Coronis

Over a year ago, my cropped pullover pattern Coronis was published in the Autumn 2014 issue of Pompom Quarterly. Now that a year has passed, the rights have reverted to me, so I've updated the pattern to my style sheet, added some pictures of me wearing the design, and re-released it into the wild.

This is a top-down circular-yoked sweater with a slip-stitch stripe detail. As written, it has a definite cropped shape, but many, many knitters who have made this lengthened the body. I might rip out the ribbing and knit the body longer- cropped is not totally my jam, and there's nothing worse than a sweater in your closet that never gets worn. 

It IS kind of cute with the tied shirt though, right? Not something I could wear to work, because I usually end up kind of dirty at the end of the day, but maybe to a holiday party this coming season. 

This sweater uses DK weight yarn in three colors. I'm wearing size 3 (34" bust). This is also the size the model wore on the cover. By "size", I mean "exact same sweater." I originally designed it to have a bit of positive ease, but I've learned about myself that I really, really prefer a bit of negative ease at the bust for my sweaters. Lots of knitters have made Coronis with positive ease, though, and they look great. Personal preference: we all haz it. 

Slip-stitch stripe detail

The pattern is now available for individual download on Ravelry. (Also Craftsy, Patternfish, and Loveknitting, if you like one of those better.)

Just for blog readers: you can use the coupon code CORONIS on Ravelry and get this pattern for just $4. Expires on December 31st, so there's time.

$6 on Ravelry... but only $4 with the coupon code.

Pattern Number 50!

On Monday, my fiftieth (!!) knitting pattern was released in the Winter 2015 issue of Holla Knits!

Unsurprisingly, this pattern is just a bit off the wall. These are the Fair Isle PANTS! and they are awesome. Before you go thinking, "This girl is nuts and knitted pants are not A Thing," let me enlighten you. No, they've not been A Thing in the past, but from what I can tell, it's for no good reason. Knitted pants are warm and snuggly, no more difficult to knit than a raglan sweater, and best of all, you can knit them perfectly to your size. Also they're Fair Isle. Can't beat that. 

Both pairs of pants are shown in size M, and both are knitted with Knit Picks Swish Worsted. There aren't any really difficult techniques here. The waistband starts with a provisional cast on for the inner waistband, then you purl a turning row and knit the outer waistband and join them together with elastic and/or an i-cord tie inside. Switch to stranded colorwork, knit yourself some PANTS, then finish the legs off with ribbing and a tubular bind off (which is super easy and explained in the pattern.) Behold, you have knitted pants. 

Download the entire issue here (which also features a picking-up-stitches tutorial by yours truly, and really is a great deal for only $14) and get knitting! You can also get the individual pattern here for $6. 

Want to win a copy of this awesome pattern? Leave a comment by Wednesday, November 4th  (giveaway is now closed!) to have a chance to win! If you're already a Holla Knits subscriber, meaning you already have this pattern, you can win a copy of any one of my self-published patterns. You pick. 

Check out the rest of the blog tour, and enter to win other prizes!

Oct 26: Launch Day

Oct 27: The Sweatshop of Love - pattern giveaway

Oct 28: Cosmos and Cashmere - pattern giveaway

Oct 29: Brown Sheep Company Blog - SEG 2 balls Nature Spun Worsted Ash

Nov 3: Klever Knits 

Nov 4: Canary Knits

Nov 5: Aphaia- pattern giveaway / SEG: 4 balls KP Brava Bulky

Nov 9: Ashwini J Designs- pattern giveaway

Nov 10: The Owl and the Bee

Nov 11: Cosmos and Cashmere (me again, talking about my article, giving away another pattern!)

KnitPicks Charmed: Whimsical Knits Collection

Knit Picks has just released a lovely pattern collection called Charmed: Whimsical Knitted Accessories, and I've got a pattern in it! This is the Gnome and Toadstool Scarf.

It's a textured scarf with intarsia pockets- one is a gnome, the other: a trio of toadstools. You knit the scarf and pockets all in one piece, then fold up the pockets and sew them to the sides of the scarf. It's completely adorable. 

