The first word I’m encoding for this month is Bergamot, suggested by Natasha and Amy on Patreon.
Each month, my Patreon backers
have the chance to suggest words for me to encode as knitting stitches.
I make two of these into knitting stitches each month: the first is
drawn from the collection of new words; the second is drawn from the
collection of unused words. A random number generator helps me choose
this, and then I get to work, first turning the letters into numbers,
then charting the numbers onto grids in various ways. Finally, when I
make the chart into lace, I turn the marked squares into yarnovers and
work out where to place the corresponding decreases. (I usually make
lace; occasionally I make cables instead.) I also make a chart for any
craft that uses a square grid for designing; this goes in a separate
post.
The charts are not meant in any way to look like the original words; the words are the seeds of my creativity.
I’ve just posted an edited version of another pattern on Ravelry, the Pinion tam:
The text is much the same. I’m in the process of reformatting all my patterns to be consistent with each other. In the case of Pinion, I’ve also updated the chart from the old Excel chart to a professionally-done chart using StitchMastery.
This lacy tam is worked from the center outwards. The design spirals outward and flows into a ribbed brim. It looks more complicated than it is–if you know how to knit in the round, purl, knit two together, knit three together, make a yarn over, and bind off, you can make this hat.
Both charts and written out instructions (in abbreviations) are provided, along with suggestions for modifying the brim size to fit.
Other materials required include a darning needle for working in ends, about a yard of smooth, thin yarn for making a lifeline, and a plate for blocking (about 10 inches or 25cm in diameter).
You might have noticed that it’s a new year. So did I. Anyway, I’ve decided to start selling my designs again this year, and so here I am with my Ellerbe Mitts pattern.
Warm mitts, suitable for handspun or commercial yarn.
Ellerbe Creek runs near where I live in Durham, North Carolina. I love going for walks by the creek and will donate ten percent of my proceeds from these mitts to the Ellerbe Creek Watershed Association.
The mitts are knit from the top down (from fingers to wrist). Most of the knitting is plain stockinette, with a motif from Barbara Walker’s Second Treasury: Cornflower stitch. The motif makes a vertical stripe down the back of the hand and also decorates the thumb gusset. It resembles embroidery, but is actually elongated stitches pulled over the surface of the knitting. To enhance the effect, I recommend solid colored yarn, variegated yarn, or deliberately creating stripes using multiple different yarns.
Sizes:
Medium: hand portion is 7.2 inches (18.25cm) around and the cuff is 6.5 inches (16.25cm).
Large: hand portion is 8 inches (20.32cm) around and the cuff is 7.2 inches (18.25cm)
For this project, I would recommend treating the first mitt as a swatch; if it doesn’t work out, it’s not all that much knitting to redo it.
Materials needed:
~50 yards of DK (or light worsted weight yarn). I used handspun yarn to design the mitts.
Size 7 needles (double points or circulars, depending on your preferred method) or the correct size to achieve gauge; also a spare knitting needle of similar size (it doesn’t have to match).
Two cable needles or two pieces of scrap yarn. (optional)
A little bit of smooth waste yarn Techniques:
You need to know how to cast on, bind off, knit, purl, yarn over, slip stitches, decrease, and knit in the round. The instructions are not written for any particular method of knitting in the round – you choose how to arrange the stitches for double pointed needles, Magic Loop, or two circulars. I provide both written instructions and a chart for the stitch pattern.
I love cutting paper snowflakes, with twelve folds and six symmetrical points. This knitted snowflake looks very much like one of my paper ones.
Knit these from the center out in cotton, linen, or hemp and then starch to use as ornaments. Knit in any fiber and use as appliqués. Good for using up leftovers from other projects.
For experienced or confident knitters. None of the techniques used are particularly difficult on their own, but the combination of some of them is a little finicky.
Yarn:
8-10 yards of laceweight on size 0 needles; about 19 yards of worsted on size 8 needles.
Techniques used:
casting on for the center of a doily
knitted cast on
multiple yarn-overs in a row
knitting through the back loop
knit two together
bind off (knit two, pass one stitch over)
You could easily use Magic Loop or 2 circulars; I used double-points. The pattern is needle agnostic.
This lacy tam is worked from the center outwards. The design spirals outward and flows into a ribbed brim. It looks more complicated than it is–if you know how to knit in the round, purl, knit two together, knit three together, and make a yarn over, you can make this hat.
Both charts and written out instructions (in abbreviations) are provided, along with suggestions for modifying the brim size to fit.
Other materials required include a darning needle for working in ends, about a yard of smooth, thin yarn for making a lifeline, and a plate for blocking (about 10 inches or 25cm in diameter).
I’ve just posted a new pattern on Ravelry, the Pinion tam:
I will donate all proceeds for Haiti Relief (after PayPal fees are deducted) from sales of this pattern through the last day of February. Money will be split evenly between Doctors Without Borders/MSF, Partners in Health, and the Haiti Emergency Relief Fund. Thank you very much for your help!
This lacy tam is worked from the center outwards. The design spirals outward and flows into a ribbed brim. It looks more complicated than it is–if you know how to knit in the round, purl, knit two together, knit three together, and make a yarn over, you can make this hat.
Both charts and written out instructions (in abbreviations) are provided, along with suggestions for modifying the brim size to fit.
Other materials required include a darning needle for working in ends, about a yard of smooth, thin yarn for making a lifeline, and a plate for blocking (about 10 inches or 25cm in diameter).
