Applesauce Cowl

The last quarter of the year is already here!?! It feels like every year I get older the years go by faster and I wasn't fully prepared for that to happen. With the last quarter of the year comes my last design as the in-house designer for Leading Men Fiber Arts. It's been such a pleasure working with Steve and Andy while exploring their beautiful yarns and awesome community. 

So, time to share with you...the Applesauce Cowl! None of my other Leading Men designs worked with a gradient and I really needed one to shine. Applesauce Cowl uses slip stitch cables and simple ribbing for a highly textured and visual cowl. 

I originally used this stitch pattern on my sock design Applesauce Socks and thought the crossed slipped stitches would work great in a cowl design! The original sample used 6, 20 gram mini skeins for 120 grams total but I fully plan to knit another sample in a single skein (variegated this time) and use only 100 grams. 

The slip stitches in this pattern are specifically written without using a cable needle which makes it a great travel project. No cable needle means you don't need to keep track of it! Pretty much any fingering weight yarn you are comfortable wearing around your neck will work for this design. I wouldn't recommend a self-striping as it most likely won't line up with the pattern. 

Curved and Squared Shawl

It's fall season which means it is very busy here at All Knit Up Designs. Fall season = show season, so for the last 3 weekends (and headed to my next one) I've been vending at fiber festivals! But, just because I'm out and about in traveling the PNW doesn't mean I haven't been working on a pattern. 

Going to fiber shows is one of my favorite parts of my job, I love spending time with knitters and getting to chat about my designs. When I talk with fiber folks at a show I take what they say into consideration. I had a few people mention that they don't love or wear triangle shawls, which is mostly what I design. I have a few different shapes like Wrapped in Color with 3/4 shaping or Me Before Brioche with crescent shaping but not nearly as many as I have different shapes of triangle shawls. I decided to take the feedback and add a few more crescents to the mix. 

Curved and Squared is my newest crescent shawl and it is a sister pattern to All Squared Up with a mitered square bind off, so another scrappy shawl to add to your collection! Curved and Squared uses a welted pattern in the body, which is a 4 row repeat with only 1 purl row and perfectly easy to memorize. 

The body of the original Curved and Squared sample is two skeins of fingering weight yarn at approximately 847 yards and then 13 colors for the mitered square. I opted to reuse colors in my sample because I was using a mini skein set from Road Trip Sock Yarn but you could use 3 grams of 32 different colors for a fully scrappy version. 

If you're intimidated by the mitered squares you can check out my tutorial here for a more in-depth explanation on how to knit them. The mitered squares are really where you get to play with color in Curved and Squared, so dive into your scraps and see what different colors you can combine for your wearable art! 

This and That Shawl

Already into the 3rd quarter of the year! What!? This is my third design with Leading Men Fiber Arts and I adore the color combo. I love pulling elements from different designs of mine and creating something new. This and That Shawl has lots of little different elements, 'A Little bit of This and a Little bit of That' pulled from other designs. 

This and That shawl features asymmetric shaping, stripes, bobbles, and finishing with a little lace. My original sample uses a main color and 3 mini skeins used to highlight the colors in the variegated yarn. You could make your version super scrap happy and make every bobble/stripe row a different color. 

The way the shawl is designed leaves plenty of room for customization. If you have more yardage you can expand your repeats, make a 2 color version and highlight your 2 favorite colors together, or use a gradient ball of yarn in your stripes! 

Any fingering weight yarn you're comfortable wearing around your neck will be great! If you're interested in my original colors you can check out the Ravelry project bag here. 

All the Stripes Shawl

I'm a one skein collector, if I fall in love with a skein (usually of fingering weight) it's most likely going to come home with. Buuuut once it's home it joins the collection of other single skeins that I haven't found projects for. 

All the Stripes helped solve that problem by combining what look like totally different yarns into one cohesive shawl. All the Stripes uses 4 skeins of fingering weight (some can be leftovers!) using side to side shaping with a slip stitch edge which then allows you to pick up stitches to add your bottom edging.

The stripes run completely different ways for a graphic and bold shawl to add to your wardrobe. All the Stripes uses KFB for its simple shaping and slip stitches for the edge. The i-cord bind off is probably the most 'challenging' part of the shawl but it's very easy to knit. 

