Tag Remily Knits

Test Knitters Needed: Marilla’s Very Practical Shawl

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I just finished the sample for a pattern for Knit Picks IDP worked in their GORGEOUS Swish Tonal (Blue Violet colorway).  I need a few intrepid test knitters to help me ferret out any errors or confusing bits.  If you’re up for the task, send me a message!

Marilla’s Very Practical Shawl

2644 Marilla shawl 2639 Marilla shawl

Design details: 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.

Craft(s): knitting
Number of Testers: 2 for charts, 2 for written directions
Approximate Hours to Complete: 30
Deadline: August 26th, 2011
Tools needed: #8 needles, tapestry needle
Material needed: 1100 yards of worsted-weight yarn
Pattern Difficulty: middling — skills needed include basic lace work, picking up stitches, short rows, and joining a lace edging to the body as you go
Formats Available: PDF
Pattern Style: full written directions, charts for some portions

Testing needs: Error checking for charts and written pattern; clarity of directions for construction; confirmation of yardage requirements.


Cast On Monday: the all-BMFA edition

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Last week, I sat down and took a good hard look at my Transition Point socks (from the May 2011 BMFA Sock Club shipment). I’d finished the leg on the first sock, and had started the heel turn.  I had been trying on the leg obsessively as I worked, because I’d already frogged and restarted twice due to fit issues. So, the leg fit … but it didn’t feel very good the diagonal slipped-stitch lines pulled and tugged, and although I’m not crazy-sensitive, I am bothered by binding clothing. Then there the odd zig-zag pooling, which was disruptive to the pattern … which, if I am honest, I found a bit over-worked.  Too much going on, without enough coherence. Seed stitch on a sock is another question mark — it just isn’t as stretchy and it’s bumpy next to the skin.  I knew every time I wore these socks (which wouldn’t be that often, because of the binding problem), I would have the seed stitch impressed into my feet after I took them off. So, I took a deep breath, pulled out the needles, and sent this project to the Frog Pond for permanent retirement — consider this an un-cast-on annoucement :).

One thing I do love about knitting is that a project may be over and done, but the yarn is still salvageable. I wound the kinky frogged yarn gently around the cake, and set it aside.  Then, yesterday, I realized that I do still love the colors in the skein, especially when they are mixed up together. Then I thought about how much I like all the one-skein sock yarn shawls out there, and then I thought about this great lace edging I’ve been meaning to use for something … so last night I cast on for a new Remily Knits design: a sideways-knit one-skein shawlette for variegated yarn.

In the midst of all this, the July 2011 BMFA Sock Club shipment arrived! I can’t share photos yet (there are no-spoiler rules to preserve the surprise for all club members), but I can say that I love the yarn, and that one of the two patterns REALLY appealing to me.  I cast on some new socks Saturday.

New Pattern Release: iPod Nano Wrist-Strap Cozy

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About a week ago my fourth (!) iPod gave up the  ghost.  It was a great little 5th-gen Nano in shiny purple.  But, three of the four directional buttons no longer worked, so off to the recycling plant with it!  I bought a 6th-gen Nano — newly tiny, and (joy of joys) with only a touch screen and no button wheel at all. Yay!

And what does a cute lime-green iPod need? A cozy, of course!

2399 ipod cozy

I used a few dozen yards of left-over sock yarn from my Electric Kool-Aid Socks. The cozy begins with a provisional cast on and a few rows of stockinette. Then stitches are picked up all around the starter strip. The rest of the cozy is worked in the round in a slipped-stitch rib that serves two purposes: it looks cool, and it provides extra padding. The top is finished with an i-cord BO that leads into an i-cord wrist strap.

2406 ipod cozy

This is the third iPod cozy I’ve made, and by now I know what I like in one!  I decided to write up the pattern and share it with the world.

Pattern: iPod Nano Wrist-Strap Cozy

Designer: Rachel Henry (that’s me!)

