Shadows Shawl

Last pattern for 2020! Just a few days before the end of the year and I have a new shawl to share! Shadows was knit earlier in the year and is now ready for it's release. As my usual this yarn was purchased quite awhile ago at Knit City Vancouver (I think circa 2018? I guess not that long) but I saw the variegated yarn first and knew that I needed to find a complementary contrast color. A few booths over I found the gold and it was a match made in heaven. 

Shadows uses stripes, garter, and a fun modern take on feather and fan. I loved combining the colors and pulling the pattern together, I definitely didn't know if I was going to have enough yarn to finish. 

The bases that I used for this sample are a wool/silk and a wool/cashmere/nylon and they are luscious, but they aren't necessary for a great knit. Any blend of yarn would be great for this shawl, I do think that an alpaca blend would be too fuzzy to show the lace nicely. If you are planning to use an acrylic base yarn for this knit I would recommend blocking the lace with steam, here is a link to that process so you can take a read. 

Happy Knitting and a Happy New Year! 

Fall Socks

Just a little post to update you on a few things that I've been knitting that aren't design knitting. I knit up these two lovely pairs of fall socks from dyers I haven't used before! 

First pair is a 'seconds' skein from Gauge Dyeworks, an amazing base and colorway! I love they feel like fall to me but aren't in your face about it. I think for the next pair (because of course I have more in stash) I'm going to knit a 60 stitch sock vs. 64. I found these just slightly on this side of too big. 

The second pair of socks screams fall, I guess I want very subtle or totally in your face:). These ones were dyed by Dyed for Ewe and the colorway is Fall Foliage. SO PRETTY! 

I loved the change in color, I loved the base, and I will definitely be purchasing from this shop again! Thanks for checking out what I've been working on! 

Bauble Extravaganza

I just published the best pattern! Bauble Extravaganza is so fun and full of Christmas spirit and joy and fun. These socks were so much fun to design and knit! There is a toe up version and a cuff down version! 

Bauble Extravaganza was my first time reaching out to a dyer and asking for a collaboration, that was nerve-racking. Ashlee from Smash Knit was amazing to work with, I was pretty particular about the color that I was looking for, I wanted a green that wasn't too yellow olive but not too spruce blue either. 

What a fantastic color she came up with! I loved it in the photos she sent me and I loved it even more when it showed up on my doorstep. 

The tree for this pattern use a very simple cable that I was able to do without a cable needle but are really easy if you've never knit a cable before, the rest if the tree was done with twisted stitches. My beading method was using a teeny-tiny crochet hook and placing my beads on the socks individually. 

As usual, this is a fully written pattern and can be used with any sock yarn. I prefer my socks with some amount of nylon (this particular is a 85% Merino, 15% Nylon) but if you're comfortable with a 100% Wool yarn for socks then knit away! 

I cannot wait to see the combos that everyone uses, my testers came up with some amazing projects. 

Gradiently Yours

We almost all have a gradient hanging around the stash or our color palette is so similar that we could make a gradient from our leftovers. Gradiently Yours is the perfect shawl/ette for those yarns! 

I was asked by Adina, the owner of Cloth Carousel, to design a shawl for the new yarn Zauberperlen by Schoppel-Wolle. The yarn comes in a ring and has each individual color already wound into a ball, how simple is that! 

I chose a simple triangle shape with a series of drop stitches to compliment the gradient, I didn't want the pattern to overpower the yarn but I also didn't want the knit to be too simple. This is a great social project for the holidays! It's so easy to memorize which makes easy to put down and pick back up.

Here you can see the drop stitches featured and how they run through the gradient. When you're looking for yarn to make this shawl you can pretty much use any yarn you have in stash. The only changes you would need to make is adjusting your needle size for the weight of yarn you pick. I can't wait to see the combinations people come up with! 

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! 

