Archives for January 2014

Announcements and Knitting Fun!

January 29, 2014 by Kirsten 8 Comments

The third clue of the TTL Mystery Sock 2014 went out last night. Since the third clue signifies the halfway point of the KAL, I thought knitters might like a little motivation to keep them going; so I'm having a mini contest this week. I will randomly draw 10 winners from all of the completed heels (one heel is enough but if you post two, I'll put you in the drawing twice), with photos posted in the Week 3 Spoiler thread in the Ravelry group by midnight EST on Tuesday, February 4th. The winners will each receive a copy of my soon to be released pattern, Reynard (pictured below).

I'm also very excited to announce that I'm teaching in England this summer. On Saturday, July 12 and Sunday, July 13th I'm teaching 3 classes at Unwind Brighton; Shawl Design, Lace, and Cast Ons Bind Offs Knitted Edgings and Trims. On Sunday, July 19th I'll be at Loop London teaching two classes; Andrea's Shawl, and Demystifying Japanese Stitch Patterns. If you're within travel distance I'd love to see you in Brighton or London — or both!

Now go get knitting on those socks so you can enter this week's contest!

Ralston

January 15, 2014 by Kirsten 2 Comments

Some of you may have seen me at Rhinebeck wearing this sweater. I knit madly for a week before to get it done in time. The day I arrived was sunny and glorious, so I persuaded my lovely friend Karen to model for me. Doesn't she look beautiful? Sadly those perfect autumn days are behind us and we are in the long winter slog.

January can be a bit of a bleak time, with the holidays over and spring still not much more than a promise. Time for some mid-winter knitting! Ralston, my new pullover sweater design, incorporates slipped stitch chevron patterns across the yoke and lower sleeves. You’re only knitting one color per row, so it’s a faster and easier way to achieve that pop of color that we all need right now!

I used The Plucky Knitter Plucky Sweater for this design, and it’s a wonderful yarn with great stitch definition; perfect for showing off the chevron designs. The yarn seems dense and tightly plied in the skein, knits up easily, and feels almost weightless when worn.

With the recommended 2" of ease, Ralston is the ideal transitional piece for those days when you want to put on some layers due to the unpredictability of the weather. I can see wearing this through the rest of the winter with a long sleeved shirt underneath, and later into the spring with a T-shirt.

Ralston represents the perfect entrée into colorwork knitting for an adventurous beginner, and is also a fun addition to any more advanced knitter’s skill set. Knitted bottom up, in the round, in one piece, with the sleeves worked separately and joined to the body, it’s got lots of knitting gratification built right in. As the chevrons are knitted, it’s easy to track your progress. A few short rows at the back neck, all thoroughly explained, add a finished look to the sweater.

Ralston works well with a wide variety of yarns and colorways; I could easily see this in a neutral main color with a bright jewel tone for contrast, or dark/pastel pairing.

We’ve got a sweater KAL going on right now in my “Fans of Through the Loops” group on Ravelry, and Ralston definitely qualifies. I know, I know, there's also the Mystery Sock KAL, some of us are doing both. Our sweater projects help pass the time between clues.

RALSTON

Size: To fit bust 30 [32, 34, 36, 38, 40, 42, 44, 46, 48, 50, 52, 54, 56]” with 2” ease. Shown in size 42.

Finished Bust: 32 [34, 36, 38, 40, 42, 44, 46, 48, 50, 52, 54, 56, 58]”

Yarn: Plucky Knitter Plucky Sweater, 90% Merino / 10% Nylon, 270 yds per skein, MC: Cabaret 4 [4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 5, 5, 5, 6, 6, 6, 6] skeins, CC: Oatmeal, 1 [1, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2] skeins

Needles:

One set US 5 (3.75mm) 32” circular needles
One set US 6 (4mm) 32” circular needles
One set US 5 (3.75mm) double pointed needles
One set US 6 (4mm) double pointed needles or size to obtain gauge

Gauge: 20 sts & 28 rows = 4”/10cm in Stockinette on larger needles– blocked; always take the time to check gauge

Other Materials: stitch markers, tapestry needle, scrap yarn

Price: $6.50 US

Thank you to Karen for tech editing and to Nancy for test knitting, and advising.

Grover’s Mill

January 6, 2014 by Kirsten 5 Comments

Here in NYC we are having a brief reprieve from frigid temperatures, but the forecast says the cold will return tomorrow with a vengeance. For those of you in the midwest, who are experiencing the blast of cold today, I hope you are able to stay inside, ideally snuggled up on the couch knitting.

