Free pattern: Sweetheart Legwarmers

An attempt to use up some scrap yarn and make something girly resulted in these cute legwarmers. They coordinate with my Sweetheart Skirt that can be bought from my Ravelry store. 

One size fits most girls from 4-12 years old, length is easily adjustable. If following the pattern exactly you will end up with 25 cm (10 in) long legwarmers. The legwarmers flare out at the bottom and have details to make them super sweet and girly, perfect for any little sweetheart <3

The pattern is written without considering any colour changes, however I encourage you to look through your scrap yarns and go nuts with colours. Use my photos as inspiration, I changed colour at the start of each different pattern section.

General information:

Size: One size fits most young girls, approximately 4-12 years old. Knit rib section longer for older girls. 
Yarn: DK or light worsted yarn, amount depending on length of legwarmer. Assuming 20 cm (8 in) rib section gives yarn requirement of 155 m (170 yds).
Needles: 3.5 mm (US6) and 4 mm (US7) DPN's or long circular needles if using magic loop.
Gauge: 18 sts per 10 cm (4 in) in stockinette on larger needles.
Notions: stitch marker and darning needle.

Abbreviations:

BO - bind off
CO - cast on
DPN - double pointed needles
k - knit
k2tog - knit 2 together
M1 - make 1, recomend backward loop method or by picking up the yarn running between the stitch just knit and the one about to be knit, bringing the lefthand needle from front to back. Knit the picked up st through the back loop so that it twists.
p - purl
PM - place marker
st(s) - stitch(es)
YO - yarn over

Pattern:

With the smaller needles, CO 44 sts. PM and join to work in the round being careful not to twist the sts. 

Work k1, p1 rib until piece measures 20 cm (8 in). 

Note: If you would like longer leg warmers, add length now. Measure your child's leg from just above the ankle and upwards to where you want the leg warmer to stop, this will be the length of the ribbed section. 

Change to larger needles. Next step is the first eyelet section. 

Eyelet section:
Round 1: knit
Round 2: purl
Round 3: knit to end, then M1 (45 sts on the needles)
Round 4: * k1, k2tog, YO, repeat from * to end of round
Round 5: knit
Round 6: purl

Next is the stockinette section with increases to make it flare out.

Round 1: * k11, M1, repeat from * 2 more times, k11 (48 sts on the needles)
Round 2: knit
Round 3: * k12, M1, repeat from * to end of round (52 sts on the needles)
Round 4: knit
Round 5: * k13, M1, repeat from * to end of round (56 sts on the needles)

Next is another eyelet section. Repeat rows 1 to 6 of eyelet section above, only difference is stitch count after row 3 should be 57 sts. BO after the last purl row.

Picot bind off:
Using cable cast on method, CO 2 sts. BO 4 st, move last st back onto left needle. CO 2 more sts, BO 4 sts etc. Continue in this manner until all stitches have been bound off and you'll have a nice picot edge. 

Weave in loose ends, block lightly, wear and enjoy!

HAPPY KNITTING!

~Cecilie

Free Pattern: Two Textured Cloths

I love how these two textured cloths turned out so I would like to share the pattern if anybody else wants to make some nice knitted cloths. I made mine for kitchen use, but they would work well for personal use also. It's a great idea for a last minute gift, they knit up in a couple of hours. I don't think I will buy cloths ever again, these home made ones are so much better and prettier too!

The correct names for the stitch patterns vary depending on source and possibly by UK and US terms. I choose to call one moss stitch and the other double seed stitch. Moss stitch is basically seed stitch elongated over two rows rather than one, it is sometimes referred to as double seed stitch. What I refer to as double seed stitch is seed stitch on a larger scale, instead of  k1, p1 repeats over one row, it uses k2, p2 repeats over two rows, this stitch pattern is sometimes referred to as box stitch. Confused? No worries, just look at the photos and descriptions below and pick your favourite!

Patterns for the 2 cloths can be found below, but first some general info:

Size: approximately 20 x 20 cm (8 x 8 inches)
Yarn: less than 1 ball of machine washable aran weight cotton or bamboo yarn, ~50-60 m (60-70 yards)
Needles: 4.5 mm (US7)
Gauge: about 17 stitches per 10 cm (4 in) after blocking. The gauge will determine the width of the cloth. Slight variation is no big deal, it only means the cloth will be slightly wider or narrower. 

