the Bubble Sleeve Jacket

This is another piece I designed for the store window a couple of years back. The original is a little shorter/boxier with a zipper closure made in black yarn. I wanted to post pictures of it but if you've ever tried to photograph a black sweater it's useless. The shape comes through but the details are lost.
I posted about this design in June and was ready with the pattern in November but between the crazy weather and the holidays I was beginning to think it wasn't going to happen.

This jacket is worked from the top down in a raglan style using stockinette stitch with garter stitch finishing on the collar, facings & cuffs. The use of different increases being the most difficult part of this jacket would make me rate it fairly easy, a great 1st sweater for a beginner looking to challenge themselves. It's really more a cape than a jacket since the sleeves don't separate from the body until the garter stitch border though the way the sleeves are shaped and the way they hang can give the illusion of being separate. I enjoyed making the buttons for "a Smart Cardigan" so much I wanted to try it with bulky yarn and I like the result.

Techniques used: lifted bar increases M1L & M1R. Cast on can be a long tail or any simple cast on and picking up stitches. I did do a springy bind off on the collar resulting in a wider round collar when compared to the collar I made on this one which was just a traditional bind off. Besides that it's just knitting and purling.

Knit on a #17 (or #19 to get gauge) with a gauge of 1.75sts & 3 rows per inch and using 3.5 (4) skeins of Cascades Magnum (123yds) this is one you could work up over the weekend.
Sizes: S/M 30-34" bust; L 36-40" bust. 

This jacket is very generous in size.

I love wearing this jacket! I like that when I'm wearing it I feel I'm dressing up my uniform of jeans and a T shirt. The drape and the softness of the yarn, it just feels good!

Available as a PDF download. $6.50

 

the Misti Net Scarf

I have another jacket pattern coming soon but in the meantime thought I would clean house and make this pattern a free one.

This is a great scarf for beginners wanting to challenge themselves with having to count within a pattern. Knit lengthwise to give a different perspective to a simple open work pattern. 

Update: For the updated photos of the scarf with the gray yarn I used 1 skein of Magnum Super Chunky by Cascade (123yds) and a #19 needle. I would use at least a 29" long circular needle since the scarf is worked lengthwise.

For the cream color scarf I used 3 skeins of Misti Alpaca Super Chunky (55yds per skein; @150-165yds total) on #17's (again I would use at least a 29" long circular since the scarf is worked lengthwise).
I didn't measure for gauge, but keep it loose. If you knit tightly definitely go up a needle size or even two. The more open the better and don't worry even with the open pattern the thickness of the yarn makes for one very toasty scarf.

OK so how simple is this: 

 Note: These scarves are worked lengthwise.

Cast on 100 stitches
Row 1: Sl1(purlwise) * yo, K2tog * K1
Repeat this row 10 times. Bind off.

Cut fringe and place on ends of scarf; wear & be warm!

This free pattern is here.

the October Vest

  

  The October Vest? Does it sound too much like Oktoberfest? and in December? That's when I was supposed to have it done so I thought it appropriate but I don't know... I could see myself wearing this in Germany, I'm not much for drunk crowds so I don't think I'd hit Munich for Oktoberfest but I've heard Berlin is an amazing city right now and would love to go.

Back to the real reason you're here... this vest was inspired by my daughter when I saw her put on one of her vests upside down. The bottom of the vest created this wonderfully large wide collar that I wanted to recreate. I didn't intend to have it reverse stockinette stitch but after completing it I liked it better inside out, so the right side became the wrong side and has a lot more visual interest for me. This could be a reversible piece if you wove your ends in perfectly, mine is not. 

Yarn used: Cascade's Magnum. 2 skeins for the S/M & 3 for the Large.

This pattern is written with one set of numbers, the difference for the sizes is the gauge. 

Gauge: for S/M 2 Sts & 3.25 rows = 1”; for L 1.75 Sts & 2.5 rows in Stockinette Stitch
S/M = 30-34” bust; L 35- 40” bust.

I used a #17 to obtain both gauges for the different sizes but a #15 or a #19 might be used too.

Techniques used: invisible (provisional) cast on, short row shaping and picking up stitches.

I would rate this for at least the advanced beginner.  
This would be a good project to learn short rows with since there are only a couple of turns.

Available as a PDF download. $6.50