Tag Archives: kyoko nakayoshi

New Favorites: Kyoko’s colorwork

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New Favorites: Kyoko Nakayoshi's colorwork

This must be one of those “grass is always greener” things, because suddenly all the solid-colored stuff in my knitting queue is making me crave colorwork. I’m also strangely drawn to fair-isle-style vests these days. My fascination with them was heightened by learning stranded knitting and beginning to pay a little more attention to Fair Isle traditions. But then ever since reading about Amber’s steeked vest (even though it wasn’t meant to be a vest), I’ve been dying to try that. Maybe this spring. Anyway, one of the best ones I’ve seen — in terms of something I could actually imagine wearing as opposed to revering — is Kyoko Nakayoshi’s vest, Suzu. Which also reminded me of these great chevron-patterned accessories of hers I’ve been craving to knit: Silver Maple Comfy Socks and Beanie. I want those socks on my needles as much as I want them on my feet. Which is to say: a lot! (In black and natural, of course.)

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SHOP NOTE: Pom Pom 8 is here! as are another few copies of 7 and 6 — which I’m told are the last of their kind!

2013: My favorite New Favorites and your favorite posts

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Best of New Favorites: Sweater patterns

You know there has to be some reflection and projection here as the calendar flips over from 2013 to ’14, starting with the patterns that caught my attention over the course of the year. Pretty much every week, under the heading of New Favorites, I post about the patterns that I not only like or admire but that make my fingers twitch with the urge to cast on — whether it’s great new releases, a designer who’s caught my eye, or some gap in my wardrobe or skill set I’m thinking about filling. Clearly I’m fickle, and some are more passing fancies than others. But some of these picks burrow into my brain and simply demand to be knitted. Here are the ones I’m still fixated on — I hope to cast on at least some of them in 2014.

SWEATERS
top left: Stonecutter pullover by Michele Wang (Pattern of the Year, as far as I’m concerned)
top right: Dwell cardigan by Martin Storey
bottom left: Trillium cardigan by Michele Wang
bottom right: Rook pullover by Kyoko Nakayoshi

Best of New Favorites: Fingerless gloves

FINGERLESS GLOVES
Antiquity mitts by Alicia Plummer

Best of New Favorites: Scarf/shawl patterns

WRAPS
left: Flying Squirrel stole by Michiyo
right: Imposter’s Shawl by Amber Corcoran

Best of New Favorites: Sock patterns

SOCKS
left: Climb socks by Jane Richmond
right: Cream socks by cabinfour

The hats I am most persistently obsessed with were both mentioned on the blog, but neither of them in New Favorites. They are the Bray Cap by Jared Flood and Gwyneth by Leah McGlone.

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And speaking of favorites, here are the ten posts that attracted the most views over the course of 2013:

1. How to improvise a top-down sweater
2. Holiday knitting cheat sheet: A hat for every head
3. Best summer sweater knitting patterns
4. Double Basketweave Cowl (free pattern)
5. New Favorites: Simply Great Cowls
6. Scarves to start now
7. Wabi Mitts (free pattern)
8. Fast, easy and warm: Jumbo Stitch Cowls collection (free patterns)
9. Knitter’s Delight: Beautifully textured hats
10. Holiday knitting cheat sheet: Cowls all around

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New Favorites: Round yoke sweaters

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New Favorites: Round yoke sweater knitting patterns

There’s so much discussion of the relative merits of raglan versus set-in-sleeve sweater construction that it’s easy to forget about the raglan’s discreet, seamless cousin: the round yoke sweater. Unlike raglans, where the yoke-shaping increases or decreases* line up visibly along the seams, round-yoke sweaters have them evenly distributed around the yoke, making them all but invisible. For me at least (but I believe generally — you’ll correct me if I’m wrong), round yokes are chiefly associated with Nordic sweaters, where the round-yoke approach means the increases/decreases can be disguised within the characteristic colorwork of the yoke rather than interrupting it. But the method has its merits, colorwork or no colorwork.

Hannah Fettig recently released a small collection of round-yoked patterns, called Knitbot Yoked, and there are also a couple of great ones in yesterday’s Wool People 6 collection from Brooklyn Tweed (which of course is full of all kinds of loveliness). But ever since trying it on, I’ve been obsessed with the round-yoked cardigan from their previous collection, BT Fall ’13, which fit me around the shoulders like no other sweater I have ever had on. So these are now all on my official to-knit list:

TOP LEFT: Trillium cardigan by Michele Wang is the one I tried on and can’t step thinking about. Flat body and circular sleeves are knit separately from the bottom up, joined at the underarm, and the yoke — ringed with texture instead of colorwork — is knit seamlessly from there.

TOP RIGHT: Willard Fair Isle Pullover by Hannah Fettig is my favorite from her aforementioned Yoked collection. Top-down seamless with a minimalist’s version of colorwork. AND! It’s designed for Quince and Co.’s Owl yarn, which I’m dying to knit with.

BOTTOM LEFT: Skydottir pullover by Dianna Walla is a more traditional stranded-yoke design, showing just how beautiful a single contrast color can be. Body and sleeves are each knit circularly from the bottom up, joined at the underarm, and knit seamlessly in one piece from there.

BOTTOM RIGHT: Rook pullover by Kyoko Nakayoshi is my absolute favorite from Wool People 6. Top-down seamless with gorgeous cables and a doubled neckband.

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*Increases if you’re knitting from the top down; decreases if you’re knitting from the bottom up.

Transformative Mods: Roko’s walnut cardigan

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Hiroko Fukatsu's walnut snood and cardigan

Oh, you know how it is — you knit a cowl, you like it, you knit it up again, but this time as a cardigan. Or at least that’s what Hiroko Fukatsu (of Frida fame) did after she’d knitted the Walnut Snood pattern by Kyoko Nakayoshi. The cardigan’s shape was inspired by Michiyo’s Stranger Cardigan and Kazekobo’s Aran Cardigan. For hers, Roko left off the sleeves and simply repeated the snood’s walnut motif up the front and around the shoulders. I say “simply,” but we all know I mean wow.

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Thanks to Jo for the tip on this one. And to Hiroko for the photos.

New favorites: Wow ’em cowls

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textured cowl knitting patterns mikan snood kilkenny

By the time you read this, I will have finished my State Street Cowl, and that makes me a little sad. Not only have I had a great time knitting it, but boy is it a crowd-pleaser. If you’re ever in need of some instant positive reinforcement, all you gotta do is show someone the State Street Cowl you’re knitting. (Or, y’know, post a photo of a beer on Instagram.) Anyway, I’m in jeopardy of knitting a whole bunch of them — as opposed to continuing to explore new patterns and skills and techniques — so I’m in search of something different yet equally enticing for my next portable project. These are strong contenders.

LEFT: Mikan Snood pattern designed by Kyoko Nakayoshi

RIGHT: Kilkenny Cowl, which happens to be another Pam Allen design

I’m also tempted to do Tante Ehm’s beautiful Milanese Loop in State Street proportions.

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