Ask any great knitter how they became good at the craft and they will tell you, “Practice!”. But as any knitter will tell you practice swatches can be boring to work and if you knit enough of them, you will find your home overrun with practice swatches that have no practical purpose other than, well, practice.

One of the best things about knitting my own socks is I can customize them to fit my feet! Having explored many ways of shaping the toes I decided to look at different heel turns, for a sock with a heel flap, and find out which one works best for me. Shown in several variations of a “plain vanilla” sock with contrast-colored cuffs, toes and hee...

Ask any great knitter how they became good at the craft and they will tell you, “Practice!”. But as many knitters will tell you, practice swatches can be boring to work, and if you knit enough of them, you will find your home overrun with practice swatches that have no practical purpose other than, well, practice.

My sense of the ridiculous strikes again. A giant doily attached to a hula hoop to decorate my fence, or perhaps you will knit a more reasonable sized doily.

I love knitting doilies, they are fun, fast and a relatively small investment in materials; but, I don’t use them for anything. When I needed a decoration for my front garden for Halloween, I turned to my trusty needles and an inexpensive hula hoop to create a home for a tinsel spider.

Knit Picks Felici Worsted Weight, 75% Superwash Merino Wool, 25% nylon, 218 yards 199 meters/100 grams (3.53 ounces) Shown in Friendly Skies, 2 balls.

Yarn: Knit Picks Wool of the Andes Worsted Weight (100% Peruvian Highland Wool; 110 yds 101 m/50 g): Grass, 2 balls.

Most sock knitters have a favorite or “go to” heel when knitting socks. Mine is usually heel flap and gusset but, when trying to use contrast yarns for the heel flap, cuff and toes with a self-striping yarn, it bothers me that for the gusset the stripes end up narrower than in the rest of the sock and short row or after thought heels just don’t...

Knee high socks for all the feet and legs!

I love knitting doilies! Small, intricate pieces that I have no use for in the general way. (The boxful of them in my closet proves that.) When a friend said she was looking for a doily to use as a clock face, I was intrigued and had to play with the shaping of a doily to make one of my own.

I love knitting doilies! Small, intricate pieces that I have no use for in the general way. (The boxful of them in my closet proves that.) When a friend said she was looking for a doily to use as a clock face, I was intrigued and had to play with the shaping of a doily to make one of my own.

Like many people, I adore hand painted yarns, and like many others, I adore large, intricate lace shawls. But it always leaves me singing the blues that so often those two loves just do not work well together. This top-down semi-circle shawl, in four “sizes”, starts with bold petals that give way to an allover, simple lace background that is no...

Mirror image lace (or not) cables adorn the outer edge of these socks that include 5 different toe variations so you are soon to find your new favorite toe for any sock pattern! The variations included are: Propeller, Anatomical, Petal, French and a Rounded Toe. Of course, if you already have a favorite toe style feel free to use it!

I love knitting doilies, they are fun, fast and a relatively small investment in materials; but, I don’t use them

As a child, and when my children were young, I can remember trying on shoes at the shoe store and being told to “stand up and wiggle your toes” while my mother’s (or my) fingers felt the top and toe of the shoe to gauge fit. With 5 different toe types to try, one of them is sure to be the perfect fit and your go-to toe for future hand knit socks.

If knitting were music, the stitches would be the keys, and the repeats would be the time signature. If knitting were music, a simple two-by-two rib could be translated into the Key of C (no sharps or flats, just natural notes), in 2/2 time, (or cut time). Changing just a few stitches (the notes) to cables or lace (sharps or flats) the entire m...

If knitting were music, the stitches would be the keys, and the repeats would be the time

I’m sure I will think of something to say about these DK weight fingerless mitts that are worked up in a lovely merino/silk blend from the wrist cuff to the finger cuff with a thumb gusset and lacy ribbed accents…eventually.

If knitting were music, the stitches would be the keys, and the repeats would be the time signature. If knitting were music, a simple two-by-two rib could be translated into the Key of C (no sharps or flats, just natural notes), in 2/2 time, (or cut time). Changing just a few stitches (the notes) to cables or lace (sharps or flats) the entire m...