Baby Bobble Cowl

 I have a new cowl pattern! I have been trying to design/find the perfect tuck-in-your-coat cowl and Baby Bobble Cowl fits the bill perfectly. 

Baby Bobble Cowl uses 100 grams of fingering weight yarn for a 23" circumference and 12" deep cowl. I used a Merino/Cashmere/Nylon blend for my sample and it's deliciously cozy. I believe any fingering weight yarn would work but I would stick with something that is majority wool. A tester used a wool/silk blend and had trouble with the bobbles not popping out enough. I also think a blend with alpaca or llama wouldn't be a great choice because the halo from the yarn will hide the work in the twisted stitches. 

My sample was knit in a solid/tonal yarn but the majority of my testers used variegated! If you are looking for clear definition for your bobbles and twisted stitches I would suggest a tonal, solid, or lightly speckled yarn. There are so many options I can't wait to see all the different ones ya'll come up with! 

Monticello

I knit and designed my first mosaic shawl! I've knit one pair of mosaic socks before but never a shawl, what an adventure and undertaking! Monticello is so fun and easy, between each mosaic section is simple garter with only a bit of shaping. I used a single ply fingering weight yarn for my main body and a multi-ply for the contrast. 

That means use any fingering weight yarn you want! With a shawl, I have no problem mixing blends and plies I don't think it changes the integrity of the shawl. Shawls don't receive the same amount of wear and tear as a sweater, that is where I would watch mixing my blends/plies. 

Monticello is long and wide, so it's perfect to wrap around your neck a few times and let the colors peak out. My tester knit hers opposite and used a gradient for the body and solid for the mosaic and it looks so cool! I'm excited to see what other color combos knitters come up with! 

Grant Socks

 I haven't published a sock pattern in a bit and I'm excited to introduce Grant to you! Grant is very similar in knit style to my other sock patterns, easy to memorize and looks good with different dyes. 

I knit my Grant Socks with a speckled fingering weight, 80% Superwash Merino/20% Nylon, so any basic fingering weight you have in your stash would work great! My testers used a variety of dye styles so you should go check out their projects for color inspiration! 

I added a contrast toe to my sample socks from heels/toes/cuffs stash but you definitely don't have to if you don't want to. This sock is designed for sizes 56, 60, 64, 68, & 72 so they can pretty much fit any adult in your life. I used between 60-70 grams of yarn so even if you won't have a full ball you should still be able to make these! I hope you enjoy knitting my new sock pattern! 

Scales Cowl

It's not a secret that I like to reuse stitch patterns in my designs. There are just so many different ways and opportunities to use the same stitches/techniques. That is exactly what I've done with the Scales Cowl. This design didn't so much come from inspiration but one of my knitting friends/student asking if the Scales shawl could be made into a cowl instead. So this is for you Shauna! 

Of course that was super simple, but then I had to complicate things a bit by making three sizes and changing the yarn weight and needle size. 

Scales Cowl features the worsted weight yarn Rios by Malabrigo, but any worsted weight yarn will work! I had Malabrigo in my stash but my test knitters used a variety of different bases including hand spun and acrylic! 

The sample is Size 2 but one and two use the same amount of yarn, Size 3 uses double the yarn. I find that this pattern nicely breaks up variegation so there is a lot of potential! Take a look at tester photos to get an idea of what different yarns and dye styles look like in the pattern. I hope you enjoy my new cowl 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. 

Lane Shawl

 Hi Happy Shawl Knitters! 

This post is focusing on my new shawl design Lane. This is my first collaboration with a dye company! So let me introduce to you the lane shawl is Madelinetosh Tosh Merino Light, a gorgeous single-ply fingering weight yarn. The yarn for this shawl was provided by Madtosh through their MT Studio program, a program that provides yarn to designers. You can take a look at the program here. 

I chose Copper Pink Solid as my color for Lane and I am so happy with it! Lane was originally submitted to a different company for design call and was rejected. I took that as the perfect opportunity to apply with tosh. 

