A sideways shawl with biasing garter stitch makes for a beautiful drape, and a dramatic Shetland lace edging adds interest to the knitting – but not too much! – and to the finished product. Short-row wedges create a nice curved shape.

An easy way to get started with stranded colourwork: this hat is designed specifically as a skill-builder. The stitch patterns are easy to work and easy to remember, and the small pattern repeats help you keep your tension nice and even. As long as you know how to work in the round, you’re good to go!

I love the look of colorwork patterning, but I’m not always keen to work stranded Fair Isle. Mosaic Knitting is a fascinating “cheat” for colorwork: you only work one color at a time. It’s fun, easy, and requires no special skills at all!

The Argyle pattern evolved from the tartan of the Clan Campbell – the clan of my paternal Grandmother, who grew up in the glens of Scotland.

In addition to being a beautiful and fun knitting project, this sampler is designed to be a learning tool for lace knitters, as an option for knitters who want to expand their skills but can’t make it to one of my classes in person.

For those times when you regret not buying another skein… an engaging but quick-to-knit lace kerchief, using a surprisingly small quantity of yarn. Ideal for leftovers or those small skeins at the bottom of your stash. Suitable for knitters with some lace knitting experience.

The toughest, thickest, warmest socks you will ever knit.

Want to learn how to knit toe-up socks?

Want to learn how to knit toe-up socks?

Want to learn how to knit top-down socks?

Want to learn how to knit top-down socks?

I have a mild obsession with all those wonderful self-striping yarns with long stretches of color, like Noro.

This sampler is designed to be a learning tool for lace knitters, as an option for those who want to expand their skills but can’t make it to one of my classes in person.

I have a mild obsession with the Noro yarns - I love the way they combine colors. A successful Noro design keeps the stitchwork simple and lets the colors show off. This classic stitch pattern causes the rows to scallop, making lovely wavy stripes.

Based on a well-loved baby bonnet that had been stored in the treasure chest of a soon-to-be first-time grandmother. Her daughters had both worn the bonnet, and she had been hoping that her first grandchild would wear it, too. Sadly, the moths had other plans, and I worked with her to recreate the pattern.

Inspired by a fabulous colorway of hand-dyed sock yarn called Roasted Carrot, and a rather carrot-y sort of pattern stitch, these socks are elegant yet easy to work.

I love a top-down triangle shawl, but I don’t always want to knit lace. A plainer shawl is much more suited to wearing with a parka in the depths of winter, and is much easier to knit.

A circular shawl using traditional Shetland patterns, in a very non-traditional colour.

This kimono-inspired cardigan is knitted in one piece, to keep the finishing to a minimum.

A quick gift for baby. Two versions: one plain version with a ribbed cuff and one fancy version with a patterned cuff.

Suitable for knitters with sock knitting experience, this is a fascinating and fun way to knit two socks at the same time - one inside the other!

A good intro to toe-up sock knitting, this pattern works up quickly and easily in a worsted-weight yarn.

I have a soft spot for chunky-weight mohair, but it’s a difficult fibre to design with. It knits up big and puffy, and the resulting garments can be suffocatingly warm.

I may have a little bit of a Noro addiction, and I love coming up with new ways to use their yarns. And Entrelac may be the best way of all.

I love variegated yarns, and I love complex stitchwork. But too colourful a yarn means that the stitchwork is obscured; too much patterning and you lose the effect of the colours. This sock design is a nice balance of the two – the stitchwork is strong enough to stand up to a coloured yarn, and yet still lets the colour show through…. allo...

Two balls of Noro’s fabulous Silk Garden make a terrific hat & wristwarmer set. A quick and easy knit - ideal for gift-giving.

A scarf/cowl hybrid.

A well-fitting hat needs some ribbing, but plain old ribbing can be a bit dull to knit. This livens things up a little - but not too much that it becomes taxing.

Hat and bootees set. An excellent emergency baby gift!

I loved the lace pattern used in the February Baby and Lady sweater, and it occurred to me that it would look terrific in a sock.

Inspired by a request from a home insurance agent who gets asked to take off her shoes at the door: in the summer, she wants to protect her feet, and in the winter she wants to protect her hosiery.

A great way to use up leftovers, and a nice little gift.

An excellent way to learn (or show off) Entrelac skills. Suitable for knitters who are confident increasing and decreasing, and working in the round.

An elegant scarf with clean, modern lines, designed to take advantage of a single skein of a very luxurious fiber.

An excellent way to showcase a one of a kind sock yarn. Also looks terrific in any hand-dyed or solid colour yarn.

A 2 or 3 skein wonder! Suitable for knitters with some experience. Both pieces are worked in the round.

A great use for a fabulous cable pattern from the Barbara Walker treasuries. Hat is worked in the round. Suitable for knitters with some experience working cables.

Worked flat, this is a great pattern for beginning knitters. It works up very fast, and looks great on everyone.

The Wiggle dress and jacket is a sweet little set for your sweet little girl - a jacket and dress worked in DK weight yarn. The fuzzy trim is entirely optional - or, a good way to use up leftover novelty yarn.

An easy and fun twist on a basic sock - the stitch pattern looks terrific in a variegated yarn that has short “bursts” of colour.

A modern interpretation of a traditional seaman’s scarf, this shawl is a reasonably easy knit, suitable for new lace knitters. It’s constructed in two identical pieces and grafted.

Available at The Purple Purl and The Naked Sheep in Toronto

1 ball makes at least three hats!

As with any lace project, this is pretty flexible about yarn and gauge… I’ve worked it with less than 400m of worsted and DK weight yards, and it’s been great it both cases.

A flirty little bolero and and excellent cardigan to go with a summer dress - looks just as good with jeans and a tshirt.

Designed to be an excellent first lace project, it’s constructed from the tip up, with an easy-to-memorize 7 stitch lace repeat. Pattern includes both a chart and written instructions for the lace stitch.

From Pattern Notes:

A chic little bolero that goes well over tshirts, and makes the most of a luxurious but expensive yarn.

Quick and easy fun knits! For when you want to wear summer shoes but it’s not quite warm enough.

Any easy and fun festive sock pattern -- and if worked in other colours it’s suitable for all seasons. Suitable for sock knitters with some experience.