As seen in Knotions, but now also with line by line written instructions for formerly only charted dragon motif.

“Starry, starry night Paint your

The first in a series of knitted flowers, with a useful purpose, for the home. This Sunflower Hot Pad/Trivet will add a burst of sunshine to your table, while protecting surfaces from hot dishes, teapots and pans.

Perfect for chilly spring or autumn mornings and the over-climate controlled office space, these fingerless mitts are my go-to accessory. Wear them over thin gloves or under thick mittens for an extra layer of warmth during the colder days of winter.

“Starry, starry night Paint your

This generously sized heart shaped shawl starts with a small garter tab that is followed by a twisted garter body and a “sudden down pour” of lace. The second in a series of shawls exploring different types of rain, she joins her sister I am the Storm on Ravelry and Payhip.

In the distance I can see the clouds starting to form. Seemingly boiling into the sky, the clouds darken from white to grey and I see the lightning flash. Moments later the still air is disturbed by the rumble of thunder that lets me know that rain is approaching. When it arrives, it starts gently…then in a final, near instantaneous flash of li...

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Combination Plate; a meal or plate containing a combination of foods.

This large rectangular wrap starts with a long center striped strip, with stitches picked up along the outer edges. My piece used the four colors found in the Ace Pride Flag.

In my daydreams, I get to travel all over the world and visit the times and places where beautiful knitting patterns were originally created. One of those places is a small town in Estonia known as Haapsalu. This seaside resort on the west coast has been known for centuries for its warm seawater and salt mud spas. Also known as the Venice of th...

If knitting were music, the stitches would be the keys, and the repeats would be the time signature. If knitting were music, a simple two-by-two rib could be translated into the Key of C (no sharps or flats, just natural notes), in 2/2 time, (or cut time). Changing just a few stitches (the notes) to cables or lace (sharps or flats) the entire m...

“Mercury dances in its skyscraper

Until further notice, all proceeds from this pattern will be split between Planned Parenthood and Plan C.

Lasciel seeks the adventurous knitter……In The Dresden File Books by Jim Butcher, Lasciel, also known as The Temptress, is a rebel angel amongst the Fallen Angels. Let this top down triangle shawl tempt you to the “dark side” of two types of beads, beads covering multiple stitches at once, nupps, beaded nupps, and lace.

Using crochet cotton this decorative piece is 5 inches tall and 3.5 inches wide. (13 by 9cm). Size can be easily adjusted by using a heavier weight yarn and larger needles!

It all began when two different people asked me “How many stitches should I cast on for a sock?”

Origin Stories are often amusing tales explaining why the world around us is the way it is. Sometimes how a

In many a knitter’s stash is that special skein of yarn—the one picked up as souvenir yarn during a great vacation, that special hand-dyed yarn from an indie dyer or even your own handspun—that you want to use every last scrap of. But your pattern search finds you patterns that require much more or less yardage than you have!

Simple circles, attached to rings, with straight lines of thread woven through them…a more permanent version of the of spirograph drawings I made as a child!

Still available from Knotions in charted only format, now available through Ravelry with line by line written instructions.

Starting with a stretchy cast on and worked in the round, this hat features some simple cables that remind me of the wrought iron gate at the side of a park near home.

When I was young, my family lived for several years just a short walk away from the beach. During the “off season” when less people were there, or on overcast and stormy days, we would walk down to the beach with our dog and spend hours playing ball with her and exploring the little tide pools that formed between the high and low tide lines.

What if a single decrease could be nearly vertical? What if I moved where the increases for a top-down

Inspired by the magical ray that appeared in an animated movie, this shawl starts at the very tip of the tail and grows through the fins with inserts and short row shaping to create fins that hug your shoulders, allowing for this piece to stay on, with or without a shawl pin!

