{Favorites}: Top Sweater Knitting Patterns for Fall

River Pullover by Cecily Glowik MacDonald

loveknitting just added a fun post to their blog on the Top 5 Sweater Knitting Patterns for Fall!  It's 88 degrees here today, so on the one hand, I kinda enjoy the thought of Fall and cooler temperatures.  However, just looking at long sleeves and thick knits makes me sweat right now.  Ugh.

All that aside, I really do love the patterns they've chosen.  I'm pretty thorough in checking out patterns as they're added to Ravelry everyday.  I must admit, however, some of these skipped my radar and I'm glad to catch them again.  I'm adding them all to my knitting queue now :)

Two of my top favorites:  The River Pullover (above) by Cecily Glowik MacDonald and Peace and Love Sweater (below) by Anna Ravenscroft.  Do you have any favorites?

Peace and Love Sweater by Anna Ravenscroft

Starting Out: Striped Sweater Knitting Pattern

Probably like a lot of knitters, I have a big pile of random skeins of yarn left over from other knitting projects.  I've decided to pull together my skeins of dk yarn and design a striped sweater to use up some (most? all?) of my leftovers (I have more than what's pictured above).  My plan is:

1.  To design a short-sleeved striped sweater.

2.  I'm going to start the bottom as two pieces (front and back) to create slits on the sides, then join it and knit it in the round to the armpits.

3.  The stripes are going to be varied, as I have different amounts of each color, but I'll follow the pattern of one wider stripe then two thinner ones (6 rounds for the thicker stripe, two rounds for the thinner ones).

4.  I'm going to include a little pocket on the front (I think), because I've never done a pocket before.

5.  I want to incorporate these cute buttons in the sweater,  I plan to use one as a closure on my pocket, and one as a little detail on the collar.

6.  I haven't exactly figured out the sleeves yet, but they'll just be your basic short sleeve with a rib edge.

I hope blogging about this project as I go will make me start this sweater and stop just thinking about it :)  For some reason, I just can't get motivated to start.  Wish me luck!

Favorites: Blossoms By the Brook Shawl Knitting Pattern

My hubby/photographer is away, so sorry for the crappy photos!

I just had to show off this wonderful shawl pattern I knit from the Spring/Summer 2012 issue of Knitty.  I have kind of a love/hate relationship with shawls.  There are so many AMAZINGLY beautiful shawl patterns out there, but I just don't know how to use them and wear them in my real life.  So I knit very few of them.

But I had a skein of Caron Simply Soft in this beautiful Orchid color that I wanted to make a light and lacy scarf with, so I went on the hunt for a narrow crescent-shaped shawl pattern that I could wear around my neck like a scarf.  I was thrilled to find this Blossoms By the Brook pattern by Ilga Leja on the Knitty site.  What I loved about it was:

1.  It only took about 150 yards of yarn

2.  The pattern was free (let's be honest)

3.  It was easily adjustable

4.  And I just loved, loved, loved the pretty scalloped edge and the wavy ends that this pattern creates.

This pattern is so cleverly designed to grow from the center bottom point, and can easily be knit to be longer and wider.    I wanted a shawl/scarf that was narrow but long, and I made very few modifications.  I found that it helped to put stitch markers between each repeat as my shawl grew in length.  I followed the pattern as written, but only worked Chart B to row 6.  Then I did two rows of purl stitches to create the upper garter border, and bound off with a larger needle.

I did only a light block on this, pinning my shawl down while it was dry and not pulling it too much.  Then I wet it after it was pinned in place.

 

So happy with the finished shawl!  I love when things come together like this!

Showing Off & Knitting a Better Thumb: Possessed Printer Fingerless Mitts

Possessed Printer Mitts UNBLOCKED

I just had to share my latest knitting project, the wonderful Possessed Printer Mitts by Emma Galati.  This pattern is great for variegated dk yarn, I used some beautiful merino hand-dyed yarn from Lola-Doodles on etsy.  I bought this yarn a couple of years ago.  I wish I had taken a photo of it still wrapped in its skein.  The color is Mist.  Such a beautiful array on purples, blues, pinks, and greens.  You can see all the amazing colors in the palm of these mitts.

