Adelinea Mitts

6 Replies

Because I love corrugated ribbing, I worked out a new pattern that highlights this feature. This knitting project kept me busy for a couple of weeks while I knitted them in two sizes and in a few different color combinations.

The sizes are Small/Medium and Medium/Large. This photo shows both sizes on my medium-sized hands. The one on the left is size M/L and has a slightly loose fit on me. The one of the right is size S/M and fits me tightly. The difference in the sizes is just over half an inch around (4 stitches).

As I was saying, I love corrugated ribbing. However, it’s the one structure in colorwork knitting in which I don’t weave in the ends as I go. I’ve never found a good technique for this so I just wait to the end and weave them away from the openings so the little tails are not visible. It’s a little more work, but worth it.

The pattern below shows the colors for the smaller sized mitts on the right. Here’s the colors for the mitts with blues/reds, all of which are from the Knit Picks Palette line of 100% fingering weight wool: MC1- Garnet Heather, MC2- Marine Heather, MC3- Opal Heather, CC1 Coriander Heather, CC2 Finnley Heather, CC3 Cream. (Amounts needed are noted in pattern.)

Here is the free knitting pattern for you to enjoy. Please let me know if you make them by messaging me or posting on Ravelry.

adelinea-mittsDownload

Aluma Hat and Learning New Things

5 Replies

Greetings! This has nothing to do with knitting, but I’m learning to ride a motorcycle out on some crazy dirt/gravel/sand roads. This photo is of me, taken this morning up on Flat Top Mesa near Mesquite, Nevada.

Did you think I just sit on my couch and knit all the time? (Well, I do sit and knit a lot!)

I just wanted to put it out there that even with knitting you have to be brave to try new things. So if you are thinking about knitting something that’s more complicated than you have previously tried—go for it. If you want to knit something way out of your comfort zone–give it a go. What’s the worst that can happen? Even if it’s a total mess you will surely learn new things.

Earlier this week I had a good time designing and knitting this hat.

This hat has all the classic elements: corrugated ribbing, stars, diamonds, and a fancy crown. I tried to put these all together in a new-to-me way and came up with the Aluma Hat.

The crown is my favorite part. Here’s the FREE PATTERN for you to download if you want to knit this hat.

aluma-hatDownload

Nth Mitts

Leave a reply

Since I was in the mood for some colorwork knitting I took to my computer and started designing. I use the Stitchmastery program. It gives me a grid and I click the little boxes to make patterns. I can spend hours doing this. The software gives me a default number until I name the pattern. If I don’t name it I forget what number I’m working on. In my confusion I quickly gave this one the name Nth and it stuck.

I realize that Nth is not a common word but a few people I know (like my mom) use it occasionally. Like I do with all my pattern names, I googled “Nth” and searched ravelry to make sure someone else has not used it to name a mitt pattern. What I learned was that some people use NTH in text to mean “need to have”. I love it! Two meanings now!

My patterns are not written for beginning knitters. I’d say they are for intermediate knitters that already know how to read charts or advanced knitters. I thought I’d take time here to tell you how I knit patterns like Nth Mitts. Remember, there is no one right way to do anything in knitting.

Managing multiple yarns: I always weave in as I go so I don’t have lots of strings to deal with in the end. The exception is at the beginning or end of a project. I do take the time to weave in those end so the little left over tails are not visible. Also, with corrugated ribbing like in the Nth Mitts I do not weave in as I go because I get a better look if I take the time to weave in the long tails at the end. I carry the yarn not in use up the rows, trapping it every other row or so. That way it is ready for when I need that color again. With Nth Mitts I did not do that with the red lines because I decided it would be too bulky if I had that many yarns being carried up at the beginning of the round. If this idea is new to you, check out youtube videos or other resources about knitting stripes. Stranding knitting/colorwork it like knitting stripes except each “stripe” is worked with 2 colors at a time.

I don’t use fancy yarn holders. I just put the dominate color on my left side and my “background” color on my right side. I set the balls next to my legs. If I have a color that’s not being used but is still attached to my work, I set it in the middle of my lap until I need to use it again.

I use double pointed needles (dpns) because I love knitting with them and have no interest in “magic loop”. My patterns are written using “dpns” but you could use circulars/magic loop if that’s what you like.

If you need to have these mitts you can make them yourself with this free pattern!

nth-mittsDownload

Sprung Hat Pattern

4 Replies

Do you have a lot of left over yarn? I do and I’m constantly weighing these little balls to see if I have enough of a certain color to make something. I mostly have left overs of the Knit Picks Palette line which is fingering weight 100% wool yarn. Sometimes I want to design a pattern that has lots of colors in it so I’ll pull from my collection of scraps. I have noticed in general that people are more likely to make my patterns if there’s just a few colors involved. However, I design for my own knitting pleasure and I can’t resist complex colorwork.

This photo shows how the Sprung Hat came about. The bottom swatch was make to figure out how the flowers would look. Then I got to work on the crown. (I normally don’t show my swatches. I do them quick and dirty with no concern about presentation!) I never intended to use pink in this hat but I was running out of orange and wanted to save it for the actual construction of the hat. Pink yarns would be a great substitute for the flower colors, if that is what you have. There are 9 colors here: 3 light back-ground colors, 3 greens for the leaves, and 3 flower colors. Of course the leaves don’t have to be green!

