Hedge Fence Pullover
Filed under: FOs, My Patterns, cables, gifts, manly knitting, stash busting, sweaters |
Comments (27) 
For as long as I can remember, I have been searching for the perfect cabled pullover. Sometimes, I wonder if this is the real reason I learned to knit. I have very strong opinions about aran-style sweaters. As far as I am concerned, they must
1.) feature symmetrically placed cables;
2.) be heavily cabled, but not be so overwrought so as to include bobbles or a waffle stitch cable;
3.) include some kind of set-in sleeve (no matter how traditional the drop shoulder, I find it sloppy and droopy looking)
4.) not include a mock turtleneck;
5.) not be knit with 10″ of ease;
6.) not make me look 30 lbs heavier.
Is that so much to ask of a sweater? Off the top of my head, Lucy Sweetland’s Lillian and a bobble-less version of Kim Hargreaves’ Demi are the only ones I can think of that come close - both are in my queue to knit! I have yet to make a sweater that satisfies all of these criteria, but I think this new pattern comes close to meeting my standards.
Aaron owns and wears more sweaters than anyone I know (knitters included). Unfortunately, it is difficult to find a store-bought sweater to properly fit a very tall, thin man with monkey arms. If something fits in the chest, the arms and body are 4″ too short. If the arms and body are long enough, the body is impossibly wide. Consequently, most of his sweaters are ill-fitting and gigantic. He has been asking for a cabled pullover for years and indeed, I have always wanted to make him something that actually fits. However, I could not find the right pattern. More importantly, I doubted whether he would actually wear what I made him. After all, he has been wearing too-big clothes all his life. Once, when I convinced him to try on a 40″ shirt, he reacted like a cat with tape on its paws. “It’s so tight, I don’t think I could concentrate,” he protested, as he squirmed around in 7″ of positive ease. Sometimes, I wonder if he thinks my clothes fit like spandex. I refused to knit him a sweater as ill-fitting as anything he could buy. But after years of listening to him talk about wanting a handmade cable sweater, last summer, I decided it was time to give it a go. I took some cable patterns from stitch dictionaries and put them together until I found a combination I liked.
I measured his favorite sweater and found it to have a 46″ chest, 13″ larger than his 33″ chest measurement. We split the difference, and I planned a 39″ size. With still 6″ of ease, I had to aggressively decrease at the armholes to achieve a fitted shoulder width. We are both delighted with the result. I know this pullover will enter Aaron’s winter sweater rotation. And if it doesn’t, there’s always divorce.
Pattern: Hedge Fence Pullover
Yarn: Ram Wools Selkirk (which is really Briggs & Little Regal, don’t ask me why there are two different names for the same yarn) in Brown Heather, 7 skeins
Needles: US 7 (4.5 mm)
I am happy to offer the unisex pattern in 12 sizes: 31 (33, 35, 37, 39, 41, 43, 46, 49, 51, 53, 55)”. The garment takes its name from Hedge Fence Shoal, a shallow sandbar on the far west side of Nantucket Sound, just northeast of Martha’s Vineyard. I have been contemplating a series of fisherman-style sweaters and I decided to go with a naming scheme based on the waters I sailed so much as a child.
The pattern is available as a Ravelry download for $8.50. 
The body and sleeves of the garment are knit in the round to the armholes, after which point the knitting is done back and forth. The only seaming required is the sewing in of the sleeve cap. The shoulders are joined by a three-needle bind-off, the underarm stitches are grafted together, and stitches are picked up around the neck for the neckline ribbing. The pattern comes with text instructions, a set of body charts for each size, and a set of sleeve charts for each size. None of the cable instructions are written out – they are all charted. In addition, I have included several pages of notes on how to modify the pattern to achieve the best fit for your body while maintaining the integrity of the center cable panel. Fortunately, the side cables are small enough to allow for quite a lot of flexibility in terms of sizing. The only real challenge in modifying the pattern is to ensure the center cable still flows cleanly into the ribbing at the bottom edge and neckline.
More information about the pattern and a detailed schematic can be found on the Hedge Fence Pullover page or on the Ravelry pattern page.
More photos of the finished garment here.