Living in the Midwestern United States, you would think that during the hot summer months I would be putting my hand-knits away and forgetting about them until the fall chill starts to hit the air. But you would be wrong! There always seems to be an overly climate-controlled space where I need a little something. While a light-weight shawl can ...

From a Traditional Story: ”In the beginning of the beginning, Giraffe wasn’t as tall as the trees. She was more like a deer, lean and quick and no taller than a bush.’’ When drought came, drying up all but the highest leaves in the trees, Giraffe and Rhino asked Man to help them reach the trees. He gave them a magic herb, but Rhino forgot to ea...

When Rhino, in the days before history, stole the cake that Man had baked, Man got his revenge by sprinkling the inside of Rhino’s skin with cake crumbs. The crumbs itched so much that Rhino couldn’t help but scratch, and scratch until his skin was all bunched up and wrinkled around his shoulders. Like Rhino’s skin this fairly

Winter in Ohio can be…well…cold! This cowl is the companion piece to my Truth, Fallacies and Statistics Shawl Pattern and is a continuation of the “challenge” to design “naughty” pieces.

Aviarium: From Avis (bird) and Arium (a place for)…. Everywhere I went, I was seeing birdcages! The garden center was selling them for placing your own plants in; the supermarket had them prefilled with moss and succulents. Every home décor catalog I saw had one! I wanted one, too, but as I lack the ability to keep many plants alive, I decided ...

“Then the Elephant’s Child put his head down close to the Crocodile’s musky, tusky mouth, and the Crocodile caught him by his little nose, which up to that very week, day, hour, and minute, had been no bigger than a boot, though much more useful.” Rudyard Kipling, The Elephant’s Child. With help from the Bi-Coloured Python Rock Snake, the eleph...

A little bit prim and proper when worn with a jacket or shrug, a little bit daring from the back, this cotton tank top with a deep v-back and subtle texture can go from office to party in a flash. A little bit of Marilyn Monroe styling, with a dash of the carefree rebel.

In sports, most notably cricket, hockey and soccer, a hat trick is when the same player scores three goals (or takes the wicket three times) in a row. This cowl performs a slightly different “cowl trick”…completely seamless and reversible! Did you work it inside out or inside in? Bottom up or top down? Only you know!

Pourquoi Stories, porquoi means why in French, are also known as origin stories and include Australian Aboriginal dreamtimes stories, Alamat or legend stories from the Phillippines and Tinga Tinga Tales from African Cultures. They explain why certain animals are the way they are, for example why a tiger has stripes, a snake has no legs or the c...

Lullabies and Cradle songs are soothing pieces of music usually played for (or sung to) young children. This baby blanket starts flat (like my singing) and proceeds to have stitches picked up all around the edges to form the String Trio and Flight of the Bumble Bee border.

Deciding where, and how, to put increases in a shawl is always fun! Yes, for various shapes there are “rules” that should be followed, but by its very nature, yarn and knitting are flexible so the rules don’t always have to be followed exactly. This top-down shawl starts with a massive increase of stitches, as is typically found in old-fashione...

Filled with treasures and adorned with beads, this little gift bag is sure to “charm” the recipient.

Make your wine gift even more special with this charming wine bag, complete with wine charms!

As a child, nothing was more exciting than “counting down” to Christmas. Over the years, I had a variety of Advent Calendars, some containing chocolates, others with just pictures that were revealed each day, until Christmas. Most Christmas mornings I would forget to open the final door of those calendars that had 25 openings, because…there was...

Pourquoi stories from Vietnam are Origin Stories that explain why an animal or plant looks or acts the way it does. One of the many folktales told across Asia tells of the proud Tiger and his desire to obtain the wisdom that only Man seemed to possess. Instead of obtaining wisdom however, Tiger is outsmarted by man and in the process burns his ...

In my memories, childhood summer was a magical time of never-ending sunshine, trips to the pool or park and hours spent riding bikes or just playing with my friends. Carefree times of just “being”. Dressing up for special occasions meant trading flip-flops and shorts for sundresses and flirty white ankle socks, with cuffs that turned down showi...

