Nisse, or tomte, come from the Swedish and Norwegian traditions. They are gnome-like little beings traditionally drawn with long red caps that can flop over like a touque. This Nissa did not want a red cap, but could not make up his mind what he wanted. After trying everything he could find, he got fed up, just stopped, and called it good.

I found a self-striping 6-ply yarn. I started to play with it and these socks just kinda happened. They make me happy.

This double-faced scarf was inspired by the detailing on hot rods and motorcycles, the delightful long colorways on Kauni Effectgarn, and my love of double-faced knitting. I almost got a motorcycle once. I guess for now I am settling for this scarf.

I give to you a basic, multi-sized, ribbed edge hat pattern with a bit of pop. I’ve added a rolled edge and a wee bit of ribbing framed by a purl row to add a bit of style. I hope you enjoy!

It rained here in Duluth one Summer. It rained a lot. It kept raining. Did I mention we got a lot of rain? 7.2 inches in 2 days, and the ground was already saturated. We are on a hill (think Seattle) and the rain rushed down in torrents and took out roads. It was hard on the people, the region, and city. We were very fortunate and there was no ...

I am appreciating cowls for their soft, comfortable warmth without fuss. Unlike scarves, they won’t slip off and get lost at the most inopportune moment. And they can be just so darn pretty.

This idea few into my head after completing the Vee Neck Shawlette. It is a simple, fun to knit pattern and is easily adaptable to any yarn or size. I have chosen to knit both of my samples using just one ball of both Plymouth’s Kudo, and one ball of Peace Fleece’s Worsted. It would be very easy to start in with a second ball and just keep going.

errata: on the simple version,

The inspiration for this scarf came from growing up in a Scandinavian/American household where the heart was used as a Christmas motif. I also remember this pattern from an ancient book of dish cloths. I thought it would work up wonderfully as a scarf.

I made up a set of head scarves for a class I am teaching. I wanted people to be able to experiment with lace, cables, and textures while they learned a few ways to do edges and increases. I am very pleased with how these turned out.

Vee Neck is a very happy marriage between a simple pattern and a beautiful yarn. It was a very pleasant surprise as it came off my needles.

1/29/15 - I have completely rewritten this pattern. There are now 6 sizes of comfy goodness, with a section to help you convert them to half-mitts if you choose. They are simple, unassuming, and very comfortable. Though they fit the hand snugly, they are also very stretchy, making them a very practical mitten.

The Grand Marais Hat features a very wide, doubled, garter stitch brim, which just stays on your ears and is very warm. Though you could use other bulky yarns, the Lopi makes the hat very light weight, a very nice feature.