This Seaham Sheer Poncho is a light, extremely airy, all seasons addition to your already stylish wardrobe. Born on the breathtaking coast beloved of the poet Byron:

“There is pleasure in the pathless woods,

There is a rapture on the lonely shore,

There is society, where none intrudes,

By the deep sea, and music in its roar.”

The Poncho is part cowl, part body hugging sheer warmer, ideal for strolling on the lonely shore under or over an overcoat, or on its own over a light summer dress in the warmer months. The gently shaped upper cowl has the option to convert into a comforting hood. Then there’s a change of knitting direction and the body is worked as a shaped piece constructed using the first part of Susie Myers’ ingenious Contiguous Method.

The construction is custom-fit, and has been tested on sizes from XS to XXL so it will fit you too. You try on and decide on length of cowl or hood, width of shoulders, length from shoulders to hem, according to how you want it to fit. You can extend in five areas specified in the pattern to give you exactly the shape, style and fit you want.

You  need:

100g  of a fine laceweight or 100- 250g of light fingering yarn with a long colour change. The size M sample uses under 100g of Aade Long 8/1 but you could also use something like a laceweight Zauberball, or any laceweight yarn in space dyed colours. One of those beautiful hanks of artisan hand-dyed would work really well. Or if you prefer solid colour, Colourmart’s Extra Fine Merino in a laceweight would be magnificent.

3mm, 3.75mm and 4mm circular needles. They will need to be long enough to go around your body so that you can try on for size without having to put your work-in-progress onto scrap yarn. 150cm would be ideal.  You could also use the kind of long double pointed needles that are used for gansey-making. Five, at least, or however many you need to get all the stitches on the needles.

A large-eyed needle for sewing in ends, an optional piece of ribbon or cord for the cowl tie, and a large safety pin.

Pattern Difficulty

There is a slightly spicy beginning and ending, with a lot of very relaxing simple stocking stitch in the middle. But there are options for avoiding the most spicy, so this pattern will be suitable for an adventurous beginner or intermediate knitter.

£2.50 – available NOW from the Ravelry Pattern Store.

Garden birds in our bigger cities are getting rarer and rarer. Little sparrows used to flock in huge numbers but are now scarcely seen. Anything we can do to help, we do of course. Bird feeders, seed, fat balls, peanuts all help them survive though the harsher winters.

This simple little bag contains a handful of snippings from  your gorgeous hand made finishing  pile, and will provide little layers of finest cashmere, alpaca and merino to even the coldest concrete jungle.

You will need:

Several lengths of unwanted yarn for making the little bag

a pebble from the beach

your saved snippings from the finishing of all those garments.

dpns in 4 sizes  – 4mm, 5mm, 6mm & 7mm are ideal but use whatever you have.
scissors
crochet hook
blunt ended needle

Here’s How:

c/o 3 sts on your smallest needle, push the stitches to other end of the needle, K 1 around
put one st on each of 3 dpns, join to work in round
kfb in each st = 6 sts
k1 round
kfb in each st = 12 sts
k one round
kfb in each st = 24 sts
k 1 round
kfb in each st = 48 sts
K1 round.
Adjust to put on 4 dpns, 12 sts on each.

Next round:
K1, YO and repeat finishing with a K1.
Repeat 4 times (on each dpn).
K1 round.
Go up a needle size
K1, YO repeat finishing with a K1.
K1 round.
45 sts on each needle
Go up a needle size
K1 YO K3tog repeat ending each section with a K2tog
K1 around
Go up to your biggest needle
K1, YO, K3tog around ending with a K3tog
Go down 2 needles sizes (ish)
K1 around
K1, K2tog around
K around (approx 14sts on each needle)
K2 tog around
K2tog around
K two more rounds
Cast off.

Sew in each end (your cast on, and your cast off) tightly. Snip, and keep the snippings!

Slot a loop of aran or chunky yarn in running stitch just under the cast off, and leaving a length of about 8-12” on either side, knot together, making two loops for hanging.

Make an excuse to go to the beach and find a nice pebble. Or borrow a big marble from your favorite child’s toy box. Drop that into the bottom of the bag to help weight it down.

Stuff your bag loosely with short snippings of yarn, pulling the ends through the holes with a crochet hook, and snipping any loops that appear. You do want the yarn to be easy to get out, but do remember, these are tough little birds, so not too easy or the next gale will sweep it all away.

Hang up securely in your garden right next to the bird feeders.

Give to your mum or grandma as an extra mother’s day pressie.