Min Ulla Set
Filed under: FOs, My Patterns, fair isle, hats, mittens, scarves, stranded |
Comments (21) 
What was that bit about not having winter accessories to wear together? I am happy to report that problem has officially been resolved. Thank you for all of your lovely comments and encouragement along the way.
Let me introduce the Min Ulla Set! The scarf, hat, and mitten patterns are available as Ravelry downloads for $6.00 each. The set of three patterns can be purchased for $15.00.
Pattern: Min Ulla Scarf, Hat, and Mittens (Ravelry link)
Yarn: Berroco Ultra Alpaca in #6289 Charcoal mix and #6201 Winter white, 4 skeins each color for the entire set
Needles: US 6 (4 mm)
In early October, I approached Berroco, Inc. with a swatch and sketch for this design and the company generously donated the yarn for the project. As I mentioned before, I tried this pattern out on a hat with Harrisville Designs New England Shetland leftovers, but it was clearly the wrong choice. Can you imagine how long it would have taken me to knit this at a fine gauge? I still have not yet finished that sample hat! I really wanted a worsted weight yarn, and one with a bit of a halo to it as well. Berroco Ultra Alpaca was a great choice because the yarn is smooth enough to show off the stitch definition but soft and fuzzy enough to make a really warm set.
This Scandinavian-styled scarf is made in the round as a tube, its ends grafted together in the finishing process. Symmetrical about the center point, it is comprised of many very simple peeries of small repeats, along with a few more complicated snowflake and XOXO peeries. The scarf pattern is given as a series of10 charts. I broke the pattern up this way to make it a more portable project since smaller charts are easier to read. Although the charts may seem complex at first glance, upon closer examination, one will find that at the level of the individual round, the patterning is quite simple. After a while, the charts should only be truly necessary for the XOXO and snowflake patterns, or when starting a new peerie. Trust me, it’s true.
The hat is knit in the round with a contrasting liner tacked to the inside of the brim for extra warmth. I could not decide on a brim pattern for the hat, so I included four different versions in the pattern. Two versions include small peeries like the sample hat shown, while the other two versions feature traditional snowflake patterns. Between this scarf and the other projects I’ve made with snowflake patterns, I was feeling a bit burned out on snowflakes by the time I started the hat; therefore, I settled on a version with peeries only instead. In the end, I think I prefer the look of the small peeries to large snowflakes at the brim. Each version of the hat is topped with a lice stitch, spiral crown.
This is the first pair of worsted weight, non-thrummed mittens I have made in a long time. I seem to have forgotten how quickly mittens knit up when not done at 10 stitches per inch! Amazing! Each mitten took me a day – a day with plenty of distractions too. I think I still prefer tightly knit mittens over worsted weight ones; however, these will certainly prove at least as warm as finer gauge mittens I’ve made because of the lining!
Although I love lined mittens, my one complaint is that a lined thumb renders it practically useless. The last two pairs of lined mittens I’ve made have featured keyhole thumbs in the lining. Bonus? Not having to knit a second thumb.
More photos can be found here.
Finally, I have one last pattern coming out in the next week – Hedge Fence Pullover – and then I swear, I’ll be done for a while. I have a baby to deliver, you know.
Addictive knitting: Min Ulla scarf
Because of the new patterns I’ve put up this month, I feel as if I haven’t been blogging enough about my current knitting. The knitting interest I lost this summer is back, and my projects feel even more addicting than ever. I credit both the chill of autumn and not having any wool sweaters that fit over my gigantic belly with its return.
Like the hat I posted last week, this began as a Scandinavian-style sampler to test out some stitch patterns for a hat and scarf set I was planning. After a few inches, I thought it would make a nice edging for a simple, stockinette scarf. A foot into it, I decided to make the edging longer because it was so much fun to knit. Finally, I capitulated and eliminated all of the stockinette. You cannot imagine how addicting this knitting is! What is fascinating to me is that with the exception of four peeries, all of the patterns are so very simple: 2-, 4-, 8-, and 16-stitch repeats. So easy are they, in fact, that I have barely consulted my chart. And yet, the scarf looks impossibly complicated. Isn’t that wonderful? So little effort for so much effect!
