. . . summer . . .

Linen is the perfect yarn for summer clothes. It is a bit hard to the hands to knit it up, but it gets softer with every soak. And it has a lovely shine and drape – although drape is not really necessary in the second project, on the contrary …

1. Linne #2 See the blog post here and the pattern here
   I bought some lovely linen in 2 nice colors: aqua blue-green and a very, very dark  blue, nearly black.
   I will try to make a gradient of these 2 colors. And I will use ‘helix knitting’ to make it. If I can find out how…
   

   

   

   

   

   And I did 🙂 It is not difficult at all. It is surprisingly easy, just knitting in the round and picking up the other color at the start of each round, no twisting of yarns, no pulling on the yarn ! That is very important …
   
   I pulled a little too hard, even though I didn’t get the feeling I pulled at all. So it is really important to work very loosely when switching yarns.

   I started the ‘helix’ like this: slip half of the just worked stitches back to the left needle and knit them again with the 2nd color. When you come to the other color, just pick up that color (don’t twist both yarns) and knit a round. And so on, and so on … Super easy peasy. When my first color was nearly finished I ended in the same way. I knit half of the stitches with color 1, slipped them back to the left needle and knit them again with color 2. The bottom is worked in color 2 only.

   

   

   

   

   

   
   
   

   

   

    

2. And then there is #2: a linen hat
   It is inspired by a free pattern available  on Ravelry: windansea
   But I made it top down and I also wanted another shape.
   Starting with a cast on in the round of 8 sts: just turn the yarn twice around a finger and k1, p1 four times in the circle. After having knit the 8 sts in the first round, you can pull on the tail and close the round …
   
   I also wanted another shape like the one I was wearing with my second linne tee (see above). I love that shape, but it was not mine. Had to return it.
   I added short rows to shape the brim so that it is larger at the front.When it was finished I crocheted a wire at the edge and sewed a large elastic at the bottom of the crown to shape the hat.
   I found the perfect moulding form (an old basket)…
   
   and applied fabric stiffener and left it to dry …

   A ribbon and tada 🙂

   

   

   

   

   Happy summer

. . . linne tee . . .

Summer is coming, the sun is shining … It is time for skirts and light summer tops …

Hello yellow, my latest pattern has been published yesterday…

Linne tee: a simple, summery tee with an easy lace pattern at the top and bottom. Knit in linen or linen / cotton blend, it is perfect for sunny summer days.

It is worked seamlessly starting at the top lace section at the back.
Both sleeve caps and the back are worked bottom up at the same time. The edges of the sleeve are worked at the same time in a slip stitch pattern. It slightly pulls in the sleeve caps preventing them from flaring out too much.

Stitches are put on hold for the back neck and increases are made to shape the V-neck at the front. Once the sleeve caps are finished, the body is worked top down. But first, a few short rows are worked at front and back for a better fit / shape. Then the body is knit in the round and finished with the lace edge at the bottom.

Sizes
XS, S, M, L, XL, XXL
finished measurements (chest): 31½, 35½, 39½, 43¼, 47¼, 51¼ “ (80, 90, 100, 110, 120, 130 cm)

Intended to be worn with some positive ease or no ease.

What you’ll need
linen ( or cotton or cotton/linen blend)
in sport weight / 5 ply
the yardage is an estimate (the yardage of linen is difficult to calculate: the testers all came out with a different yardage). This is an average:
± 600, 700, 770, 850, 930, 1000 m (660, 770, 850, 930, 1020, 1100 yards)

3.5 mm (US 4) circular needle
3.5 mm (US 4) straight needles (optional)
4 mm (US 6) circular needle

crochet hook for the provisional cast-on

6 markers

Gauge (with the smaller needle and blocked)
21 sts and 32 rows in stockinette stitch = 10 x 10 cm (4”x4”)

Check it out here

. . . wild rose: the cardigan . . .

The pattern for the cardigan has been released . . . The set of wild roses is complete.

Wild rose is a cardigan with an innovative construction in the same manner as her sister Babe.

There is no sewing, seaming or intarsia involved. First, the sleeves are worked bottom up featuring delicate branches and flowers in stranded colorwork.

Then the body is worked top down with a stretchy, leafy lace stitch pattern. Finally, stitches are picked up to work the button bands. The colorwork is charted only and is bundled in a separate pdf providing more tips on working fair isle and stranded knitting.

Sizes
XS, S, M, L, XL, XXL
finished measurements chest: 33, 35½, 39¼, 44, 48, 54¼ “ (84, 90, 100, 112, 122, 138 cm)

Intended to be worn with positive ease (6 to 25 cm / 2½ to 10”). To decide which is the best size for you, measure your high bust (under the armpits) and check also your arm circumference. Model is wearing M with ± 10 cm / 4“ of positive ease.

