Tag Archives: free patterns

Wabi Mitts

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wabi mitts fingerless gloves free knitting pattern

At Stitches Midwest last summer, when we could not keep away from the Habu booth, one of my favorite purchases was some N-68, a nubby, rustic, linen/wool yarn in dark charcoal. I knew right away that I wanted to knit a pair of very simple mitts out of it — something austere and Japanese-ish that would show off the softness and rusticity — and a picture developed in my mind. But as any form of design tends to do, the idea morphed on its way from my brain to my fingers. The result is definitely simple, but deceptively so: Out of the stockinette hand emerges an abbreviated reverse-stockinette thumb, which is crisply outlined all the way around. (Wow, practically slipped into International Art English there.) There’s a small rolled edge at the bottom of the cuff , with clean edges at the top of the hand and thumb.

They’re minimalist, for sure, but of the wabi-sabi school — poetically spare, with details that require you to slow down to notice them. Those details also slow down the knitting a tiny bit, but these are a still a very quick and satisfying project. At a ball and a half per pair, you only need one extra ball of the N-68 to net a second pair. Which is good, because I’m still trying to figure out how to make the first idea work. A companion pattern may follow …

Meanwhile, the full Wabi pattern is below, and you can also add it to your queue or favorites at Ravelry.

wabi mitts fingerless gloves free knitting pattern

Wabi Mitts pattern

These mitts were inspired by, and knit from, Habu’s N-68 linen-wool roving, which is a slubby fingering-weight yarn. I like the rusticity combined with the spareness of this glove, but you could use any fingering-weight yarn for a different look. Without a lot of stretch to them, and at a circumference of 7 inches in the top of the hand, these fit a medium-large woman’s hand, but the gauge is slightly loose. To make them a bit smaller, you could go down a needle size, or eliminate one stitch from the thumb and 2 or 3 more from the hand — just be cognizant of your gauge and what those stitches will amount to.

Materials:

  • 150 yards (1.4 balls) Habu N-68 linen-wool roving or other fingering-weight yarn
  • double-pointed needles in size US4/3.5mm and US7/4.5mm, or size needed to obtain gauge
  • two small stitch markers
  • smooth cotton waste yarn or dental floss
  • tapestry needle

Measurements (before blocking):

  • Gauge is 4.25 stitches and 6.5 rows per inch in stockinette stitch
  • Circumference (unstretched) is 7 inches at the narrowest part of the hand; length is 6 inches

DIRECTIONS

Starting with one of the smaller DPNs (US4) and holding two strands of yarn together, cast on 35 stitches, then divide onto 3 DPNs. Making sure stitches are not twisted around needles, join for working in the round. Use your tail (or pin a marker) to keep track of needle 1.

Begin knitting
Continuing with the smaller DPNs, knit 3 rounds.
Setup round, switching to the larger needles (US7): k28, pm, p3, pm, k4
Slip round: Knit to last stitch before first marker, slip 1 knitwise wyib, sm, p3, sm, slip 1 purlwise wyib, knit to end
Straight round: Knit to first marker, sm, purl to second marker, sm, knit to end
Repeat the last two rounds until piece measures 2 inches (from rolled edge — do not unroll to measure), ending with a Slip round.

Create thumb gusset
Increase round: Knit to first marker, sm, pfb, purl to last stitch before next marker, pfb, sm, knit to end
Slip round: Knit to last stitch before first marker, slip 1 knitwise wyib, sm, purl to second marker, sm, slip 1 purlwise wyib, knit to end
Repeat these two rounds 4 more times each, for a total of 10 rounds, ending with a Slip round. You will have 13 stitches between the markers.
Next round: k28, sm, p13, sm, k4

Separate thumb and finish hand
Knit to first marker; drop marker. With your tapestry needle, thread waste yarn through the 13 thumb stitches and tie ends together loosely; drop second marker. Using backwards loop method, cast on 2 stitches on right-hand needle; knit to end of round. (34 sts)
Work in stockinette (knit all stitches) for 10 rounds.
Drop and cut one strand of yarn, leaving a 6-inch tail, and switch to smaller DPNs; knit 3 rounds. (Avoid working these stitches overly tightly.)
Bind off loosely. (If your bind-off tends to be especially tight, consider using the larger needle for bind-off.)