In late spring through early summer my patio is lightly fragranced by the mock orange plants that grow in my garden. Their small white flowers, have been used as the background for several of my patterns, so it was about time I gave them one of their own!

A close fitting, stranded, beanie is the perfect place to show your school spirit, or highlight your favorite pastime or team.

Over thin gloves, under extra thick mittens, or just on their own; I love fingerless mitts! They are the perfect layering piece for my hands when there is a slight chill, or an outright winter wind in the air! These heavily ribbed gauntlet style fingerless mitts feature mirror image cables and lots of soft ribbing to provide a warm and cozy, ye...

“Magic is always pushing and drawing and making things out of nothing. Everything is made out of Magic, leaves and trees, flowers and birds, badgers and foxes and squirrels and people. So it must be all around us. In this garden—in all the places.”

In January I was “challenged” to design a “naughty” shawl. Not being one to leave a challenge unanswered, I played around with some lace and cable patterns and finally settled on this…a Choose Your Own Adventure Shawl.

When the long dark nights start getting shorter, and the short, cold days start getting longer, spring is right around

Under thick mittens, over thin gloves, or just on their own; I find that fingerless mitts are one of the most useful layering pieces in my fall/spring/winter wardrobe.

New - now with line by line written instructions for previously charted only lace instructions.

When is a triangle not a triangle? When is a crescent not a crescent? When is pi-shawl shaping not part of a pi-shawl? When you combine the three!

New - now with line by line written instructions for previously charted only lace instructions.

“Ain’t she sweet? See her walking down the street…” I love hand knit socks, no matter what time of the year; both knitting and wearing them. What better to wear during the warm weather than flirty little footies? These cuff down socks start with a larger cast on to allow the cuff to turn and skim the tops of your shoes, and continue with a slip...

This pattern is worked in the round from the top down., with a heel flap and modified wedge toe. Feel free to substitute your favorite heel and toe.

If knitting were music, the stitches would be the keys, and the repeats would be the time signature. If knitting were music, a simple two-by-two rib could be translated into the Key of C (no sharps or flats, just natural notes), in 2/2 time, (or cut time). Changing just a few stitches (the notes) to cables or lace (sharps

Originally part of a blog post for Skein Shop,a non pdf version of the pattern is available for free on their blog.

While Supplies Last, Skein Shop is offering kit versions of this shawl in their store here.

“Will you, won’t you, will you, won’t you, won’t you join the dance?”

If knitting were music, the basic stitch counts could tell you the rhythm (or time), and the knits and purls could be the notes. If knitting were music, a simple two by two rib could be translated to the Key of C (no sharps or flats, just natural notes), in 2/2 time (or cut time). Changing just a few stitches (the notes) to cables or lace (shar...

Located atop the magnificent Blue Ridge Plateau in southwestern Virginia, Floyd is a haven of natural beauty renowned for its hospitality and for a vibrant culture of music, arts, local foods and wines, and outdoor recreation. It is also home to Woolly Jumper Yarns. Woolly Jumper Yarns, owned by Jackie and Michele, is a tiny, little (but very c...

After the daffodils have finished flowering, but before the lilies bloom, the hedgerows and paths through the park become a riot of shades of green and cream. Tiny buds that will burst into flower start appearing, but they are not ready to bloom yet. The view as you walk along the path is one of texture, as is this infinity loop. Started with C...

New - now with line by line written instructions for previously charted only lace instructions.

If knitting were music, the basic stitch counts could tell you the rhythm (or time), and the knits and purls could be the notes. If knitting were music, a simple two by two rib could be translated to the Key of C (no sharps or flats, just natural notes), in 2/2 time (or cut time). Based on the musical scale Key of D, two stitches become sharps,...

Nelumbo nucifera, also known as Indian lotus, sacred lotus, bean of India, or simply lotus, is one of two species of aquatic plant in the family Nelumbonaceae. The lotus is often confused with the water lilies.

