Blog – Knit1Designs

The TLK Shawl & the 2022 LA Yarn Crawl

April 14, 2022 • Karen Clements • Leave a Comment

It was great to get back to Los Angeles and The Little Knittery for the 2022 LA Yarn Crawl! When I lived in Los Angeles The Little Knittery was where most of my social life happened. Every Friday Kat, The Little Knittery’s owner and I would spend the day together and in the afternoon friends would stop in for coffee and a chance to catch up. I miss those Fridays!

Since moving to Washington the Yarn Crawl is like getting those Fridays crammed into a 4 day weekend. It’s a whirlwind of seeing old friends and meeting new ones; it’s a lot of work, but something I look forward to all year long and with the pandemic, something I’ve looked forward to since everything shut down.

In January, Kat asked if I would design the featured knit pattern using Dream In Color’s “Smooshy Cashmere” a fingering weight cashmere blend, that as its name suggests is very smooshy… especially with a US 8 in Garter Stitch! The US 8 allows the yarn to have room for maximum drape, and the Garter Stitch makes for a super squishy fabric, just what I wanted for this shawl.

This is a fairly easy triangle-shaped shawl with a lace insert and color changes that keep your interest without being complicated.

This pattern is available for sale here Thank you!

Errata:

If you got this pattern at The Little Knittery during the Crawl, please email me at the email address on the bottom of the pattern for the updated version or note the errata below.

Gauge before blocking: 20sts x 40 rows = 4″/10cm; After blocking gauge range of: 15-16sts x 30-32 rows = 4″/10cm
Page 2: Repeat Rows 7 & 8 until there are 55 sts.
Page 3: When switching to CC2, continue increasing 1 stitch on every odd-numbered row (Row 1).
Page 3: Rows 1 & 2, MC should be CC1. In the “before binding off-notes” make sure the CC1 section, not the MC section is a square.

the Feli Shawl

November 5, 2021 • Karen Clements • Leave a Comment

I recently received a wonderfully soft new yarn by Illimani, “Feli”, a 70% Merino, 30% Cashmere blend. I thought I would make a simple scarf, it’s been so long, but these days I’m enjoying working on simple shawls better. I like the ease of creating the shape and in Garter Stitch, the ease of not having to think too much… just getting into the meditative quality in the action of knitting.

This shawl is less triangular in shape and more of a boomerang shape by working 6 increases every other row, and though this yarn would normally use a size US 6/4mm or US7/4.5 needle I chose to use a US10/6mm to not compress the fluffiness of the yarn. I also think it helps to make it softer (if that’s possible) by giving the yarn space by not compressing it when working with a smaller needle.

The pattern for the Feli Shawl is shown below with a link to a downloadable PDF. Enjoy!

the Feli Shawl Download

Santi II Hat

January 13, 2020 • Karen Clements • Leave a Comment

My go-to knit hat pattern is a basic top-down watch cap. Once you’ve made one you could pretty much make them in your sleep they’re so simple. With time on my hands during the Holiday break and the cold weather starting to set in I wanted to make some hats, just not my go-to.

After making the Santi ll cowl I didn’t want to stop using this beautifully soft yarn, lucky for me I had a couple of skeins left… I was sure I could get a hat out of one skein and I did, without cutting it close too, which is always nice!

For the yarn, I used 1 skein of “Santi ll” by Illimani Yarn, 137yd/125m; Color: Dark Grey or Primrose. The needles are: US13/9mm & US11/8mm 16”/40cm in length; US13/9mm DPN’s at least 7″/18cm.

This hat can be made with or without a pompom. For the pompom I used the 4”/10cm “Buttercream” faux fur pompoms from Joann’s in color #’s 7073 (Grey Wolf) & 7115 (Mauve Black).

Finished hat measurement (lay flat): 8”/20cm x 9.5”/24cm.

Fits up to a head circumference of 23”/58.5cm (adult male).

Hope you enjoy making this hat as much as I did! I found it super easy and quick to work up… I think I found a new go-to!

Download pattern here.

the Santi II Cowl

December 15, 2019 • Karen Clements • Leave a Comment

I consider cowls giant swatches where I can play around with different stitch patterns. Sometimes a small swatch doesn’t quite give you the feel for the yarn/stitch pattern combo, whereas a cowl gives you that space to really see and get a feel for what’s going on.

I’ve always liked the “Sand” cable stitch pattern and when I received Illimani’s new yarn “Santi ll” a bulky version of their wonderfully soft merino, baby alpaca, yak, mulberry silk-blend “Santi” yarn, I knew this yarn would show it off wonderfully.

Using 2 skeins of color “Primrose”, 131yd/120m 3.5oz (100g) each and US 13/8mm needles (16”/40cm in length) this pattern works up pretty quickly for the (at least) advanced beginner on up.

Enjoy and Happy Holidays!

Pattern PDF here.

12/16/19: I forgot to add that I blocked the cowl with a wet cloth and my iron on a steam setting. Place the wet cloth over the cowl and continuously steam it. Leave it to dry before wearing.

the CK-PDX

April 30, 2019 • Karen Clements • Leave a Comment

I had every intention of making this pattern with this yarn, but I had a very dull needle and the k2togs were killing me! I used all but a little bit of the 437 yards of Sabri by Illimani, a wonderfully soft organic cotton/alpaca blend. You could forgo the fringe and make it longer as well.

For the PDF of this pattern click download.

the CK-PDX Download

Balancing Act

June 7, 2018 • Karen Clements • Leave a Comment

the Ode to Irene

Looking back at my last post, where have the days (weeks, months) gone? In this world of immediacy, I’m rather slow and I’m ok with that. I have difficulty engaging at times, yes I know I should be posting something on some digital platform somewhere, but finding the balance of being engaged with the outside world while being present with your “at home” world can be difficult and so I tend to choose my default, being present with my kids.

But my absence from “here” doesn’t mean I’ve been in hibernation. My hands have been busy. I’ve wanted to post the new designs I’ve been working on, but the weather here isn’t as generous in light and temperature as Southern California. Trying to get good photographs of the finished pieces can be a challenge (that and a cheap selfie stick!), though I did manage to shoot a couple of them (with more to come!)

My latest sweater pattern, the “Ode to Irene” can be found here…

while my latest free pattern, the “Santi Cowl” is here as a pdf to download.

On the last note (for now), even though I’ve been absent it doesn’t mean I’m not appreciative of when people take the time to subscribe to this site. As someone who works primarily alone, it’s inspiring for me to see that you actually want to know what it is I’m working on; so “thank you” for signing up and for your interest in my work.

Karen

It’s getting there!

October 14, 2017 • Karen Clements • Leave a Comment

It’s been so many months in the making but I’m finally seeing light at the end of the tunnel! My hopes for this new site: a cleaner, better laid out design than my previous site and one that is easier to navigate. I don’t know if I’ll ever get around to transferring all my patterns over to this site, but from now on all my new designs will live here.

Thanks for hanging in there with me!