New Pattern Day: Reveur Scarf

squishy, reversible goodness

If you follow me on any kind of social media, you've probably seen a couple of sneak peeks of this scarf. It's been in the works for about a year and a half, and it is finally, finally here! 

 

the circus arrives without warning...

Erin Morgenstern’s The Night Circus provided excellent inspiration for this scarf. In this wonderfully imaginative book, lovers of a magical circus travel around the world, following the excitement. Many identify themselves to each other by dressing all in black whilst visiting the circus, accessorizing with a single, scarlet accent. One girl knits the hero a warm woolen scarf to help induct him into the group known as the “Reveurs” (or,“Dreamers”). Here, I’ve dreamt up my own vision of what that scarf would look like: A wide, reversible cable meanders over a stunning patterned background, while the edging takes on a slightly tilted look thanks to tiny reversible cables. I wanted the overall effect to be magical, as though it were almost impossible; however, the knitting itself is quite simple! Each row begins andends with 1x1 cables, there is just one increase and decrease on each right side row, and the rest is knits and purls. You’ll cable the largest cable just once every 12th row, and every wrong side row is worked plain. You'll be finished before you know it!

chocolate bats, a sweet treat from the magical circus's courtyard

This pattern would make an equally beautiful cowl, and instructions for this modification are included in the pattern. The 10-page PDF also includes both written instructions and charts for each row of the pattern!

identify yourself as a magical knitter!

To purchase this pattern, click , or you can have the pattern added to your Ravelry library by purchasing here. Come join Club Sexy over on Ravelry for our Reveur KAL, which begins September 1st!

New Pattern Day: Keria Funnel Neck Pullover

It’s just my second pattern release of the year, but she’s finally here: Keria Funnel Neck Pullover is worked in Alisha Goes Around Stable of Horses and is an easy, quick, bottom-up knit. I was pretty proud of this construction and the resulting fabric and style! With its sturdy lace pattern, bracelet length sleeves, and chic funnel neck, this sweater is the perfect design for spring! The open fabric allows for plenty of circulation, and the overall effect is luxurious - not heavy. Take it into fall by working the sleeves a bit longer and layering it over a bright, long-sleeved tee.




I'm so excited to share this with you! This pattern is on sale at the introductory price of $4.50 now through the end of May, so enjoy this great deal while you can!

Coming Soon: Sulpice Socks

I'm so excited to finally be able to show you these socks! I designed this pair in July of last year and am pleased to announce that they are about to be published in The Knitter Magazine, Issue 41. The issue will be available for purchase in the UK at the end of this month and will likely hit American newsstands sometime in March or April.

This pair of socks represents my first foray into cable design, and I have to say I'm pretty hooked. I absolutely love working with twisted stitches, and creating a unique cable pattern from one of my own sketches was really satisfying. I've already sketched out about three more and have grand plans for designing around them, so stay tuned!

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New Pattern: Pretty in Pink Hat

I have a new pattern out in the February/March issue of Your Knitting Life (previously known as Knitting Today!), the Pretty in Pink Hat. This hat was specifically designed to flatter curls (HELLO!), big hair, and dreads. It's oversized around the brim to leave room for all that hair, but if oversized hats aren't your thing, the pattern also includes instructions for how to convert the hat to a beret with plain ribbing at the bottom.

This hat uses just 2 balls of Red Heart Boutique Midnight, an aran weight, glittery, self-striping acrylic. I didn't use all of both balls though; I'd say if you were going to substitue you'd probably need maybe 200-250 yards.

This hat was quite fun to make; I wanted it to have sections of zig zag lace set off by bands of lateral braid stitches, with the plain sections not appearing to chevron at all. The technique is simple but different, and achieved exactly the effect I was going for. Let me tell you, it was quite the challenge to make self-striping yarn zigzag in some sections without having it zigzag all over!