Anyway, love the yarn, love the pattern, but I wanted to add knitted thumbs as other Ravelers had done.  So I followed some of the notes that others had posted and filled in on my own what was missing.  Below are my specific notes on my thumb pattern, based heavily on what AKnitOnTheSide had done.

I didn't want super long mitts, but you can adjust the length by following the pattern for longer before starting your thumb gusset.  I started with my left mitt first:

Left Mitt

I followed the pattern as written for the wrist for 13 caught stitches,  After the 13th caught stitch, I placed a second marker 2 stitches before my end of round marker (to mark my thumb gusset) as AKnitOnTheSide had done.  AT THE SAME TIME as marking my gusset, I knit into the front and back of the two marked stitches, increasing my thumb gusset to 4 stitches.   Then a knit 2 rounds straight, following the pattern.

Note:  While knitting my thumb, I continued to follow the caught stitch pattern on the front of the mitt and knit the palm as directed.

On the third round, when I got to the thumb gusset, I once again knitted into the front and back of the first stitch, knit across the other stitches, and knit into the front and back of the last stitch, increasing my gusset to 6 sts.  I continued this pattern of increasing the gusset every third round until I had 14 stitches in my gusset.  I then knit two more rounds without increasing, but maintaining the pattern.

After these two extra rounds, when I got to my gusset, I moved my thumb stitches on to some waste yarn and cast on 6 stitches using the backwards loop method to create a wall where the thumb was.  Then I knit one round in pattern, knitting all the stitches across the wall .  The next round, I knit in pattern until reaching the wall area, I decreased the first two stitches with a ssk, knit the next two stitches, then decreased the last two stitches with a k2tog, leaving me with 4 stitches in my wall.

Next round, I knit in pattern, and just knit across my wall.  On the fourth round, I continued in pattern until my wall, then ssk, k2tog.  This left me with 2 stitches in my wall and brought me back to the original 40 stitch count.

Now I just finished the pattern as written.  I ended with 30 caught stitches total, then switched to only 5 rounds of the twisted rib for my border.  Then I bound off in pattern.

Finishing up the thumb - I moved my thumb stitches from the waste yarn onto my dpns.  I knit across my 14 stitches, then picked up 1 stitch in the gap between my thumb and the wall, 4 stitches along the base of my wall, and 1 more stitch in the gap between the wall and my thumb (picked up 6 stitches total).  I knit one round, but when I got to my 6 picked up stitches, I decreased the first 2 sts with a k2tog, and the last two stitches, leaving me with 18 stitches around the thumb.  I knit one more round, then switched to 4 rounds of the twisted stitch ribbing before binding off in pattern.

Possessed Printer Mitts UNBLOCKED

Right Mitt

The right mitt follows the same instructions, but use the first two stitches of the 17 knit stitches that make up the palm as the beginning of your thumb gusset.

My mitts are a little bit looser than I'd like, but I hope a good blocking with make them a little tighter.  I hope these notes help anyone who wants to add a thumb to their mitts :)

Free Knitting Pattern: Slightly Shifting Knitted Cowl

Just posted my latest FREE knitting pattern for my Slightly Shifting Knitted Cowl.  This pattern is a simple, yet beautiful design that looks particularly lovely in a variegated yarn.  I knit my sample up in Cascade Yarn Pacific in color 508 (Hydrangeas).  This yarn is such a beautiful color, like the gentle hue changes in an Impressionist's painting.  Ans this slipped stitch pattern really shows off these pretty colors.

You can find this new pattern on my Hubpages!

Christmas Knitting: Tiny Sweater Ornaments

It's time for my knitting group's annual ornament exchange, and since I'm not getting anywhere with my current knitting project, I've become intrigued by little knitted sweater patterns.

This time of the year, lots of yarn companies release FREE patterns for little sweater ornaments.  I've already have plans for my submission for this year's ornament exchange (more later), but I wanted to share some of these little patterns for little sweaters:

First up, these little cuties from Berroco, available for download here.  I love the little fair isle sweater and hat.  These would be great for dressing up stocking stuffers like little toys or candy canes.