Abbreviations:
BO - Bind off
CO - Cast on
k - knit
p - purl
slwyif - slip stitch purlwise with yarn held to the front
st(s) - stitch(es)


Moss Stitch Cloth

Moss stitch

CO 37 sts (if you want to make a larger or smaller cloth, the number of CO sts must be a multiple of 2 + 1).

Note: the first st of each row should be slipped with yarn held to the front (slwyif), the last st of each row should be knit (k). This will make a nice even edge.

Row 1 and 4: slwyif, * k1, p1, repeat from * until 2 sts remain, k2.
Row 2 and 3: slwyif, * p1, k1, repeat from * to end of row.

Repeat rows 1 to 4 until cloth measures 20 cm (8 in) or until it is as long as it is wide. Finish with Row 1 just knit. On the next row, BO in pattern. Weave in ends, block or simply throw it in the washing machine. 

Double Seed Stitch Cloth

Double seed stitch

CO 36 sts (if you want to make a larger or smaller cloth, the number of CO sts must be a multiple of 4).

Note: the first st of each row should be slipped with yarn held to the front (slwyif), the last st of each row should be knit (k). This will make a nice even edge.

Row 1 and 4: slwyif, * k2, p2, repeat from * until 3 sts remain, k3.
Row 2 and 3: slwyif, * p2, k2, repeat from * until 3 sts remain, p2, k1.

Repeat rows 1 to 4 until cloth measures 20 cm (8 in) or until it is as long as it is wide. Finish with Row 1 just knit. On the next row, BO in pattern. Weave in ends, block or simply throw it in the washing machine. 

HAPPY KNITTING

~Cecilie

Fingerless Mitts and Revamped Hourglass Hat Coming Soon!

A brand new pattern for fingerless mittens is currently being tested and will likely be released within the next week. It has a subtle, but nice ridge rib stitch pattern that would work well in a solid or not too busy semisolid yarn (my yarn choice unfortunately does not show off the structured pattern very well). I've named these mitts Down to Earth Mitts, partly inspired by the yarn I used for my prototype which is called Earthsea and partly because they look rather down to earth to me. The pattern is straight forward, and these knits up quickly. The construction is seamless, bottom up with thumb gusset and the whole mitten is in rib pattern making them very stretchy and adaptable. I've made 3 sizes, women's S, M and L. 

Down to Earth Fingerless Mitts, Size S
Yarny details: Mosaic Moon Laurel DK (100% SW Merino),
Earthsea semi-solid

Secondly, I'm working on an improved version of my Hourglass Winter Hat. This one is also going through testing at the moment and should be ready for re-release in 2 weeks time. I've added two smaller sizes and the smallest one (Toddler) includes instructions for making ear flaps and ties. Super happy with my prototype for this one, almost wish I lived somewhere cold and had a child small enough to wear it. 

Hourglass Winter Hat, Toddler size

Yarny details: Mosaic Moon Mimosa Worsted 

(50% Alpaca, 30% Merino, 20% Silk), Sherlocked semi-solid

That's all for now, HAPPY KNITTING!

~ Cecilie

New Pattern: Sporty Cardigan for Boys and Girls

Today I'm excited to announce that I have release my first "big" knitting pattern. 

The Sporty Cardigan for Boys and Girls comes in 10 sizes from newborn through to 12 years. The cardigan is designed with active kids in mind and it is slightly over-sized to allow for growing room. The cardigan is designed for sport weight yarn, but at closer to a DK gauge (several of my pattern testers successfully knitted it in DK weight yarn). 

I designed the cardigan because I wanted to make a light weight sweater for my daughter to wear when in cool air conditioned environments, like the theater or cinema. I couldn't find a pattern I really loved so ended up making my own. I started working on this in February and finally issued it today, pattern design can be a bit of a lengthy process and the pattern editing can be a wee bit tedious. Very very happy to finally be done with this one!