I like my shawls large enough to wrap up in; warm and cozy in the fall and winter, soft and light in the spring and summer. Knit from the top down in a cozy alpaca and merino blend, this shawl fills the desire for a warm hug on a chilly day.

Using the same stitch pattern and yarn as Hugs and Stardust Infinity Loops, this slouchy hat is sure to be a hit with the teens in your life. If you weave in your ends carefully the hat is fully reversible, giving you two slightly different looks in one piece.

Starting with Cat Bordhi’s Moebius cast on (or not if you prefer) this selection of infinity loops can be draped once, twice or three times (for the largest size) around your neck for a variety of looks. Pick a size, cast on type and stitch pattern to make a cowl that is as unique as you are.

I love lilacs, their sweet fragrance and delicate flowers in the spring, the glossy green leaves through the summer. Of all the lilac varieties one of my favorites is the Miss Kim Lilac. She is compact, but beautiful, with very fragrant pale lavender flowers.

Ever see a hat and think, I like it, but if just this one thing was changed about it? And then, when you change that one thing, you change another until the hat you started with looks nothing like what you wanted? Yeah, me too!

In late spring and early summer, occasionally there are mornings in Central Ohio that are special. A touch of mist curls around the trees and plants that grow in the fields near where I live and everything has a slightly surreal quality about it. I know that within a few short hours the sun will burn that mist away and add heat to the day, but ...

The Franklin Park Conservatory, in Columbus Ohio, has many gardens. The paths through the campus lead you through culinary, herb and fragrance gardens. The rose garden is not to be missed on any visit and sufficient wanderings will take you past 40 community garden plots. These cuff down socks were inspired by a walk through the Conservatory, w...

Like many sock knitters I have a love affair with self striping sock yarns. But sometimes I want to do more than just knit around and around, but also don’t want to carry a complicated pattern around with me, or count rows between cables. By using the spelling mnemonic “I Before E, Except after C” I came up with a way to make any self striping ...

The Byerly Sock was designed to be a tasteful entry into stranded colorwork.

During the fall when everyone else is thinking of pumpkin spice lattes, all I can dream of is apple pie with cinnamon and caramel. Crisp fall apples with spices and sweetness all it needs is a little whipped cream and I am in my own personal heaven! This shawl evokes the comfort of warm apple pie. Knit in a light fingering or heavy lace weight ...

All knitters have done it at some point, discovered just a couple of days before a birthday or holiday that there is just one more thing they need to knit as a gift. For those times when you have a little bit of time, fingerless mitts could be your answer to the knitting dilemma of what to knit someone who is knitworthy, quickly! Warm enough ov...

Fall weather brings dreams of pumpkin spice lattes and warm apple pie. Not quite cold enough for thick boot socks but you need a little something to hold your pant legs in your boots. Plain or fancy take your pick!

Ever since I started knitting socks they became my traditional hand knit gift for all occasions…it’s your birthday? Have some socks. The holidays? Socks. You just had your appendix out…you guessed it, socks. Intricately cabled socks, fancy lace socks, stranded, intarsia, all kinds of socks. But it turns out that some people in my life just want...

Red Cap is a thoroughly evil creature. He is a short, stocky old man with long gray hair and claws instead of hands. He lives on the Scottish Border in ancient ruins of castles, especially in those with a bloody history of war and murder. He owes his name to the fact that he wears a red hat, which is colored by the blood of his victims. But fea...

Need a little something to embellish a hat or mitts? Something that uses up some of those small scraps of yarn you know you have hidden in your yarn stash? Look no further…knitted flowers look great on your hats or mitts, can be used to make jewelry and even handy little gift tags.

Warm wool fingerless mitts perfect for those not quite cold fall days, or when worn over “magic gloves” just enough to keep your hands warm on the cold ones!

Super quick and easy fingerless mitts knit up in a hurry. Each pair takes approximately 50 grams of worsted weight yarn, you can get multiple pairs out of a single ball of worsted weight wool, which makes them an economical gift. The pattern is simple enough to serve as a blank canvas for your creativity…Want stripes? Add some! Buttons? Bows? E...