Pattern Tutorials

The Pink Pullover

I’m off to Stitches West tomorrow morning, but before I’m away from my base of operations for a week I wanted to share my newest piece, “The Pink Pullover.” I know exactly what you’re thinking; “That coat is chartreuse.” Okay, perhaps you thought green, never-the-less, this piece was given it’s name because of it’s inspiration.

A “pink”, is eighteenth century slang for a traditional red hunting coat. It’s derived from the name of eighteen century London’s most popular field-wear tailor, Thomas Pink. When I first set out to make this sweater I was intending to make a fairly close rendition of a traditional hunting coat with added texture. That being said, free form knitting took the best of me and this piece began to design itself.

Back view of cables and textured yoke.

The yarns are two recently discontinued colours of JoSharp Silkroad Aran, which showed the stitches and cables exactly as I wanted them. I couldn’t be more pleased with the yoke, which simply happened by accident. The layout of the cables were done free form as I knitted and are loosely based on a cardigan by Melissa Morgan-Oakes called, “The Radiance Cabled Jacket.” I liked the way the cables down the back of that cardigan flattered the figure by making an hourglass shape. I tried to do the same in this design by making the distance of the cables across the back like that most desired female shape: heavier at the top, cinching in, and almost as wide again at the bottom.

Crocheted front with key-hole neckline.

It took me quite a while to figure out what to do with this neckline. I knew that I had wanted to add in the slate blue here; It was the sight of these two colours together in the warehouse that initially inspired me to dream up this coat, but I had no idea where to add it in. So I cracked open my copy of Barbara Walker’s Knitting from the Top Down and found an image of a key-hole neckline. I chose crochet because of it’s three dimensional nature, which I thought would make it easier to sculpt the neckline. In fact, I crocheted the neckline on the garment while it was still on my dressmaker’s dummy. It was quite the sight. Me, crochet hook in hand, straddling a dress form and crocheting madly into the night. The drops on the right breast are also crocheted on, again for the three dimensional quality. I didn’t want them to be simply on top of the knitting, but rather above it to juxtapose the inward (purled) cables on the back of the garment.

Cuffs

And in a final homage to it’s inspiration I added a welted (lord I love welting) and split cuff with tiny silver bird buttons.

Noro Technique on Zauberball (ShiBui Transition Gloves)

At the end of my previous post I spoke about how I was using the “Noro Technique” (”…using one colourway of a variegated yarn in a pattern that requires colour stranding. Where the pattern would normally call for a different colourway of the yarn you simply use the same colourway but at a different point in the colour transition.”) to make ShiBui’s Transition Gloves. Well it’s finished! I love the way it came out, and very much enjoyed knitting with the yarn. Even though it was a single ply wool it did not split as badly as one would imagine, however, it does have the fault of all single ply yarns: Pilling! The yarn pilled as I was knitting it and the gloves had a halo before even being worn. This being said, I still like the yarn and am very please with how it came out. I would not, however, use it to knit socks as it is intended for. I just think with the way it handled the pilling from simply being handled, it won’t be a pretty sight with all the friction on one’s feet.

Valley Yarns Pattern #262- Annabelle Head Wrap

Valley Yarns (aka- Webs) has published one of my patterns! ^_^ It’s pattern #262 - The Annabelle Head Wrap. It’s available for purchase in the store for $2.49 + tax, or online for $1.99 + tax. This is basically a simple ear warmer that I made for days when I’m rocking the pompadour and cannot wear a winter hat. It’s knit out of only ONE skein of Valley Yarns Deerfield ($6.99) a DK weight alpaca and silk blend. The yarn is so airy and light that it doesn’t mess your doo up, however it’s still warm enough to keep your ears toasty!

Honestly, this is a very quick knit and makes a nice gift because the triangular lines made from the ribbing make it look more complicated than it is. All you need is the ability to knit a K2, P2 rib and be able to increase/decrease.

Awhile back I knit the Side Slip Cloche from Laura Irwin’s Boutique Knits. Well here’s another great design from that book. It’s very rare that I find a pattern collection where I like over 80% of the book, this is definitely one of those rarities.

