A Thin Blue Line is an accessory collection showcasing I-cords or colourwork used as accents in varying ways - as edging, integrated into a fabric, or added as an afterthought. Chevrons also appear as motifs in each accessory, expressed as knit texture, fabric movements, and stranded colourwork.

For in-between seasons, when its Merely a little bit chilly, when you Barely need an extra layer on, but you Begrudgingly admit that you’re not quite warm enough … a collection of luscious, lightweight layers that you Hardly notice you’re wearing.

In comedy, a callback is a joke that refers to something said earlier in the performance. In shawl knitting, this Callback is a long back and forth tale of stockinette and reverse stockinette, punctuated by a graphic I-cord, and ending in a lush ruffle that repeats the main colour.

Pointedly is an off-kilter triangle shawl worked in simple stitches and finished with a zippy I-cord edging. Its easily memorized pattern and double-knitting weight yarn make it a great project to lug around to meetings or snuggle with on lazy weekends. (Truly a calm knit - I made this sample as I recovered from Covid in 2022.)

I was smitten by tiny pom-poms, can you blame me??

I’m guessing I’m not the only person who has a lot of small amounts of lace weight yarns on hand - leftovers from a larger project, or single skeins of something that was irresistible. Here’s my solution!

In comedy, a Payoff is the laughter and reaction that comes at the end of a story. In shawl knitting, this Payoff is a gorgeous edging that comes at the end of a cosy triangle of simple stripes.

UnderFoot socks can be worn as liner socks under a heavier layer for deep winter activities or on their own for light insulation. Made in a yak blend, these hard-wearing socks can be warmer than wool. UnderFoot are constructed top-down, and feature a “princess sole” and heel flap so that the softer knit side of the fabric touches the parts of t...

UnderHand is part of The UnderWhere Collection - accessories for cold weather performance and protection, worked in deeply insulating fibres with next-to-skin softness.

The Upstairs Hat uses mini skeins and a simple stranded colourwork motif to bring colour and warmth to your upstairs. With no long floats and only two colours in use at a time, this pattern would be a good choice for those newer to colourwork.

Tindales are gregarious creatures most likely to be at home in the Muskoka region. Tindales are often bold and just a little off-centre. Known for their extensive recall of song lyrics, they also have very large vocabularies and have been heard using cuss words in the wild. A group of Tindales is called a “bombardment”. Meeting a Tindale can ma...

What is more fun than a barrel of monkeys? A pile of minis!

Now you can be thinking out loud while you keep your head warm.

Let your little one join the conversation with First Words, a cozy sweatshirt-style pullover that lets baby speak their mind. The pieces of First Words are worked flat to allow an intarsia feature on the front and then joined as one piece and worked in the round to complete the yoke. The sweater features a button placket at the shoulder to make...

Updo is a wide headband that knits up quickly in super bulky yarn. I’ve always found that headbands made in the round eventually stretch out. Updo solves that by working flat from the centre out so that ends match nicely and the button can be moved if needed after lots of wear.

Baby Rolls is a blanket that features five colours and some roll-the-dice action to help randomize your stripe width and placement.

Cowpoke is a cosy bandana that is great for newer lace knitters and makes a quick unisex gift. Cowpoke features a fir tree motif and a purl ridgeline, and is worked first top-down in the round and then the point of the bandana is worked flat.

Greatest Hits is a shawl that’s like your favourite record that you want to play over and over again. It features some of my favourite shawl elements:

Treat your hands to the amazing softness and warmth of luxury yarn like yak, cashmere, quiviut, or buffalo. Cold-climate critters produce fibres that are light, lofty and very warm. On the worst winter days, wear these as liners under a heavier mitten - like a secret undergarment for your hands!

In a three-act play, the first act sets the scene and introduces you to the characters, the second act allows the plot to unspool, and the third act winds up the story line with a tidy ending. Third Act Resolution is a cowl that tells a story of beautiful yarn, soothing knitting, and a couple of interesting twists.

Baz Luhrmann is a film director, an auteur known for lavish sets, colours and set decoration like those seen in Moulin Rouge and The Great Gatsby.