Although I have not been able to work on it consistently this month, I try to log a few peeries every day. I have about 18 inches to go. And then the hat. And maybe some mittens. Please, someone stop me!
The scarf is knit in the round as a long tube for extra warmth.*
The only problem?
Hypothetically speaking, if one were to lose a stitch marker down that hole, there’s little hope of getting it back. Not that I would be so careless. Nope, not me.
Stay tuned for Min Ulla progress!
* Actually, I knit it in the round because I was far too lazy to purl back.
Winter accessory binge and Tapestry Mittens
Filed under: FOs, UFOs, fair isle, hats, stash busting, stranded |
Comments (29) As it has grown colder in the last few weeks, I have been thinking a lot about my problem with winter accessories. You know, once I get an idea in my head, I cannot get rid of it! I have sketched, swatched, and stashbusted – finally, I have a plan! I’ll share more once my yarn arrives. In the meantime, I can show you what did not work, for one reason or another.
Every winter, I fall into a stashbusting hat binge. So far, I’ve managed one adult hat and two newborn caps. I rediscovered why people make hats: they’re such quick knits! It seems unfair that I have to learn this lesson every year. I think there will be a few more of these, if only because they knit up so quickly and effectively use up annoying scraps lurking in my stash.
Yarn: Knit Picks Wool of the Andes, Cascade 220, Debbie Bliss Merino Aran
Needles: US 7 (4.5 mm)
This project came closer to satisfying my criteria for the ultimate winter accessory knitting; however, the gauge was all wrong. Still, it’s a good prototype for what will come.
Yarn: Harrisville New England Shetland
Needles: US 4 (3.5 mm)
Finally, speaking of winter accessories, I have a new pair of mittens in Interweave Knits Holiday 2009! The magazine will not be available until late October, but the preview was posted on Monday.
Copyright Interweave Knits
Pattern: Tapestry Mittens (Ravelry link), smallest size shown
Yarn: Classic Elite Yarns Fresco in Rum Raisin (red) and Sterling (gray), Classic Elite Yarns Classic One Fifty in Berry (purple)
Needle: US 1.5 (2.5 mm) and US 4 (3.5 mm)
Copyright Interweave Knits
Plum Frost Pullover & Cardigan now available
The pattern is up! Thank you so very much for your kind comments and positive feedback! I cannot believe almost 300 people entered the contest! I am pleased to announce that by random selection, Nancy is the winner of the kit. Congratulations Nancy, and many thanks to all who entered!
For those interested in the pattern, please take a look at the pattern specifications and schematic before purchasing. The pullover version requires no steeking and would be a good introduction to stranded knitting. Please be advised that the cardigan version is steeked and will require, in cases of yarn substitution, a feltable wool that is not machine washable.
Finally, there appears to be some disagreement about Harrisville New England Shetland yardage, which I suspect comes from the washed/unwashed (skeined/coned) offerings – some say 217 yds/skein, others 197 yds/skein. I made all of my calculations assuming 197 yds/skein to ensure that you will not run out of yarn.
Plum Frost Pullover & Cardigan
Knit seamlessly in the round from the bottom up, this simple, versatile, women’s pullover/cardigan pattern features a classic XOXO stranded pattern in the 6-color yoke, with stars occupying the lozenge positions. The main color (charcoal) fades out to nearly white within the stranded pattern while, at the same time, a light purple darkens toward the center of the band. Hourglass waist shaping and fitted sleeves outline a flattering style to most sizes and shapes. The bottom band, button bands, neckband, and sleeve cuffs are worked in K1, P1 rib and employ tubular cast-ons and bind-offs. The cardigan version is steeked open; however, it is essentially the same pattern as the pullover, measuring 1″ wider in the body only because of the button band. The pattern is designed to fit bust measurements from 33″ to 51″.
The pattern is available as a Ravelry download for $6.50.
Difficulty
Intermediate (pullover), Advanced (cardigan)
Skills used
Tubular cast-on, knitting in the round, decreasing, increasing, reading and working through a color chart, tubular bind-off, grafting together stitches, crocheting a chain (cardigan only), steeking (cardigan only) picking up stitches (cardigan only), sewing on buttons (cardigan only).