Lane was inspired by the changing grounds on a farm. I've talked about before that I am a nanny, right now I have a 1 year old boy named Lane. The family home is situated on a farm and I've been able to watch the whole process from planting, to harvest, to restart with a new crop. 

As for other yarn choices for Lane, any fingering weight yarn will work. My testers have used a variety of different fingering weight bases and they all look great! I would suggest using a solid or tonal yarn so that all the stitch patterns show well enough. 

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! 

Sienna Cowl

This is the first time I've designed a cowl! Sienna was inspired by the gorgeous book Sequence Knitting paired with the luxury blend Epiphany by Cascade. Unfortunately this is a discontinued yarn but as always I put other yarns that will work in the Ravelry suggestions. 

Sienna is a simple cowl with a two row repeat that is so easy to memorize. As stated above I used a luxury blend but my testers used sturdier wool and came up with beautiful cowls as well. If you want a cowl with drape then having some amount of alpaca, silk, or bamboo would be an excellent addition to your fiber content.

If you are looking for something a bit sturdier that will have more structure then I would use a merino wool or a wool nylon. Acrylic or cotton would work for Sienna as well but make sure to use a corresponding needle size so the cowl doesn't end up too stiff. 

Free the Fringe

Free the Fringe is so fun and easy to knit! If you are looking for a first shawl project this is the perfect one! Free the Fringe uses only knit stitches, KFB increasing, and K2TOG decreasing. 

I knit Free the Fringe in fingering weight but the size of the shawl depends on how much yarn you have. You can knit it with any weight of yarn and the corresponding needle size. For this shawl the stitch numbers aren't important the grams amount that you knit per side is what is important. Keeping track of how many grams you use will let you know when you are done with increasing to switch to decreasing. 

I added extra colors of yarn to my fringe to give more color but that isn't necessary for a successful knit. I can't wait to see the combinations you come up with! 

Henness Shawl

Henness is my new pattern and it's fabulous! The main attraction for Henness is the cabled bind-off! This shawl is a crescent shaped, fully garter stitch shawl that alternates a variegated and a solid every 2 rows. 

The cabled bind-off is what really sets this shawl apart. The body of the shawl is soothing knitting that is so easy to memorize. 

The yarn used is a 100% Merino fingering weight by Miss Babs but any fingering weight yarn will do. There is no reason you couldn't use leftovers as the variegated paired with one solid skein. I used ~25 grams of yarn for the bind-off by my testers are using between 16-25. If you are looking to make the shawl larger you could use all 400 of your variegated color and then have ~500 yards of the solid. That extra 100 yards should be enough for you to do the edging. 

                              

The style of this shawl makes it so that the stitch count isn't important at all except for keeping the shape of the shawl. I hope you have so much fun with Henness! Can't wait to see your combos, if you need inspiration you can check out the test knitters projects here! 

Happy Knitting! 

Sierra 

Pay What Works

When you've purchased a pattern from my store you've noticed that there are multiple options that you can  pay for pricing. This is the Pay What Works scale and it allows for a tiered pricing system to help makers on all income levels purchase my patterns. 

I have heard quite a few arguments that this makes people uncomfortable to use. As a knitter who lived on a strict budget in college, only people who have financial privilege feel uncomfortable with this system. They usually want to pay a lower price because it's available but they can really afford to pay the higher one. The price difference allows for me to get paid a fair wage for my patterns from people who can afford it. Pay What Works helps alleviate some of the privilege that is associated with the fibers arts world. 

There are many designers who find the idea intriguing but aren't sure its financially feasible. From my experience it most definitely is. 

These are all slides that I have up on my Instagram to help other designers decide whether or not this system works for them. It's hard to jump into this system without knowing if you'll make your money. I hope that if any designers or knitters have more questions for me that you'll send me an email. I'd love to help other makers open up their patterns to more knitters and make our amazing art accessible to more people at all income levels.