Tag Archives: Ravelry

Perfect for the Chill- Shurs!

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As winter is gripping part of North America and the arctic chill is setting in Manos del Uruguay released my latest pattern, which is perfect to keep warm! Shurs is a cowl that is just the right size, long enough to be wrapped twice for extra warmth and coverage, yet still short enough that wearing it unwrapped has a perfect amount of drape for a classic look.

It is worked in what I refer to as a “cross-hatch” pattern. So, cross-hatch is actually an artist term the is comprised of short strokes made usually by pencil or charcoal that then has short strokes crossing in the opposite direction to create the shading and depth of the drawing. Almost like little “x”s that create an image.

I have worked this cowl similarly, with each row crossing the opposite direction of the last. It allows for an interesting visual effect, as you can catch glimpses of the stitches behind each other, but it also adds in a nice amount of stretch.

In addition to the “crossed” appearance, the stitches begin to stack up and give a very diagonal look, without having any increasing or decreasing stitches being worked. Instead this is a simple 2 row repeat, so it is a design that you can work rather quickly and easily, even for a crocheter that may not be completely confident in their work.

It is worked in Manos del Uruguay Clara, a yarn that is 100% superwash merino (meaning that it is a wool that is treated so that it does not felt, or shrink, but has all the great properties of wool like warmth and durability). It is a hand dyed sport weight yarn, that has a nice amount of spring to it while still having a nice stable yarn.

So, consider a quick project to keep warm this cold season, Shurs I feel is a good choice for this project.

Photos courtesy Fairmount Fibers, Ltd.

Two New Patterns for Autumn- Half Price!

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Looking back it seems like I always find myself in this place every year…Autumn. The time of year that apparently has the calendar skipping weeks on me, as I really do not know where the time has gone, while making me feel like there is a ton of things I need to get done in a short span of time. I guess it leaves me overwhelmed, exhausted, and feeling like I have many unmet responsibilities.

So in all this I guess I should be really thankful that I have managed to release not just one, but two new patterns!

Lisa Souza Dyeworks is releasing a few new yarns, and being a designer means that I can sometimes get my hands on this yarn early to create some new ideas. As was the case with Nyam (a Superfine Merino and Cashmere fine weight yarn) and Pyrenees Bulky (a 100% Organic Merino yarn) I was able to create a 1 skein project that is perfect for the holidays.

Nyam lent itself particularly well to my new pattern, Contextual Shawl. This shawl is a simple one row repeat that can really flatter almost any yarn, of any weight, of any size, any fiber content. The size can easily be adjusted to make it larger or smaller, and yet to look at it the pattern is not readily apparent. It works up fast and can be used as a project on the go. I can see this in so many different colors and styles that the possibilities are endless.

Matrix Hooded Cowl worked up great in Pyrenees Bulky. I have not made a lot of cowls in the past, but I can see the appeal. This cowl is again a one skein project that is nice and wide, and the perfect size in my opinion to warm the neck and offer protection form the cold as a hood. The pattern actually has a mirroring quality to it, as halfway across the row you work the mirror image of the beginning. It is a 4 row repeat that has a bit of fun with stacked shapes. Don’t let the open spaces fool you, paired with this yarn it is quite warm, making it tighter might just make it unwearable.

As a special offer to you, as a reader, please enjoy 50% off either of these patterns at my Ravelry Store for the next month (They will be only $2.00 then on November 30 the price resets to its original $4.00). Enjoy your quick paced autumn season.

Links:

Ravelry Store

Contextual Shawl

Matrix Hooded Cowl

Free Pattern- Tapper Cowl

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It started a couple of years ago, I took a trip with Lisa Souza Dyeworks to the New York Sheep and Wool Festival, known to many simply as Rhinebeck. I teamed up with Lisa and began offering a free pattern to go along with her limited edition yarn for the show. This next weekend, Rhinebeck is occurring again, just as it does every October, and I have another new pattern for you featured yarn (this year it is in Deluxe Sock!).

Instead of making it only available to those that attend the show, this year I decided to share it with you, my followers as well. I hope you enjoy this quick and relatively simple one skein project. If you want to try it in the same yarn you can order it here (www.lisaknit.com), I don’t know if the same color will be available as it is a limited edition, but there are many other beautiful ones to choose from.

If you decide you want to change the yarn, it is pretty forgiving for substitutions, but I would recommend a yarn that is no larger then a 3 weight (sport), with the best being a 2 weight (fingering).

