FO Friday: Parseval in the Clover

March 1, 2013February 15, 2013remilyknits 1 Comment

A minor miracle occurred in my home town this week …. I finished a sweater, for me!

Pattern: Parseval

Yarn: Knit Picks Gloss DK in “Clover”

I started this project in January 2012, and I’m sorry to say it was only the anniversary of the start date that goosed me into finished the project. It fits great (especially after a slightly-more-vigorous washing, which plumped up the cowl neck and cables), and I love the color. I don’t love millions of miles of 4×1 ribbing (even in the round), but thanks to shame and Final Fantasy XIII, I did plow through it. (I knit during the frequent and endless cut scenes.)

Speaking of ribbing, this project helped me conquer, once and for all, my ribbing “problem.” Like many people, the leftmost knit stitch was too loose compared to it’s fellows, making the ribbing look crappy (that’s a technical knitting term, meaning “not as good as one would like”). I discovered, via introspection, that I was shoving the whole needle through that stitch, rather than knitting on the tips as I usually do. I don’t really know why. But, focusing on the tips, plus a little judicious cinching-up when I forgot, made for acceptable ribbing throughout this project.

FO Friday: Ravellenic Edition (Part II)

August 17, 2012August 12, 2012remilyknits 1 Comment

I finished my other two projects for the Ravellenic Games!

Project: Blue Tiles

Pattern: Parquet Tiles

Designer: Rose Beck

Available: $5 for this pattern alone, or $12.99 for the Archi-textural Collection (on Ravelry, naturally)

Yarn: Knit Picks Capra in Celestial

I love this soft and luscious yarn! The pattern was not my usual “type” — I’m not often drawn to plain-old knit&purl designs. Too many are poorly-rendered, overly-cutesy designs fit only for washcloths. But, Parquet Tiles is elegant and lovely — not washcloth-like at all. Enjoyable knit, reasonably quick, well-written pattern. High marks!

I worked hard throughout the Olympics on my puffs. I’m proud to say I have officially “caught up” to my 366 in 2012 goal, and I’m currently running 4 puffs ahead of schedule! I was helped greatly by a mini-skein swap of 40 gorgeous new STR Lightweight colorways.

Project: 40 STR Puffs

Pattern: the beekeeper’s quilt

Designer: tiny owl knits

Available: $5.50 on Ravelry

Yarn: BMFA Socks That Rock Lightweight

New Pattern Release: Full Bloom Bag

August 1, 2012July 20, 2012remilyknits 1 Comment

Introducing my latest pattern: Full Bloom Bag!

Pattern: Full Bloom Bag

Designer: Rachel Henry (that’s me!)

Available: $3.99 at Knit Picks / $4.50 on Ravelry

Yarn: Knit Picks Palette in three shades of green, and three shades of pink

Design/Skills Needed: This cute little bag packs a lot of knitting technique into a single project: stranded colorwork, steeking, and applied i-cord work together to create a colorful bag inspired by old-fashioned wallpaper.

In order to achieve the vertical stripes on the finished bag, the body is worked sideways, in the round, using stranded colorwork to make the stripes and roses. The body is then steeked and the first and last rows are grafted. The bottom is worked in the round from picked-up stitches, and the top edges are finished with applied i-cord, which is then extended into i-cord handles.

Directions for a simple lining are included in the pattern, but (dear reader) you may remember I blogged about how I sewed a lining with built-in pockets. If you make this bag, I urge you to give pockets a try!

The bottom of the bag has mitered corners in garter stitch — sturdy and perfectly square.

I had a really hard time letting go of this sample so it could sojourn to Knit Picks for review. I am anxiously awaiting it’s return, so it can be my cute purse and project bag for some time to come!

FO Friday: Deep Water Echo

June 1, 2012May 6, 2012remilyknits 5 Comments

I made a pretty pretty shawl! I think I’m in love with Estonian-style lace patterns.

Project: Deep Water Echo

Pattern: Echo Flower Shawl

Designer: Jenny Johnson Johnen

Available: FREE! on Ravelry

Yarn: Knit Picks Shadow Tonal in Deep Waters

I made the larger version of this pattern, which I only regretted when doing the umpteenth repeat of the 3-into-9 body pattern. I love the nupps, the stars, everything! High marks to this first-time designer for a beautiful and well-written pattern!

