Home & Away: Knits for Everyday Adventures PREVIEW

If you follow me on Instagram or Twitter you know I've been working on a new book completely of my own making.  I'm excited to tell you that it is launching SOON.  Like, soon soon.

What can you expect to find inside Home & Away?

There are nine knitting patterns: eight sweaters and one hat.  As with Knitbot Essentials, five of these are previously released, popular Knitbot designs.  Unlike Knitbot Essentials, there are four NEW designs that will remain exclusive to the book.  And here's an exciting feature of the patterns: all sweater patterns include two sets of instructions.  You can knit seamless from the top down in the case of raglans, almost seamless in the case of the set in sleeve pattern OR you can knit in pieces and seam.  Whether you prefer seamless or seamed knitting, you can choose your set of instructions and it will yield the same result!

Home & Away also includes spreads with educational content, much of it inspired by popular knit.fm episodes.  You can learn about gauge, choosing the right size, understanding a knitting pattern, different ways to knits sleeves in the round and so much MORE!

We'll be keeping you posted on Instagram and Twitter this week as we count down to launch day.  I've dedicated this one to you, my audience, I sincerely hope you find this book to be a support as you continue your quest to grow as knitters!

Hello 2015

I'm up to my elbows in work on a new book.  It's my first solo book, all previously have been collaborations.  This is still collaborative, I've pulled together a wonderful team of talent, but I sit alone in the driver's seat.  I'm feeling ready for the challenge, creating with purpose and stumbling into happy accidents.  You can follow the adventure on instagram, I look forward to sharing snippets with you all along the way!

StashBot in action

In my previous post I talked about where we got the yardage and meter averages featured in StashBot.  They are based on actual body measurements - in the case of sweaters we've added + 2" / 5cm of ease +10%, and for all other project types we've added a 10% pad.  

In all cases we are talking about basic Stockinette Stitch pieces.  Do you typically like more ease, cables, more length or a hood?  You'll need more yarn!  Future versions of the app may allow you to do things like add a hood or different length sleeves, etc.  But hopefully this tool, as it is now, gives you a starting place when you have no pattern to reference.  You'll be able to knit SOMETHING with the estimated yardage.   Also, in most cases the estimated yardage will not be exactly divisible by the yardage of the skein you're considering.  That's okay!  In these cases round up, not down.  More yarn will increase your pattern choices in the future.

On that note, let's take the app for a test spin and see some real world examples.

Example 1: Owls by Kate Davies 

StashBot suggests for a size 40" / 102cm chest and a gauge of 13 sts per 4 inches / 10cm an estimated 720 yds / 660m will be needed.  Kate's pattern suggests 700 yds for this size.  We have a match!  

Let's say you were originally shopping for Rowan British Sheep Breeds Chunky, which this pattern calls for.  The 120 yards skeins would evenly divide into the 720 estimated yards 6 times.  If you were on a budget, that's great, you know with those 6 skeins you'll have some sweater patterns to choose from.  As we can see from our example above, it's true, you do!  If you were in a position to grab one more skein you'd increase your options for the future.

Example 2:  Iced by Carol Feller 

This pattern is 12 sts per 4" / 10cm, your stashed yarn from the first example will still be a good fit.  Size 38.5" requires 735 yards.  So if you'd grabbed that extra skein that might be good, although you may be able to squeeze this sweater out of the 720 yds since it's knitted from the top down, you could always shorten the torso and sleeves a tad if necessary.  Keep in mind most listed yardage requirements in patterns also include some percentage of a pad!  

Example 3: February Lady Sweater by Pamela Wynne

Let's say we were shopping and discovered Sundara Worsted Merino.  Using StashBot we learn we'd need an estimated 1180 yds / 1080m to knit ourselves a 44" / 112cm average length sweater.  Since the skeins come with 175 yds and we can't purchase 6.75 skeins, we would have purchased 7 skeins for a total of 1225 yards.  Later, when we're looking for a pattern, we discover that this popular sweater requires 1150 yards.  We have a match!  This sweater has 3/4 length sleeves, we may have enough yarn left over to lengthen them a bit.

Average length sweater is pretty easy to categorize.  StashBot also includes cropped and long sweater categories.  In the future we'd like to expand on the long sweater category.  For instance, there are elongated, swingy cardigans which is what I had in mind when I established the long sweater category...and there there are LONG sweaters that are more like jackets with hoods.  We hope to add a category to encompass these types of sweaters in the future!  

In the meantime, here's an example of a long cardigan that fits with StashBot's data.

