Wedgewood Mitts

Posted on January 5, 2016 by knitigatingcircumstances

Happy New Year! I hope that everyone is off to a good start for a great year! I hate making New Year’s Resolutions because they rarely stick. So, this time, I’ve made mine exceedingly simple: Move more! Procrastinate less!

For knitting resolutions, I want to experiment and explore and knit more things that Emma and I have designed. So, on that note, and serendipitously checking the procrastinate less box, I bring you a free pattern here; my first design of the year.

Wedgewood Mitts by Kelly Sloan

Yarn: Buachaille, 100% wool yarn by Kate Davies Designs, 35 grams of MC and 15 grams of CC; two skeins should (just) make two pairs of mittens if you reverse the main and contrast colours for the second pair.

In the photos, I have used Between Weathers (mid-blue) for the MC, and Ptarmigan (natural white) for the CC. This combination reminded me of Wedgewood china, thus the name of the pattern.

Gauge: 24×32 in stockinette, 28×32 (unblocked and unstretched) in corrugated ribbing

Needle: US 3 or size to obtain gauge

Notes on size and gauge: This pattern gives one size only (7.25” width) but can easily be adjusted to fit your hand. You can change the mitt size by changing the needle size, or you can adjust the number of stitches. The stitches must be a multiple of 4. (If you adjust the stitch number, then in Row 1 of the thumb gusset, knit half the stitches before placing the first marker.) Knitters will also vary quite a bit on how tight their corrugated ribbing is compared to their stockinette, so my advice is to treat your first mitt as a gauge swatch: knit the cuff, and then try it on. If it is too tight, you can rip it out and start again with a larger needle size or simply cast on more stitches (in multiples of 4). Depending on the contrast between your stockinette gauge and your corrugated ribbing, you may need to decrease or increase some stitches for the body of the mitt: again, trying it on is always the best policy.

There is no left and right; both mitts are the same.

Cuff:

Using CC cast on 44 stitches, using the cast on method of your choice. Join in the round and purl 2 rows.

Knit 14 rows in corrugated ribbing: *K2 with MC, P2 with CC*, repeat to end

Next row: With CC, knit the knit stitches and purl the purl stitches

With CC, purl 2 rows. Break yarn.

Body:

With MC, knit 4 rows.

Begin thumb gusset:

Row 1: K22, pm, m1, pm, knit to end

Rows 2 and 3: Knit

Row 4 (increase row): K to marker, sm, m1, k to marker, m1, sm, knit to end

Repeat rows 2-4 until there are 13 stitches between the markers, then knit 2 rows.

Next row: Knit, transferring the 13 stitches between markers onto waste yarn.

Knit 15 rows. Break yarn.

With CC, knit one row, purl two rows, and cast-off purl-wise.

Thumb:

Transfer the 13 stitches from waste yarn back to needles. Rejoin MC and join in the round, picking up 2 stitches in the thumb gap. Be sure to place a marker beginning the start of the round.

Knit 4 rows. Break yarn.

With CC, knit 1 row, purl 2 rows, and bind off purl-wise.

Finishing: With a darning needle, weave in ends. Wet block.

Abbreviations:

CC – contrasting colour

K – knit

m1 – make 1 (Insert the left needle from front to back into the horizontal strand between the two stitches: Knit the stitch through the back loop.)

MC – main colour

P – purl

pm – place marker

sm – slip marker

Gossamer modelled

Posted on April 19, 2015 by knitigatingcircumstances

Today, I can finally bring you some modelled shots of my Gossamer pullover.

I wrote in an earlier post that a discussion thread on Ravelry about the beautiful yarn Rowan Kidsilk Haze Eclipse, which was being discontinued, led to an impulse purchase of a dozen balls in the gorgeous golden shade called Virgo.

Because the yarn can be rather bling in certain lights, I wanted to keep the design very simple and stark. Instead of trying to find a pattern to suit the thoughts in my head, I designed it myself as I knit. I think it is rather like a 1950s Sweater Girl pullover. I call it Gossamer because it is as light as air.

The fabric is extremely sheer and I shopped around for an appropriate tank to wear under it. Just as I was finishing the pullover, I found a new Hanro tank design, in a creamy ivory lace that I thought would work perfectly. (And which gave me the perfect excuse to splurge on Hanro.) You can see what I mean in this shot:

The lace tank gives just the right amount of cover without being intrusive and distracting the eye from the beautiful yarn.

I knit this in pieces and seamed it together. I think that with a fabric this delicate, the seam helps to give the pullover some structure and hopefully will help it to maintain its shape. I didn’t use any fancy seaming technique for this – I just stitched it up rather quickly in mattress stitch. The halo of the mohair means that the seam is soft and so is rather forgiving. I think it looks great:

Here you can see the set-in shoulders. Again, I didn’t do anything fancy, just mattress-stitched the shoulder into place.

I have been trying to decide whether to write this pattern up and make it available. Even though the Kidsilk Haze Eclipse has been discontinued, this would work perfectly in Kidsilk Haze, which comes in so many beautiful colours. What do you think? Is it worth the effort?

The thing I like best about this pullover is that it is so light – it weighs in at less that 125 grams. It is the perfect travel sweater. It won’t take up any weight in a suitcase, won’t show any wrinkles, and can add a bit of “Wow!” to a travel wardrobe.

Gossamer unblocked

Posted on April 6, 2015 by knitigatingcircumstances

My Gossamer sweater is finished, but still unblocked. Today is a holiday in the UK (Easter Monday) and, as can be expected on the last day of a long, grey holiday weekend when everyone is on the highway on their way home, the skies are suddenly blue and the day is lovely. I couldn’t resist taking Gossamer outside to play in the sunshine.

This is knit with Rowan’s Kidsilk Haze Eclipse in the colour Virgo. This yarn has been sadly discontinued; I wrote here about how I aquired the yarn (Ravelry made me do it!). It is a lovely but very difficult to describe shade (champagne, perhaps?) shot through with a metallic thread.

The pattern is one I designed myself, and call Gossamer. Once I got the yarn in my hands, I realized that it needed a very simple sweater design – stark, even. I envisioned it as a very classic, v-neck pullover. Since I had the design in my head I didn’t bother to try to find a pattern; I just cast on and designed it as I went.

Although the Eclipse line has been discontinued, you could easily knit this in Kidsilk Haze, which is still going strong, with many luscious colours. The fabric it produces is incredibly sheer and fine – this sweater weighs less than 125 grams! It is like wearing a cloud.

The fit is perfect; my only concerns are that the bottom edging rolls, and it is just a tad short. However, I have yet to block it so hopefully both of these problems will be easy to fix. I won’t show you modelled shots today for two reasons. First, I want to block it beforehand. Second, this is the type of sweater that needs appropriate undergarments. I have found something I think will be just right and have ordered it; we shall see how it turns out. In the meantime, in the interests of decency, you’ll have to make do with an unmodelled Gossamer.