Scrumptious Selene

Look at this! Two posts in one week!

During the Christmas holidays, I spent a lot of time sitting around at the in-laws' watching TV. Which, of course, meant knitting time. Which was great, because I was behind on knitting a sample for Darn It & Stitch and really just needed one big block of time to finish the thing.

Here's Selene, this time knit in Fyberspates Scrumptious dk in a solid colour:


The original sample was knit in Fyberspates Superwash Merino dk, in a variegated colour, which looked great when worn. However, the variegated-ness photographed badly, and also, my photography skills, being what they were (i.e., nonexistent), did not help matters. I'd actually been meaning to knit another sample because I really think this is a great, versatile pattern that wasn't getting the attention it deserved. So when Jo at Darn It & Stitch started stocking Fyberspates and asked for a display sample, I was happy to finally get the push I needed to do it.


This sample, in a solid colour, looks great. You all know I am a big fan of Scrumptious anyway, but here it really shows off the lace- it's perfect.

I knit the sample in the smallest size and used almost exactly 4 skeins of the dk, and didn't even have to frog the swatch! However, I would definitely advise buying 5 skeins, just in case.

The lace and wide v-neck of the pattern makes the garment pretty stretchy. I'm wearing the pullover with 3 inches / 7.5cm of negative ease and the dress form has 6 inches / 15cm of negative ease! However, I really wouldn't recommend going that extreme- especially as Selene is designed to go over another layer. Pick the size closest to your bust measurement, and round down if you're in between sizes. If you plan to wear anything bulkier than a button-up "proper" shirt under it, then you might round up if in between sizes.


The V is meant to hit just below the bust, and shows up higher on the dress form because of the negative ease.

Selene will be printed up and available to buy at Darn It & Stitch as soon as I figure out which picture to put on it. What do you think? Modelled pic on me, or the dress form pic?

Tamesis Cowl

Okay, this is the latest and last design for a while, I think...I don't have any in the active pipeline, but hopefully will get my act together and change that.

Do you have one skein of that something special? Here's the project for you:


My first non-garment pattern, this is the Tamesis Cowl. Given the River Thames' old name, this pattern twists and turns and has a little of everything. A bit of lace, a bit of cabling, and twisted stitches everywhere. It's knit in the round and is the perfect quick project.


I've written this pattern for two different weights of yarn: chunky/bulky and light Aran/heavy DK. In truth, however, it is easily customisable to be knit with almost any size yarn to almost any finished size, just by doing more or fewer repeats. The pattern is fully charted, as well as written out line-by-line for those who prefer to work one way or the other.

This green one is knit in Fyberspates Scrumptious Chunky, and is beautifully soft, with enough body to stand up for itself when worn.

This pattern was test-knitted by the loverly Helen and Tineke and so I have other versions to show you.


Helen knit hers in Fyberspates Scrumptious as well, but in the Aran weight. The resulting cowl is also butter-soft, but you can see the thinner weight gives the cowl a good drape.



For those who prefer their wool woolly, Tineke knit hers in Blacker Designs' 100% wool Aran. It turns out to have nearly the same dimensions as the Aran-weight Scrumptious, but as you can see, has enough body to keep your ears warm, should you wish:


Tamesis costs £2.50 and is available to buy on Ravelry, or with the "Buy Now" button at the bottom of this post.

Details
Green cowl:
circumference: 38 cm / 15 inches
height: 20.5 cm / 8 inches
Fyberspates Scrumptious Chunky (45% silk / 55% merino, 122m / 100g), 1 skein
US 8/5.0mm dpns or circulars for magic looping

Blue cowl:
circumference: 57cm / 22 inches
height: 23.5cm / 9 inches
yarn: Fyberspates Scrumptious Aran (45% silk / 55% merino, 165m / 100g), 1 skein
needles: US 4 /3.5mm dpns or circulars for magic looping

Pink cowl:
circumference : 54 cm / 21.5 inches
height: 22 cm / 8.5 inches
yarn: Blacker Designs Aran (100% wool, 55m / 50g), 1 skein
needles: US 6/4.0mm dpns or circulars for magic looping

Tension (not super important for a cowl!)
Bulky: 27 sts and 18.5 rnds = 4inches/10cm in twisted cable pattern
Aran: 25 sts and 23 rnds = 4inches/10cm in twisted cable pattern

Circe Vest

Meet Circe, the last of my set of designs for Fyberspates. Lots of twisted cables, with a deep twisted rib hem.

