Back From Classic Elite

I'm back from Massachusetts, and had a fabulous visit at Classic Elite Yarns.  As you might think, it's nothing short of knitter's heaven.  Wandering their halls, seeing samples, skeins, sketches, and of course lots of great people made me think I'd walked through the looking glass to the perfect wonderland.

If you haven't been, they're in Lowell, MA in the historic mill district.  Their building is a treasure of a place, and huge!  It's now home to dozens of artist studios, a musicians' studio and music school, a restaurant, their entire company, a yarn shop, and more.  This is several city blocks' worth of interconnected real estate with an 1890's feeling.  Really amazing.  Their "Hub Mills" yarn shop is chock full of their yarns as well as several other very high-end brands making for shopper heaven.  I particularly loved the cashmere display with 6 shelves of cubbies!  I could have died happy just with the shopping.

On to the office of Betsy Perry, the President and sole owner of CEY.  She is a cheerfully dynamic woman, and welcomed me warmly into her office. Her office has huge windows original to the historic building forming one wall, making for a spacious, naturally lit workspace.   Well-placed industrial antiques and turn-of-the-century knitting accessories gave the otherwise efficient room a clear personality and purpose.  We visited about Lowell and her company for a few minutes before getting down to work. 

I showed some sketches of patterns for their recently-added Verde Collection of eco-friendly yarns, and Betsy was very supportive.  We decided to work on a project together with a long ramp-up period. And then it happened.

Judy, an employee charged with trunk show and designer management responsibilities, brought in the fall color cards for Woodland and Chesapeake (limited color cards below).  OMG!  Woodland is a DK wool with nettles, a natural moth and bug retardant.  It's soft with a slight halo, and a faintly marled color absorption.  It comes in cozy, cottage-y colors that are heavenly.  Chesapeake is a worsted 50/50 blend of cotton and merino in richly saturated colors with a distinct marle.  With its high cotton content, it exhibits excellent stitch definition.


Chesapeake -

5903 Mephisto

5904 Scuba Blue

5912 Meyer Lemon

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5920 Oxford

5925 Tokyo Rose

5938 Bracken

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5948 Bronte Blue

5949 Arabian Night

5955 Shanghai Red

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5957 True Blue

5979 Catawba Grape

5981 Tendril Green

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5985 Mandarin Orange

5995 Rosetti Purple

5998 Metro Green

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Woodland -

3101 Ivory

3103 Silver

3138 Bracken

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3148 Prussian Blue

3150 Sunshine

3155 Carnelian Red

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3175 Charcoal

3177 Ash

3185 Orange

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3192 Celestial

3195 Violet

3197 Fern

 

It's an abundance of riches to have so many exciting yarns in wonderful colors at hand.  Where to start?  After some deliberation I realized I can start anywhere.  It's all that good.

Sheep Square Washcloth

Here's a new square based on the Knitter's Mitten pattern I posted awhile back.  It's a Baa Baa Black Sheep theme that would make a nice baby blanket square, maybe with the Hickory Dickory Square and some of the others. 

This square is 38 stitches wide by 50 rows tall , using a worsted weight and size US 7 needles, or a DK weight and size US 5 needles.  As a baby blanket square I would do this in colorwork to emphasize the Black Sheep of it all.

Grey squares represent purling on the RS, knitting on the WS.

White squares represent knitting on the RS, purling on the WS.



Freebie Friday - Annika Mittens

I've been looking for a Nordic looking pattern in multiple colors,with a rounded top, and haven't found what I'm looking for, so of course I had to design one.  I named it for my Swedish friend Cindy's daughter, who is adorable and charming. 

I went back and forth on whether to make a thumb gusset, and saw that most Nordic looking patterns don't have thumb gussets, so I skipped it.  For now.  I'm not sure I won't add one in the future as I knit these up.  If I do, I'll add it to this page for you so you'll have a choice.

Annika Mittens

Materials
Cascade Yarns 220 Sport

 Main Color - White
CC1 - Brown
CC2 - Red
CC3 - Green
CC4 - Blue

Size 5 needles

Size - As written this pattern makes a Women's mitten approximately 8.75 inches around at a 6.0 stitch 7.5 row gauge per inch.  To adjust size, adjust needle size and/or yarn weight.

Cast on 60 stitches.  The dark brown squares on the chart represent slipped stitches in the lower row and knitting the slips in the upper row.  This creates a slightly scalloped edge.

The right and left mitten are knit from the same pattern.  The lavender lines represent the knitting with waste yarn for the afterthought thumb placement.  Remember to use the right chart for the right thumb and the left for the left!

At the decrease for the top of the mitten it is K2, K2 together as indicated, then knit one row even.  The next row is K1, K2 together as indicated.  Then knit one row even.  The last row is K2 together around as indicated. Break CC4, leaving a 6 inch tail for weaving in ends.  Thread MC through remaining stitches, and pull to close top.  Weave in all ends.

The thumbs are worked in a similar fashion. When finished, weave in all ends.

I hope you enjoy these.  Happy Knitting!