If you would like a printer friendly version, I have one available on Ravelry for $2.

Tapper Cowl

Stunningly simple, yet the effect is confident and enjoyable. This simple stitch pattern allows the yarn to be the star; it has great drape and fabulous flow. Long enough to double up, and wide enough to act as a hood, a cowl that is versatile.   

Skill Level: Advanced Beginner    Finished Size Approximately: 52”x 17”

Materials List:

  • I/9/5.50mm size crochet hook
  • Lisa Souza Dyeworks Deluxe Sock! light weight 80% Superwash Merino,10% Nylon, 10% Cashmere (4oz/495yds): 1 skein color: Rhinebeck 2017 (www.lisaknit.com)
  • Tapestry needle

Gauge: 4 ½ (sc, ch 3) groups/13 rows= 4”

Pattern Note /Special Stitches

This pattern is worked in the round, without turning.

Pattern

Rnd 1: Ch 233, sc in 2nd ch from hook, ch 3, sk 3, [sc in next ch, ch 3, sk 3] 57 times, sk last 3 sts, sl st to beg sc. -58 sc, (58) ch-3 sps

Rnd 2: Ch 1, sc in same st, ch 3, [sc in next sc, ch 3] around, sl st to beg sc.

Row 3-55: Rep Rnd 2.

Finishing- Weave in ends, attaching beg of original chain to the bottom of the first sc st, block as desired.

Abbreviations:

ch: chain

rep: repeat

sc: single crochet

sk: skip

sp(s): space(s)

st(s): stitch(es)

Time for Fall- the Homey Fireplace Hat

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I might take hats a bit for granted. When I was learning to crochet I never ventured into hats, after all my grandmother had crocheted several…everyone in my house had more than they needed.  But in honesty, my biggest hang up with hats was working in the round.

Photo courtesy Prime Publishing

The hats my grandmother created were all worked in a back and forth manner, from top to bottom as a rectangle, seamed at a side and gathered at the top. I never saw a hat worked in the round. It intimidated me.

I remember a friend of my college roommate was crocheting hats in the round and I was secretly mesmerized.

So the Homey Fireplace Hat seems pretty straight forward to me. It is worked vertically with a single crochet ribbing, but then has two cables worked in the center, all the way around. It is the same overall style that I am use to. It has a lot of stretch so it can fit just about anybody, kids to adults. This design can be found in the latest issue, October 2017, of I Like Crochet. This is an on-line magazine that offers a nice variety, but not on newsstands but your inbox instead.

Photo courtesy Prime Publishing

The cable is a relatively simple two by one type cable, meaning that there are two stitches that are crossed over by one, and this is done twice. By working the 2 cables right next to each other it helps really set off the texture.

I sometimes like to see this design worked up in a variegated color, as it lends itself well to some color striping and the cables help “bleed” the color to the stripes below. The yarn in this design is called Targhee by Lisa Souza, it is available in so many different color ways that the possibilities really seem endless.

Targhee is a sheep breed, one that is growing in popularity within the United States, especially for locally produced wools. It has a nice spring to it and holds the warmth ideal for a nice hat.

One Skein, One Loop

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I love the challenge of creating a single skein project, sometimes it lends itself to a fantastic idea, and sometimes it is just a practice of futility. However, I think this latest design is the former.

Scarf in a Loop is a simple attempt at Bruges Lace. Bruges Lace is a classic technique that essentially crochets a ribbon of narrow crochet stitches with chain loops on its edges. These chain loops allow the ribbon to be bent and twisted, while joining these loops together. So basically if you can draw the line of a ribbon you can create the design in crochet. This scarf pattern is drawn as a ribbon in a simple oval.

Scarf in a Loop, Crochet World October 2017 Photo courtesy Annie’s

The one drawback to Bruges Lace patterns is the number of rows involved. Often a pattern can seem intimidating when it lists hundreds, if not thousands of rows. So keep in mind that these rows are often only a couple of stitches wide.

One of the things I really enjoy with Scarf in a Loop is the way the color moves. The yarn, Lion Brand Unique, has some nice color changes and this design really highlights this. It is a bulky size yarn so it works up fairly fast, and has a nice weight.

Crochet World, October 2017, decided to feature this design and I think it is great as a gift for the upcoming holiday season, or simply for a quick accessory to keep warm during this ever cooling season.