Variegted Strand's Finished Bubble Sweater from Laura Irwin's Boutique Knits

Variegated Strand finished this beautiful version of it out of Cascade’s Eco Alpaca, a DK/Sport weight 100% undyed alpaca. Since nothing has been done to this alpaca, except the spinning of it, it is so soft and beautiful. I was lucky enough to try this garment on in the store. It look fantastic, falling nicely around the hips with the cut away lace that is very flattering; not to mention it felt like wearing a warm airy hug! You can’t see in this picture, but it also has cut little pockets incorporated into the front blousing, and as far as I’m concerned there are not enough pockets in women’s wear. Probably because they’re all unnecessarily on men’s PJ bottoms. ^_~

And one final cool thing. I’ve made a tattoo gun out of a Crest Spin Brush and the E string on an acoustic guitar. This is my simple face on an apple. Expect more cool things to come.

P.S.- THIS IS NOT FOR TATTOOING LIVE* THINGS.

Homemade Tattoo Gun

*except fruit, which is evil and deserves the pain.

Last night I finally finished the lace dress that I started knitting in June of last year. Somewhere around August I had finished the skirt and wandered away into a different project before finishing the rest of the bodice. I blame this mostly in part on the fact that the smallest size for the pattern was for a bust of 36 inches. I’m not saying that’s large, if anything medium, but you’re VOGUE knitting magazine, you should size down to a 32! So, needless to say, I had to size down the pattern (by cutting out repetitions of the lace), and this constant game of mathematics kept me from finishing for far to long. In fact, I took away my internet privileges for the last two days until the dress was completed. What can I say? Facebook sucks away hours of my life.

The yarn is Louet Gems fingering in the ginger, and it took only five skeins (925 yds) to make it in a smaller size, which is almost half the yardage needed for their “small” (1,644 yds). I really love this yarn. It was very easy to knit with; it was very smooth since it is after all a superwash “sock yarn” (ha ha, as if I would ever put this in the washing machine), which slid nicely through my left hand making for quick knitting and on project like this quickness is necessary. You have knit fast enough to beat your knitter’s ADD- the desire to move onto a quicker, instant gratification, project. Sometimes called a “tv project.” Also, the colour is just everything I wanted and more. I actually feel in love with this yarn when it first arrive in the shop because of the ginger colour. When Vogue came out with their summer lace editorial it was just serendipity.

Along the back runs fifteen faux diamond buttons. I adore the look of these, normally gaudy, buttons. Somehow they just seem to fit this fanciful dress, however, they don’t hold the picot edging well enough. I’m going to go back and install a small bit of grosgrain ribbon onto the inside of the left placket, onto which I’ll put fifteen snap closures. These will hold the dress shut, while the buttons remain doing their beautiful superficial thing. It’s not that the dress is too tight, it’s more that the amount of negative ease in the garment makes it necessary for the buttons to be much larger than the picot edging. They recommended a 3/8″ button, and were probably right in doing so. I made the impulse to use these instead because of their charm.

Melancholy Lashes

This is my new favourite piece of jewelry. It’s title “Melancholy Lashes” and it’s the creation of the fantastic minds at Untamed Menagerie:

Untamed Menagerie is a collection of the combined works of Penny and Nikki (mother and daughter). We are inspired by nature, vintage illustrations, and anatomy. We strive to create whimsical accessories that will bring a smile to your face.

Normally a necklace of this size would hang terribly, since it would have to weigh near a ton. However, their handmade silhouettes are cut out of light-weight and eye-catching acrylic, allowing pieces of this magnitude to seemingly float on the neckline. And an absolute must of a kudos for the asymmetrical drape; it creates a wonderful diagonal, forcing the eye to travel from top to bottom across the wearer’s chest, adding a nice dichotomy to all the curly fine lines of the silhouette.

It also doesn’t hurt that they’re a wonderful company with great customer service. The item shipped very quickly and I received confirmation emails promptly throughout the experience. So far I’ve given out their shop name to more people than I can recall, and very quickly given out the business cards they sent. It won’t be long before all the ladies in the office will be sporting their Untamed Menagerie jewelry. I think Jess has already ordered the very sweet Breakfast at Tiffany’s earrings. She was ogling them last week and they just recently sold. I hope to see them in person soon! As for me, my next love is a toss up:

This past weekend my mom came up to visit me and cash-in on her Christmas present: an introduction to spinning class at the store.

