Chunky Coat - Lots of sizes!

The next updated pattern:  The Noro Chunky Silk Garden Coat.  You could knit this with any chunky yarn that knits to gauge, especially a self striping one.  It is loose and oversized, and now is written from 32" to 46".  This one is probably the most visited pattern on my blog, so now I hope there will be more knitters who actually knit this coat!

Palm Springs

I was away for ten days, and you can see by the photos that we had the most amazing trip. We flew into San Diego and played three rounds of golf there, then drove over the snow capped mountains on a crazy bendy road (74) into Palm Desert.  There we played another 7 rounds at the lovely Desert Springs resort.  Such amazing views of lush green fairways and snow capped mountains.

 There were a pair of ducks that enjoyed the warm pool.  They made a big splash as they landed into the water.

 On Valentines Day, we took a mini boat tour around the property (the boat glides right into the lobby to pick you up), and these two swans made the heart shaped thing just for us!  Cool.

 Flaminos and ducks and geese were everywhere.

 The gardens and palm trees were so beautiful, I soon forgot my poor winter golf game!  (I blame it on the really tough course)

I also did lots of knitting on the trip and will have a new lace wrap pattern to show in a few days.  Also due to popular demand, the Noro Chunky Silk Garden Coat will be the next re-write pattern in multi-sizes!

There are new felted scarves and hats on my etsy site, along with the steampunk necklaces I featured on the blog many months ago.  Please have a look.  Unfortunately the photos do not do them justice, they are WAY nicer in person.

Another newly sized pattern

Here is the next pattern that has multi sizes.  It is a nice stretchy easy broken rib pattern, and will become your favourite sweater. Now sized from small to extra large, and with a bit of patience and the working of a swatch, you can ensure success with this pattern...
Give it a try HERE or hit the photo below to jump to the Million Hit Sweater.

http://chrisknitsinniagara.blogspot.ca/2012/09/million-hits-sweater.html

Here it is. The first reworked pattern!

This pattern has been the most requested.  I knit it in 2010, and at the time my blog was just a personal journey through knitting.  A place to store my projects and the yarns and patterns I used at the time. (I had not discovered Ravelry when I started my blog in 2008).  So of course, all the patterns were MY size or the size of the wonderful friend who would be a recipient of my knitted gift.
Over the last year, my blog has grown by leaps and bounds, and daily I email attached patterns.  I know that it is difficult to print from the blog now that it has become so bulky!  And I am happy to send any text patterns, so please, ask away!

I have spent the last two days, doing the math that will allow the Alpaca Silk Easy Cardi' to be knit for sizes from small to extra large!  I have reposted at the original site HERE.

or you can click right on the photos!  Again, I will email you a text only copy if you want to hold paper in your hand instead of using a marker to check off the rows on your iPad (LOL).
As a last word, and I hope you understand where I am coming from... I do not make money from the patterns, you get them for free, and I take the time to answer emails and attach any pattern... no charge to any of my wonderful knitting friends. But, I do make a penny or two from the tiny ads at the side and bottom of my blog.  The ads change all the time, and if you like the blog and appreciate the efforts, I would throw some love right back at you if you could click and check out the sponsors.  No need to purchase, just take a moment to look.  It helps to keep my yarn addiction alive, and keep me knitting, which keeps you looking.... win, win
Thankyou.

p.s. more resizing to come... please leave a comment if you have a favourite that you want resized!

Sparkle Shawl

I bought two balls of Classic Shades, Sequins lite at Knit n Purl in early January.  I loved the colour and was not sure what to make.  I thought a triangle shawl would best show off the colour stripes and the tiny sparkle of the sequins.  It is wonderful and perfect!  The camera only show a few glitters of the sequins, but they are evenly spaced for a lovely sparkly effect.  (The beret in the photo is now on my etsy shop site! Stop by for a visit!)

 I love to wear the shawls in a cowl draping.  No shoulder, granny style, wrapping for me.  So get out your shawls and show them off.  (I know you have some!)

 I am showing the shawl "upside down" as that is the direction it is knit.  From the center top, growing in size and stitches on your needle until the last LONG row!  Please read the whole pattern and the extra notes.  This one is easy but the tips will help.