Here are some photos from a little photo shoot I had with my daughter in the garden yesterday. This is a 6 year size shown on a slim 5 year old. I expect it to fit for a couple of years. 

I also made a 3 month size version for my best friends new baby boy, including a matching bonnet. The bonnet pattern can be found here, it comes in sizes newborn to 4 years. 

Sporty Cardigan and Sporty Pixie Bonnet

The Sporty Cardigan pattern can be found in both my Ravelry Store and my Etsy Store. 

Yarny details for the knitting nerds and yarn addicts:

The pink cardi is knitted in three different hand dyed semi-solids by the super talented indie dyer at Mosaic Moon. Laurel Sport is a super soft superwash merino yarns, one of my go to yarns. The names of these semi's are Cadence (MY Little Pony inspiration), Flora Navy (actually a trim for the Flora colorway) and Exhale (which I believe was a club yarn in Mosaic Moon's monthly semi-solid club).

Exhale, Flora Navy and Cadence by Mosaic Moon

The blue baby cardi is also knitted in Mosaic Moon yarn, Meadowsweet Sport. Another one of my favourite yarns, 100% non-superwash rambouillet wool. It's got a rustic look, a cottony feel, soft and sturdy. The colorway is called Impossibe Girl and the matching semi-solid is called Mists of London, colorway and semi inspired by the Dr. Who TV-show. 

Impossible Girl colorway, Mists of London blue and Emerald green by Mosaic Moon

That's all for now.

HAPPY KNITTING!

~ Cecilie

Pixie Hat for Everyone

Here comes a free pattern for a one size fits most, quick to knit pixie hat. The idea for this pattern came from the testing of my Sporty Pixie Bonnet where one of my testers wanted to knit a larger size bonnet in thicker yarn for charity. I thought the idea was great so I made my own prototype. I would wear this myself and my daughters loves it! 

The hat is knitted flat from the brim to the crown and seamed at the back. The brim is ribbed and the rest is in garter stitch. The garter stitch creates a very stretchy hat which means it will fit quite a span of head sizes. The prototype I made fits my 5 year old and it fits me too!

Sizing:

One size fits most children to smallish adult.

Height of the hat from the bottom to the top is 24 cm (9.5 in) and length from front to back is 21 cm (8.25 in). The circumference of the ribbed brim is 34 cm (13.5 in).

Gauge:

16 st and approximately 15-16 garter ridges per 10 cm (4 in) in unstretched garter stitch on larger needles.

Materials:

Yarn: 150 m (165 yards) of worsted weight yarn.

Needles: 4 mm (US6) and 4.5 mm (US7) straight or circular needles plus extra 4.5 mm (US7) needle for 3-needle bind off.

Other: Darning needle

Pattern:

CO 81 sts with smaller needles.

RS row: * k1, p1, repeat from * to last st, k1.

WS row: * p1, k1, repeat from * to last st, p1.

Repeate 3 more times for a total of 8 rows of ribbing.

Change to larger needles and work in garter stitch, knitting every RS and WS row until piece measures 15 cm (6 in) from CO edge.

Next RS row: k1, ssk, k to 3 last sts, k2tog, k1.

Next WS row: knit

Repeat the 2 rows above 5 more times (69 sts on the needles).

Next RS row: k1, ssk, ssk, k to 5 last sts, k2tog, k2tog, k1.

Next WS row: knit

Repeat the 2 rows above 3 more times (53 sts on the needles).

Decrease 1 st on the next WS row to end up with an even no of sts on the needles (52 sts on the needles).

Fold hat in half with RS facing inwards, make sure you have the same no of sts for each half, i.e. 26 sts for each half. BO using 3-needle BO.

Alternatively, bind off with your preferred method and then seam it up instead of 3 needle BO.

Seam the back of the hat from where you started the 3 needle BO and towards the front lower corners. Stop seaming just past where you started the decrease rows, leaving 14 cm (5.5 in) unseamed.

Attach ties, approximately 25 cm (10 in) long, at the corners of the front edge. For my prototype I made braided “ties” that are more for decorative purposes rather than for tying. Weave in loose ends and block lightly.