Mom & I

My father bought my mom a really beautiful hand-made Saxony spinning wheel for their wedding anniversary, but she was never really sure, or confident, on how to use it. So I figured it would not only help her out to take the class, but would undoubtedly be a fun weekend.

I don't really know what kind of face I'm making there...

The class was instructed by Barbara Parry of Foxfire Fibers & Designs. She was a fantastic teacher, very knowledgeable and sweet, and she was able to help my mom with her wheel even though it was not made by a standard company. I had a wonderful time, and I feel like I learned so much, not only about spinning and the wheels, but about fiber options and yarn construction. I feel like a better balanced fiber artist now, no pun intended. (Bless your poor heart if you get that joke for you’re as far off the deep end as I.)

We all got lovely baskets full of fiber to experiment with.

Corriedale Cross Single

I produced some pretty consistent and thin singles within the first day, this I attribute to having spent several months working with varying weights of drop spindles and really working on my drafting technique. Although I do draft, technically, in the incorrect manner, which is to say that I let the twist in and feed the machine with my left hand, while drafting the fibers with my right. Barbara noted that most instructors say to use your most articulated and dominate hand for feeding the machine, but then also said that what ever felt the most comfortable was fine. She too works “goofy” handed. I attribute this favouring of the left hand to the spinner’s style of knitting. Within the class that I attended everyone who fed the yarn in with their right hand knitted in the American style, while everyone who did it with the left hand knitted continental. It makes sense because when you knit continental you use your left hand to act as a tension/gauge, which is primarily the function of the feeding hand in spinning: it brings the yarn into the final project (the bobbin/knitting item).

My first 2-ply hanging in the shower. (Merino & Mohair Blends)

Close up on the the Gray Orange combo. It pleases me in the same way that Grellow does. It's catching on Cirilia! :)

Well enough postulating for tonight. I’m gonna end with a very lovely photograph of myself and Kate Jacobs, the author of ‘Knit Two,’  the sequel to the New York Times Best Seller, ‘Friday Night Knitting Club.’ She came to the store January 7th to do a book signing. Unfortunately the weather wound up being slightly less friendly than we’d hoped, however, Kate was still able to show up and the event went on! There was, as with any store event, an abundance of little tasty treats to nibble on while she did a reading from the book. It was really nice and I want to thank her again for coming and for signing the book for my Mom.

Kate Jacobs and I

Well into the first month of the new year comes the second part of my previous post. I’m starting to get back logged with photos to get up here, but alas, my laziness is to post often wins. Actually, it’s my desire to knit that keeps me from posting most nights.

I wanted to give a bump to two local (western Massachusetts) artists, whom I work with, for some of their fine fashionables that I now find in constant rotation amongst my accessories.

MeasuredWithSpoons.etsy.com

First there is the above beautiful necklace from Tina at MeasuredWithSpoons.etsy.com. (You can also catch her blog here.) I love this piece for so many reasons. It’s got a soft satin ribbon necklace that matches the a dress I already owned (from this Fall’s H&M collection) so perfectly that it would almost appear as if it were cut from the bottom of the dress somehow. The pendant piece falls beautifully at a medium length, sitting just above the breasts and just below the clavical creating a very flattering framing of the entire neckline. And my favourite bit about this piece? The actual pendant is a piece of plumbing hardware! How clever, ne pas? I get compliments on this necklace every time I wear it, and at the $18 price it’s earned it’s value multiple times.

Reversible Honeycomb Handwarmers

Close up on textured pattern.

Secondly, there are these lovely little hand warmers by Christalena Hughmanick from ItKnits. Christa is very talented fiber artist who is studying to go to grad school. This February she’ll be teaching an Introduction to Tatting class at the store.

These handwarmers are wicked soft, warm and oh so soft. I love to wear them around the store, especially in our back warehouses, which can get very cold this time of year. They are machine washable and reversible. What more can one ask for? (Buy Online from ItKnits $30 Multiple Colours Available)

You’d have to have spend last night in a bunker to not know the great news: Barack Obama is the next president of the United States!

I stayed up late last night to watch McCain and Obama give their final election speeches, and it definitely felt like the metaphor the Daily Show struck. (Yes, that would be a similie of someone’s metaphor.) The correspondents on the show, upon hearing that the election was over, began to freak out not knowing what to do with themselves. They then rain out of the studio to the roof where, presumably for the first time in over two years (it’s felt that long) that they’ve seen light. Perhaps it’s really the first time in eight years that we’ve all seen the light.

