Hana Coasters

One of my best knitting friends is a designer who has a completely different - gorgeous - knitting and design style (susstrickart: you can follow her on Ravelry or Instagram). She creates exquisitely tailored garments with beautiful details, while I prefer bold geometric patterns in smaller pieces or accessories.. She recently said that it would be funny idea to cooperate - in that I would do some sort of flower motif that would be placed in the context of a well-finished garment ... and that got me thinking. So, I started to try out different ideas to knit square-shaped flower motifs and finally settled on this one.

Since this is a lovely little project on its own, I decided to publish this flower motif ("stand alone") as a pattern.

These motifs can be used as coasters - or (similar to crocheted granny squares) be embedded into bigger projects.

 

The knitting pattern for these is available via

• Ravelry
• Payhip
• Loveknitting (soon)

Until June 15th, 2025 you can get an introduction discount of 25% with coupon code "HANA".

The pattern PDF is 8 pages long and contains 

• written row-by-row instructions for knitting this hat – including eight photos of the different stages and explanations on
• a pattern chart 
• short photo tutorials for the following techniques (that are needed to knit these pieces)
• provisional CO with a crochet hook and how to undo it
• grafting in garter stitch
• short rows with wrap and turn and picking up the wraps 
• intarsia knitting 
• weaving in yarn while carrying it (backwards and forwards)

The following materials are used to knit these pieces

• EITHER: in fingering weight yarn
• yarn in two colours – a total about 6 grams (less than 25 metres) per coaster – about 15 metres for each colour
• 2.5mm knitting needles 
• a crochet hook of about 2.5mm (for the provisional CO)
• OR: in Aran weight yarn
• yarn in two colours – a total of about 15 grams (less than 30 metres) per coaster – about 15 metres for each colour
• 3.5mm knitting needles
• a crochet hook of about 3.5mm (for the provisional CO)
• scrap yarn of roughly the same weight as size than you knitting yarn
• a tapestry needle for grafting and to weave in ends

I knitted these pieces in two yarn weights:

• In fingering weight yarn the finished pieces measured 9.5 cm (edge length). The gauge (in unstretched garter stitch: 5 sts gave 2 cm in length and 5 ridges gave 2 cm in height.
• The pieces knitted in Aran weight yarn measured about 13 cm edge length. Here 11 sts gave 5 cm in width and 11 ridges 5 cm in height.

The photo below also shows that the piece also looks alright on WS because of the techniques (intarsia and carrying the yarn along).

Neon Scarf

For me, this is a bit of a long-run pattern: In the beginning of the Corona pandemic I bought some neon coloured sock yarn in an attempt to do something out of my (color) comfort zone. At the time I didn't know what to do with it, it was just something vaguely adventurous to me. So I started to knit a big shawl without a clear final idea. I tried, ripped back, (re-)calculated row/stitch numbers, tried again etc. In the end five parts of this (10 part) piece were knitted twice, before I was happy and the it was finished in April 2023. And then it took a little while to make sense of my notes, to write it down as a pattern and ask a friend to knit one of these.

The result is a colourful shawl, in bold neon colours that are reminiscend of the 1980s. It is also a lovely mixture of colours, textures and knitting directions, i.e. a bit of a challenging knit and NOT a beginner pattern.

The knitting pattern (PDF) for this shawl is available via

• Ravelry
• Payhip
• Loveknitting (soon)

You can get a 25% introduction discount with coupon code "NEON". Discount ends March 7, 2025.

The pattern PDF is 25 pages long contains

• written row-by-row instructions – 15 in-process photos (9 of which showing how to do the outside zigzag-edge)
• a description of the general construction
• charts of three parts of the shawl
• short photo tutorials of the following techniques – needed to knit this shawl
• pick up and knit stitches from the edge of your knitting
• pick up and purl stitches from the edge of your knitting
• short rows with wrap and turn – and picking up the wraps
• knitted cast on

To knit this shawl you need the following materials:

