I’m so happy to finally be able to talk about this new design. Introducing Vittorio Cowl, designed for Shall We Knit? yarn store advent calendar and knit with 24 of Koigu’s mini skeins. It comes in two sizes and uses up all the yarn. Join in the advent calendar fun with this Missoni-inspired cowl, named for Vittorio Missoni who turned the fashion brand into a global powerhouse.
Note: This cowl was designed using Koigu ‘Minis’ which are labeled at 11 yds (10 m) each. On average, these skeinettes are longer than labeled and the cowl was designed to use up as much yarn as possible. Therefore, the overall yardage used is more than the equivalent of 24 skeinettes of the Koigu ‘Minis.’ If you are substituting yarn, please use the listed yardage rather than calculating from Koigu ‘Minis.’ You will use up almost every bit of yarn for this project, I finished with about 5 yards left (made up of bits of different colours).
In the photo showing the three cowls on the fence, the cowl on the left was knit using the Minis randomly, the one on the right was knit after having organized the Minis in a gradient. The cowl in the middle is the smaller size, knit with the Minis in random order.
The inspiration for the stitch patterns used in this design (especially the main body pattern) was Hraunfossar, a series of waterfalls formed by rivulets in Western Iceland. The name comes from the Icelandic word for lava (hraun) and the word for waterfalls (fossar).1
This shawl was originally designed in 2014 when I was knitter in residence at Shall We Knit. As happens sometimes, life gets in the way and the piece wasn’t finished until 2017 and now it’s 2020 – in some cases ideas need time. I’m so pleased to finally be able to share this design with you.
Hraunfossar on the Hvítá river by Tim Waters under CC licence
Patterns in Northern Landscapes, part three are available individually or as part of collection. During the pre-order period, the ebook is available at a special, discounted price of $24.95. Over the next 12 to 18 months, the rest of the patterns will be published. Once all the patterns have been released individually, the eBook version of the patterns will be uploaded (tentatively release date – March 2022). At that time the price of the eBook rises to $35.95 (full retail price of the individual patterns is approximately $90).
The Northern Landscapes collection, part one is available here and Northern Landscapes collection, part two is available here.
This pattern was inspired by the knotwork found in ruins of an abbey in The Burren. These unique three-part cables feature an arm running up the centre. To me, in the narrow panel on the right, these look like “beads” running up a chain.
Patterns in Northern Landscapes, part three are available individually or as part of collection. During the pre-order period, the ebook is available at a special, discounted price of $24.95. Over the next 12 to 18 months, the rest of the patterns will be published. Once all the patterns have been released individually, the eBook version of the patterns will be uploaded (tentatively release date – March 2022). At that time the price of the eBook rises to $35.95 (full retail price of the individual patterns is approximately $90).
The Northern Landscapes collection, part one is available here and Northern Landscapes collection, part two is available here.
Outlander Knits is released today and I am so pleased to be part of an amazing group of designers with my design Sauveuse des Anges. Outlander Knits was edited by the amazing Kate Atherley. Thanks Gale Zucker for the stunning photographs!
Inspired by the stunning mustard coloured cape/cloak worn by Claire in Season 2, Episode 3 and named for the hospital she visits, this design is a lace capelet that can be worn tied with ribbons or using a pretty closure.
The lace patterns were selected based on the lace on the front of Annalise’s gown, worn at Versailles.
For a younger look that pays homage to kilts and aprons, the capelet can be worn over a short (or long) skirt, knee high boots, and fastened with JUL toggle closure.
Knit top down, the design begins with a stable edging of linen stitch and the linen stitch continues down the sides for a smooth edging. The shape is created using Elizabeth Zimmerman’s Pi Shawl shaping between the lace patterns.
I’m so please to announce that Foxy Stripes Cowl is now available!
In Fall 2019 I took a class with Bristol Ivy on “Knitting Outside the Box” and my mind was blown! She took us through a number of exercises to help our creative process and one of these was an exercise using Mad Libs. We each got three words and we were to use these to come up with a knitting concept.
I got ‘stripes,’ ‘cowl’ and ‘goofy’ and this cowl design was the result. Thanks Bristol! The yarn is the wonderful Blue Sky Fibers Woodstock Worsted.
Note: I used all but a few yards of the 3 skeins of Woolstok for my cowl. You may wish to purchase extra if you are using Blue Sky Fibers Woolstok Worsted to ensure you have enough to finish the cowl.
A companion piece to the Palmaria Shawl, part of the Northern Landscapes Collection, part 2. The slip stitch pattern was inspired by the waved ridges of seaweed left on the rocky shores at Cape Norman, Newfoundland. Palmaria palmate, often known as Dulse, is a seaweed commonly found in the north east Atlantic.
This scarf was designed to use 22 colourways of Koigu ‘Minis’ (using 2 skeinettes of each colour) and to use up all the yarn. If you are using a different yarn or working at a different tension, you may require additional yarn to reach the size listed.
Lá Bealtaine was designed for Wooly Wonka Fibers’ Celtic Year club, inspired by the Gaelic May Day festival Beltane – one of the four Gaelic seasonal festivals at which special bonfires were kindled. Lá Bealtaine is the Irish Gaelic name for Beltane.
The pattern includes three sizes for this design: a shoulder wrap with buttons, a scarf and a rectangular stole.
The Wriggle Mitts were designed for Shall We Knit’s retreat in January 2019, using the featured yarn that attendees received in their goodie bag. Another local designer (Lynne Sosnowski) and I were challenged to each design a new pattern using Shibui Knits yarns. I created these mittens and Lynne designed a cowl called Portable Hole.
The mittens are knit with two fingering weight yarns held together to create a marled effect. The sample was knit using a chainette yarn (Shibui Knits Maai) and a beautiful hand painted silk mohair yarn (Riverside Studios Kidsilk).
If you don’t want to knit with two yarns held together, you will need 160 metres of a yarn that knits up to 7 stitches to 2.5 cm on 3.5 mm needles.
I’ve neglected this blog since my mother passed away. Enough time has passed and I feel the designing bug returning so it is time to get back to posting about here about designing, knitting and books. With that in mind, I present the S Curve Cowl, a design that was designed for Shall We Knit?’s retreat in November 2017, using the featured yarn that attendees received in their goodie bag.
This cowl is knit with two fingering weight yarns held together to create a marled effect. The sample was knit using a hand painted, speckled yarn (Koigu Painter’s Palette Premium Merino KPPPM) and the luscious and decadent Filatura Di Crosa Superior.
The contrasting trim at the end of the cowl is achieved by knitting with the hand painted yarn only. The length of the cowl can easily be adjusted by knitting additional repeats of the main stitch pattern.
