It's the most wonderful time of the year

Here is a preview of my Sailboat Colorblock Jacket.  The pattern will be available soon on Ravelry, so why not add it to your queue and favorites on Ravelry.

This jacket is quick to knit (relatively - it is a jacket after all) in aran weight yarn on a US  #9 needle.

Just the facts...
Published in Tahki Yarns, Riverside Drive, Fall/Winter 2017.

Skill Level: Easy. The jacket is worked flat, knit from the bottom up, and seamed. There is positive ease.

KNITTED MEASUREMENTS
Bust 39 (42, 46, 50, 54, 58)”/99 (106.5, 117, 127, 137, 147.5) cm
Length 24 1⁄2 (25, 25 1⁄2, 26, 26 1⁄2, 27)”/62 (63.5, 65, 66, 67.5, 68.5) cm

I know the phrase refers to back to school as the "most wonderful time of the year", for me, it's the beckoning call to cast on for fall knitting.

Cast on for Springtime Knitting

If you're casting about (pun intended) for something to knit for the Spring/Summer season, search no more.  I've designed two garments for Tahki Stacy Charles that are easy to knit and very wearable. The patterns are available in booklets (available at your local yarn store and online) or individually on Ravelry.

photo credit: © Tahki Stacy Charles, Inc.

In the Tahki Yarns, Boardwalk, Spring/Summer Collection 2017 my design made the back cover! I'm a cover girl, can't you see the resemblance?

Spring Lake Hi-Lo Pullover in MALIBU. "The textured stitch is not the only interesting part of this pullover: it also sports an on-trend hi-lo hem and three-quarter sleeves." The sweater is knit flat in pieces and seamed.

  I really enjoyed knitting this top, the pattern easy to remember without looking at the pattern (really). So much so, that I am nearly finished knitting my own.

 

Malibu yarn is a soft cotton tape yarn in a wide color range of summer shades. The yarn has a really nice dry feel to it.

© Tahki Stacy Charles, Inc.

My second design is in the Stacy Charles Fine Yarns, One Christopher, Spring/Summer 2017 booklet.

© Tahki Stacy Charles, Inc.

"The Bedford Top is made from an elongated garter stitch, which creates the open stripes in this layering garment. Silk yarn Stella gives this top a luxurious drape." The top is knit in the round in one piece to the armholes, then the front and back are worked separately and joined at the shoulders with a 3-needle bind off. On US #11 needles, this is a very quick knit.

Stella is a "luxurious blend of silk and lurex metallic that has a subtle shimmer". The colors vary from sophisticated metallics to bold colors.

What will you cast on for?

Focus on Fiber, Part 1

Here are the details for the garments featured in my interview with Ginger Balch of In Sheep's Clothing. All the patterns have links back to Ravelry or you can find them on the Tahki Stacy Charles Website:

photo credit: © Tahki Stacy Charles, Inc.

Rockaways Racerback Tankfrom Tahki Yarns, Sea Breeze, Spring/Summer Collection 2016. Yarn: Ripple (Aran: 100% Cotton, 142 yards); color #41 purple. 

 

photo credit: © Tahki Stacy Charles, Inc.

Centerport Cropped Poncho from from Tahki Yarns, Sea Breeze, Spring/Summer Collection 2016. Yarn: Aruba (Aran: 80% Cotton, 20% Linen, 98 yards); color #12 Midnight Sky.

photo credit: © Tahki Stacy Charles, Inc.

Essence Pullover from Tahki Yarns, Life.Style, Fall/Winter 2015. Yarn: Tahoe (Aran: 32% Nylon, 27% Wool, 25% Alpaca, 16% Yak, 179 yards); color #01 Birch. Alternative yarn: Lena (Worsted: 48% Alpaca, 32% Merino, 20% Silk, 164 yards).

photo credit: © Tahki Stacy Charles, Inc.

Shakespeare Cardigan free pattern. Yarn: Dongegal Tweed (Aran: 100% Wool, 183 yards); color #853 Deep Purple.