Here’s the FREE PATTERN for you to enjoy!

sprungDownload

Alpinia Hat

3 Replies

My abundance of green colored yarns inspired my newest design: Alpinia Hat. This pattern calls for 8 colors: a main color for the ribbing and back ground, 4 greens for the stem/leaves, and 3 flower colors. I made the “blooms” with red and oranges but you could use any scrap colors you have around. For the bloom colors you only need 11 yards of 3 colors each. With the 4 green colors, you only need 20 yards of each. The flowers could be in pinks or yellows or lavenders–any colors really. When substituting colors, consider keeping the values/shades close to the original pattern.

This is a basic charted pattern using fingering weight yarn. Only 2 color strands are used at a time. There are lots of color changes though and if you make this hat you will enjoy it more if you know (or learn!) how to weave in ends as you go.

Here’s the free pattern for you to enjoy. If you make this hat, please share a photo of it with me or post it on Ravelry.

alpiniaDownload

Stella Nova Mitts

2 Replies

I want to tell you a little secret about how I swatch for mittens… I just start knitting the pattern. Of course I know it’s important to get the gauge right but honestly to get the gauge “in the round” you need to make something the size of a mitten. As for picking colors, it’s true that you can make a little square of the pattern but if you think you’ve got the colors that you want, you could just start knitting the mitten. 

This idea of skipping the swatch or having the mitten be the swatch works well with a lot of my patterns because I like to start the cuffs with colorwork. Stella Nova Mitts have very long cuffs—6 inches of colorwork before you get to the wrist. The cuffs are knitted with Size 3 needles so they are looser than other mittens that I have designed. 

With such long cuffs these mitts were not designed to be practical—am I stating the obvious? They were designed to be a fun explosion of stars.

Here is the free pattern for you to enjoy.

stella-nova-mittsDownload

Why Free Knitting Patterns?

3 Replies

Recently I decided to sew some doll clothes for my grand-daughter’s 18” doll.  I looked on Pinterest for free patterns thinking I’d whip out a few outfits in an evening.  There were lots of cute ideas but most of the links were covered with ads and I couldn’t easily find the download for the free patterns.  When I did find the links for the free patterns they didn’t work or the link was for something other than what I thought it would be. I’ve been listening to the podcast Darknet Diaries which is about hacking, scams, botnets, and the like. It’s a really good podcast and I recommend it but it’s made me overly  cautious about opening links.  So I gave up on the free sewing patterns.

This experience solidified my choice to not crowd my blog with ads.  When I started writing knitting patterns I imagined that I’d give them away for free at first and then one day charge for them.  I didn’t have a strong vision of where I wanted to go with knitting pattern design.  I know that if I design a sweater or an other multiple-sized garment I’d probably charge for it because of the work involved.  But somehow I got stuck on accessories and I can’t seem to stop. I love knitting mittens and hats!

Here’s what I get out of it: perfect record keeping.  My fiber craft life has not been one of good record keeping.  I didn’t label my fleece.  I made yarns with unknown amounts of blended wools.  I made the worst offenses when dyeing: didn’t measure dye, didn’t measure mordant, just threw it all in a pot and worked with what came out.  This was my sloppy way of doing things—could I change? Yes!  My knitting projects are recorded so well they are reproduce-able!

With that I give you my next Free Knitting Pattern: Longmont Hat. This hat was designed and knitted while we were visiting family in Longmont, Colorado. Enjoy!

longmont-hatDownload

Forecast Hat

5 Replies

We are back from our trip to Colorado in which we took our travel trailer and camped in below freezing weather. We were obsessed with checking the forecast and the weather was always on my mind. This is because of our solar/battery set up and it’s questionable ability to discharge in below freezing temperatures. This is really my hubby’s arena since he put in the solar set-up. I just benefit from it by being able to go “glamping”.

I had all the luxuries: yarn and light to knit by. I also took my computer and worked on some designs. The photo below is of all the samples I made that did not work out. I thought I’d share this mess so if anyone thinks they have trouble with choosing colors they can see I have troubles too.

I did get a few designs to work out and I ended up knitting two hats on the trip which I will share later. The pattern that I was writing at the time of the trip has been named “Forecast Hat”. I’m posting it here for anyone who would like to knit it. I don’t typically put black into my color-work but I did with this one. And of course, because I can’t resist—a Latvian Braid! Enjoy!

forecast-hatDownload

Wintress for the Winter Princess

4 Replies

I know a woman named Wintress and I think she has such a cool name. It’s like ‘winter’ and ‘princess’ combined. I designed this hat to be worked with 2 colors at a time in the classic Fair Isle style. The corrugated ribbing is knitted with size 2 needles and the rest of the hat is to be done in size 3.

In my mind there are 2 kinds of hats: one you would wear doing outdoor activities like hiking and the other you would wear chilling out like on a casual walk. When I make hats I use a size 1 needles for the ribbing if it’s meant to be a sport-style hat. Wintress is more of a causal chilling-out style so the ribbing is with size 2 needles and it’s corrugated so it on the loose side. If you make this hat you can chill-out looking like a winter princess!

This is a free pattern. If you make it please let me know either on ravelry or message me here.

wintress-hatDownload

Hibernus Mittens

6 Replies

‘Tis the season to knit with red and green.

I designed Hibernus Mittens with Knit Picks Palette line of yarns using these colors: Celadon Heather, Rainforest Heather, Finnley Heather, Asphalt Heather, and Lingonberry Heather.

I used with my favorite seeding pattern for the palms and thumbs: checkerboard! And of course, a Latvian Braid at the wrist because I’m super into Latvian Braids. I wrote up the pattern to share with y’all. Enjoy this FREE PATTERN.

hibernus-mittensDownload