Available: FREE!

Yarn: Socks That Rock Lightweight

2405 ipod cozy
I would be delighted to answer any questions or help any knitters working on these patterns.

New Pattern Release: Clewe Cowl and Minotaur Cowl

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Last weekend I taught a class on möbius kntting at the last-ever Granite State Knit-In.  We had an airy lodge all to ourselves: 150+ knitters of every stripe, enjoying a beautiful late-spring morning in New Hampshire with yarn and needles in hand. Lucky me, I even found a few great deals and bought a shawl pin, some laceweight yarn, and enough hand-painted DK (?) yarn for a cardi/shrug.

2384 Decadent Fibers Pulled Taffy in Red Hot Pepper2383 Ivy Brambles Romantica in Pine Tree

But enough about my squishy yarn! Back to the class. I really enjoy knitting on the edge of a möbius strip, and I wanted to share this with knitters who have never encountered this awesome knitted shape before.  My OCD side loves knitting a true möbius, starting with Cat Bordhi’s möbius cast-on. The Clewe cowl uses this cast-on and takes full advantage of möbius knitting with the reversible Labyrinth pattern.

Pattern: Clewe Cowl

Designer: Rachel Henry (that’s me!)

Available: FREE!

Yarn: Araucania Nature Wool Chunky

2138 Clewe Cowl prototype

However, the möbius  cast-on can be tricky for knitters, especially if they are also tackling knitting in the round and/or circular needles for the first time. To make möbius knitting more accessible, I designed the Minotaur cowl, which begins as a flat strip that is joined with a half twist, creating a möbius base from which the knitter picks up stitches. From that point on it is worked on the long möbius edge, following the reversible Horns pattern.

Pattern: Minotaur Cowl

Designer: Rachel Henry (that’s me!)

Available: FREE!

Yarn: Araucania Nature Wool Chunky

2299 Minotaur Cowl

I would be delighted to answer any questions or help any knitters working on these patterns.

 

Kudzu Knit-a-long

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I’m absolutely delighted to report that my Kudzu Shawlette pattern made it up to #16 on on Ravelry’s “New and Popular” top 20 list on the Patterns page. (The list refreshes often, so Kudzu may not be there now.) I am quite certain this is due in no small part to the Beginner Lace Knitters group on Ravelry, which chose Kudzu for their June 2011 KAL. Before that KAL was finalized, I also started a KAL on my brand-spanking-new Remily Knits group on Ravelry.  Of course I’m running the KAL on my group, but I’m also lurking in the other group to answer any pattern-specific questions.  Join both, for the best of both worlds!

Mostly, I’m just plain SUPER EXCITED that people like my pattern. It is a huge thrill to see other knitters make something I designed.  Here are a few of the wonderful WIP Kudzu Shawlettes:

Kudzu by the Numbers

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My latest pattern, Kudzu, has gotten a lot of positive attention on Ravelry!  Today, it hit 1000 favorites, making it by far my most popular pattern today. There are already 26 projects, including many from two separate knit-a-longs (more on that Wednesday).

In honor of hitting that milestone, I give you (as requested) a row-by-row stitch count for both the full and midi length of the shawlette.

Please note: these stitch counts are for AFTER the row(s) are complete.

Section Row(s) Sts (Full) Sts (Midi)
Cast On 0 253 178
Rib 1 – 4 253 178
Open Twist Rib 1 – 2 303 213
Open Twist Rib 3 – 4 253 178
Leaves 1 – 2 303 213
Leaves 3 – 4 403 283
Leaves 5 – 6 503 353
Leaves 7 – 8 603 423
Leaves 9 – 10 605 425
Leaves 11 – 12 607 427
Leaves 13 – 14 609 429
Leaves 15 – 16 611 431
Leaves 17 – 18 609 429
Leaves 19 – 20 607 427
Leaves 21 – 22 605 425
Leaves 23 – 24 603 423
Leaves 25 – 26 601 421
Lattice 1 – 2 599 419
Lattice 3 – 4 597 417
Lattice 5 – 6 595 415
Lattice 7 – 8 593 413
Lattice 9 – 13 591 411

 

New Pattern Release: Katydid Drop Everything Scarf

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Introducing my latest pattern: Drop Everything! This dropped-stitch scarf is knit on large needles with ribbon-style yarn, so it works up very quickly.  This pattern was designed especially for Classice Elite Yarn‘s free weekly web-letter.

