Is it too early to think about Spring knitting? I don’t think so, but I’m generally not a rule follower. Don’t get me wrong though; I will always be an Autumn girl at heart all year long.
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If you like to knit out of season, check out Marram Tee. Pattern is a simple, lightweight top that is worked top down with minimal shaping. The front is first cast on and worked flat to the underarm with some short row shaping for the shoulders and neck. The back is then cast on and worked similarly with short row shoulder shaping. The front and back are joined at the underarms and tee is worked in the round with a bit of waist shaping to the bottom. Finally, the shoulders are seamed, and stitches are picked up for the sleeves.
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Recommended ease for Marram Tee is 5-6 inches at the bust. Sizing is as follows:
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Hey readers. How are you doing? I know it’s a weird and crazy and anxious time, but remember, it WILL get better. What’s the saying? This too shall pass. It may pass like a kidney stone, but it will pass. 🙂
If you found your way here from Pinterest or Instagram, welcome to my tiny cupboard under the stairs of the Big Wide Web. Be sure to subscribe to my newsletter and follow me here and here.
What have you been doing to pass the self-isolation time? Here at the megaptera household, there’s a lot of knitting going on. I want to share my latest project with you and the tool I used to create it.
I’ve been calling it my pandemic sweater, since it’s the thing that’s been keeping me somewhat grounded and sane during this crazy time.
The wool I used is Tenderfoot by Baby Euro. It’s a nice rustic mixture of merino wool and nylon and would be perfect for socks also. In fact, I bought this wool because I had socks in mind, but the yarn wanted to be a sweater instead. Oh well, you gotta let the wool do what it wants sometimes.
I didn’t follow a pattern, but rather found a chart online that I modified. I then constructed a circular yoke using the instructions in this book:
The Art of Circular Yokes: A Timeless Technique for 15 Modern Sweaters
You don’t need to be a designer to create your own custom circular yoke sweater that fits you perfectly. The Art of Circular Yokes: A Timeless Technique for 15 Modern Sweaters , by Interweave, provides step-by-step mathematical calculations (because let’s face it, knitting is mostly math anyways, right?) for all the measurements you’ll need. Incorporate a color-work chart or your favorite stitch pattern. Or not.
Or, knit some of the sweater patterns from top designers, that are provided in the book. There is so much variety, you’ll be sure to find something that appeals to you.
I had so much fun making this using the calculations in this book. But I also had time. You do too.
Take some time out from worrying and watching the news and social media to create your own sweater. I loved it so much, I’ve started my next one. Stay tuned..
Take care everyone. Stay home, stay well, and keep on knitting. Love to you all.
Christmas came with a blanket of snow in the Seattle area for the first time in almost a decade. It didn’t last long. Soon after, the familiar rains returned, melting it all away. But during it’s stay, the beautiful snow-covered trees in the forest behind our house inspired me to create Winter Woods Hat.
Winter Woods is knit in the round. It is a mosaic or slipped stitch pattern, with only one color worked each round. I used the same stitch pattern that I used in Joy Comes In the Morning, making it potentially reversible if color changes and weaving ends are done carefully. The stitch pattern includes yarn-over’s that are dropped on subsequent rounds to allow for more vertical stretch. Blocking is a must to open up those squares.
Gauge and Sizing
4.5 stitches = 1 inch
Sizes:
Small (19.5 inches)
Medium (21 inches)
Larger (23 inches)
Materials
Yarn: Aran or Worsted weight wool blend in following amounts.
Main color – 80 (95, 110) yards
Contrasting color – 40 (55, 70) yards
I used Louisa Harding Esquel, which is a combination of wool, llama and silk. Colors are Natural and Moss.
Needles:
Size US6 16″ length or Double Pointed Needles
Size US8 in 16″ or Double Pointed Needles
Size US8 Double pointed needles or long one for Magic Loop
Tapestry Needle for weaving ends
Abbreviations
CO: Cast on
MC: Main Color
CC: Contrasting Color
P: Purl
K: Knit
Sl1 wyif: Slip 1 with yarn in front
Sl1 wyib: Slip 1 with yarn in back
YO: Yarn over
rnd(s): round(s)
Winter Woods Pattern
With smaller needles and MC, CO 88 (96, 104) stitches. Join for working in the round. Work 1×1 ribbing for an inch.
Switch to CC and Knit one round.
Switch back to MC and P one round, then K one round. Repeat these two rounds.
Switch to larger needles.
[Stitch Pattern]
Setup Round: CC: P1, *YO, P4. Repeat from * to last 3 sts. YO, P3.
Round 1: MC: K1, Drop YO, Sl1 wyib. *K3, Drop YO, Sl1. Repeat from * to last 2 sts, K2.
Round 2: MC: K1, Sl1. *K1, YO, K2, Sl1. Repeat from * until last 2 sts, K1, YO, K1.
Round 3: CC: *P3, Drop YO, Sl1 wyif. Repeat from * to end.
Round 4: CC: *P1, YO, P2, Sl1. Repeat from * to end.
Repeat Rnds 1-4. Then work Rnds 1-2, EXCEPT don’t work the YO’s in Round 2. Next, P one rnd in CC.
Switch to MC. P one rnd, K one rnd. Repeat these two rnds.
Switch to CC, and work Stitch Pattern Rounds as follows:
Work Setup Rnd, and Rnds 1-4 in appropriate colors. Work Rnds 1-2 again, but without the YO’s in Rnd 2. Next, P one rnd in CC.
Switch to MC. P one rnd, K one rnd. Repeat these two rnds.
Switch to CC, and work Stitch Pattern as follows.
Work Setup Rnd. Work Rnds 1-2, Except skip the YO’s in Rnd 2. Next, P one rnd in CC.
