When you can't find what you want; design it!

 About a year ago I was looking for a spring/summer cardigan to knit, not necessarily only for spring or summer either, I find that I wear my warm and cozy wool sweaters in my cold 100+ year old house but as soon as I leave to the grocery store, or a friends house (who has this crazy "insulation" stuff everyone is so hip on) I get way too warm. So I like lighter sweaters for the winter as well for layering pieces. I had the yarn, some Louisa Harding Merletto that I had purchased for another project that ended up getting the 'rip', and now to find the pattern I wanted to knit!

There were a few, but none that were lighter choices in my size that struck my fancy. And really it came down to sizing choices, I am a voluptuous and gorgeous 3X with curves and Mama stretch marks. I have a nice comfy belly and broad shoulders, and it can be truly discouraging to find a stylish pattern in the larger sizes. Or if they are sized large they tend to be a boring box pullover that hides my goddess beauty in yards of fabric.

After a few hours of frustrating searching and unfortunately a few self derogatory comments (hey they happen) I realized that truly I needed to write the pattern I was so desperately looking for. It may be a lofty dream but I would love to reclaim the knitting pattern industry sizing issue one pattern at a time and what better project to start with than this?

I knew I wanted to use this beautiful geometric lace pattern on the back, it was just so striking and was going to create a 'wow' moment when the wearer turned around. It seemed like a plain front was in order to really set off  the surprise of the back, and then some texture on the sleeves to match the hem and collar. The shoulders got a bit of a special treatment with an extended lace section that places the lace 2 inches past the shoulder seam onto the front of the garment. Giving the front a sneak peek of the lace work you are about to be amazed by on the back of the work.

This garment is worked from the bottom up, the lace pattern does need shaping at the armhole areas and you will need to know how to work shaping in lace without a totally charted decrease. The sleeves have cap shaping and are set in for a streamlined and fitted look. The front is designed to have a 3-4" opening which you can play around with when choosing what size to knit.

Because this cardigan is worked with 3 different patterns that are also worked on differing needle sizes it is a seamed garment, this also gives the finished piece a stability that it would not normally have in this yarn. It is a giant pain and yet REALLY IMPORTANT to swatch each pattern and then wetblock them if you are going to knit this garment. The Lace back opens up considerably when blocked and having the blocked sample helps you not to overknit the length on the Back. Also some of my testers used wool instead of a cotton blend and they had a significant increases in yardage used. Wool tends to have more rows per inch than cotton so there are more rows worth of knitting in a wool version which means more yardage.

I hope you like this pattern as much as I do, I have worn it so many times and in additional to being comfortable and getting great comments from others it truly makes me feel beautiful! You can purchase this pattern on Ravelry

If you knit this or any of my patterns I would love to see pictures! You can share finished pictures with me on Facebook, my Ravelry Forum or on Instagram by tagging @meghanjoneslnmp or using #littlenutmegproductions and #meghanjoneslnmp

Do you love this Lace pattern and want to own it on more than just the Cardigan? Checkout the Glassberry section of the Society 6 store for mugs, pillows, iphone cases and more!

Happy Valentine's Day! Kiruto Baby Jacket

Ah February, the month of Amore, 2 years ago we were expecting our own February Baby and Valentine's Day was just that much sweeter for it. Right now our little guy is going to be turning 2 and it seems like that is just about the time when everyone else's babies become a little more.. appealing (more babies! more babies!)... especially the adorable model for this photo shoot. Aisling is modeling the Valentine's day version of the Kiruto Baby Jacket, a sweater designed especially for her and her special Mom.

Aisling is Baby number 5, wow right?! I mean we are 3 kids into this life together and it already seems overwhelming at times, 5 is like this amazing mountain of kidlet love that appears pretty magical from the outside. This last baby (have to cross through to appease Murphey's law) was pretty special, a teeny tiny love muffin of a girl who is quite simply just a precious chilled-out baby dearest.

Now I knew that I needed to create something new and simple for Aisling and her Mama, both Mom and Dad are really into Japanese culture and I personally love Japanese quilts and quilted clothing. I also love smocked stitches, I think they create such an interesting fabric that really changes the structure and drape of the knitted item. The final fabric seems warmer and cozier, it really does feel like it is quilted!

The Kiruto baby Jacket is a simple dolman style jacket, knit from the bottom up in 3 colors. Worked evenly to the armholes, stitches are cast on for the sleeves and the cuffs are worked with 3 slipped stitches for a thicker rounded edge. The stitches for the back sleeves are picked up from the cast on for the front sleeves reducing seaming. The tops of  the sleeves are grafted using kitchener's stitch for less inner irritating seams on sweet baby skin. When the main body is finished the i-cord is worked around the edges using the darkest color, a small loop is created at the top left neck opening and both ties are worked at the top right neck opening.

For this design to work out well row gauge is just as important as stitch gauge, the striping sequence is based on a repeat of the pattern in rows. This means that if your row gauge is significantly larger or smaller you will want to make sure to add or remove pattern repeats to match the schematic for an appropriate size.

