Archives for category: Original Patterns
Newer Entries »

Brownstone

03.30.11 //
42

I’m thrilled to introduce a new mens sweater pattern today. The Brownstone Pullover has been a long time coming – I finished it in late Fall but have only recently been able to clear my head enough to put it through the pattern-creation gauntlet. The benefit of its long shelf-life, I guess, is that the garment has gotten a lot of field-testing. I could barely stop wearing it this winter. It works wonderfully with a collared shirt and wool jacket or overcoat.

The sweater is a classic style with a ribbed shawl collar worked from a deep rectangular neck opening. Raglan shaping makes for a nice fit in the shoulders while still remaining comfortable and casual. It’s a great garment for layering into various wardrobe combinations and more importantly, it’s fun to knit.

The sweater is worked seamlessly, in the round, from the bottom up. The collar is picked up directly from the completed body and shaped using short-rows, making the entire garment a one-piece construction.

The wooden toggles and twisted cord button loop details add a special touch and look wonderful with Shelter. The sample shown here was knit in our Woodsmoke heather.

The pattern is written for sizes S-XXL and recommends 3-5 inches of positive ease. I almost always have a stockinette-based garment project somewhere in my knitting baskets, for those days when autopilot knitting is required. I think this is a great project for that spot, while maintaining just enough detailing to keep it from monotony.

I hope you enjoy it!

_____________________

Resources: Pattern is available through Brooklyn Tweed and Ravelry. Shelter yarn is available here.

Categories Original Patterns, SHELTER, Sweaters

Sunny Lace

03.28.11 //
22

A short post on this Monday morning to offer some visual inspiration at the beginning of your week.

It’s been more than 2 years since the release of Girasole and it’s been one of my favorite projects to watch during that time. There have been so many beautiful versions that I’ve seen in my travels and on Ravelry in so many different yarn weights, colors and fiber blends – what a completely special experience that has been.

So revisiting this pattern recently at BT Headquarters has been deeply satisfying. This version was knit with 12 skeins of Shelter in our Hayloft colorway. I love how the piece turned out. Same size as the original, but lighter-weight and with a slightly lacier quality.

I shot the new version in snowy Harrisville on my last trip up there. Such a wonderful location for a photoshoot.

Here’s wishing you a great start to your week!

Resources: The Girasole pattern is available here or here.  Yarn is available here.

Categories Lace, Original Patterns, SHELTER

Tweed, Baby

03.03.11 //
23

I just returned from a 10-day trip to the Pacific Northwest. It was great to be with my family and spend some time at Madrona and Churchmouse while there.  I’m thrilled to be home, too – I’m rather attached to my home/workspace. Whenever I return from being away, I’m always reminded of how much being here keeps me grounded and inspired.

This morning, I wanted to share with you a new twist on an old pattern. I’ve worked up another version of the Tweed Baby Blanket, expanding the pattern with an optional larger size, and blatantly used it as an excuse to dig into the Shelter Naturals… I just love these colors.

My nephew recently had a visit to the Big City and I thought it fitting to shoot him with the new blanket, since the original was conceived for his birth, more than 18 months ago. The original blanket has gotten some serious use during that time! I love seeing babies using, abusing, and loving wool. It fills me with such pride and hope for more wool-filled lives…

The pattern now includes two variations on the same theme – a smaller 2-color version (shown here in greys) and a larger 3-color version (browns). This design is an homage to traditional Shetland Hap Shawls.  I never tire of their simplicity, beauty, and utility.  In Shetland, this type of shawl was always used as workwear and never considered fancy. This is one of the reasons I’ve always felt drawn to them.

The smaller size uses 2 colors and blocks to approximately 41″ square, while the large uses 3 colors with a finished dimension of about 45″. An added bonus: the larger size can easily double as an adult shawl too. I love how Hap ‘waves’ provide a blank canvas for an endless number of color combinations (Sharon Miller’s book on Haps has countless examples of different ways colors were/can be used, with variations in both shade and width of stripes). My favorite Haps usually play with gradations of value, shifting from dark to light and back again, wether in neutral or colored palettes.