Knit thumb
Working from right to left, slip first 6 stitches from waste yarn onto one of the larger double-pointed needles (needle 1), then the next 7 stitches onto needle 2. Reattach yarn (held double) and, with needle 3, pick up and purl 2 stitches, coinciding with the cast-on stitches. (With yarn in front, insert needle purlwise under both legs of one stitch, wrap yarn over needle tip and pull through for a purl stitch. Repeat for second stitch.)
Purl 1 round.
Using smaller needle, bind off in k1/p1 fashion.

Weave in ends. You your tails to close up any gaps around the thumb, if needed.

Repeat from beginning for second mitt.

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<< Fave/queue the Wabi mitts at Ravelry >>

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ABBREVIATIONS

k = knit
p = purl
pfb = purl through front and then back of the stitch before slipping off left needle (1 stitch increased)
pm = place marker
sm = slip marker
sts = stitches
wyib = with yarn in back

Knit the Look: Lindsey Wixson’s easy oatmeal cowl

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how to knit lindsey wixson's infinity scarf

I’m pretty sure this photo of model Lindsey Wixson in her fur hat and oatmeal cowl is the one that planted the seed for Knit the Look. I remember seeing it on Vanessa’s blog and thinking geez! This is literally Knitting 101 — cast on, knit, bind off. Then seam the ends together to form a loop. If you know the knit stitch — even if you only know the knit stitch — you can make this in no time.

So simulating this one doesn’t require tracking down a similar pattern, and it could be made from any chunky yarn you like. But the key to getting it to look like Lindsey’s is that marl effect, which you could easily achieve by holding three strands of yarn together, such as Cascade Eco Alpaca in Natural, Straw and Silver. To start, calculate what you want the circumference of your cowl to be: Drape a piece of yarn around your neck, estimating how you want the scarf to lay, then measure that length. (For this look, probably something in the range of 36–40 inches.) Cast on 30 stitches on US11/8mm or larger needles. Work back and forth in garter stitch (i.e., knit all stitches), until you have a rectangle whose length equals your desired circumference. Bind off loosely, then use your yarn and tapestry needle to seam the two ends together. Et voilà.

See Vanessa’s recommendations for the hat to go with!

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Street style photo © Vanessa Jackman; used with permission

Double Basketweave Cowl

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double basketweave cowl free knitting pattern

Ever since I knitted that Jumbo Basketweave Cowl last winter, I’ve been wanting to do another version — at a thinner gauge and long enough to wrap twice around my neck. And from the moment I first laid my hands on that indigo-dyed Sincere Sheep Luminous wool/silk yarn we’ve got in the shop (for a few more days at least), I knew I had to knit with it, and that I wanted it piled up around my neck. So the two urges merged into this Double Basketweave Cowl. Double because it loops twice, because it’s knitted with two strands of yarn, and because it uses almost exactly two skeins of the Luminous. I also love it doubly as much as the original. It’s the knitwear equivalent of that most beloved and worn pair of blue jeans.

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DOUBLE BASKETWEAVE COWL PATTERN | download PDF

This is a super simple, easy to memorize knits-and-purls stitch pattern. Feel free to knit more or fewer rows of the basketweave pattern for a wider or narrower cowl, as desired. If adjusting for the circumference, multiply your stitch gauge by whatever you want your circumference to be, then round to the nearest number that is divisible by both 4 (for the ribbing) and 6 (for the basketweave pattern).

Materials:

  • 7.75 oz/640 yards Sincere Sheep Luminous or other DK/light-worsted yarn, held double throughout (shown in Modern Alchemy*)
  • 32-inch 6.5mm/US10.5 circular needle
  • tapestry needle for weaving in ends

Measurements (before blocking):

  • Gauge is 4 sts and 5 rows to the inch in basketweave pattern
  • Finished size is 48-inch circumference by 9 inches wide

Directions:

Holding two strands of yarn (throughout pattern), CO 192 sts
place marker and join for working in the round, making sure stitches are not twisted around needle
work k2/p2 ribbing for 4 rounds
knit next round
work 10-round basketweave pattern (below) 4 times
work k2/p2 ribbing for 4 rounds
BO loosely and weave in ends

