Framboos is a crescent-shaped shawl worked from the top-down. Its stockinette body will let that special skein of fingering weight yarn shine. The lace edging with its lovely picot finishing makes this shawl a true stunner.
The shawl is started with a garter stitch tab, the lace in the border is knit on both right side and wrong side rows. The instructions for the border of the shawl are provided both fully charted and written out. Instructions for changing the size of the shawl are also included.
Pay what you want: (minimum €6.50)
€
Difficulty level
The shawl is started with a garter stitch tab in combination with a provisional cast on. Stitches used include knit, purl, k2tog, skp, yo and double yo. This pattern is suitable for the intermediate to advanced knitter.
Size and finished measurements
Finished dimensions of the sample shawl: Wingspan of 160 cm (63 inches) and a depth of 47 cm (18 ½ inches), measured after blocking.
Pattern details
Written for a gauge of 16 sts / 23 rows = 10 cm (4 inches) over stockinette after blocking. Gauge is not critical for this design, but a loose gauge is strongly advised.
Pattern languages included: English and Dutch (Dit patroon omvat zowel een Nederlandse als een Engelse versie).
Digital PDF has 4 pages (letter size).
Materials
415 m (454 yds) / 100 g Araucania Huasco / Botany Lace [100% merino wool]. Substitute any wool fingering weight yarn for a similar result.
Size 4 mm (US 6) / 80 cm (32 inches) circular needles.
Lately, I have all sorts of methods to cast on my knitting projects on my mind. Some I have already shared with you, think for example of the folded hem, the two-color cast-on, the picot cast-on, the provisional crochet cast-on and of course the Latvian twist. In this post, I want to show you how to knit an i-cord cast-on.
I-cord is usually knit over 3 to 5 stitches. In this example, I’m going to make an i-cord cast-on based on 3 stitches. In short, the instruction would be as follows:
I-cord CO: Cast-on 4 sts. k4, sl 4 sts just worked back to the LH needle, * kfb in next st, k3, sl 4 sts just worked back to the LH needle; rep from * until the desired number of sts has been achieved, plus 3 sts. Next: (k2tog) twice, sl 2 st back to LH needle, k2tog.
3. Slip the 4 newly knitted stitches back to the left-hand needle one by one.
4. Knit the next stitch in front loop and then in the back loop before sliding the off the stitch just worked. Tighten your yarn a bit.
5. Knit 3 stitches.
6. Slip 4 stitches back to the left-hand needle one by one.
7. Repeat steps 4 to 6 until you have the desired number of stitches plus 3.
8. Knit 2 stitches together, twice.
9. Slip 2 stitches back to the left needle.
10. Knit these 2 stitches together.
Now your cast-on is ready and you can start the rest of your project! This is how it looks at the front and back of the piece:
Notes
For a less “rounded” corner, you can also choose to omit steps 8 to 10. In the last repeat of step 6, slip only 3 stitches back to the left-hand needle and bind these off.
To use this cast-on method for a project knitted in the round, you can also choose to omit steps 8 to 10. In the last repeat of step 6, slip only 3 stitches back to the left-hand needle instead of 4 stitches and place those on a bit of waste yarn. Afterward you can then graft these stitches together with the starting stitches for a seamless connection of the i-cord edge.
Thanks to my Patreon supporters for bringing you this freebie! Creating quality patterns and tutorials is a lot of work and resource-intensive. However, I find it important to give you free content like this tutorial. Thanks to the generous support of my Patreon supporters, I can make it happen. Thank you, patrons! Click here to join, or click here to read more about La Visch Designs on Patreon.
The Stellaria Cowl was inspired by a desire to use up various odds and ends of the lovely rustic yarn by Moeke Yarns. Named for the tiny flowers in the design, this cowl is an entertaining and relaxing knit.
This cowl is knit in the round, with easy jog-less striping and flower texture stitch pattern. Included in the pattern is a photo tutorial on how to work the flower stitch. Available in two sizes, the Stellaria Cowl is bound to become a favorite to make, wear and gift!
