Wednesday, December 31, 2014

The Dude Sweater COMPLETE!


I wrote a poem to my hope of completing this in time. That was for Christmas last year.
But, I DID get it done for Christmas THIS year!

Pattern: The Dude Sweater by Andrea Rangel
Yarn: Cascade Eco Wool

I was petrified by the prospect of sewing in the zipper on this. As it happens, it was no problem at all. I will repeat that for those of you who may be facing a similar trepidatious endeavour: it was no problem at all.

All I did was hand-baste in the zipper and use a regular sewing machine foot to stitch the zipper in. I perhaps should have used a zipper foot, but I'm already a bit concerned that the knit edges are too close to the zipper teeth, raising the danger of the fabric getting caught while zipping up the sweater. I set the stitch length to be as wide as it would let me. It remains to be seen if this is sturdy enough. If not, I'm at least no longer worried about sewing zippers into knits!

Tonight is New Year's Eve. I hope you all have a fantastic last day of 2014, and I'm looking forward to a great 2015 with you all!

Monday, December 29, 2014

Pony Parade


It's safe.
These gifts have been delivered to their new homes, so I can share the pics with you.

I mentioned on the podcast that I'd been working on these, but had to withhold details.
And yes, even though these are the newest generation of My Little Pony, they've still got  me feeling nostalgic.














I purchased three blank ponies from Amazon; shortly afterwards, I discovered slightly cheaper avenues. Namely, the MLP site itself.

Anyhow, this was a whole lotta fun. I gave these to two of my best friends (those I had the MLP nostalgically-indulgent party with earlier this year). They take inspiration from each lady and morph them into their pony form. Favourite colours and symbols of their personalities, plus a bit of acrylic paint and a lot of nail polish brought these into being.
One thing that was too much work was dyeing their hair. I tried, I really did. I googled around to no avail. The only options that came up were ones that were incredible time-intensive, and out of my pony-modding league.
So I just tried a bit of food colouring on the orange one. It slightly tinted her mane and tail.
And since I had a very limited food-colouring palette at my disposal, I chose to leave the blue pony's hair white. I like it! I think it works.

Friday, December 26, 2014

Indie Designer Revisit

Designer: Nina Machlin Dayton
Blog: Ninaknits's Blog
Rav ID: ninaknits
Some Great Designs: ninaknits' Rav Designer Page
Original Indie Designer Post: December 10, 2010

The first time I featured ninaknits I focused on her hats; for this revisit, we'll look at some of her great, quick knits that are perfect for this time of year. Treat yourself to one of these beautiful cowls!

The Cantare Cowl has fantastic texture, something that you'll see throughout all of ninaknits' designs. This is a piece that you can experiment with. It's something of a stitch sampler, allowing you to see your chosen yarn in a variety of patterns.

Her Chesterfield Neckwarmer is a close-fitting cowl, with a great flipped edge created through short rows. Buttons running up the side ensure it'll keep all chills away.

And the Teardrop Cowl features beautiful beadwork and lace. It has a great, delicate use of picot edging.


Wednesday, December 24, 2014

Sweet December: De-stress Baking

The usual cookie-making-machine that is my holiday kitchen has slowed considerably this year. The above photos is a demonstration of the paltry few recipes I've done in 2014 (unlike 2013, 2011, and 2009).

I've shamefacedly admitted this to my cookie recipients; they usually comment that "it's so much work".Which got me thinking: baking cookies isn't really "work" to me. It's one of those things that slows me down, gets me to focus, and relax.

So, it's not that I've been avoiding cookies this year through a disdain for the work; it's just that this year, for the first time in living memory, I just haven't been in the holiday mood. The holidays have snuck right up on me!

How about you? Is baking a relaxing activity?

Monday, December 22, 2014

The Vana Shrug

© Knitscene/Harper Point Photography
It might be mid-winter, but Knitscene is brightening up our knitting with their Spring 2015 issue. And I've very happy to announce that I have a pattern featured in this issue!
See it on Ravelry.



The Vana Shrug is in the Gold Dust woman theme.
When the call for proposals went out, and I saw that there was an entire theme dedicated to one of my favourite colours, I knew I had to submit a few ideas!

© Knitscene/Harper Point Photography

Vana grew from my love of shrugs and the Oriel Lace pattern. It's such a pretty one, with a deep repeat and well-placed increases and decreases which form little peaks. Blocking out the lace collar was so much fun!
© Knitscene/Harper Point Photography

I imagined that the lace would look fantastic as a wide, draping element that reached up and around the wearer's neck, complemented by cascades of stockinette in the body.
Get in some golden yellow yarn and roll around!

