Blips

I'm so excited for this release! Blips is my newest shawl pattern and it was chosen as the Malabrigo Quickie project for May 2020! This is the first time that one of my submissions has been excepted but it is the first time that such a large company has picked my design out of so many submissions

Blips was designed to highlight the amazing qualities of variegated yarn. When the call came out for designs I wanted to design something that was easy to memorize (as usual) but also showed how special variegated yarn is. I also wanted to try and see if I could create a picot-esque border along the side, not just the bind off. 

I've added a photo tutorial below to show how to knit the blips. Once the 'blips' have been knit once or twice you definitely won't need to see the tutorial again. 

Step 1: Knitted cast on 5 stitches 

Step 2: Slip 6 stitches to right hand needle (5 cast on stitches + 1 body) 

Step 3: Pull the cast on stitch closest to body stitch up and over

Step 4: Repeat step 3 until all stitches are pulled over

Step 5: Slip the body stitch from right hand needle to left hand needle

Step 6: Knit 

I used Malabrigo Mechita, a single ply 100% Merino, with 420 yards per skein. My original swatch, featured below, was knit in Malabrigo Sock, a multi-ply yarn. So, any two skein of fingering weight yarn should work! You are going to have so much fun using Blips as a take along project! 

If you don't have fingering weight in your stash I do think that Malabrigo Rios would be an excellent option as well. To substitute you just need to adjust your needle size to probably a US 7 or 8, I also would have 3 skeins of the Rios versus just 2. Happy Knitting! 

Alfean

I designed another single skein project, surprising I know. I love being able to pick a single hank of yarn out of my stash and use the entire hank in a design, its so satisfying! 

Alfean is a simple pattern with strategically placed increasing and decreasing so the fabric looks like it's moving. The movement of the stitches really highlights variegated yarn. I used a Merino/Nylon blend fingering weight yarn (madtosh Twist Light) in the colorway Cactus Flower and I think it's dreamy.

I would suggest any fingering weight that you are comfortable wearing close on your neck as this is a tighter fitting cowl. I also would suggest a yarn that you can block. I saw the effects of the stitch pattern way more once I blocked the finished cowl. I hope you enjoy knitting this new pattern as much as I did! 

Feelin 29

It's my birthday! This pattern is coming out on May 1st and it's my 29th birthday, I'm so looking forward to the last year of my twenties. I (currently) don't have the panic of my twenties coming to an end and where I am in life. We'll see how the rest of the year goes but as of right now, I'm pretty pleased with my lot in life. 

When you look at the name of the pattern it needs to be sung to the tune of 'I'm Feelin 22' by Taylor Swift. Check out the song here so you can sing along too! 

Feelin 29 has a simple, easy to memorize lace pattern on the front and broken rib on the back. Using these two different stitch patterns keeps the sock entertaining and a quick knit. As the photos show I knit this sample in a speckled colorway and the combo of stitch pattern plus yarn is perfection! A few of the testers knit in a solid and the pattern looks amazing! 

I would take a dive through your stash and see what you can pull out. The base I used is a 75% Superwash Merino 25% Nylon, light fingering weight so I think any sock specific yarn will work. Are you going to knit these for yourself? I think you should! 

Splash

Splash, what a fun shawl to knit. The concept behind this shawl is fairly simple, a wonderful blend of colors coming together ending with a 'splash' of color. 

I used corrugated garter in an acute triangle shape finishing off with the i-cord. Originally, I didn't have the i-cord, but my mom and I discussed and decided that I really needed more to the shawl. 

I used fingering weight and light fingering weight yarns blended together so I think yarn in either of those weights will work. I do recommend that you swatch with your colors in the corrugated garter first to make sure that they will actually show up. 

In Dillon I used the same garter stitch technique and I picked colors that were much too close together so you couldn't even tell I was using two yarns! If you are going to put some work into knitting this shawl you actually want the colors to show. So swatching is more important in this shawl than my usual designs. 

Happy Knitting! Sierra 

Fringy DK

I loved knitting my Fringy Cowl last summer. It was easy to memorize and keep track of and also enjoyable because of the great colors. Not everyone loves fingering weight as much as I do though (I don't understand that but whatever) so when I say this gorgeous yarn from Sew Happy Jane I knew I needed to design a DK version. 

Fringy DK uses 100 grams of DK weight yarn plus about 10 grams of the contrast color. I originally purchased the 100 gram skein and then reached out to Heather to ask which she thought would be a good contrast color. Heather gifted me the contrast color, how sweet was that! 

This cowl is a great skill builder, it features a provisional cast on (linked tutorial), increasing and decreasing, and a three needle bind off! As usual with my fringe you drop stitches to make it so it is easier and quicker than traditional fringe. 

Any DK weight yarn will work for this pattern, through a stickier yarn like alpaca will be harder to drop the stitches with. My DK was a 100% Superwash Merino, so you can pretty much knit with whatever DK feels good to you! Happy Knitting! --Sierra 

Leannán Socks

Variegated yarn is definitely what dominates my stash but I don't always know what to knit with it. Depending on the way the yarn was dyed you can end up with funky pooling, weird color combos, and a whole assortment of not pretty FOs. I was so excited when I swatched this stitch pattern and realized it would be highlighted with variegated yarn! 

Leannán is Gaelic for sweetheart or darling, when I look at these socks I see little hearts hence the name. The yarn is used is a lovely 80/20 from Dyed in the Wool Yarn Co. and it was dream to knit with. I really enjoy the springyness of a 2-ply yarn so it made the knit even better. These socks are scream spring and they made me very happy to knit. 

For this patten I think that any dye style of yarn will work, maybe not a self-patterning, as well as any fingering weight suitable for socks. Are you going to knit them for your sweetheart or for yourself? 

--Sierra 

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