Pay what you want: (minimum €5.50)
€
Size and finished measurements
The Stellaria Cowl is available in 2 sizes, S (L), the cowl pictured is size S. Finished dimensions: height of 42.5 cm (16 ¾ inches) and 73 (93) cm (28 ¾ (36 ½) inches) circumference, measured after blocking.
Difficulty
This cowl is knit in the round. Stitches used include knit, purl, skp and k2tog. The pattern is suitable for the intermediate knitter.
Pattern details
Worked in the round.
Gauge is not critical in this design. For the sample cowl: 18 sts / 27 rows = 10 cm (4 inches) over stockinette in the stripe section, measured after blocking.
Pattern languages included: English and Dutch (Dit patroon omvat zowel een Nederlandse als een Engelse versie).
Digital PDF has 4 pages (letter size).
Materials
Yarn: Moeke Yarns Elena (100% wool; 330 m (361 yds) / 100 g) in the following colors and amounts: Color A: 73 (93) m (79 (101) yds) / 22 (28) g in Gray Color B: 195 (250) m (214 (273) yds) / 60 (76) g in Natural Color C: 102 (130) m (111 (141) yds) / 31 (40) g in Dark Coral
A 4 mm (US 6) circular needle, 60 cm (24 inches) length.
Lately I have found myself attracted to stitches that give the fabric a lovely texture. A prime example is the small flower stitch. This stitch is unusual in the sense that it combines decreases with smartly placed elongated knit stitches. It can of course be worked both flat and in the round.
In this post I’ll show you how to work the small flower stitch as a flat piece working back and forth.
The small flower stitch step by step
1. The small flower stitch looks best on a background of stockinette stitch, therefore I have prepared a small stockinette swatch for this example. When planning your project it is good to realise that the flower stitch itself uses 4 stitches and looks best if there are at least 2 normal stitches in between the flowers.
2. Start by knitting to the place where you want the first flower to be.
3. Next, knit the following 2 stitches together to decrease 1 stitch with a right leaning decrease.
4. Next, work a left leaning decrease over the following 2 stitches. I like to use skp, but ssk can of course also be used if preferred.
5. Knit the stitches separating the flowers (in my case 2 stitches), work another k2tog and skp and knit to end.
6. Work 1 row plain in stockinette, in my flat worked swatch this means purling a row. When working in the round, this would of course be a knit round.
7. Again work to the spot where you want to place the flower, in my case 4 stitches into the row.
8. Now make an elongated knit stitch by inserting the right-hand needle into the space between the next 2 stitches (the k2tog and skp) under the second thread down. This is the thread that runs between the 2 stitches. Next knit 1 stitch into that space. Because this stitch is 2 rows down, you have to pull up quite a loop when making this stitch.
9. This looks something like this:
10. Next, knit 2 stitches. These are the stitches directly above the k2tog and skp knit earlier.
11. This step can be a bit tricky, because it is a bit hard to see. But is really not that bad when you get the hang of it. Do you see the spot in the fabric where the elongated stitch from step 9 is coming from? Insert your right hand needle into that very same space and knit another elongated stitch.
12. Again knit the stitches in between flowers, than repeat steps 8 to 11 to make more flowers. Next knit to end.
13. Finish your first row of flowers by working a couple of rows in stockinette stitch.
And this is how the small flower stitch looks in a larger project (this is a snapshot of my Stellaria cowl, worked in Moeke Yarns Elena):
In this example I have offset the second row of flowers. However, you can of course also put the flowers directly above previous flowers.
You’re probably familiar with those cute French knitting dolls. With the doll I had as a child, I probably made dozens and dozens meters of cord. At that time the making of just the cord itself was enough, nowadays I really only use cord when needed in addition to another project. Think of straps or closures for wrap cardigans.
Nowadays I don’t use French knitting dolls anymore for my cord needs: I make cord with just my knitting needles. This type of cord is also know as “I-cord”, with the “I” standing for “idiot” because it is indeed idiotically easy to knit.
Most tutorials for i-cord indicate that double pointed needles or circular needles are needed. This is because after the setting up the stitches and the working the first row, the work is not turned. Instead the stitches are pushed to the other side (point) of the needle. However, this approach does not work if you want to attach the cord to an existing piece of knitting.
