Thank you for visiting my blog. If you have a question about a pattern or any other query, please e-mail me on yarnaddictcs@gmail.com. I'm not able to answer patterns questions via blog comments. You may also find my tutorials helpful.
The Henwood beanie is knitted from the top down with a beaded lace edging and I-cord cast-off. Want a slouchier hat? Knit more rounds of stocking stitch before the lace edging (you may need more yarn).
Get 25% off the Henwood pattern. Use coupon code: HENWOOD25. Valid until 20 December 2019.
Respryn is a stunning, large lace shawl. It's knitted flat but when laid flat creates a square shape.
Respryn is worked from the top down and starts with just a few stitches at the back of the neck. The first section is knitted in stocking stitch followed by a lace section. Large eyelets with a bead detail adorn the edging. Video tutorial for adding beads & for adding bead to the triple yarn over.
I knitted Respryn in Vaxbo Lingarn 12/2 which is a 100% linen yarn from Sweden. I purchased my yarn from Knit With Attitude in London. You can of course use other fibres. Just look for a yarn that has approx 420m per 100g skein. I didn't use the full amounts of the lilac and green colours. I used the following amounts of each colour: C1 - Silver - 90g used, C2 - Lilac - 70g used & C3 - Olive - 55g used. In total I used approx 903m. If you prefer you can use two colours. You can also work the edging chart (Chart B) after any repeat of Chart A, which means you can easily add more or knit fewer repeats of Chart A (I did four repeats of Chart A).
Get 25% off the Respryn shawl until 25 November 2019. Use coupon code: RESPRYN25
The Trebyan cardigan combines comfort, warmth and airiness in a simple layering piece. Knitted in three pieces in an easy double yarn over lace pattern, Trebyan knits up quickly in your favourite self-striping yarn. In the photos I'm wearing the longer length in the largest size (128cm/51¼in bust).
Trebyan comes in two lengths and four sizes in each length, so you can create a shape that suits you and your needs. See the pattern page for full size details (there's a schematic in the photos on the pattern page).
Get 25% off the Trebyan pattern until end of October 2019. Use coupon code: TREBYAN25
If you'd like to order the yarn to knit Trebyan, I'm offering 15% off in the YarnAddict Online Shop until end of October 2019. Use coupon code: TREBYAN. The discount is valid on everything in theYarnAddict Online Shop.
I've filmed a tutorial showing how I seamed and blocked Trebyan which you can watch here and a short video introducing Trebyan which you canwatch here.
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Polzeath is a light and airy sweater knitted in one piece with an all over lace pattern. The sweater is knitted in the round to the underarm. Stitches are cast on for the sleeves and the front and back are knitted separately to the shoulders which are joined with a three needle cast off. This means no sewing up.
Polzeath is perfect to wear over a strappy top either for a casual look or dressed up for a smarter occasion.
Get 30% off the Polzeath pattern until end of 25 September 2019 (UK time). Use coupon code: POLZEATH30
The sweater in the photos is knitted in Rowan Silky Lace but my sample knitter is currently knitting a sample in Schoppel Laceball 100. The pattern comes in four sizes from bust circumference 90cm/36in to 140cm/56in. For full size range see the pattern page.The smallest size requires 150g/1080m lace weight yarn and the largest size 200g/1440m. Schoppel Laceball 100 can be ordered from the YarnAddict Online Shop. The YarnAddict Online Shop will remain open but I will not be posting any orders after 12noon 28 August until 15 September 2019. I recently released a new video tutorial on how to keep the pattern correct while shaping (for example shaping for armholes, neck line etc). Find the tutorial here.
