I’m excited to introduce a new pattern, The Queen’s Spa Cloth. This is another spa cloth that’s knit side-to-side using lovely pima cotton to make a cloth that is soft enough to use on your face. I use the spa cloths from this collection every day.
I will admit that this stitch might not be the most practical for a spa cloth, but it is made by using triple yarnovers to make elongated stitches which are then knitted together, and it’s just fun to do! Admittedly, if lace and yarnovers aren’t your thing, it might not be your idea of fun. But I found it oddly satisfying to unwind the triple yarnovers to make the elongated stitches. Yes, I am a knitting nerd; there’s no denying it.
This pattern is available on Ravelry for $1.25, here.
If you use social media, use the tags #morespacloths and #thequeensspacloth to join in on the spa cloth mania!
A huge thank youto my wonderful test knitters and tech editor. Their help is invaluable as I endeavor to provide quality patterns to you. I am fortunate to be surrounded by such a talented and kind group of knitters.
The photos on this page and in the pattern are by Alex of alexand knits. Many thanks to Alex for allowing me to use her lovely photos.
Finally, I am working on a collection of six or seven spa cloth patterns, currently under the working title of Folk Tales Spa Cloth Collection. This is the fourth and two more are in testing and tech editing. My hope is to write them as an e-book, although they may be grouped as a Ravelry collection instead. I will keep you posted on the collection!
I hope you will check out the Queen’s Spa Cloth, and that you will enjoy this wild stitch as much as I did!
Cinderella’s Spa Cloth is now available on Ravelry!
This is the newest pattern in my Folk Tales Spa Cloth Collection. I am compiling an e-book of these patterns, and after having written several patterns of varying degrees of difficulty, I decided to write a pattern that would be simple yet elegant.
This pattern has just two rows, repeated until the cloth is the desired width. It uses only knit stitches and slipped stitches, yet it creates a cloth that is both lovely and useful. Made with Cascade Ultra Pima Fine, it’s a wonderful, gently exfoliating facial cloth. I use my spa cloths daily!
My friend Alex of alexand knits is one of the amazing testers who test-knit this cloth for me, and she wrote about it here. She is an excellent writer and knitter and blogs about all kinds of lovely knits.
The pattern is available on Ravelry for $1.25, here. I hope you will enjoy this pattern!
The Castle Beach Spa Cloth is the second in the Folk Tales Spa Cloth Collection. Like the Fairy Godmother’s Spa Cloth, it is knit sideways, using pima cotton to create a soft, luxurious and pampering facial cloth.
I designed this pattern for the Summer Spa Swap going on in my Ravelry group. I wrote about the swap here. Making this cloth is not a requirement for participation in the swap!
Cockleshell Edging
The design is based around a vintage stitch pattern, Cockleshell Edging, resembling a clam shell. This fit well with our Summer Spa Swap’s beachy theme. Next, I started searching for the right name for this pattern. I wanted something related to summer/ beaches/ clamming that would also go nicely with Fairy Godmother, since the two spa cloths are constructed so similarly.
I rejected names like “Clam Digger” and “Clam Bake.” I wanted the pattern to evoke ideas of the clam shells, not the meat. Next, I looked at clamming beaches in Oregon, and they had names like Netarts – not the least bit romantic and nothing like Fairy Godmother.
I began thinking about fairy tales, many originating in other parts of the world, and so I started looking for clamming beaches in the UK. Eventually my search led me to Castle Beach (Tenby) in Wales. Although it doesn’t appear to be a clamming beach, it does have a castle. It satisfied both of my requirements and made me happy! And check out this website that has cool info for Castle Beach – like tide charts, the weather, and the best times for fishing!!!
You can find the Castle Beach Spa Cloth pattern here. Thank you and I hope you will enjoy this spa cloth pattern!
I’m doing a happy dance because I recently finished up the Willamette Valley Tee. After many months of design, redesign, knitting, ripping out and knitting again, it was a huge relief to have finished this sweater design! Whew! See postscripts at the bottom of this page for details about sizes, availability, and test-knitting.