What you’ll need
fingering / 4ply weight
MC1 (main color of the body) ± 950/1050/1150/1300/1400/1600 m (1050/1150/1260/1450/1550/1750 yards)
MC2 (main color of the sleeves) ± 470/500/550/600/660/750 m (520/550/600/660/720/820 yards)
CC1 (green in the sample): 45 to 90 m ( 50 to 100 yards)
and CC2 (white in the sample): 45 to 90 m (50 to 100 yards)
2.75 mm (US 2) circular needle for the cuffs and buttonbands
two 3.25 mm (US 3) circular needles and straight needles (optional)
3.5 mm (US 4) circular needle or double pointed needles to work the sections with the stranded flowers (if necessary)
3.5 mm (US 4) circular needle or straight needles to work the bottom part of the body
6 markers
6 buttons (diameter 18 mm / ¾” )

Gauge
stockinette with the 3.25 mm (US 3) needle and blocked: 28 sts and 40 rows
= 10 x 10 cm (4”x4”)

Find out more here

. . . diamonds in the sky . . .

 

Attention: photo bombing 🙂

Do you see the little ladybug joining in the fun …

 

I like them all, but I especially like this one …

…

. . . greenhouse knits #7 and #8 . . .

# 7 is a large, asymmetrical shawl with a triangular shape.

It is worked sideways and starts with an I-cord 4 stitches wide. The body is worked in garter stitch with delicate lacey leaves shaping the bottom edges.
The scalloped edge is formed by leaf tips that stick out. They are worked using German short rows aka double stitches.

The lace and the garter stitch body make it an easy project, but it needs your attention because of the increases and decreases that shape the shawl and the leaves.

Sizes
one size easily adaptable. It can be made as a large wrap or a smaller shawlette.
As pictured after blocking:
wingspan : 210 cm / 83”
depth: 70 cm / 27½”

What you’ll need
fingering / 4 ply
as pictured (large shawl)
± 900 m / 990 yards

3.5 mm (US 4) straight needles or circular needle
marker
tapestry needle

Gauge
is not important but will affect the size of your shawl. As the sample: 23 sts and 44 rows (= 22 ridges) in garter stitch (blocked) = 10 x 10 cm (4”x 4”)

More info here

#8 are individual leaves. Make the leaves in all kinds of little rests in different colors to finish off a hat or embellish your knitwear. Make a whole bunch of leaves and sew them together into a spring garland to decorate a wall. The possibilities are endless. The size of a leaf using fingering weight and 3 mm (US 2½) needles is 7 x 3.5 cm (2¾ x 1¼”) and it uses only 5 to 6 m / 5½ to 6½ yards.

What you’ll need
any yarn weight: little rests in different colors.
One leaf in fingering weight uses about 5 m / 5½ yards. In heavier yarn weights it is a little more.

straight needles or double pointed needles in a size to match your yarn

tapestry needle

Gauge is not important

Check it out here

And the e-book: greenhouse knits is now complete 🙂

. . . doble . . .

Dreaming of a summer breeze … in the sun on the beach …

Doble is a double layered tee. Started this one about a year ago. But when I finished it summer had already gone.

It is worked top down and seamlessly in the round with a delicate lace edge on the sleeves and bottom of the top layer … or the bottom layer …
… because it is completely reversible. The two layers are only attached at the neck band.

If you use linen – as in the sample – the inside layer shines through and gives a special effect. You can also make it in cotton or wool using a lighter yarn – lace weight for example – for the top layer to get the shine-through effect.

Available for size: XS, S, M, L, XL, XXL
finished measurements: 29½ / 32½ / 36 / 39½ / 43½ / 48 “ (75 / 83 / 92 / 101 / 111 / 120 cm)

Best worn with a little positive ease.

What you’ll need
Linen: fingering weight / 3ply
or cotton / wool heavy lace weight

Yardage (as pictured).
Top color (yellow) ± 600, 690, 750, 820, 930, 1020 m (660, 750, 820, 900, 1020, 1120 yards)
Inside color (grey) ± 640, 730, 800, 870, 990, 1100 m (700, 800, 880, 950, 1100, 1200 yards)

3.25 mm (US 3) circular needle or size to obtain gauge
2.5 mm (US 1½ ) circular needle
two 2 mm (US 0 or 1) circular needles
for the provisional cast on
8 markers

Gauge
23 sts and 36 rows stockinette with the larger needle = 10 x 10 cm (4”x4”)

 

Check it out here

… fleur cardigan …

Spring has finally arrived (literally where I live). The sun tries to get through the clouds and it’s slowly warming up. And … my fleur cardigan is finally ready.

A lightweight cardigan for cool summer evenings.
It is worked with a larger needlesize than recommended to obtain an airy, stretchy light weight garment. I think it would work also nicely with linen or silk blends.

Fleur is worked top-down with raglan sleeves. The lacey flowers are worked separately in the round and sewn in afterwards. I charted the flowers before I knitted them.

The cardigan is finished with an applied I-cord and I-cord buttonholes.