Catching up on New Patterns: Whitemud Creek and Blooming Fine

I'm more than a little behind on things lately, and am going to try to catch up at least a little bit here. First off, I should be sure to tell you that my Whitemud Creek Pullover is on the cover of Knit Now Magazine Issue 109!

Image courtesy of Knit Now Magazine, used with permission

Image courtesy of Knit Now Magazine, used with permission

Worked in Rico Design Essentials Soft Merino, the Whitemud Creek Pullover is worked in the round to the underarms, then shaped and worked back and forth in rows to the shoulders. Shoulders are seamed, then stitches are picked up at the armhole edge and worked back and forth in rows, with a join worked at the underarm edge at each pass until the underarm is fully integrated into the sleeve. The sleeve is then worked in the round down to the cuff, and the collar is picked up and knit around the neckline.

Image courtesy of Knit Now Magazine, used with permission

Inspired by Autumn strolls over crunchy leaves in the Whitemud Creek Ravine near my childhood home, this pullover features a winding cable panel on the back and front that recalls that shallow meandering creek.

Image courtesy of Knit Now Magazine, used with permission

The magazine also features a pattern from a fellow Albertan, Barb Brown, who has designed a gorgeous Christmas Stocking.

Image courtesy of Knit Now Magazine, used with permission

You can order your copy and find out more information about the magazine here: https://www.knitnowmag.co.uk/2019/11/05/knit-now-issue-109-out-now/


I also have a new pattern out with Ancient Arts Yarns, and that one is a quick fun stranded colourwork knit: Blooming Fine Mitts!

Worked in Lascaux Fine, which is a two-ply fingering weight yarn that is a blend of Manx Loaghtan and Punta Arenas wool, the Blooming Fine Mitts feature a flower-like motif that is embellished with bobbles for a bit of extra fun. Two 50g skeins (one in each colour) gives you enough yarn to make two pairs if you reverse the colour scheme for the second pair.

You can buy kits for the mitts right here: https://ancientartsfibre.com/collections/yarn-and-kits/products/blooming-fine-mitts-kits

Kväll

Last month, one of my patterns appeared in Interweave Knits Fall 2019!

Photo courtesy of Harper Point Photography for Interweave Knits

The theme for the collection in which my cardigan was included was Fredagsmys, (Swedish for Friday night), and was filled with patterns made for having a cozy Friday night snuggled up in knitwear. Kväll, as I understand it, means evening, which is well-suited to the deep blue wool that was used for the main colour. I knit this cardigan in Ancient Arts Lascaux Worsted, which is now my favourite worsted weight yarn, and if you're looking to knit Kväll but are not sure which colours to pick, there are a number of options bundled for you right here: https://ancientartsfibre.com/collections/kits-2/products/kvall-cardigan-bundle

For the pattern itself, if you don't have a copy yet, head here: https://www.interweave.com/store/interweave-knits-fall-2019-digital-edition

While this sweater certainly can be worn by anyone who wants to wear it, it should nonetheless be noted that the upper five sizes in Kväll are sized for standard men's sizes S (M, L, XL, 2X) as worn with 3 to 3 3/4 inches of ease, so it's important to check the fit in the shoulders by comparing your measurements to the schematic of the finished sweater to ensure that the set-in sleeves will fit you properly.

Kväll features a shawl collar and generous pockets for both practicality and coziness. It's meant to be that feels-like-home cardigan that you put on every evening and wear about the house, but there's nothing stopping you from wearing it out wherever you go as well!

New pattern: Wrought Iris Mittens

The Wrought Iris Mittens pattern is now available for purchase!

If you've been following me on Instagram, you may have spotted these in their long and gradual process of being charted, written up, knit, unknit, reknit, until they were just right. They're finally here, and I'm very pleased.

The motif for these mittens was inspired by an image of a stylized Iris that has been reworked; intertwined with a memory of a wrought iron fence with the sunset glowing behind it. The result is a fun and elaborate-looking pair of stranded-knit mittens, the Wrought Iris Mittens glowing with the remembered light. Worked cuff up in the round using stranded colourwork, with a gusset worked in the palm that is set aside on waste yarn to be worked later for the thumb.

Finished Size: Women’s medium/large or Men’s small/medium 20 cm 8” palm circumference; 25.5 cm 10” total length.