Sizes
To fit bust: 33 (36, 38, 43, 47, 51)”
Model shown in size 36 with a shortened back waist.
Finished measurements
Bust (pullover): 32.75 (35.75, 37.75, 42.75, 46.75, 50.75)”
Bust (cardigan): 33.75 (37, 39, 43.75, 47.75, 51.75)”
Back length: 20.75 (21.5, 22.25, 23, 23.75, 24.25)”
Gauge
24 stitches and 32 rows = 4″ in stockinette stitch on US 4 (3.5 mm) needles
24 stitches and 32 rows = 4″ in stranded stitch pattern on US 6 (4 mm) needles
Yarn
Harrisville Designs New England Shetland [100% wool; 197 yd (180 m); 50 g skein]; color: #49 Charcoal, 5 (5, 6, 6, 7, 7) skeins; #19 Blackberry, #20 Purple Haze, #72 Lilac, #47 Suede, #45 Pearl, 1 skein each.
Needles
US 2.5 (3 mm) circular needle, 29″ or 32″ long
1 set of US 2.5 (3 mm) DPNs
US 4 (3.5 mm) circular needle, 29″ or 32″ long
1 set of US 4 (3.5 mm) DPNs
US 6 (4 mm) circular needle, 29″ or 32″ long
US 6 (4 mm) circular needle, 16″ long
Size B (2.25 mm) crochet hook (cardigan only)
Notions
Stitch markers – two different colors (blue and orange used for illustration purposes)
Stitch holders
Scrap yarn – the scrap yarn used for the cardigan’s crochet chains must be feltable wool (i.e. not superwash)
Tapestry needle
7 3/4″ buttons
Schematic
More photos can be found here.
Plum Frost Pullover & Cardigan
Filed under: FOs, My Patterns, fair isle, stranded, sweaters |
Comments (280) 
Back in February, I found myself playing around with some simple XOXO fair isle patterns and color fading. As soon as I swatched this one in Harrisville Designs New England Shetland, I knew I had to make myself a sweater with it. Regular readers will hardly be surprised to see me knitting yet another garment with this yarn. What can I say? It works! I carefully planned out the pattern in six sizes from start to finish. Like every other project I had going, it immediately began collecting dust when I became pregnant in March. I returned to it in August, committed to knitting up the sample in spite of my impossibly large middle. Although it hardly fits now, with the baby due in December, I hope to squeeze at least a few months of wear out of it this winter.*
I am happy to present Plum Frost Pullover & Cardigan! Knit seamlessly in the round from the bottom up, this simple, versatile, women’s pullover/cardigan pattern features a classic XOXO stranded pattern in the 6-color yoke, with stars occupying the lozenge positions. The main color (charcoal) fades out to nearly white within the stranded pattern while, at the same time, a light purple darkens toward the center of the band. Hourglass waist shaping and fitted sleeves outline a flattering style to most sizes and shapes. The bottom band, button bands, neckband, and sleeve cuffs are worked in K1, P1 rib and employ tubular cast-ons and bind-offs. The cardigan version is steeked open; however, it is essentially the same pattern as the pullover, measuring 1″ wider in the body only because of the button band. The pattern is designed to fit bust measurements from 33″ to 51″ . It will be available for purchase from my Ravelry shop for $6.50 beginning Wednesday, October 7.
I could not be happier with how well this particular garment turned out. Harrisville’s Shetland yarn is such a delight to use. Just as I began to find my stranding rough and lumpy, I soaked the pre-steeked version and it was instantly transformed. The yarn blooms so well, filling in errant gaps between stitches, smoothing out the yoke, and blending the colors together. I really cannot speak highly enough of how magnificently Shetland blooms: I’ve never experienced anything quite like it with any other yarn. While it is unmistakably a very woolly yarn, it is somehow soft enough that I can wear it next to my skin without itching all over. I have used it often in the past (e.g. Vine Lace Pullover, Scoopneck, Vespergyle Mittens, Ivy League Vest), and I will certainly return to it again. Besides, now I have leftover bits in lots of colors!
