I know that, living in Maine, we still have a couple more months of winter to deal with. But…this weekend the sun was shining, snow was melting, and clocks “sprung” forward. So I think there’s nothing wrong with “planning” for spring a bit even if it’s still March. In January I released my vest pattern Nordic Trail, but since it used bulky-weight, it didn’t quite work for those of you who either live in warmer climates or who preferred to knit up a vest in a lighter weight so it can be worn in multiple seasons (especially our winter-going-into-spring season!). So I decided to create Lilac Trail, a DK-weight version that has similar design elements of Nordic Trail but created to use lighter yarn and to have a lighter feel to it.

For the sample shown in the photograph I used Berroco’s Vintage DK and it took only 2.5 skeins for the 36″ finished measurement size! That’s what I love about vests…not only are they quick to make but they also are affordable. And because you’re not dealing with a lot of yardage requirement, you could even use a more luxurious yarn and it still won’t break the bank.

For more information, to purchase the pattern, or to view more photos and details, click here to view the pattern page on my website, or click here to view the Ravelry page.

My latest pattern, New Canaan, is now available for purchase!

It’s the re-adaptation of my original pattern Canaan which previously was only available as part of the e-book The Basics. It’s been a popular pattern at KnitWit so I decided I would revamp it a bit by adding more yarn weights to the instructions and releasing it as a stand-alone pattern. So hence the name, “New Canaan”.

I also liked the name New Canaan for this cowl because

1) I grew up in the town next to New Canaan, Connecticut so I have lots of memories of that area and

2) the texture of the stitch pattern in this cowl actually reminds me a lot of the stone walls you see all over the place in this part of Connecticut. So all & all I think the name is a good fit!

What’s unique about this cowl pattern is that the instructions call for either fingering, sport, DK, worsted OR bulky-weight yarn. So practically any yarn will work for this pattern! So if you’ve been eying some super soft, splurge yarn at your LYS but wanted a project that only took a couple of skeins of it, then this pattern might just fit the bill. In fact, the sample I knit up in the photographs uses a yarn just like that–The Fibre Company’s Road to China Light (following the sport-weight instructions). It’s a beautiful, very luxurious yarn and I needed just 2 skeins to complete the cowl.

For more information about this pattern or to purchase it you can view the pattern page on my website, or its Ravelry page. The sample is at KnitWit Yarn Shop in Portland, Maine and you can purchase the pattern there as well.

So we are supposed to get 2-3 feet of snow in the next 24 hours. Am I prepared?

• Water…check

• Batteries….check

• New knitting project?…of course!

Working on the Stephen West pattern called Herbivore. Stepping out of my typical yarn weight and working with fingering-weight yarn! Enjoying the pattern and loving this yellow/gold colorway of this hand-dyed yarn.

Snow is on the ground and I see a negative temperature number in our 10-day forecast…it must be January in Maine!

What better time to introduce my latest pattern, Nordic Trail, which is a seamless woman’s vest pattern using bulky-weight yarn. I knit up the sample using Malabrigo’s “Chunky” yarn…it was so nice to knit with! I really love the feel and twist of this yarn and the colors are really beautiful too.

My Nordic Trail pattern uses just 460-780 yds of bulky-weight (depending on what size you knit up), and at 3.5 sts to the inch, it’s also a super quick knit.

Here are some pictures of the back and front of the vest:

What’s unique about this pattern is the back lace panel as well as the eyelet panels on each front. And what I decided to do when writing this pattern was to make this as beginner-knitter-friendly as possible. I know reading charts and keeping track of what lace pattern row you are on while also doing some shaping can be kind of intimidating, or at the very least, more tedious to keep track of. So I wrote this pattern for those knitters out there who prefer instructions to be super detailed and each row to be clearly explained. There is no “refer to stitch pattern…” or “…at the same time…” kind of instructions. Each row has clear instructions and during the shaping sections the instructions are broken out by size to make things even clearer. So if you appreciate detailed instructions this may be just the pattern for you!

For more information about the pattern you can view the pattern page on my website or check it out on Ravelry!

Oh, and since I just can’t resist posting pictures of my dogs, here’s an “out-take” from the photoshoot we did for the vest, featuring Alice:

Can you really have too many cowls?  If you are a knitter, a cowl can be the perfect project. One of my favorite reasons why I love knitting cowls is that it’s a chance to use some really luxurious yarn without breaking the bank.  Spending $11 per skein when you are knitting a sweater that needs 7 or 8 skeins can break most people’s budgets. But only needing 2 skeins for a cowl makes it a much more attainable luxury.

