Shawl in 5 Colors: Work in Progress

My newest design is knit with a light fingering-weight yarn in five colors, and is a fantasy vision of a forest landscape, incorporating lace patterns of leaves and other forest foliage.

The shawl is asymmetrical (knit sideways), and progresses from geranium to red currant and then begonia, fairy and finally ecru.

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In this photo, you see the first two colors: geranium and red currant.

The accessory requires 2 Coast Ombre Packs (purchased from tangledyarn.co.uk). The yarn is a light fingering weight in 55% merino lambswool and 45% cotton).

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Be sure to come back for a visit to monitor the progress.

Happy Knitting!
MikeH

 

Free Lace Knit Scarf Pattern: Skinny Leaves

 

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The free pattern for this lace knit scarf is called Skinny Leaves not because the leaves are skinny – and it’s not designed for skinny people – it’s a skinny scarf that measures 4.5 inches (11.5cm) wide, and is 68.5 inches (174cm) long.

Knit with Araucania Botany Lace, which is actually a light fingering weight yarn, the scarf is lightweight but has enough substance that it’s perfect for cool autumn days.

The yarn is a hand-dyed wine color (colorway 2118).

Two basic lace stitch patterns are involved, with some eyelet rows where the wooden beads are placed (3 beads), and a knit-on edging.

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You’ll need some lace knitting experience for this, but it’s a good practice piece if you’d like to improve your lace knitting skills, knit-on edging skills, and bead placement skills!

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Download the free pattern from Ravelry, or the purchase the scarf on Etsy.

Happy Knitting!
MikeH

A Popular Pattern with a Knit-on Lace Edging

 

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This hand knit reversible heart shaped bandana/shawlette is one of my original – and most popular – designs: Buds and Flowers.

The yarn is a hand-dyed luxury blend that’s 80% fine merino wool and 20% silk. The colorway is called Mountain Moss, and there are 18 6mm sandalwood beads incorporated into a row of the flower pattern.

Wear with the point in front or in back, tie the ends, or add a vintage pin. This is an accessory that’s suitable for casual as well as evening wear.

The accessory measures:
18.5 inches (47cm) from the center of the top to the bottom point
43.5 inches (110.5cm) across at the widest point
47 inches (119.5) measured across the top edge

The accessory is available for purchase in my Etsy shop.

BFB1

If you’d like to knit your own, the basic pattern is available on Ravelry, and the instructions for this variation are here:

This is a slight variation on the original pattern, using a luxurious blend of merino and silk and adding some 6mm sandalwood beads.

With US4/3.5mm needles the shawlette required a full 113-gram skein (420 yards/385 meters) of Cherry Tree Hill Fingerpaints Superwash Silk Fingering yarn (Mountain Moss colorway).

And I added 18 6mm sandalwood beads in the middle of the flowers across one row.

Dimensions after blocking:
18.5 inches (47cm) from center of top to bottom point
43.5 inches (110.5cm) across at the widest point
47 inches (119.5cm) measured across the top edge

BFB3

Here are the variations in the instructions if you have this pattern:

Row 69: You’ll see these instructions in parentheses – to be repeated a total of 18 times across the row: 
(K2tog, YO, K3, YO, SSK, K3)
On the second K stitch of the K3 group in the middle – in bold above – place a bead and then knit the stitch

Row 109: K across
Then,
With the right side of your work facing you, CO an additional 6 stitches (cable cast-on method recommended):

K5, and then K the 6th stitch together with the next stitch on your left needle. You should have 6 stitches on your right needle and have decreased 1 stitch on your left needle.

Then, work as follows:
Row 1: K1, K2tog, YO, K2, YO twice, K1 (8 stitches)
Row 2: K1, (K1, P1 into double YO), K4, K the next stitch together with the next stitch on your left needle (8 stitches)
Row 3: K1, K2tog, YO, K5 (8 stitches)
Row 4: BO 2 sts, P2tog, YO, K2, K the next stitch together with the next stitch on your left needle (6 stitches)
Repeat these 4 rows to the end
BO

Let me know if you have any questions/need any help.

Happy Knitting!
MikeH

A Shawl for Fall with an Antique Knit-on Lace Edging

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All That Glitters is a unique crescent-shaped shawl ready for the autumn weather. I designed this accessory and knit it by hand using a high-end hand-dyed gradient yarn in 4 different colors.

You’ll find just a hint of sparkle in the yarn, which is 84 per cent superwash merino wool and 16 percent sparkle nylon. It’s easy care as well as elegant!

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I bought a Paintbox Kit from Biscotte et Cie because I loved the sparkly, colorful range of gradient yarns in the collection, even though I wasn’t sure at the time what I was going to do with it.

The yarn and the colors looked like they would be a good candidate for a rather simple garter stitch crescent shawl, with a more elaborate knit-on antique lace edging.

In all it required 600 yards/550 meters of fingering weight yarn
.

I used 4 colors of a 5-color (5-skein) Biscotte & Cie Gradient Paintbox “Twinkle Winkle” Hand Dyed Sparkling Yarn Kit: full skeins of colors A, B, and C, and 1/3 skein of color D. (Note that each of these skeins contains 182 yards/166 meters.)

The body is an easy knit – and no short rows are involved!

The knit-on lace edging is going to require a bit of lace knitting skill, at the intermediate level, in my opinion. If you’d like to give it a try, let me know if you need some help!

You can find the pattern on Ravelry, Craftsy, and LoveKnitting.

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Alternatively, you can purchase this shawl on Etsy.

There’s plenty of length to wrap around your shoulders, as the shawl measures 165 cm across x 42 cm wide at widest point
(65 x 16.5in).

A brooch or shawl pin would be a stunning addition, and although the sterling silver elephant shown on the listing page is not included in the price it is available.

All of the items in my shop are original designs and hand knit by me. World-wide standard air shipping is available.

Happy Knitting!
MikeH