We had a great time at the photo shoot. The countryside was breathtaking, and it was a sparklingly beautiful day. You can see the expanse of the Willamette Valley, the inspiration for the colors in this tee, in some of these photos.
It’s great to now have space freed up in my brain for new designs. I’ve just finished designing a little spa cloth for the upcoming mini summer spa swap in my Ravelry group. Come check out the group here. We will be having swap sign-ups soon!
I’ll leave you with some of the photos from the photo shoot. Thanks for taking the time to stop by!
Many thanks to Marianne for modeling the sweater and to her sister and family for allowing us to traipse all over their beautiful property. And for sending me home with homemade sushi! It is a gift to know such generous people!
knit equals joy
P.S. If you are interested in making this sweater, it is currently being tech edited and tested, and I anticipate that the pattern will be released in late summer or early fall. It is available in sizes 35, 38, and 41.
P.P.S. I am always on the lookout for good pattern testers. We’ve just started the test for this sweater, here, in my Ravelry group. If you’re interested, let me know. Thanks!!!
Sketches. Used to capture and make more concrete the wispy impressions of design ideas. Or used to convey them to others in a third-party submission. Some of these morphed into something else, perhaps recognizable to you. Others, well, they were just thoughts. A look into a sketchbook.
Continuing the theme of travel and exploration is my newest pattern, The Wayfarer Hat, a companion to the Passport Mitts. A wayfarer is one who travels, especially on foot. Johnny Appleseed was a wayfarer, as are those who travel the Camino de Santiago. To my mind, a wayfarer is a wanderer, one open to what the road may bring, an explorer. Here then, is The Wayfarer Hat:
Hat and photo by Alex; used by permission.
This hat is fun to knit and stylish to wear. The pattern is written for four sizes, fitting head sizes 18-25 inches. It is written for a snug fit and includes modifications for a more relaxed fit. It calls for Malabrigo Yarn Arroyo, a lovely sport weight in amazing colorways.
This is the original snug fit, worked in Malabrigo Yarn Arroyo in the colorway Indiecita:
This is Leanne’s lovely Wayfarer, knit in the Malabrigo Arroyo in the colorway Lavanda, relaxed fit:
Hat and photo by Leanne; used by permission.
This beautiful Wayfarer was knit by Alex, using madelinetosh Tosh DK in the colorway Cousteau. The madelinetosh shows the stitch definition beautifully. This is also the relaxed fit.
Hat and photo by Alex; used by permission.
Martha’s gorgeous Wayfarer (relaxed fit) and Passport Mitts, at the Oregon Coast. Malabrigo Arroyo in the colorway Aguas:
Knitwear and photo by Martha; used by permission.
I am offering an introductory special for The Wayfarer. Follow the link and enter the coupon code Wayfarer20 herefor 20% off the regular price of $5.00. This code is good through 11:59 pm Pacific Time January 9, 2016.
Or, purchase Passport Mitts and The Wayfarer Hat together for the discounted price of $8.00, no coupon code needed, here: Passport Mitts/The Wayfarer Hat Set. If you have previously purchased one of the patterns, this link does not work and you will need to purchase the second pattern singly on Ravelry. In addition, it does not work if you have received one of the patterns for free.
I hope that you will check out this pattern. It was a joy to design and it is a joy to see it become a reality at the hands of other knitters. Thank you for letting me share it with you!
We wrapped up the Passport Mitts Knitalong (KAL) in my Ravelry group last month. We had a lovely time, with over 900 posts in the knitalong thread (meaning we’re chatty) and 13 finished pairs of mitts during the six weeks of the KAL. You can see all the lovely mitts as well as the prizes that were won here, in the FO (finished object) thread. I hope you’ll hop over there and take a look.
Here are some of the beautiful mitts, photos used by permission. Each of these knitters does beautiful work!