That’s why I’ll show you in this post how to knit an i-cord without the pushing around of stitches. With this method, you can also just use regular straight needles if you wish. I don’t, but that is just because I like knitting with circs better.
I-cord is usually knit over 3 to 5 stitches. In this example I’m going to make i-cord on 3 stitches. In short instruction would be as follows:
I-cord: Cast on 3 sts. *k 3, sl 3 sts just worked back on the LH needle, pull yarn tight across back of sts; rep from * to desired length.
Knitting i-cord step by step
1. Cast on 3 stitches, in this example I used the knitting-on method.
2. Knit 1 row.
3. Slip the three newly knitted stitches back to the left hand needle one by one.
4. Pull the yarn tight and make sure it is behind the work.
5. Repeat steps 2 to 4 until the cord has the desired length. In the picture below, I repeated these steps about 10 times.
Knitting i-cord is indeed, not too difficult, right?
Worked in this lovely rustic yarn by Moeke Yarns, the Elena Half Hap makes for a wonderful cozy shawl. Perfect to wrap up in on a chilly day. Elena is made in the tradition of the shawls from the Shetland Isles, making for a very interesting construction.
Elena starts at one corner of the center triangle and increased until big enough. Stitches are then picked up along the edges and the stunning striped border is worked outwards. Finish the shawl with a gorgeous edging that is knitted on sideways and attached to the live stitches of the border as it is being worked.
Pay what you want: (minimum €6.50)
€
Size and finished measurements
Size S (L): Wingspan of 185 (215) cm (72 ¾ (84 ½) inches) and a depth of 91 (105) cm (35 ¼ (41 ¼) inches), measured after blocking. The shawl shown is in size L.
Difficulty
Stitches used include knit, skp, yo as well as various increases and decreases. Due to the lace patterning, combined with the applied border this pattern is suitable for the intermediate knitter.
Pattern details
The Elena Half Hap is worked flat back and forth.
Gauge is not critical in this design. For the sample shawl measured after blocking: 10.5 sts / 12.5 rows = 10 cm (4 inches) over body pattern in the center triangle. This is a relatively loose gauge for an airy fabric.
Pattern languages included: English and Dutch (Dit patroon omvat zowel een Nederlandse als een Engelse versie).
Digital PDF has 8 pages (letter size).
Materials
Yarn: Moeke Yarns Elena (100% wool; 330 m (361 yds) / 100 g) in the following colors and amounts: MC: 255 (290) m (278 (318) yds) / 77 (88) g in Natural C1: 241 (290) m (264 (318) yds) / 73 (88) g in Gray C2: 152 (244) m (166 (267) yds) / 46 (74) g in Coral
A circular needle size 4.5 mm (US 7), 80 cm (32 inches) long.
Yarn needle
2 stitch markers to indicate the center stitch
1 removable stitch marker to mark the RS (optional)
“Moeke”, a somewhat old-fashioned word that makes most people probably think about their mother or grandmother. For me my first thoughts go out to the wonderful rustic yarn by Moeke Yarns. Somewhat thick and thin, and not the softest yarn in the stash, it does not sound like a yarn to idolize.
That I am nevertheless crazy about it is because of the great character of this 100% wool yarn, how it feels, how it smells… I would swear that there is something addictive in these specific wool fumes.
The story of Moeke Yarns is as special as the yarn itself. It’s a real family business consisting of Ioana (living in the Netherlands), her brother Radu and his wife Simina and their parents (in Romania). In 2013, Ioana was visiting her parents in Romania and found two large bags of yarn spun by her grandmother.
It was then that she realized that Romania has a good number of traditional breeds of sheep and a long tradition in wool processing. However, this tradition likely to be lost due to the poor economic conditions: shepherds can’t find people to sell their wool to and eventually burn it to get rid of it. What a terrible thing!
Ioana and her brother decided to start making yarn from the fleece of animal friendly kept Romanian sheep. In line with the traditional way of processing, the wool is washed without harsh chemicals and spun locally using machines that have been in use for over 100 years. And to remain with the ecological responsible thought, the yarn is only available in natural colors. Now, several years later, the brand is (unsurprisingly) a worldwide success
And that brings me to the following: The MY Make Along 2016! This is an international event, which starts on September 12. It is dedicated to knitting, crocheting and weaving, using yarns by Moeke Yarns. An event which designers and creators who share a deep love of creating, respect for animals and nature, are brought together.