All the Stripes, with its side to side shaping, is easily customizable to reach the size you want. If you'd prefer a shawlette size versus a shawl size then you can start your decreasing section earlier. Your knitting is supposed to work for you, not just for you to follow the pattern. So, take a dive through your stash, see which yarns have been sitting lonely for a while and check out All the Stripes! 

DIY Rainbow Shawl

Mini skeins are fabulous! I use them as a way to try new dyers or colorways, easy to purchase a few to support a new local yarn shop, and a fantastic way to try new colors outside of your regular palette. 

DIY Rainbow Shawl is the second installment of the Leading Men Fiber Arts quarter designs from All Knit Up Designs. You can check out the 'in-house designer' post here. 

My newest shawl design is an asymmetric triangle shawl that uses as many or as few mini skeins as you'e like! Original sample used 9, 20gram mini skeins to create a kaleidoscope of color on your needles. DIY Rainbow uses two color garter to create unique blends of color between 2 mini skeins. 

The original sample used a variety of dye styles; tonal, speck and variegated but they were all 20 grams. You could also use all 10 grams or 50 grams if you'd prefer. The slip stitch edges give a clean and crisp finish with a nice i-cord bind off. Any minis with a base you're comfortable wearing around your neck are perfect. 

If you'd prefer to use the two color garter technique with less colors and bigger skeins you can check out Dillon or Splash. If you'd like a crescent shape vs a triangle Me Before Brioche is for you. I can't wait to see the Rainbow you come up with! 

In House Designing

 Last April (2024) I attended/vended at Makerfest in Loveland CO. I met lots of lovely vendor and fiber enthusiast. Among those fabulous people were Steve and Andy owners of Leading Men Fiber Arts. Both appreciated my use of scraps and mini skeins in my designs. A bit after the event they reached out and asked if I'd be interested in being the 2025 in-house designer for their mini skein monthly club! Are. You. Kidding. Me. I was so flattered that they asked, but as this is business I asked for details of what this collaboration entails and what the benefits for both sides are. 

All that to say, I'm the in-house designer for Leading Men Fiber Arts for 2025! Once a quarter I'll put out a pattern using mini skeins and Leading Men Yarn while Steve and Andy will put all pattern information into that month's mini skein shipment. After the shipment goes out they will run a knit along with my patterns. 

The patterns will be available to everyone, mini skein subscribers get a special discount code. First pattern is Street Mitts and the second is coming at the end of this month! 

Wild Rhodies Shawl

I told ya'll it was going to be a set! I just can't help myself when I've been inspired and love the inspo story! If you've been around for a while then you know I moved to the Olympic Peninsula of Washington State in Spring 2021. If you didn't, now you know! 

I absolutely love my new home state and have no desire to leave, ever. With that love comes a lot of inspiration. I've previously put out the Puget Sound Beanie and Cowl, now I have the Wild Rhodies Shawl for you! 

Wild Rhodies uses 2 skeins of fingering weight yarn (~900 yards) for a light and airy spring knit. Rhododendrons are the WA state flower and you can see the colors popping out as you drive around The Sound. We've seen buses of this gorgeous flower derring the forest while out hiking. 

I love how the stitches give the variegated yarn a water-like movement so I think variegated yarn would be perfect. The pattern has a fully written repeat so you can make your shawl as large or as small as you'd like. With the simple picot bind off you'll have little bit s of flower petals to wear as your bind off. 

Puget Sound Cowl

Ever fall in love with a stitch pattern or technique and just need to knit with it over and over? I definitely do! I might love the rhythm of the stitch, the way the stitch moved and plays with yarn colors, or just appreciate the way it moves to the eye. 

Once I knit and designed the Puget Sound Beanie I knew I'd be designing other patterns with this stitch to turn it into a series. The simple lace pattern featured in the Puget Sound Cowl gently creates waves in the fabric and moves the colors in a variegated yarn like water. The little pops of contrast colors from the variegated yarn looks like little bits of Poppy's around the Sound. 