Joyce made two pairs, one for her daughter and another for herself, using Berroco Folio. She took a couple of pictures at the family farm:
I love this photo Heather took of mitts she was making with Lorna’s Laces Honor, in the colorway Gobsmacked (how perfect is that for a colorway name???):
Meg used Rowan Felted Tweed DK, in the colorway Scree. I also used Rowan Felted Tweed for my mitts, and loved the lightweight yet warm fabric it created:
Blue was a popular color for these mitts, and the other major contender was orange. Jen made beautiful mitts in Berroco Ultra Alpaca Light in the colorway Candied Yam, perfect for these pictures she took around Thanksgiving:
Alex made mitts in both of the popular choices, being the top finisher with three completed pairs of mitts! She made two pairs in Ella Rae Lace Merino DK in Orange and a pair in Classic Elite Yarns Inca Alpaca in the Navy Heather colorway.
Melanie made this stunning pair of mitts using Lion Brand LB Collection in White. It is amazing how white and natural yarns make cables pop. She bound off in pattern, which makes the top edge look like pearls. It’s not written that way in the pattern. but it is a wonderful modification.
Melanie wrote the following when she posted her finished mitts, and allowed me to share it here:
I completely love these mitts. Carol, this pattern is so classy and tasteful and beautifully written! I used Lion Brand 100% superwashmerino that I can only order from their online store. I ordered quite a bit of it several years ago, so this beautiful pair was knit from stash. The yarn shows awesome stitch definition, which is a perfect match for these mitts. The only problem I have is that I decided to make these for a friend… And now I want to keep them.
Thank you so much to everyone who participated. Your work is lovely and inspiring!
As a follow-up, my friends Leanne and Martha requested a hat pattern to go along with the Passport Mitts. We are currently testing the Wayfarer Hat, and the pattern will be available soon. The hat is written with the option to make it as a close-fitting beanie or to modify it for a slouchier fit. Stay tuned!
The tee now has a rolled neckline. The plan is to offer options to leave this neckline or to pick up and knit either a corrugated ribbed neckline or a regular ribbed neckline. Stitch counts and charts are looking good and I am champing at the bit to get back to knitting this!
It seems to me that I should be further along by now. But sometimes other things move up the priority chain and have to be finished first. Here are some of the other items:
Basic Sock
I am teaching a basic sock class at Tangled Purls, our local yarn shop. The sock above is my shop/class sample. The Zen Yarn Garden Serenity 20 (20% Cashmere) yarn I used made knitting it up a joy. Then I was thrilled when I read the idea of making Kitchener kits for the knitters taking the class. It was great to provide a way to practice the Kitchener stitch on larger yarn and needles before tackling it on their socks.
Tomorrow is Part II of the class, so tonight I will finish this sample heel flap and heel shaping, using highly contrasting colors to highlight the sock construction. I always love blue and yellow together!!!
Basic Socks have been so much fun that next month it’s going to be Basic Christmas Stockings, pattern also by Churchmouse Yarns and Teas. Last weekend was spent frantically knitting to finish the sample. Getting a good picture for the store’s newsletter was another story…but here we are and that can be put aside for awhile. I’ll make Kitchener kits for that class too…in Christmas colors, of course!!!
The Passport Mitts KAL continues in my Ravelry group, and I’m knitting along, as well. I’m working on a red pair, using Rowan Felted Tweed DK in the colorway Rage. I love love love this yarn! It is so light, yet warm, and the colorways are wonderful! Here is my progress as of the other morning:
The knitalong goes through November 15th, so there is plenty of time to join in. Did I mention that there were prizes? Lovely, yarny, prizes! And a knitting bag, too.
Finally, I started my Stroll Cardigan by Olive Knits, once again using the wonderful Rowan Felted Tweed DK. This colorway is Ginger. I finished 3 or 4 inches of it, but worked on it while watching football, and somehow got off on my raglan lines, so I frogged it. But I can’t wait to get back to it!!! (When? I don’t know!!!) I even found the perfect earrings to coordinate with the sweater.
I’d best get knitting now! Have a wonderful weekend, and I hope you have some time to knit – or to do something creative and beautiful!
This week my sisters and I took a short jaunt to the Metolius River. It is a stunning, beautiful river. We were surprised at the volume of water rushing by, and the fall colors were glorious. I can’t wait to go back sometime and explore the area more fully.
The surrounding area was quiet and peaceful. It would be a great place to knit! Not to mention fish, bike, hike, read…
I love how the sunlight filters through the water.