This hat would also look lovely in a solid color, and I'm looking forward to making one for myself. I can't decide between red, green, or blue, but I'm thinking I might have to go buy some Malabrigo Twist.

I just happen to have an extra copy of the February/March issue, along with 2 skeins of the yarn used for this hat, and you know what that means!! That's right baby, it's giveaway time!

Even if the Pretty in Pink hat doesn't strike your fancy, there are tons of other great patterns in this issue. I'm partial to the Emma Gloves and the Sweetheart Socks, myself. (There's also a super cute Penguin Hat, for kids!)

I think we'll mix things up this time. To enter, take a look at my portfolio on Ravelry, then leave a comment telling me which pattern of mine you'd be most likely to knit. If you're on Twitter, you can get an extra entry by tweeting the following:

"Tell @TheSexyKnitter which of her patterns you most want to knit, & you could win a kit to make her new hat: http://tinyurl.com/hatgiveaway"

And that's it! We'll leave the comments open until I'm ready to announce a winner, probably sometime in the next week or so.

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Introducing Muffalette (and a giveaway!)

The new Knitty got me thinking...it's been awhile since I self-published a pattern (nine months, actually, since Limeade Fizz came out), so I've decided to go ahead and release a pattern I've been working on for some time now. I give you: Muffalette!

Cozy thrummed muff!

I’m a native Texan. I spent the first 23 years of my life in Fort Worth, Texas, followed by 3 years in West Palm Beach, Florida. It should have been 5 years, but that’s a very long story involving the Dr.’s career and other people moving and someone else having a stroke, so perhaps that’s best saved for another time. Long story short, at the age of 26 I suddenly found myself residing in the Midwest. You know what? I have learned one very important thing from my time here: I do not like being cold. I’ve also never seen this much snow in my life; luckily for me, I happen to be a knitter. It suffices to say that I quickly set out on a quest to find the best way to cocoon my entire body in as many layers of wool as humanly possible during the winter months. My quest was over when my lovely local yarn shop owner told me about thrumming. Thrumming is, for someone who does not like to be cold, a godsend, because thrumming is a means by which you can knit huge gobs of fluffy, unspun wool, right into your knitting. This leaves you with an insulative layer of wool underneath your knitted fabric! It would almost be like wearing a sheep, if sheep came in loads of different colors and knew how to cable.

Colorful diamonds decorate the outside, while the inside keeps you nice and warm.

Muffalette is designed to be truly practical; it has all the grace and charm of its counterparts from a time gone by, yet still caters to the demands of today’s busy schedules. Worked with a single skein of worsted wool and two colors of fiber, this muff features diamond cables on the cuffs and sneaky colorwork across the body. There’s also a wrist strap, in case you need to send a quick text or open a door to let yourself in out of the cold.

Diamond cabled cuffs are expertly finished with an I-cord Bindoff and wrist strap.

The pattern uses just 200 yards of worsted weight yarn and 60 grams fiber, total. The 5-page PDF includes a link to a video tutorial for making the thrums and inserting them into your knitting, as well as stitch-by-stitch written instructions and charts for both the cable and colorwork sections. I'm offering it for just $4.00, but WAIT! You can get it for FREE, for the next 30 minutes, right here. If you missed the freebie, you can get $1.00 off when you use the coupon code "clubsexy" during checkout.

But that's not all!

No, friends, no post of mine would be complete without a giveaway, would it? I didn't think so, either. To help promote Muffalette, I'm going to be giving one lucky winner the following:

• 2 skeins Spud & Chloe Sweater in Lake
• 80% Merino/20% Bamboo Top with Angelina from Shunklies
• Undyed 100% Corriedale roving
• Project bag from Kusala Knitworks

Jenifer's bag fits all the goodies with room to spare!