Puget Sound Cowl is a single skein design that uses DK weight yarn and a size US 6 needle, for a quick and satisfying knit. This design is perfect to pull from stash and knit for the nature lover in your life. 

Comfy Cozy DK

My original Comfy Cozy shawl has been big hit with the social knitters but not everyone loves fingering weight. It might be too thin, take too long, be intimidating, or just plain don't like it. So, with many requests; Comfy Cozy is now available in DK weight! 

Comfy Cozy DK uses the same broken rib pattern separated by a few rows of plain garter for a squishy, comfy, and warm shawl of the winter months. The heavier fabric gives an extra layer of warmth for when the wind really begins to blow. 

The original sample uses Miss Babs Yowza, a 100% Merino yarn that comes in giant hanks I like to call yarn babies. The colorway is Tea Time Frenzy and it's a lightly variegated yarn with some speckling. I was hesitant at first because I wasn't sure the patten was going to show but the color and the broken rib compliment so well. 

Definitely take a look at the projects on Ravelry if you can, it will be well worth it. So many testers made awesome color blocked and striped versions. You'll get some ideas and maybe be able to pull from stash! You can take a look at my project page here.  

The fall socks that weren't...

Okay, knitting really has no schedule...but...these were 100% finished late! These were supposed to be my fall 2024 socks and they didn't get finished until New Years day, that's how it goes. 

Although I failed to finish them in the 'designated' season I did use some deeper stash for these! I knit another pair of my Duplo Socks pattern in Black Cat Custom Yarn I purchased at KnitCity Vancouver in 2017. It's a privilege to be able to attend a yarn show out of state, let alone out of the country and I really love that I get to try and see different dyers when doing it! 

These fall socks are definitely a Sierra pair of socks, fall colors but in bright neon! I don't normally do neon but these are for my feet so I went wild. I added a contrast heel from Leading Men Fiber Arts and I love how it picks out the pops of purple from the variegation in the yarn. 

I would rate Duplo a 2 out of 5 on the difficulty scale, it's not a vanilla sock (plain stockinette) but it's only knits and purls that are easy to identify once you have the pattern established. If you're looking for a new sock pattern to work with variegated yarn then Duplo is the one for you! 

Street Mitts

When I lived in California the only time I ever really wore mittens was the very few times it snowed, winter soccer practices, and when we went snowboarding and skiing. Moving up to Washington I could not believe how freaking cold I was the first year. 

Mittens are now part of my winter staples from November until about March/April. With the use of more mittens came the want for more matching colors. I have a beautiful pair of pumpkin orange mittens I knit in college to wear while I was waiting for the bus after night classes but pumpkin doesn't really match my purple winter coat all that well. 

With my love for scrappy projects and my need for more mitts the Street Mitts were born! Street Mitts are a broken rib mittens pattern that incorporates mini skeins and fun play with color. Street Mitts are also a collaboration with Leading Men Fiber Arts, I'm their in-house designer for 2025! I'll have another blog post coming about that soon! 

Street Mitts uses less than 100 grams of fingering weight to knit any of the 3 sizes available. I knit both a striped pair and a pair with a single skein to show the possibilities within one pattern. Designed with a US 1.5 needle size means that your favorite sock size should be perfect for this project.

Fingering weight is on the lighter side of yarn weights so for a cool winter climate this is perfect as outer wear, for a cold winter climate Street Mitts make a great mitten liner! Have a fun pop of color tucked inside your regular mittens. I used a hearty Merino/Nylon blend like I'd use for socks so this hard wearing accessory will last me years. 

The stripe pattern of Street Mitts makes them a great project to try out a new color palette or use leftovers from one of your favorite projects. Sometimes you love a color palette and it really doesn't match your style for a large piece. Street Mitts solves that problem by adding just a pop of color and give you the pleasure of a fun knit. 

Summer Heat Cowl

We are in the thick of winter here in the PNW and I'm missing the natural heat just a bit. I grew up in Northern California and during the summer the was scorching, you could actually see it waving off the pavement of the road. My original Summer Heat Sock pattern was inspired by those heat waves off the pavement. After the first sock design and how well different yarns play with the slip stitches I knew a cowl was needed. 

