I designed the Owl motif to teach two finger stranded knitting in store. I kept coming up with fun motifs -- and stranded knitting is so fast! So I am putting them all in one collection.

Have it Your Way was designed for LYS Day 2023. Alexandra created “The Jewel Collection,” a set of 5 Yak minis (4 colors) made out of a gorgeous blend of Superwash Merino, Yak, and Nylon in fingering weight. The minis are 87 yards each, one color has two skeins, for a total of 435 yds. Click here to purchase a kit or call your Local Yarn Shop!

This is a long, shallow triangular shawl knit out of luscious Aly Bee worsted weight yarn. The entire shawl is knit in a k3p3 sequence with one stitch changes between the three sections. The fringe gives makes it sassy and fun!

Balloons and Streamers celebrates 5 years of Local Yarn Shop Day. Where would we be without our Local Yarn Shops? They are places to gather, share ideas, enjoy community, get help - and of course buy yarn!

The cowl represents the Ukrainian flag and their Coat of Arms. We designed it,, and Alexandra created kits for it as a way to show solidarity. The yarn is Merlin which is a little lighter than Pendleton and comes in a kit called Ukraine that you can find at Stitches West.

Shadow knitting is a surprisingly easy and fun technique - just by alternating garter ridges and stockinette stripes you can create motifs only seen at an angle.

You must be able to read a chart to complete this pattern.

North Star Hat motif is charted only. If you are not comfortable with reading charts, please do not buy this pattern. Or, watch this video on how to read charts.

Each year we create a cowl that is heart themed and donate the proceeds of the yarn to The American Heart Association reminding women that heart disease is the leading cause of death for women. Due to COVID we are opting this year to donate to Feeding America. This pattern is free but please consider donating $5 to Feeding America - amazingly, ...

August 2020 marks the 100 year anniversary of the Ratification of the 19th Amendment recognizing a woman’s right to vote in the US. This is the shortest Amendment to the Constitution and simply states: “The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex. Cong...

August 2020 is the 100 year anniversary of the ratification of the 19th amendment recognizing the right of women in America to vote. It is so hard to believe that it is only 100 years! And that for many of us we are only 1 or 2 generation away from the women in our family who fought for this right. While the passage of the amendment applied to ...

Here is a link for a tutorial on Duplicate Stitch.

At HOKC we have a tradition of a creating a Summer KAL. This is our first try at an alternative Summer CAL! The mystery crochet along is designed for the adventurous beginner. I will be adding video assistance and we will have Zoom gatherings to answer questions.

The Harmon of Linen and Lace was designed out of two skeins of Inner Yarn Zen that kept poking at me! The colors were so perfect together that I needed to do something with them! This is the smaller version of Linen and Lace Wrap that is available through Interweave. The finished item is approximately 21” deep and 80” long.

This pattern was inspired by the need in our community. I am a partner in a yarn shop and we see firsthand how Main Street has been impacted by shutdowns. And having spent my entire career in or around retail I know how much people are hurting and why the food banks are overwhelmed. We created a version of this pattern for our own community and...

The pattern is FREE today (March 4th) and will increase $1.00 per day. Use the code “IWD” at checkout for the discount.

I designed this cowl for International Women’s Day Celebration. It is an easy pattern, worked in a repeated sequence largely without a beginning or end of round.

Heart disease is the leading cause of death for women in the US. This is my second year of creating a pattern to help remind us to get healthy, stay healthy, and get our hearts checked!

My husband and I were in Italy this summer (celebrating my surviving breast cancer) and I found a machine knit scarf that I thought was so lovely! And this is a total knock off… It is a very simple and a highly wearable scarf - luxuriously long and wrap-able. It is just stockinette stitch with dropped stitches worked in both knit and purl. I ch...

I designed this deceptively easy baby blanket to show off the beauty of Urth Yarns Monokrom worsted. The blanket is made from a light tan and the edging a dark brown. The pattern is a two row repeat ideal for a very new crocheter. The edging is easily adjusted and added on after the body of the blanket is crocheted.