Vogue Knitting also has a free pattern for this sweater garland (available here).  This would be a fun way to use up some scrap yarn while making a colorful garland for your tree or mantle.  These sweaters could also be knit as separate items to use as ornaments.

Red Heart has this charming cardigan pattern, which would also be great for doll attire.  You can find it on their website.

And a lot of sweet knitters have shared their patterns for little sweaters for free on Ravelry or on their blogs.  Ravelry has a lot of patterns to choose from.  Here are just a few:

Emily of Greens and Jeans has a tiny raglan design that can be modified in a number of ways.

Lori of Bird's Eye View also has a sweet little pattern that would look great in variegated yarn or using an array of scraps.

And Linda at Natural Suburbia has this adorable Christmas Tree Sweater.  Such a great idea!

Hope you find something here to use to decorate your own holidays with!

We Have a Winner...And Some More Good News!

And the winner of the free copy of my Mosaic Blanket pattern and three (3) skeins of yarn is...Mary D!  Congratulations to Mary!  I'll send out your prize package soon!!

Thanks to EVERYONE who entered my giveaway!  It was my first free giveaway and I learned a lot.  It was great to hear everyone's feedback on my knitting patterns and tutorials.  This is very helpful as I think about new patterns for the future.  It was also fun to see everyone's email addresses (there are some really cute addresses out there) and find some new blogs to check out.  Thanks again to everyone who stopped by!

And more good news - 3 of my patterns have been published in the 2015 Knitting Pattern Daily Calendar by Accord Publishing.  This is my first time having my patterns in print, and I'm pretty excited.  I'm not sure where this calendar is available (other than Amazon), but I'll pass on more information when I have it.

Thanks again everyone!  I appreciate you stopping by!!

ENDED 8/14/14: FREE Yarn and Knitting Pattern Giveaway!!

It's time for my first giveaway!!  One lucky person will win (drum roll please):

• A hardcopy of my Mosaic Baby Blanket or Lap Afghan knitting pattern (more photos on Ravelry -pattern includes directions for both the baby blanket and the adult-sized afghan), and
• One skein each:  Caron Simply Soft worsted weight yarn in Persimmon (not quite as deep a color as pictured below), Country Peach, and Off White - 3 skeins total - enough yarn to knit your choice of afghan!

This yarn includes a pretty coral colored skein (not really as orangey as shown here), a soft peach color, and an off-white neutral.  I think these colors would make a cheerful baby blanket or lap afghan.  But, you could also swap out one of the colors and change the color combination.  You could take out one of these colors and add a denim blue to make a great blanket suited for a boy - or add a pretty lilac color for a lovely girl's blanket.  Or swap one of the colors for a dark emerald green to make a rich design of mosaic color.  You can use them however you choose!

How to enter my Mosaic Blanket Pattern and Yarn Giveaway:

1.  Go to my Hubpages knitting pattern and craft tutorial website and check out all my knitting patterns.  Links to these patterns are also on the right-hand side of this blog.

2.  Come back to this page and tell me your favorite of my knitting patterns, or your favorite of my craft tutorials in the comments below.

3.  Be sure to leave your name and a valid email address for me to contact you.

Giveaway will end on Friday, August 8, 2014 at midnight EST.  Official rules and regulations:

1.  This giveaway is open to U.S. Residents only.

2.  Only one entry per person please.

3.  Winner will be chosen by random selection.  Please be sure to include your email address.  I will contact the winner and give that person one week to respond with their address.  If I don't get any response by the end of that week, I will pick another winner.

That's it!  Good luck!!  Remember, this free giveaway ends on Friday, August 8, 2014 at midnight e.s.t.

Not feeling lucky?  I you can buy my Mosaic Baby Blanket and Lap Afghan knitting pattern for only $3 on Ravelry!  Thanks!!

{Knitting Book Review} New American Knits by Amy Christoffers

Generally, I try not to buy too many knitting books.  They're all so pretty and tempting but truly, how many patterns are you really going to knit out of any one book?  But anyway, at a moment of weakness (which I won't get in to), I purchased "New American Knits" by Amy Christoffers.