Summer Heat Cowl uses garter and slip stitches to highlight hand dyed yarn and the play of color between different stitch types. This new cowl design uses a single skein of fingering weight yarn, making it a perfect project to pull from stash. Summer Heat Cowl would be rated at a confident beginner level as the majority of the stitches are knit, purl, or slip stitches. These slip stitches show the change variegated yarn and beautiful play of colors within the skeins. 

The original Summer Heat Cowl was knit in Malabrigo Sock using ~100 grams or 440 yards of fingering. Any fingering base or yarn you find comfortable on your neck is perfect for this project. You can see tester projects and color on Ravelry to get an idea of what other yarns would look like in the Summer Heat stitches. 

This sample of Summer Heat Cowl is al little more on the subdued side of my color wheel so perhaps I need to stash dive for a bright signal skein for my next one! I'd love for you to leave comment on the blog post letting me know what dyer you think you'll be using! 

Knit Little Elf Knit

Seasonal knits bring me lots of joy and help me get into the mood of whichever season is coming. This year I finished up my Christmas socks on Christmas Eve Eve, and they've been a long time coming because...I actually started them in 2023! 

The awesome yarn was dyed by Show Me Yarn on the Bootheel base and as the title says the colorway was 'Knit Little Elf Knit' which just tickled my sense of humor. I added the contrast heel flap as I prefer to have my stripes stay in order, it makes my brain happy. Using of little bits of leftovers in heel flaps also makes my knitting more sustainably. Less waste is being thrown out and I'm purchasing less yarn using what I already have. 

I didn't use any specific pattern, this is my standard US 1.5 needle with 64 stitches cast on using the cuff down method. I use a Modified Eye of Partridge Heel Flap that is used in all of my sock designs (free and paid.) 

Are you a Christmas sock knitter? I thoroughly enjoy searching out Christmas colored yarn (Even if it's accidental Christmas) at fiber festivals. It gets me excited about my favorite holiday! 

Wrapped in Color

The vast majority of my 20s I spent living in cardigans. I was in college, working at the yarn shop, and working with kids. They are easy to through on and off as I get hot and add just a little extra to an outfit. Now that I'm in Washington and it's much colder and most of my time is spent working from home I don't throw them on as often, I reach for a shawl more readily than a cardigan. 

BUT! Shawls don't always stay in place like I want them too and it drives me nuts to constantly pull them up and over my shoulder. The 3/4 shape that is used in Wrapped in Color is my new obsession to throw on when I'm at home working. 

Wrapped in Color features a fleck stitch that is a four row repeat and adds just a bit of texture to the body of the shawl and then a wide mosaic border. The original sample uses a gradient mini skein kit for the mosaic section but is designed to use leftovers, random mini skeins, or a kit you have in stash. The main body color works best as a tonal or solid to really show off that fleck stitch. 

Wrapped in Color is a long lasting knit, using close to 400 grams of fingering weight. I did have testers that used a heavier weight yarn for colder weather and a faster knit. You can check out the different test knit samples on Ravelry. 

Me Before Brioche

Two color brioche can be so intimidating! Not only with funky looking abbreviations but also with RS, slide, RS, Turn, WS, slide, WS, turn...what the heck do those mean? Me Before Brioche is my latest shawl pattern and it's the perfect stepping stone into two color brioche. 

Me Before Brioche is designed using the same two color garter technique that two color brioche uses. First you knit the RS of your work, then slide your work back the beginning needle, then you'll work the RS again with your contrast color. Once you've completed your RS again then you turn your work to start using the WS. 

Why this shawl before brioche? If you already understand the mechanics of working each side twice then it won't be intimidating at all to approach the technique with brioche added in. 

Using two color garter you can create your own fades/gradients using mini skeins or leftovers from your stash. This effect can blend colors that look good together but aren't a gradient into a smooth transition gradient that will create stunning color effects. Me Before Brioche is a crescent shapes shawl which will wrap smoothly around the neck and ends with an i cord for clean finish. 

The original sample used 7 mini skeins of 37 grams each for a total yardage of 931 yards of fingering weight. The pattern itself is designed to use the amount of grams you have per skein so even if your grams weight is different than what I used it will still work out. Although the original sample and the pattern are written for fingering weight by adjusting your needle size you could knit it with sport or dk weight as well! 