One of the things I needed in a yarn for this piece was a color choice that included three close shades of each color (i.e. gray and purple). There are only a few yarn companies that offer such thorough color palettes: Harrisville, Jamieson’s and Knit Picks are ones that come to mind. I do not care for Knit Picks’ Palette yarn, and Jamieson’s is both out of my budget and unavailable locally. Not only that, my local yarn shop carries the full line of Harrisville Shetland – all 56 colors – on cones, which makes it quite an economical option for me. Another thing I love about all of Harrisville’s yarns is that the lines and color offerings are so stable. As long as I have a color card on hand, I know exactly what I will be getting when I pick out colors. How often do other companies discontinue colors or particular yarns altogether? I still miss Magpie Aran and Skye Tweed – surely we all have our own personal, discontinued favorites. Anyway, I appreciate the wide selection and stable offering. Without it, fair isle projects would surely be much more difficult to plan!
Because I like the yarn so much and want to support their business, I contacted Harrisville Designs about this particular pattern. The company has generously offered to donate the yarn for one lucky commenter to make a Plum Frost pullover or cardigan! Please leave a comment by Wednesday, October 7 at 8 a.m. CST to be entered in the contest. I will use a random number generator to choose a winner to receive the yarn and a free copy of the pattern. I hope you will love both the yarn and the pattern as much as I do!
* Can you believe I actually published that link?? I felt it was only honest. You’re welcome.
The wool bag lady
Earlier this week, Beatrix discovered the household stash of winter accessories and dove in for an afternoon of dress up.
Aside from illustrating that she is a really big fan of red, Beatrix’s dress up game highlighted a problem I have as a knitter: I cannot seem to knit matching (or more accurately, not clashing) hats, scarves, and mittens. When planning a new winter project, it has never occurred to me to consider anything but the yarn choice. Before selecting yarn, perhaps I should ask myself, “Will this look awful with my bright red coat?”* Chances are, it will. I rarely care.
My favorite pastel orange Kid Classic scarf looks awful with my Winter Sunrise Hat, Pam’s mittens and the bright red coat, but I wear them together because I love them all so much. I realize this makes me the wool bag lady. When spotted out in public, I am THAT woman, instantly recognizable as “knitter”. Normally, I can live with this. After all, everyone knows that people with matching hats, scarves, and mittens are wearing store-bought cotton (or worse, acrylic), and they are justifiably freezing their tails off. I may look a bit eccentric come winter, but I am warm. (Score one for knitting.)
Still, it bothers me a bit that I cannot seem to stick with a pattern long enough to eke out both a scarf and a hat. By the time I finish the scarf, I need at least a year’s hiatus from the pattern. And after the instant gratification of a hat, who wants to slog through six feet of scarf? My mission this fall is to come up with a scarf pattern that will be interesting enough to continue on into the hat. It has to be possible, right?
If not, please understand if you see me this winter, wrapped up in my clashing wooly goodness. Just assume I’m only out to buy cat food.
*Hm… maybe Beatrix is not the only one with a penchant for reds.
Vesterday
Filed under: My Patterns, baby knits, stash busting, sweaters, vests |
Comments (8) 
I am pleased to announce another new design, published for free in PopKnits Issue # 05, Fall/Winter 2009 (Ravelry link). It was such a pleasure for me to work with Stephanie Pajonas at PopKnits to publish this pattern!
This child-size, stranded vest employs a vintage houndstooth pattern with a low scoopneck. The houndstooth is framed by 1×1 rib at the bottom edge, neck edge, and armholes. Although I designed this as a small scale way to practice steeking neck openings and armholes, it plays a very functional role in a child’s wardrobe. A scoopneck vest offers the promise of warmth without the headache of sleeves, buttons, or constricting neck openings. It is the ideal layering piece for a child.
Sizes: 2 (3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8), shown in size 2
Yarn: Briggs & Little Sport in Khaki and Washed White
Needles: US 4 (3.5 mm) and US 2.5 (3.0 mm)
Gauge: 28 stitches and 32 rows = 4″ in stranded pattern on US 4 needles
Beatrix wanted to wear this as soon as I finished it in June. Since wooly vests do not mix well with the heat of summer, I told her she could wear it to school in the fall. We call it her back-to-school vest (or more accurately, her ‘to-school’ vest). It is still far too hot to wear to school, but she waits patiently!