I've only had the book for a couple of weeks, but it features some really great patterns .  I particularly like the Rockwell Hat (which would be great for those random skeins of dk yarn I have in my stash), the Moses Hoodie (which I love but I'm afraid of putting in zippers), the Nevelson Lace Pullover (gorgeous!), and the Benton Cardigan (this has my name written all over it).

In the midst of all these beautiful patterns, I found a real winner - the Tanner Cowl - and immediately cast on.  I love the intricate details and lace in this design and how it folds in the photo in the book.  The pattern calls for worsted weight, but I had some Knit Picks Swish DK in my stash in this sweet Sugar Plum color (love!).  I chose to use a size #7 needle to use with my smaller gauge yarn.  I assume the overall size of my cowl will also be smaller, but I think it will still be large enough to wrap around my neck twice.  I might need to give it an aggressive block to make this happen.

The pattern uses pretty basic stitches, but does require a fair bit of attention and concentration.  I found that putting stitch markers between each 28 st repeat really helped, though you have to move them on certain rows (as instructed in the directions).  Still I've missed a couple of yarnovers while not paying enough attention, and had to make them up in the next row.  Luckily, I think the overall pattern is pretty forgiving, and no one will notice a missed eyelet here and there.

One note:  I *think* there is a mistake in the chart on row 39.  I think the first st should be another "move the beginning of the round marker, slip stitch, k2tog, pass slipped st over" thingy, otherwise you'll have too many stitches.

I'm planning to shorten my cowl width-wise, and only follow the chart to row 48.  My cowl design will not be symmetrical, but no one will notice.  And in my warm weather climate, I don't need a cowl that is 10 inches or so wide.

All in all, I love how my Tanner Cowl is coming out and I'm eyeing my next project from this book!

My Field of Flowers Tote was Chosen as Craftys Award Finalist!!

I guess I should be a little more subtle or humble about sharing this, but I'm just too excited :)  The Craftys Awards are an online contest for the best craft submissions.  This was the first year of the contest and submissions were accepted in a variety of categories:  knitting & crochet, sewing & quilting, jewelry-making, home decor, and a number of other categories.

I submitted a few of my craft tutorials, and my Field of Flowers Knitted Tote was chosen as one of the ten finalists in the knitting & crochet category.  And I'm just thrilled!

Unfortunately, my tote was not chosen as the winner, but that's okay.  I'm still happy just to be chosen as a finalist.  The winner was a knit wedding dress that is truly amazing.  Congratulations to Stephanie Klose for her beautiful dress - and congratulations to all the 2014 Craftys Award winners!!

{Hand} Dye-ing for Something to Knit

I recently had the opportunity to take a yarn hand-dyeing workshop at a LYS, Yarn and Y'all.

The workshop was a lot of fun and I wish I had taken photos of the yarn dyeing process, but I was too busy enjoying myself to remember to take pictures.

We started out with about 440 yards of undyed merino wool in sock weight.  I told myself that I was going to use browns and blues for my yarn, and stay away from my favorites, purples and greens.  I wanted to create something different than what I usually buy.

photos taken from different sides on different days

But as you can see, I ended up still gravitating toward my usual pinks, purples, and greens.

And the yarn looks total different when balled

Despite falling back into my comfort zone, I'm still very happy with my resulting yarn.  Now, to pick something to knit with it!  I decided I wanted to make scarf or narrow shawl from my hand-dyed yarn.  I was thinking of something light and loose with lots of eyelets or a loose weave.  Here are my favorite choices:

Frisson:  I love the simple geometry of this shawlette.  This pattern is really what I had in mind when I thought about using my hand-colored yarn.

Hallayo:  This scarf pattern has been in my queue for a while.  I love this design, but really wanted to make more of a shawl than a scarf.

Sea Line Shawl:  This is your basic feather-and-fan design, but I think it would be pretty with the colors in my yarn.

Margosha Shawlette:  I'm leaning toward this pattern.  It has the eyelets and open weave that I was looking for.  I like the crescent shape of the design.  And I like how the short-row edging creates a little ruffle.

