Colorblock Towels

The good people at Knit Picks gave me the opportunity to make another project for them -- a set of tea towels.

The pattern is well written, easy to follow, and error free.

CotLin is a beautiful yarn, and the colors they selected are lovely.

The provisional cast-on, and three-needle bind off mean that there's no seaming.

These are very quick to knit, and would make a good, easy care gift.

Project Details:
Pattern: Colorblock Tea Towel Set
Designer: Laura Wick
Yarn: Knit Picks CotLin DK (70% Tanguis cotton/30% linen) in Chartreuse, Sprout, Harbor, and Loden.
Needles: US 6 (4mm) and US 7 (4.5 mm)

You can also find these towels pictured in the May 2012 Knit Picks Catalog, and on the Knit Picks website.

Sideways Folded Scarf

This scarf was another Knit Picks project.  By the way, have I ever mentioned how much fun it is to be able to knit for them?  Getting to try out different books and patterns, not to mention their fabulous yarns, has really added to my wish list...and stash. 

Back to the scarf.  The pattern comes from Luxe Knits: The Accessories by Laura Zukaite.  It's a simple one page pattern that is very well written and easy to understand.  I don't remember there being any errors in the pattern.

It was an easy, fast knit, using Swish Worsted Yarn in Squirrel Heather and Stroll Sock Yarn in Dove Heather on size US 10 (6 mm) circular needles - I used the nickle plated Options interchangeables.  The Swish Worsted is used to work the folds, and the folds are the rows that took the longest to work as you pick up and knit the picked up stitches with the live stitches to create them.

The fabric between the folds is knit with the Stroll Sock yarn, and goes very quickly on the large needles.  The contrast of the lighter and darker yarns makes it lovely, and the wool yarn makes it warm.  It's also easy care because it's superwash.

Details:

Pattern Name:  Sideways Folded Scarf
Designer:  Laura Zukaite
Pattern Source:  Luxe Knits: The Accessories
Yarns:  Knit Picks Swish Worsted Yarn in Squirrel Heather
            Knit Picks Stroll Sock Yarn in Dove Heather
Needle: US 10 (6 mm) circular needles

The Rosebud Shawl

This beautiful Faroese-style shawl features a rosebud pattern framed in diamonds.  Knit from the lower pointed edge up; the construction is unique in working each individual point in sequence -- somewhat similar to the way that entrelac is worked, but keep in mind the similarity is VERY slight.

 

 
Once all the points are finished, the center gusset and garter stitch side panels are worked simultaneously.  The top border is knit in unwrapped short rows, joining the border with the top edge of the shawl.  Wash, block, et voila!  A lovely bit of lace to wrap yourself in.

Although my description of the process is just a tad confusing ;), the pattern is very well written and easy to follow, but there is a little errata for one of the charts.  Once you have the chart correction, you MUST follow the pattern.  Even when you think it's doing something crazy, trust the pattern.  Then you, too, can have this lovely shawl for yourself.

 
Rosebud Faroese-Style Shawl by Margaret Stove is from the book Wrapped in Lace published by Interweave.

Knit for the July/August 2011 issue of the Knit Picks catalog (where it can be found on p. 5), using Knit Picks Shadow lace yarn in the "Nocturne Heather" colorway.

Yarrow Blouse

Maybe you've heard that Knit Picks has released some e books.  I was fortunate to be able to work on one of the patterns.

I knit the Yarrow Blouse, in the Oregon Coast Heather colorway of Shadow. 

Yep, the entire sweater is knit in laceweight yarn.

The pattern combined some basic and lace knitting techniques with some basic crochet, for an end result that works very well with the e book it's published in.

Okay, I admit it, this pattern does not suit my personal aesthetic, but it is well designed, and for someone whose aesthetic it does suit, it is a lovely sweater.

As always, the yarn is soft and lovely.  The depth of color in this colorway was also surprising, and very pleasing, to me.  In addition to the light brown, there are also notes of pink, gray, and green.  The heathers that Knit Picks puts out are always so lovely, with a greater than expected depth.

It also looks like the other patterns in the American Prairie eBook are lovely as well.  And for the price, it looks like a good purchase. 

Trellis and Flowers Stole

Being both lace and intarsia, this project moved a little more slowly than some.

But it did slowly grow and blossom into a thing of beauty,

and as it did, I fell more and more in love with this yarn

and, specifically, these colorways.  The Alpaca Cloud yarn in Midnight Heather, with its blues, blacks, greens, and purples that really only come out in the sun, like a raven's feathers.  The Tidepool heather, with it's greens, blues, and yellows, has a depth that pictures just cannot do justice to.

This project was a challenge for a few reasons, most of which I hope were corrected by the time the book went to press.  Even so, this project would still be challenging, so if you've never knit lace or intarsia before, I wouldn't recommend starting with this.  If, however, you are comfortable doing both, the final project is truly stunning.

Stunning enough that I'm tempted to knit another one for myself.

To really see it in all it's beauty, do checkout the July/August 2010 Knit Picks catalog, or you can see it on the website.  The photographer did a fabulous job.

Oh, and get yourself some of this yarn.  You won't regret it. 

Shaker Throw

Now that the catalog is out, I can share about it!

I've completed the Shaker Throw from Knitter's At Home.  It's a Knit Picks project from the May/June 2010 catalog.

 

This lovely little lap-ghan (it's 40" X 46" including the fringe) is worked in panels of honeycomb and cables, then grafted together.

Yes, that does mean plenty of sewing, and lots of ends to weave in,

  

but in the end, it's not that big of a deal. 

And you end up with a lovely lap blanket.  