And so to celebrate this moment in history I’m releasing the Obama hat pattern here for free, along with an adapted version for infants. All the proceeds collected thus have been donated to MoveOn.Org. Thank you to everyone who donated and supported Obama in this election. Enjoy!

Adult’s Version

zhglowingbeaconofhopeskully

Infant’s Version

zhbeaconofhopeskullychildren

Rainbow in the Dark- Silk Lined Lace Clutch with matching IPhone Cover
by Kt Baldassaro

Rainbow in the Dark Clutch and IPhone Cover

Materials:

16″ US size 3 needle OR NEEDLE NEEDED TO OBTAIN GAUGE
Kauni Multicolour- Colourway EP; 80g
Silk Fabric- two pieces (total: approx 2 yds)
Piece A (for iphone cover) 6″ X 6″
Piece B (for clutch) 50″ X 12″
Medium sized tapestry needle
Colour appropriate all-purpose thread
Sewing machine OR sewing needle (bless your heart if you wish to do the sewing by hand)
Wool Wash- either Eucalan or Soak
6″ Purse frame in colour of choice. (Here shown in brass. Available at www.yarn.com)
Iron

Gauge: 6 sts= 1″ in Checkerboard Lace

Finished Measurements
Purse: 9″ W X 6.5″ H
IPhone Cover: 6″ W X 5″ H

Checkerboard Lace Pattern Stitch:
Row 1 and 3(RS): K1, *yo, slip 1, K2tog, psso, yo, K3, repeat from * to the last stitch, K1
Row 2 and all WS rows: P across
Row 5: K across
Row 7 and 9: K4, *yo, slip1, K2tog, psso, yo, K3, repeat from * to the last 4 stitches, K4.
Row 11: K across
Row 12: P across

IPhone Cover:

Knit the Lace
CO 38 stitches with US 3 needle OR SIZE NEEDED TO OBTAIN GAUGE. Work in st st for two rows, then continue on in Checkerboard Lace Pattern Stitch until piece measures approx. 5″ from cast on edge. BO.
(I apologize that I do not have any photographs of the process for sewing the IPhone cover together. It did not occur to me to photograph until I was working on the purse portion.)

Wash and Block
First, wash the lace in your wool wash*, and block to measure 6″ W X 5″ H.
*I found that the Kauni, although a beautifully colourful yarn, when wet smells a great deal like my boyfriend’s labrador fresh out of the CT river. I put two drops of lavender oil in with the wool wash as it soaked, and the smell completely dissipated. In fact the bag and phone cover smell lovely even now, several weeks after their washes.

Sew Together
Secondly, place the dried and blocked lace on top of the pre-cut (and pre-ironed) 6″ X 6″ piece of fabric so that the lace lines up with the fabric on three sides, leaving an extra one inch on the fourth side. Pin down the two sides that will eventually become the upright sides of the cover, leaving the side parallel the extra one inch unpinned.
Roll the extra one inch of fabric over so the raw edge is pinned under. (Like creating a hem for pants.) Thread your sewing machine (or sewing needle X | ) with the colour appropriate thread, and sew a simple straight stitch across the hem.
With the lace side/RIGHT SIDE facing INWARD, fold the fabric in half so that the two pinned sides are now on top of each other. Pin down the unpinned side without the extra one inch of fabric.
Sew a simple straight stitch down the side which we just pinned down. Take out all the pins for every side, and then repin the side that just had the doubled pins facing each other. Sew a simple straight stitch down this side as well.
Now flip the object inside out and, voila, IPhone cover! What I really like about this cover is that the fine silk lining acts like the screen cloth, wiping the screen clean when I put/pull it out of the cover.

Clutch:

Knit the Lace
CO 50 stitches with US 3 needle OR SIZE NEEDED TO OBTAIN GAUGE. Work in st st for two rows, then continue on in Checkerboard Lace Pattern Stitch until piece measures approx. 25″ from cast on edge. BO.

Wash and Block
Wash lace as before and block to measure approx. 25″ W X 8″ H.

