Cutout Lace Sweater

 

Top down sweaters have their advantages.  One advantage is that there are usually fewer seams, if any.  Another is that they work really well with A-line sweaters.  They also can show off certain stitch patterns better when starting at the top of the garment.

Then there are the sleeves; like a more fitted sleeve?  Hate setting in sleeves?  Top-down sleeves are usually easier.  Add cut outs in the sleeve cap and a saddle shoulder and it’s a cinch.

In this sweater, the saddles are worked first and continue down to the underarm in a strip.  Stitches are picked up at the underarm, some stitches are cast on, and the strap stitches are worked in the round to form the sleeve below the underarm.  Super easy, and lots of fun.

The lace pattern involves twisted stitches and add flare and therefore the A-line shaping is without increases.

Available at  http://www.ravelry.com/designers/margie-mitchell   and http://knittingvirtuoso.com

Knitting Virtuoso

My new website is called Knitting Virtuoso.  Here you will find hand painted yarns, PDF knitting patterns to download, and knitting courses.  The knitting courses available are part of the Knitting Virtuoso Series.  This series is similar to the master knitting program.

Like the master knitting program, experts evaluate the swatches, projects, and written work.  This is a correspondence course with items being mailed for evaluation.  You may take your time, but it is best to complete the program in 1 year.

Unlike the master knitting program, the swatches come with information helpful to the success of the given swatch, project, or written work assignment.  While self study is required, Knitting Virtuoso takes more of the guess work out of the equation.  No formal reports are required.  Instead there is required reading in certain subjects as well as summary paragraphs.  Questions to study and answer are also part of the program.  Instead of one large amount of work to send in before feedback is given,  each phase is divided into 3 assignments, giving faster feedback, and more ability to revise other assignments within the phase.

The Knitting Virtuoso Series also has four parts.  Each phase results in a certificate upon successful completion, and after the first 3 phases the title of Knitting Virtuoso is bestowed.  A fourth phase is available for those who would like to get a taste for designing.  This program also is more project oriented, with an emphasis on construction techniques of various knitted items.

The experts behind the Knitting Virtuoso series are here to help you achieve success and become a knowledgeable expert one certificate at a time.  The different phases will be rolled out over time.  Phase I is available as of May 15, 2013, with Phase II available in August.

The yarn colors used in the latest pattern Shawl de Sol is available exclusively at knittingvirtuoso.com.

Take a look at the new website knittingvirtuoso.com

Fun in the Sun Sideways Knit Shawl

Shawl de Sol

Here’s a sunny little shawl knit sideways  in sections with some simple wrap and turns that make wedges which shape the shawl.  The lace border is worked with the main shawl.  Simple, fun, and cheery shawl.  Made with fingering weight Sky High Fibers Superwash Merino Sock yarn, it’s also fast to make.

Pattern and yarn available at my new website http://knittingvirtuoso.com  or at http://www.ravelry.com/designers/margie-mitchell

Cardigan is best of both worlds

V-Lace Cardi combines the ease of bottom up construction and in the round ease with a newer technique for working set-in sleeves.  Sleeves are worked in the round from the top down and feature short rows where the wrap and turn is not picked up, but rather a design element of the sleeves.  A-line construction and one-button closure adds to the flattering look of the piece.  Cardigan is made using Berocco Maya.

available at http://www.ravelry.com/designers/margie-mitchell

New Hand Painted Yarn with More Yardage

Many shawls made with fingering weight yarn require 2 skeins of yarn.  However, only about 1 1/2 skeins end up being used.  Now comes shawl length skeins that are 150 grams instead of 100 grams.  Perfect for most medium sized shawls.  These skeins are also great for knee socks. 

Available at http://www.etsy.com/shop/SkyHighFibers

Knitted-On Border for Lace Shawl

Borders can make or break a shawl.  Sometimes the best border is a border that is at a 90 degree angle to the main shawl.  This type of border used to be sewn on, but, most knittes don’t like that option.  When worked from the bottom up, the stitches for the main shawl can be picked up from the selvedge of the border.

However, for a top down shawl where starting with a few stitches and working to many applies, a sideways border can be knitted on for a very neat and tidy finish.  The bonus is that there is no long bind off.

It’s actually really easy.  Simply finish on a WS row, cast on the number of stitches needed for the border, and then knit the last stitch, next to the main shawl, together with one stitch from the main shawl.  One stitch from the main body will be worked for every two rows of the border.

This pattern is available at http://www.ravelry.com/designers/margie-mitchell

Yarn from Sky High Fibers, as well as the pattern, are available at http://www.etsy.com/shop/SkyHighFibers

Variegated Yarn and Stitch Patterns That Enhance Them

Variegated yarns can be unpredictable.  Hand dyed socks yarns are generally designed to give a certain effect when worked on socks, but that effect is not always the same when used for say, a shawl.  The only thing is, that different effects develop from different circumferences.  This colorway is meant to have a lot of dappled effect with some diagonal striping, and this effect shows on this yarn.

Finding a stitch pattern to enhance this effect involves trying out a small all-over pattern, a larger predictable pattern, and a medium scale pattern.  In this case, the larger leaf pattern enhances the leaves and doesn’t obliterate the pattern.

Trial and error is a great option for a great marriage of stitch pattern and variegated yarn.    http://etsy.com/shop/SkyHighFibers

Pattern and Yarn available at http:

Pastel Beach Socks

Here is my lastest sock design which uses Sky High Fibers Superwash Merino Sock in Pastel Beach. 

The lace pattern is charted and based on Barbara Walker’s Second Treasury.  The pinstripe patterning of the yarn works well with the parasol lace motifs which run up the sock. 

Written as a toe up sock pattern with wide toe, it’s a fun way to learn this great stitch pattern.

Pattern and yarn available http://www.etsy.com/shop/SkyHighFibers

Pattern also available at http://www.ravelry.com/designers/margie-mitchell

Triple Cross Aran Pullover

 

Here is my lastest sweater design.  Slimming with the long welt of twisted rib and simple cables that work into the triple cross cables just above the waist.  Twisted rib and cables add a lot of textural interest without looking bulky. 

Available at http://www.ravelry.com/designers/margie-mitchell

 

Kitchen Set

Creative Knitting Spring 2013 courtesy of Annie’s Attic

This kitchen set was designed for Creative Knitting, Spring 2013.
Domino knitting is easy, fun, and creative. This kitchen set uses 4 different yarns, with once used as the predominant stripe throughout the squares as well as for the loops.
Squares are easy to do. There is even a tutorial on how to work these squares. The nice thing is that they don’t require being sewn together; they are attached as you go.