Two patterns released: mitts and shawl

 

This week I’ve published two more patterns: a pair of mitts called Meeting-of-the-Waters and Sycamore Creek, a shawl pattern.

Meeting-of-the-Waters (Payhip link) looks like a very plain fingerless mitt pattern, but there’s two twists: one, they’re knit from the top down to make maximum use of your yarn, and two, they’re designed to make a pair of matching mitts from yarn that wouldn’t otherwise make that possible. The trick? Steeks! That is, knitting them in a single piece, cutting them apart, and sewing up the cut edges.

Sycamore Creek (Payhip link) is a very deep shawl with an angled long edge. It covers the wearer’s back nicely and stays on the shoulders. It’s also great for stash busting!

Click through for more about each of these.

  Meeting-of-the-waters


I was reading Lucy Neatby’s web article about using steeks to make matching sleeves a while ago. This idea bounced around in the back of my mind until one day I realized that this would be a great way to make matching mitts from gradient yarns, yarns with long repeats like Noro, and handspun multicolored yarn with no repeats. It would also work well for striping scraps of leftover yarn—the jogs and the ends can be hidden in the seam allowances without being worked in.Meeting-of-the-waters is a stream in the NC Botanical Gardens, where I like to go for walks and look at native plants.

Size:

Recipe for any size hand; includes specific instructions for hands that are 6.5 (7, 7.5) inches [16.5 (18, 19) cm] in circumference above the thumb.

Gauge:

Measure your stitch and round gauge in a washed fabric you like over 4 inches. A gauge measurement is strongly recommended: the mitts cannot be tried on until after they have been cut apart. Using one mitt to test gauge is therefore impractical.

There are instructions for the mitts based on gauge; tables are provided. I do suggest knitting more tightly than for a sweater, for durability.

Materials needed:

  • Yarn suitable for knitting fabric that will be cut and sewn: feltable wool is best, though other yarns can be used with a sewing machine to reinforce the edges of the cut. Samples were knit using Freia Handpaints Freia Ombré Sport, Noro Silk Garden Lite, and handspun Blue-faced Leicester in fingering weight (hand-dyed top was purchased from Three Waters Farm). Samples used between 90-120 yards {82-110m} for DK, sport, and fingering weight yarns, respectively.
  • This pattern is ideally suited for knitting in the round on 16 inch [40cm] circular needles. Needles for working a small circumference in the round may also be needed for the thumb hole. Needles 2 sizes smaller than the ones for working stockinette will be needed for ribbing.
  • 6 stitch markers.
  • Yarn needle for working in ends and seaming.
  • A tool for reinforcing the stitches on either side of the cut: a crochet hook, a yarn needle for hand sewing, or a sewing machine.

Techniques:

  • You need to know how to cast on, work in the round, knit, purl, decrease, work a provisional cast on, bind off, work a steek, and seam using mattress stitch.
  • Instructions are written only.

Sycamore Creek

Sycamore Creek shawl

This garter stitch shawl is a stash buster. It starts at the point where all the lines come together and then radiates outward, making it easy to stop where desired – a shawlette, a full-sized shawl, or even a lap blanket. It’s a cozy shawl that nicely covers the wearer’s back. It can be worked in any weight yarn in multiple colorways or in one solid shade. If knit large enough, the points can be wrapped around the waist and tied, or ties can be added to keep the points from dangling in whatever task is at hand.

Sycamore Creek runs from Durham County in North Carolina into Wake County, where a hiking trail follows the creek through the trees of Umstead Park.

Size:

  • Sample is 76 inches [1.9m] along the edge that sits on the shoulders and 22 inches [56cm] deep.
  • Size is variable, depending on how much yarn is used, what weight it is, and the gauge.

Gauge:

  • Sample gauge is 20 stitches and 20 ridges over 4 inches [10cm].

Materials needed:

  • Sample is worked in a total of 1058 yards [968m] of several colors of Borgs Munka, which is a discontinued sportweight yarn.
  • Sample was worked with US size 5 [3.75mm]circular needles for working flat. Pick the needles that work with your yarn to make a fabric you like.
  • four stitch markers.
  • yarn needle for working in ends and seaming.

Techniques:

  • You need to know how to make a backwards loop, work flat, knit, yarnover, and bind off.
  • Instructions are fully written out and charted. (Chart is optional.)