I designed this for the person needing to make a last minute gift! it is a quick knit - it took me under two hours but I am a fast knitter. You start with a provisional cast on then knit the cowl flat and on the bias and finish with grafting. If you hate Kitchener, you can use a 3 needle bind off but you will feel the seam.

This is a semi-mysterious KAL for the holidays! It is FREE until Dec 19th. I have shared a pic that gives you an idea of how the cowl turns out but not close up details.

Need a last minute gift? Size US 15 needles, 2 skeins and about 2 or 3 hours and Bob’s your Uncle, you have a super fluffy, soft and yummy cowl!

This is a very simple beanie that I designed for our beginning knitting classes - this is the ideal first knitting in the round experience or first pass at using double pointed needles (only used for the decreases). You do just a little ribbing at the beginning and then go back to stockinette stitch.

Missing Lisa is worked with Marina (lace weight merino) and Cabrito (lace weight mohair) held together. The wrap is knit on the bias beginning and ending with corner triangles. Working the wrap on the bias keeps the stockinette from rolling.

Urth Yarns’ Uneek Cotton is a fantastic self striping dk weight yarn. Urth wrote a simple, one skein knitted pattern for the yarn and I wanted to offer a crochet version. This is a very simple pattern, ideal for a brand new crocheter! Let the yarn do all of the work!

I wrote this pattern for a cable class at HOKC. It has lots of cables - but they are the same two cables. If you are new to cables you will be quite proficient at them by the time you are done!

This is a very simple hat made more interesting with two Latvian Braids and corrugated ribbing. The pattern was written to support a Latvian Braid Class at Hands on Knitting Center. You need approximately 130 yards of the mc and about 50 yards of the cc. With two skeins of Alegria Grande you can get two hats if you change mc/cc for the second h...

These fun hat patterns are knit in an ombre created by hold three strands of fingering yarn together - which is why it takes so much yarn! If you just want to stripe and not ombre you will want to use a light bulky to Aran weight yarn.

Two skeins will make both the hat and gauntlets. If you are after the hat only, and if you can live without the luxuriously large pompom, it can be made from one skein.

I designed this as a baby blanket but every adult in my life has asked for one! It answers our desire to be cozy going into fall - or awakens our inner child.

It is summer! Time for knitting things that do not sit in our laps. And time to learn new things…

My obsession with hedgehogs continues!!

This is a beginning brioche pattern. You begin with smaller needles for the brim and change to larger needles for the remainder of the hat. You need two contrasting color of DK weight yarn -- one light and one dark. If this is your first try at brioche, make sure there is a lot of contrast!

If you like this cowl and want to make it, please work hard to find the Amelie yarn! It is amazingly soft and fluffy and luscious! The yarn construction is a silk sheath with the alpaca and merino blown in so it performs well on a larger needle. If you decide to use a different yarn, go more for a Bulky rather than Aran weight. But really, find...

This was so fun to make and it is fast!!! In just a couple of hours you have a hat! The huge pompom makes the hat -- although it is cute even without it.

My friend Kathy has sheep and they poo a lot! She asked me to design a hat with sheep that she can wear when she goes out in the morning to clean up said poo.

This light, summer cowl is knit out of two colors of Mykonos -- a linen and cotton blend. The cowl/scarf requires three skeins of yarn -- two main color and one contrast color.

It is hot here in SoCal and we have not seen rain for a while… But we keep on knitting! This fun little hat features rain clouds with rain drops. The end of each drop has a shiny bead.

I designed this hat to teach stranded knitting in store. It uses one solid color and one self striping. The gauge is small for the weight because of the stranded style -- it helps hide the floats.

I wrote this pattern to teach how to knit gauntlets two at a time on two circular needles. This is a very plain set of gauntlets to make learning easier. Once you have the hang of it, add in some fun texture!