KatydidScarf3

Pattern: Katydid Drop Everything Scarf

Designer: Rachel Henry (that’s me!)

Available: free at Classic Elite!

Yarn: Classic Elite Katydid

KatydidScarf4

Inspiration: When I’m working on a new design, usually I have some idea what I want it to look like long before I settle on a specific yarn. Often the yarn informs the design, telling me as I knit swatches and prototypes what it wants to be.  The finished pattern is very rarely exactly what I started out with in my mind.

But for this scarf, the process worked in reverse on all counts.  I began by fondling the soft ribbony goodness of Katydid at a local Knit Night with my friends. I knew the yarn’s unique flat nature could be hidden by knitting it tightly enough, but I didn’t want to hide it – I wanted to show it off!

The final version of the Drop Everything scarf jumped into my mind fully formed: alternating sections of large horizontal drop stitches between rows of garter stitch, and vertical drop stitches between columns of stockinette.  Worked on large needles, the scarf would be a quick, fun knit that should appeal to experienced knitters and beginners alike.

As I worked up the sample in a stunning orange, I didn’t change a thing from the original plan. The finished scarf has beautiful drape and is lightweight.  Make it in bright colors for the perfect spring accessory!

KatydidScarf1

Design/Skills Needed: Drop Everything is worked flat.  The horizontal dropped stitches are created with extra yarn-overs (dropped on the next row); the vertical dropped stitches are laddered down from the top of each section. If you can knit and purl and are ready to try something a little extra, this scarf is within your skill set.

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

KatydidScarf2

New Pattern Release: Rapunzel

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Introducing my latest pattern: Rapunzel! This simple girl’s top is designing with color-changing or self-striping yarn in mind, but will work with both plain and variegated colorways. It can be worn alone, or layered over a shirt in cooler weather.

1563 S in Rapunzel top

Pattern: Rapunzel

Designer: Rachel Henry (that’s me!)

Available: for $1.99 at Knit Picks

Yarn: Knit Picks Chroma Fingering

1553 S in Rapunzel top

Inspiration: I swatched for this pattern using Felici Sport, a great self-striping yarn.  I wanted to show off the striping with a wide horizontal band, then work downwards.  When KP accepted the pattern, they offered me the new Chroma yarn … I could NOT resist. I just love how it turned out.  I used mostly-stockinette throughout, to highlight the color changes, with an itty bitty braid to add interest.  As I worked, I was reminded of Rapunzel letting down her braid … just like the off-center braid on the top, hence the name.

1549 Rapunzel top

Design/Skills Needed: Rapunzel is worked top-down, beginning with a large cabled bandeau that is worked sideways from a provisional cast-on and then joined in a circle. Stitches are picked up from the bottom edge of the cable, and the rest of the body is worked in the round. The bottom edge is finished with a simple ruffle. The straps are also mini versions of the main braid, with ruffled outer edges.

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

<a href=”http://www.flickr.com/photos/remcat/5536426944/&#8221; title=”1549 Rapunzel top by WoofBC, on Flickr”><img src=”http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5051/5536426944_a6234321f0.jpg&#8221; width=”375″ height=”500″ alt=”1549 Rapunzel top” /></a>

Test Knitters Needed: Drop Everything and Kudzu

remilyknits 6 Comments

I’m working on two projects for Classic Elite.  Both will eventually be FREE! to the world via CEY’s daily web-letter. Right now I’m working on the samples, and they are looking good.  I also need a few intrepid test knitters to help me eliminate any errors and clarifying confusing bits.