Knit Picks Shadow Tonal is a joy to work with — springy and just enough color variation for beauty, without distracting from the lace. I did find Deep Waters a bit dark for night-time knitting: I had to wait for good light.

New Pattern Release: Mhara Baby Blanket

April 18, 2012April 18, 2012remilyknits 4 Comments

Introducing my latest pattern: Mhara Baby Blanket! Mhara means “sea” in Gaelic.

Pattern: Mhara Baby Blanket

Designer: Rachel Henry (that’s me!)

Available: for $1.99 through Knit Picks IDP or $2.50 on Ravelry

Yarn: Knit Picks Brava Bulky in Tranquil

Design/Skills Needed: This fully reversible baby blanket is worked on the bias in garter stitch. Step-wise increases and decreases are embellished as you go with crocheted waves. Explicit directions for stroller- and crib-sized blankets are given, but the pattern is easily adapted for larger or smaller blankets. This pattern includes complete photo tutorials for the step-wise increases and the crocheted embellishment. For ease of printing, these tutorials appear at the end of the pattern. Experienced knitters may print just page 2 for complete pattern with no extraneous photos or information.

Familiarity with crocheting is helpful, but not necessary. Almost any yarn will work with this pattern, provided you use appropriately-sized needles.

New Pattern Release: Flurry Sweater

December 2, 2011December 1, 2011remilyknits 2 Comments

Introducing my latest pattern: the Flurry Sweater! This two-color pullover features a band of colorwork snowflakes at the waist and elbow, waist-shaping, flared sleeves and hem, and i-cord finish on all edges.

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Pattern: Flurry Sweater

Designer: Rachel Henry (that’s me!)

Available: for $3.99 through Knit Picks IDP

Yarn: Knit Picks Wool of the Andes Tweed

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Inspiration: I have this old sweater, a favorite that I’ve had a long time. It’s pilled and felted from incautious laundering, but I still love to wear it. I picked the things I liked best about it (grey on top, blue on the bottom, colorwork band) and improved it a bit too (more fitted waist, set-in sleeves).

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Design/Skills Needed: The body is knit in-the-round until the armholes, after which the front and back are worked flat, separately. The sleeves are also knit in the round until the sleeve cap, which is worked flat. Knitters may select their preferred in-the-round method (DPNs, one circ, magic loop, two circs, etc.) throughout.

For the colorwork section, I recommend going down one needle size, as many knitters find their colorwork to be looser than their stockinette. However, it’s possible that you may need to stay with the same needle, or even go up a size, to maintain consistent gauge between the stockinette and colorwork portions. Please work a gauge swatch in both stockinette and the colorwork pattern to determine the best needle size for you, for each section.

When working stranded colorwork, take care to keep the floats loose behind the work. When gaps larger than 5 sts must be bridged, catch the float halfway through the gap to keep things tidy. The colorwork sections are charted.

Yarn: Almost any worsted-weight yarn will work with this pattern. I recommend the darkest color for the bottom, a medium value for the top, and the lightest for the snowflakes.

I would be delighted to answer any questions or help any knitters working on this project.

FO Friday: Harmonia’s Tidepool Rings

October 7, 2011remilyknits Leave a comment

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Project: Harmonia’s Tidepool Rings

Pattern: Harmonia’s Rings Cowl

Designer: Sivia Harding

Available: $6 on Ravelry

Yarn: Knit Picks Swish Worsted in Tidepool Heather

I’ve made this pattern before — and I wore my purple Harmonia (made from KP City Tweed) near-constantly last winter. It’s warm, interesting to look at, flattering, and (best of all) fun to knit. The pattern begins with a mobius cowl, with increases on one half of the stitches. At a certain point, the non-increased half is cast off, and from their the pattern continues in the round on the increased half only. Clever construction plus a reversible pattern make for a very wearable FO. I especially like the optional extra length and beaded picot bind-off.

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Cast-on Monday: Tornado Warning and Castlevania

October 3, 2011remilyknits Leave a comment

In the last two weeks I’ve been working hard to get projects OFF the needles, but I also cast on two new projects.

The first I’m calling “Tornado Warning.” It’s a design project, and for now I’m keeping the details top-secret because the construction is very unusual — maybe new? If it works out as expected, I will try to get it published somewhere cool, so lots of knitters can see. I’m using gorgeous Thunderhead Tonal Stroll yarn — so pretty.

