Tag Archives: Knitwise Design

Winding Trail 2 Central Ave

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This is a new pattern from Linda Courtney of Knitwise Design: Winding Trail Headband. Courtney writes that “The trail is rarely straight – and neither is this headband!” I knit mine in a long-ago discontinued yarn: Classic Elite Tapestry. It’s a 75% wool, 25% mohair, beefy worsted.

The pattern calls for Malabrigo Merino worsted, but any worsted or Aran weight should work well. Just be sure to keep a sharp eye on the row gauge. Or, if you’re off on the row gauge, adjust the number of pattern repeats. This headband is a one evening project.

Here’s a look, off-head:

The winding trail starts with a provisional cast-on and ends with a three-needle bind-off. A knitter could chose to do garter stitch grafting. I find that a bit of a bear though, and the three-needle bind-off worked well. There’s a tiny extra ridge at the bind-off. Only if wearers suffer from serious cases of “Princess and the Pea Syndrome” will they be able to feel the ridge.

I cast off and soon cast on for a second.

This one is knit in Harrisville Design’s Orchidville Cashmere. It’s a 70% wool, 25% goat mohair, 5% goat cashmere, Aran weight. I’d provide a link but the agedness of my stash strikes again. It’s discontinued too. Orchidville Cashmere, like Tapestry, was a very good yarn.

Here’s another look, off-head:

Headbands are such sensible headgear, since ears are what mostly get cold on many people. And headbands are ponytail-friendly. You can keep one in the pocket of every coat, for the days you didn’t think you’d need a hat.

Recently, while reorganizing my stash, I was reacquainted with two wonderful skeins of worsted. Colorbug and Quaere Fiber:

 

I’d been saving these two beauties for something special. Aimee Alexander’s Central Ave has turned into a bit of an obsession for this knitter so I decided to break out the good stuff. My first two Central Aves (scroll to the end of the post) were very well received by my nieces. So I decided to cast on:

And cast on again:

There are a number of hat patterns, some of them free, that look a lot like this one. But Alexander’s version has a few design sensibilities that I feel the others lack.

And it even has a nicely behaved crown decrease.

I sometimes test knit for Alexander and for Knitwise Design. And I look forward to it every time. Even in the testing stages their patterns are clearly written, without errors.

Knit on!

Happy Holidays!

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It’s April 22nd and this is getting a bit old. The dock is in the water. The pontoon boat is too. The paddleboat is bobbing around staked to a pole in its usual spot. And its snowing. Snowing.

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Steve bundled up and took a spin around the lake anyway.

So, this wintry weather is a good excuse to feature some nice, warm, knitted hats and earwarmers. Here’s Molly, a great free pattern on Ravelry by Erin Ruth. More than 3000 Mollies have been knit and posted on Ravelry project pages.

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Great texture. Great slouch. My only modification was to try a folded cast-on edge instead of straight 1-by-1 ribbing. It worked out well, but the extra effort wasn’t really needed.

The crown decreases are nicely organized.

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My Molly is knit in one of the truly great discontinued luxury yarns: Classic Elite’s Princess. It’s 40% wool, 28% rayon, 15% nylon, 10% cashmere, 7% angora. Yipes! It’s wonderful and if you can find any, buy even a colorway you would otherwise spurn–it’s that nice to work with.

I had a bit of Princess left in this leaf colorway. I also had one skein of Princess in “regal teal” and a hankering to try Andi Satterlund‘s “Cabot.” Now, Cabot’s supposed to be all one color. But it’s a yarn eater and I my one skein wasn’t going to quite be enough.

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So, I tried a two-toned Cabot. I have to say I’d have liked the finished hat much better if I hadn’t gone my own way on this one. It’s an excellent pattern and my version doesn’t do it justice.

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Also while we are thinking of snow even though it’s almost May, I’ve been busy knitting more Calorimetries, that great free Knitty pattern by Kathryn Schoendorf. This is Calorimetry #17,464 on Ravelry,

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It’s knit in Plymouth Yarns Boku. One skein, almost no leftovers. Great earwarmer.