Designed to be be worn over a shirt or blouse, this vest is office-friendly and will perk up any outfit. The deep scoop neck is flattering on most bodies, and the wide ribbing and fitted waist ensure that your shape won't be lost. It's designed to be worn with close to zero ease, so knit the size closest to your measurements. The vest is knit in the round up to the underarm and scoop neck, The cables are knit with twisted stitches. There are more bust increases on the front of the vest than the back, to accommodate your shape better.



The bust shaping is all figured out for you, so that the increases are incorporated into the cable pattern without you having to work out what goes where.

Oh, charts as well as written instructions are included. This is a 14-page pattern, but the charts and written instructions take up literally half those pages.



I really love this vest.* I love how simple it looks, how the twisted cables are interesting but not too busy. I love how the ribbing flows smoothly into the cabling. I love how you can wear it with everything. And it comes in eleven sizes!

Details:
Finished measurements
30.25 (33.75, 35.5, 39, 40.75, 44.25, 46, 47.75, 51, 53, 54.5) inches at bust; 77 (85.5, 90, 99, 103.5, 112, 116.5, 121, 130, 134.5, 139) cm at bust

Yarn
Fyberspates Bluefaced Leicester DK (100% wool, 220m per 100g skeins): 3 (4, 4, 4, 5, 5, 5, 6, 7, 7, 7) skeins

Needles
3.5mm/ US 4, or size needed to get gauge, 24 inch / 60 cm circulars

Tension
27 sts/33 rows = 10cm/4 inches in cable pattern; 0.9 inch / 2.2 cm per horizontal cable repeat; 2.9 inches / 7.3cm per vertical cable repeat

This is available for £4.00, from the "Buy Now" button at the bottom of this post, from Ravelry, and soon from Fyberspates.



*Incidentally, I'm know the word "vest" means different things in British and American English, so if someone has any ideas on how to easily identify this article of clothing so that everyone knows what it is, I'm all ears.

Lookit me go!

All right, folks, number three of four designs for Fyberspates. Meet Arachne.


A lightweight, go-with-everything cardigan in a classic shape, with the addition of just enough lace to make it interesting to wear and knit. The lace motif kinda reminded me of spider webs, hence the name.


Worked in one piece up to the armholes, with set-in sleeves knit in the round, the only seaming is sewing the sleeves to the body. The bottom edge of the body and the edges of the sleeves are hemmed to give a clean finished look.


The lace is fully charted and continues on across the back. There's also a single motif at the wrists...wouldn't want you to get bored with all that plain stockinette!


The collar is finished simply with attached i-cord. The button bands are knit as hems, so are double thickness and present a smooth stockinette face.


One of the sad things about knitting these designs is that all the samples go to Jeni. But I love Arachne so much that I was reaching for more Scrumptious 4-ply with one hand as I gave her the sample with the other. I've got some in darker blue/purple that is going to be gorgeous. And it only takes 3 skeins of the stuff for the smaller sizes!

Details:
Finished chest/bust size: 31 (34, 37, 40, 43, 46, 49, 52, 55) inches at bust
78.5 (86.5, 94, 101.5, 109, 117, 124.5, 132, 139.5) cm at bust
Requirements:
Yarn: Fyberspates Scrumptious 4-ply (55% merino wool / 45% silk, 365m per 100g skeins):
3 (3, 3, 4, 4, 4, 5, 5, 5) skeins
Needles: 3.5mm / US4 straight needles, or size needed to get gauge; 3.0mm / US2 straight needles;
3.5mm / US4 dpns for attached i-cord and sleeves (or magic loop them)
Notions: stitch markers, stitch holders or waste yarn
Tension: 24.5 sts & 40 rows per 4 inches / 10cm in stockinette stitch
Cost: £4.00

Available to buy from Ravelry, from the Fyberspates site soon, and with the Buy Now button at the bottom of this post.

