cosmicpluto knits!

Crossfield Shawl

I’ve gotten a few emails about what I’m wearing in my Welcome photo over on the side there, and I’m happy to announce that the Crossfield Shawl pattern is now available!

CROSSFIELD SHAWL

A super light, airy square shawl reminicient of a bandana or silk scarf. Easy to knit stockinette in the round with a fun garland lace edging. Wear it folded and tied, over your shoulders or any way you’d wear a bandanna!

This shawl would also make a beautiful baby or lap blanket worked in fingering weight or heavier yarn for a larger finished size.

Technical Editing by Jaya Purswani

SIZE
One Size; 28” / 71cm square, blocked

YARN
Laceweight yarn, 815 yards / 745m.
Shown in The Woolen Rabbit Whisper in Chocolate Chambord (100% merino wool, 1700 yds/235g skein), less than 1/2 skein used.

NEEDLES AND NOTIONS
US 2.5 / 3mm double pointed needles (or needles of choice for small circumferences in the round)
US 2.5 / 3mm 24-32” / 60-80cm long circular needles (change length as required as the shawl grows)
stitch markers
tapestry needle

GAUGE
26 sts and 40 rounds = 4” / 10 cm square in Stockinette Stitch

MORE INFO
Skills needed: cast on, knit, purl, increase, decrease, optional chart, knitting in the round.

Pattern is a 3-page PDF file with full colour photos, written and charted directions for the lace pattern, and abbreviations.

Available through Ravelry, payment through Paypal (no accounts required).

$5.00 USD

Massey Wrap

And now for the fruits of that photoshoot at Wychwood Barns!

MASSEY WRAP

This lacy wrap in fingering weight yarn scrunches up as a scarf or expands to be a stole. Versatile and easy to wear, Massey is knit on the bias in an easy lace pattern that looks great on both sides! One side features a geometric diamond pattern while the reverse is a wide and lacy rib. The knit-as-you-go I-cord edges are neat and pretty – a perfectly lovely piece for spring layering.

The stitch pattern used in this piece was inspired by “Another Lacy Rib” from Lynne Barr’s mindbending book Reversible Knitting. Technical Editing by Jaya Purswani.

SIZE
One Size: 13 inches / 33cm wide by 80 inches / 203cm long, blocked

MATERIALS
Lorna’s Laces Shepherd Sock (80% superwash wool, 20% nylon; 215 yds / 195m per 2 oz / 57 g skein)
4 skeins in Cranberry
or 860 yards / 780 m of fingering weight yarn

US 6 / 4mm needles (circular or straight)
tapestry needle
stitch markers (optional)

GAUGE
5 repeats of lace pattern = 3.5 inches / 9cm square, blocked
Approximately 24 sts = 4 inches / 10cm across in Stockinette Stitch

Gauge is very flexible for this pattern – use a needle size that will get you a fabric that you like.

Skills needed: knit, purl, increase, decrease, chart reading. This pattern is suitable for beginner lace knitters.

3-page PDF includes charted lace patterns only – no row-by-row instructions.

Available through Ravelry (no account needed), payment by Paypal.

$5.00 USD

Note: As of July 5, 2010, sales tax will be added to this price for all Canadian residents only. The rates are: British Columbia 12%; Ontario, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador 13%; Nova Scotia 15%; and everywhere else in Canada 5% GST. Tax will be added in the Paypal payment process.

hibiscus revisited

Some of you may have noticed that I’ve deactivated the Hibiscus shawl pattern from my Ravelry store. I’ve done this so I can reknit the pattern to investigate some problems that people have been having.

I’m knitting it up in some nice merino sock yarn from Maple Creek Farm, a Rhinebeck vendor that has great yarn but I don’t think sells anywhere else! I’ve been working away at it and I’m almost done. I’m also taking this opportunity to add stitch counts throughout the pattern.

The pattern should be back up for sale very shortly. I’m also going to continue donating a portion of the sales from this pattern to Haiti relief through February. I haven’t calculated the total for the January fundraiser yet, but I know it’ll be an amazingly generous amount!

Thanks to you all for purchasing patterns and helping to donate. If you’ve had your eye on any of my patterns, you’ve still got one day to contribute a portion of the purchase price to MSF and the Red Cross.