Want to know how to enter? Well, I'm giving it a bit of a twist this time. To enter, you need to knit a Muffalette, and post your FO photos to Ravelry by the end of December 31. That's it! Muffalette knits up quickly, I promise; you have plenty of time between now and then to whip out one or five. Remember, each FO you produce counts as one entry, so go crazy! Surely you know someone who needs a lovely thrummed muff for Christmas, right?

I also have a beautiful notions bag from Jenifer to give away to one lucky commenter. To enter to win the notions bag, all you need to do is leave a comment to this post! I'll choose a winner sometime next week. (You know me, I try to be specific and then nope, it just happens when it happens.)

So cute! This one measures 7.5" x 7".

For a second entry for the notions bag, tweet the following:

"Couldn't you use some FREE YARN this Christmas? @TheSexyKnitter tells you how to win enough for her new thrummed muff: http://tinyurl.com/79nvrvg"

Good luck, everyone!

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Beatriz is Here!

Hoo boy, I've been waiting a long, LONG time to show you guys this one!

Beatriz Dress, from Knitscene Winter 2011

I have been working on this design for almost two years; last year, it found a home at Interweave Knits. Although originally scheduled to appear in the Holiday Gifts issue of Interweave, it eventually got shuffled around a bit and included in this winter's issue of Knitscene, and I couldn't be happier! Knitscene has long been a favorite of mine, and I almost always love how they style the knits. You can get a sneak peek at how they styled this knit for the magazine right here, as well as getting a preview of the rest of this issue. The issue won't be out on newsstands until October 25th, but if you decide to order online, you can get 18% off your order by entering the code "XTRA18" during checkout. (Side note: You can also preorder IK's special issue, Jane Austen Knits, while you're at it!)

This dress, worked from the top down, is worked with Kollage Yarns' amazing Scrumptious, a truly delectable combination of 70% angora and 30% silk. I had a hard time taking the sample off after the photo shoot, it felt so good against my skin!

Fab photo courtesy of Sara McDonald

The dress begins with a hem to give the boatneck a bit of stability; an elongated circular yoke forms the dolman sleeves, then the body is continued in the round. Large, lacy leaf motifs decorate the bottom of the skirt, which gets finished off with another hem. The entire piece is worked seamlessly, and is sized for busts 32"-48".

Add a sparkly belt for a bit of holiday bling!

I've added the Beatriz Dress to the Ravelry database, and just can't wait to see everyone else's projects! This dress was really fun to knit and especially fun to wear; I'm really looking forward to having one of my own!

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Sneakety-Peek, a KAL, and a prize winner!

I have a little secret: I'm going to have a pattern in the Winter issue of Knitcircus Magazine! Okay, okay...not that big of a secret. But I'm excited to get to show you a little piece of it:

I'll let you all have fun guessing what it is!

For this issue, I'll also be hosting a video tutorial on how to work applied I-cord as an edging. Trust me - it's super easy!

I also have another fun bit of news, which is that the fourth quarter KAL over at Club Sexy has just begun! For the last quarter of the year, completing a project by the end of the year using any pattern of mine will qualify you to win some fabulous yarny prizes! We have four skeins of yarn to give away this quarter, and they are all super gorgeous. Our sponsors, Grinning Gargoyle, MamaZooma, and Our Humble Castle have really outdone themselves! Here's a little glimpse of what we have to give away:

 

Drooling yet? Come on over and join the club, then read all about the KAL right here. We'd love to have you!

Looking for the winner of Alex Tinsley's giveaway? It's KnittingDancer! Congratulations, Teresa, you've won a copy of Alex's Go Go Malabrigo Collection 1! Drop me a line over on Ravelry (I'm TheSexyKnitter) and we'll work out the details. Didn't win? Don't forget - you can still get 20% off all of Alex's patterns through the end of today! Just enter "sexyinterview" during checkout!

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My Interweave Debut!

The internet has been all abuzz this weekend over Interweave's latest special issue, knit.wear. This issue focuses on classic, simple garments styled with a twist. The issue also features my first pattern published with Interweave, the Reversible Scarf Tank! I was really excited to be able to design for this issue after there was a little mixup with another submission of mine that I didn't realize was being held for publication (oops).