They are so named as this colorway with its beautiful blues, greens, ginger, gold and browns made me think of sunlight filtering through water to the river rock below:
Finally, here they are worked in yet another colorway, Rusted. This picture was taken before the thumb was completed.
This pattern is one of my favorites because it looks great in a variety of sock yarns and works up quickly on size 5 needles. If you are looking for a pattern for a special skein of sock yarn, this could be it.
Thanks for joining me in this look at the Metolius – the river and the mitts!
The Salishan Cowl is another pattern which lends itself to a look into the design process. In this case, it was a matter of being immersed in a place as well as spending time pondering the building blocks of knit design, the stitches.
The place:
I’ve lived in Oregon for 25 years now, and have known of the Salishan Spa & Golf Resort since shortly after we moved here. I’ve driven by it numerous times, but it wasn’t until last August that I finally stayed there.
When I arrived, I wasn’t sure what to expect. I found that the grounds were quiet and peaceful. The room was spacious; there was a choice of restaurants and the food was delicious. The atmosphere was that of a mountain lodge even though the ocean was within walking distance.
This was to be one of my retreats at the beach, where I spend time knitting, resting, designing. I spent the first few days knitting, taking walks and puttering around. I threw a bunch of yarn (collected over the years) on a table, hoping that color combinations would jump out at me and inspire some designs:
The yarn led me down dead end paths. Perhaps they were dead end at the time and may yet lead to new designs. Time will tell.
As it turned out, though, the inspiration came from the place itself.
The resort is situated so that the lodge, restaurants and accommodations are on the east side of Highway 101. It’s about 1/4 mile walk from the rooms to the highway, which you cross to the golf course, spa and shops.
There’s even a lovely yarn shop in The Shops, In The Wind Yarns. It was new to me then, but now it’s a must-stop place whenever I go to the Coast. I love to visit and see all the new things they are working on and what new yarns they’re bringing in. There’s always something fun going on!
But I digress! At last I was going to explore the Salishan Spit, which I had always been curious about. Viewing across the Siletz Bay from Highway 101, there is a thin slice of land with houses on it. How does one get there? During my stay, I learned that The Spit is accessible by car only to residents of the gated community or to guests of the resort. Otherwise, it may be accessed by foot on a trail which begins next to the shops and golf course.
It’s a long hike to traverse the length of the spit. As I approached the end of the spit, I turned a corner and was shocked to discover that we had black (or dark gray) sand on an Oregon beach! It was one of those amazing moments when you find something completely unexpected. I had absolutely no idea we had a dark sand beach in Oregon.
You can see the dark sand over the light here:
And these organic shapes and lines:
It was all hauntingly beautiful.
The building blocks:
Also during my stay at Salishan, I spent time poring over my stitch dictionaries. One stitch in particular, the Japanese Feather, struck me as very beautiful and elegant. An added bonus: as far as lace stitches go, it’s pretty straightforward and easy. And it’s apparent to me that my subconscious zeroed in on that stitch pattern as a representation of all the lovely lines and shapes I had seen during my wanderings – even including that “S” in the Salishan signs.
The process and the pattern:
During the next six months, the impressions from Salishan and the thoughts of that stitch remained with me. Sometime in December of 2014 or early January 2015, I found the perfect edging for the cowl: the Herringbone Stitch. It would create a pleasing contrast of a highly structured edging with the organic shape of the Japanese Feather. Additionally, it was a stitch that wasn’t being used by a large number of designers, so it would create a unique look. And finally, it’s a fun stitch to work, albeit time consuming.
The pattern also includes the option of working a Seed Stitch border. It is easier and quicker than the Herringbone Stitch border, and it still creates an elegant look.
Worked in Malabrigo Silky Merino, this cowl just floats! It also is lovely in Rowan Felted Tweed.
This luminous Salishan Cowl in the window at In The Wind Yarns was made by Janet
This design is really one of my favorites. Not only do I feel like a million bucks whenever I wear this cowl, but I have the treasured memory of finding this beautiful and unexpected, somewhat hard-to-reach beach, which I hope to visit many, many more times in the future.
knit equals joy
knit equals joy 