I hope Me Before Brioche gives you confidence to move on to trying two color brioche and helps you play with color. Take a dive through your stash and see what you can come up with! 

Two of a Kind Shawl

Hey Knitters! We have 6 days of sunshine coming up this week and I am SO EXCITED! Spring is on the way and the colorway for my newest shawl is perfect! 

Two of a Kind Shawl is uses the same stitch pattern as my Two of a Kind Cowl using the slip stitches as well as an i-cord! Two of a Kind is the perfect shawl to show off two coordinating skeins of yarn that highlight each other as well as contrast. I think the i-cord helps frame the shawl and give it a bit more structure around the edges. 

I used two skeins of Yummy 2-Ply provided by Miss Babs yarn; this yarn is wonderful to knit with! Yummy 2-Ply is a plump multi-ply 100% merino yarn that is a staple in my stash. It has such great stitch definition and the most amazing array of tonal and variegated yarn. 

I think Two of a Kind Shawl could really be knit with whatever yarn you want to knit it in. You could use a gradient for one color and pair it with a solid, a mini skein set would work fabulous as well! Or you could follow as my original sample and just use two colors. A knitting friend thought that this pattern looks like veins of a leaf and want to knit it in greens, I can't wait to see! 

Sock Round up for 2023

Why am I telling you about socks I finished the second half of 2023? Because I really fell behind on my blogging/photography when I was in California. 

I usually use socks as my purse and babysitting project, something that is small, easy, and won't get messed up if I pick it up and put it down at random times. 

The first to talk about it my 'Summer Socks' which is a colorway from White Birch Fiber Arts that is named Study in Peach Mint. These were fun and bright to knit during the summer. I added the heel color which has a bit of sparkle to them! 

The second two talk about it is a pair of DK weight socks with Fangirl Fibers! The yarn was gifted to me by my friend Brittaney who is great friends with the dyer. She wanted me to try out her yarn and see how great it was, and it totally is! The base was wonderful and knitting these during the fall was the perfect colorway. 

The third pair is a self striping yarn from Nomadic Yarns called Squad Gourds, like squad goals! I loved the colorway but the name just sealed it for me. Just like my peach/mint socks I added a contrast color heel flat because I like my stripes to stay in order going down the sock. If you use the original yarn as the heel then the stripes get messed up. 

Last but not least I have my Halloween socks! This is a colorway from a Halloween countdown I purchased a few years ago, I loved working with the yarn and thought the colors were great for Halloween time. Unfortunately the dyer isn't in business anymore. I used my Hemmenway pattern to knit these ones and also added a contrast heel. 

All socks were knit using a US 1.5 on a 9 inch circular. I never use anything else! Do you also use socks as a take-along project or a palette cleanser between different knits? 

Hygge, what the heck is it?

Ever read the world hygge and thought 'huh?' you and me are in the same boat. I don't really enjoy not knowing something so I went and did a little research. First of all, it's actually pronounced Hoo-ga which is 100% not how I was saying it and it is a Danish philosophy of 'finding joy in the simple pleasures of our daily lives, creating a warm atmosphere, for calmness, relaxation and cosiness.' This seems right in-line with my new years goals! 

I think any kind of concept where you focus on finding joy for calmness, relaxation, and coziness is a concept I can get on board with. As knitters, we have the unique ability to be making art and coziness with our hands, we literally make hygge! I also think having an area where you can focus solely on your stitches and what you are creating brings your practice of the concept to a whole new level. 

When I think calmness, a warm atmosphere and relaxation I think easy knitting projects and heavier yarns. Here are a few of my patterns that I think would be perfect hygge knitting for this winter. Scales uses DK weight yarn and faux cabling pattern and Intersection highlights the crossing between utility and beauty.

I hope my post inspires you to transform your creative space into your own calming corner, where you can have your cosy project at hand, to escape, even if it’s just for a few minutes each day, and stitch yourself calm.

I’d love to hear your thoughts on the concept of Hygge, and if it’s something you already embrace?