And yes, I am one of the participating designers! Two of my designs will be eligible for the Make Along. One of these is my Elena Half Hap design, the other (a cowl pattern) Â will be published in a couple of weeks.
Participating
To participate in the Make Along there are 2 conditions: 1) make one or more of the selected patterns designed for Moeke Yarns that are or will be released this year, and 2) use a yarn by Moeke Yarns to make your project.
I have said it before and will say it again: a nice border can really make an otherwise simple project. In this tutorial I want to show you how to knit a scalloped edge. This particular edge is not only very beautiful, but is also relatively easy to knit!
This edge is knitted over two rows immediately after casting on your stitches. Therefore, this edging is particularly suitable for pieces that are knit up from the cast on edge. Think of sweaters, cardigans or, for example a bottom-up shawl.
The scalloped edge is knit in multiples of 11 stitches + 2. Please note, though, that when you’re finished with the cast on and are ready to begin the rest of you project, you’ll only have a multiple of 6 + 2 stitches left. So, don’t forget to take this into account.
Knitting a scalloped edge step by step
1. In this example, I will be knitting a scalloped edge with 3 scallops. This means I will be casting on a total of 33 + 2 stitches. I used the knitting-on method to cast on my stitches.
2. Purl 1 row.
3. Turn your work and knit the first 2 edge stitches.
4. Knit one stitch and slip it back to the left-hand needle.
5. Pass the next 8 stitches over the last stitch knit. You can do this one by one or all at once, whatever you find easiest! I did one by one as you can see in the first picture below.
6. Make a double yarn over….
7. ….and knit the stitch previously slipped back to the other needle.
8. Knit 2 stitches.
9. Repeat steps 4 to 8 for the two other scallops.
10. Turn work and knit 1 stitch…
11. … and continue purling 2 stitches together. For this step, you will use one of your edge stitches!
12. Drop one of the 2 double yarn overs, so you have just the one (big) loop on your left-hand needle.
13. Next knit into this loop without slipping of the stitch [knit 1, yarn over, knit 1, yarn over], now you can slip the big-loop stitch off.
14. Purl 1 stitch.
15. Repeat steps 11 to 14 for the two other scallops, and then work the remaining edge stitch. This is how the scalloped edge then looks like on the right side of work:
16. Knit the next row, please note that every first stitch of each scallop should be knit through the back loop to tighten it up.
After 2 rows in stockinette stitch, the whole thing looks as follows:
The wrong side of the work is also pretty!
And there you have it: a nice scalloped start of a lovely project!
Thanks to my Patreon supporters for bringing you this freebie! Creating quality patterns and tutorials is a lot of work and resource-intensive. However, I find it important to give you free content like this tutorial. Thanks to the generous support of my Patreon supporters, I can make it happen. Thank you, patrons! Click here to join, or click here to read more about La Visch Designs on Patreon.
The star stitch is a very pretty stitch, which also gives projects a lovely texture. You may also have heard of this stitch by the name of “Marguerite Stitch”. In this post, I will show you how to crochet the reversible half-star version. This means that each side of the fabric will show half a star, giving a completely reversible fabric. Instructions are also given to transform it into the full-star, non-reversible star stitch.
The star stitch is worked as a multiple of 2 + 1 + stitches plus three turning chains. If you want to work this stitch on an existing piece in another stitch pattern, start with a multiple of 3 + 1 stitches and 3 turning chains before you turn your work and starting the first row in star stitch.
It is of course also possible to crochet the star stitch in the round. In that case, work a multiple of 2 + 1 stitches and crochet the 3 turning chains after joining in the round.
In this post I’ll show you how to work the star stitch as a flat piece working back and forth. These instructions are written in American English crochet terminology.
The star stitch step by step
First row
1. In this example, I crochet the star stitch directly on the starting chain, which I made 16 chains long.
2. When inserting the hook in a chain stitch, there are of course several options on where in the stitch exactly to insert your hook. However, for the best result in this stitch, I would suggest inserting your hook in the single bumps at the back of the starting chain.