Friday, December 19, 2014

Indie Designer Day

Designer: Cristina Ghirlanda
Blog: Minimi Knit Design
Rav ID: minimi
Some Great Designs: minimi's Rav Designer Page

Luscious cables, beautiful texture, and bold, graphic elements are hallmarks of this designer's style.

Her Libellula (pictured) shows off that boldness and texture. This pattern is also seamless, easily adjustable, and a fantastically-relaxing exercise in the glories of stockinette.

The Phase Pullover has a very interesting shape: it's oversized everywhere except at the hip. This lends the garment a fitted look with the advantage of comfortable ease, a cozy look, and generous sleeves. Check it out: it's a look that I think is quite flattering, and unlike most sweater patterns out there.

Fiori di Cuore shows what she can do with touches of openwork on a long sleeved sweater. I really like the sleeve details and the super deep neckline.

Delicious cables abound in the Minimissimi Sweater Coat. They swirl across and visually pop out of this very cozy and attractive garment, playing with length, shape, and stitches.

And just to give you a taste of her accessory design: there's the cabled loveliness of the Polonaise Cowl and the roving pom pomed scarf Tintinnio (I super love this one!).

Thursday, December 18, 2014

Draperie and Linsey Woolsey SALE

One of the perks to subscribing to the Canary Knits newsletter is coupons.
From now until Saturday, my latest two designs, Linsey Woolsey and Draperie, are on sale for 50% off!


Want a coupon code? Just sign up for the Canary Knits newsletter.

Wednesday, December 17, 2014

Capsule Wardrobe: The Fabric and Patterns


I've been planning my capsule wardrobe for Spring/Summer 2015.

  • I started by going through both my favourites/queued on Ravelry, and my extensive sewing pattern collection and fabric stash.
  • I made a list that was much more sewing heavy than knitting, which I suppose makes sense, Spring/Summer not being the heartland of knitwear wearing!
  • I drew out the silhouettes of the dresses, skirts, and shirts that I was thinking of sewing, making sure there was a bit of variety in shape and style.

  • I was then realistic about what I really wanted to get to: I did have shorts and rompers on my list, but with the number of dresses I was eyeing up I thought it best to get through them before I tried to tackle those other garments.
  • Selecting the fabrics to go with the patterns was a great bit of fun: I've invested heavily in cute cotton prints, which should keep me covered for the adorable bespoke dress for quite some time.
  • The colour palette was, in essence, already selected for me. I did have some leeway in making sure everything wasn't just blue! But one of my motivations for this wardrobe is to use the materials I have, and so my hands were somewhat tied in the colour-palette regard.
  • I also tried to make sure I had a mix of patterns I had worked with before, and ones that were new to me. I get excited about new patterns, but they're of course untested, and so having some old-reliables on hand is a nice fall back in case the newbies are frustrating.

Are YOU interested in creating a capsule wardrobe for yourself?
Join the capsule wardrobe fun on the Canary Knits Ravelry group.

Monday, December 15, 2014

Linsey Woolsey


Linsey Woolsey: so named because of its stitch and fibre.

This bonnet uses all over linen stitch in the soft, warm, worsted Dream in Color Classy, and you'll love it because:

  • the linen stitch gives the bonnet great structure
  • short rows at each front panel add steep triangles of fabric that can be worn flat or folded back
  • the density of the fabric gives extra protection from the cold
  • TASSELS, people. It's got tassels.

Linsey Woolsey is sized for an adult head; 20-22” / 51-56 cm circumference.




Yarn
Dream in Color Classy, 100% superwash merino, 250 y / 229 m per 100 g hank, Karma Chamelion, 1 hank
Needles
4.5 mm (US 7) circulars or straights or size to obtain gauge
Gauge
24 sts and 44 rows = 4” / 10 cm in linen stitch
Skills
short rows, creating tassels, i-cord

Friday, December 12, 2014

Indie Designer Day

Designer: Nunzia Diglio
Blog: ND Studio
Rav ID: NDStudio
Some Great Designs: NDStudio's Rav Designer Page

NDStudio does the knitted/crocheted bag like an art form. Leather straps, rivets, clasps; a variety of shapes, sizes and textures that are appealing as project as well as finished items.

In particular, check out Minturno, Passion, and Bauletto Cross.