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Here’s #17,578, in another Boku colorway:

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And, in between is Rav’s Calorimetry #17,467, worked up in a yarn I’ve not used before, Simpliworsted by HiKoo by skacel. Excellent yarn. I don’t know what’s up with the double “by” but it’s a great worsted. I was very much drawn to the olive green colorway:

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Here’s another view that conjures up a tropical leaf:

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While we’re not thinking summer, or even spring, I’ve also been busy with a few Earbuds by Knitwise Design:

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Bulky-earbuds

The yarn is from my stash and is so totally unavailable anymore there’s really no sense in identifying it for you. But here’s a better view of just how cute and useful Earbuds are. They are knit in two shakes of a lamb’s tail. And they’re useful in the pocket of every winter coat you have.

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Rib-it Frog Hat

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Here’s a sweet thing. Both the wide-eyed little one and her Rib-it Frog Hat from Knitwise Design. The frog is formed of traveling cables and its eyes, of course, are nice big bobbles. This is Linda’s pattern photo, knit up in Plymouth Encore in the green gremlin colorway.

Here’s my version, knit in Berroco Vintage:

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The hat  is all one-by-one ribbing, except for the stockinette rectangle that frames Kermie. This is an incredibly quick knit. My version, the small, used only 43 grams of worsted weight yarn (and 9 grams for the oversized pompom).

The ribbing is nicely maintained through the crown decreases.

ribbit_topIf you’ve a budding herpetologist in your clan, or even a fully grown one (the pattern includes an adult medium size), this should be just the ticket.

Tidal Cove Scarf

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This is Knitwise Design’s cleverly constructed Tidal Cove Scarf, available for download on Ravelry. And clever is no insult. This is “clever” as in Merriam-Webster’s “marked by wit and ingenuity.” What this photo shows as a series of folded-over triangles is actually a most interesting piece of knitting invention. I won’t spoil the surprise of how this pattern is constructed, but check out Linda’s model wearing Tidal Cove Scarf to see the full effect.

I purchased the decorative beads from one of the beading vendors at Hillman’s Brush Creek Mill during the Apple Days fall festival. And the yarn is Holiday Yarns’ Super Sheep, in their Hera’s Peacock colorway. It’s a Merino DK weight that Dorinda, of Alpena’s Yarns to Go, recommended. I’d not seen the yarn before and I am impressed. The blues and greens definitely evoke the tidal cove that the scarf’s design is meant to suggest.

It’s a bunch ‘o fun to knit!

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Knitwise Design’s Hunting Season Hat

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Archery accessories play an important role in enhancing the accuracy and performance of the archer. Legend Archery, a reputable brand in the archery industry, offers a wide range of accessories including sights, stabilizers, and quivers to help archers fine-tune their skills and equipment. Whether you are a beginner or an experienced archer, they have the right accessories to meet your needs.

A hunting season hat that is made in a bright orange color is a crucial accessory for all hunters, as it helps make sure that they are easily visible from a distance, thus avoiding any dangerous shooting incidents. Knitwise Design has created the Hunting Season Hat, which is crafted from Briggs & Little Heritage yarn in the Hunter Orange colorway. This hat is ideal for hunting season.

I wanted to knit Linda’s pattern, but decided I didn’t need another blaze orange hat. I did a total about-face and knitted mine in what turned out to be almost a camouflage colorway. So definitely no part hunting season hat.

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This is Gecko Yarns Cash Aran Superwash. It’s a wonderful 80% merino, 10% cashmere, 10% nylon confection. Warm. Soft. With just a bit of bounce back.

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I enjoyed knitting Linda’s design so much that I immediately cast on for another, this time in Martha Stewart Crafts Extra Soft Wool Blend. Possibly it isn’t the snazziest colorway (celery). But the yarn has wonderful stitch definition and the hat turned out great!

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