Freebie Friday Knitter's Mitten



These are some of my favorite mittens I've ever designed, perhaps because they are the first.  Any two colors can work, but when I made them for a friend I made them in two naturally occuring sheep colors - off white, and chocolate brown.  The recipient, a fellow knitter, let out a belly laugh when she opened them, and swears she wears them even now, 6 years later.  (She lives in Seattle, so I don't get to see her very often, but I take her word for it.)  I made the palms the dark color to hide wear and soil, and the backs lighter.  The tops are rounded, accomplished by knitting two together periodically in alternating rows. 

Materials: Size 5 needlesCascade Yarns 220 Worsted Weight Wool

White - Main Color, 120 yds
Grey - CC, 140 yds

Makes women's size large mittens. For smaller or larger size, decrease or increase needle size respectively.

Cast on (52 sts) in CC for the ribbed cuff.  I like the cuff in just one color, as a 2x2 rib.  In the solid color row before the main mitten pattern, increase one stitch every 8 stitches to achieve the 60 sts needed. Please note - there is a white stripe up each edge of the mitten, so make sure to count those on the above chart.  I admit, they are not super clearly marked.

This pattern is designed in the round, with an afterthought thumb.  The front and back of each thumb are the same, and the LEFT thumb is on top, the RIGHT thumb is on the bottom.  The charcoal lines on the palm of the mitten body represent where to knit with scrap yarn for thumb placement.

For the decreases at the top, as charted, knit one, knit two together around. 
Then knit one round even. 
Knit two together around.
Knit two together around.  Graft top together.

Happy knitting!

Digital Chain Stitch Mittens

This is the last if the Mitered top mittens for awhile.  The remaining mittens I intend to post are conventional tops.  These were designed and knit for my son a few years ago, when he was big on Legos and computer games.  Naturally, now that I want a photo of them, he can't find them.  (I've learned, no mittens for teens until after  the pictures!)  I made them in black and a vivid blue.  They are slightly different dimensions from the last couple of pairs, being slightly longer and wider. 

Materials: Size 5 needles

Cascade Yarns 220 Worsted Wool

White - Main Color
Dark Grey - Contrast Color

Makes Men's Medium mittens. For smaller or larger size, decrease or increase needle size respectively.

Medium Grey and white - Rib stitch in Contrast Color

Cast on 52 st in contrast color and work ribbing as indicated, or three inches.  In the solid color row before the main mitten pattern, increase one stitch every 4 stitches 12 times, then knit remaining 4 stitches.  64 sts.

This pattern is designed in the round, with a mitered top and a mitered afterthought thumb.  It can be worked flat, using the edges of the pattern for seaming.

The pattern for the back and front of the thumb is the same, so it is listed only once above.  Remember to use the Right thumb chart for the right mitten and the Left for the left!  (I've had to rip back a couple of thumbs for this reason, and it makes me crazy!) The blue lines on the palm of the mitten body represent where to knit with scrap yarn for thumb placement. 

If your mitten recipient has longer hands or thumbs than the chart indicates, repeat the existing graph to add length.  If you need help modifying the pattern, please write, and I will send you a customized graph!  

Happy knitting!





Creating a Giveaway, Freebie Friday

I've been thinking for weeks about doing a giveaway on the blog.  The question is, what to give?  Yarn?  Patterns?  A book?

I have loved meeting knitters from around the world through this blog, and appreciate the feedback, both to my email and in the "comments" sections.  It would be nice to find a way to say "thanks for your support".  Currently I'm thinking either yarn or a book.  Mystery yarn or book?  Or should I publish a picture and write-up?  Which yarn?  Which book?  (I have a few ideas...)  This is a good one for feedback, folks.  Let me know what you think.

On this Friday, the freebies are happy ones.  Both of today's patterns are in worsted weight yarn, which makes them pretty quick knits.  The first one is this fabulous Hostess Cupcake Hat, which cracks me up just thinking about it.  I plan to make it for my 5 year old nephew, and I know he'll love it.  It's a super simple hat pattern with an I-cord for the loopy icing.  Winter is only two more months long, so I'll have to get right on it!

The second is the Taos Crossover Vest.  It's beautifully simple in its construction, and with the selection of so may variegated yarns out there, you can make this as funky or subtle as you like.  Something wild in parrot colors or a vivid solid would make a fun statement, don't you think?  In cottons it's a good spring wardrobe builder.  In wool or cashmere it's a great winter layer.  I love when a pattern is versatile!

So many patterns - so little time.

Quick, fab and free sock pattern in WORSTED!

Canadian Living Magazine puts a free knitting pattern in every issue. The current issue has Weekend Socks by Glenna C, the talented host of the Knitting to Stay Sane blog. (See link below.)

One thing that often stops folks from starting a pair of socks is that they have a ton of stitches, and are some small accessories. Making them in a worsted weight solves this concern! Worsted socks have about half the stitches of traditional socks on a pair of 2's. This pattern is a great starter pattern, and a quick and easy pattern for experienced knitters. Give it a go!