Category Archives: Original Patterns

New lace shawl

Knitting, Lace Knitting, My original hand knitting patterns, On My Needles, Original Patterns, , , , ,

I’ve been working on this lace shawl for a while. Here is the first one I knit in linen. I used size 9 needles and it is very airy and light!
I’m trying to decide if I should dye it or not. I’m thinking of maybe dying it a dark indigo blue.

Front of my latest lace shawl

Increases on the front are generous and allow for a very nice fit! it won’t fall of your shoulders. In this view you get a sense of the gentle ruffle around the bottom. (in the other photos I pulled out the ruffles so you could see the pattern)
Another view of the front lace shawl
The pattern repeat across the back is only 10 stitches and very easy to follow!
Full view of the back of the lace shawl
Here are a couple close up views of the lace work.
close up of back
Close up of front at the bottom

I knit this shawl from notes and scratches and bits and pieces of graphs. I was lucky to figure out what I did so I could re-write it.
I re-worked some of my charts and created pages ins Illustrator. After all that computer work I knit another shawl. This one is in Bamboo. However it is still in the unblocked stage and not ready for public view.

I found some errors and some things to change to make it more symmetrical. So now I’ve fixed the charts and started writing the directions. (I like to include charts and written directions in my patterns).

During the my Olympics viewing this weekend I started a third one to triple check my pattern before publicizing. I am knitting this one in a 4 ply superwash merino that is supplied by Wool2Dye4. I love knitting with this yarn! It is so soft and comfortable, yet firm and holding the lace patterning very well! Can’t wait to finish it. This one is a “natural white” and I might look around to see if an indie dyer has some of this in a blue colorway. (For some reason I’m into blues this year)

So stay tuned for my first lace knitting pattern!

Tree Hugger on Patternfish

Knitting, My original hand knitting patterns, Original Patterns, , , , , ,

I am so excited I can hardly stand it! I have another pattern posted on Patternfish. . .now available in downloadable .pdf format!

This is my treehugger neck cuff or cowl or neck warmer, whatever you want to call it.  If you like a bit of a challenge try this pattern

Hand knit neck cowl

It is warm and toasty! Great for wearing in a chilly indoor environment, there are no scarf ends to get in your way!

Patterns at Patternfish

Knitting, My original hand knitting patterns, Original Patterns, , , ,

WooHoo!
You can now purchase my patterns on line at Patternfish.com. I have my Noteworthy Fingerless mitts pattern up and ready to buy. I’m adding all my available patterns as I have time to do so.

Patternfish is a really cool site. It has over 4000 patterns for sale and more are added every day. You can find your favorite knitting designers there.

I look at their home page everyday because the new patterns show up and I like to see what folks are doing.

Check it out!

Manos del Uruguay

Knitting, Original Patterns, ,

I was rooting around on the internet and drooling over yarns when I found this site about Manos del Uruguay yarn. I absolutely love this yarn and wish I knit with it more often.

In December 1991 I wanted to treat myself to some “good” yarn. I went shopping at a LYS, “Creative Fibers” that was located in Richfield MN and browsed for a very long time. I ended up buying enough Manos Del Uruguay to knit a sweater. It was the most money I had every spent on yarn in my life, $128.00. That was a huge amount of money for my meager income of 19 years ago. I was so in love with this yarn! I went home and rolled it into skeins, just so I could feel it run through my fingers. It took me two years to decide on a project. I wanted to knit just the right thing!

I designed and knit a cardigan sweater  while on a cross country ski trip with some friends. While others were skiing (I like to stay warm and inside with my wool) I knit up this sweater. (It was a 5 day trip).

During the first 5 winters after I finished this sweater I wore it everyday. I was so proud of it!

Instead of ribbing I had a rolled hem and collar.

Big blue buttons.

And a pattern of diamonds done with knit purl stitches

Can you see the diamond pattern?

I still wear this sweater. It comes in mighty hand in this 20 below weather we’re having lately!

Look at the great shape of this almost-20-year-old sweater! That $128.00 that I spent turned out to be a very good investment.

Freeform Knit Vest

free form knitting, Knitting, Original Patterns, , , , ,

Well, I’ve finally finished this vest. . . it was meant to be a jacket but I didn’t like how the sleeves looked on it. But it is really comfortable and fun as a vest.

The base yarn for this vest is knit in garter stitch swatches in yarn I bought in Ireland 6 years ago. I love how it feels, durable and warm. I think I have enough left to knit a “regular” sweater.

Champagne Vest
Hand knit freeform vest

I started this vest during the 2008 summer Olympics. . . yup. . . I started it that long ago but it is done! (Unless I add sleeves to it)

Freeform knit vest
Champagne vest button band

The buttons are from a box of buttons that my mom gave me. . .I think they are some kind of animal horn or wood. . . all I know is that they are not plastic.

