One Scheme of Happiness

Free Pattern: The Mall Cowl

The Mall Cowl

By Katie Benedict

 

While my Mom and I were holiday shopping at a local upscale mall, we stumbled across this fabulous shaped cowl.  My mother grabbed it right up, then dropped it like a hot coal after seeing the price tag – over $150!

I went right home and found a warm looking stitch to use in making my own version of that cowl we saw.  The garment is fitted to the neck, then pools out over the shoulders to keep you warm and snug under a winter coat.

This cowl is knit in the round, inside out, using combinations of purl stitches. 

Also, I am working on a matching hat pattern that I will publish (again, for free) as soon as the test knit is complete!)

 

Guage: 20 stitches =  4 inches in stockenette stitch

Yarn: 1 skein Punita Yarns Merisoft Handpainted Merino (color HP64)

Needle: size 6 circular, 12”

Please click here to Download The Mall Cowl for FREE.

You can also find it here, as a FREE Ravelry download!

If you have any questions, comments or discover any errata, please let me know!! 

Enjoy your cowl!

 

Here is the cowl in a sadly discontinued cashmere:

 

...and in an unknow yarn from Artyarns:

 

FREE PATTERN: Spring Wrapture

I've spent years searching for the perfect wrap.  I've knit scores of scarves, various shapes of shawls, cowls and hoods and still I could not settle on that perfect cozy accessory that would warm my head, neck, ears and shoulders. 

Scarves couldn't adapt well without tumbling into knots.   Hats were just...hats.  Cowls left my poor shoulders shivering.

Shawls came the closest to meeting my demands, but no matter their shape or how I twisted them, they always ended up slipping off my shoulders, sliding into a puddle under my coat or at my feet.

What I needed was a shawl that would not slither off of my body; a cowl that would do something for my shoulders; a hat that could branch out from being just a hat.

I looked at some infinity scarf patterns, but I really need need fancy, twisted stuff to further confuse me and tangle around my body.  I wanted a basic round reversible wrap that somehow met all of the images bouncing around in my head.

Finally I designed my own.

 

This circular wrap can come together to be pretty much whatever you are in the mood for it to be.  Since it is reversible, you can wrap and twist without worrying about what's showing.

It's even works pretty well to deflect against rogue snowballs.

YARN: Jojoland Melody (4 skeins)

NEEDLE: Size 2, 36" circulars

FINISHED MEASUREMENTS: about 55" around

GAUGE: 1" = 5.7 stitches; 13.3 rows

Download free pattern: Spring Wrapture here: Click to Download Spring Wrapture

**Please feel free to contact me with any comments or corrections!  Enjoy!
 

 

FREE PATTERN! Slither 'Round My Head Double Knit Hat

Well, hello there!  It's FREE PATTERN time again!

 

Slither Round My Head

…by Katie Benedict

A reversible double knit extra warm hat with a twisty snake pattern.

 

When winter got extra cold this January, our regular winter knits were just not enough to keep us from freezing.  Ben loves his hand knit Noro hat, but asked me to knit something thicker and warmer to keep his head cozy.

 

After inspecting some yarns and pattern options, I decided that a double-knit (thus double-thick) hat would be just the thing for him.  Not only would it be snug, he could turn it inside out for a different look.  I asked my boyfriend if he wanted a snowflake or some other design, and he insisted on something “manly.” 

Well, what’s more manly than snakes (besides, perhaps, snails and puppy-dog tails?)

 

I didn’t find any patterns for what I wanted so I spent a few evenings charting out appropriately manly snakes to slither around this deep winter hat.  They looked fabulous slinking around the finished knit hat!  And the boy would hardly take it off of his head for me to block it.

 

Main Color (MC): 1 skein Debbie Bliss Donegal Luxury Tweed, Color 36008 (green tweed)

Contrast Color (CC): 1 skein Loop D Loop Moss by Teva Durham, Color 8 (black)

Guage: 1” = 3.5 stitches

Small: Fits heads 19”-20”; adjust gauge as necessary (pictured)

Large: Fits heads 21”-23”; adjust gauge as necessary

24” Circular needles, size 7, or size 7 double point needles

 

Notes: When referring to Main Color (MC), this pattern means the primary background color used on the outside of the hat.  Inside the hat, the colors will be reversed.

 

The hat is designed for a snug fit ~ adjust your guage accordingly if you prefer a looser hat.

 

Download Slither 'Round My Head:  Download Free Pattern Slither Round My Head.

Click for Ravelry Link!

PS: Please let me know if you have questions or find any errors in the pattern!

Charted Territory!

Thanks to the zealous efforts of knitting savant Veronique, you can now use a chart to smooth your way when tackling the Diamonds and Pearls baby blanket pattern.  You can go ahead and download it here, or find it in the updated Diamonds and Pearls Pattern Page. 

From one not so chart-ly inclined, massive kudos to Veronique.  Happy knitting, everyone.

Download Diamonds and Pearls Blanket_Chart.pdf

Diamonds and Pearls for Sophie

 

You've probably figured out that when I disappear inexplicably for a few days that I either ran away from home or I have something big brewing.  This time the quiet was for the finishing of a baby-blanket-brew for Amanda's little Sophie.  Hi Sophie!