Decrease Section (Switch to double pointed needles or Magic Loop as needed.)
Switch to MC.
P one round.
For Large and Small Sizes (For Small size, begin with Round 5):
K11, K2tog. Repeat to end.
P one round.
K10, K2tog. Repeat to end.
P one round in CC. Switch to MC.
K9, K2tog. Repeat to end.
P one round.
K8, K2tog. Repeat to end.
P one round in CC. Switch to MC.
K7, K2tog. Repeat to end.
P one round.
K6, K2tog. Repeat to end.
P one round in CC. Switch to MC.
K5, K2tog. Repeat to end.
P one round.
K4, K2tog. Repeat to end.
P one round in CC. Switch to MC.
K3, K2tog. Repeat to end.
P one round.
K2, K2tog. Repeat to end.
P one round in CC. Switch to MC.
K1 K2tog. Repeat to end.
P one round.
K2tog to end.
For Medium Size:
K10, K2tog. Repeat to end.
P one round.
K9, K2tog. Repeat to end.
P one round in CC. Switch to MC.
K8, K2tog. Repeat to end.
P one round.
K7, K2tog. Repeat to end.
P one round in CC. Switch to MC.
K6, K2tog. Repeat to end.
P one round.
K5, K2tog. Repeat to end.
P one round in CC. Switch to MC.
K4, K2tog. Repeat to end.
P one round.
K3, K2 tog. Repeat to end.
P one round in CC. Switch to MC.
K2, K2tog. Repeat to end.
P one round.
K1, K2tog. Repeat to end.
P2tog to end. (7 sts).
Cut yarn and thread through live sts and pull to close top of hat. Weave in ends carefully.
You’re going to want to block the heck out of this puppy. Soak hat in cool water with a bit of wool wash for half an hour. Gently squeeze out excess water and block, being sure to gently pull hat vertically to open up the squares in the stitch pattern.
Well, kids, it’s been raining here in the Seattle area for the last 8365837458 days. I finished my cowl a few day ago, but haven’t been able to get outside to take any pictures without fear of drowning. The sun came out briefly today, so I took advantage of it. Unfortunately, I think this may be the only partially sunny day for a while. :/ (For the record, I LOVE rain, but after 8365837458 days of it, I’m ready for some dryness.)
As I previously mentioned, I used the same stitch patterns that I used in my Where Feet May Fail shawl, hence the name.
I think it turned out pretty great. I like working with sport weight wool and Cascade’s 220 Superwash Sport is one of my go-to yarns for these kinds of projects. It’s relatively soft, comes in great colors, and is not too pricey. The reversible garter stitch pattern is very cool. Each side is the reverse of the opposite, and it has a amazing squishy texture. I really like this particular lace stitch pattern too, so added a few panels of those, like in the original shawl. The lace pattern looks completely different on both sides, but again, both are attractive.
I added an I-cord-looking edging to the cowl. At first, it was difficult to maintain consistent tension with it, especially in the stripes sections. I had to slow down and concentrate on how tight or loose my edge stitches were. It was also too easy to create loose stitches in the lace sections. After some practice though, I barely had to think about it. Of course, any edging could be used: a garter edge, slipped stitch edge, or any other that you like.
Change the pattern with your own ideas!
The pattern is extremely flexible. It can be made wider, thinner, longer, shorter. Add more lace if you like, or leave out the lace sections and add more squishy stripes. Endless possibilities. 🙂
I’m writing up the pattern now, and hope to have it done in the next couple of days so I can share it with you. It feels so great and squishy (I am loving that word), and I want to make a lot more in different colors.
Don’t get washed away, Pacific Northwesterners! :O
I am fascinated by reversible two-color knitting. There’s reversible knitting. There’s color work. Put them together, and you can make some pretty awesome creations.
I’m not talking about double knitting (which is pretty cool too). Double knitting produces a double-thick layer of fabric that creates “negative” images on opposite sides. I’m talking about stitch patterns that may or may not look similar on both sides. But both sides look great and either can be used as the “right” or outside.
Reversible Two-Color Knitting
If you want to try out two-color reversible knitting, I have to highly recommend this book: Reversible Two-Color Knitting by Jane Neighbors. Originally published in 1974, it’s currently out of print, but can be found second-hand on sites like Amazon or Alibris.com. Jane divides the book into chapters on stitch patterns, items created with these stitch patterns, and ideas on how to use them. The first chapter of stitch patterns is called “Simple Reversibles.” It contains a ton of stitch patterns that use only knit, purl, slipped stitches, and yarn overs. I had no idea there were so many ways to manipulate these 4 stitches.
I’ve used a couple of these in my designs. Where Feet May Fail uses a reversible garter stitch while Joy Comes In the Morning uses one called Shadow Boxing. Shadow Boxing is a lightweight, but warm pattern, perfect for scarves and shawls.
The technique took some getting used to. The reversible garter stitch (like most of the patterns in the book) involves a circular needle, and sliding the work to the other end of the needles at a color change. This is done to keep both edges of the item the same. Color changes occur at both sides, so you don’t have alternating yarns running up only one side of your garment. I needed to watch my tension too. When sliding the work to the opposite end of the needle, the stitches may be tight due to no “give” from the previous color. This can be remedied by adding some well-placed yarn-overs, and dropping them on subsequent rows. Or just consciously keep the edge stitches loose.
Where Feet May Fail Cowl
I’m currently working on an infinity cowl using the stitch patterns I used in Where Feet May Fail. This pattern uses the reversible two-color garter stich and an open lace pattern. Unlike the original shawl, where the lace is incorporated with short rows, this one will be easily modified. I hope to have the pattern available soon. Just in time for Spring, haha. 🙂