If this cold weather has put you in a sweater knitting mood, head over to the Fans of Through the Loops Group on Ravelry where we're having a TTL Sweater KAL. The KAL was inspired by a pattern I released over the weekend – Grover's Mill, a top down raglan, with lots of cable-y goodness. It's knit in worsted weight yarn – the gorgeous magenta yarn above is Swans Island Natural Colors Collection Worsted, in Garnet. Grover's Mill can be worn with just a wee bit of ease, as in the photo above, where Sofie is wearing it with 2" of ease for a more tailored look. Or if you prefer a more casual feeling, it works equally well with a lot of ease, as with the blue-grey (Quince & Co Lark, in frost) version below which Sofie is wearing with 8" of ease.

Traditional cables are softened with a shawl color, and button-less front bands. The raglan lines are highlighted with cables,

that continue down the sides after the sleeves are divided from the body.

The sleeves are accented with a cable detail at the wrist.

Grover's Mill

Sizes: This sweater may be worn with anywhere from 2-8” of positive ease. The Garnet version has 2” of ease, the Frost version is worn with 8” of ease. Add the desired amount of ease to your bust measurement to find your size below.

Finished Measurements: 36 [38, 40, 42, 44, 46, 48, 50, 52, 54, 56, 58, 60]” at bust and hip, 25” long

Yarn: Garnet version: Swans Island Natural Colors Collection Worsted, 100% Organic Merino; 250 yards per 100g skein, Color: Garnet; 6 [6, 6, 7, 7, 7, 8, 8, 8, 8, 9, 9, 9] skeins
Frost Version: Quince & Co Lark, 100% American Wool; 134 yds per 50g skein, Color Frost; 10 [11, 12, 12, 12, 13, 14, 14, 15, 15, 16, 16, 17] skeins

Approximately 1340 [1400, 1490, 1550, 1600, 1680, 1775, 1840, 1910, 1970, 2060, 2120, 2190] yds Worsted Weight yarn

Needles: 32” US 8 (5 mm) circular needle or size to obtain gauge 32” US 6 (4 mm) circular needle
1set US 8 (5 mm) dpns
1 set US 6 (4 mm) dpns

Gauge: 21 sts & 29 rows = 4”/10cm in stockinette on larger needles – blocked, always take the time to check gauge

Other Materials: tapestry needle, stitch markers in two colors: 8 “A” stitch markers & 6 “B” stitch markers

Price: $6.50 US

For those of you who are curious about the name of this pattern, here's the story. I grew up a few miles from Grover's Mill, New Jersey; the location of the Martians landing in the Orson Wells radio dramatization of H. G. Wells novel The War of the Worlds. Listening to the radio broadcast was an annul Halloween tradition for my family. We'd listen to the re-broadcast as we ate dinner, then head out to trick or treat. Local legend was that during the original broadcast, a resident of Grover's Mill was so convinced by Orson Wells radio drama, that he mistook a farmer's water tower for a Martian. He pulled out his shotgun and shot the water tower. I have no idea if this is true, but the idea of it thrilled me as a child.

Happy New Year & A Mystery Sock

January 1, 2014 by Kirsten 4 Comments

Happy 2014 everyone!! Wishing you all a healthy and happy year.

January means Mystery Sock time here at TTL. This year the Mystery begins on January 15th, with new clues released once a week for five weeks. Now's the time to start digging through your stash, or head out to your LYS and find your yarn. This year's design uses two colors but have no fear, you only need about 35 yards of the second color. We all have those little bits of left over yarn laying around, don't we? The pattern calls for Plucky Knitter Primo Fingering, but most other fingering weight yarns will work too. I recommend a solid or semi-solid for the main color to show off the patterning.

You'll find more details on the TTL Mystery Sock 2014 pattern page on Ravelry, so head over there now. While you're there, help me spread the word by queuing the pattern, adding it to your favorites and mentioning it in the forums. Don't forget to join us in the Fans of Through the Loops Ravelry group to introduce yourself, show off your yarn, and get to know the other KAL members.

Sizes: S/M [M/L]

Finished Measurements: 7 [8]” relaxed, will stretch to fit up to 10.5 [11.5]”

Yarn: The Plucky Knitter Primo Fingering; 75% Merino/ 20% Cashmere/5% Nylon, 385 yds per 100g skein MC: 1 skein, CC: approximately 25 yards

Needles: 1 set of 5 US 1.5 (2.5 mm) dpns or size to obtain gauge

Gauge: 32 sts & 48 rows = 4”/10cm In stockinette st, blocked.

Other Materials: tapestry needle, stitch markers

Price: $6.00