Lambing Mitts

Designing is fun, super fun actually, but to get a design started is time consuming and I don't always have the brain power to start. At this point few weeks ago I decided to cast on a simple project that I've had planned for years. 

I cast on the Lambing Mitts with yarn I purchased in 2015 on a trip to Ireland! I purchased quite a bit of yarn while on my trip and I've used quite a bit of it but this is a skein that's been hanging around. 

The Lambing Mitts are a free pattern available on Ravelry and super simple to follow and knit. I made the medium size with a US 8 needle; why 8, because that's what I had in my needle collection:) 

This pattern was my preference over full mittens because I can fold down the cuff and have my fingering accessible but then unfold and have nearly all of my hands covered. If you're looking for a quick knit or a gift project this is a great one! 

Antler Socks

I have to say that cabling is not my favorite technique in knitting. Cabling is time consuming and I find them not that easy to count without keeping track on paper. But, I got over my hesitation and broke out the cables for my new Antler Sock pattern, you can purchase the pattern here on Ravelry! 

Antler is fun to knit by using the same cable three different ways which makes it so easy to memorize! With the way these cables are constructed I found I didn't need to keep count on paper, I was able to read my knitting and keep track. 

The yarn is used is a Merino, Nylon, and Yak blend that was delicious to knit with. I've never used yak blend before in socks so I'm excited to see how they wear. The yak gives the yarn a beautiful heathered effect, so pretty! As with the majority of my patterns, any sock yarn will work. I would recommend something with some nylon and my testers found that colorways that were solid or semi-solid worked best to show the cables. I can't wait to see what gorgeous yarn you pull out for my new pattern! 

Tea House

Originally this shawl was going to be called Knit Night, after thinking it over I didn't want knitters who don't have a knit night to feel excluded or think the pattern wasn't for them .

What this shawl really is is a take-along project for whenever you have some time to knit, whether you are by yourself, having coffee with a friend, or at knit night. The next name was going to be Coffee House, I don't drink coffee so that was nixed. 

My best friend and knit companion Cameron is a voracious tea drinker so whenever we are knitting together that is what she will usually order. The pink color in the shawl is named Tea Rose, so as inspiration from her and the yarn name Tea House was born! 

Tea House is a hybrid shawl shape, deeper than a traditional crescent but not a half circle either. So simple to memorize and a great way to combine some colors. Tea House is pretty much the same row over and over again while changing the colors. 

The yarn I used is a Merino/Cashmere/Nylon blend but as usual any fingering weight yarn will work. Only part of this shawl you have to pay a speck of attention to is the picot bind off. I've included a video link for a tutorial incase knitters have never used this bind off before. 

Wishing

Hello Knitters! I have a new shawl pattern to share with you! Wishing, comes from my desire for fall weather, everything Pumpkin Spice (not coffee), and knitwear season, this is what I told everyone the name came from. The name actually came from wishing for fire season to be over, wishing racism wasn't a debate for people, wishing people were better. But, it takes more than wishing, it takes action. Call your local representatives, VOTE this November, take action and educate yourself. 

Now, the actual shawl information. I used a Merino/Cashmere/Nylon blend that was designed with 150 grams or ~600 yards. So the shawl is easily made larger or smaller by increasing or decreasing the number of repeats you knit. As for the fiber content you can pretty much use anything that is a fingering weight. Though, as with the majority of my shawls, you can totally use a different weight to knit them and adjust your needle size. 

The fringe for Wishing is made entirely from my scrap bins. As I've talked about before, I cannot throw those little nuggets away so I have to find design ideas for them. Using this border requires no ends to be woven in! Thank The Lord! There is no way I plan to ever design a shawl with that ends to weave in, that hurts my soul. 

I hope I get to see your combos soon! 

Happy Scrappy Shawl

I knit a ton, as if that wasn't obvious to everyone. Along with all that knitting comes and incredible amount of leftover yarn and I really enjoy figuring out ways to utilize them. 