Pattern:

Gauge: 12 sts = 4 inches on 4.5mm  (gauge is less important on shawls... one size fits all) any worsted weight yarn that is soft (not too stiff) would work here.  Noro yarns, yes!
Size: approx 5.5 feet long and 2.5 feet wide.
Needles, 4.5mm (US 7), Long circular to hold lots of stitches
Yarn: Universal, Classic Shades, Sequins Lite, 2 -  50gam balls.
Stitch markers

Cast on 5 stitches. Row 1:  Knit 2, place marker(center stitch is next stitch), Knit 2, place marker, Knit 1.
Row 2: Knit across, slipping markers.

Right side (odd number) row: Knit 1, yarn over, Knit to marker, yarn over, slip center stitch marker, knit center stitch, yarn over, knit to last marker, yarn over, slip marker, knit 1.
Even number rows (wrong side): Knit all stitches, including the yarn overs from the row below. (garter stitch)

These two row create the garter stitch bands. You will repeat these two rows, gradually increasing the number of stitches for the shawl.
After 30 rows, you can (optional) change to stripes of stocking stitch and garter stitch.  To do this, you will change to stocking stitch (knit the right side rows, including the yarn over increases, and purl the even / wrong side rows ) for 12 rows, then alternate 12 rows of garter stitch .
You could also just do garter stitch for the whole piece.  Your choice.
You will be increasing 4 stitches every right side row, and the shawl will grow into a large triangle.  Near the end of the second ball, when have about 8 yards of yarn left, LOOSELY cast off all stitches.

Extra Notes:
I found after a few rows I would only need the center marker to remind me when to do the center yarn overs.  The end ones are easy to see.  You could also put a pin on the right side to remind you which side you are on.  It is easy to get mixed up in garter stitch.

I have decided to open an etsy shop and would love it if you would have a peak once in a while!  Today I put up the first of the felted hats.  You can link through to them HERE, and I will be posting some lovely scarves and a HUGE project that is almost done.  One of my COATS!!!! These are most precious to me, as they represent some loving hours and hours of work, and they still surprise me as to how lovely they are when they finish.  I will attempt to do them justice with photos, but as always they are WAY better in the touchy feely world of "in person"!

If nothing else, enjoy the photos of the hats, and the others to come and use them as inspiration to get your hands wet (and soapy) in the felting crafts.
Cheers, chris

Round 'n Round the Mulberry Silk (sweater)

I purchased a bag full of Louisa Harding Mulberry at The Needle Emporium last summer.  I imagined a soft easy fit pullover, and finally got to it after Christmas.  I wanted to do a knit in the round, to reduce seaming, and the name Mulberry and round and round, brought to mind the childhood song.  Round and round the mulberry bush the monkey chased the weasel.  The monkey thought it was all in fun. POP goes the weasel! That was the version I sang, there are others if you hit the link.  Isn't the internet wonderful?  I know you are all singing this in your heads now.  Hopefully with a grin.

 Here I am modelling it with Aspen on my shoulder, and a felted scarf added in the second photo.

 Just a basic tee shape...

 Details of the seed stitch, and eyelet bands.

This pattern is for knitters with some experience!  Beginners could knit the sweater using just stocking stitch throughout and have a fairly easy time (as long as they are ok on double pointed needles).

PATTERN:

Round ‘n Round the Mulberry Silk (sweater)

Sizes:  Small (finished bust 36”), medium (39”), large (43”), x-large(47”)  *** the intended fit is loose and drapy, especially if you use this silk yarn, but you can pick the size that is close to your own true measurement, and it will be more snug fitting.  I made the medium, and my true measurement is 36, so 3 inches of “ease” creates the fit you see in the photos.  Your choice.

Yarn: Louisa Harding Mulberry 50 gms,  136 yards (124m) 100% silk in red,   10, 11, 12, 13 balls (small, med, large, xl)

Needles: 3.5mm (US5) circular needles, with longer cable for the body (slightly less than body measurement), and less than 18” short cable (for the top of sleeve).  Also 3.5mm double pointed needles for the lower part of sleeve that will be too small for ANY cable length.  (option of using straight needles if you decide to do the sleeves flat and sew up the under sleeve seam)

Stitch markers.

Gauge:   21 sts and 28 rows = 4 inches in stocking stitch on 3.5mm (US 5) needles. Do a swatch test… any substitute yarn must match the gauge for good results in sizing!  WARNING: If you do NOT do this, make sure you have a variety of close friends who are a bit bigger and a bit smaller than you, so that you have a lovely gift for them next birthday!!!