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In today's tutorial I'm going to talk about how to keep the pattern correct while shaping at the edge of the fabric. I'm talking specifically about lace patterns here but these principles apply to other stitch patterns as well. Lace patterns are a little bit different because of the yarn overs (yarn forward, yarn over the needle, yarn round the needle) which are increases and decreases. In lace patterns each yarn over has a corresponding decrease. Sometimes this decrease is right next to the yarn over and sometimes it's several stitches away or on a later row. If the yarn over is further away from the decrease it makes working out how to keep the pattern correct more difficult. In this tutorial I've used a very simple lace pattern. It is much easier to work out how to keep the pattern correct if you can read charts because you have a visual representation of what your knitting looks like and you can expand the pattern repeat which is what I've done in the charts below. The easiest way to do this is to get some squared paper and copy the lace pattern on the squared paper and then expand it horizontally.
Below are the charts I use in the video.
Abbreviations:
k2tog - knit two stitches together
m1 – increase one stitch by lifting the
strand between two stitches & placing the loop on the left hand needle,
knit this loop through the back loop
p2tog - purl two stitches together
p2tog tbl - purl two stitches together through
back loop
RS – right side
sk2po – slip one stitch knitwise, k2tog, pass
slipped stitch over
ssk - slip one stitch knitwise, slip next
stitch knitwise, insert left needle into front of both stitches and knit
together
ssp - slip one stitch knitwise, slip next
stitch knitwise, pass stitches back to left hand needle and purl through the
back loop
WS – wrong side
yo - yarn over/yarn forward
Chart A:
Chart B:
Chart C:
In the example below, the yarn overs and decreases are not symmetrical. As you can see the decreases are at the beginning of rows 1 and 3 and the yarn overs are afterwards. So you have two decreases followed by two increases (yarn overs). This is more difficult to deal with when it comes to keeping the pattern correct while shaping. In this example I would take away a complete repeat at the beginning and end of the row. Use markers to section off where you'll be working the repeat and where you'll be working in stocking stitch.
If you have any questions, please ask them under the You Tube video for this tutorial rather than here on the blog as it's easier for me to answer on You Tube.
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Port Quin is a stylish accessory which can be worn as a scarf or a shawl. This asymmetrical triangle shawl features short rows to add a more curved shape and interesting crossed stitches. Pattern includes links to video tutorials for the German short rows, Picots and Crossed Stitches.
Port Quinhas little picots along the lower edge & I'll be uploading a video to show how to work those soon.
I knitted Port Quin in Zauberball Cotton and used two balls but you can also use Zauberball 100 or Zauberball. This weekend is my 50th birthday so I've got a very special offer for you. Get 20% off any purchase from the YarnAddict Online Shop and 50% off any purchase from my Ravelry Pattern Shop. Use discount code: HAPPY50 for both discounts. Valid until midnight UK on Monday 26 August 2019. Also please note that I will not be posting any parcels for orders received after noon on 28 August until 15 September 2019.
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Three Bags Full is an annual event in my home town of Liskeard in Cornwall (about 30 mins from Plymouth). There's a Wool Market and two weeks of wool related workshops. After missing the Wool Market last year due to another event on the same weekend, I'll be back this year with a stall full of colourful yarn, patterns, beads and of course my books.
The Wool Market takes place in the Public Hall in Liskeard on Saturday 5 October from 12pm to 5pm and the list of stall holders looks very impressive.
Poncho worked from the top down with a circular yoke due to be published in September.
On Tuesday 8 October I'll be teaching my Top Down Fair Isle Yoke Workshop. In this class you'll learn how to knit Stranded Colour Work/Fair Isle as well as how to knit a sweater from the top down with a circular yoke shaping. I'll show you how to knit with two colours and how to work out how to knit a sweater to fit your own measurements. Find the workshop details here (scroll down until you see the photo below).
The Dawn Chorus sweater from Let's Knit has a circular yoke but was worked from the bottom up. Find the free pattern here.
On 15 October I'll be teaching Beaded Lace Knitting Workshop. You'll learn how to knit lace as well as three ways of adding beads to your knitting. In the afternoon you'll get a chance to cast on for your own beaded lace shawl from a selection of my patterns. Find the details here (scroll down until you see the cover of my Beaded Lace Knitting book (above).
