Sock Set Shawlette

Have you ever worked with a sock set before? To be honest, I have a few in my stash but this is the first time that I've actually used one. I know most people encourage them for socks (duh Sierra) but honestly, some of them are just too damn pretty to just be on my feet! 

From this idea of gorgeous yarn the Sock Set Shawlette was born. A shawlette pattern that features an asymmetric shape, stripes, and an applied edging with bobbles along the edge. The shawlette is designed to use the amount of yarn you have and can be as large or small as you prefer (I think I'm going to knit one in a larger size as well! Probably two skeins for the body and 50 grams for the contrast color.) 

If you don't have any sock sets in your stash, don't worry! This shawlette was knit with 100 grams of fingering weight yarn as the main color and 20 grams of the contrast color (or leftovers!) so you can definitely take a look through your stash and pull a skein of yarn and get started! The sock set that I used was dyed by Sew Happy Jane and it was wonderful to work with and I'm so happy to be able to show it off! 

Handmade: Slow Fashion Inspired by Arizona's 5 Cs

I have had the biggest business win this year, I have a pattern in a published book! What?!? I know! I designed a shawl for Less Traveled Yarn's book Handmade: Slow Fashion Inspired by Arizona's 5 Cs (this is a link to my Etsy shop where I have signed copies of the book available for sale) inspired by Copper (one of the 5 Cs). My mom (Susan) is from copper country in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, so I grew up with natural copper pieces in our house. When I saw the call for submission I immediately knew this was one I had to apply for. 

Of course I freaked out when I got the email that my submission was accepted! I didn't realize that my shawl was going to be the COVER design until we saw the final proofs of the book right before it went to the printers! 

Yes, I definitely cried and it was 100% perfect. Now that I have the super exciting news out of the way let me tell you a little more about the book and the design. The book has 17 designs featuring sweaters, tops, shawls, hats, cowls, and socks all these different designs are knit, crochet, and Tunisian crochet. 

Oxidation is my shawl and as I said above, inspired by the natural oxidation process of copper. Oxidation is a 3 skein shawl featuring fingering weight yarn. The yarn I used for the main color is a wool/silk blend and the contrast color is a wool/nylon/stellina blend (stellina is a sparkle thread) and I used 2 hanks of the main color and 1 of the contrast. 

Oxidation features stripes, wrap stitches, short rows, and fun bumps; this pattern will keep you very interested! Some of my testers used yarn support while others knit from their stash. You should definitely go and take a look a their projects to get an idea of the diversity of this design. 

For yarn suggestions, there are kits on Less Traveled Yarns website, but if you want to knit from stash or make your purchase elsewhere than any fingering weight yarn you are comfortable wearing around your neck. I wouldn't necessarily suggest a self-striping yarn only because the stripes will not work out evenly with the different short rows and sections. I can't wait to see your shawl! --Sierra 

Girlfriends Cardigan AKA Soft and Squishy

I have just finished knitting the squishiest and softest sweater for myself and I can't wait to tell you about it! Obviously I was super inventive in my post name and descriptions because my basic description of the yarn is the name of the project. 

I've only worked with Shibui yarns one other time (yarn my sister picked out for a cowl) and I didn't keep the project. Shibui's goal with their yarns is to have knitters and crocheters hold their fibers together to create different fabrics and different weights. I held Pebble and Silk Cloud together for a lofty and warm garter stitch fabric. 

The Girlfriends Cardigan originally called for a US 4 but knew from my own knitting and my swatch that a US 6 was going to be needed for the correct gauge. The sweater, with the yarns held together, calls for a sport weight yarn and a US 4 gauge for me was just going to be too dense with not enough movement. 

The cardigan starts with a long icord along the top of the shoulders and then builds from there. The instructions aren't hard to follow but there were a few fiddley parts that I had to make sure to knit during great light times (about 10-2 here on the Peninsula). Holding two strands together isn't difficult but it did require a level of concentration and sight that I didn't always have time for. There is totally a few areas where I dropped on strand of the yarn, shrugs, it happens and I did not expect my sweater to be perfect. 

The two yarns together created a gorgeous fabric with the most heavenly halo, I feel spoiled being able to wear it. I do have to say, this cardigan was expensive! I purchased the yarn quite a few years ago at Stitches and it was definitely an impulse buy, I don't regret it but I don't live on a big spenders budget. I feel that there are quite a few options that knitters can research to create a similar fabric, one of the first ones to come to mind is Rowan Kidsilk haze, it is also a mohair and silk blend that is more affordable than Shibui. Have you knit with a mohair, silk blend before? I have a couple other sweater projects planned with this luxurious combo! If you're interested in seeing my project page and yardage you can take a look at the page on Ravelry here. 

Intersection Cowl

Do you have a love affair with hand dyed yarn? I do. I absolutely adore hand dyed yarn. But sometimes it isn't always easy to find the pattern that will work with such delicious colors. Occasionally the colors overtake the pattern or the pattern overtakes the colors and things just don't work. This is where Intersection Cowl steps in, a pattern that is the crossing between a utilitarian cold weather piece and the art of hand dyed yarn. 

Intersection was designed to be a simple take along project that highlights hand dyed yarn while also knitting into the perfect deep, snuggle your chin into cowl. 

Intersection is knit in the round alternating knit and purl rounds with a section of stockinette stitches so that you can see the interplay of colors in different textures! 

I used Miss Babs Yowza (about 1/2 a skein) which is a 100% Merino wool yarn but any DK weight would work, and you only need 100 grams! Your yarn doesn't have to be wool but yarn with a silk or linen content will have more drape to it and won't stand up the same as a wool or wool/acrylic blend. My testers knit their cowls in some awesome colors and dyers stop by and take a look to get an idea for your cowl!