The pattern is available here at BT, or on Ravelry.

Speaking of home, I’m only here for a few days. I’m making a quick trip up to Harrisville to visit the mill and work a bit with the folks there on site. I really value the time that I get to spend there watching everhything happen, not to mention being in the peace and tranquility of this part of New Hampshire.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Categories Lace, Original Patterns, SHELTER

Romney Kerchief Pattern Now Available

02.10.11 //
15

We’ve gotten tons of nice requests for an official pattern to be made up for my Romney Kerchief that was posted here in April. The pattern has been through the gauntlet and come out on the other side all polished and shiny for you.

We’ve worked up another sample version of the pattern in Shelter (“Nest”) to provide an alternative to the handspun used in the original pattern.  The Shelter version is soft, squishy and lovely – it’s already a wardrobe favorite at BT Headquarters.

Shelter & Handspun Versions

This is my favorite type of project: two skeins, easy knitting and a chic result.  Just the type of knitting I like to take on long trips when a portable form of solace is required.  It’s also the type of project you find yourself knitting multiple times without a second thought. Rather addictive, really.

The pattern is written as a standard kerchief size whose blocked dimensions measure 41″ at wingspan & 20″ at central spine of triangle.  I’ve included instructions in the pattern for extending the finished dimensions to best suit your own vision. The size is very easily modified.  Instructions are provided in both written and charted form.

PATTERN LINKS

Ravelry |  Brooklyn Tweed

The pattern as written requires about 245 yards of yarn — the Shelter version uses well under 2 skeins. I hope those of you who have been wanting to knit this one enjoy it! Thanks for all your requests – we love to be able to give knitters what they want!

Categories Original Patterns, Scarves, SHELTER

A Winter Juneberry

12.27.10 //
39

On a snowy evening, there’s nothing quite like knitting through the long hours.  I’ve been sitting by my window marveling at just how quiet the city can be on the first calm day to follow a 30-hour blizzard. The timing seemed so perfect too — a blanket of silence to end a bustling week of holiday activity.

Behind the scenes here, we’ve been having some fun using Shelter to revive some old favorites in the BT design archive.  I love knitting old patterns in new yarns to see how they behave differently from a previous version.  Today I present you with A Winter Juneberry, worked in the Wool Socks colorway.

I originally published this pattern last Spring for Veronik Avery, using a firmly spun sport-weight wool.  It was fun seeing the triangle unfold this time with a woolen-spun yarn at a different gauge. The finished triangle blocked to a wingspan of 61″ across, with a height of 30″ at center back.  This upsized version is perfect for snowy afternoons!

Aside from being available through St. Denis magazine, the pattern is also available online as a PDF. For the digital version, I’ve added yarn requirements and gauge/dimension information for a worsted-weight version. This one took 4 skeins of Shelter.

I haven’t strayed far from my knitting spot by the window in the last two days, watching rather violent snow last night, and a whole lot of quiet today. I hope everyone is staying warm and safe, whether or not you find yourself stitching through The Thaw.

Categories Lace, Original Patterns, Photography, Scarves, SHELTER

Winter Whites

11.17.10 //
37

I’ve been relishing the indoor lifestyle these past few days and finding some quality time for designing. As we start thinking about winter I’ve been inspired by pure, white wool knits for the home.  It’s an added bonus when the project you’re working on can keep you warm at the same time.

I never tire of bulking up my own personal stash of blankets and throws, especially with thick wool that features the architecture of your stitch patterns so beautifully.  It’s a pleasure to watch stitch columns move, shift and twist with a round, bulky wool for curling up under.