Selene Pullover

I'm happy to release the second of four designs I've done for Fyberspates. This is Selene.

An easy-to-knit, easy-to-wear lace v-neck raglan. Wide ribbing, simple lace, easy shaping- I've tried to make it fun to knit as well as fun to wear.


The body and sleeves are knit in the round and then joined for the yoke, so there's no seaming. The ribbed neckline is picked up and knit after the body is done. Subtle waist shaping is achieved by changing needle sizes.

Because the v-neck gives lots of room at the bust and the lace is stretchy, knit the size closest to your bust measurement.

It's modelled here by my lovely friend Joana. We had lots of fun at the "photo shoot".

Details:

Finished measurements: 30 (33, 36, 39, 42, 45, 48, 51, 54, 57) inches at bust; 76 (84, 91.5, 99, 106.5, 114.5, 122, 129.5, 137, 145) cm at bust

Yarn: Fyberspates Superwash Merino dk (100% merino wool, 220m per 100g skeins): 5 (5, 6, 6, 6, 7, 7, 8, 8, 9) skeins

Gauge: 1.5 inches / 3.8 cm per horizontal lace repeat; 1.4 inches / 3.6 cm per vertical lace repeat

Needles: 4.5mm / US7, or size needed to get gauge, 24 inch / 60 cm circulars; 3.5mm / US4 24-inch / 60 cm circulars; 4.5mm / US7 dpns for sleeves (or magic loop them)

Notions: stitch markers, stitch holders or waste yarn

Price: £4.00

You can buy it from Ravelry, or with the "Buy Now" button at the bottom of this post. It will also be available from the Fyberspates shop site soon.

Mongkok Cardigan (again!)

With the imminent disappearance of The Inside Loop, I have to re-jig my Mongkok Cardigan pattern and republish it. I figure it's as good a time as any to think about the layout of my patterns and get them into better shape. With that in mind, I've re-done Mongkok with what I hope is a more professional look and feel. Over the next few weeks, I'll gradually re-do all my patterns in this new format. If you have an opinion about what you consider good pattern layout or have a pet hate about them, I'd love to hear it!


Mongkok is now available as a free download on Ravelry, and also here, for those not on Rav.

Hera Jacket pattern up for sale

The Hera Jacket is up for sale on both the Fyberspates website and Ravelry.


(Click on pictures to biggerize.)

This jacket is all about texture and shape, both kept simple and wearable. The nubbly, woven-like fabric is made with the easy-to-work rosette stitch. The swingy shape can be worn open, or closed with a belt knitted in the same yarn, or with a store-bought belt.

The body is worked in one piece, and the sleeves worked in the round, so the only seaming is at the armholes. For a professional, finished look, all edges are hemmed with fold-over, knit-as-you-go hems.

Hera is a great cover-up for when the days start getting chilly. The wool/silk blend of the Scrumptious yarn is warm and soft and really pops in the textured pattern.

The fronts of the jacket overlap, so one size will fit a wide range of bodies. This is also meant to go over other clothing, so choose a size with a couple of inches of ease.

Finished measurements: 36.5 (40.75, 44.75, 48.75, 52.75, 57.25, 61.25) inches at bust, including 3-inch overlap on jacket fronts; 18 (18, 19, 19, 20, 20, 20) inches long from hem to underarm;
92.5 (103.5, 114, 124, 134, 145, 155.5) cm at bust, including 8 cm overlap on jacket fronts; 46 (46, 48, 48, 51, 51, 51) cm long from hem to underarm

Yarn: Fyberspates Scrumptious Chunky (45% silk/55% merino wool, 122m per 100g skeins): 13 (14, 16, 17, 18, 19, 21) skeins

Gauge: 20 sts / 22 rows = 4 inches / 10 cm in rosette st pattern

Needles: 4.5mm/US 7, or size needed to get gauge, 40 inch / 100 cm circulars; 3.5 mm/US 4 40 inch / 100 cm circulars.

