benwick in SSA's Corona DK.


There are quite a few special touches to Benwick:
  • Aran braids (same stitch pattern) along horizontal and vertical edges, as well as in epaulet form on the shoulder saddles
  • Hook-and-eye closures harken back to Regency-era Naval wear
  • Heart on your sleeve
  • Saddle shoulder construction
  • Crisp collar
  • Straight fit to the body, though waist shaping could be worked here if desired
  • Body and sleeves are worked flat for gauge consistency, while the saddle shoulder yoke joins sleeves and body together seamlessly



So, who wants a Benwick of their very own? I'd love some company in a knitalong as I work up my own sample. The Jane Austen Knits version of the pattern is currently available from Interweave here*. It may take me a bit to get my yarn and begin (we've got some upcoming travel plans that are not conducive to having a pile of wool in my lap), so we have a few weeks to get ourselves sorted.

Let me know in the comments below, via email at kathleendames at gmail dot com, or on Ravelry, if you'd care to join me.

Thanks for stopping by, and happy knitting!
xoxo,





*That is an affiliate link for Interweave, from which I will earn a micropayment if you purchase the pattern through that link. I only provide affiliate links to items of mine that you cannot get through my Ravelry store. You can easily bypass the link by typing "Benwick pattern" into your favorite search engine.

11 March 2015

Add a Jane Austen Knits bundle to your Ravelry library

Jane Austen Knits bundle from Kathleen Dames

As you may know, I will have two new patterns in the next issue of Jane Austen Knits, but I can't share them with you until this Fall (and the way this Winter is going, it feels like that day will never come).

To tide you over, now you can add three of my most popular Jane Austen Knits designs to your Ravelry library for $15 ($21 value).
  • An Aran for Anne - figure-flattering with delicate botanical cables 
  • An Aran for Frederick - a modern take on classic cables for men and women 
  • Sotherton - feminine shape thanks to twisted stitches 
Already purchased one of these patterns on Ravelry? Thank you! You will be credited that amount at checkout. Use coupon code jakbundle at checkout or click the link above to add all three patterns to your cart and apply the code (and any credits).

Would you like to join a KAL for my Jane Austen Knits designs? I need to knit new Benwick and Kellynch Cardigan samples and would love some company. Let me know what you think in the forums.

Thanks for stopping by, and happy knitting!
xoxo, Kathleen

07 November 2014

New pattern: Strawberry-Picking Shrug

Hop on over to Jane Austen Knits for my next design.

Strawberry-Picking Shrug, Jane Austen Knits 2014

Perfect for Emma to wear on a visit to Donwell Abbey, the Strawberry-Picking Shrug is pretty enough for Emma, while warm enough to satisfy Mr. Woodhouse's fears of catching a chill. Knit in Malabrigo's Lace yarn in the Cactus Flower colorway, this project is a manageable introduction to lace knitting on both sides of the work. 

Strawberry-Picking Shrug, Jane Austen Knits 2014

Since the shrug is worked as a rectangle, you won't have to fuss with shaping within this pattern, which will give you the freedom to concentrate on the two-sided lace. Can you see the delicate single strands radiating out from each strawberry? That's thanks to the decreases and yarnovers being worked on both sides. When you create lace with a stockinette stitch base, you usually purl back or knit alternate rounds, which creates two-strand lines in your lace. While that kind of lace is lovely (and the kind I usually play around with because, let's be honest, who doesn't love a soothing purl-back row or alternate round of knit stitches?), there is a delicacy to lace worked on both sides.

Two tiny seams and a few ends to weave in are all you'll have to do to finish this project. If you're ready to take your knitting skills to the next level, this pretty little shrug should be your next project.

Order your own copy of Jane Austen Knits 2014. Or grab one at your LYS - Small Business Saturday is coming up on November 29th!

Thanks for stopping by, and happy knitting!
xoxo, Kathleen

24 July 2014

JAK collection from Interweave

Interweave has put together a collection of the three Jane Austen Knits issues on CD or as an instant download. For $29.99 you get 95 patterns including five of mine: An Aran for Anne, An Aran for Frederick, A Vest for Charles, Benwick, and Sotherton. There are also entertaining and informative articles to enjoy. 
An Aran for Anne 

I'm posting from my phone so links can't be formatted. Here is where you can get your JAK collection:

Thanks for stopping by, and happy knitting!
xoxo, Kathleen 

03 July 2014

A Vest for Charles + Benwick now available from Interweave as individual downloads

A Vest for Charles and Benwick are now available from Interweave as individual downloads, and it looks like they are on sale at the moment.

A Vest for Charles - download from Interweave

Benwick - download from Interweave


For those of you who are kind enough to worry, please know that I do receive a royalty on all patterns sold by Interweave. However, I will sell my own versions of these patterns once the exclusivity term is up, which will be late Fall 2014, at which point I will make them available on Craftsy, Etsy, and, of course, Ravelry.