Yarn: Ancient Arts Yarns Woof Collection 100% Superwash Blue Faced Leicester Wool 4 Ply (fingering/sockweight; 400m/437 yards per 100g 3.5 oz skein; 100% Blue Faced Leicester Wool), 1 skein in Golden Retriever (MC), 1 skein in Chocolate Lab (CC).

Or: Ancient Arts Yarns Woof Collection 75% Superwash Extra Fine Merino / 25% Silk - Fingering / Sock (fingering/sockweight; 400m/437 yards per 100g 3.5 oz skein; 75% Superwash Extra Fine Merino, 25% Silk), 1 skein in Golden Retriever (MC), 1 skein in Chocolate Lab (CC).

Introducing Abrazo!

I have a new pattern available through Ancient Arts Fibre Crafts: The Abrazo Hoodie!

Abrazo, which is Spanish for Hug, is a cozy hoodie perfect for a transitional season layering piece. Worked in Ancient Arts Bunny Hug, it was designed to showcase the combination of colours and textures of this amazing bouclé yarn, available in a broad variety of Caroline Sommerfeld's signature colourways. As the term Bunny Hug has long been a Saskatchewanism for a hooded sweater, it was only right to make sure there was a hoodie designed for it!

Here, Abrazo is pictured in the three following colourways: MC Pieces of Eight, CC1 Lichen In My Crevices, CC2 Iron Horse.

For more information and photos (including in a different set of colours in a larger size), head on over to the pattern's entry on Ravelry.

The pattern is available for purchase through Ancient Arts Fibre Crafts: https://ancientartsfibre.com/garments/abrazo_hoodie.html

Garneau Top

About a year ago, I went to the Calgary Fibre Arts Fair, and picked up a skein of Ancient Arts Fibre Crafts Superwash Merino yarn in a DK weight both for the joy of swatching it, and in the hope that I would come up with a design to go with it.

After a few swatches, I knew I had found something special, which I now present to you as the Garneau Top.

Photo by Austin Lee for Ancient Arts Fibre Crafts. Used with permission.

I used stockinette stitch and seed stitch in contrast to work a sort of 'texture blocking' instead of 'colour blocking'. Because the two textures reflect light differently, it gives the subtle impression of two very similar-but-different colours being used, while flowing along with the shaping of the top.

Photo by Austin Lee for Ancient Arts Fibre Crafts. Used with permission

The neckline is what I would term a modified boatneck; a boatneck in essence, but made more comfortable to wear with short-rows being used to raise the shoulders slightly. Short-rows are also used in the body of the sweater—as the two stitch patterns have different row-gauges, working the short-rows counterbalances this to make for an evenly worked piece. The top is worked from the bottom-up in the round up to the armholes, then worked flat for the remainder, as are the sleeves, which are then set-in during finishing. The Garneau Top pattern is available for Women's sizes XS (S, M, L, XL, 2X, 3X).

Photo by Austin Lee for Ancient Arts Fibre Crafts. Used with permission

Photo by Austin Lee for Ancient Arts Fibre Crafts. Used with permission

I really enjoyed working with Ancient Arts to bring you the Garneau Top, which is named for a neighbourhood in Edmonton that I always enjoyed walking when I attended the University of Alberta. I pictured it as the perfect place to head out for a stroll with the handsome dog that the yarn is named for: Weimeraner.












Now, a word about this brilliant colour, which I loved for the way it presented so many different grays with so much depth:
Weimeraner is one of the several amazing colourways from the Ancient Arts Fibre Crafts Woof Collection. When you buy yarn from the Woof Collection , a portion of the proceeds is donated to the Best Friends Animal Society, which benefits stray and abandoned dogs. Now, I'm a dog person, but if you prefer cats to dogs? No problem; the Meow Collection benefits cats, and I think the Garneau Top would look excellent in Blue Persian too. A variety of other colours awaits in Superwash DK; I recommend Semi-solid colours for this pattern.


Buy the Garneau Top Pattern at the following links from:Ancient Arts Fibre Crafts or through Ravelry, and the yarn from Ancient Arts Fibre Crafts.

Photo by Austin Lee for Ancient Arts Fibre Crafts. Used with permission