Free Pattern Friday – Little Hoodie

It’s Free Pattern Friday!

Gray knitted child-sized hoodie on black background

Today, the Little Hoodie in Bella Cash (pattern link).

We love a classic with a twist.  This hoodie is constructed traditionally, in pieces and seamed, but two things make it special: one, the balanced panels on front and back – the ssk and k2tog on right and left panels add a nice symmetry – and two, the yarn.

Back side of knit gray child hoodie

We’re big fans of Bella Cash (230yds/50g).  Its softness and machine washability make it perfect not just for baby garments, but also for adult projects and accessories.  (In fact, in a bit of a coincidence, we released our newest pattern collection today – Small Pleasures, featuring 7 knit accessories in Bella Cash.)

e-book cover titled Small Pleasures showing hands wearing blue knitted fingerless mitts

We’ll be talking more about these beauties in the days to come.  For now, back to today’s free pattern!

Gray children's hoodie knitted in Bella Cash yarn

We’ve sized this from 0-10 years, so you might choose to go with the classic pastels…

or something a little bolder.

Whatever you choose to do, we hope you have a great time knitting this fun hoodie.

Happy crafting!

Schematics 101

Most knit and crochet garment patterns contain a super helpful thing in them called a schematic. Every garment pattern we release contains one of these. If an accessory has a unique construction, we’ll add one there, as well. A good schematic should at minimum incorporate these elements:

  • measurements for most, if not all, lengths/widths/circumference, etc of the item
  • be drawn to proportionally to scale (of course, as garments get larger in size, these proportions will change. I personally draw my schematics based on the smallest size)
  • show a single line drawing/piece for a seamless garment, or separate pieces for a seamed garment, or some combination of the two, depending on construction
  • bonus points for arrows or indications of what direction the various pieces are worked

I’ve had a few recent conversations with knitters who either completely ignored the schematic in a pattern, or were unsure about how to interpret the measurements and other details in them. With this uncertainty, things either went awry, or they lacked the confidence to feel like they were on the right track with their projects.

Right here, right now, I very passionately would like to clear some things up about the Mighty Schematic.

Example #1: Brook Cardigan:

It might be a little overwhelming at first with so many numbers and arrows and lines. But each of those things has a reason for being there, and it’s to help!

First, let’s take a look at the arrows on the drawing. At the very bottom edge, there are two arrows pointing upward. These arrows indicate the direction of knitting. It means you will knit the two front pieces separately to start. And see how they’re joined with a solid line at the neck? At this point you will join the two sides, and knit the back downward in one piece.

Likewise – see the sleeve with the arrow on it? This indicates that stitches are picked up along the side of the body, and the sleeve is knit outward from there.

The pattern notes are another place in a pattern where you can pick up helpful information about the construction of the item. It’s a good idea to read through these in addition to consulting the schematic.

Example #2: Grand Staff Cardi

I’m not going to name names (ah-Krista-em), but one of the folks in customer service is knitting this project in Bamboo Pop, and came to me with concerns a couple of months ago. In fairness, there is a lot going on in this schematic. But the issue Krista was having wasn’t particularly with the construction, as it’s clear from the pattern and pattern notes itself how the construction works.

Krista is a petite thing, so she’s making the small size, which has a finished bust of about 35″. Her concern was that as she was working on her back piece, it was measuring 24″ after casting on. This could be a valid concern – after all, 2 x 24″ would make for a whopping 48″ cardigan which would be much too large for Krista.

She measured gauge and was spot-on, so it wasn’t making sense why her stitches measured so wide on the needle. The detail that eluded Krista: this cardigan is A-line, which means it is wider at the hem than it is at the bust line.

That wide line that’s circled up there – that is the measurement of the back at the cast-on edge. We know this because the line travels the full width of the back. The shorter line below it is the back width at the bust, which is 6″ less wide. Krista had not consulted the schematic, hence her panic. Once we took a look and I assured her she was on the right track, everything went swimmingly. And I can’t wait to see her FO!

Example #3: Tranquil Tee

If you take a close look at the stitch patterns on this tee, you can probably figure out that it’s knit sideways. And if not, no worries – the pattern notes tell you so.

Additionally, the schematic shows exactly how your piece of knitting should look as you’re going along. You start by casting on with a sleeve, which is that rectangle at the bottom (and top) of the above schematic, knitting for 3″, and then casting on more stitches for the front and back of the sweater. The solid horizontal line indicates that this garment is knit in two pieces, and we can see that each piece is identical.

The solid vertical line right in the center is where each half is split for the neck. If you’re knitting along with this project, it might not make sense to split your piece right in the middle and knit the two sides separately. But with the help of the schematic, it helps to make sense of instructions that might not otherwise.

Example #4: Exhilarate

This is a garter stitch shawl, worked modularly. The knitting itself is not difficult, but without a diagram or schematic, it could be confusing to know where to pick up stitches for successive sections.