This easy fitting top puts your gradient, self-striping or patterning sock yarn out front-and-centre. Bordered with bias-knit sections, the top drapes beautifully and flatters with a high-low hem.

This Portable Hole isn’t exactly big enough to swallow you up when you’re embarrassed, allow you to escape when you’re on the lam, or grant you access to another dimension, but it’s a pretty handy place to stash your passport, your keys, or a few dog treats while you’re out in the world.

An oscilloscope depicts changes in electric current. Oscilloscope the infinity scarf lets knitters change from easy, soothing stitching to a brief bit of colourwork, and then back to easy stitching again.

A pilot light is a small flame used to light a gas fire. Like my furnace, this pilot light is just visible in the darkness and races off to disappear in the distance.

A rivulet is a small stream that follows the contours of the land.

In the eastern part of Canada we called our primary school exercise books “scribblers” - small bound booklets with blue-lined pages where we jotted down homework, one scribbler for each subject. Scribbler socks feature thin blue lines along their length, as well as some “scribbles” formed by tiny chevrons. An optional feature lets you add schoo...

Benmiller Rendezvous mitts were designed for Shall We Knit’s retreat held in Benmiller, ON in November 2017, using the featured yarn that attendees received in their goodie bag. Janelle Martin and I were challenged to each design new pattern using the same yarn. She created the pretty “S Curve” buttoned cowl.

Subdivision: a planned community, a section or department, a cowl that depicts our houses, row upon row.

These cosy and warm mitts are made better with a chain wrist closure in a pretty accent colour.

A reversible - though not identical - diamond pattern allows this cowl to look attractive regardless of what side is showing.

For in-between seasons, when it’s merely a little bit chilly, when you barely need an extra layer on, but you begrudgingly admit that you’re not quite warm enough … a collection of luscious, lightweight layers that you hardly notice you’re wearing ~ The Seasonal Adverb Collection.

For in-between seasons, when it’s merely a little bit chilly, when you barely need an extra layer on, but you begrudgingly admit that you’re not quite warm enough … a collection of luscious, lightweight layers that you hardly notice you’re wearing ~ The Seasonal Adverb Collection.

For in-between seasons, when it’s merely a little bit chilly, when you barely need an extra layer on, but you begrudgingly admit that you’re not quite warm enough … a collection of luscious, lightweight layers that you hardly notice you’re wearing ~ The Seasonal Adverb Collection.

For in-between seasons, when it’s merely a little bit chilly, when you barely need an extra layer on, but you begrudgingly admit that you’re not quite warm enough … a collection of luscious, lightweight layers that you hardly notice you’re wearing ~ The Seasonal Adverb Collection.

Brainstorm is a hat full of good ideas, like integrated I-cords. This technique combines intarsia-like knitting with making I-cords. There are three integrated I-cords around the hat, that zig and zag like flashes of inspiration.

Quick + Soft + Warm + Sparkly = December gift knitting!

Updated September 2023: The pattern has now been expanded to include SIX sizes, which should fit older children/tweens/delicate hands all the way through sturdy hands of any gender. There’s some fresh photos of new samples as well.

Updated September 2023: The pattern has now been expanded to include SIX sizes, which should fit older children/tweens/delicate hands all the way through sturdy hands of any gender. There’s some fresh photos of new samples as well.

Pattern is for a pair of fitted fingerless gloves that are knit in the round, including some lovely button loop details at the wrist. Ellie has been updated as of July 2023 with fresh photos and expanded sizing.

Updated October 2019: Flippers was one of the first patterns I published, way back in 2012. I’m happy to have a chance to update this pattern to meet the standards of my more current work:

This pattern uses a small amount of super-bulky yarn to make a cowl that’s so quick to knit you want to knit it again to try to “Beat the Clock”!

This pattern creates a completely reversible scarf that looks slightly different on each side. Choose your stripe colours to be simple or as loud as you want.

This pattern offers two options: a plain hat that works great in a patterned yarn, and a patterned hat that shows clear stitch definition in a plain yarn. Both hats are designed to fit with some drape that gives them a great, casual style.