Improvisations including crochet versions, and ones using all those swatches you have lying around would work too. Here’s a little lace swatch which is going to make the next one:

I’m going to seam the short edges together, run a simple in-out running stitch along each of the long sides, gather one of the sides tight and the other loosely. It’ll hang up in the same way with a handful of snippings inside. A very practical way of using up swatches.

Remember this?

Robert Sherman died at the good old age of 86 on March 5th. Thanks for all the pretty songs, Robert.

The pattern isn’t tuppence, it’s free. Please make a donation to any wild bird charity or nature reserve in your part of the world. This one‘s my nearest.

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This reverse stockinette skirt is perfect for many occasions. It can be elegant with hose, or practical and cosy with thick tights and boots. The front ruffle gives it a very now feeling, and is easy to make.
The skirt is knee-length but easily adjustable in length. It features a folded waist with elastic to hold it up.

Design notes
Edging: The edges of this garment are designed to curl. If you don’t want that on the bottom, you can add a folded hem.
Yarn: Should be yarn with lots of drape. I advise alpaca or a mixed yarn with silk or plant-based yarn to add drape. A 100 % merino with lots of bounce might be less suitable.
Sizes: S( M, L) 91( 96, 101) cm / (36, 38,40″)
Finished Measurements: 86( 91, 96 cm)/ (34, 36, 38,) at the hips, with 5 cm/2″negative ease.

Sample Garment Measurements:
Length from neck to hem: 60cm (33 1/2″).
Model is 1.8m/5’11″ and wearing size M

Yarn
Colourmart Merino/Cashmere/Viscose/Silk DK
2 cones or 940, 980,1030 yards
Gauge
19 st and 34 rows = 4″/10 cm in stockinette
Needles
4 mm, 32″ circular needles; I use Addi Turbos.

Notions
4 stitch markers
yarn needle
waste yarn
3 cm wide elastic, waist-length

The pattern is free and can be easily downloaded by clicking on the link below!

download now

You will need:

Yarn from your stash. These shawls can be knitted with any any yarn. I’ve used cotton, angora, mohair, qiviut, merino…  Any colour(s) you like – though I prefer solid colours for lace knitting. Long circular knitting needles. Maybe a set of dpns too.

The construction:

The Open Source Shawl is knit top down, from the center of the nape, with increases on every other row plus a few increase sections. I’ve chosen easy lace patterns – the patterns are knit on the right side only, all wrong sides are purled – and they are easy to memorize.

Lace charts for Open Source Shawl

Sivia Harding has written a beautiful piece on lace knitting – go read it!

Instructions:

Cast on 3 stitches; knit 20 rows.
Pick up and knit 10 stitches from the vertical edge of garter stitch, then 3 stitches from the cast on edge (16 stitches).
I use dpns for this bit, then switch to a circular needle.

Setup row:
Right side: K3, YO, *K1, YO* (repeat 10 times), K3
Wrong side: K3, P21, K3

Edges:
Throughtout the lace sections keep knitting the first and last stiches to create the edge and increases:
Right side: K3, YO – pattern – YO, K3
Wrong side: K3 – purl – K3

Section 1:
Start the first pattern. I prefer to use a simple pattern repeat for this section – the same as I’ve used for The Cabin Attendant – with a few extra increases (edge tweaking) to help shape the shawl:

1. row: *K3, YO, K3tog, YO*
2. row: Purl
3. row: *YO, K3tog, YO, K3*
4. row: Purl

As you increase on every other row, the edge has to be tweaked a bit to fit to the pattern – please see the chart on how to fill in the gaps!

Repeat this pattern until the shawl is almost as wide as your shoulders. Depending on the yarn and needles you can sl1, k2tog, psso or you can simply knit 3 stitches together. Lace charts for Open Source Shawl

Increase rows:

1. row (RS): K3, YO – knit to end of row – YO, K3
2. row (WS): K3, YO – knit to end of row – YO, K3
3. row: K3, YO – *YO, K1* (repeat to end of row) – YO, K3
4. row: K3, YO – knit to end of row – YO, K3

Section 2:
Pick any lace pattern you like and knit a section of this. Continue to increase on each side of the shawl by knitting the edges with yarnovers.

I like using these patterns: Lace charts for Open Source Shawl

Add another increase section and maybe even another lace section.

Finishing:

Knit until you run out of yarn and then finish the shawl off with a knit-on lace edging. More on that later! Or just bind off loosely after an increase section.