Stay tuned for Focus on Fiber, Part 2 to follow soon where I'll reveal a new pattern being released and a code to get it for FREE after watching the video.

Playing with Sticks and String

We've all been to a yarn store, seen a skein of yarn and wondered what it looks like knit up.  Do you ever buy one skein to play with; try different needle sizes and stitches to get a feeling for what the yarn can do?  Kind of like what a sculptor or potter might think about when he/she looks at stone or clay.  What is the hidden potential locked within? That was very deep; don't know where that came from. I do feel that way though.

When we are drawn to a particular yarn it can be for a number of reasons: color, texture, and/or composition, to name a few.  What do you notice first? To be honest, I'm probably drawn to color first, then the feel of the yarn.

 New this fall is Tahki Yarns Aria is a bulky tubiform chainette yarn. Here are the yarn facts:
78% Extrafine Merino, 22% Nylon
108 yards/50 gram ball.

13 sts/4" on a US 10.5
Hand wash cool, lay flat to dry.

There are 8 lovely, jewel-toned colors. 

 

I began my swatch on the suggested needle size, #10.5 (bottom half of picture below).  My immediate first reaction as I knit with the yarn was that it was really soft and springy.  I liked how it felt as I knit with it.

My gauge on the 10.5 was a little tighter than stated so I went up to a #11(top half of picture above).  The yarn has a nice elasticity to it. I liked how the stitches looked.

I really wanted to see what it was like on a #13. 

Here are 6 rows of basic lace.  Below is a textured stitch and stockinette on the #13.

You'll notice I put garter rows in between to differentiate my needle/stitch changes.  I like to look of the garter stitch.

You can see how nicely it takes cables in the Wine Country Cabled Tunic. Personally I liked the textured stitches, cables, and stockinette.

 

Take a trip with me

I am extremely proud and happy to show you a sweater I designed for Tahki this spring.

 

The pattern is called Destinations Top Down Pullover.

 

 

It's featured in the Tahki Spring/Summer booklet, Intermix. 

It is what I would call a highly knitable and wearable sweater.  Knit from the top down means there  are no seams to be sewn.  There are now borders or edgings to add.  Just weave in your ends when you're done and it is ready to wear.  I really love this sweater (even if I do say so myself - and I do).

Oh!  What is the yarn, you may ask? Rosa (Aran: 100% thick/thin cotton, 93 yards).  The yarn does all the work in this sweater.  It's designed to be fitted, so if you want more ease, knit a size up.  I knit the medium.  

Considering that I can't leave well enough alone, I even modified my own design when I knit it for myself.  I made the sleeves 3/4 length by binding off after the final sleeve decrease and I knit the body length to be 2" longer than the pattern calls for.

The white sweater is on display at Westport Yarns, it will be a class this May. I plan on knitting another sweater in black.  It's a terrific three season sweater.

Shakespeare is in the house.

This fall I had the honor of a design published by Tahki Stacy Charles. I say it was an honor because Tahki is an icon in the business. They consistently publish stylish designs knit with interesting yarns. Their patterns are concise and clear. It really is exciting for me to have a pattern under their letterhead.

 

About a month ago I was checking "what's hot now on Ravelry" while at Westport Yarns.  I do this at least once a day.  Imagine my shock to see my pattern, Shakespeare Cardigan, on the third row of the first page. #16.  I was speechless.  My hands started waving before my voice kicked in to show Danni and Julie.  Finally I was able to speak to call them over. 

 

For the rest of the afternoon and evening I kept hitting refresh to see if it moved up.   

 

By the time I went to bed my pattern was #4.  This was a huge moment for me.  Thank goodness for the ability to take a screen shot with my phone!  Today there are 349 "favorites" and it has been queued 147 times.

While at TNNA I met Stacy Charles (another huge moment for me).

The yarn just arrived at Westport Yarns.  We've added it as a class.  Even though I designed it, I swatched anyway.  My gauge can vary.  It's a good thing too, I needed to go down a needle size.  The yarn is Donegal Tweed. 

Time to cast on...