The gnome's nose is a little bobble, just for fun. 

You will need several colors for the pockets, but if you've got a lot of wool leftovers like I do, bust into them and use your scraps! The main color of the scarf requires 3 balls of Knit Picks Wool of the Andes Sport. 

You can get the individual pattern for $4.99, or download the entire ebook (23 adorable patterns) for $14.99- a complete bargain. I already spy at least two patterns that I MUST. KNIT. from this collection. It's great for Christmas gifts, and the timing is right! There's tons of time to knit for Christmas. Of course I say that, and tomorrow is going to be Thanksgiving, and the next day will be December 20th. Time, it flies. 

New Pattern: Quarter Mile Shorts

I designed some shorts. Yep, shorts. There are very, very few patterns out there for knitted shorts and pants, and I'm not sure why. It's not like shorts are more complicated than sweaters, because they're not. Knitted shorts are super soft and comfy, and you can customize them perfectly for both your body and your taste. Want hot pink shorts with neon green cuffs? I don't know why you would, but you can do that. Shorts are fairly quick to knit, and they're fun. See: my new shorts pattern, the Quarter Mile Shorts.

Those lightning-bolt looking twist stitch panels down the side make me sing songs from Grease in my head. Know what they do at the end of Grease? Race their cars a quarter mile. I'll let you think about my totally clever naming for just a second. 

These start with a provisional cast on for the inner waistband. Mine is pink, because duh. Then a turning row and the outer waistband, then you put a ring of elastic in between the layers and knit them shut. Short rows shape the booty, and a series of increases shape the hips and crotch. All the while there's that great greased lightning panel down each side. After you divide for the legs, some more short rows lower the back leg. Garter stitch cuffs, and you're done. Easy. 

I'm wearing the M and it took two balls of Cascade 220 Superwash, plus a bit of pink for the inner waistband. 

I've got tips in the pattern for avoiding the dreaded saggy crotch, because ew. Some of my pattern testers did something clever so that they can easily access the elastic to change it out if it wears out. I thought that seemed like really forward thinking, but who am I to judge. 

Details!

Sizes: Ladies' XS (S, M, L, XL, 2X)

Low Waist: 25 (29.75, 33.5, 36, 42, 46.5)”

Hips: 31 (34, 38, 40.5, 46, 51)”

Thigh: 19 (20, 23, 25.5, 30, 32)”

Yarn Requirements: 

Cascade Yarns 220 Superwash; [100% Superwash Wool; 220yd/201m per 100 g skein]; Color:

892 Space Needle 2 (2, 2, 3, 3, 4) skeins

837 Magenta 1 skein for all sizes

Get the pattern for just $4 until October 24th. After that it will go up to $5.50. 

Hooray for Fall!

I knitted a pumpkin.

Sometimes I need rewards to make myself do stuff I don't wanna. Like a toddler. I was working on a new design, and I'd been putting it off and putting it off, so finally late last week, I told myself that if I finished the design work, I could knit a pumpkin for my dining room table. Annoyingly, the design work only took me like an hour, so I could have just sucked it up and gotten it done earlier, but apparently I needed a bribe. So new design done, I looked in my yarn stash, and I actually had the perfect yarn for a pumpkin. One skein of Knit Picks Wool of the Andes in Persimmon Heather, or as it should be called, Perfect Pumpkin Color. I sort of loosely followed this pattern, but mostly I just wanted to use up the whole skein, so I knitted the middle part of the pumpkin until I thought I had the right amount of yarn left to shape the top. Then I improvised a stem with some brown, and now I think it needs a couple little tendril things, but I'm not sure yet. Thoughts? Or maybe add a leaf?

Also, I finished these socks:

Honeybadger in Dream in Color Smooshy

And I started the second one of these socks.

Leftover sock yarn rainbow socks, 60 sts on US 1.5 needles

Progress. Now for some cool weather so I can wear my new socks.