Depending on the yarn you may want to block the shawl – if you use cotton yarn blocking is not necessary.

This is a recipe – make it your own! You can use any kind of lace pattern, one or many, simple or complex, or a combination.

If you don’t feel like making a lace edging, don’t. 

Sizing up? Keep knitting until you run out of yarn or can’t bother to continue.

As always, please let us know how you go!

Open Source Shawl is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License. Based on a work by Lisa Risager.

Here’s an excerpt:

The Louvre Museum has 8.5 million visitors per year. This blog was viewed about 92,000 times in 2011. If it were an exhibit at the Louvre Museum, it would take about 4 days for that many people to see it.

Click here to see the complete report.

Along an ancient sacred route from the coast to a cathedral lies an ancient burial site, a large mound with a magnificent view all around from the wild sea to the distant hills. Known locally as the Seven Sisters, as long as anyone can remember there have only been six shallow-rooted trees, and all efforts to have another planted there are fiercely resisted by the enthusiast historians.

Everyone always admires this necklace, and so I was prompted to publishing the idea after seeing a woman on the London Underground last summer looking great wearing her vastly inferior commercial version.

This is what you need:

•  some nice soft yarn that is leftover or  reclaimed by frogging. You already have this yarn in your possession. The equivalent of one 50g ball will be enough.

• the necklace in the photo was made with Aran yarn, but you can use DK or sock yarn, or even laceweight. Of course the loops will be smaller if you use thinner yarn.

• 2 double pointed needles (DPNs) at least two sizes smaller than the size given for your yarn. If your yarn calls for size 6mm needles, use 5mm or 4.5mm. If your yarn calls for 4.5mm use 3.5mm or 3mm. Go down as far as you can without making the knitting unleasant or difficult. The fabric needs to be stiff or you’ll have saggy loops, and we wouldn’t want that.

• a large eyed blunt needle for sewing in the ends.

• a single, pretty button (not essential).

This is what you do:

Using your two double pointed needles, make a 5-stitch icord. If you have never made an icord, it’s a really useful thing to learn. It’s basically the same as the long snakes we used to make with the bobbins with blunted nails in them that our Grandads used to make for us when we were children.

Here’s an excellent icord video tutorial. There are many others, so do feel free to have a look around until you find one you like.

So, for this necklace, you cast 5 stitches onto one of the DPNs, slide them to the other side of the needle, and knit across. Then slide the stitches back to the other end of the needle and knit across again. Repeat. Keep repeating.

Tug firmly every now and again and you will see the ‘seam’ magically disappear.

Make your icord long enough to loop across your chest, measured against your favourite necklace.

Cast off and without cutting yarn, cast on another 4 stitches to make 5 total inc the last stitch from the previous cord, and continue knitting in the same way to make a second icord. Join the end of this new icord to beginning of the previous one by picking up loops from the end with your needle and casting them off together. Overlap the cords slightly when joining the ends.

It feels a bit like making links of sausages!

Continue until there’s almost no yarn left. This one has  6 icord loops. The Seven Sisters has six trees. You could make five or seven or four loops or however many you like. I prefer even numbers, but I like odd numbers too.

In the necklace pictured, the longest cord is 32”, the shortest is 22”.

When you have just the right number of loops, pick up and knit 6 stitches across the end of the joined cords (or you may need more or fewer, depending on how much your cords were overlapped on joining. Knit 6 rows of stst, picking up stitches from the cord bundle and knitting together with the first and last stitch of each row. Cast off, again picking up and knitting together with stitches from the back of the icord bundle.

The idea is to make a nice neat end to your bundle of cords. It’s easy.

Then you  make  a looped over crochet chain on one side and a  short length of chain with a knot on the other.

Or this is where you can sew on that pretty button.

We are at the beginning of a severe winter. The Seven Sisters are bending against this morning’s savage sleet, and snow is in the air, although it feels too cold. The Houghton Road is an icy corridor, where wild imaginings of ghosts accompany every chill, and the sky is dark and white, all at the same time.

This’ll fill that inevitable gap between your warm winter jumper and your snuggly cowl, will keep your delicate amnd rather beautiful neck warm.

And it’s very stylish.

The lovely and most talented Kirsten Johnson made Seven Circles – a completely different construction method. This is a curtsey to Kirsten, a humble nod to her phenomenal design skills. Please do make them both. I will.