The Guernsey Hat uses some of the motifs generally used in Guernsey knitting. It is knit out of a chunky yarn and knits up quickly. It is best knit in light color yarn with good stitch definition.

The latest Mystery Shawl designed for Hands on Knitting Center. As always, we try to find new techniques you have never tried before. The best part: the cast on is one stitch and there are no wrap and turns!!

Simple but pretty textured hat is quick to knit. It works well for both genders. It was designed as a bit slouchy with a long brim that can be turned up. Use a smaller needle for a beanie style.

The instructions are written for knitting the gauntlets two at a time on two circular needles. You will need one metal and one wood 16” circular needle in the size necessary to get gauge.

This quick, easy blanket is made from chunky yarn which is showcased in broad chevron stripes. An Icord edge is worked as you knit.

The gauntlets are knit two at a time on two circular needles. I do not have instructions for double points included in this pattern. The instructions are step by step if you are new to two at a time.

I have added a couple of videos to YouTube to help with the process. For the Cast on: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WUukBb9IAP4

I had the pleasure of taking a class with Franklin Habit on creating plaid. He discovered this technique during some research. It is so fast and easy, and look so complicated, and I completely fell in love with it.

I just had to knit something out of this amazing Yak and Silk yarn -- I fell in love! And what better to express love than hugs and kisses.

Denise with Yarnshine is an amazing fiber artist and she made these amazing gradient rolags for me! I spun the yarn as a mostly fingering weight single (slightly thick and thin as I am not the best spinner in the world!). This pattern is highly textured so it will work beautifully with any of your handspun.

I am sure I am not alone in loving Outlander and the amazing knits on the show. I was inspired by the bulky yarns and simple textures. I also loved the concept of the fingerless mitts that also did not have thumb holes -- they are soooo comfy!

More often than not I knit patterns that are interesting enough to keep my attention -- so they have levels of complication. I woke up one Sunday morning unable to confront all of my complicated knits -- I just wanted to knit stockinette stitch in the round. I meandered out to my Yarn Shack and found the yummiest yarn I had, in colors that I wa...

Clue $4 is in your library. This is a quick and straight forward clue. Feel free to ask questions in the Forum.

This is a very easy and very fast slouchy hat -- perfect for last minute gifts! The single cable up the side gives the hat simple hat fun shape and interest.

Arctic Circle is a quick and easy slouchy hat. You need two contrasting colors of worsted weight yarn. You will most of 200 yards of the main color and only 50 to 75 yards of the contrast color. There is enough contrasting color left to make simple, small gauntlets.

Interwoven Destinies is designed with From the Mountain handspun cashmere yarn from Afghanistan. This amazing yarn is spun by a co op of 35 women in Afghanistan who are paid a living wage and are able to support their families. The yarn is fantastic and you will love every stitch!

The Cosmic Path Cowl is part of a series I designed out of From the Mountain Handspun Cashmere from Afghanistan. The yarn is produced by a co-op of 35 women who are paid a fair trade wage. Many are head of house hold and are able to make a living wage. Check out their website for more information:

This is a surprisingly quick and easy cowl. The texture and pattern is created with dropped stitches so it looks like you worked much harder than you have to!

This is a simple yet elegant shawl. It has the name, Champagne Shawl, because of the luxury yarns used to make it. I cannot recommend these yarn enough -- you will love every stitch and want to cuddle up into the shawl!! That said, any worsted weight yarn will work if you do not feel like (or cannot) shell out $250 for a shawl!

I designed the bowl and bag for KnitCrate, a fabulous monthly knitting subscription company. http://www.knitcrate.com/ Check them out if you have not heard of them! Each month you get a goody bag of yarn, patterns, notions and more!

I love the Olympics and so enjoy watching the opening ceremonies. It was memorable when the last snowflake did not open into a ring but I still thought it was really pretty.

The pattern requires two skeins of red and one skein of cream Lamb;s Pride yarn. This pattern uses almost ALL of the red yarn. Be sure to take time to check gauge or buy a third skein. For you anti-gaugers (you know who you are) I am on the looser side of the knitting universe.