I said there would be some baby stashbusting projects to come, so bear with me! I had quite a bit of yarn left from my Pod of Cetaceans cardigan last winter. Not knowing what else to do with it, I set out to use it up in baby projects. Sadly, I do not feel very excited about the prospect of baby knitting this time around. If I must knit a few baby items, let me use great yarn! I love everything about New England Highland: the weight, the spin, the tweediness, and the wonderful color saturation.
Earlier this summer, I found the most perfect buttons to match this navy blue yarn. Unfortunately, the lime green proves difficult to photograph against the navy background!
I did not use a pattern for this cardigan, only some basic measurements.
Yarn: Harrisville Designs New England Highland in #33 Midnight Blue (Ravelry link)
Needles: US 7
I cut it pretty close with the yarn on the second sweater, coming out with only scraps remaining. Again, I did not use a pattern for this one, just measurements. I think there were four decrease rows in the yoke.
Yarn: Harrisville Designs New England Highland in #7 Tundra and #44 White (Ravelry link)
Needles: US 7
I promise there will be a break from baby and child knitting! I intend to publish two new patterns in October, both for adults! Stay tuned!
Just One Button Cardigan
Filed under: FOs, My Patterns, Patterns, baby knits, stash busting, sweaters |
Comments (28) Back in March, I knitted up this lovely little cropped cardigan for Beatrix, aiming to use up some cotton stash along the way. I wrote up the pattern with the intention of publishing it here; then, I got pregnant. Yes, you read that right, I got pregnant and lost all interest in knitting, sewing, and crafting of any kind. Once I stopped puking my guts out, I sent the pattern off to Elizabeth of Sweet Paprika Designs for tech editing. It’s back just in time for the start of pre-school!
Just One Button Cardigan
This cute little cropped sweater is a perfect quick knit for little tykes. The smallest size can be completed in a single afternoon! The single button closure makes this an easy garment to get on and off. As an added bonus, the large button gives toddlers good practice putting on and taking off their own clothes. Since the cardigan is meant to be cropped, babies and toddlers will not outgrow it as quickly as other sweaters.
The garment is worked flat in one piece to the armholes and joined at the shoulders by three-needle bind-off. The sleeves are worked in the round to the armholes, then the sleeve cap is knitted back and forth and sewn in.
Beatrix is absolutely enamored of the button.
Pattern: Just One Button (Ravelry link)
Yarn: Classic Elite Four Seasons in #7640 Red, shown in 36 mos size
Needles: US 7 (4.5 mm)
I also knitted up the 3 mos size to check my numbers. The difference between 3 months and 3 years is striking, don’t you think? I hardly remember Beatrix being that small.
I’m back to knitting now. Who knows what brought it on? Autumn or the third trimester on the horizon? I’m grateful for whatever it was. There will be more stashbusting projects for little people in the weeks to come. Stay tuned.
Garter striped baby jacket
I’m still here, just not knitting much. Summer successfully zapped my desire to knit! I will return when I have knitting to share. Until then, just a quick post about a long term purse project that finally came off the needles last week.
Pattern: DROPS b14-27 baby jacket (Ravelry link)
Yarn: Zwerger Garn Opal Uni Solid 4 ply in 1418 (the teal color) and 1261 (Deep Chocolate)
Needles: US 2 (2.75 mm)
This pattern has interested me ever since I saw the version Kelp! made a few years ago. However, I am not usually game for baby knitting with sock yarn. Then, last January, I decided to find other purposes for my sock yarn stash, as it was clear that I no longer knit socks. I cast on, hoping to use up 800 g of Opal stewing in my stash. Sadly, I have about 400 g left (nearly equally distributed between brown and green) so it looks like there will be some striped socks in my future.
The knitting was unexceptional, which was precisely what I wanted for a project I toted about to meetings. The results, I would have to say, are fabulous. I love this little one. I might need to make a larger version with worsted weight yarn for Beatrix!
Maritza once told me knitting with Opal was like knitting with twine, but after a few washes, it softens up enough to make the knitting experience almost worth it. Besides, everyone knows Opal and Regia will outlive all of us – that is hard-wearing yarn! Hard-wearing enough for some baby, I hope.