Basketweave pattern:

Rounds 1-4: *k2, p4, repeat from * through end of round
Round 5: knit all stitches
Rounds 6-9: p3, *k2, p4, repeat from * until one stitch before marker, p1
Round 10: knit all stitches

(Fave, queue or download it at Ravelry)

double basketweave cowl free knitting pattern

*Note that when using indigo-dyed yarn, as with a new pair of blue jeans, there will be some color transfer. Expect your hands to turn slightly blue while knitting (it washes right off) and for the soak water to turn blue when blocking the finished piece. After that, the dye should be set.

Marl Mitts

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marl mitts fingerless gloves free knitting pattern

One of my favorite things to look at, think about, play around with is what happens when you hold multiple yarns together — either low- or high-contrast — and especially when you switch out yarns along the way. I’ll have a roundup tomorrow* of some of the things that inspire me in this regard, but meanwhile here are those latest mitts I mentioned on Friday, which I began without a plan and made up as I went along.

These are just Super Simple Mitts, with a few minor modifications:

  • CO 32 stitches on US8 (5mm) needles, holding two strands of yarn
  • Ribbed k2/p2 all the way up (except the first round of each color change — for those rounds I knit every stitch)
  • For the worked-flat section at the thumb opening, knit the first and last two stitches of each row, for garter edging along thumbhole

I had intended to do more color play with these, but I love black-and-white marl so much I just settled into it. For the second mitt, at my friend Sarah’s behest, I threw in a blue stripe as a tiny accent. I like things a little off-kilter, so that pleases me.

YARNS: The ivory, used throughout, is Cascade Eco Alpaca in Natural. The grey is Cascade 220 Heathers in Silver. The black is Shibui Merino Alpaca in Ebony (held single for the solid black stripe at the top of the mitt). And the solid blue is a single strand of Malabrigo Twist in Tuareg.

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*10.30: Here’s that roundup I promised: The other breed of colorwork

The ridiculously cute baby gift

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knitted origami baby booties pattern

I stumbled across this schematic for these adorable origami baby booties recently and knew instantly that’s what I’d be knitting for my aforementioned friend Rachel, who is due at any moment. Of course, then I had to fashion a little hat to go with them. I gave them to her at lunch yesterday and she said the booties are going onto his little feet the moment the baby is born. It’s hard to imagine a person this tiny, so I sure hope they fit! (Or that if they don’t, they’re too large rather than too small.)

knitted baby hat with tassel

Here’s what I did —

Yarn is Malabrigo Arroyo (sport weight) in Prussia Blue, held double throughout. Gauge for the hat is 5 sts/inch in stockinette; finished circumference is 13 inches. The booties are 15g of yarn. An additional 31g for the hat.

BOOTIES: CO 7 stitches on US9 needle; knit 22 rows. At end of 22nd row, using backwards loop method, cast on an additional 10 stitches. Row 23, knit back across all stitches then cast on another 10 stitches — you now have a T shape. Knit until total of 32 rows. Bind off, leaving a long tail. The cast-on edge is the toe. Thread the tail through a tapestry needle; fold the wings of the T toward the toe, overlapping them one direction on one bootie and the opposite direction on the other. Seam along toe and both sides; weave in ends.

HAT: CO 66 stitches on US8 DPNs; join for working in the round. Alternate knit and purl rows to create one garter ridge, then switch to stockinette. Knit until 4 inches total. Next round, *k9, k2tog; repeat from * until end of round. Next round, *k8, k2tog; repeat. Continue decreasing at same rate, every round, until 3 stitches remain. Cut 24-inch tail, thread it through remaining 3 stitches and pull tight. Use tail to create tassel. (Tassel directions at Purl Bee.)

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The tassel was a bit of serendipity. While I was in the middle of the hat, I got the email newsletter from the Purl Bee with two utterly perfect new (grown-up) hat patterns, dubbed the Thank You Hats, one of which had this adorable tassle on top. It was an Aha! moment, and the perfect finishing touch. Thank YOU, Purl Bee!

