. . . from braided leaves . . .

I am a bit (a lot) behind presenting my latest patterns. This post will cover the patterns from the last months of 2018.

Let’s start with ‘braided leaves’. I adored knitting and designing this pattern.

Looking at all the photos I took to illustrate this design, I think it’s better to make one blog post per pattern after all.

Braided leaves is a pullover with stranded colorwork and eyelets at the yoke. Some nice, colored or ‘twisted’ details make this a uniquely designed pullover.

tilting eyelets at the yoke

It is worked top down and seamlessly in the round. It starts with a twisted neck band followed by a few short rows to shape the back neck. The circular yoke is build up using eyelets on top of each other giving the yoke a dynamic twist.

A few more increases are added while knitting the colorwork of the braided leaves. The same idea of twist is used for the pocket bands, the cuffs and ribbing at the bottom.

twisted pocket band

A simpler version of the leaves is added to the sleeve cuffs and the inside of the small pockets is worked in stranded knitting.

stranded pockets and ’tilting’ hem

The colorwork is charted only, (no written instructions).
Tips on how to successfully knit stranded colorwork are included.

This pattern has been tech edited by Sue-Cat and test knit.

Sizes
XS, S, M, L, XL, XXL
finished measurements (chest): 31½, 35½, 39½, 43½, 47½, 51” (80, 90, 100, 110, 120, 130 cm)
Intended to be worn with some positive ease.

What you’ll need
fingering weight / 4 ply
MC: ± 1000/1100/1200/1350/1450/1600 m (1100/1200/1310/14750/1600/1750 yards)
CC: ± 140/155/170/190/210/230 m (155/170/185/210/230/255 yards)

two 3 mm (US 2½) circular needles
3 mm (US 2½) double pointed needle
3 mm (US 2½) straight needles for the pocket bands
3.25 mm (US 3) circular needle for the stranded colorwork, if necessary
2.5 mm (US 1½) circular needle for the ribbing

4 markers
or 10/11/12/12/13/13 markers if you wish to place markers between repeats

Gauge
27 sts and 38 rows stockinette stitch with the 3 mm (US 2½) needle = 10 x 10 cm (4” x 4”)

Check it out here.

… crazy … stripes … or just a little …

Let me present 2 other patterns based on the cardigan in the previous post: stripes gone crazy.

When finally the pattern for the cardigan was written, tested and approved, I took a little break. But soon the idea came to try to get those crazy stripes on the front too. The idea for a tee was born. I thought it should be easy to write and grade that because it were the same stripes as on the back of the cardi, but it was more challenging than expected – again -. Bias knitting does weird things to the fabric.

Here is the result: crazy stripes tee

It is the first time I use Wollmeise and I am ‘sold’. This is wonderful, very good quality yarn in extremely rich and deep colors. I used the Twin quality in colorway ‘Zarte Knospe’ and ‘Meilenstein’ as the 2 main colors. I also threw in some yellow and white from my stash to add some variation.

One side

and the other

A few more pics

Again the testers made some real beauties. Go and check them out here if you get the chance, everyone’s ‘crazy stripes’ is oh so different.

Crazy stripes tee is a seamless pullover worked from the top down in 1 piece.
The sleeve inset is inspired by Susie Myers’ contiguous sleeve inset, but the start is a little different. Starting with shaping the back and shoulders, stitches are picked up for the front and sleeves and are worked following the contiguous sleeve method, developed by Susie Myers.
The stripes going from small to large stripes are shaped by working short rows.
Can be worn with no ease, a little negative or positive ease.
Due to the nature of the contiguous sleeve inset, it’s best to start with the numbers of the size closest to your high bust measurement and add more increases for the body and sleeves, if you should want more ease.

The pattern is written for 2 colors (main color: MC and contrasting color: CC) but the idea is to add some other matching or contrasting colors for the stripes. Let’s have some fun … Let’s make it crazy …

Available sizes: XS-S-M-L-XL-XXL: finished measurements: 28, 31.5, 35.5, 38.5, 44, 48.5” (71, 80, 90, 98, 111, 123 cm)

What you’ll need
fingering weight / 4ply
MC (grey in the model): ± 410, 460, 500, 550, 620, 700 m (450, 510, 550, 610, 680, 770 yards)
CC yellow-green in the model): ± 410, 460, 500, 550, 620, 700 m (450, 510, 550, 610, 680, 770 yards)
A few leftovers in matching colors (optional)

3,5 mm (US 4) circular needle or size to obtain gauge
3 mm (US 3) circular needle
6 markers

Gauge
24 sts and 35 rows stockinette with the larger needle = 10 x 10 cm (4”x4”)

Check it out here

….

… not so crazy …

The fit on the shoulder is so nice that I decided to write another pattern – with stripes but less crazy -. In fact, if one would leave out the stripes, this is a pattern for a very basic tee worked top down and seamlessly in the round.

The sleeve inset is based on Susie Myers’ contiguous method, but the shoulder is constructed in a quite ‘old fashioned’ manner: it is called – if I am not mistaking – fully fashioned.

Wollmeise again, but in ‘Pure’ in colorway Fliederbusch – wow, what a color – and one of their multicolored skeins: Spice Market.

This is really my new favorite tee.

not so crazy stripes tee is a seamless pullover worked from the top down in 1 piece, a little less crazy than her sister (see top of this post). The stripes going from small to large stripes are shaped by working short rows.
The sleeve inset is the same one used in the other crazy tees.
Can be worn with no ease, a little negative or positive ease. Due to the nature of the contiguous sleeve inset, it’s best to start with the numbers of the size closest to your high bust measurement and add more increases for the body and sleeves, if you should want more ease.

Available sizes: XS-S-M-L-XL-XXL: finished measurements: 28, 31.5, 35.5, 38.5, 44, 48.5” (71, 80, 90, 98, 111, 123 cm)

What you’ll need
fingering weight / 4ply
MC (purple) ± 450, 510, 550, 600, 670, 750 m (500, 560, 610, 670, 740, 820 yards)
CC (brownish) ± 410, 460, 500, 550, 620, 700 m (450, 510, 550, 610, 680, 770 yards)

3,5 mm (US 4) circular needle or size to obtain gauge
3 mm (US 3) circular needle
6 markers

Gauge
24 sts and 35 rows stockinette with the larger needle = 10 x 10 cm (4”x4”)

Check it out here

Both patterns together with the pattern for the stripes gone crazy cardigan are bundled in an e-book ‘crazy stripes‘

… pebble stone cardigan …

This is something I wanted to show you …
Top down and seamless, starting with a textured double mandarin collar. The sleeve inset is invisible (really invisible…) and there are pockets … and those lovely circles … or pebble stones