But if bags aren't your thing, there's still so much to see in her design portfolio!
Vaniglia e Cannella (pictured) is a dual-coloured cardigan that's relaxed and fluid, shaped with short rows, and able to be worn in multiple ways.

Bat is a jacket/poncho that features some fantastic texture and a layered, cozy feel.

And Hippy is a free crocheted shawl, with some fantastically generous fringe!

Wednesday, December 10, 2014

Bonnet Peek


Sneak peek day!

This is Linsey Woolsey, a suuuuper cute bonnet that's nearly ready to be published. It's my new favourite thing. Can't wait for you all to see it!

Details to come soon.

Monday, December 08, 2014

Canary Knits Blog 2015

I want to hear from you!

A new year is coming, and I'm keen to make Canary Knits a blog that you love coming to. So, I'm looking for some feedback on what you like to see, what you'd like to see MORE of, and any suggestions you might have for the Canary Knits blog in 2015.

SURVEY HERE

Thanks to you all for your input!

Friday, December 05, 2014

Indie Designer Day

Designer: Yuki Ueda
Blog: カッテキママなモノづくりの記録
Rav ID: yuki77
Some Great Designs: yuki77's Rav Designer Page

Pretty things ahead!


First up, a couple of accessories.

Her Banana Leaf Shawl is an irregularly shaped piece that plays with textural stitches to create a simple yet dramatic look.

The Goldfish Shawl makes use of watery-themed stitches to create a flowing, traditional triangular shawl: Bubble, Waterweed, and Fishtail edging.

And second, some whimsy!

Peanuts. No joke. It's realistic and adorable!

And you know there's NO way I could leave out her little palm-sized, bird-shaped pouch, Canary. SO CUTE! I love him.  Go see him now. Go on. I'll wait.... Yep. Did you see?! So cute, and made in one piece from beak to tail!

Thursday, December 04, 2014

Geo Delight Sale Continues!; And, I Make a Video!

Geo Delight's been on sale this week for only $4!



I thought I'd make a video to show you how the vest moves, and also how I've been wearing it for the colder weather.

So if you'd like to pick up Geo Delight for only $4, hurry! Sale ends on Saturday!

Wednesday, December 03, 2014

Knitter's WIP: Rock Quarry

Ravelry offers so many fantastic features. For a designer, it gives you the ability to very easily scope out people's projects from your patterns, which I'm sure you won't be surprised to hear I check out daily. It's fun! Seeing FOs is one of my favourite parts of designing.

So a few days ago I was perusing this list, and my attention was caught by these stunning photos of Rock Quarry.



The talented knitter is Eularay, and the photographer is her husband. They've done a great job making this stole look at home in the mountains!

You can get your copy of Rock Quarry from Interweave Knits Fall 2014 issue.

Monday, December 01, 2014

Geo Delight SALE!


Hear ye, hear ye!

Geo Delight is on sale!
Pick up this versatile vest for only $4 this week.


Friday, November 28, 2014

Indie Designer Revisit

Designer: Karen Clements
Blog: Knit 1 LA
Rav ID: kclem
Some Great Designs: kclem's Rav Designer Page
Original Indie Designer Post: February 19, 2010

I can't believe it's coming up on five years since I first profiled this designer.
She has been incredibly busy, independently publishing work that continues to embody her aesthetic of chic, fun, simple-and-fashionable designs.

I'll point out just three of the MANY that are awesome.

The Swing Coat: This one's pictured up there. I think it's a great example of  her style. And hey, if you're like me, and are attracted to giant, 0.75 sts/1" gauge yarn, then I'd have to point you in this direction for a fantastic idea for a finished garment. I love its structure, texture, and the speed with which I imagine you could make this coat. Drooly.

A Simple Tank: That it is, but with a twist. Check out the weight of that yarn! It's so texturally attractive. One of the best parts is that this is suitable for advance beginners. Something that you could whip up fairly quick, something that is certainly chic, and something that, depending on fibre content, you could adjust for time of year (for all readers in the southern hemisphere, this might be a timely suggestion!).

The Crochet Brioche Sweater: Holy cow, this is beautiful. The shape of it is fantastic, the technique sounds very interesting, and the high number of FOs on Ravelry all look great. Check them out!

Wednesday, November 26, 2014

Capsule Wardrobe

In my recent podcast episode 14 (part one and part two) I spoke about the Coletterie's blog series Wardrobe Architect. I've been thinking about it for quite a few months now.