Example 4: Storm Mountain by Heidi Kirrmaier

Shopping for Rowan Felted Tweed, you would have found at 22 sts per inch / 10cm you'd need 1600 yds / 1460m for a 44" / 112cm, long sweater.  You would have purchased 9 skeins for a total of 1719 yards.  When pattern surfing you might come across this sweater and discover you have enough yarn to knit your size, as it calls for 1650 yards.  A match!

Here are two examples of patterns that our estimates would leave you shy:

Both of these beautiful sweaters feature a lot of cables, and the jacket to the left is really the most sweater you could every knit!  If our estimate included this sweater, StashBot would have you overbuying for the majority of patterns.  There is no substitute for having a pattern in hand that tells you exactly how much yarn you need for that project.  But for those instances where you don't have a pattern in hand, we hope that StashBot can be the friend that helps you purchase enough yarn to knit something from your stash in the future!

Many have been writing in an letting us know their wish list for future updates to StashBot.  We love that, it's very helpful!  For example, in the near future we are going to increase the gauge range from 3 - 8 sts / inch to 2 - 10 sts per inch.  Have more ideas or wishes?  Send us a note!

StashBot: Let's talk about numbers

On Tuesday we released our new iOS app StashBot.  Based on the response thus far, knitters were ready for this tool, whether they knew it yet or not!  We're glad to hear from so many of you that this app fills a need.

Some of you may be wondering where the averages presented in this app came from.  All of the data was researched and compiled by our team.  

We started with actual body measurements.  For sweaters this included 8 different measurements.  All sweater averages include 2" of positive ease plus 10%.  Hats and mittens are based on head and hand / thumb circumferences plus 10%.  Socks are based on foot length and circumference, leg circumference and an average height plus 10%.  Neckwear was a little trickier, as it encompasses scarves, cowls and shawls.  We took about 100 popular patterns and came up with 3 average dimensions.

Once we had our data, we field tested all sizes against popular Ravelry patterns and made adjustments where necessary.  We feel that the resulting data are true averages for the modern knitter.  Keeping in mind that these are averages, for some patterns the yardage or meters given will be an over- or under-estimate.  If you know you typically like to work in cables or knit multiple swatches or add length or slouch to your projects you can factor that in and add more to the average.  You'll at least have a starting point!

If you like charts, all the data is available in the print version of StashBot from your LYS.  The StashBot app is simply searching this data in these charts.

If you have any questions about how we arrived at a particular number, feel free to ask us!  There is a StashBot thread in the Knitbot Knitters forum on Ravelry, you can ask questions there, too!

Simple Hat in Lark

Here’s the Simple Hat I knit in Lark. I used 132 of the 134 yards to complete it.  The size is a finished circumference of 20.75”. I added half an inch of knitting before the crown shaping. I’m very happy with the fit!

Next up I’m going to try knitting the child’s size which is a finished circimference of 19.25”, so that will be about 4” of negative ease on me.  I'll be adding some height before I start the crown shaping.  I’ll be using Owl, which is 50% alpaca. Alpaca always stretches with time, so I’m curious to see how this hat fits me!!

If you are working on this hat or have finished one please share your findings and photos in the KAL group!

 

Simple Hat Gauge and Fit

There are two crucial things we need to know in order to ensure that our hat comes out the right size for the intended wearer.

First, you’ll need to know the circumference of the head you’re knitting for.

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My head is 23” around, that’s about 1” larger than average. It’s also slightly taller so typically I need to knit an extra inch before beginning crown shaping.

Next, you’ll need to know your gauge (that’s the number of stitches and the number of rows per inch). The only way to figure this out is to knit a gauge swatch, and the only way to achieve a 100% accurate swatch (okay, maybe 99% accurate, sometimes they deceive us!) is to knit a swatch in the round.

For the red sample featured in the pattern, I used Quince & Co. Osprey. Two great things about this yarn: it’s fast at 3.5 sts per inch, AND even if you knit the largest size hat, as I did, you’ll still have plenty of yarn left over to knit your gauge swatch. I knit two, in fact!

Here are the two swatches. The one on the left was knit in the round, the one on the right was knit flat. I want you to see that it can make a difference, specifically in your row gauge.

 

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The swatch on the right was knit flat, which means I knitted on the RS and purled on the WS. It measures 3.5 sts and 5.25 rows per inch.

The swatch on the left is knitted in the round, which means I knitted all rows. It measures 3.5 sts and 5 rows per inch.