The edging is also knitted separately and sewn on with the fringe being knitted into the edging.  It was a new technique for me, and one I really like.  

Knit with Simply Cotton Organic Sport Yarn in the Marshmallow colorway.

Do make sure to check for errata before you begin.

Stash Enhancement

A while back, Knit Picks, to promote their new videos, offered a 10% discount code to anyone who emailed a friend about them.  So, I did. :)

I got my code and wanted to make sure to use it before it expired.  And here is what I got

Details:

A wooden darning egg, which I was needing to repair some of my hand knit socks.

8 hanks of Alpaca Cloud - 4 of Smoke Heather and 4 of Tidepool Heather.  The photo doesn't do justice to the sheen or depth of color on these -- especially the Tidepool; I absolutely love that colorway!

12 balls of City Tweed DK - 10 of Emerald and 2 of Porpoise.  I fell in love with this yarn while knitting this sweater.  I cannot wait to have something for myself knit out of it.  And the colors are so beautiful!

The Nautical Blanket kit.  My father- and stepmother-in-law sail, and having settled in a cooler harbor, I thought this would make the perfect gift for them.  Being able to buy it as a kit makes it that much better. :)  I have started work on this, but will save the details (including the modifications I'm doing) for another post.

Have I mentioned that I really love this company?

The March 2010 Knit Picks Catalog is out, and filled with lovely things, as usual.

I was fortunate to be able to work on a project for this catalog - the Emma Lace Socks.  The pattern is from A Cuff Above, the yarn used is Stroll in Carnation.

 This one shows the color accurately.

The sock is knit cuff down, has a heel flap and gusset heel, and a toe construction I'd never done before.  The decreases aren't 4 sts every other round, instead there are several decreases in a round followed by several rows with no decreases (the number changes), and produces a rounded toe.  There is also no Kitchener stitching at the end, so if that was keeping you from trying sock knitting, here's a pattern you can fearlessly do.

 

Sorry about the photo quality.  This one was taken on my cell phone, and the color is not remotely accurate.

Of course, I completely forgot to take a picture of the completed socks before mailing them off, but you can see them on p. 4 of the catalog, or on the website.

Herringbone Men's Pullover Sweater

The January/February 2010 Catalog for Knit Picks is out, so I can now share with you the project I did.

I knitted the Herringbone Men's Pullover Sweater.

The pattern is found in Men's Knits by Erika Knight, the yarn is City Tweed DK in Desert Sage (green) and Tabby (brown).  I completely fell in love with this yarn!  It is so soft and easy to work with, and the tweedy texture is fabulous.  Buy and use this yarn.  You won't regret it.

The pattern is well written and did not contain any errors.  The sweater is knit in pieces and seamed together, with the neckband being knit on at the end.

And both of my men would wear this sweater if it were knitted in their colors - a big complement as one of them is super picky and won't wear most designs.  It also knitted up fairly quickly, and was interesting enough to work on that I never got bored.

Tibetan Clouds Beaded Stole

For the November 2009 edition of the Knit Picks catalog, I was fortunate to be able to knit the Tibetan Clouds Beaded Stole by Sivia Harding. Knit with fingering weight yarn, this stole is perfect for keeping the autumn and winter chill at bay. Lightly beaded, the stole starts with the center panel, then the sides are knit one at a time.

The yarn selected for this project was Gloss (70% Merino Wool, 30% Silk) in the Kenai colorway. And I got to select the beads to go with it.
They are 6/0 glass beads that I picked up at Michaels.

The center panel is created by starting in the center and repeating the pattern 4 times, making a perfectly symmetrical square. Then 2 of the sides are bound off, keeping live stitches on the other 2 for the side panels.

The sides are identical, featuring a lovely beaded brocade and feather and fan.

When finished the stole is 21" wide by 74" long; a bit too long for me to be able to photograph it all at once.

I would also like to recommend the book the pattern is found in, The Knitter's Book of Wool. Clara Parks has done a fabulous job explaining all things wool - and why it matters. And the patterns offer up something for everyone. You can read an excellent synopsis of it here.

Raspberry Wheat Ale Messenger Bag

I was very fortunate to be able to knit the Raspberry Wheat Ale Messenger Bag from Pints and Purls for Knit Picks Fall 2009 catalog. The bag was knitted with Wool of the Andes in Dune Twist, and knit up fairly quickly on size 6 needles. The pattern calls for larger needles, but no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't get gauge with anything larger. I seem to have become a bit of a loose knitter when I wasn't looking.

This would be a perfect knitting bag. It is large enough to hold a sweater, and the pockets would keep everything well organized.

The bag is knit in pieces and sewn together before felting, with the back pocket being sewn in after felting. I love the ribbon detail! Plenty of room in that pocket for a pattern and some accessories.

There are also 2 side pockets that are left unfelted and are sewn in at the end. These would be a great place to store needles, scissors, or other small accessories.

I really like this bag, and think I will have to knit one for myself. Pink and green will be the perfect combination for me.

I'm So Excited!

I'm so excited I could burst!

Today I got the Knit Picks email which stated that the new catalog (July 2009) was up. Well, remember when I mentioned that I had a new job? Being a test/project knitter for Knit Picks is the job. And my first project for them is in this catalog. It's the white shawl on page 2 - Triangular Summer Shawl, knit in Knit Picks Bare Merino Wool Lace Yarn.

I loved, loved, loved knitting this.

The construction was a little unusual, the nupps fun to do, and it knitted up quite quickly.

Thank you Nancy Bush for such a lovely pattern (and book!) and thank you Knit Picks for the opportunity to knit for you - you're wonderful!