This drawing is really more of a diagram than a full-on schematic with numbers and things, but I wanted to include it anyway because it illustrates the construction of the piece.

In conclusion: Please don’t forget to look at your schematic! It is there to help, and it wants you to successfully knit your garment.

Do you have any other questions about schematics not mentioned above? Have a frustrating experience of your own about a schematic? I’d love to hear from you!

 

 

 

Free Pattern Friday – Double Square Pillow

It’s Free Pattern Friday!

Tan, light blue, white, and light green mitered square pillow

Today, the Double Square Pillow in Uptown DK Magix (pattern link here).

Many of our LYSes feature an extended family of crafts.  We love seeing the embroidery, weaving, and quilting that’s going on out there.  And it was with quilting in mind that we created the mitered square Double Square Pillow.

Mitered square pillow knit in Uptown DK Magix yarn

Self-patterning Uptown DK Magix adds a modern look with the splash of color changes, while the strong diagonal line of the centered double decreases look like crosshatch quilted lines. You can try planning the color changes specifically to correspond with each mitered square, but we think it’s more fun to just let the colors land where they will. In the sample shown, no care was given to color placement of the Magix color changes.

Tan knitted pillow showing button closure

Solid Uptown DK in stockinette backs the pillow, fastened with buttons for easy removal.  A lovely, easy-care home decor project.

Detail of knit mitered square knitting pattern on pillow

We hope you have an excellent and relaxing weekend.

Happy crafting!

Free Pattern Friday – Oasis Blanket

It’s Free Pattern Friday!

Gray blanket crocheted in Adore yarn with colored granny squares

Today, the Oasis Blanket crocheted in Adore (pattern link here).

The Oasis Blanket gets its name from the bursts of color set into the gray background.

Detail of colored squares in gray crochet background of baby blanket

Each one is an oasis.

Blue, green, and pink granny squares in crochet Oasis Blanket

Worked in Adore (273yds/100g), a soft blend of superwash merino and anti-pilling acrylic, it’s a great piece that’s soft enough for babies but sturdy enough to stand up to the washing machine.

Oasis Blanket draped over chair

Each motif is worked separately, making this a very portable project.  It also makes it easy to adjust the size on this 31″ x 31″ blanket as you wish – add another row of squares or take one away as needed.

Gray crochet blanket draped over chair back

We hope you have a pleasant weekend.

Happy crafting!

Folded gray, pink, green, and blue blanket crocheted in Oasis with lace border

Unity Giveaway Winners

Just a quick shout-out to our winners of our Unity Giveaway,  Susan and Patty. Congratulations, ladies!

Your delicious skeins of Unity are en route to you this very moment. Enjoy!

Thanks to everyone who took the time to leave a comment and learn a little more about this scrumptious yarn. We will certainly be having more contests in the future. Be sure to subscribe to our blog for updates so you don’t miss out on the next one!

Independence Day Giveaway!

Happy Independence Day, y’all!

We came in to the office today feeling patriotic and decided to share the love! From now until the end of July 5th, get a free Little Patriot top from Ravelry with code HAPPY4TH with no spaces. (Pattern link here)

Enter the code where you see the  “use a coupon code” links that appear during purchase.

This is such a cute Bamboo Pop pattern, isn’t it?  Sized 1-12 years, it works for both the little and not-so-little patriot in your life.

You know what makes it even cuter? It’s from an e-book of Bamboo Pop Kid designs… with a matching FREE e-book of doll designs!

Sized to fit 18″ dolls, these are quick tops in Bamboo Pop to use up your odds and ends after knitting the kid projects.

Matching kid and doll?  Too cute!

We’ll be closed for the 4th of July on Wednesday.  Have a safe and happy Independence Day.

Happy crafting!

Free Pattern – Independence Tank

What are you wearing for Independence Day?

Yorkshire Terrier dog in red white and blue costume
“Woof!”
Baby goat kid in American patriotic ribbon
“Naaaah!”
cat in American patriotic costume and goggle
“When I get out of this I will kill you.”

How about a brand new free pattern?

woman in red white and blue striped tank top knit in Flax

The Independence Tank in Flax (pattern link here).

Cool and light, 100% linen Flax is a great choice for summer projects.

Red, White, and Blue for Independence Day.

Knit front and back pieces from side to side, then join.

Independence Day tank made in Flax, worn by young woman

Add a few stockinette rows for a rolled edge.  Presto, a lightweight top perfect for a day out, or a night watching fireworks.  This would look awfully cute any other day of the year, too, in whatever colors you like.

Detail of linen tank top knitted in Fibra Natura Flax

We hope you have a fantastic Independence Day.  And if you’re going to spend it outdoors, don’t forget your sunscreen – and a hat!

Alpaca draped in American flag
“Why yes, I do look fabulous.”