Scotts Shawl

One of my favorite trips I've been able to make post college is a trip to Scotland and England with my sisters and mom. With the pandemic I've been leaning on these memories of travel since we haven't been able to travel around much. 

This is the second time that inspiration has come from an actual object not just from my brain. The Scotts monument in Edinburgh was the inspiration behind the Scotts Shawl! Below is a photo of the monument...

The slip stitches moving up the shawl remind of the lines and spires on the monument. I used a beautiful merino/yak/silk blend that has the most amazing drape and was purchased on the same trip! I visited Ginger Twist Studio and purchased this yarn. 

This is a great shawl to try new fibers or stick with your regular fingering weight blend. It also would be very easy to adjust the needle size and weight of yarn if you would like to knit with something heavier. The stiffer the yarn blend (100% non-superwash wool) the more your slip stitches will stand out the more structured your triangle. 

Happy Knitting! -- Sierra 

String of Purls

I love succulents! They don't love me quite as much. Previously I wrote about the plants that I knit and how I don't love to water and I'm not great at it. Well, me and succulents just can't seem to get on the same page. 

I was inspired to design with this gorgeous yarn (a gift from a friend) and I had the String of Pearls in mind when looking at stitch patterns. This wrapped stitch pattern was perfect to imitate the leaves/pearls of one of my favorite succulents and along came the String of Purls cowl! 

I used a single skein of fingering weight yarn which was 380 yards. The base I used, from Sundara Yarns, is a Merino/Cashmere/Nylon and it was so plump and delicious to knit with. I would definitely knit with this base again if I have the chance. 

For this project I would suggest a fingering weight yarn that you enjoy the feel of around your neck. This doesn't have to be a luxury skein of yarn but as this has full contact with delicate skin make sure you like the way it feels. I also think that a highly variegated yarn will hide the stitch work. The tones of the sample yarn are all close enough that it doesn't obscure the stitch pattern but enhances it. 

I hope this cowl inspires you knit this for a plant lover in your life! 

Out the Window

 You know when you stick your hand out the window and it automatically starts waving up and down with the air movement? I love that feeling and definitely still do it when I'm a passenger. These socks and stitch pattern remind me of that movement! 

Out the Window is my newest sock pattern release. As with the majority of All Knit Up Designs patterns, Out the Window is easy to memorize and super fun to knit. The yarn I used is a speckled 80/20 (Wool/Nylon) blend but I had a few testers use self-striping and it looks so good! I will definitely have to knit a pair for myself with some Felici. 

I designed this pattern with cast on for 56, 64, & 72 but I found this a very stretchy pattern so if you usually knit with a missing size I would pick the cast on smaller than your normal (if you usually knit 68, cast on 64.) 

I hope these socks bring you great joy as you knit them and I hope they bring back great memories as they did for me! 

Happy Knitting! - Sierra