It’s Free Pattern Friday!
Today, Contented Socks in Angora Lace (pattern link here).
Recently we shared an article called “The Modern Trap of Turning Hobbies into Hustles.” It struck home with a lot of people. The pressure to turn our joy into dollar signs is real, and people were glad to have the reassurance that it’s not just them, and that your craft can be just for you to enjoy, with no pressure to make it “useful” in the monetary sense.
Angora Lace color 105 Paradise
I’ve had this experience many times, and I’ll bet you’ve had a similar one: I was making socks while waiting for my deli order to be ready, and the person behind the counter said, “hey, could you make me a pair, too?”
My stock answer now is, “No, but I can teach you how!” So far, there have been no takers.
Enter: the Contented Socks.
I do love a good heel flap.
I tend to make socks for other people – my spouse, my child, my parents… but it’s been a while since I made a pair just for myself. When I felt a ball of Angora Lace and realized how soft it was, I knew it was meant for me. I am every bit as knitworthy as the people dearest to me.
With that in mind, I decided on my favorite construction – toe-up, heel flap, but with a slip-stitch heel instead of my usual eye-of-partridge. I like the way the columns look with the stripes in the yarn.
For the leg, a simple four-row lace repeat. I will say – this lace pattern is stretchy, so in coming back around from the foot to the leg, if you have small ankles you might want to drop down by a multiple of 4 stitches. Either way, in knitting these, I had about 1/3 of a ball left over – probably enough to get a pair of ankle socks out of.
There are plenty of multi colors to choose from, as well as solids. And I really do recommend this yarn – it’s like holding a cloud.
I hope you find time to take joy in the things you do, not because someone else gives you permission to do so, but because you know your worth.
May you find both the small joys and big happiness.
We sent out a newsletter letting folks know about our Bamboo Pop-along, and got back a cute note from Sheep’s Clothing in Kennewick, WA. They’re snowed in – Bamboo Pop tees aren’t exactly on their radar right now!
Oh, the weather outside is frightful…
Yikes! We feel for our friends to the North! While we’re enjoying Bamboo Pop, can we share a big, warm, fluffy hug with you?
There there.
This is the Warmth Stole in Revolutions (free pattern link here). There should be a picture of this next to “snuggly” in the dictionary.
Lace for miles
Things to love:
It’s on size 10 1/2 (6.5mm) needles, to help this mammoth stole go quickly
The lace is a simple 10-row 10-stitch repeat that you’ll quickly get the hang of
So pretty.
You could go with 101 Port shown in the pattern picture…
Pin by Jul Designs
…or pick something more monochrome or vibrant. It’s up to you.
Regardless, we hope everyone stays safe and warm. Happy crafting!
Normally this would be where I’d make some joke about it being cold, but at this point, the weather’s a bit beyond that. Anytime people are being advised “avoid taking deep breaths, and minimise talking” while outside, that’s serious.
So maybe it’s time to hunker down, stay in, and make something bulky out of wool.
The Alpine Wrap is a great mix of lace and big yarn – thick enough to wrap around and bundle up in, or to wear loose as a beautiful accessory.
This gorgeous wrap is more than 6 feet long, but it goes by quickly – and it’s much easier than you might think!
The lace is varied, but it’s composed of basic stitches. If you can single and double crochet, you can make this.
Work the middle widthwise in rows. Then make the three color border in rounds, along all sides of the center. And because you’re using Deluxe Bulky Superwash wool on a US Size M/N (9 mm) hook, it’s going to grow quickly.
Designer Rachel Brockman chose to go with neutrals accented by 925 Adobe, a muted take on the 2019 Color of the Year that works well in this substantial piece.
However, while you could easily make this with four colors as shown, you could also use just one, or any number you wish. I’m a big fan of cool tones, so maybe Honeydew, Pulp, and Petrol Blue?
913 Honeydew, 928 Pulp, 914 Petrol Blue
Everybody, please have a safe, warm, cozy weekend.
In what feels like no time at all, January has nearly passed and February is already upon us. With that in mind, and with freezing temperatures outside, we’d like to warm your heart with something special.
Remember the Be Mine Shawl? It was our 2018 Valentine’s Day project (link to blog post here). We’re excited to share that it has been knit up in a fresh combination of colors – one that reminds us of the transition from the icy winter to first signs of spring peeking through the snow.
Fibra Natura Papyrus has become a well-loved yarn, and for good reason! It’s a luxurious blend of ultra-soft cotton and silk. The muted palette is perfect for delicate projects, and we particularly enjoy using it for lace, twisted stitches, and textured patterns. The new sample features Cloud as the main color, Lily Pad and Ether for the contrasting heart repeats, and Tempest for a pop between each lace repeat.
Just look at that lovely drape!