This pattern also comes with a step by step smocking stitch picture tutorial, some of the testers who helped me perfect this pattern had trouble with the stitch pattern and so I worked up a 14 step worksheet to help. This comes with the pattern and will help with any difficulties you may have regarding this unusual stitch pattern.

Kiruto is worked in a Ella Rae Chunky Superwash, and works up really really quickly! I bet if you started today you could finish in time for Valentine's Day this year! Less than 2 weeks? perhaps you could! Check it out on Ravelry today and get your knitting needles clicking for your own Sweet Love Muffin Baby!

This little sweater can be unisex as well, check out the original sample made for Aisling in 3 shades of Blue.This sample worked in Cascade 220 Aran Superwash in colors 1999 Majolica Blue, 1992 Deep Jungle, and 849 Dark Aqua, these colors are not noted in the pattern.

Carmadine

 New pattern release! Carmadine is an adorable raglan cardigan knit with it's own blooming bed of flowers and sweet asymmetrical shawl collar.

This little sweater all started with a few balls of red Debbie Bliss Cashmerino that I just could not pass by. The bright red just seemed to celebrate the beginning of spring and the longer days of tiny sprouts poking up through the ground opening their leaves to the burgeoning sunlight. It is ironic that a sweater designed for the spring is finally ready to leave my studio in the half light of a November morning, when the partially bare trees shake in the chill of a stormy sky. But it also seems appropriate for this garden lover to release a tiny bed of flowers in the beginning of the winter, what better way to get through the dark months than with bright red cashmere flowers?

This cardigan is worked from the bottom up, flat, and then joined at the underarms to work the raglan yoke. The flower pattern is worked along the bottom edge with corresponding bobble blooms on the bottom sleeves. The sample is a 3-6 month size modeled by the adorable Emarie and I am assured that a mid photo shoot nap time indicates she was infinitely cozy.

You can find this pattern on Ravelry 

Weekender

Oh don't you love those simple weekend projects, you know the ones that just skip along and are finished by Sunday evening, ready to wear Monday morning? I know I love them, and don't knit nearly enough of them.

Weekender is an  adorable headband is worked in Noema from Lousia Harding, a worsted weight cotton blend it has a multitude of tweedy colors flickering in and out of the yarn. The headband is worked back and forth flat from the tails to the center front and is grafted together for a seamless fit. The lace pattern is charted and written and has patterning on the RS and the WS for part of the chart.

This pattern is infinitely adjustable by working more or less repeats of the pattern and would work wonderfully in a smaller gauge yarn with more repeats for length.

FINISHED MEASUREMENTS
 46.5 (49)” long, to fit 20 (22)” head circumference, adjustable.

MATERIALS
Louisa Harding Noema [75% Cotton, 20% Acrylic, 5% Nylon (Polyamide); 131 yds /50g]; color #15 mojito, 1 ball

1 set US #6/4mm straight needles OR 1 set US #6/4mm 24 inch circular needle

Tapestry needle, stitch holder or waste yarn.

GAUGE
22 sts/26 rows = 4” over charted pattern, gauge is not crucial for this pattern.

PATTERN NOTES
This headband is worked back and forth from the tail to the center head in two pieces that are grafted together. The beginning chart has patterning on both sides of the work. The chevron lace section is easily adjustable for any heads size.

 

Cottina Cowl now available!

Oooh I love releasing a new pattern, this is a one skein cowl pattern that uses Noro Taiyo Sport, which is actually a DK weight. The pattern is worked in the round and has a combination ribbing and lace pattern that moves the yarn around with yarn overs and stacked decreases. This creates waving stripes in the pattern and it looks pretty darn nice in whatever yarn you use, either striping or variegated. You can find the Cottina Cowl on Ravelry here. 

FINISHED MEASUREMENTS
One size 22” circumference at top, 30” circumference at bottom, 14.5” tall

MATERIALS
Noro Taiyo Sport [60% cotton, 15% silk, 15% wool, 10% nylon, 349yds/100g ] color #06 1 skein
1 set US #7/4.5mm 24 inch circular needle and 16” circular needle
1 set US#7/4.5mm dpns if not using 16” circular needle.
Tapestry needle

GAUGE
19 sts/22 rows = 4” over charted pattern.
Gauge is not critical for this pattern.

PATTERN NOTES
This cowl is worked from the bottom up in the round. To increase the circumference of this cowl you can add stitches in increments of 16 and work additional repeats of the chart.




The Cottina Cowl is a quick knit and I actually knit the entirety of it on a last minute trip to Tacoma in February. We made a jaunt to the coast so I could check out the marketplace at the Madrona Fiber Retreat and also to take the kids to obsess over Sharks with me see the Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium. Which was fabulous by the way and the perfect size for kids over a morning. I though it might be neat to take some in progress photos since I was in the same place for the knitting of the cowl and you can see them below!

(yes we have a disability placard lol)

Because really, sharks need cowls too.