First star
3. Insert the hook into the second chain from the hook and pull up a loop.
4. Also repeat step 3 for the third to sixth chain from the hook. Take care to pull up the last few loops a little bit longer than the first ones. You now have 6 loops on your hook.
5. Make a yarn over and pull the yarn through all the loops on the hook.
6. Crochet 1 chain, your first star is now done.
Second star
7. To start the next star, insert your hook in the chain just made and pull up a loop.
8. Then insert the hook under the two loops you can see on the side of the last pulled up loop from the previous star and pull a loop.
9. Now insert your hook in the last chain of the starting chain in which the previous star was made. This was the sixth chain from the hook. Pull up a loop.
10. To complete all the loops for the second star, insert the hook into the next chain from the starting chain and pull a loop. This was the seventh chain from the hook. Repeat for the eighth chain from the hook. Remember to make these last loops a bit longer again than the previous loops. You now have again six loops on the hook.
11. Make a yarn over and pull the yarn through all the loops on the hook. Crochet 1 chain, this completes the second star.
12. Repeat steps 7 to 11 until the end of the row. You can clearly see in this example how pretty the bottom edge is, because I have worked in the back bumps of the starting chain.
Second row For the full-star non-reversible version of the star stitch, work a full row in sc or hdc before continuing with steps 13 to 16.
13. Crochet 3 chains and turn work. Make sure you do not crochet these chains too tight, because you will crochet into them later on.
14. Insert your hook in the second chain from the hook (in the bump on the back of the turning chain!) and pull up a loop. Repeat for the third chain from the hook. Next pull up loops in the first, second and third stitches from the previous row.
15. Make a yarn over and pull the yarn through all the loops on the hook. Crochet 1 chain, this completes the first star of the second row.
16. For the next stars of this row, repeat steps 7 to 11. To pull up the last loop for the last star of the row, you insert the hook in the chain that you skipped when making the first star of the previous row. Depending on how loose your turning chain was made, this may be a bit tight …
17. Repeat steps 13 to 16 for the rest of your project. For the full-star non-reversible version of the star stitch, work a full row in sc or hdc before every repeat of steps 13 to 16.
Making a folded edge or or hem on a knitted garment is the way to give a project an edge in stockinette stitch that does not roll. Ideal if you’re looking for an understated and elegant finish of your garment. Because this border is composed of two layers, it is a strong and wear-resistant finish, which is very suitable for example for sleeves and collars.
As is often the case, there are multiple ways to create a folded hem. In this post I will show you the version using a provisional cast-on.
Materials needed
Yarn for your project
Smooth waste yarn in a similar thickness as your main or slightly thinner for the provisional cast-on
Knitting needles
An additional knitting needle in the same or slightly smaller size
A crochet hook
Knitting a folded hem step by step
1. Start by doing a provisional cast-on using the waste yarn. In this post you can see how my favourite way to do a provisional cast-on is done step by step.
2. Then knit with your main yarn in stockinette stitch. For a somewhat rounded edge to your hem, knit to about twice the desired height of the hem. That’s what I’ve done in this example.
For a hem with a sharper crease on the fold, knit in stockinette until the desired height of the hem. Next work a purl row on the right side of the work, followed by another length in stockinette for the desired height of the hem.
3. Remove the provisional cast-on and place the freed stitches on the extra knitting needle.
4. Fold the piece like shown in the picture with the right side of the work on the outside and hold both knitting needles in the same hand.
5. Insert the third knitting needle into the first stitch on the front needle as if to knit as usual, then immediately after that do the same with the first stitch on the needle at the back. Wrap yarn around the needle as usual and pull it through both stitches. Next slip both first stitches from the 2 left-hand needles to complete the stitch.
6. Repeat step 5 until the end of the needle, it will look something like this:
After knitting a few rows in stockinette stitch, the work looks like this on the right side of the work:
On the wrong side of the work you can also see how pretty this hem look. This is a very suitable solution for those projects that have to be pretty on both sides!
For this type of folded hem I also see the possibility of using it for the waist of a skirt to thread a cord or elastic band through. Also in terms of finishing the hood of a sweater, I see opportunities!
