Tag: Fair Isle yoke sweater

Posted in knitting

Unraveled Wednesday with Kat – 7-23-25

Posted on by Laura Kate

This photograph introduces both subjects for today: knitting and reading.

First the knitting.

I am progressing on the KD Designs Paperdolls pullover. At this point, I have attached the cap sleeves and done all the reductions needed to set up for the chart.

Last night, it seemed all was well, so I carried on with the first row of the yoke chart. Upon reaching the end of the row (over 300 stitches done), I discovered my stitch count was off! In despair, I dropped the work and went to bed.

Morning always helps my brain function better. After assuming I would have to tink back three rows, I figured out that I could make my corrections with only one row unknitted. That was accomplished before I finished my morning coffee.

Now I’m wondering if I will have enough pink yarn for the rest of the yoke and the neckline ribbing. Not wanting to take any chances, I will dive into my stash to find a fourth color that will work with the ‘dolls chart. More to come.

The book I just finished last night is newly published, co-written by David Attenborough and Colin Butfield. Ocean, Earth’s Last Wilderness is just as fascinating as Attenborough’s nature documentaries. What sets the book apart from his documentaries is the ability to include lots more descriptions of both the exploration of the ocean and the research about its changes. Spoiler alert: the ocean’s ability to recover from man’s destruction is far more vigorous than one expects. While the effects of climate change on this recovery are unknown, there is, as Attenborough frequently says, much room for hope. And if David Attenborough feels hopeful, there is no reason for anyone else to feel otherwise.

Readers will also enjoy two sections of gorgeous color photographs and numerous black and white drawings throughout. I easily finished this fascinating read in a week.

Linking to As Kat Knits Unraveled Wednesday.

Posted in knitting

Unraveled Wednesday: Autumn Bloom

Posted on by Laura Kate

Dear friends

Thanks for letting me join your monthly Wednesday knitting show and tell. Today I have photos of the pullover finished recently for my daughter. Her friend Krystal kindly snapped some photos.

I was gratified to find that it fit her perfectly. This is a version of Autumn Bloom by Olga Putano Designs available on Ravelry.com. My modification is in the sleeve. Daughter did not want the stranded panel included in the pattern, which mimics the yoke design. Instead I worked the contrasting yarns into the very deep cuffs by knitting them with a corrugated rib stitch.

Using the gold Malabrigo yarn was a little tricky. I had skeins from multiple dye lots, so they didn’t really go together. I blended two different toned skeins by alternating each round. The two strands are twisted together at the center back.

The multi colored yarn in the yoke is Knit Picks Hawthorne dk in colorway Foster Powell. I also used a skein of Swish in colorway moss.

And that will satisfy my desire to knit sweaters for awhile. Projects planned for 2025 completion are mostly accessories and socks. But don’t quote me on this. When I come across an amazing yarn or pattern, I’m not shy about changing my plans.

To see the work of other Ravelers, click here.

Posted in knitting

Notta Gloves

Posted on by Laura Kate

Trigger mittens, also know as trigger finger mittens, have been used by the American military since at least the Civil War. A clever combination of the warmth of mittens with the flexibility of gloves, these mittens have a separate index finger to allow soldiers to easily operate machinery in cold temperatures.

I made these mittens for my grandson, based on specifications from his mother. She had made him a pair similar to these, but he lost one. Since I don’t care for military associations, I have renamed this style the Notta Glove. The name is self-explanatory.

This basic pattern came from Victory Light on Ravelry. Her design needed adaptations to create the index finger but they were easily made. The original design can be found at https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/zen-little-fingers-and-toes-part-1-mittens

You start the normal way, with a 2×2 rib cuff in the main color. Next, with larger needles, begin the 2 x 2 stranded knitting with the 2nd color.

I inserted a thumb gusset at this point – not included in the original pattern.

Use waste yarn to set up for an Afterthought thumb – I worked it over nine stitches. Continue in pattern to the top of the palm, where you divide for the 2 finger compartments. I put the outer 2/3rds of stitches on waste yarn and worked the index finger with 1/3 of the stitches. Add 2 stitches where the front and back meet between the fingers.

Here’s that fickle finger of Fate pointing the way.

Put the held stitches back on the needles, continue in pattern until you reach the tip of the middle finger, and decrease down to nine stitches in the usual manner for mittens. Put held thumb stitches back on needles and knit the thumb last.

The hardest thing in knitting mittens is getting the second to match the first.
It’s easy to give the OK sign in Notta gloves.

These Nottas are pretty neat and quite warm. I may make a pair for myself.

Posted in knitting

July Knitting

Posted on by Laura Kate

The wild storm that blew through here Sunday night left behind the most glorious, cool and dry air. With early morning temperatures in the upper 60’s, it’s just fine for knitting en plein aire. What better project for summer knitting than baby sweaters?

The knitting you see in the photo is the body of a sweater for Baby L. By the time real sweater weather arrives, she will be one year old. So I have sized this sweater in the 12-18 month range. This design is a yoked and button cardigan with a very full body slightly gathered at the chest. Here is my schematic.

I feel excitement at my future of making many knitted garments for a little girl. So many design elements to choose from – the head spins. I would call this one a vintage style, which is built upon a 12-stitch lace pattern sourced from Barbara Abbey’s The Complete Book of Knitting (1971 by Viking Press.) I will use Elizabeth Zimmerman’s percentage system and instructions for the Fair Isle yoke sweater found in The Opinionated Knitter (Schoolhouse Press) to fashion the yoke. The sweater is constructed from the hem up. As Elizabeth writes, “Body to underarm, sleeves to underarm, UNITE, which … sounds rather like a rallying call.”

Below please note the instructions from Abbey’s book and accompanying chart for the baby fern lace pattern: FYI, my gauge in pattern is 20 stitches = 4 in.

Now what to do with the sleeves? I decided that they would be bloused sleeves, not tapered, so as to match the body. In studying the lace pattern, I noticed that the lace panels are separated by a 3-stitch mini pattern of garter – stockinette – garter. If I expand this slightly and add two more garter stitches between the stockinette, I will have a 7 stitch pattern that works well with the lace. Here is how it looks:

Knitted outdoors this morning, enjoying sixty-seven degree air.

So that’s all the major decisions made. I will use the same 7-stitch pattern on the yoke. I only have two balls of this Berroco “Comfort” yarn. If I run low of yarn at the yoke, I will throw in some contrasting color rows. Oh, this is going to be fun!