Which one do you think I should make?

Free Knitting Pattern: Pinwheel Basket

I love baskets for decorating and organizing things, and this knitted basket pattern is one of my favorites.  I had this pattern on my Hubpages for a while, but I haven't posted a link on this blog until now.  This is a quick, fun knit that uses Zoë Scheffy's free Pinwheel Coasters pattern for the base, then builds up the sides using a lattice pattern in two colors.  All the directions are on my Hubpages.

Just as an FYI - you won't find this pattern in Ravelry.  Since it uses part of Zoë's pattern, I felt uncomfortable posting and taking credit for this pattern there.

Choosing Colors for Your Mosaic Afghan or Baby Blanket

Thanks so much to everyone who has shown interest in my Mosaic Afghan and Baby Blanket knitting pattern (available for FREE on my Hubpage!).  I really appreciate it!

I've had a number of people ask about how I chose my colors for the samples I created.  The mosaic pattern in these blankets are made up of three different colors.  While I think this pattern would look great in any color combination, I used a little color theory to create a soft semi-Impressionist look to my mosaic pattern.

Color Theory is the study of how colors appear when placed against or next to one another.  The color wheel below shows the three primary colors (red, blue, and yellow) and their complementary colors (green, orange and purple).  And there are, of course, a variety of shades of each of these colors that fall somewhere on this wheel.  For instance, peach would fall between orange and yellow, turquoise would be between green and blue, etc.

image from www.jic.org

For my adult-sized afghan, I used two shades of yellow (a pale yellow and a medium warm brown/caramel color) and then a light shade of purple as the complementary color.  Because these two colors (yellow and purple) are across from each other on the color wheel, I knew they would work well together in my pattern.

I did something similar with my baby blanket.  I had some pale yellow and lavender left over from the larger afghan, so I used a darker purple to complete my color combination.  Again, my two purples (lavender and a darker plum color) are across the color wheel from my pale yellow color.

There are an endless number of color combinations to that will work together in the mosaic design using the color wheel.  Here are a few ideas:

two shades of green and a pretty color of coral red
two light to medium shades of blue and a brighter color of orange
two shades of pink and a teal-green color

Another option would be to use two shades of any color, and then use a neutral as your third color.  Neutral colors would include white, off-white, shades of gray, beige, black, and even brown.

I hope this has given you some ideas about colors to consider for all of your knitting patterns.  I look forward to seeing the colors that people use in their mosaic blankets!

Where Have I Been? Designing New Knitting Patterns!!

Fresh off the press is my latest knitting pattern:  The Colorful Mosaic Afghan or Throw and the Mosaic Baby Blanket, available on Ravelry (just follow the link).

I really love how this design came out, and it's a great way to incorporate a few colors into one beautiful blanket.  I think the design is delicate, yet interesting and eye-catching.  I've included the directions for both of these blankets in one pattern, so you can download either one and get both designs :)  

I'm definitely enjoying my afghan :)

Knitting, But Not Getting Anywhere

Ever feel like this - you knit, and knit, and knit, and yet you still seem to be at the same spot?  Well, I'm still working on my Drops sweater, but nothing's really happening.  I won't even bother posting a photo, because there's nothing to see.  I'm still working on the body and haven't even hit the armholes yet :(  Granted, this is a long term project for me and I'm working on a few other things at the same time.

Here's a sneak peek at something else I've been knitting: a new pattern!

© 2014 by Donna Herron

It will still be a while until I have it ready to share, but I'm excited about it ;)

Knitting for Men (Who Don't Like Knits)

As Valentine's Day approaches, some of us may be considering knitting something for the men in our lives.  But be wary - some men just don't like knits (my husband and father among them).

I'm not sure what their aversion is - my husband says he often gets too hot in knitted items, and I think he doesn't want the responsibility of handling and caring for a handmade item.  These are somewhat understandable reasons for not wanting handknit goods.  But most knitters *enjoy* knitting things for the people we love.  And so we persist.

So, if you are considering knitting something for your man, here are a few suggestions for some small accessories that are guy-approved.  And you still have time to make them before Valentine's Day!