Episode 14 saw me focus on a capsule wardrobe, something I hadn't ever encountered before.

Like many needleworkers of many ilks, I have a backlog of patterns and materials, all purchased with excitement and the best of intentions. I bought these things because I liked them, because I really wanted to do something with them. And the idea of planning a capsule wardrobe just might be the motivation I need.

What is a capsule wardrobe?
A small subset of your wardrobe, something you can plan seasonally.

How do you plan a capsule wardrobe?
1) Choose 1-6 silhouettes for the season.
2) Create a colour palette.
3) Break down your silhouettes and colours into a list of pieces.
4) Organize what to make, what to buy, and what you already own.

All this is taken from the Coletterie's fantastic blog, where you can find details, advice, and fun worksheets (yes, fun!) that will help you along the way to planning your own capsule wardrobe.

I'm planning my capsule wardrobe for Spring/Summer 2015.

Timeline
Planning begins now and lasts until the end of January.
February onward is the making!

Want to Join me?
Visit the Canary Knits Ravelry group! I think this would be a great way to motivate each other and share our ideas and wardrobe making triumphs! Sew! Knit! Crochet! Whatever works for you!
Hope to see you there!

Tuesday, November 25, 2014

Draperie

Make your comfy, cozy, squishy-garter-stitch dreams come true with Draperie.


Buy Now

The stretchy, squishy feel of the all-over garter stitch texture provides a fabric that drapes and wraps around your body wonderfully. The perfect item to casually throw on for extra warmth, Draperie can be worn with either side as the top; converting the piece from a cardigan to a more shrug-like piece instantly!

Sizes:  39 (43, 46)” / 99 (109, 117) cm

Yarn: Baah "La Jolla"

You want to knit Draperie because:
  • it's a simple, soothing garter-stitch knitting experience
  • the drape and basic shape make this an effortlessly chic garment
  • the convertibility: it can be worn top side up or down, depending on how drapey you'd like your collar
  • easy adaptability: want it longer? Just knit a few more rows! This garment has no complicated shaping
With more drapey collar worn at neck

Friday, November 21, 2014

Indie Designer Day

Designer: Judy Brien
Rav ID: JudyIs
Some Great Designs: JudyIs' Rav Designer Page

This week's designer demonstrates a masterful use of texture and innovative uses for traditional techniques.

Engineered Seams (pictured) is my favourite example. This is "just" a top-down seamless raglan, but just look at the amazing textural detail she's incorporated, done through the use of well-placed short rows. And the cleverly-placed twisted stitches for faux seams! Love it.

X Cardigan is also a simple top-down, but she tweaks the look with a sloping front buttonband, draping collar, and the placement of sweater shaping placement at the back of the garment.

Black Wattle: short rows, mesh lace, chic sweater. SO COOL. All JudyIs' work is so comfy, interesting, and fashionable. I hope I've won you all over.
And hey, she's got plenty of other designs! Just check out her portfolio!

Monday, November 17, 2014

Read Along Begins!

Are you ready and set to start reading? Because today is the official start to our second knitting book read along!

Where
On this thread in the Canary Knits Ravelry group.

When
Officially: today until February 1, 2015 (though the thread will always remain open for discussion).

What
We're reading Ysolda Teague's Little Red in the City.

Why
Community! Collaborative, peer learning! And just hanging out.

Hope to see you there!

Friday, November 14, 2014

Indie Designer Day

Designer: Meridith Shepherd
Rav ID: MeridithKnits
Some Great Designs: MeridithKnits' Rav Designer Page

Put a fun pop of colour and some bold texture in your cold-weather wardrobe with this week's designer!

Check out the photo here of Daring Diamonds. Need I say more? Winter is precisely when you need this pick-me-up, and Daring Diamonds uses intarsia and super fun colours to make a fantastic scarf.
PS: Scarves are underrated, I think. They make such great gifts, are so useful, and can be great ways to practice and learn new knitting techniques. So, knit a scarf this season!

Are you more of a cowl knitter? Alpha Chi is another example of her exciting colourwork. It's reversible, with one side featuring a Greek key pattern and the other a simple diagonal.

If you're really into cowls, you can pick up Alpha Chi along with Color Infusion as part of an ebook. This is another cool reversible cowl, with bold chevrons and exciting colour combination possibilities!