Abbreviations:

BO – bind off

CO – cast on

k – knit

k2tog – knit 2 sts together (1 st decreased)

no – number

p – purl

RS – right side

ssk – slip, slip, knit; slip 2 sts one by one as if to knit, put the 2 slipped sts back on the left needle and knit them together through the back loops (1 st decreased)

st(s) – stitch(es)

WS – wrong side

HAPPY KNITTING!

If you share your project on Instagram, do tag me @cechalden and #pixiehatforeveryone. I'd love to see your FOs! The pattern can also be found on Ravelry, please link to the pattern page if you have a Ravelry profile.

~Cecilie

Hat Patterns for Big and Small

I've released 2 new hat patterns on Ravelry today! 

Firstly, a bonnet style pixie hat for babies and young children, Sporty Pixie Bonnet. The hat is an easy knit, knitted flat from the brim to the crown and seamed at the back. 

Secondly, a fun and colourful stripey hat for children and adults, Playful Hat. Knitted in the round from the brim to the crown with a stretchy ribbed brim and stockinette body and crown. This is a perfect pattern for using up small amounts of scrap yarns, the pattern is written for 6 colours, but can easily be adapted for more or less if desired. 

Introductory offer: use the coupon code INSTA1 in my Ravelry store to get one of these patterns for $1 only! 


~ Cecilie

Mock Cable Spring Hat

A really stretchy hat (one size fits most) with mock cables that knits up relatively quickly and creates a nice pattern resembling real cables. Knitted in a heavy fingering weight yarn, this hat is perfect for the chillier spring days.

Sizing:

One size fits most, from teen to M/L woman. If you wish to make a smaller or larger size, the number of CO sts needs to be a multiple of 5.

Gauge:

Approximately 25 sts (5 pattern repeats) per 10 cm (4 in) in pattern, lightly stretched.

Materials:

Yarn – approximately 180 m (200 yards) heavy fingering weight yarn.

Needles – 3.5 mm (US 4) 40 cm (16 in) circular needles and double pointed needles or longer circular needles for magic loop for knitting the crown of the hat.

Other – 1 stitch marker and a darning needle.

Pattern:

CO 110 sts. PM and join to work in the round, being careful not to twist the stitches.

First round: * k2, p3, repeat from * to end of round.

Mock cables:

Round 1: * k1, YO, k1, p3, repeat from * to end of round.

Round 2: * k1, k1tbl, k1, p3, repeat from * to end of round.

Round 3: * k3, p3, repeat from * to end of round.

Round 4: * sl1 purlwise, k2, psso, p3, repeat from * to end of round.

Repeat rounds 1-4 until piece measures 20 cm (8 in) from CO edge.

Tip: If you want eyelets, substitute round 2 with round 3 i.e. knit round 1, 2 x round 3 then round 4.

Crown decreases:

Round 1: * k1, YO, k1, p2tog, p1, repeat from * to end of round.

Round 2: * k1, k1tbl, k1, p2, repeat from * to end of round.

Round 3: * k3, p2, repeat from * to end of round.

Round 4: * sl1 purlwise, k2, psso, p2, repeat from * to end of round.

Round 5: * k1, YO, k1, p2tog, repeat from * to end of round.

Round 6: * k1, k1tbl, k1, p1, repeat from * to end of round.

Round 7: * k3, p1, repeat from * to end of round.

Round 8: * sl1 purlwise, k2tog, psso, p1, repeat from * to end of round.

On the next round, k1, then k2tog until you have 10 sts left on the needles.

Finishing:

Cut yarn and pull the tail through the last sts left on the needles. Pull firmly to close the top of the hat. Weave in ends and block lightly.

Abbreviations:

CO – cast on

k – knit

k2tog – knit two together

p – purl

p2tog – purl two together

PM – place marker

psso – pass slipped stitch over

sl – slip stitch purlwise with yarn held to the back

st(s) – stitch(es)

YO – yarn over

HAPPY KNITTING!

If you share your project on Instagram, do tag me @cechalden and #mockcablespringhat. I'd love to see your FOs! The pattern can also be found on Ravelry, please link to the pattern page if you have a Ravelry profile.

~Cecilie