Let's kick off this new year with a new sweater. May this year be infinitely better than the one before.
1/01/2021
Koru
12/10/2020
Strands of Joy
I've spent this year working on a huge project. Not only did I start designin full time after New Year's but I also signed a publishing contract with Laine at the beginning of January. And right now, as you're reading this, the pre-orders for my debut book have started.
Strands of Joy features 20 versatile colourwork patterns, including
sweaters and cardigans as well as an elegant dress, a warming hat and a kid's
pullover. The patterns are worked seamlessly from top down. Cast on a mindless two-colour
project or let your mind find peace in more complicated knits that require you
to stay focused.
This hardcover book contains:
- 176 pages
- 20 colourwork knitting patterns (10 sweaters, 7 cardigans, 1 dress, 1 hat, 1 kid's pullover)
- weight: approx. 900 g / 2 lb
- print only, no digital download code available
Printed in Latvia.
12/04/2020
Timjami
I've got a new sweater pattern to kick off December.
From: Tukuwool Fingering + ITO Sensai, 190 + 60 g
I often find inspiration for designing in the yarn itself. That's definitely what happened this time. The Finnish yarn brand, Tukuwool, got two new beautiful green colorways this fall and I fell head over heels for them. This greyish green is called Rohto. What made the colorway especially enticing was the fact that my LYS was full of silk mohairs to pair it up with. I couldn't pick just one so in the end I took three green silk mohairs with me to go with Rohto and started scetching ideas for a sweater.
And so, Timjami came to be. The name is Finnish for Thyme. Timjami is a relaxed, loose sweater worked seamlessly top-down. The design has long raglan sleeves with cute little lace and bobble pattern worked along the raglan seams. The sweater has a V-neck and a cropped hem with no waist shaping. The sides of the sweater have a bit of twisted ribbing, as do the hem, cuffs and neckband.
The sweater is worked with two yarns, holding the fingering weight main color yarn together with one of the lace weight contrast colour yarns and fading the contrast colour. I worked a couple stripes at the colour change to get a bit of a fade going on but this sweater would work well with clear colour blocks as well. I used three different colours of silk mohair but you can use as many as you like.
I finished my sample in the late summer and I've used it A LOT. Timjami is a very versitile sweater: it goes equally well with jeans and skirts. The best sweaters are the kind that you can pull over any clothes to keep you warm.
The pattern comes with sizes XXS-5XL. You can find Timjami on Ravelry, PayHip and Lovecrafts.
I'm taking part in a Finnish online craft fair this weekend and hence, today on Friday, you can get Timjami and all my pullover patterns for -15% with the code PUSEROPERJANTAI.
On Saturday, use the code LANGANJUOKSU to get 20% discount on all my colourwork designs and on Sunday, the code LANGANKIERTO gets you 15% discount on all my lace designs.
11/18/2020
Sleight of Hand
So it's not one but two new patterns this week! It's time for the third and final design of my mini sock collection.
From: Wool Me Once Fibers Gold Glitter Sock, 47 g
In the summer, I got the urge to knit socks. The sock fever wouldn't go away with just one pair so I ended up designing a mini collection - all ankle socks with sweet picot trims.
The collection was inspired talented Finnish indie dyers (and my need for ankle socks). I also named all the designs after the colorways I knit them with.
The third and final design in the collection is Sleight of Hand, named after this stunning golden colorway Ochrus Pochrus. I fell head over heels in love with this golden glimmering Gold Glitter Sock by Wool Me Once Fibers. It's got my favorite high twist merino base with gold stellina for a bit of sparkle.
Sleight of Hand socks are worked cuff-down. They start off with a sweet picot edge that is worked with a provisional cast on. The socks are embellished with cables and cute bobbles. The socks are worked in reverse stockinette stitch to make the cables really pop. Not to mention how luxurious the stockinette stitch on the inside feels against your skin. The heel is a simple and fun short row heel.
In fact, all three designs in the collection feature a different heel construction, making this collection an excellent opportunity to practice heels. All three patterns come in three sizes, 64, 68 and 72 sts.
You can find all three sock patterns on Ravelry, PayHip and Lovecrafts. You can buy them individially or as an e-book. If you've already bought Kvartsi and Ripple socks, Ravelry should give you a generous discount for these.
11/16/2020
Basic
It's been a while since my last cardigan pattern but that's what happens when you write a book full of patterns! (I'll let you know the publishing date as soon as I have it.)
From: Lumoava Jakki, 310 g
I'm not one for mindless knitting as it bores me but I think I managed to design a really basic looking cardigan - you know, the kind that goes with all of your clothes. But while it looks simple, it's a really interesting knit.
The cardigan is plain stockinette stitch with 3/4 length sleeves, a round neckline and some waist shaping. The buttonbands are worked simultaniously with the rest of the cardi and they are twisted ribbing. The cardigan gets its polished look from the cute picot trims.
This type of cookie cutter picot edge is achieved with working a folded hem with a 'k2tog, yo' row in the middle. And because picot edges are easiest to work with a provisional cast on, this cardigan is worked bottom up! This way you can work the hem and cuffs with a provisional cast on and will only have to use sewn bind off for the neckline.
This was an especially interesting design as I don't usually work bottom up but I still wanted to have proper shaping for the sleeve caps and shoulders while still having as little seaming at the end as possible. And I'm super happy to tell you I managed to shape the shoulders without breaking the yarn in between even once. So after the shoulders you will have just one final end to weave in. Victory! The body of the cardigan is worked from the hem to the underarms and then placed on a holder. Then, both sleeves are worked to the underarms and finally joined together with the body to work the top of the cardigan in one piece.
This turned out such a sweet little cardigan and you can no find it on Ravelry, PayHipistä and Lovecrafts. The pattern includes sizes XXS-5XL. Finally, use the code BASIC to get 15% discount until the end of the week.
10/19/2020
Ripple
I've had this insatiable hunger for knitting socks since summer. No wonder once pair just wasn't enough! I decided on designing a mini collection of three sock pattern. The first pair, Kvartsi, I published in September and now it's time to release my Socktober pattern, Ripple.