You need to know: we have a coupon code, specially for you Canary Knits readers! You can Buy 2 get 1 Free with this coupon code between November 14-November 28: canary2014

If you're only interested in purchasing one of her patterns, you can get it for 25% off with the Indie Designer Gift Along from now until November 21. See her Gift-Along bundles here. Go here for more info about the Gift Along.

Thursday, November 13, 2014

Winner!

Swinging by to let you all know the winner of the giveaway from last week's Indie Designer, emount!

Congratulations kayteau!
I'll get you in touch with the designer and she'll send you your pattern.

Erica has also let me know that she's participating in the Indie Designer Gift-along, on Ravelry this year. It Runs from Nov 13 - Dec 31. It’s a KAL with games and loads of prizes. There are 293 participating designers, who will be discounting many of their patterns 25%. The sale is from Nov 13 at 8pm through Nov 21.
More information here.

Thanks all!

Wednesday, November 12, 2014

Knitting Book Read Along: Little Red in the City

Have you picked up your copy of Little Red in the City yet?


Our read along starts on the Canary Knits Ravelry group on Sunday. I know I can't wait to get started!

Get a Copy
Amazon.com
Ysolda's website (where you can get an e copy).
Your local library (my local library doesn't have it, but checking your own is worth a shot!)

Our read along goes from November 16 - February 1.
Hope to see you there!

Tuesday, November 11, 2014

Winter Wardrobe: Knit Now!

It's peak winter knitting season!

While it may not quite feel that way right now (outside it's a balmy 15C right now), being prepared for that first creeping-cold day is ideal.

So bust out your needles now for maximum cold-weather knits (or, on the other end of the globe, warm-weather!).

Might I suggest Geo Delight?

More to come on this puppy in the near future. Keep your eyes peeled! Vests are bests for the cold!

Monday, November 10, 2014

Owl Embroidery

Last Christmas a friend of mine gave me this adorable owl embroidery kit from Kiriki Press.

I finally cracked in to it this summer after I caught the embroidery bug from the totally cute patterns over at Red Letter Day Stitches.

I've made some progress since the days of long sunshine and occasionally oppressive heat, but the owl sits still on my desk, waiting.

I'd never devoted any real time to embroidery before this year. So really, my friend was expressing great confidence in me by purchasing an embroidery kit that's "level 3" as in, the most difficult offered by this particular company.

I sort of ignored that rating level and just jumped on in. And really, embroidery isn't all that difficult! Don't be intimidated! There's plenty of fantastic stitch dictionaries and techniques demonstrated online. I've been referring to this one pretty heavily since I've begun.

There are a number of stitches I've had to practice a few times, and go to a variety of sources to get a better understanding of (french knots!! Tricky but soooo pretty!).
But with patience and a modicum of research, I've found that embroidery is a great brain-resetting sort of activity when I need a break from knitting.

I have a Pinterest board with a variety of needlecrafts pinned to it. Search around for the embroidery, but beware: there's plenty there to distract you from knitting! My current favourite embroidery project is this one, and I reaaaally want to start it now! If only I had some neon embroidery floss...

Friday, November 07, 2014

Indie Designer Day

Designer: Erica Mount
Rav ID: emount
Some Great Designs: emount's Rav Designer Page

I have some great patterns to tell you about.
Oh, and a GIVEAWAY!

Yes. But hear me out first. I want to tell you about a couple of this week's designer's patterns.

First up is the pictured Spear Maiden's Heart. A well done colourwork mitten is a great thing. The interaction of geometric and organic-inspired shapes on this duo-chrome design is very eye catching. And don't miss that pretty braid running along the bottom edge!

I'm also a fan of her Moonlit Coast mittens. It's inspired by the beautiful, rocky coastline of Nova Scotia. Check out the pattern page: there's examples in both two- and multi-colours.

The GIVEAWAY!
Well, as you can see, emount is a strong colourwork mitten designer, and she's very generously offered to give away a free pattern to one lucky reader! Just comment on this post between now and November 13 and let me know which of her pattern's you'd choose. Good luck!

Wednesday, November 05, 2014

Big Needles, Big Cozy Part 1

I can't explain it; I appear to be a woman of extremes.

The very second I saw Knit Picks' new yarn Big Cozy I knew I had to design with it. There's just something about a super bulky yarn that gets my heart a-racing.
Big Cozy nom nom!

Many, many years ago, when I first started knitting, I purchased the largest needles I'd ever seen at the first knitting fair I'd ever been to. They're 20 mm needles (US size 36)1, and now I finally have the perfect yarn for them.