Since the hat is knitted in the round, the swatch in the round is giving me the truest rows per inch, and I can thus accurately determine how tall my hat will be with the pattern as written, and then determine if I want to make any adjustments.

If knitting a swatch in the round is one thing too many for you to deal with, go ahead and knit it flat. I’d rather you did that than no swatch at all! (Shhh, don’t tell Pam…)

If you want to try knitting a swatch in the round, it’s quite simple.
Using your circular needle, cast on 6 inches worth of stitches. Knit the first row. Then slide your stitches to the other end of your circular needle, carry the yarn loosely across the end and with RS facing go ahead and knit the next row. When your finished, you can cut the strands on the back so that the swatch lies flat.

So now we know our head circumference, in my case it’s 23” around. We also know our gauge, which is 3.5 x 5, or 14 sts and 20 rows over 4” which matches the pattern, so I don’t need to make any adjustments.

For a hat to truly fit, it needs to have negative ease, 1 - 2” at least. That means that you will choose a size with a finished measurement that is 1 - 2” smaller than your head circumference. So for the next hat I’m going to cast on, I’ll be choosing the 21” size. I did in fact just complete a hat in Lark for myself in the stated finished size of 20.75” and I’m very happy with the fit. I did add 1” of knitting before the crown shaping because often when a hat fits me in circumference it is then too short. I’ll post finished photos tomorrow!

SO…are you ready to start measuring and swatching? Share your findings in the KAL group. I’m happy to give feedback and help you make adjustments to the pattern as needed! I plan on knitting several more hats and sharing myself!

Sunset Cardigan for the babes and kids

As promised, today I release the Sunset Cardigan!  For those of you who love Knitbot Yoked, here is a miniature Fair Isle cardigan for the little ones in your life.  Mabel has been wearing it for a month or so as her outdoor layer and I have to say the Owl wears so well.  Of course she's gotten jelly and dirt on it, but it handwashes easily and looks good as new.

to fit

6 (12, 18-24 months, 2 yrs, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12)

finished measurements

203⁄4 (21, 22, 23, 241⁄2, 261⁄4, 28, 301⁄4, 31)” [52.5 (53.5, 55.5, 58.5, 62.5, 66.5, 70.5, 77, 79) cm] chest circumference, buttoned; sample shown in 22" [55.5 cm]

Suggested ease: 0 - 2” yarn

Quince & Co. Owl (50% American alpaca, 50% American wool; 120 yd / 110m / 50g)

3 (3, 3, 4, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8) skeins Snowy 300 (A), 1 skein Yucca 317 (B), 1 skein Canyon 316 (C)

Or approx 270 (305, 315, 375, 465, 540, 640, 735, 850) yds A, 25 (25, 25, 25, 25, 30, 30, 30, 30) yds B, and 25 (25, 25, 25, 25, 30, 30, 30, 35) yds C of light worsted weight yarn.

needles

US 5 / 3.75mm
- 24" circular needle (circ)
- set of double-pointed needles (dpns)

US 7 / 4.5 mm
- 24" circ
- set of dpns

notions

stitch markers, stitch holders or waste yarn, tapestry needle, seven 1/2” / 12 mm buttons

gauge

20 sts and 28 rows = 4” / 10 cm in St st, after blocking 

ALSO, today all four patterns from Mabel's Closet become available for individual purchase!

 

Purchase from Quince  |  Purchase from Ravelry

Time to knit for the kids!  Now Pam and I are off to record episode 3 of knit.fm....

Charts and Color work

Aside from the Unisex Pullover, all the pieces in Knitbot Yoked contain color work.  This is different from my usual design work, and perhaps Fair Isle knitting is new to you, too.  

I want to invite you to DIVE IN, don't be afraid!  It's very very possible.  The thing you really need to learn is how to switch between colors and carry strands of yarn across the back.  I have just added a video on this very thing to my tutorials page, scroll down it's at the bottom.  There's also a short video of Aimee knitting the Willard Pullover that will give you a sense of what the wrong side of the sweater should look like. 

A great way to gain confidence is to knit yourself some nice big swatches.  In the first episode of knit.fm Pam and I talk all about gauge.  You will hear some helpful information there on swatching.  Knitting swatches is a great time to not only practice stranding yarn but to play with color.  A knitter left a comment on yesterday's post asking if they could use the lice stitch chart on the Unisex Pullover.  YES!  That's exactly what I hope knitters will do, take the charts and make them their own.  In fact, we included a spread at the back of the book with more charts that can be substituted into some of the designs and blank charts so you can design your own!