Although I design with pink, it’s not actually one of my favorite colors. Don’t get me wrong, it is a fine color, but it’s earth tones and autumnal colors that I’m most drawn to. In any case, I love this crisp, new color combination. It’s a nice change. Plus, I love seeing our designs knit in different colors. Sometimes knitters are tempted to stick to the original sample – but with all the possible color combinations, I have to ask why?
Swatching is an excellent way to play with color.
Play with different colors when you’re visiting your local yarn shop. Put them side by side – add a color, subtract a color, try something unexpected – you never know what lovely combinations you might create. Even if your yarn shop doesn’t carry the color you’re looking for, they’re usually very happy to order a color for you. Visit our website (link) if you want to plan your color combinations before paying a visit to your LYS. Whatever colors you come up with, we hope you’ll share images of your beautiful shawls with us!
Designer Rachel Brockman pulls out all the stops for today’s pattern!
The theme here is magma, and nature lover Rachel takes it to its fullest extent. The stripes at the top represent bands of igneous rock pushed up by the force from beneath…
…while the lace below represents the flow of semi-solid lava.
The fuzzy fiber blend in Amphora ensures that this shawl will keep you warm – but not lava-hot!
Best, since the shawl is based on the garter stitch, it’s aesthetically reversible and pleasing on both sides. A big, beautiful winner of a design!
This generously sized stole/shawl/scarf is knit in one piece from one end to the other. It uses Deluxe Chunky in my favorite heathered shade of gray, #91903 Charcoal Heather. On a size 10 needle, this is a project that isn’t going to take until next winter, either.
This project goes to show that rectangles do not have to be boring! The lace pattern in the main body of this stole uses centered double decreases which create angles on both cast-on and bind-off edges. The garter edging on each side also forms points, which brings me to the next thing I love about this piece – it is so easy to block!
To block, the easiest method is to use blocking wires and pins. You could also use pins by themselves on a blocking board. But I find it’s much easier to use the wires because I can stretch the item more evenly.
Because all four edges of the stole have points on them, I ran wires through the tips of these points, and then pinned my wires to a blocking board which stretched the whole thing out evenly. It’s almost always very important to block lace in order to open up the fabric, and also to even out the stitchwork.
Never used blocking wires before? This might be a good project to get started! I bet your LYS carries them – just ask!
Remember, you can find Series 2 of the 12 Days of Winter Kit patterns on Ravelry.
I love cables. More than lace, more than mosaic, more than a dozen other techniques, cables just embody knitting for me. When you pair them with a good quality wool, even better. And when you make it a chunky wool so you can see your progress grow quickly, that’s a home run. So with no further ado, four popular cabled projects in our Deluxe Chunky 100% wool!
Honestly, I am forever astonished that this is a free pattern. It’s just gorgeous, and filled with the excellent attention to detail that Amy Gunderson brings to all her designs.
Take a look at those saddle shoulders. They let the cables run unbroken from cuff to collar.
The moss stitch underside is where alterations for size are made, to avoid disturbing the bold and beautiful Dueling Cables design.
This one was made in Deluxe Chunky 91904 Pomegranate Heather, but I keep thinking of going green, maybe with 61635 Deep Jungle which has a bit of blue as well.
This isn’t a free pattern, but it has remained a top 5 bestseller since its release. Take a closer look and see why!
Sized Small to 2X/3X, the poncho is fastened with two buttons on each side. You get good range of motion without looking like you’re swallowed up.
Lace is married to cables for the main body design – the best of two techniques joined together!
This is a pattern from Amy Gunderson. Here she is posing in the Catawba River Poncho she knitted for herself, so you can see how it falls. Really lovely!
We offered this scarf as a kit at the holidays last year, then as a paid pattern after the first of this year.
If you like cabling, but maybe not all over, or if you want to try it out in small doses, this is a great project. The pines at both ends that give the scarf its name are cabled, but the background and borders are seed stitch and reverse stockinette. Deluxe Chunky on US size 10 (6mm) needles goes fairly quickly in this simple, pretty scarf.
I made my own Rutherford Beret in Deluxe Chunky color 91467 Tulipwood, and I can tell you it’s an easy one-hank pattern. The cables are all single twists. And how cute is that little i-cord loop at the top? Easy to pull it off and hang it up by the door.
We had someone here in the office do a two-color version. Neat idea!
We hope these designs provide a little knitspiration.
Are you ever in the mood for some instant gratification, but with a little extra interest? Two words: chunky lace. We’ve got four projects here – two knit and two crochet – that you can finish in a flash.
Let’s start with the very quickest – the Chunky Lace Beanie in Deluxe Chunky (pattern link here). This was originally designed for a quick little free e-book of hats with pom-poms called Hot Hats. However, the detailing on the crown is awfully nice, so after its release, the original knitter reclaimed it, cut off the pompom, and now wears it every winter.