Notions: removable stitch markers, stitch holders or waste yarn.

The pattern is an 8-page PDF with clear schematics and finished measurements for 7 sizes.

The pattern is available for £4 and you can buy from the Fyberspates site, from Ravelry, and by clicking the "Buy Now" button on the blog here.

Tailored Tweed Dress

Have you checked out the new issue of Knotions yet?! If not, go now!

It's only the second issue of Knotions, but Jody's done such a great job with it- the patterns are really fabulous. And I say that not only because this lovely gem is in it:


Tailored Tweed Dress
Yarn: Commodum Aran Tweed
Needles: 3.5mm circulars
Pattern: my own! Available in the Winter 2008 issue of Knotions

Notes: Okay, I can hear the chorus: A knitted dress?! But, honestly, people, you will look good in this dress. I have done absolutely everything I can think of to make sure this dress fits and flatters.


This dress features:
A-line skirt: This shape of skirt looks great on virtually everyone. It skims your hips, and doesn't hug in inappropriate places.

Ribbed waist: The waist on this dress is ribbed and shaped. If you're one of those lucky women with an hourglass figure (like Audrey in these pictures), it will show it off. If you're like me and have the perfect 34-34-34 figure, it will give you a waist.


Shaping by darts: so that the dress is even vaguely woman-shaped, I have used decreases and increases in paired darts instead of just at the sides. At the back hips, I put in darts to nip in the waist. At the bust, I have put in darts at the front because, let's face it, you're carrying a bit more width at the front there than at the back, eh? (Even me!)

Slipped stitch lines: I've put in slipped stitch lines as fake "seams" to have some slimming vertical lines for the eye.

Adjustable length: Though this dress is designed to be knee-length, I know that this is different for everyone. (Oh, don't I know about height issues!) So I've written the pattern in a way that lets you decide your perfect skirt length and knit to that length.

So now that I've convinced you that you would look awesome in this dress, what's in it for you as a knitter?
Knit in the round: 'Nuff said.

Aran-weight yarn: so you're not knitting a bazillion stitches per round, but it doesn't add unacceptable bulk to the wearer. Also, this is a pretty easy weight for substitution.


Herringbone edges: I got bored of ribbed, garter, and moss-stitch edges. The herringbone is interesting.


So, go on! You know you want to!

The closest thing to actually going to Hong Kong?

Well, hey, look what's in the newest issue of The Inside Loop:


Mongkok Cardigan
Yarn: Rowan Kid Classic, 7 balls
Needles: 4.0mm
Pattern: my own! Available here at The Inside Loop

Background: I actually knit this last year during the last months in Dublin. I wrote up the pattern, but was having lots of trouble with grading the waffle brioche pattern on the bib for different sizes. The math just didn't want to cooperate, which is rare for me. But I really liked the bib detail and wanted to put it into a pattern.


That's how the Pintuck T-shirt came about. Mindful of the math-wrestling, I chose a simple twisted rib for the bib in the t-shirt, and managed to work through the sizing with few problems.

After that was done, I went back and took a fresh look at the Mongkok Cardigan. I tried a different way of knitting the bib, and found that the math came a teeny bit easier with that change. While I was at it, I re-wrote several other major parts of the pattern.


Have you ever tried to reconstruct a knit six months after you knit it? There was lots and lots of swatching. So much so that I could probably have just knit another cardi.

Notes: This will make a great, versatile cardigan for chillier weather. It's cozily fuzzy in this mohair, but plain wool would give a lovely, classic look. If you want a really fancy, evening-appropriate cover-up, this would be unbeatable in silk.

Like nearly all my knits, this piece is an exercise in short rows. Armscye, back and front necklines are done in short rows, so no extra finishing on those edges.


Edges are hemmed to give a clean, finished look. Unlike the Pintuck T-shirt, the bib here is knit as you go on the cardigan fronts. There's no bind-off then picking up of stitches to work the bib later.


I really like this cardi, and I'm so happy I have the chance to share it through The Inside Loop.

