Are you on ravelry yet?...

I have been in the midst of designing some new patterns—some of which I’ll be posting here soon as well as on ravelry.com. Just in case you still don’t know about ravelry.com, it’s an amazing web site for knitters and crocheters (not to mention spinners and anyone in the fiber arts industry). It’s both a social-networking site (like facebook) as well as a wonderful resource for finding patterns, posting pictures of your own finished projects, looking at pictures of other knitters projects, keeping track of your yarn stash, needles, books, etc. If you aren’t on ravelry yet, go to http://www.ravelry.com// and sign up! After you sign-up, you’ll receive an invite in a couple of days and then you can set up your own project page, search for patterns, join groups, chat with other knitters who live in your area or half-way around the world—its endless!

One of the projects that I recently added to my ravelry page was the “February Lady Sweater” —a pattern designed by Pamela Wynne. You can download her pattern on ravelry for free or check out her blog: http://www.flintknits.com/blog/?p=151. The yarn I used was Cascade Venezia Worsted.

I followed the pattern just as it was written except I left out the YO increases that were supposed to be after the underarm divide. I love this sweater and I recommend it as a great design for both the experienced knitter as well as a beginner.

Little Coffee Bean...

An easy, cute short-sleeved baby cardigan designed in 3 sizes (3 mo, 6 mo, 12 mo).

A short-sleeved cardian is ideal for babies in all seasons--in the fall & winter, it's adorable over a long-sleeved shirt.

A little detail is the eyelets at the raglan seam--an easy technique even for the beginner knitter.

Supplies:
-2 skeins of worsted weight yarn (I used Cascade 220, 1 skein in brown and 1 in cream).
-Size 8 24” circular needles (or size needed to obtain gauge)
-Size 7 24” circular needles (or size needed to obtain gauge)
-Size 8 double-pointed needles (for sleeves)
-Size 7 DPNs (for sleeves)
-5 buttons, 7/8” size
-tapestry needle
-scrap yarn
-markers
-5 safety pins
-darning needle to attach buttons

Abbreviations:
K = knit
P = purl
YO = yarn over
pm = place marker
sm = slip marker
st(s) = stitch(es)
Color A = brown
Color B = cream
RS = right side
WS = wrong side

Striping Pattern: Switch colors every two rows. Do not cut yarn each time-keep yarn hanging. To keep the edge clean, when you switch colors, hold the previous color yarn to the left so that it will lay under the new strand when the first stitch is knitted. You are essentially ‘wrapping’ the old strand with the new strand so that it travels up the side of the edge as you knit.

SIZES: 3 months (6 months, 12 months)

GAUGE: 4.5 sts per inch

PATTERN:

Neck:

• Using Color A and size 7 circular needles, cast on 52 (56, 60) sts
• *K2, P2; repeat from * across to end
• Working back and forth, repeat above ribbing for 1”, ending on a RS row
• (WS): P9 (9, 10), pm, P7 (8, 8), pm, P20 (22, 24), pm, P7 (8, 8), pm, P9 (9, 10)

Raglan Increases:
Now you will be working the striping pattern, starting with Color B. Change colors every 2 rows or however you want your stripes to appear. Change to size 8 24" circular needles.

• Row 1: *Knit to 1 stitch before marker, YO, K1, sm, YO; repeat from * until you get past the last marker, then knit to the end
• Row 2: purl across
• Repeat above 2 rows until you have 46 (50, 54) sts between back 2 markers, ending on a WS row

Dividing Row:

• (RS): Knit to marker, remove it, cast on 2 sts, using tapestry needle put sleeve sts on scrap piece of yarn, remove marker, knit across back sts, remove marker, cast on 2 sts, put sleeve sts on scrap yarn, remove marker, knit to end
  
  Now you are just working the body of the sweater
  
• Work in stockinette until piece measures 3.5”(4.5”,5.5”) from underarm (continuing striping pattern the whole time)
  
  Bottom Ribbing:
• Switch to size 7 circular needles
• *K2, P2; repeat from * across to end
• Working back and forth, continue ribbing pattern, knitting the knit sts and purling and the purl sts
• Repeat ribbing for 1.5”
• Bind off in pattern

Sleeves (work twice):

• Transfer sleeve sts that are on scrap yarn to 3 size 8 DPNs: 33(36,38) sts.
• Pick up and knit 4 sts at the armpit (use whichever color yarn comes next in the striping sequence), pm
• Using four size 8 DPN needles, work in the round in stockinette (continuing striping pattern) until sleeve measures 1.5” (2”, 2”) from arm pit
• Switch to size 7 DPNs and Color A
• *K2,P2; repeat from * to end
• Continue ribbing pattern, knitting the knit sts and purling the purl sts
• Repeat ribbing for .5” (.75”, .75”)
• Bind off in pattern

Right-Side Button Band

• Starting at the bottom on the right front, join color A and pick up and knit 3 sts every 4 rows (pick up and knit 3 sts, skip 1 st, pick up knit 3 sts, skip 1 st, etc).
• Make sure the total number of sts you pick up is a number divisible by 4. Write this number done.
• *K2, P2; repeat from * across to end
• Working back and forth, work ribbing pattern for 3 rows
• Before beginning 4th row, mark with safety pins where buttonholes should go:
• Top and bottom buttonholes should be 4 sts in from ends. Place other buttons 3” from each other
• Buttonhole row: *work to safety pin, remove pin, YO, K2tog; repeat from * to last buttonhole, work last 4 sts
• Work 3 more rows
• Bind off in pattern

Left-Side Button Band

• Starting at the top of the left front, join color A and pick up and knit 3 sts every 4 rows, making sure you pick up the same number of sts as for the right-side button band
• As you did for the right-side, work K2, P2 ribbing
• Working back and forth, work 7 rows
• Bind off in pattern

Finishing

• Weave in all ends
• Block (the technique I used: using spray bottle, get sweater damp. Then pin down and shape to blocking board, ironing board, carpet, or whatever blocking surface you have and spray again so sweater is wet)
• Once sweater is dry attach buttons. I used a contrasting orange yarn to attach buttons to sweater