Liskeard is easy to get to as it's on one of the main trunk roads through Cornwall, the A38 about half an hour from Plymouth. There's also a mainline train station in town (London to Paddington line) and the town centre is about a 10 min walk from the station.
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Albertine was originally published in The Knitter Magazine in 2014 but is now available as a single pattern. Above is the original version knitted in Fyberspates Gleem Lace.
I have a selection of discounted kits available for pre-order until midnight UK on 12 August 2019. Kits will be shipped by 22 August 2019 and include yarn, pattern pdf and 4 bags of beads. Pre-order kits here.Full price for the yarn, pattern and beads is £36.50 and the kits retail at £33.50 so a saving of £3.
Get 30% off the Albertine pattern until midnight UK on 12 August 2019. Use coupon code: ALBERTINE30
I've recorded a short video introducing Albertine and how I wear it.Watch it here.
Below is a blocking photo of Albertine so you can see the blocked shape.
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In this week's episode I talk about how knitting helped me cope with chronic pain and how I got into designing and teaching knitting. I also share some new stash, a finished shawl and what's on my needles this week including a new cast on. You can watch the podcast here.
All the links to all the products I talk about are below the video on my You Tube channel.
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Get 50% off the Valletta pattern until 15 September 2019. Use coupon code: VALLETTA50. We'll be having a knitalong (KAL) in the Love of Lace Knitting Facebook Group in August and September. Post a finished photo by end of September to qualify for the prize draw. If you're not on Facebook but use Instagram, use the hashtag #vallettakal and post a finished photo by end of September to qualify for a separate prize draw.
The shawl is made from two 100g balls (I used 175g in total) but it can easily be made smaller or larger. In this video I explain how to make it smaller or larger.
Before you start, weigh your yarn. The shawl consists of an increase section (Charts A and B -I'm referring to Charts but the pattern has charts and written instructions), a straight section (Chart C) and a decrease section (Charts B and D). For the increase section of the shawl (Chart A) you'll be increasing at the edge of the shawl (for the lace border) and in the garter stitch section for the body of the shawl. Once you reach the full width of the lace border, you will continue to increase inside the lace border until you reach the full depth of the shawl. If you want to make the shawl smaller work fewer repeats of Chart B and if you want to make it bigger, work more repeats of Chart B. Once you've finished increasing, weigh your yarn and make a note of how much you've used. Then work Chart C which is the lace across the middle of the shawl. Chart C includes both the garter stitch chevron lace across the body of the shawl and the lace border (previously Charts A and B). To make Chart C work, you will need a total stitch count of (12) + 25. I had 121 stitches which is eight 12 stitch repeats plus 25 stitches. Deduct 12 stitches from or add 12 stitches to 121 to work out how many stitches will work with Chart C. Weigh your yarn every time you've worked a 24 row repeat of Chart C and start decreasing when you have the same amount of yarn left as you used for the increase section. I recommend you add a little bit extra, just in case. For the final section, decrease inside the lace border (Chart B) and then decrease the lace border too (Chart D). These instructions will probably make more sense if you already have the pattern to refer to. You can also use these instructions if you want to knit the shawl in a thicker or thinner yarn. Use a needle size that gives you the drape you want. Then use the instructions above to work out how to maximise your yarn amount.
In Episode 2 of the Confessions of a YarnAddict podcast I talk about taking your knitting on trips with you, including my top tips for taking knitting on air planes. I also share a new purchase and what's on my needles this week. Watch here.
All the links to everything I talk about can be found below the video on my You Tube Channel.
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Glyndebourne is a simple asymmetrical shawl using stripes and an easy lace pattern, which makes it perfect for new shawl knitters or a quick knit for experienced knitters. The shawl is worked from the corner to the scalloped edge.
I love asymmetrical shawls as they're so easy to wear. I usually wear mine as show in the first photo, bundled up around my neck. This shawl is easy to knit if you're new to lace knitting and a quick knit for experienced lace knitters. Cast on now and you'll have a beautiful shawl to wear when autumn comes.