My original proposal

The inspiration for this tank came from a memory of a Project Runway contestant from aaaaaaaaages ago (so long ago, I'm not even sure who it was now) who wore a one-shouldered top with a long scarfy thing to a judging panel. It was only on screen for a few seconds, but as soon as I saw it, I knew I wanted to translate it into knitwear at some point.

Finished garment! Pretty dang close to the original, yes?

My version is knitted from the tip of the scarf downwards in one seamless piece. There's enough going on with the reversible lace and strap shaping to hold your interest, while the body gives you a nice break as it's all in stockinette. There's quite a bit of negative ease around the bust; combined with the weight of the scarf, this is what holds the top in place. The skirt gets a beautiful swing shape due to circular yoke styled increases and is finished with a single round of decorative yarnovers couched in garter stitch.

No hem, and NO rolling.

 Now, you may be thinking, "Why would I want to knit a strapless top as we're going into fall?" Well, the answer is in the styling! See, since this top has the scarf attached to it, it's the perfect transition piece to wear as the weather starts getting cooler.

Throw a blazer on over it and you're good to go!

You'll notice in the last photo that you've got more than one option for styling the scarf, so if you're nervous about just throwing the scarf over your shoulder, just tie it on for a more secure feeling!

If you're interested in the pattern, you can find the IK special issue at your local yarn shop or book shop, or buy it online. The pattern's in the Ravelry database, too, in case you want to favorite it or add it to your queue. :)

Miss Brooks

This summer, I was fortunate enough to run into Sabrina Famellos of Anzula Yarns while she was pitching my LYS on her way to TNNA. I was working on Guinevere in the shop that day, and we got to talking about design. A few hours and some delicious Kansas City barbeque later, we agreed that I would design a dress with Sebastian and Mermaid for the next TNNA, coming up this January. Four months and five skeins of gorgeous yarn later, I give you: Miss Brooks!

Worked entirely in stockinette and reverse stockinette, this dress is a timeless classic with plenty of sex appeal.

I have a thing for style of days gone by. If I could get away with dressing in Regency dresses and Tudor gowns every day I would, but that's another story for another day. For this piece, I wanted to reference the glamour of 1920's fashion; skirts were getting shorter, legs were just starting to go bare, and modesty was still a valued commodity. I considered giving the piece a dropped waist, but in the end I decided placing the skirt just below the natural waist line would keep the pattern more accessible to today's woman. A boat neck, sheer sleeves and sexy layered skirt finish the dress in style, snatching it away from the land of costuming and landing it squarely in the 21st century.

Check out the outline of that leg through the bottom layer of the skirt! Sexy! The top two layers cover you where it counts.

I particularly love the skirt on this dress. Each layer is worked side to side in reverse stockinette; the bottom edges are allowed to curl up, and they're seamed only partially from the right side, resulting in a cool sort of deconstructed look. Once you put it on, the bottom layer is almost completely sheer. Nineteen-twenties, meet The Sexy Knitter!

Vintage fashion not your thing? Give it an even more "right now" twist by styling it with a steampunk vibe, instead.

As much as I love the monochromatic look of the dress worked all in one color, I would be excited to see it knitted using a different color for each skirt layer. It would even make a lovely wedding gown, worked all in white or cream! Replace the satin belt for leather and the vintage heels for half boots, or add a bit of steampunk and make the style all your own. Can you see the possibilities? There are lots!

This dress will be featured in the fashion show at TNNA in January 2011. Stop by Anzula's booth to preorder the pattern for your LYS, or visit my Rav page in January for your own copy!

Many thanks to Lee Ann Barker for the gorgeous photos. She was, as always, talented and patient.

 

Watch for trains when you're shooting on the tracks! Lord, I thought we were going to get run over...

