New Pattern: Corduroy Button Mitts

These twisted rib fingerless mitts are simple but have added detail that let you make them your own. The ribs expand when worn to resemble corduroy and have a working button flap at the cuff. The top edge can be knit with either a flat edge or a fancier 2-stitch picot edge.

These fingerless mitts knit from the bottom cuff up.
They are knit both flat and in the round.

Special skills:
• Button holes
• Knitting in the round
• Increase & Decrease
• Twisted stitches

Size: Adult – one size
Approximate finished measurements: Glove length: 8.5 in (21.6 cm), Bottom Cuff flat width: 3 in (7.6 cm)

Needles: US 4 (3.5 mm) double pointed needles – set of 4 recommended. Optional straight or circular needles for flat cuff section in same size.
stitch marker and stitch counter optional

Buttons: 6 total, 7/16 in – 1/2 in diameter (11.12mm – 12.7 mm)

Yarn: Worsted Weight, approx 150 yds (145 m)

Instructions include full written directions.

Available on Etsy for $3.50
Available on Craftsy for $3.50

Spring Knits: Cardigan

One project that took up a large chunk of my spring was the knitting of Even Flow by Joji Locatelli, a present for my friend Sonya. We picked this pattern because it will work both dressed up or down and has a timeless quality that should look good for many years. We went to one of my favorite yarn stores, Eat Sleep Knit, to find the perfect yarn. We chose Madelinetosh Tosh Sport in Gossamer, a beautifully subtle warm neutral.

I would highly recommend this pattern. It is skillfully written and is created all in one piece, avoiding stitching together pieces at the end by picking up stitches directly on sections you’ve already knit, or holding live stitches until you can knit pieces to connect them. The texture pattern on the back and part of the side sections is a very easy pattern to memorize and looks more complex than it is. You can tell that the pattern designer took time and care in making the process as simple as possible and a joy to knit!

Prints: And We’re Off!

Have I titled a blog post this way before? Seems like I’m always kickstarting the season with some sort of cliched header and for some reason this one seems familiar. Yes? No? Oh well, we’ll just go with it.

I started printing again last week with a simple two color design. Arrows. It’s all about the arrows. Don’t get me started about arrows. Oh really? You haven’t heard? Well then, let me discuss. I’ll keep it brief. Promise.

Arrows are the perfect form. They’re bold, angular, directional, geometric, purposeful, iconic, graphic, dynamic, exclamatory, international and come in all sorts of different shapes and sizes. All that and yet they still manage to say what needs to be said: this/you, here. You can’t get much better than that.