I’ve also begun work on another circular shawl.  Center-out lace circles are one of my favorite things to knit — they seem to grow effortlessly and offer the perfect balance between mindless, relaxing knitting and more engaging lace patterning (that is, when you have free rounds of stockinette to scatter about). Whenever I’m approaching critical mass with too many high-maintenance projects, I always feel the urge to lose myself in a big circle of lace.

I’m working with Shelter on size 9′s and giving my new set of Addi Clicks a test-drive. Pleasure overload! Fossil, shown here, is a heathered white that reminds me of rustic cream-colored aran cardigans and downy lace shawls.

This weekend I’m headed up to Harrisville for a few workshops and meetings at the mill.  I’m excited to enter the next phase with the mill and explore some new ideas.  I’m hoping to catch a decent dose of the waning Fall colors as they cling to their trees on the ride up.  If the winds continue to howl as fiercely as they have been here today in the city though, I doubt there will be any leaves left!

Categories In Progress, Lace, Original Patterns, SHELTER

Autumn Leaves Stole

10.19.10 //
22

The Embers color in the Shelter palette was directly inspired by the fiery shades of orange that paint the woods this time of year.  With that in mind, I wanted to create a lace piece that pays homage to those beautiful, falling Autumn leaves.

The design process began with a simple Estonian ‘cookie’ or leaf pattern that was similar to more commonly found 10- or 12-row leaf motifs but with a slight variation in the ways the stitch columns meandered back and forth in wave-like lines. This motif is located at the center of the rectangle and sparked the design for the rest of the fabric’s patterning.

Starting with that simple idea, the lace flows out from the center towards either end elongating the ‘leaves’ by 2 rows on each repeat. The original, shallower leaf then becomes stretched as it falls from the neck.

The pattern is a simple rectangle and enjoyable for watching a single stitch pattern slowly morph into multiple variations of itself. In order to achieve perfect mirrored halves, the piece is worked in two parts — each starting at the outer edges and worked towards the center.  Live stitches from either half are grafted together upon completion.

The stole is generously sized and, worked at the given gauge, blocks out to approximately 19 x 72 inches. It can be worn as a generous scarf, or draped more dramatically for a bit of volume around the neck and shoulders.  Worked in Shelter, it remains light and lofty despite the ample amount of fabric for an accessory.  The simple repeat makes for easy moficiation when working with yarns of differing gauges.

The pattern is available now through both Brooklyn Tweed and Ravelry.

Being surrounded by all the amazing colors of Fall is really inspiring – I find myself reaching for more of those shades in my own wardrobe.  Perhaps the Autumn Leaves Stole will bring a bit of the same to yours.

Categories Lace, Original Patterns, SHELTER

Cinder

07.23.10 //
26

Is it almost August already?  I’d wonder where the summer has gone, but I’m too busy counting down days until Fall.  It’s been weeks since my last update — a summer-long silence that has been brought on by a very, very busy couple of months.  Rest assured, I’ve been toiling away on a large creative project that I’m not yet at a point to share.  But I’m getting closer.

There’s been a lot of knitting going on here throughout these hot, humid weeks, though — with sights set to Fall (this always seems to be the case, at least in my life).  As we cross the halfway point of summer, many of the larger yarn companies have started releasing their pattern previews for new Fall collections.  Last winter I designed a scarf for Classic Elite using the luxurious, heathery Ariosa in my favorite shade of icy grey.  I figure I already have a sweater made out of this yarn that feels like a big cashmere hug, so why not a scarf as well?

It’s a big, wavy, sculptural thing that feels great spiraling around your neck.  I love a good piece of texture to throw into just about any Fall or Winter wardrobe combo — Cinder can be just that.  Ariosa is a very lightly spun singles yarn composed of 90% merino & 10% cashmere, which means that despite its bulk, it remains light.  Not to mention cashmere-soft.