New pattern: Cuboid

A while back (really, it's been a few months now), I worked up this little felted box bag for The Unique Sheep:

Cuboid

You can read all about it by clicking the link above, but basically it's a little felted box bag which uses only 340 yards of worsted weight yarn. I made it for The Ram Club Series 4, which is a series of accessories for men. My kits just shipped out this month, and so far have had a great response! This is a super quick knit that gets transformed in the finishing work. Knit flat in one piece, fabric lining gets fused to the inside of the bag for sturdiness (there is no "stuffing" in the bag in these photos), then a zipper is inserted and the whole thing gets folded up origami style and seamed together with a sewing machine. No sewing machine? No worries - you can just as easily sew it up with yarn and tapestry needle.

I love the detail at the corners!

This pattern will be available for individual purchase from me in October. Don't want to wait so long for the next one? Consider signing up my next club with The Unique Sheep, the 7 Wonders Club. This club features one kit for each of the 7 Ancient Wonders of the World, and I was lucky enough to get the Great Pyramid at Giza! Yessssssssssssssssssss! Anyone who knows me knows I am fascinated with the pyramids and all things Egypt, so this was a real pleasure for me to get to do! The item I designed for that club is one of my favorite things I've ever made, so do go check it out won't you? :)

Welcome!

Welcome to everyone who's filtering over my way from Knitty, and to my other five loyal readers! Today I'm excited to announce that my newest pattern, Cirque, is available through Knitty!

cute cably goodness!

These socks are in the advanced knitter category of "extraspicy" because they feature detailed patterning, including many sections of line-by-line patterning at the heel and toe, circular cables, and an "unvented" bindoff. If you're looking for a bit of a challenge or something to pay attention to, these are your socks! I'd like to thank Cindi and Lisbeth for testing these for me - my knitting group rocks!

the twist goes allllllll the way around the toe due to an unconventional three-needle bindoff

I'd also like to thank the fabulous sock tech editor over at Knitty, Kate Atherly, for helping make this pattern perfect. I hope that you will all find it to be error-free! (And in a complicated pattern, isn't that even more important than usual?)

Yes, those are both my feet. No, I wouldn't wear them like that.

Comments welcome - I'd love to know what you guys think!

Till next time,
Sarah

Tops & Toes!

Today I am getting interviewed by Jennifer Tallapaneni of Pieknits about my work in the book, "Tops & Toes"!

Be the first to comment on this post for a chance to win an awesome knitting T-shirt from the book's editor!

JT: Hi Sarah! Thanks for having me over to your blog. It's so nice to get to learn a little more about great designs! I've always thought your pieces are really cute.

SW: Welcome, Jennifer, and thanks so much! Glad to have you here.

JT: So this was your first book correct? How did it feel to get published? Did you enjoy working with DRG?

SW: Yes, this was my first time being published in a paper & ink book! It is an incredible feeling, holding this book in my hands and seeing my name right there like a real designer! Working with DRG was a very happy experience and something I would definitely do again if given the opportunity!

Diamond Swirl Socks - queue them up!

JT: I saw that you have three designs in this book (Daisy Rib Buttoned Leg Warmers, Diamond Swirl Socks, and Zany Zigzag socks - congrats!). My question is how did you find time, or manage your time to work all three at once?

SW: Wow! Well, I was very excited to have all three of my proposals accepted for the book. As it turns out, I wound up having to knit these projects in a frantic hurry while in the middle of a cross-country move! I was literally working my Diamond Swirl Socks (above) in the car while driving from Florida to Kansas City! I guess it's just a classic case of doing what you have to do to get the job done. But really: is any of us going to complain about having to knit? I think not! :)

JT: Do you have some quick thoughts on the different yarns you used?