If you are going to be substituting or playing with charts, the thing to remember is that it will be easiest if you keep the chart the same number of stitches wide and the same number of rows high as the original.  Otherwise you might have to do a little math to make sure it works out evenly.   

So for example, the lice stitch pattern for Kaye's Cardigan is 6 sts and 10 rows.  If you want to try and work this pattern on the Unisex Pullover, figure out where on the yoke you'd like it to begin.  Let's say it was after the second increase round.  Take a look at the stated stitch counts.  Some of them are divisible by 6, some are not.  If it's divisible by 6, perfect, carry on, plug that chart right in.  If it's not, you could work a few more or less increases on the previous round to arrive at a stitch count divisible by six.  Or you can play with the chart and make it, for example, 8 stitches, wide instead of 6.  PLAY.

Here is one of the extra charts included for the Willard Pullover or Beret.  I love these dots, I can't wait to see them all the way around a yoke.

And lastly for today, I'll leave you with some photographs I just took of Owl.  A little color combination inspiration, perhaps?

Knitbot Yoked is almost here!

****Congratulations to the winner, Peggy!****

After reading Jess's Ravelry blog post yesterday on yoked sweaters, I'm especially excited to tell you that Knitbot Yoked will be releasing next Tuesday!  If you've always wanted to try fair isle knitting but haven't yet given it a go, I hope this book can serve as an introduction to the technique.  All the sweaters in this collection are round yokes worked from the top down.  Included is an introduction to this construction method along with tips on choosing yarn and colors for fair isle knitting.  Tutorial videos will also be available starting next Tuesday to accompany Knitbot Yoked. 

Would you like to WIN a copy of this new book?  Leave a comment below and I'll draw a winner Monday, October 28.   There will be more previews and chances to win on the Quince blog and facebook page, so be sure to check there as well!

The books are here!

For anyone who pre-ordered Knitbot Linen, you'll be happy to know that the books are IN and they will be in your mailboxes soon!

It's always such a great moment after viewing a project on a screen for so long to then see it in beautiful offset print.  I was happy with the collection, but now I'm officially a proud mama.  I love this book.   Thanks so much to Carrie Hoge, the entire Quince team, and Puritan Press for the finished product on my desk.

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We've been overwhelmed with the response to the book since it released it a few weeks back.   Thank you!  Because of this, Quince & Co. has sold out of some colors of Sparrow and are in fact low on others. Not to worry, they'll have the full line of colors in stock again in a few months.  In the meantime, here is what they do have (which includes Jerusha's favorite, Fen)

below: (left to right) butternut, little fern, port, viburnum, fen, nannyberry, sans

SHOP Knitbot Linen 

SHOP Sparrow

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Introducing Little Knitbot

Are you ready, knitters?  Two popular Knitbot patterns are now available in children's sizes!  

Meet Fledgling Featherweight and Bitty Breezy. 

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Fledgling and Bitty are sized to fit children ages 2 - 12.  They are right at home next to the original Wispy Cardi pattern which now has a new size to fit children ages 2-4!  

I've packaged all three patterns together in a new e-book: Little Knitbot.  Many, MANY, Featherweight, Breezy and Wispy Cardigans have been knit over the past few years.  If you're one who has enjoyed knitting these patterns, you can now knit versions for the kiddos in your life!

The Little Knitbot patterns feature a new yarn from the Fibre Company: Meadow. When I say new I mean new, it releases today!  You can read more about it on the Kelbourne Woolens blog.​  It's a 2-ply blend of merino, baby llama, silk + linen. The merino and llama provide softness and bounce, the silk sheen and drape and the linen a crisp hand and lovely stitch definition.  It's a heavier lace weight, which is my favorite kind of lace weight.

BUY Little Knitbot $9

Below are pattern specs for all three Little Knitbot patterns.  They can all be purchased individually.  If you purchased Wispy Cardi through Ravelry in the past you'll be receiving the updated version of the pattern with the new size.

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Bitty Breezy

To fit

Ages 2 (4, 6, 8, 10, 12) years.

Shown in size 4 years.

Finished measurements
Chest circumference: 24.5 (26.5, 28.5, 30.5, 31.75, 33.75)"

Yarn
1 (1, 1, 1, 1, 2) skein(s) The Fibre Company Meadow (40% Extra Fine Merino, 25% Baby Llama, 20% Mulberry Silk, 15% Linen; 100g; 549 yds) in Gentian Violet

Gauge
24 sts and 36 rows = 4" / 10 cm in Stockinette stitch

BUY NOW $6

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Fledgling Featherweight

To fit

Ages 2 (4, 6, 8, 10, 12) years

Shown in size 4 years.