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Girl with a pink beanie

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tosh dk geranium pink beanie knitting pattern

You probably need only look at these photos to see why I don’t really wear hats — it’s not the best look for me. But I had this beautiful skein of Tosh DK in a color called Geranium, and for some reason I wanted it to be a hat. For me.

I always thought if I were to ever knit a hat for myself it would be something like Eyen or Hineri, or at least the Dimple. But having settled on pink — and given the ease with which that could get too cute for me — I decided to keep it classic. Just ribbing and stockinette, sized for options: the full-on hipster beanie; slightly rolled for a more subtle slouch; or tidily turned up and snugged down. As it turns out, it looks best on my favorite neighbor:

If anyone wants the specifics, here’s a pattern for you —

CONVERTIBLE BEANIE

Materials: 170 yds of Tosh DK in Geranium; US8 needles (16-inch circular plus DPNs); 6 stitch markers, one of which is different from the others; tapestry needle

Gauge: 21 stitches = 4 inches in stockinette

Measurements: Brim circumfererence is approximately 14 inches unstretched, before blocking (fits my 23-inch noggin a bit loosely, as I like it); total height is 11 inches

Directions:

On 16-inch circular needle, cast on 96 stitches

Place the unique stitch marker and join for working in the round

Knit K2/P2 ribbing until brim measures 4 inches

Switch to stockinette: Knit every stitch, every round, until piece measures a total of 8 inches

Decrease setup round: *Knit 14, k2tog, place marker; repeat from * until end of round (your original stitch marker continues to mark the beginning of the round)

Next round: Knit all stitches

Decrease round: *Knit until last two stitches before marker, k2tog, slip marker; *repeat until end of round

Continue alternating one knit round and one decrease round (switching to DPNs as necessary*) until you’ve completed a knit round with 12 stitches on each needle, for a total of 36 stitches

Decrease every subsequent round until you have 2 stitches per needle; cut the tail and, using the tapestry needle, thread it through the last six stitches; pull tight and weave in ends!

*When switching to the DPNs, note that you’ve got six stitch markers — six sets of stitches — and divide them evenly onto 3 needles. You should have one stitch marker in the middle of each needle, so you’ll knit the last two stitches before the marker, then the last two stitches on the needle. Don’t worry if you lose track of that BOR marker; each time you’ve got an equal number of stitches on all three needles, you’ve completed a round.

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Special thanks to my friends Leigh and Sarah for the photos, and to the world’s most agreeable pug.

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UPDATE 01.13.13 — This hat now belongs to fashion designer Gretchen Jones, who looks a million times better in it than I did.

A silk kerchief for my mother

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artfibers casanova garter stitch triangle scarf

So this is the little kerchief I knitted my mom for Mother’s Day. She lives in the land of too much air conditioning, where it never hurts to have a little something to throw around your neck. And this is a pretty great little something.

I’m not gonna lie: there was a fleeting moment where I thought about keeping it. The yarn is Artfibers Casanova, which is two kinds of silk and a just touch of mohair. (Not enough to get up your nose.) I bought it back in October without any idea what I’d do with it, and this turned out to be perfect. It’s a little splitty, so the KFB’s were annoying to knit but, in the end, the fabric is magnificently soft and drapey, and the color is just exactly like the skin of an eggplant, with that subtle color variation and slight sheen.

garter stitch knitted triangle scarf

Obviously this is just good ol’ garter stitch. (Oh, hey! I finally made a garter stitch scarf!) “Pattern” details: I cast on 3 stitches on a 35-inch US9 circular needle and did a KFB at the beginning of every row until it reached about 32 inches wide (136 stitches). That took 80 grams, about 215 yards.

And now I’m kicking myself. On a flight on the 1st of December (which I remember for reasons I won’t bore you with), I started a grey alpaca garter triangle for myself. I intended for it to be sort of gigantic and decided a few weeks ago, after it’d been sitting on the WIP shelf forever, that I didn’t think it was heavy enough for the size I wanted it to be. So I frogged it, with the intention of redoing it in a bulkier yarn. It never occurred to me to bind off where I was and have a sweet little kerchief like this.

Anyway, I hope she likes it! Mom, I hope you like it!

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