I also cast on for the Wilhemina KAL taking place on the WWMdFK group on Ravelry. I’m using KP Imagination in “Castle Walls” — appropriate for a Dracula-inspired pattern, no? If you haven’t already discovered Craft Lit, start listening now! Heather is doing Dracula right now, and it is awesome.

New Pattern Release: Marilla’s Very Practical Shawl

September 23, 2011remilyknits 2 Comments

Introducing my latest pattern: Marilla’s Very Practical Shawl! This Danish-style tie shawl is worked from the bottom up in worsted-weight yarn.

Pattern: Marilla’s Very Practical Shawl

Designer: Rachel Henry (that’s me!)

Available: for $1.99 through Knit Picks IDP

Yarn: Knit Picks Swish Tonal

Inspiration: I read the Anne of Green Gables series several times over while I was growing up (and at least once as an adult). It’s easy to like Anne—we’re meant to like her–but I always had a soft spot for Marilla Cuthbert. Prickly, practical, and tough, she protected a tender heart with a convincing façade. I like to think Marilla would have liked this shawl. It’s warm, knits up quickly, and the long Danish-style ties allow you to wrap and secure the shawl around your shoulders and waist. But, there’s just enough lace to make it pretty, too.

I made a shawl in this style a couple years ago, and I wore it all the time last winter. I loved how the ties held it in place, and allowed several different ways to wear it. For cool days, I wore the shawl over my shoulders with the ties going directly under my arms and tied behind — like a shrug. On frigid days, I crossed the shawl over my chest, wrapping the ties around myself before tying them behind. Both ways allowed great freedom of movement while staying warm, and pretty too! I even wore this shawl to dog agility events.

My interpretation of this type of shawl is larger overall, with longer ties. I used worsted-weight yarn to make it warmer and faster to knit. I tried to streamline the construction to eliminate as many loose ends as possible.

Design/Skills Needed: The shawl begins with the bottom edging, worked from right tip to left tip, with a short-row corner halfway through. Stitches are picked up along this bottom edge, leaving 8 repeats at both tips to form the ties. The body is worked from the bottom edge, with decreases to form the spine and top edge. After the body is completed, the neck edging is worked from right tip to left tip and joined to the body as you go.

It’s worth noting that the bottom edging uses about 40% of the yarn … so even though it takes a long time, you are nearly halfway done when you finish it! The pattern includes some charts; however, all charts are also completely written-out, for knitters who prefer to work from written directions.

Yarn: Almost any worsted-weight yarn will work with this pattern.

I would be delighted to answer any questions or help any knitters working on this project.

Cast-on Monday: Tappan Zee, Itty Bitty Blocker Sock, and Flurry Prototype

September 12, 2011September 10, 2011remilyknits 1 Comment

This week, I was waiting impatiently for two boxes from Knit Picks. I stalked my birthday-gift-card box online, and frowned mightily when it sojourned far too long at the nearby sorting center. To force the box to come, I swatched for a Tappan Zee in this gorgeous yarn …

I bought the yarn at half off at the Loon Mountain Knit-In. I only have two skeins — about 980 yards. The label claims “DK” — but I have to say it looks and swatches a lot like worsted. Of course the swatching caused both my boxes to arrive the very next day. Mission accomplished!

The first box was my birthday order (gift card from my mom):

Mostly I got enough Gloss DK to make a Parseval. The orange/black combo is for a Halloween Cowl: Hocus Pocus. The Stroll Glimmer (shiny!) is for a Damask shawl. I also got a snappy little tape measure, and a sock-blocker key chain. Did I cast on with any of this yarn? No. I must focus on the other box. I did, however, cast on (and finish) an itty bitty sock-blocker sock with leftover BMFA STR Lightweight in “Electric Kool-aid Acid Test.”

The other box from KP is for my “Flurry Pullover” prototype. KP accepted my proposal, and this is my delightful WotA Tweed! I have swatched, waited impatiently for the swatch to dry (rainy weekend here), cast on, and knit the bottom 3-4 inches of the sweater. This sweater must be my knitting focus for the next few weeks. My goal is to knit through one ball of yarn per day — that should get this sweater done lickety split. Then “all” I have left is testing.