Hope you’re keeping warm this weekend.

sagano shawl

Sagano is an area located in western Kyoto, Japan, where the serene landscape includes one of the most spectacular bamboo forests in all of Japan. This textured scarf-sized shawl evokes the quiet beauty of bamboo in its leafy main stitch and stemlike ribbed edging. Use a special, soft yarn and keep the drafts away!

FINISHED SIZE
46 inches / 116 cm across the top, 15 inches / 38 cm down the centre of the shawl. The size of this scarf is easily modified to be larger by using a heavier yarn or working more repeats.

Special thanks to Bonnie and Erica for test knitting!

MATERIALS
Fingering Weight yarn, 450 yards.
Shown in Wullenstudio Sock Yarn (75% merino, 25% nylon; 450 yards/100g) in Green Tambourine.
US 6 / 4 mm circular needles, 32 inches / 80 cm or longer stitch markers tapestry needle

GAUGE
25 stitches and 32 rows = 4 inches / 10 cm square in stockinette stitch. Exact gauge is not crucial for this project, although the gauge will affect the final size.

3-page PDF pattern includes both charted and written directions.

Available through Ravelry (no account needed), payment by Paypal.

$5.00 USD

Note: As of July 5, 2010, sales tax will be added to this price for all Canadian residents only. The rates are: British Columbia 12%; Ontario, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador 13%; Nova Scotia 15%; and everywhere else in Canada 5% GST. Tax will be added in the Paypal payment process.

ripping and reknitting

A new little shawl project!

I had a customer the other day who was interested in finding a shawl pattern that was NOT a lace pattern. Tricky to find, it would seem! But since the days and nights are cooling off a bit, I thought a non-lace shawlette seemed like just the thing.

This pretty green yarn is Wullenstudio Sock Yarn that I got at Maryland Sheep&Wool, at the Cloverhill Yarn booth. What you can’t see is that it’s super, super soft, but nicely plied. The colour is great (and I have another skein in a raspberry colour too). This is a one-skein project – it uses 450 yards (maybe a few yards less).

I experienced a few setbacks with this project – I clearly wasn’t paying enough attention and ended up having to frog the daisy stitch portion a number of times! Eventually I worked it out, and knit an edging that in my mind was supposed to be a sort of bell ruffle.

(late night photography = incorrect colours!)

As ruffles go this wasn’t a huge one, less than double the stitches by the end – but right as I was binding off I changed my mind and ended up ripping the edging back. The ruffle was pretty, but it wasn’t exactly right.

I ended up with a sort of interrupted rib pattern that I think works great! And as I was finishing up, I realized what the patterns in the shawl remind me of – bamboo, more specifically bamboo forests like the ones I saw in Japan.

This is a really easy little shawl and I hope to have the pattern up very shortly – before I leave for Rhinebeck! I’ll be hanging out in Boston for Columbus Day weekend (which is Thanksgiving weekend here in Canada) and the week leading up to Boston, so I’d better get motoring…is anyone else surprised at how soon it is?!

Hibiscus Shawl

Hibiscus was inspired by a trip to the Hawaiian Islands. Featuring an easy star mesh pattern, this shawl is large enough to wrap around you but scrunchy enough for a scarf. And Hibiscus has a hidden surprise – a twist-stitch flower!

SIZE
60 inches / 152 cm across the top, 20 inches / 50 cm down the centre back

MATERIALS
525 yards / 480 m of fingering weight yarn. Shown in Koigu KPPPM, colour P306, 3 skeins.
US 6 / 4mm circular needles, 24 inches / 60 cm or longer, or size needed to obtain gauge stitch markers if desired tapestry needle

GAUGE
20 sts and 36 rows = 4 inches / 10 cm square in stockinette stitch
Exact gauge is not very important for this project, although a tighter gauge will result in a smaller shawl!

7-page PDF file includes both charted and written directions.

Available through Ravelry (no account needed), payment by Paypal.

$5.00 USD

BUY THE HIBISCUS SHAWL PATTERN ONLY:

Also available as part of the Flora and Fauna collection – a trio of patterns for just $14.00 USD

BUY THE FLORA AND FAUNA TRIO:

Note: As of July 5, 2010, sales tax will be added to this price for all Canadian residents only. The rates are: British Columbia 12%; Ontario, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador 13%; Nova Scotia 15%; and everywhere else in Canada 5% GST. Tax will be added in the Paypal payment process.