SW: I particularly liked working with the Happy Feet (Zany Zigzag Socks) and Jitterbug (Diamond Swirl Socks). These are both great yarns; the Happy Feet is super soft and squishy and is also one of the most affordable sock yarns on the market! The Colinette Jitterbug has amazing yardage - there was enough in one skein to make the large size pair of socks, with even a wee bit left over! The Burly Spun by Brown Sheep was a great choice for legwarmers since it has the insulating properties of wool and knits up quickly since it is such a thick yarn!

Zany Zigzag Socks - queue them up!

JT: I LOVE your Buttoned Leg Warmers (they are going in my queue)! Where did you come up with the concept for those?

SW: Thanks so much! Actually, my dear Seester had the idea of doing a legwarmer that buttons up, because she was walking to work at the time and disliked having to remove her shoes to take her legwarmers on and off! I loved the idea and asked her if she would mind if I designed something using that concept, and she very unselfishly said I could (thanks, Seester)! I absolutely love how they turned out and couldn't be any happier!

Daisy Rib Buttoned Legwarmers - queue them up!

JT: Do you have plans for any more books in your future? What things would you like to tackle next in your design career?

SW: Well, you can look forward to seeing more of my work in this spring's issue of Knitty! I also have a piece due out in an upcoming issue of Yarn Forward. As far as goals, I would absolutely love to see something that I knit in a movie (though that might be considered more of a fantasy, really!) and hope to have my own book deal in the next five years!

That's it for this time, folks! Thanks to Jennifer for stopping by and asking such provocative questions! I hope you all enjoyed the interview! Remember to stop by her blog tomorrow, February 22nd, to find out more about her work in the book!

Till next time,
Sarah

It's Almost Here!

It's been almost a year since mailing off my last of the pieces for this project, and it isn't something I've ever blogged about, but guess what? I'm going to be in a book! And it's a nice, clever little book, too!

squee!

It's Tops & Toes: A Whimsical Collection to Delight Hat & Sock Knitters, and it's put out by DRG Publications and is available through Annie's Attic.

Can't wait to see more? Come back tomorrow for a sneak peek at all three of my designs in the book, and to hear my interview from Jennifer Tallapaneni of Pieknits! Catch all of the designers on the blog tour following this schedule:

2/21- Me!

2/22- Jennifer Tallapaneni: PieKnits
2/23- Erika Flory: It's About The Knitting

2/24- Erssie Major: ErssieKnits

2/25- Ann Squire: Annie-O

2/26- Faina Goberstein: Faina's Knitting Mode

2/27- Celeste Pinhiero: Two Stix In The Woods

2/28- Kara Gott Warner: sheknitsintheloop with Laura Nelkin
3/1- Joanne Seiff: Yarn Spinner

3/2- Cindy Moore: The Fitter Knitter Catch the interview with me about the making of Tops & Toes!

3/3- Sean Higgins: Kblicious

Till next time,
Sarah

Blue Hawaii!

Yes, dears, it's finally finished and ready for your knitting pleasure! I give you:

Blue Hawaii!

This pretty, clever top features an elastic band that’s worked right into the fabric while you knit, making folded hems and sewn-in elastic a thing of the past! The beautiful cabled detail is all done without a cable needle, using simple twisted stitches appropriate for even a novice knitter. Also featuring easily removable straps, you’ll find this top will take you from the beach days of summer right into fall – just throw on a blazer and keep on wearing it! Styling suggestions are included in the pattern. Sized from XS-3X.

MATERIALS:

• The Unique Sheep Pima Petite (100% cotton; 265 yards per 100 gram skein); color: Spring Lilac; 3 (3, 3, 4, 4, 4, 4) skeins


• Rainbow Elastic Thread (1 mm Fine, 50 yds per card); color: 64 Violet; 1 card (available at Beadwrangler’s Thread Shop)


• 1 set 20 inch US #6/4 mm circular needles


• 1 set 20 inch US #7/4.5 mm circular needles


• 2 3/4 inch buttons

Purchase the shiny, 2-page PDF for only $5.00!

Till next time,
Sarah