This time 2 years ago, Leaf & Vine Cardigan was published by Knit Picks as part of their “Haven: Knit Lace Patterns” collection. The rights have now returned to me and I am delighted to tell you that the digital pattern is available to buy from Ravelry, my website and Payhip! You can still also buy the whole Haven collection direct from KnitPicks.
Leaf & Vine is an oversized lacy cardigan with very short sleeves that are worked as an integral part of the body. There are 10 sizes (up to finished chest measurements of 71″) and 2 length options for every size. It is designed to be worn with 7-10″ of positive ease (ie 7-10″ bigger than your body measurement). As the pattern was published in the US initially all the measurements are in inches.
Knit Picks have a great system where, once the rights return to the designer, you can choose for the individual pattern to still be available from their website (it is) as well as sell it yourself. They send you the pdf document that they’ve been selling for you to sell yourself, so I don’t have to worry about reformatting the pattern, taking new photos or any of that.
The pdf for Leaf & Vine is 10 pages, 2 of which are full page photos. For printed patterns, that I will sell at yarn shows, I haven’t printed out the 2 full page photos. This is to keep the pattern to 8 pages and avoid excessive ink usage. Both omitted photos are on the pattern page on my website and on Payhip (and here!), so you won’t be missing out on anything if you buy a printed rather than digital copy of the pattern!
Last Thursday I should have been giving a workshop knitting Pride flags at Qube in Oswestry. Sadly it was cancelled due to lack of bookings, so I decided to use some of the yarn I had purchased for the workshop to make up Pride flag kits. It’s all West Yorkshire Spinners ColourLab DK, so it’s 100% wool that is machine washable. The ‘basic’ flag kit (ยฃ7) has 6 colours and the progress pride flag kit (ยฃ8) has 11! I think you’ll agree that’s a massive saving on buying 6 or 11 100g balls of wool!
The instructions for the basic flag include youtube links for every stitch used (two cast-on options, knit, cast-off). They’re publicly available videos that I have checked out for clarity and helpfulness. The progress pride flag instructions include the colour work chart and information on how to work intarsia in garter stitch to get the zigzag part of the design. I’ve put the kits on my website and I will be bringing them to Wool@J13 in just under two weeks time. You can even buy them both together and get a tasty discount (both for ยฃ12)!
Although I wasn’t able to lead the Pride flag knitting workshop at Qube as part of the first Oswestry Pride, my lovely wife did take part in the Pride in the Park event in Oswestry on Saturday. We braved the weather (which thankfully calmed down and dried out a bit!) and, after the Mayor of Oswestry (the one with the chain) and Jen the organiser (the one with the flag) opened the event and welcomed everyone, Sue was the first of three poets up on the bandstand to read to an enthusiastic audience. I was very proud at Pride!
If you receive the Yarndale newsletter (or have looked at the Yarndale website since Friday), you will know that I am teaching a workshop on two-colour brioche at Yarndale this year! It’s on the Saturday afternoon, 1.30-3.30pm. If you’d like to be introduced to the delights of two-colour brioche knitting and are going to be at Yarndale on the Saturday (28th September), why not book a place? You’ll have to be quick though – there are only 4 places left! I’ve updated this workshop since I last taught it and we’ll cover the basic two-colour brioche stitch, an increase and two directional decreases with lots of repetition in the swatch to help the skills bed in.
You may spot some similarity between the new workshop swatch and these cowls! I’ve been asked quite a lot recently what my simplest brioche design is for someone who hasn’t done two-colour brioche before or for someone who has done just the basic stitches but maybe didn’t want to knit a whole brioche shawl. This is my answer to that question! There are two size options in the pattern, both of which can be made with or without the garter stitch striped border. The cowl looks great worn as it is or folded in half. Not only do you have these options, but the pattern ALSO includes instructions both for knitting it flat or knitting it in the round! (Top Tip: I strongly recommend starting with knitting two colour brioche flat…)
There will be kits in a tin too, in these two colourways of Town End Yarns Poldale DK: Lime Green/Olive Green or Light Blue/Blue. Look out for them at Wool@J13, Pop Up Wool Show, Yarn Gathering and Yarndale!
The pattern is written, the samples are knitted and the photos have been taken. All I need before I can print the patterns is a name! Have you got any suggestions? Please add your pattern name suggestions in the comments. If I choose your suggestion, you will get a free copy of the pattern!
I think I mentioned before that I’m adding some more options to my Bargello Aurura pattern.
Here’s the original wrap:
There is now a cowl version as well, and I’m currently knitting the scarf sample to complete the set.
Here is the cowl!:
I love how the cowl works with the fabric folded to create overlapping points. The finished updated pattern with all three options should be available in time for the Pop Up Wool Show in August.
Yesterday I took my mum for another hospital appointment. When she was called in I stood up rapidly to push the wheelchair and heard a ripping sound. The pocket on my smock had caught on the back of one of the waiting room chair armrests and had torn. I’ve already had to mend this area of the smock once before – but it hadn’t torn so badly the first time. The smock is from The Slow Wardrobe as are many of my clothes. I had kept some fabric from a pair of black linen baggy trousers that had given up the ghost years ago, and I used that give support to the mended area. A patch, but on the inside. Once that was tacked in place I had some fun with the sewing machine. The tear is now repaired, the smock is once again wearable (and it’s at least 8 years old), my sewing machine knows I still love it, and it looks as though I’ve sewn a K around the pocket! What more could you want, really?
I’m taking her for another appointment later this week – hopefully I won’t need to mend any more clothes as a result of that one!
That’s all for today. Next week I’ll show you some of the progress I’ve been making with my Persian Tiles crochet blanket (designed by Janie Crow) and the scarf sample of Bargello Aurora. Take care all, K x