Summer's here!

Pintuck t-shirt
Yarn: Rowan Bamboo Soft, 6 balls, from Soton John Lewis
Needles: 3.0mm circular Addis
Pattern: my own! Available here, and on Ravelry if you have access

Notes: An exercise to update and feminize the good old t-shirt. Knit in the round, with the cap sleeves picked up around the armscye and knit down using short rows, so no seaming on this one.

The pintuck bib incorporates a dressmaking detail that I love. This detail is picked up in the twisted rib at the hems.

Shaping is done by paired increases and decreases knit as front and back darts. The hem is slightly rounded, again using short rows.

As I've said before, I dig the bamboo yarn. When I was swatching for this one, I tried lots of different yarns, but I just love the softness and drape of bamboo so much I went for it again. The bamboo does stretch slightly from the weight of the finished object, so it ended up a little longer than I'd envisioned. I took this into account when I swatched, so it's not too bad, even after I wore it all day for the picture shoot. I do intend to put in two stabilizing crochet "seams" later, though.


If this weather keeps up, I'll be wearing this lots this summer.

Horseshoes Cardigan redux

As some of you may know, MagKnits has imploded recently. It has stopped publishing and no longer hosts any of the patterns it published over the last four years. As a result, my Horseshoes Cardigan pattern, originally published in the October 2007 issue, can now be found, for free, here, or as a download at Ravelry.

If there are other MagKnits patterns you may want, you can still get most of them by Googling the name and then clicking on "cached" in the results. You can also try the WayBack Machine. As well, a lot of designers on Ravelry have made them available there, or you can always contact the designer directly.

Some notes on Horseshoes Cardigan

I've had a trawl through the web and thought I'd address some of the thoughts people have had on the Horseshoes Cardigan. I've really enjoyed reading what people have to say about the pattern, so I hope this is useful (if people who want to knit the cardigan actually find this blog!).

1. Sleeves- this would look great with long sleeves. I would have put in long sleeves, except -you guessed it- I didn't have enough yarn. I wouldn't even bother putting in shaping; knit straight and block to the required trapezoid shape. Or keep the straight shape for a swingier sleeve.



2. Sizing- I realize the smallest size is a 36 inch / 91.5 cm bust measurement. This was just how the math came out. However, in the photos, I'm wearing the smallest size and my bust measurement is 34 inches / 86 cm. And there is no ease. How have I achieved this? Through the minor miracle of blocking- I simply blocked the cardigan to my size. Lace is stretchy and looks nice in a range of stretchednesses (look! I made up a word!), so it's easy to block the finished garment to a couple inches smaller or larger than the stated sizes. Just remember not to block the ribbing too much.

3. Length- It's easy to make this longer or shorter. For more length, knit more ribbing or add a few vertical repeats of the lace before you start armscye / neck shaping. For shorter, knit less ribbing..


4. I really like to use short rows for the shaping when I can. The neckline was done with short rows, so there's a nice, even straight edge, and you don't have to go over it with a crochet hook or anything. It's finished as you knit.

Why, lookie here

Horseshoes Cardigan
Yarn: Debbie Bliss Pure Silk
Needles: 2.5 mm

Pattern: my own, found at Magknits! (Eeeee!)

I wasn't entirely sure Magknits were going to publish this until a few days before the October issue went live, and then I saw it just as we were preparing to fly over to the UK to go flat-hunting, so I haven't had time to let it sink in yet!

I'm totally excited about it. The pattern editor must have superpowers or something, because her re-worked version makes a million times more sense than the original I had sent in. I do wish I had gotten better pictures, but, well, photographing knits and yarn, modelling clothes, setting up shoots, it's all an art that I still have yet to acquire any talent in.

I'd love to hear any comments, questions, rants, etc., so please feel free to contact me about the pattern!

Having said that, though, I haven't looked at any of the knitting forums to see what the reaction has been. I'm slightly frightened, because sometimes people are merciless, but if I wasn't told what isn't good, how am I supposed to improve? So I'll go and check now. Cross your fingers.