Tag Archives: new favorites

New Favorites: from the Grannies collection

by

New Favorites: from the Grannies collection

I had a little chat with myself the other day — after seeing a photo of my friend Kathy wearing a gorgeous crocheted scarf (in Iceland) — about just how long it’s been since I’ve picked up a crochet hook, despite how often my right hand sends me a “let’s do this (loopity loop gesture)” hand signal. Then I got a look at Rove Handmade’s new Grannies collection: four not very dissimilar cardigan/shrugs. Invoking “granny” always gets eyes rolling, but here it’s clearly a reference to the good ol’ Granny Square, which here has taken on these simple but beautifully executed garment shapes. My favorites are the super simple kimono shape, Hexa (top), and the Duo Two-Way Shrug (bottom), which somehow seems to lay nicely both directions — unlike all the knitted versions of the same concept which generally seem to me like they don’t quite fit right either direction. And the silhouettes are so clean it’s easy to see that they’d be just as wonderful in traditional granny multi-colors as they are in the beautiful neutrals of the samples, or anything in between. Maybe this is the excuse I’ve been looking for to take home some hooks.

.

PREVIOUSLY in New Favorites: Huck

New Favorites: Huck

by

New Favorites: Huck

As you likely know, the Brooklyn Tweed Fall ’17 collection hit the airwaves yesterday, and there are several nice garments in there that could make their way into my queue someday. But the standout — the design that made me leap out of my chair a little — is Norah Gaughan’s hat pattern, Huck. I’ve been missing that raspberry/blackberry/trinity stitch from my fisherman sweater and planning to knit a funny little hat pattern from the same 1967 booklet (which partially inspired my teaching pattern, Debutant) that uses the same stitch. But Norah has hit this one well out of the park. The way the cables nestle into the raspberries is flat-out stunning, and looks like it would be so fun to knit … that I already printed the pattern!* I look at so many hat patterns every week of my life, and this one was such a jolt of originality. I was about to say now I can’t decide between this one and the vintage one, but they’re hats! No need to choose.

*I feel compelled to note here, by way of a little PSA, that if you’re printing this (or any) pattern, please only print the pages you need! This one is hilariously 11 pages long, but you actually only need a few of them.

.

PREVIOUSLY in New Favorites: Massaman set

SaveSave

SaveSave

SaveSave

SaveSave

New Favorites: Massaman set

by

New Favorites: Massaman set

One of the first things I ever favorited at Ravelry, when I first learned to knit, is this “Charcoal set” by a knitter who goes by knittimo — a simple charcoal pullover and a little cowl knitted in the same yarn. I didn’t necessarily love the particulars of the cowl, but I loved the idea of a removable turtleneck, basically. I remember how charmed I was when I ran into it. (We were still living in the always-blustery Bay Area then, where protecting your neck is a daily must, year-round. Being able to remove the cowl once inside was immensely appealing.) In the past couple of weeks, I’ve seen two different patterns released for a sweater with matching cowl, which brought that old favorite to mind. The one I an enamored with is Massaman by Elizabeth Smith, a sleeveless take on the same thought. You know I love a sleeveless turtleneck, but I also adore this little tee without its cowl. Having the cowl option, though, makes an already great layering piece that much more fun to play with. And it would be so fun and quick to knit …

Uh oh. I think I hear my resolve cracking.

.

PREVIOUSLY in New Favorites: Colorwork for minimalists

New Favorites: Colorwork for minimalists

by

New Favorites: Colorwork for minimalists

In addition to the fact that the whole color palette for this photo shoot is KILLING ME (her hair, that wall, that foliage …), I am swooning hard over these two new patterns by Whitney Hayward that use the tiniest bit of colorwork to such major effect. In both cases, it’s just a few well-placed rows of 1×1 stranding, and while I obviously love the neutrals here, you can imagine how totally different the effect would be if knitted in three colors instead of three nons. The shawl is Ural and the little transitional-season sweater is Fukuro. Gorgeous on every level.

.

PREVIOUSLY in New Favorites:  from Rowan 62

New Favorites: from Rowan 62

by

New Favorites: from Rowan 62

The big fall Rowan collection is out, Rowan 62, and if you’re looking for a cable sweater pattern, they’ve got about a dozen for you to choose from, all of them good. But these are my favorites from the issue:

TOP: Cowlam by Lisa Richardson makes me yearn for turtleneck weather!

BOTTOM LEFT: Gransmoor also by Lisa Richardson is a great, bold stranded pullover, love that stripe at chest level

BOTTOM RIGHT: Eastbury by Emma Wright is a cute little circular-yoke stockinette sweater with just a few stripes around the cuffs for interest

.

PREVIOUSLY in New Favorites: Angelina

 

SaveSave

New Favorites: Angelina

by

New Favorites: Angelina Pullover pattern by Mary Anne Benedetto

The Fall issue of Interweave Knits looks like a good one overall, but I’m especially taken with this Angelina Pullover, designed by Mary Anne Benedetto. I love a good yoke with cables in place of colorwork, and these gradually widening wishbones are particularly appealing. Plus I’m thrilled they opted the knit the sample in black. (I believe in black cables.) I’m a little bit conflicted about the shirttail hem — it really shouldn’t work on a yoke sweater, and feels a little trendy, but it’s so beautifully executed I can’t argue with it. The shaping is perfection, and I can’t get enough of the way that I-cord edge hangs. It doesn’t hurt that it happens to be styled with black-and-white gingham, which has been a fixation of mine for months now. So I’d like this exact combo, please.

[EDIT: Apparently this color of Cumbria is Dodd Wood, an extremely dark brown. I forgot there’s no black in that yarn!]

.

PREVIOUSLY in New Favorites: Threipmuir

SaveSave

SaveSave

SaveSave

SaveSave

New Favorites: Threipmuir

by

New Favorites: Threipmuir

I KNOW! Another dark sweater with colorwork yoke (love and have), but independent of that, I’m a bit swoony over Ysolda Teague’s new pullover pattern, Threipmuir. Ysolda’s sort of bending a genre here, with a lopapeysa-inspired sweater knitted at fingering gauge, which leaves room for finer, more intricate patterning in the colorwork section. The mix of geometric and organic motifs is really pleasing to me in this instance, but what I love best about it is how the colorwork literally feathers out onto the solid ground, creating a nice soft transition between the two. Really lovely.

.

PREVIOUSLY in New Favorites: The perfect leftovers hat