Finished Measurements
Chest circumference: 21 (23, 25, 27, 28.5, 30)"

Yarn
1 (1, 1, 1, 1, 2) skein(s) The Fibre Company Meadow (40% Extra Fine Merino, 25% Baby Llama, 20% Mulberry Silk, 15% Linen; 100g; 549 yds) in Larkspur

Gauge
24 sts and 36 rows = 4" / 10 cm in Stockinette stitch

BUY NOW $6

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Wispy Cardi

New size added to original pattern, to fit children ages 2 - 4!

To fit:
Child’s 2–4 (4–6, 8–10, 12–14, Women’s S, M, L, XL, XXL)

Shown in size Child’s 4–6. 

Finished measurements
Chest/bust circumference: 23 (25, 28, 31, 34, 38, 42, 46, 50)"
See Pattern Notes regarding measurements.

Yarn
1 (2, 2, 2, 3, 3, 4, 4, 4) skeins The Fibre Company Meadow (40% Extra Fine Merino, 25% Baby Llama, 20% Mulberry Silk, 15% Linen; 100g; 549 yds) in Cornflower

Gauge

24 sts and 36 rows = 4" / 10 cm in Stockinette stitch using largest needle

BUY NOW $6

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Little Knitbot Preview

Tomorrow I will be releasing children's version of three popular Knitbot patterns.  They all feature a beautiful new yarn which you will find out about tomorrow as well!  

See you back here...

Pam and Hannah talk Knitbot Linen

Want to hear Pam Allen and I discuss our most recent book, Knitbot Linen?  Well, here you go! 

Pam Allen of Quince & Co. and Hannah Fettig of Knitbot talk about their collaborative publication, Knitbot Linen. For more details visit www.knitbot.com

So, why all the Quince collaborations anyway?  Well, I truly love their yarns, and the COLORS.  Also, this past winter I moved into a new office space with the Quince & Co. crew.  I had been sharing space with them before, but it was bigger as it was also the warehouse, and Pam wasn't actually there.  Now we're all together in a small cozy space separate from the warehouse.  Naturally these collaborative projects just keep coming.​  Next up...well, something.  I'll reveal more as things develop on the needles!

​Note above - introverts at work.  No one actually wants to be photographed!

Finishing with Linen

As promised, I wanted to share a few tips to help those of you who are venturing into knitting with linen.  This yarn is spun from a plant fiber so it isn't forgiving the way wool is.  No worries!  If you work with it correctly you'll still achieve beautiful finished garments.

1. Joining a new ball: You want to be mindful of not running out of yarn on the front or back centers of any pieces.  When starting a new ball, do so at the side seam or some other inconspicuous spot.  To join the new ball, knit the next stitch with the tail of the previous ball and the new ball held together.  This will secure the yarn - you can now proceed with the new ball.  If it's still feeling unsecured you could temporarily knot the two strands.

2. ​Duplicate stitch: You'll want to weave your ends in using a duplicate stitch on the WS to make sure those ends won't be visible from the front.  Here Jerusha demonstrates how this is done, tracing the yarn through the purl bumps:

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3. Washing: Yes, I say washing instead of blocking because unlike wool, you can throw you're linen garment right into the washer and then DRYER and it won't shrink.  In fact, the fabric will be all the softer for it.  Below, the hand washed and dried swatch is on the top, the machine washed and dried swatch on the bottom.​  Go ahead and conduct you're own swatch wash test if you're nervous about laundering your entire garment.  I do like to pull the piece out of the dryer while it's still a little bit damp, not all the way dry.

If you've been hesitant to try linen, I hope this post will empower you to give it a try.  Any other questions?  Feel free to leave a comment below and we'll see if we can help.​

Shop Knitbot Linen:

Knitbot Linen is here!

Inside the book you'll find five garment and one accessory pattern.  I share my tips on knitting with linen, and Pam talks about the Sparrow color palette.  

Pre-order the 36 page print book for $16 and immediately receive a complimentary copy of the e-book.  The print book will ship to you mid-June.  In the meantime you'll be able to start working on projects right away from your digital copy!  Also, if you pre-order between now and Friday noon you'll be entered to win 10 skeins of Sparrow in the color of your choice.  How about that?

Not interested in print? You can order just the e-book for $14.

The individual garment patterns are also available for purchase for $6 each.​

I can't wait to see ​your finished projects!  Check back next week as I'll be talking more about some of the designs and working with Sparrow.