Admittedly, it took me longer to make Sophie's blanket than it took Amanda to make Sophie, but that's how it works sometimes.

 

I'm posting a FREE pdf of this pattern for you to tackle, if you so desire.  The bobble and diamond motifs are adapted from Barbara Walker Treasury stitch patterns.  This blanket is very reversible, since the back side is a clean, reverse-diamond pattern.  The bobbles, however, are flat on the back side.

Diamonds and Peals for Sophie

by Katie Benedict

 

Needles: size 7 circulars

Yarn: Rowan All Seasons Cotton, 7-8 skeins Main color (pink: framboise 221); 3 skeins Border color (rose: cassis 223)

CLICK BELOW FOR YOUR FREE PATTERN: DIAMONDS AND PEARLS FOR SOPHIE.

Download diamonds_and_pearls.pdf

Download Diamonds and Pearls CHART.pdf

You can also que this pattern on Ravelry HERE.

PLEASE LET ME KNOW IF YOU FIND ANY ERRORS IN THE PATTERN.  I knit it myself, but you know, I could have missed something.  Thanks and enjoy!

Yo! It's a Scarf!

I finished, blocked and wore my Louise Harding scarf .  The simple yarn-over lace pattern suits this silk and wool blend exquisitely and I just want to wrap this soft stuff around and over every inch of my body.  I would need a lot more yarn to manage that.

I'll settle for displaying a few loose wraps around my neck so I don't have to charge you guys extra for the show.    But look - boobs!  Just to show you I care.

This yarn comes with my highest recommendations.  Be warned, however, that it will require serious personal restraint to actually knit the yarn into some form of a garment rather than just stuffing the soft little balls down your pants.

There isn't much to this pattern, but I'll post it for you anyway.

Yo! It's a Scarf!

Required:  3 skeins Louise Harding Grace silk/wool blend; size 7 needles

Click here to Download your FREE Yo!_Its_a_Scarf_Pattern!

To que in Ravelry, click here.

WEEVERA

WEEVERA

This pattern developed as I struggled to find just the right blanket to knit for my friend Vera’s baby-to-be.  I found myself ordering an entire palate of cotton colors and dabbling in various knitted textures.  Before I knew it, this rainbow blanket took shape in my hands.

Vera and her baby both love the variety in this fun and machine washable blanket.

You can experiment with any number of colors and repeat the textures that strike your fancy. 

Yarn:

17 skeins Elann Sonata cotton, 4”=22 stitches

7009 (Chamois) 1

6506 (Orchard Pink) 2

6399 (Lilac) 1

2137 (Angel Blue) 2

2612 (French Navy) 1

8001 (Bright White) 2

7530 (Nougat) 2

3794 (Wine) 3

3853 (Rosetta) 1

6656 (Pink Lavender) 1

2499 (Capri Blue) 1

62876 (African Violet) 1

Note: Each stripe should use approximately one ball of yarn.

Needles:

Size 3 needles, 32”

Finished blanket measures 35” x 38”

Glossary of terms:

kfb: knit 1 stitch in the front, then in the back.

K: knit

P: purl

WS: wrong side

RS: right side

Gauge: 25 stitches = 4”

(but it’s a blanket so it really doesn’t matter, does it?)

Please let me know if you have any questions or comments about this pattern.

Download Weevera here!

To que to Ravelry, go here!

Free Knit Baby Blanket Pattern: FINNIAS

Finnias is a garter stitch blanket that will leave you with one straight seam to whip closed once your knitting is done.  The blanket is knit back and forth using three long circular needles so you can knit around the perimeter of the blanket, adding frames of color as the blanket size increases. 

You can experiment with colors to create your own personalized blanket combination.

The inexpensive cotton yarn stipulated in the pattern is exceptionally soft with lovely drape.  You can machine wash and dry your blanket.  Of course, feel free to substitute with whatever fibers catch your fancy.

Finished blanket measures 35” x 38”

Yarn:

16 skeins Knit Picks Shine Sport (60% cotton, 40% Modal (R); Sport Weight; 110 yards/50 grams per ball)

Color A: Violet (4 skeins)

Color B: Sky (4 skeins)

Color C: River (4 skeins)

Color D: Cloud (4 skeins)

Needles:

Three 32” size 3 circular needles

Download Finnias Free PDF here.

Please comment and let me know if you are making the blanket or if you find pattern errors or yarn quantity issues. 

To que in Ravelry, click here.

Happy knitting!

Thanks to the Spiders for their exceptional editing skills.  Special thanks to Colleen for pdf assistance.

Weevera

And another cotton baby blanket slips off my needles.  "Weevera" is my own design and I am thrilled with her.  I hope Vera and her little one will be as well. 

"Weevera"

17 balls of Elann Cotton Sonata, various colors; size 3 needles

Weevera matches vibrant colors and reversible stitch patterns to form a festive, cuddly machine washable blanket that is perfect for summer. I'll be posting the free baby blanket pattern in the side bar sometime this week, along with more photos, after I tweak a few quirks.

This little darling finds a home this weekend ~ can you believe it?  A blanket finished before deadline!