Dear reader, this is where you come in! One of the projects is quick-and-easy; the other is more involved-and-complex.  If you have time over the next 2-3 weeks to test knit a pattern, please let me know.  I’ll email you a test version of the pattern, you supply the yarn and mad knitting skillz.  You get to keep your finished object, and earn my undying gratitude ;).

Drop Everything Scarf

Quick and fun drop-stitch scarf, using ribbon-style bulky yarn.

image_25_1_2011(rev 1)

1369 Drop Everything swatch

Flavor text:
Ribbon yarns shine in drop-stitch projects. Katydid’s exceptional softness and drape make this straight-forward drop-stitch scarf something special, and just the thing to accessorize in springtime.

The pattern alternates between large sections of horizontal drop stitches between rows of garter stitch and vertical drop stitches between columns of stockinette.

The easy pattern repeat and big needles means it works up quickly. This project should appeal to experienced knitters and beginners alike.

Sizes: 6″ wide, 5 feet long
Approximate Hours to Complete: 6
Deadline: March 15
Tools needed: US#10 needles (6.0 mm)
Material needed: appx 250 yards of aran yarn, ideally a ribbon-style yarn
Pattern Difficulty: Easy
Pattern Style: written
Testing needs: Check for errors, test for ease of understanding drop-stitch directions

Kudzu Shawlette

This is a leafy lace shawlette, with a pattern that flows from one motif to the next. Intermediate-to-advanced level lace: stitch count varies row to row, and knitter must understand & execute sk2p vs. s2kp correctly.

image_25_1_2011-1(rev 1)

1373 Kudzu swatch

Flavor text:
In the southern US Kudzu flows over the land like waves caught in time. I tried to capture the impression of motion in this shawlette. The twisted rib grows leaves that expand to cover a lattice.

This lacy shawlette can be worn over the shoulders with a fancy accent button or shawl pin to hold it in place. It can also be wrapped twice around the neck for a more casual look.

Directions are be provided in both chart and written format.

Sizes: appx 10″ deep and 50″ long
Approximate Hours to Complete: 25-30
Deadline: March 22
Tools needed: US#6 needles (4.0 mm)
Material needed: appx 750 yards of sport or DK yarn, button (if desired)
Pattern Difficulty: Experienced
Pattern Style: fully charted and written
Testing needs: Check for errors, especially in the written directions.

New Pattern Release: Photog Mitts

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Introducing my latest pattern: the Photog Mitts! This pattern for palmless, fingerless mitts in squishable Happy Feet DK is all about maximizing warmth while leaving the hand free for work.  Great for photographers, sailors, and anyone who wants to keep their hands both warm and unencumbered.

1203 photog mitts

1204 photog mitts

Pattern: Photog Mitts

Designer: Rachel Henry (that’s me!)

Available:  for $3.50 at Ravelry

Yarn: Plymouth Yarn Happy Feet DK

Inspiration: I designed these for my friend Donna (of Donna Kelliher Photography) — she specializes in photographing dog sporting events, which means she is outside in all kinds of weather. Handling a camera with full mittens or gloves on is dicey at best, and regular fingerless mitts cover the palm in fabric, which bunches up and makes holding the camera difficult.

Design/Skills Needed: The cuff is worked in the round, starting with a simple scalloped edge that comes to a point and continues in a subtle line of slipped stitches all the way up the wrist and hand. Stitches are cast off at the base of the palm, and the remainder of the mitt is worked flat with slip-stitch edges that hug the palm. A thumb gusset provides superior fit. The top is finished with i-cord edging that runs around the pinky and pointer fingers to hold the mitt in place – the thumb is also finished with i-cord edging.

Yarn: Suitable for the most colorful hand-painted yarn, but stylish with subdued colors too, these functional yet charming mitts are quick to knit and fun to wear.

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