Big Cozy is a super bulky weight yarn, with the gauge given as 2.5 sts to 1". On my needles, I'm getting it a bit bigger, and that's all part of the fun. It's a wonderfully soft combination of 55% superfine alpaca and 45% Peruvian highland wool, for which I'm imagining a luxurious, over-the-top, cape/bolero.

I'm sure you can imagine, though, that knitting with needles and yarn this big is something of a challenge. You have to learn new ways of manipulating the yarn and wielding these unwieldy things. So imagine my surprise when, quite literally, the day after I got my hand on some Big Cozy, Mari Chiba posted this guide of tips to knitting with super big needles! Serendipity! If you're thinking of knitting with this beautifully monstrous stuff, I'd suggest you give her brief post a read.

You'll be seeing more from me and this huge yarn. I'm hoping to take you through this design process from its first steps through to its last.

For some odd reason, it's all about the super big and pretty small yarns for me (I tend toward sock weight. Who knows why?)
How about you? Do you prefer a particular weight of yarn?
____________
1 As these needles are really unusually large, I thought I better do my research and see if people can ever get a hold of ones this big. Indeed you can, and right from Knit Picks' own website!

Monday, November 03, 2014

Knitting Book Read Along: Our Second Book Begins!

I'm really rather pleased that we got as many votes as we did for the selection of our second knitting book read along. Thanks everyone! Let's keep that momentum going.
All discussion will happen in the Canary Knits Ravelry group.

The Book

Little Red in the City by Ysolda Teague

Where to Get It
Amazon.com
Ysolda's website (where you can get an e copy).
Your local library (my local library doesn't have it, but checking your own is worth a shot!)

Reviews
Knitter's Review
Good Reads
Fresh Stitches
and many, many more!

Timeline
Get the book between now and November 16, 2014.
Read the book between now and February 1, 2015.
As this book is over 250 pages long, and the read along will extend over what can be a rather busy knitting time, I’ve given us about 3 months to get this book read and discussed.
That said, the discussion thread will never be closed!

"Rules"
No pressure!
Read at your own pace.
Set your own goals.
Participate as much or as little as you wish.
All discussion will happen in the Canary Knits Ravelry group.

Can't wait to get started! I'll see you there!

Friday, October 31, 2014

Indie Designer Revisit

© Jane Heller
Designer: Inna Aleksandrova
Rav ID: Yantarik
Some Great Designs: Yantarik's Rav Designer Page
Original Indie Designer Post: January 16, 2009

So many years ago! Wow! I profiled this designer before she had any published designs in 2009. I was very pleased to return to her work and see that she's been published in Knitty, Petite Purls, and Twist Collective!

Sigulda comes in both women's and men's. Look at the pretty! These are attractive sweaters that demonstrate a masterful combination of texture (both physical, through stitch definition, and optical, through colours) AND colourwork.

You might think putting those two together would be easily overwhelming. And you're correct! It takes a skilled designer to harmoniously bring together disparate elements, each with the distinct ability to overwhelm the other or create a garment that's "too busy".

These sweaters are such a great balance! I love it.
They were published in Twist Collective Winter 2013. I can only hope that we get to see more work from Yantarik soon!

Wednesday, October 29, 2014

Rock Quarry: Why the Short Rows?

I've had a few questions regarding the short rows on the recently released Rock Quarry Stole (featured in Interweave Knits Fall 2014).

One of the main reasons people have been asking me about these short rows is because their function doesn't appear to be obvious from the photos published in the magazine.
Fortunately, I've been able to get my hands on a second sample, borrowed with thanks from the fantastic ladies at Handknit Yarn Studio.

Ok, let's get into it!

1) What's the point of the short rows?
I designed short rows into the stole so that it would wrap more comfortably and closely around the wearer's shoulders. See this photo below.





















2) These short rows are weird! When do I pick up the wraps?
When I swatched for this pattern I quickly discovered that when you're working in linen stitch, wrapping your stitches (as you would generally do when creating short rows) is unnecessary. The fabric is quite dense on its own, and the function of the wraps isn't needed. Which is great! Cause it makes the knitting speedier.

3) Can I just omit the short rows?
Absolutely! The short rows aren't dramatic or drastic. See the images below for a glimpse at "height" of the curve created through the short rows.























And for good measure, here's the stole, laid flat, seen from above with the RS facing.

And the WS facing. Note: the curve you can see here is because I intentionally encouraged the short rows to curve out. As you can see from the RS photos, it is entirely capable of laying flat.