Happy Scrappy was born out of my obsession with 'dropping the fringe' and working with my leftovers. This amazing shawl was created all from my scrap bin! I used ~220 grams of all different bases of fingering weight and knitting just two rows with each color. (Link to Ravelry and Payhip)

If you don't have enough scraps to have such variety (yet), pick two skeins from your stash and stripe them, or purchase one solid color skein to stripe with your leftovers. 

While this shawl was designed for fingering weight it would be so easy to size up! You would knit a worsted weight version and all you have to do is change your needle size. (I would recommend going up to a US 8) 

I can't wait to see your combos! 

Dillon Shawl

Hi Knitters! 

I have a new pattern out and a lot to say about it! Dillon is my newest creation I've unleashed to the knitting community, it's on Ravelry, as well as my e-commerse store. 

If you don't know/haven't seen, Ravelry has updated their user interface and layout. They did this quite quickly and many knitters have had adverse health effects from it. There has been reports of migraines, losing/blurred eye site, and seizures. I don't feel comfortable with Ravelry as my only platform with the way they are handling/not handling this. I'm introducing Payhip as another platform that will host my pattern PDFs. Right now I only have a few patterns up but I will have the rest of them up by the end of July. 

If you don't have access to your patterns you have already purchased from me on Ravelry please email me at skreun1@gmail.com and once I confirm I'll email you back a copy of your pattern. Please don't go into the comments of this post to rant about the detriment to peoples health not being true. It isn't your body, you don't get to comment. Now to switch gears...

Dillon, is a great stepping stone to two-color brioche! This shawl utilizes the same corrugated garter technique that many two-color brioche shawls use (here is a link to a blog post about a shawl I knit a few years ago that uses the technique.) 

I would recommend high contrast yarns for this project. I started out with the most gorgeous variegated combo and a solid that pulled colors from the variegated. Did not work. You couldn't see the corrugated effect at all! So when you swatch for this project, swatch in the corrugated garter section not just regular garter. I had a variety of bases that were used by testers (wool, wool/silk, synthetic) and they all worked great! Just make sure you have enough of the yardage discussed below. 

I used 420 yards of my first color (orange) and 600 of the second (blue) so if you have some of those fabulous 600 yard shawl skeins this would be the perfect project to combine with a single skein! I also really encourage following the slipped edge instructions diligently. This is how you achieve that nice crisp edge. I hope you love it as much as I do! Can't wait to see your color combos. Happy Knitting! - Sierra 

Grad Socks

I'm excited to announce my sister graduated college! YAY ELLIE! 

For those who don't know me in person, I have two younger sisters, currently 24 and going on 22. My sister Ellie is the middle sibling and graduated with her bachelors degree from UC Davis. 

Obviously we didn't have a traditional graduation as we are in the middle of COVID19 but we hosted our immediate family and Ellie's boyfriends family over for grad. 

It was amazing. This was so much better than sitting in the heat for hours like we did at mine. This was low key and fun in our backyard with snack and drinks, my nanny baby, and a quick virtual graduation. 

As this was such a big occasion I knit Ellie a pair of socks to commemorate, what was even better is that they are her school colors! All UC's have some combo of blue/yellow or gold as the colors. This yarn was given to me by a co-worker and friend from the yarn shop. Her mother had purchased the yarn in Switzerland and knew she was never going to knit with it. 

Ellie was very pleased with her gift and her graduation:) 

Garden Patch

It's summer time and that means self-striping patterns! Garden Patch was inspired by the fabulous garden my parents and many other people all around my small town have planted. I love seeing the small tidy rows of plants and raised garden boxes, all of these are reflected in the new design!

437 yards / 400 meters fingering weight yarn 

Needle: US 1.5 / 2.5mm (Needle Ambiguous, you can use your preferred sock knitting method i.e. DPNs, Magic Loop, 9 inch circulars, two circulars.)