Free form knit champagne vest
Collar view of vest

The button band and collar are knt in Lamb’s Pride yarn from Brown Sheep. I knit the sleeves out of that too but they didn’t turn out how I wanted. I tried to make champagne glass shaped color pattern for the sleeves. But they are too bulky.

Champagne Vest left front view
Free form knit Vest
Free form knit vest
Champagne Vest front right closeup
Free form knit vest
Finally - a view of the back!

I had so much fun crocheting the little circles. . .white in the center and pastel colors on the outside! Except one day I did too many and got a cramp  in my thumb!

Knit Free form vest
Bottom of back
free form knit vest in Donegal tweed wool
upper left shoulder of back

Another pair of hand knit socks in the drawer!

Knitting, Original Patterns, , , , ,

I woke up this morning, put on my favorite pair of hand knit socks and blew out BOTH heels! Dang, I hate it when that happens. I always darn them and keep wearing them but my darning pile is starting to grow almost as big as my knitting UFO pile!

I finally finished these socks yesterday! I started them last summer. . .geesh. . .nothing like leaving work on needles forever.

Hand KNit Socks
Grey Arrow Socks Front view

I knit them in Alpaca Sox by Classic Elite Yarns. The fiber is soft and scrumptious and all the hardwork I did with my travelling stitches barely shows! Between the alpaca in the yarn and the marbled grey/black of the yarn my work gets a bit lost. Live and learn. At least they fit, are toasty warm, and the recipient loves them!

Hand knit socks
Grey Arrow Socks Back Fiew

The “arrows” are travelling stitches – worked over 6 stitches – they look like little railroad tracks except there are three rails. The front, back and top and bottom of foot have the stitches pointing down. Sure wish they showed up better.

hand Knit Socks
Grey Arrow socks side view

I was going to write out the pattern for these but you have to move the stitches around so much I’m not sure if it’s worth it.

Now I need to get to my darning pile!

Another pair of noteworthy mitts (fingerless that is)

Knitting, My original hand knitting patterns, Original Patterns, , , , , , , ,

A lovely guitar playing friend of mine ordered a pair of my mitts. . . I’ve made quite a few pair of these and always in wool. However, my friend is allergic to wool. So I just jumped in and decided to knit them in cotton. I knit these fingerless mitts in Comfy Sport from Knit Picks – colors are Cypress and October.

I wasn’t sure how they would work up in cotton and I must say they are really soft and worked up quickly. Cotton sure doesn’t have the memory of cotton though. . . I’m afraid the ribbed cuffs might splay out on her. I did wash and dry these once and the blocked out nicely.

Hand knit fingerless Mitts
Cotton knit fingerless mitts

You can find this pattern in Ravelry

or at my Etsy Store

Sean in his Vest

Knitting, Original Patterns, , , ,

I knit this vest for my father-in-law and love how it turned out.

I knit it in Peace Fleece, the background color is called Father’s Grey.

I’m still in the process of editing the pattern but hopefully it will available for sale soon.

Hand knit man's vest
Proud wearer of Sean's Vest

He seems as pleased with it as I am.

I wanted something with color but not too much color.

I wanted a “manly” vest and I really like the stripes alongside the button/neck ribbing.

Hand knit Man's Vest
Close up of Sean's Vest

I steeked the front band, armholes and neck while knitting.

This yarn worked up wonderfully and sewing the steeks back went easily.

Hand knit man's vest
What a great model!

What a great model heh?!

Twined knit neck warmers

Knitting, Original Patterns, , , ,

I’m still in love with twined knitting!

These cowls/neckwarmers/headbands work up so quick and take very little yarn.

Twined knitting
Hand knit cowls
Twined knit cowls
Hand knit scarves

The black is solid, the gold is slightly variegated.

The blue is a mohair blended with shiny nylon.

The beige and white is knit in alpaca and silk… verrrry soft and squishy!

Wear them as neck warmers or as head bands over your ears. Dual purpose!!

I can’t decide which side I like better as the outside, or one might say, the “public side”.

More Twined Knitting with beads!

Knitting, Knitting with beads, Original Patterns, , ,

Finally some good photos of the twined mittens I knit.

These were knit in Gems Merino sport weight and I used 5 different kinds of beads for the design.

The beads in the cuff were knit in. . . the beads on the back of the hand were crocheted on.

Karen's Mittens
Twined knit and beaded mittens
Twined knit mittens
Karen's Twined knit mitens

here you can see them with the coat they were meant to match! I thinnk they match perfectly!

Hand knit twined mittens
Twined knitting mittens

I am so enamored with this twined knitting thing. . .wait till you see the neck cowls I’ve been twining!