Sew Together
Fold fabric piece cut to measure 50″ X 8″ in half with the WRONG SIDE facing INWARD so that it now measures 25″ X 8″. Iron flat. Place the dried and blocked lace on top of the fabric as shown in the image below

Pin down both 8″ edges (shown as the top and bottom edges in the picture above), as well as the edge on the right side where the lace and fabric line up cleanly. Sew a simple straight stitch across the 25″ edge we just pinned down.

Create the Pleating
Using the diagram shown above fold the pleats, iron them flat, and pin down.
Explanation of the diagram:
The RED LINE running down the very centre marks the half way point
for the whole purse; the pieces to the left and right should measure
just over 12″.
The LIGHT BLUE LINEs symbolize the point to which the pleats are
folding in towards.
The PURPLE LINEs symbolize the hard visible crease created.

**Repeat all the following folds for both sides of the red line.**

• CENTRE PLEAT- Find the point approx. 6″ in from the red line. This is the
  centre blue line. Find the point 3/4th of an inch to the right of this line and
  fold the fabric in on itself, like an accordion, pulling this point back (to the left)
  so that it now lines up with the centre blue line. Iron the fold flat and pin in
  place. Repeat this process, finding the point 3/4ths of an inch from the left of
  the centre blue line, and pulling it back (to the right) to the CBL.
• LEFT PLEAT- Find the point on the fabric 1.75″ to the left of the hard crease
  just created to the left of the CBL and mark it with a pin. Find the point on the
  fabric a half inch from the pin we just placed and fold it (just as we did with
  the centre pleats, pulling this point back to where the pin was placed. Iron
  the fold flat and pin in place.
• RIGHT PLEAT- Find the point on the fabric 1.75″ to the right of the hard
  crease just created to the left of the CBL and mark it with a pin. Find the point
  on the fabric a half inch from the pin we just placed and fold it (just as we did
  with the centre pleats, pulling this point back to where the pin was placed. Iron the fold flat and pin in place.

**Repeat folds for other side of clutch.

Sew another simple straight stitch across the top edge to secure the pleats in place. See image below.

Remove all the pins from the fabric. Fold the now pleated fabric/lace in half again this time with the RIGHT SIDES facing INWARD. Pin the sides where the lace measure 8″ across together and sew a simple straight stitch across this edge to seal the bag, making sure to only sew 7″ across, leaving 1″ open on the side with the extra 4″ of fabric. Flip right-side-out so that lace is now on the outside.

Create the Top Edge.
With 16″ US 3 needle OR SIZE NEEDED TO OBTAIN GAUGE pick up 100 stitches along the top edge of the bag. (The edge where the pleats were sewn down.) Join to work in the round.
Row 1: K around
Row 2: *K10, M1, repeat from * to end of row (110 sts)
Row 3: Repeat row 2 (121 sts)
Row 4: Repeat row 2 (133 sts)
Row 5: Repeat row 2 (146 sts)
Row 6: K around binding off.

Sew lining shut

Seal the Bottom of the Lining
Roll back the lace at the bottom of the bag as show in the image below. Sew a simple straight stitch across the bottom of the silk fabric, right up against the lace. (As shown below.)

Cut off excess fabric

Cut off the extra fabric from the bottom, leaving about a half inch extra below the seam just sewn.

Fold and sew bottom shut

Seal the Bottom of the Lace
Thread the tapestry needle with a length of the Kauni yarn; flip the bag upside down and fold the open lace inward to begin seaming it shut. The fabric should be folded in to create a T (*show as an upside down T to left). Sew across using the mattress stitch.

Roll top edge over frame bar and sew shut

Attach, sewing row 6 to tow 1 using the mattress stitch

Sew in the Purse Frame
Again, thread the tapestry needle with a length of the Kauni yarn. Insert the purse frame into the bag, so that the posts for the removable bars are poking out through row 2 of the Top Edge. (Shown in the middle in left most image). Thread the removable bars through the posts and screw the ends on. Roll the top edge over and sew it to row 1 using the mattress stitch. (Shown in left of two images. The bright metal thing on the right is the tapestry needle.)

Opens easily

This should allow enough room to open and close the purse comfortably.

DONE!

And guess what, you’re done!

Use this clutch and cover when there’s no sign of the morning coming, there’s no sight of the day, when you’ve been left on your own…like a Rainbow in the Dark.