Pattern uses Modified Eye of Partridge Heel Flap and Wedge Toe

Gauge: 32 stitches by 32 rows = 4 inches/10 cm in stockinette

Size: Women’s Medium size foot: US 8.5 / EU 39

Notions needed:

Two different stitches markers (One each for A and B)

Darning Needle for Kitchener and weaving in ends  

K: Knit

P: Purl

P2Tog: Purl two together

K2Tog: Knit two together

PW: Purlwise

KW: Knitwise

SSK: Slip, slip, knit

SM: Slip marker

WYIF: With yarn in front

WYIB: With yarn in back

----

Cuff: 

Cast on 64 Stitches and join in the round, being careful not to twist. Place a marker at the beginning of the round, if preferred.

Knit 2, Purl 2 for 18 rounds and in the last round of ribbing place marker B at half-way.

Leg: 

Panel A is worked on the first 32 stitches, Panel B is worked on the second 32 stitches.

Panel A	Panel B
Round 1: Knit	Round 1: Knit
Round 2: Knit	Round 2: K1, P1
Round 3: K2, P2
Round 4: K2, P2

Repeat panel rounds until you have reached preferred leg length.

Starting heel flap. (You will be working flat on half of your stitches) 

If you want to use a contrast heel please start using contrast yarn.

Turn work with wrong side facing, you will be working back across the last 32 stitches.

Row 1: Knit 3, Purl across

Row 2: Purl 3, * K1, slip 1 knitwise with yarn in back * repeat to last 3 stitches, K3

Row 3: Knit 3, Purl across

Row 4: Purl 3, * slip 1 knitwise with yarn in back, K1 * repeat to last 3 stitches, K3 

Repeat these four rows eight times total (You will have 16 Garter Bumps along the edge.)

Starting the heel turn

Row 1: Slip 1 PW WYIF, P16, P2Tog, P1, turn

Row 2: Slip 1 KW WYIB, K3, SSK, K1, turn

Row 3: Slip 1 PW WYIF, P4, P2Tog, P1, turn

Row 4: Slip 1 KW WYIB, K5, SSK, K1, turn  

Row 5: Slip 1 PW WYIF, P6, P2Tog, P1, turn

Row 6: Slip 1 KW WYIB, K7, SSK, K1, turn

Row 7: Slip 1 PW WYIF, P8, P2Tog, P1, turn

Row 8: Slip 1 KW WYIB, K9, SSK, K1, turn

Row 9: Slip 1 PW WYIF, P10, P2Tog, P1, turn

Row 10: Slip 1 KW WYIB, K11, SSK, K1, turn

Row 11: Slip 1 PW WYIF, P12, P2Tog, P1, turn

Row 12: Slip 1 KW WYIB, K13, SSK, K1, turn

Row 13: Slip 1 PW WYIF, P14, P2Tog, P1, turn

Row 14: Slip 1 KW WYIB, K15, SSK, K1

(You should have closed all ‘gaps’ and have 18 stitches from the heel flap and turn)

Cut contrast yarn (if used) and pick up and knit with main color.

Gusset:

Now pick up and Knit 16 stitches along the heel flap (one stitch for every garter bump) 

Once you’ve picked up the first side of the gusset, pick up one extra stitch in between the gusset and top of the foot (This helps close up any small hole between gusset and foot)

Place marker A after picking up and knitting the stitch between gusset and foot.

Work pattern across top of foot, place marker B.

Now pick up and knit one extra stitch between the top of the foot and the next side of the gusset, pick up and knit 16 garter bumps from heel flap. (You now have 84 stitches on your needles, 32 from marker A to B, 52 from marker B to A.)

Knit one round plain (no increasing/decreasing, follow pattern at top of the foot)

After knitting this round, stop three stitches before marker A.

Round 1: K2TOG, K 1, sm, work in pattern to next marker, sm, K1, SSK, continue to round 2.

Round 2: Knit to marker, sm, work in pattern to next marker, sm, knit to three stitches before marker A. Continue to round 1.

Repeat these two rounds until you have 32 stitches left between marker B and A

Foot:

Continue working in pattern across top of foot and knitting along the bottom until foot length measures 1.5 inches less than desired length.

Toe:

Start toe decreases three stitches before marker A (When knitting in the round becomes uncomfortable, switch to Double Point Needles)

Round 1: K2TOG, K1, sm, K1, SSK, Knit to three stitches before next marker, K2TOG, K1, sm, K1, SSK knit to the end of the round.