This quick lace topper takes just one ball of Deluxe Chunky 100% wool. 120 yards + US size 10 needles and you’re done. There are 122 (and counting) shades of Deluxe Chunky. Your LYS can help you find a color that’s perfect for you.
We mentioned Deluxe Chunky’s array of colors for the last pattern, but this one goes in the opposite direction.
It uses color 50004, Pewter Undyed Natural. The color here is the color of the sheep it came from. It’s a charming, rustic look that would work well with dresses or blue jeans.
The lace works up quickly on US size 11 (8mm) needles. Fringe finishes it off.
Wear it wide, or fold it in half for a scarf with a lot of depth. Fabulous.
This puff-stitch scarf is worked end to end. Shorten or lengthen it by changing the number in the beginning chain. Three colors of Deluxe Bulky Superwash play together – three balls of main color 932 Icy Gray, and one each of 913 Honeydew and 933 Sweatshirt Gray.
Such a sculptural, wrappable, wearable piece. Very impressive.
We’re pushing the boundaries of “lace” here, but this one is so quick and easy. Just one skein of self-striping Uptown Bulky Amplify and a N-15 (10mm) hook make this strikingly colorful piece.
We pulled the cowl down over the shoulders here so you could see how it’s constructed a little better. Really, it’s back bar half double crochet all the way around, row after row until you feel done. Super quick, but it gives the finished piece an almost knitted look. Neat!
In a couple of weeks, we’ll be looking at some fabulous cabled projects in bulky yarn. They rank among our most popular projects!
It’s that time of year again! With very mixed feelings, we send our little ones off to school. We might be old hands at the transition, or it might be our very first time. It’s almost guaranteed, though, that they’ve grown since last year. Fortunately, we have a collection of kids’ tops to get you through the warm-to-cool transition, in a multitude of sizing!
The Cotton True Kids Collection, featuring 6 knitting projects for kids (Ravelry e-book link here).
All are sized 1-12, and are made in Fibra Natura Cotton True Sport, a smooth and soft 100% Pima cotton. (We know we have a lot of Bella Cash fans out there too, so we’ll mention that the gauge between the two yarns should match to a T.)
And speaking of tees (pardon my puns!)…
The Begonia Lace Tee (Ravelry link) is worked from the bottom up in pieces.
This sweet lace-shoulder tee would look pretty over a skirt, too. Not too frou-frou, but still a good way to dress up a plain outfit. A nice piece! (Note: autocorrect wanted to call this “a niece piece” and now I’m wondering if I have a niece who would like this. Hmm..)
Next up, Catkin (Ravelry link) is a pocketed smocked smock (say that five times fast).
Catkin is made in two pieces, tacked together under the arms and joined at the shoulder with buttons. Easy to get on and off without having to work a wiggling preschooler’s head through the neckhole. It has handy pockets: I am instantly reminded of Eeyore’s birthday gift of “a useful pot to put things in.” Even better from a parent’s point of view, Cotton True Sport is machine washable. Easy to clean after a grand adventure.
The Climbing Vine Cardigan (Ravelry link) is a classic with some inspired touches.
Number one: pockets. Yes. Thank you. As a parent, I have had to tuck away many a souvenir (four-leaf clover, beach shell, random rock) to carry myself. How much nicer for a child to carry their own tiny treasure.
Number two: The way the little vines grow out of the pockets, like they’re rising from a flowerpot. Adorable.
Number three: buttons! This is the piece that brought home to me how you can make a piece understated or bold, just by changing one detail. Cute with a capital C.
Lacy Leaves (Ravelry link) is a sophisticated lace-front vest (shown here in kid size 4). We do recommend that you be able to “read” your knitting and be familiar with charts to make this one.
The lace pattern is charted only, because each size (1-12) has its own chart encompassing the entire front. You’ll also want to be able to maintain stitches in pattern at the armholes and neck, hence the “read your knitting” recommendation. Hopefully, this didn’t scare anyone – once you get started in this pattern, it’s not hard to see what’s going on.
Whee! The Striped Lily Tee (Ravelry link) gets its fun texture from reverse stockinette.
The tee is worked from the bottom up and seamed, and features raglan shaping. This would be great for warm weather, or as an extra “peel off” layer over a thin long-sleeved top.
The Sweet Lilac Hoodie (Ravelry link) is awfully cute in the 4-year size shown, but it would also give plenty of room to a diaper-bottomed toddler.
The way the lace hem coordinates with the i-cord ties is darling. Is it too soon to be thinking about Easter? This could be a really cute holiday gift that will still be wearable in the Spring.
Hit your LYS, grab some yarn, and put all that extra time to good use. I can hear all the parents and caregivers yelling, “What extra time??” We feel you – but try to find time to knit!