Fashionistas in the vibrant cities, London, Amsterdam, Stockholm, have been spotted wearing stripey loops around their elegant necks. Living in a remote part of northern England, well away from such captivating retail temptations, here are my instructions for making your own double-thick high necked version of this stylish accessory. We like to use remnant skeins of ColourMart’s finest cashmere and merino yarns. It is so soft, it’s unbelievably snuggly. You will love this if you make one too.

For all you sensuous process knitters, it’s a slightly piquant beginning requiring peace and a wee bit more of a piquant finale where you’ll need some concentration, filled in the middle by a soft relish of comforting, relaxing knitting, perfect for taking to your knitting group or telly-watching, and not too big to carry on the bus or Metro.

You will need:

• A small pile of little balls or lengths of yarn and two left-over full balls of some very soft non-itchy DK yarn.

Quantities? The orange in the sample one is approx 50g of ColourMart DK cashmere merino from what they call a scrap set. The tweedy grey is approximately the same amount. I suggest you get two different but toning colours like these to make the backbone of the pattern, so approx 50g of each will be enough. For the contrasting stripes, 20-30g will be enough for each colour. This Loop uses six colours, two main colours (MC) another four contrast colours (CC).

• a good length of scrap yarn, any smooth cotton or bamboo, in a completely different colour.

• one 3.5mm circular needle (min 60cm long) or 5 double point needles (dpns), whichever you prefer.

• a 4mm crochet hook. You can manage with a bigger one if you haven’t got that exact size.

• a large blunt needle for finishing.

Please do look at the gallery of already finished Loops on Ravelry for colour and yarn inspiration:

And for the yarn as used in the sample in the photographs: ColourMart’s website and their eBay Shop.

The downloadable PDF is now available for only £2!

Feel free to ask any questions in the comments thread here or in our dedicated Notes and Queries thread for the Loop on Ravelry.

Warm and grateful thanks to the lovely Claudia aka Toastbrot for allowing use of her photograph in this pattern.

Enjoy!

The perfect wrap for cool days and evenings. It’s loose and lovely, it’s warm and flattering too. What’s not to like? The pattern is for size L-XL. Other sizes may or may not be included in later versions. If so, you will receive an update for free!

Materials:
The yarn is the wonderful, lovely, fantastic, Faroese Sirri 2-ply yarn. Organic too. 4 bundles of 100 grams/300 meters each. Available in both natural and dyed colours.
Needles: 3 mm or 3½ mm
Tension: 22 stitches = 10 cm
Techniques: Knit in one piece, garter stitch, short rows, modular knitting, round yoke, increasing, decreasing. Not difficult!

The patterns is for sale on Ravelry.

I conceived this sweater on vacation in Brittany – Bretagne. A play on the traditional fisherman’s jersy. In the little town in Brittany I stayed in, they grow a special curvy-edged oyster in the Belon ( sea arm). The tide rushes inland for several miles if it’s high, and retreats as far at low tide. So I actually walked between the oyster beds ( never knew they came in sacks) and watched French people tease fresh seafood from the fragrant mud….
Hello Sailor! Is a bottom up garment with set-in, ¾ length sleeves and a cleverly constructed mid-front ruffle. The vintage feel of the sweater is right on trend.
The optional Breton stripe adds freshness and visual interest.

Design notes
Edging: The edges of the waterfall ruffle are designed to curl. The hem and sleeve hems are folded and sewn on. The seeves have a slight fullness in the shoulder.
Sizes 1X-3X/busty girls: there are optional bust darts for your sizing. However, these don’t combine with stripes!

Yarn:
Colourmart Cashmere fingering
700 (800,900,1000, 1100, 1200, 1300, 1400 yards) cream(A), 200(200, 200, 200, 250, 250, 250, 250) yards charcoal(B),

Gauge: 23 st and 36 rows in (striped) stockinette.
Needles: 3.5mm 32″ circular needles; I use Addi Turbos.

Notions: 6 stitch markers, yarn needle

Length from neck to hem: 56 (58, 60, 62, 62, 62, 62, 62)cm 22 (23, 23.5, 24.5, 24.5, 24.5, 24.5) inches.
Armpit to armpit (laid flat and closed): 39 (41, 43, 45, 47, 49, 51, 53) cm 15.5 (16, 17, 17.75, 18.5, 19, 20, 21) inches.
Model is 1.80m/5’11″ and is wearing a lengthened M.

Sizes: XS, S, M, L, XL, 1X, 2X, 3X (86, 91, 96, 101, 106, 111, 116, 121) cm (34, 36, 38,40, 42, 44, 46, 48)inch bust circumference.