19 March 2014

Interweave Sale

30% off patterns at the Interweave site! This means you can purchase downloads of the original patterns for $4.20 (regular price $6):

An Aran for Anne
An Aran for Frederick
Bixby
Sotherton

A Vest for Charles and Benwick are not yet available, but I'll let you know when they are.

The kids are off school for two (2!) weeks of Spring Break. Sadly, the weather is decidedly wintry. Work is slower than usual due to wrangling said children, but I keep plugging away :)

Thanks for stopping by, and happy knitting!
xoxo, Kathleen

04 October 2013

Jane Austen Knits 2013

Just when the birthday let-down was kicking in, along comes the new Jane Austen Knits in which I have two patterns for you! The 2013 issue is now available for preorder, and printed copies will arrive in November.

A Vest for Charles
A Vest for Charles, Jane Austen Knits 2013, photo © Christa Tippmann
Inspired by the knit-purl patterns on the vest (a henley-style pullover, really) worn by King Charles I, this button-front vest is worked all in one piece from hem to neck. Finished off with short row shaping and three-needle bindoffs at the shoulders, this one is truly seamless. I loved working with Brooklyn Tweed's Shelter again and am looking forward to making one for myself. Care to join me in a KAL?

A Vest for Charles, Jane Austen Knits 2013, photo © Christa Tippmann
Isn't the model a handsome example of an Austen man? As always the JAK staff have done a lovely job of bringing this issue together.

A Vest for Charles, Jane Austen Knits 2013, photo © Christa Tippmann

King Charles Brocade pattern above the welting, diamonds and crosses below, with seed stitch edging everywhere. I found the lovely leather buttons at Mood and got to give Swatch a scratch behind the ears.

A Vest for Charles details
Finished Size: 32 (36, 40, 44, 48, and 52)" chest circumference, buttoned. Vest shown measures 36".
Yarn: Brooklyn Tweed, Shelter (100% Wool; 140 yds/50g skein): #08 truffle hunt, 4 (5, 6, 7, 8, 9) skeins.
Needles: Size 6 (4.0 mm): 29" circular. A second needle of the same size is helpful for three-needle bindoff.
Notions: Markers; stitch holders or waste yarn; tapestry needle; 10 (11, 11, 12, 13, 14) buttons.

Benwick
Who doesn't have a soft spot for the sad, romantic Captain Benwick in Persuasion? I reimagined what a naval captain's coat might look like when worn by Louisa Musgrove: braided edging and epaulets, seamless saddle-shoulder construction, and a heart on one sleeve.

Benwick, Jane Austen Knits 2013, photo © Christa Tippmann
This time I got to use String Theory's lovely Merino DK yarn. So soft yet nicely plied - a real pleasure to work with. Sometimes I love the crazy variegated colorways you find in hand-dyed yarn, but this time it was the subtle gradations that created little highlights in the cables that made me so very happy. The Cobalt colorway captures that Regency Navy and looks beautiful doing it. String Theory is extra-special for me, as they are in Blue Hill, Maine.

Benwick, Jane Austen Knits 2013, photo © Christa Tippmann
 I think I'm going to need one of these for myself, too, so let me know if you are interested in a KAL for this, too.

Benwick, Jane Austen Knits 2013,  photo © Christa Tippmann

Benwick details
Finished Size: 32 (34, 36, 38, 40, 42, 44)" bust circumference, closed. Cardigan shown measures 32".
Yarn: String Theory, Merino DK (100% Superwash Wool; 240 yds/4 oz skein): cobalt, 4 (5, 5, 6, 6, 6, 7) skeins.
Needles: Size 6 (4.0 mm): 29" circular. 
Notions: Markers; coil-less safety pins or removable stitch markers; stitch holders or waste yarn; tapestry needle; 7 hook-and-eyes, sewing thread to match yarn, and sewing needle.

Jane Austen Knits 2013 will arrive at your LYS in November (or in your mailbox if you preorder), but you can get the digital edition now in the Interweave shop. Having had a brief chance to flip through the digital edition, I have to say my queue is about to get a bit longer! And don't get me started on the article on Dorset buttons. I showed it to Nick and he said "Well, that's right up your alley."

Happy knitting!
xoxo, Kathleen

23 September 2013

Jane Austen Knits patterns now on Ravelry!

I've been a busy bee since the kids went back to school, and now all three of my Jane Austen Knits patterns are available as individual downloads from Ravelry*, Etsy**, and Craftsy!

An Aran for Anne by Kathleen Dames

An Aran for Frederick by Kathleen Dames

Sotherton by Kathleen Dames
*20% off birthday sale on all patterns is still going on until the end of September 2013. Discount automatically applied on Ravelry.
**Use the code BIRTHDAY2013 to get 20% off on Etsy.

17 March 2013

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
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
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
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...]