The reversibility of fabric in scarves is a common issue, because  after all who has the time and energy to make sure their scarf is always facing RS out? (Well, some of us try, but realistically that doesn’t always pan out)  Reversible stitch patterns are great for scarves and look good almost any way you toss them on, hence the brawny entourage of ribbed cables.  A reversible cable is generally not much different than a regular cable: the principle is the same, with one set of stitches crossing over the other, just imposed over a ground of ribbing instead of stockinette stitch.  Each side then features visible columns of knit stitches, effectively “popping” the cable.

That being said, this scarf is much, much simpler to knit than it might first appear — which is always nice when trying to impress your non-knitting friends, isn’t it? Although you will need a larger cable needle than usual, it is more or less regular 2×2 ribbing with a small percentage of rows employing a cable cross (or two). I think ribbed cables of this nature look quite good in almost any gauge — and although I made mine up in a heavier weight of yarn, a simple waltz with your calculator can easily allow you to adapt this to just about any yarn you want to wrap around your neck.

Cinder is available in Alley — one of Classic Elite’s yarn-themed pattern booklets for Fall 2010. (Find it on Ravelry here)

I’m preparing for some international travel in August — two weeks on the road overseas generally means about two weeks of planning for proper projects so as to harness the full power of away-from-home knitting time.  Then again, since I will be spending time in Shetland (knitter’s Mecca!), I’m sure I’ll find something to keep my hands busy if the need should arise…

Categories Cables, Original Patterns, Scarves

Ptarmigan

05.25.10 //
27

As the weather warms up, I find myself busying my hands with smaller projects.  Sure there are always a few sweaters that accompany me through the long & sweltering East Coast Summer, but small projects are always happily embraced during this time of year.  Mittens, gloves, neckwarmers, hats — those in-betweens that we sprinkle around our larger undertakings — help me feel like I’m being conscientious in storing up for Fall & Winter.  They also bulk up the now-depleted pile of gifts, so that when another cold season comes (we’ll wait patiently) there are plenty of woolies to dole out to friends and family.

I’ve recently worked up a few accessory patterns that I’ll be sharing here with you now as Spring becomes Summer.  Today we start with a pretty piece of lace that is designed with a nod to those special one-off skeins of luxury fiber that we all have stashed somewhere special, but often don’t know what to do with.

Ptarmigan is designed for sport-weight or light-dk-weight luxury yarns — cashmere, yak, bison — pick your poison.  I tend to be plagued by a too-little amount of yardage in many a beautiful (expensive) yarn.  Luxury fibers are pricey and sometimes only allow a single-skein-splurge, leaving us with very special yarns but all too often a roadblock in the way of pattern options.  It was with this in mind that I started knitting this little lacey number.

If you’re lucky enough to live in a cooler climate, this might still qualify as spring-wear (nudge to you, Pacific Northwesterners — this is the time of year I start getting really homesick), although here in the city the heat and humidity are already poking small jabs at my own cold-weather biases.

The neckwarmer is closer-fitting, rather than relaxed and slouchy, to keep those soft fibers nice and close to your skin, exactly where they should be!  Very light. Very warm. Gets the job done.

The pattern requires approximately 175 yards of yarn, although instructions are included for extending the length in case you have extra yarn and a penchant for more voluminous, slouchy neckwear. By all means, use up every last yard! All the pattern specifics are listed on the Ptarmigan Pattern Page here at BT or over on Ravelry.  The buttons below will whisk you off to either location.


*   *   *   *   *

I’ve had a few weeks at home, which has been an absolute luxury. I’ve gotten back into my own studio and have been exploring and experimenting with wool and stitch patterns, something I never tire of.  I love swatching — it’s the moment of possibility, and more often than not the moment of unexpected discovery.  Or to call it in a different way… your first date with your yarn. All nerves and thrill.

Things in the garden are growing and so it feels like the time of year to plant new ideas and regain productivity.  I hope you find some inspiration and motivation around you as we push forward in our creative work.  Happy Spring!

Tags , ,
Categories Lace, Original Patterns
Newer Entries »