Round 2: Knit entire round

Repeat these two rounds until sock measures length of foot. (Stitch count will be determined by the length of your toe box.)

Complete the sock with a kitchener stitch.

When finished with the kitchener stitch, weave in all ends and wear with pride! Blocking makes your socks look amazing but is not necessary.

Scales Shawl

This shawl was so much fun to knit and a little harder to design. My method for designing is writing everything by hand first and then translating it to the computer. With this shawl I thought I wrote something wrong in my notes and changed it, come to find out that I messed the whole beginning repeat up!

Thanks to my amazing and patient test knitters I was able to move my repeat around. They found so many errors and corrections I wouldn't be able to do it without them! 

The only thing my family could agree on with this shawl is that it looks like scales; mermaid scales, fish scales, snake scales. Didn't seem to matter what kind so that is how the name came about. Welcome the Scales shawl to All Knit Up Designs portfolio!

Scales is a DK weight, mock cable, asymmetric triangle shawl that is so squishy! I knit mine with Yowza by Miss Babs and I love this yarn! I've got quite a few hanks of this amazing yarn hanging out in my stash and I knew that I needed to design a shawl that used a single skein.

This simple mock cable works great with variegated yarns to make them shine! My testers used solid colored yarns and the pattern stands out so well, click HERE to see the testers projects. I would suggest a yarn that has some drape to it and that will block out, this shawl essentially is 2x2 ribbing. If you choose to use a synthetic you will have to steam block the shawl to make it lay flat. 

Happy Knitting!

Sierra

Reverse Socks

My newest sock pattern is out and it's full of texture! Reverse Socks is an easy to memorize two row repeat that my testers just couldn't get enough of. The pattern is addictive and looks good with so many different types of yarn!

I knit mine in a neon speckled yarn that really showed off the texture but I had testers knit them in variegated, solid, and gradients and they all looked great! Reverse was written for cuff down and has four different sizes, 60-72 so they will fit a variety of people. 

As always with socks I suggest something with a bit of nylon to it (for strength) but you definitely don't have to if you prefer a 100% wool sock. 

Happy Knitting!

Sierra

Meridian Hat

I have a new pattern out and it's a hat! Meridian Hat is a companion piece to the Meridian Shawl that came out last fall.

Each design features an easy to memorize braid cable that looks complicated but is only four rows! the Meridian hat was knit out of Shalimar Yarns in their Breathless base which is a Merino, Cashmere, & Silk blend. This fingering weight yarn was so nice to knit with! The FO has amazing drape and feels so good but still enough structure that the cables show well and the hat hasn't stretched out.

I would personally choose to knit something like this in a solid or semi-solid. Almost all my test knitters went the opposite direction and chose variegated and they look amazing! You can check out their projects here to take a look at their ideas.

You can pretty much pick any kind of fingering weight yarn and have a great project. I would advise against a full out self patterning or 100% cotton (not enough memory), but have a stash dive and take a look!

Ellie's Birthday Socks

My middle sister is turning 24! Each year we comment on how old we are, which makes my parents even older. To me it's even more astounding when my siblings hit certain milestones vs me. I'm the oldest so when the other two start getting older I'm shocked!

For the last few years for Christmas, important events, and birthdays my sisters have gotten socks. This year my sister Ellie (the middle sister) has her birthday and college graduation in the same weekend. Right now we are in the midst of COVID19 so we won't be having a graduation ceremony but that doesn't mean that this is any less of an achievement or any less important.

This yarn is one I picked up in Port Angeles WA when my mom and I went to visit a couple of years ago. My families hope is to make this area our new home. It's lovely and way less hot than California, we are taking a trip up again for 4th of July.

This is my basic vanilla pattern, not one I've written out but if you take out any of the patterning from my sock patterns you have my vanilla sock.

Happy Birthday Ellie!

Duplo Socks

I love simple and easy to memorize patterns (kind of the whole idea of my company) and Duplo Socks  definitely lives up to those expectations. Duplo Socks are a basket weave variation that works with so many different dye styles!