First up - Scarves:

Karin's Gansey Scarf  (free pattern) by Tina Hees - I made this scarf for my dad, and...he's never worn it :(  However, I do love this design and think it's very guy-appropriate.  I think a lot of men would like (and wear) this scarf.  It has just enough design to be interesting, but can be worn in both dressy and casual settings.  You could knit it in a bright color for a sporty look, or in a neutral for a more casual style.

P.S. - I added the fringe.  I have posted a fringe tutorial on my Hubpages.

Another great men's scarf pattern is the Campus Scarf by Fiona Ellis from the book Scarf Style.  The pattern for this scarf calls for about 8 different colors of yarn to create stripes in the pattern.  I made this for my hubby using a kettle-dyed denim colored yarn and let the design create the interest.  A fun project to knit, I really like this scarf and so does my hubby.  He actually does wear it (I wish I made it about 12 inches longer though).  Highly recommended!

Hats:

Hats can be a bit trickier - there are SO MANY designs.  If you are going to make your guy a hat, I would suggest a basic design knit in a dark color.  Some ideas:

Keep it simple, like a ribbed Man Hat (free pattern, not pictured) by Haven Leavitt

For something with a little design, try Berruti by Wendy Neal.  I made this hat for my husband out of the same yarn as his Campus Scarf.  He wears it *occasionally.*

Some other interesting hat patterns:

Antler Hat  (free pattern, not pictured) by Alexa Ludeman

Quest for Man (free pattern, not pictured) by Laura Nelkin

Now, on to Socks:

Honestly, I've never knit socks.  But my advice is similar to that for hats - choose a simple design and make them in a solid neutral color.  Here are some patterns I find interesting and designed with men in mind:

Simple Skyp Socks (free pattern, not pictured)) by Adrienne Ku - basic, but with a little pattern to it.

Escalator Socks (free pattern, not pictured) by Sara Armoroso - such an interesting design!

Java Socks (free pattern from Knitty.com) by Cailyn Meyer (not pictured)  Gosh, I do love these!  *If* I were to knit my husband some socks, I think these might be the ones!

And for something a little fancier, Boyfriend Socks (free pattern, not pictured) by Alice Bell.  I love the use of cables, but my husband would never wear them.  Boo :(

Well, I hope I've given you some ideas and fair warning :)  Happy Knitting!

Free Knitting Pattern: Three Designs for Bold Statement Necklaces

The drabness of winter is upon us and once again my mind (and knitting needles) turn to new jewelry :)

I love bold necklaces and have posted three different designs for statement necklaces on my Hubpages.  These designs can be modified in size and length, and you can incorporate as many colors as you choose to match your favorite items in your wardrobe!

I hope there's a design that you like!

New FREE Knitting Pattern: Sweet Cables Baby Blanket

As part of my "recession knitting" plan to use up some of my stash yarn, I've posted a new free knitting pattern:  Sweet Cables Baby Blanket.

This blanket or afghan knits up quickly using bulky or chunky yarn.  The pattern features alternating cables with a little bit of lace - perfect for keeping that little one warm and cozy :)

This pattern is available on my Hubpage.  The directions include two separate cable charts, one for each cable.  These charts are included with the directions, but I've also posted the charts here, laid out on one page.

You should be able to click on this chart, save it, then re-size it for printing.  Let me know if you have any problems :)

Holiday Knitting Ideas

Yes, it's that time of year again, when most knitters turn their attention (and their needles) to holiday gifts.  And what makes holiday knitting much more fun?  FREE knitting patterns!

DROPS, those wonderful suppliers of so many free patterns, have pulled together their best holiday projects in their Christmas Workshop 2013.  This (free) pattern collection is just jam packed with great ideas for knitted and crocheted gifts.  I love all the sock and mitt patterns!

And if your looking for more free knitting patterns, check out my Hubpages (apologies for the shameless plug).  I've recently added some fun craft projects for the holiday season!!

My First Knitting Project - "Put A Bird On It"

Update:  12/28/2013

Hi all - I've moved this post to my other blog.  Look for it and other knitting articles and free patterns on my Hubpages!!  Thanks!