This pattern has two options of sizes created by using different weights of yarn and needle sizes.

The Perfectly Picot Shawlette is a fast, fun knit. It is the perfect use of that single skein of fabulous fingering weight yarn that you have had stashed for a while. It needs approximately 400 yds, but has been made with as little at 380 yds.

The Blue Bell Cowl is a fun, fast knit. Two colors of worsted weight yarn are required. I used Malabrigo Rios in Sand Bank and Bobby Blue. The cowl requires a little over half a skein for the main color and less than half of the contrast color. You can easily knit two cowls of opposite colors from the two skeins.

This is a fun and very quick one skein project. The worsted weight yarn is held double so any chunky weight would work as well. This is a great pattern for new knitters as it requires only basic skills. The only tricky part can be picking up stitches.

The Mogul Cowl is knit from the bottom up. The pattern begins with a provisional cast on, is knit on the bias, and later grafted together. It goes very fast with big needles and Aran to chunky yarn.

The Ruffled Clutch is a fun and funky clutch that could work as well with jeans as an evening dress.

The Pebble Beach Gauntlet is a simple pattern with an elegant appeal. The pattern is written for small/medium and medium/large sizes. Size US 6 needles and DK weight yarn are used for the larger size and sport weight and size US 5 needles are used to work the smaller size.

One of our customers described this pattern as the “Mother Load” of bags and bowls. There are six patterns included, two bowls, two single handled bags, and two 2-handled bags.

The Laura iPad Bag is a designed to carry an iPad or other tablet device. The bag is knit flat in garter stitch (knit every row). It is very easy to knit and is an ideal project for a beginner. For the more advanced, you will love the ease and quickness of this project. I am a fairly fast knitter but I can knit two a day -- making it a great la...

The Capelet is a loose, flattering shape. The pattern includes two sizes which I have labeled Small/Medium and Medium/Large. I had lots of people try they on at the store. The SM fits people between sizes 4 and 10. The ML size fits women up to around size 18.

The Undulating Waves scarf is a relatively simply scarf with a lot of interest. The scarf is knit on the bias which results in diagonal welts. The scarf requires two skeins of yarn but can easily be made longer by adding an additional skein.

Susan’s Scrunchy Scarves, version one and two, are fully reversible. The scrunches are created on both sides of a ribbed background. I provide instructions for the technique with photos to help.

The Zoe Bag is a cute, functional little bag. I designed it to use on a cruise. I normally carry huge bags but when on the ship or running around port I wanted a small bag. After felting the bag measures 8.5” tall and 9” wide.

I designed this scarf for the shop to give customers ideas for one skein of Rasta. Malabrigo makes such gorgeous yarns and Rasta is one of my favorites. The color ways are spectacular! It is not an inexpensive yarn and one skein is often all one wants.

The beauty of this cowl comes from the amazing colors and thick and thin nature of Aquarella yarn by Malabrigo. The dropped stitch is very easy (and it feels naughty to drop your stitches on purpose) and highlights the beauty of the yarn.

Aquarella yarn felts beautifully giving a boiled wool look. The thick and thin nature of the yarn also creates waves and ridges as you knit and has a lovely flowing result.

This easy, casual capelet is quick and fun to make and even more fabulous to wear. It is also a great stash buster using a moderate quantity of three weights of yarn. It is easily knitted by a newer knitter. The only skills required are knitting in the round and m1 increase (directions included).

The Mosaic Clutch was designed to complement The Angela Bag.

This Tote Bag is perfect for travel. The front and back pockets are deep and wide enough to to hold an iPad and airline tickets. The side pockets include a water bottle holder, a cell phone pocket, and a hotel room pocket.

Shouldn’t Yarn Bowls be made from yarn? The yarn bowls are felted wool making them pliable and portable.

Shouldn’t Yarn Bowls be made from yarn? The yarn bowls are felted wool making them pliable and portable.