Note:  the first number in the knitting instructions will be for the small size, and the other three will be in brackets like this….   Small [medium, large, x-large ]…  if there is only one number or instruction, it will be good for ALL sizes. 

Pattern:  With the large circular needle, Cast on 170 [184, 202, 222] sts.  Join without twisting and work a K1, P1 ribbing for 2.5 inches.  On the last round, increase 18 [20, 22, 26] sts evenly around the circle.  Place a marker to indicate the start of the row.

Change to stocking stitch, knit 4 rows.

Seed Stitch Band:  (10 rows total)…. Row 1, 3, 5, 7, 9: [ K1. P1 ] repeat around the row.    Row 2, 4, 6, 8, 10: [P1, K1] repeat around the row.     You are making a 10 row band of seed stitch. 

Eyelet Band: (6 rows total) : Row 1 and 2:  Knit around the circle.  Row 3: [K2, yarn over, K2 together] repeat to end of row.  Row 4, 5, 6:  Knit around the circle.

Repeat the Seed Stitch Band, then the Eyelet Band, alternating as you go… until the body measures: 13.5 [15, 16, 16.5] inches from the beginning.

Divide for front and back: ***** Make sure you are on an odd number row as your next row**** Bind off 4 stitches at the start of the round,  Work in whichever pattern you are doing across 90 [98, 108, 120] stitches.  Place these 90 [98, 108, 120} stitches on a holder… Bind off nest 4 stitches and continue to work remaining stitches in pattern (should be 90[98, 108, 120] remaining). This is the back of your sweater.  Work the pattern now back and forth as established, obviously working the wrong side in purl stitches for the eyelet rows, and making seed stitches in the seed stitch band by knitting the purls and purling the knits.

Work in pattern with no shaping, until the length is 9 [10, 11, 11] inches from split (armhole), then Bind off all stitches.

Front: pick up stitches from holder **** and start working from the wrong side of the front**** work in the pattern where you left off , the even row that comes next.  Continue to work as for the back, until the front measures 6 [7, 8, 8] inches from the armhole split. 

Shape neckline:  (right side facing you)   Work 35[39, 44, 48] sts, attach second ball of yarn, bind off 20 stitches, work remaining 35 [39, 44, 48] sts.  Next row work across all stitches, working both sides at the same time with separate balls of yarn.

Bind off 2 stitches at the neck edge, twice , on each side of front, as you work the next four rows.

On the next right side rows: knit 2 together at each neck edge 7[6, 6, 7] times…. You should have 24 [ 29, 34, 39] stitches left on each shoulder…  continue in patterns (if eyelets get too close to the edges, just stocking stitch instead) until the length from armhole split matches the back… then bind off all stitches on shoulders.  Sew shoulder seam.

Sleeves:   With 3.5mm double point needles, cast on 42[44, 44, 44] sts.  Join carefully and work in k1, p1, ribbing for 2.5 inches.   On last row increase 6[ 8. 8. 8] sts evenly around the row.  Place marker (safety pin in the  row below – moving up regularly).

Start with four rows of stocking stitch.

On next and every fourth row, increase by knitting in the front and back of the stitch before the marker AND the stitch after the marker (2 increases every fourth row)….  **** and at the same time**** establish the pattern of 10 seed stitch rows and 6 eyelet rows.  You will find that the increases mean you cannot necessarily start the eyelet pattern row with 2knits, you will need to try to line up the yarn overs when you can with the eyelets below.  When in doubt, start that row with a few knits, and try to place the first yarn over above the line of holes below.  Then you can work the rest of that row as usual, and you may need to add a few knits rather than end with a yarn-over and NO knit 2 together.  Hope you get that, sorry for the wordy explanation.

When the number of stitches become too many for double point needles, carefully knit onto the small cable needle, and work in the round on that.  Keep to pattern (as best you can) and keep increasing every fourth row until the total number of stitches on your needles are 92[104, 114, 116].  Bind off all stitches.

Carefully pin and sew sleeve into the sleeve opening, keeping the place where you had the marker and the increases at the underarm side .

Neckline:  Using the small circular needle,  Pick up 88 stitches around the neck opening, join and work K1, P1 ribbing in the round for 1 inch (or up to 8 inches or more for a cowl/ turtleneck).  Bind off LOOSELY.