I designed the socks in a variegated yarn but had a variety of dye styles from the tests. I loved the ones that were done in a solid so the pattern really popped. I think the only dye style I would probably not knit these in is a self-patterning. 

I think both the pattern in the sock and the pattern in the yarn would hide each other. You won't get the full effect of the self-patterning yarn (which is amazing) but you also won't see the work that is put into the pattern. 

This pattern is an 8 stitches repeat so the cast-on sizes are 56, 64, and 72. There really isn't an easy way to add or takeaway stitches for this one. 

Happy Knitting! 

Sierra 

P.S. As always, this pattern is set up with a 'Pay What You Can' scale, meaning there are coupons codes to use on Ravelry that set the cost from 4.99-7.99. This means that the knitter gets to decide what to pay and makes my patterns more accessible while also giving me a fair wage. If you have any questions about this pay se-up please send me an email at skreun1@gmail.com 

I Like it Bold

Hi Everyone!

I hope you are all healthy and staying home. All Knit Up Designs has been as busy as ever, nannying, designing, dog walking, and hanging out with my family. My newest pattern release is a shawl pattern and I am so excited about it!

I Like it Bold is a pattern that knitters receive when they sign-up for my newsletter! So excited to be able to contribute this pattern to the knitting community.

Obviously, I knit it in a very 'Sierra' colorway for people who know me personally but there is quite a lot of room to make the color scheme your own with this design.

I picked the speckled colorway as my main color and then picked 3-4 other colors to pull/contrast/highlight from the main colorway.

You definitely could pick a solid as the main color and then coordinating minis, you could also pick a main and one contrast to really highlight the stripes sequence on the edge. Any fingering weight yarn will work, no need for a hand dyed or luxury blend. Though I think a drapey silk blend out be gorgeous!

Happy Knitting!

Sierra

Saddle Socks

Remember the leggings with the elastic strap for under your foot? Well, I designed socks that are very reminiscent of that particular article of clothing! I'd like you to welcome Saddle Socks to the All Knit Up Designs pattern portfolio!

With its simple garter detail this sock is the perfect social pattern (whether online or in person). Designed in a variegated yarn, I can recommend almost any dye style with this pattern! Take a look at the test knits and see the different varieties used! Any sock yarn with a wool/nylon content (for strength) will work for this pattern. 

Cantelow Beanie

Another new pattern! Cantelow Hat is the companion piece to my Cantelow shawl featured in my last blog post. Cantelow features a long extended cables that leaves lots of easy and drape. The nature of the beanie is a ribbing so the hat is really stretchy and fits a variety of heads.

The pattern is written for three different sizes Youth, Adult Small, & Adult Large and each one was test knit by some great knitters! My hat was knit with a creamy color with a bit of sparkle but I think that anything that isn't too dark or highly variegated would be great.

As always with something textured, a solid or a tonal will show the stitching off more. A few of the testers used solid colored alpaca and had some gorgeous haloed hats. In the larger sizes I had a few testers who were able to finish in 50 grams! You definitely want to use a yarn that has some 'life' or spring back to it so your hat doesn't stretch out and not go back into shape 

Cantelow Shawl

Im excited that my first shawl pattern of 2020 is out! Cantelow shawl is a combination of inspirations! The shape came from a Making Magazine shawl, and the cables came from one of my previous patterns. The shawl is this one by Melanie Berg and the sock pattern is this one that I designed for KnitCrate in 2018.

Cantelow is the perfect shawl to show of a lightly speckled or variegated yarn, it also looks amazing in a solid. I have test knitters knit it in different weights and all different styles of dye and I'M IN LOVE! So pleased with how this shawl turned out as well as the pattern! This is the first time I've designed such a large scale chart and it was hard work!

The cables on the shawl are worked every ten rows so the knit is easy and enjoyable. Because the cables are so far apart the fabric is drapey and has lots of movement. I think a wool/silk blend or a merino/cashmere/nylon blend would make this shawl shine! Anything that has drape to the fabric would work wonders with this shawl. 

Let me know if you want help picking yarn I would LOVE to help!

Happy Knitting!

Sierra