As soon as I saw Classic Elite Yarn’s Fresco arrive at KnitWit I knew I had to knit with it…the merino/alpaca/angora blend is incredibly soft and the colorways were gorgeous. I’m not a light-weight-yarn girl (and this yarn is a light sport-weight), so I wanted to find a way to create a design that took advantage of how light-weight this yarn is (which gives it nice a nice drape) while at the same time still being able to use my “regular” size needles (so that it’s still a quick knit).

So that’s where my inspiration came from for my latest design Ruby Spice Cowl. A super drapey, soft and luxorious-feeling cowl that is easy to knit and only needs approximately 328 yards of sport-weight yarn (so only 2 skeins of Classic Elite Yarn’s Fresco) and is knit on size US 7 needles in the round. This cowl won’t make your neck itchy at all, and although the pattern stitch looks complicated it’s very simple and you can easily work on this project while you are watching TV, a movie, or chatting away at your knit group.

Click here to learn more about the pattern or to purchase a downloadable PDF. You can also purchase it on Ravelry!

My latest pattern is now available for purchase and download!

Collins Brook Cowl is a versatile worsted-weight cowl pattern that is knit in the round and features an easy zig-zag lace stitch pattern.

Included in the pattern are instructions for a long version (that can be wrapped around the neck twice as shown in this photo) or a short version that includes a button closure option (as shown in the photo at the bottom of the post). The long version takes just 210 yards of worsted-weight yarn and the short version just 105 yards–either way, a fun 1-skein project.

Never done any kind of simple lace work before? This pattern is a great choice for lace newbies and provides a good introduction into a couple of the most basic techniques that you’ll find with lace work.

This project was the first time I knit with Malabrigo Rios, and it won’t be the last! It’s such a beautiful yarn and perfect for cowls because the soft merino doesn’t get itchy around your neck. And this kind of simple lace work really shows off the subtle color variations in this kettle-dyed yarn.

If you live in Maine you will find lots of beautiful colorways of Malabrigo Rios at KnitWit (including the colorway I used for this sample, appropriately named “Sunset”).

For more information about this pattern or to purchase a downloadable PDF, you can view the pattern page on my website.

I much prefer being behind the lens than being the subject, so I had a good time taking some shots of my husband Jeff and brother-in-law Casey as they helped to model one of my upcoming patterns, a super slouchy retro-inspired striped hat.

Pattern to come soon, but thought I’d share some of the “out-takes” from the shoot…they pretended like they weren’t loving being models but I think they enjoyed themselves…

My husband Jeff…being a model is exhausting

My brother-in-law Casey, not doing a good job of being serious…

You’re not supposed to wear it like that…

And I think they are ready to call it a day…

If you are familiar with any of my patterns you probably know that I have a tendency towards bulky-weight yarns. I know they are not everyone’s thing, but I just love them. And one of the reasons I love them is that they make for fast projects. I have more flexibility in my work life these days than I used to (thank goodness!) which allows me a lot more knitting time, but I remember all too well what it was like to work 50 hour work weeks in an office and only have a half-hour (if that) to knit at night. That’s probably what originally started my bulky-yarn obsession…small window of knitting time in my week + bulky yarn = I can actually finish knitting projects. And this is the reason I still like to create patterns that use medium and heavy weights–I know most people don’t have a whole lot of time to knit so sometimes fingering-weight projects just aren’t practical (as nice as they can be!).

So with that said, my latest bulky-weight pattern is now available, and I’m offering it for free! Simply Stripes is an easy and fast baby/lap blanket where you can have lots of fun playing around with color. And yes, it has a bulky-weight gauge. Using Berroco’s Vintage Chunky (a great bulky that’s also machine washable), I had this knit up in 1 week. The pattern and sample was knit up for KnitWit (with help from Suzie of course, providing inspiration and great color combinations!), so if you live in the Portland, Maine area you can see the sample in person and check out all of the great color combinations you can use with Berroco’s Vintage Chunky yarn. You can also get a copy of the pattern at the shop if you like.

For more information about the pattern and the supplies you’ll need, click here.

Well it’s another rainy morning here in the Portland, Maine area.  At least we still have a few leaves on the trees to add a bit of color out there, but I’m hoping the sunshine will make a return sometime soon.

On this dreary day I thought it would be fun to show some new, colorful yarn that we recently put on the shelves at KnitWit…

Mirasol’s “Tuhu” is a DK/light worsted-weight yarn (around 5 sts = 1″) and I’m in love with the colors we have. Because of the ultra soft llama, merino and angora blend, this yarn would be perfect for cowls, slouchy hats or anything that needs a nice drape to it.

Want some pattern inspiration for this beautiful yarn?

This pattern is a free Ravelry download and would be perfect with Tuhu: http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/mara-3

As would this cute cowl: http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/a-grey-loop

Or if you’d like to use one of my patterns, my Canaan Cowl, Wrap-Around Cowl or East End Armwarmers would look great in this yarn too.