• a total of 2065 metres fingering weight sock yarn in four colours (I used Zwerger Opal Uni Solid, colorways Black, Neon Pink, Neon Green and Neon Orange)
• 790 metres of the main or background colour (MC, black in the title picture), i.e. 185 grams of fingering weight super wash
• 510 metres of the first contrast colour (CC1, pink in the title picture), i.e. 120 gram of fingering weight super wash
• 340 metres of the second contrast colour (CC2, green  in the title picture), i.e. 80 grams of fingering weight super wash
• 425 metres of the third contrast colour (CC3, orange  in the title picture), i.e. 100 grams of fingering weight super wash
• 3mm circular knitting needle – as long as you possess (since the last row is about 2 metres long, your knitting will be scrunched up, anyway :)
• three short 3mm knitting needles, I used needles from a dpn set
• (optional) 3.25mm circular knitting needle to knit the last bind off and the I-cord edge – and to make it  a bit stretchier
• stitch markers might be useful as a counting aid when you want to make sure that you have a certain number of stitches – especially when there are more than 200 sts on your needles; as a thrifty solution you can use slip knots made from scrap yarn
• yarnstoppers to prevent stitches from falling off your needles while knitting the zigzag-edge (ordinary rubber bands will do nicely)

A version in more muted colours without the zigzag edge

Size and Gauge: In garter stitch 13 stitches gave 5 cm in width, and 13 ridges (26 rows) 5 cm in height – this was measured on a blocked piece. The finished piece measures about 200 cm in width (wingspan) and about 88 cm in depth.

Wrong Side view

Poinsettia Fingerless Gloves

Fingerless gloves are my favorite accessory – and also my favorite piece to knit because they offer so many varieties of constructing them and – since they are relatively small – trying out ideas. 

The Poinsettia fingerless gloves are knitted flat and in garter stitch. They start with a provisional CO, are knitted flat and end with grafting. Finally the side seams have to be sewn together.

Since this is an intarsia project that also uses short rows, it can be quite fiddly. Therefore, it  is NOT a beginner pattern.

The knitting pattern for these fingerless gloves is available via

• Ravelry 
• Payhip
• Loveknitting (soon)

This pattern PDF is 13 pages long and contains 

• written row-by-row instructions for knitting a mitt in one size (slight adjustments can be made by using a different needle size)– including seven photos of the different stages  
• a pattern chart
• short photo tutorials for the following techniques that are needed to knit these mitts
• provisional CO with a crochet hook and how to undo it
• grafting in garter stitch
• short rows with wrap and turn and picking up the wraps and an explanation on doubly wrapped stitches
• intarsia knitting 
• weaving in yarn while carrying it (backwards and forwards)
• crochet CO

To knit these mitts you need the following materials

• Fingering weight yarn in two colours – I used a total about 37 grams:
• about 24 grams (or about 100 metres) of C1 (grey in the title picture)
• about 13 grams (or about 55 metres) of C2 (rainbow colours in the title picture)
• 2.5 mm or 3 mm knitting needles (or another needle that gives you the gauge) – straight or circulars
• scrap yarn and a crochet hook (about 3mm) for the provisional CO and the crochet CO
• 2 stitch markers
• a tapestry needles for grafting and to weave in ends and for grafting

The instructions are for one size only. However, I knitted two pairs – one with 2.5 mm needles (top) and one with 3 mm needles (bottom) – the photo on the right shows each pair with one mitt already sewn up and one before that step:

• With 2.5 mm needles 28 ridges (56 garter stitch rows) gave me 10 cm in height and 25 sts gave 10 cm in width (with an unblocked swatch, since I didn't block the mitts). The finished piece knitted with 2.5 mm needles is about 17 cm high (at it's highest point) and about 15.5 cm in diameter (just below the thumb). 
• With 3 mm needles 26 ridges (53 garter stitch rows) gave me 10 cm in height and 23 sts gave 10 cm in width (also with  unblocked swatch). The piece measures about 18 cm in height and about 16 cm in diameter (just below the thumb).

In any case, the pieces are all in garter stitch, so they are quite stretchy.

Sinusoid Scarf

This scarf is constructed sideways from  tip to tip. It is knitted all in garter stitch and uses intarsia technique to create a wavy sinus curve edge with holes at the lower edge. Because of this construction, the length (wingspan) can easily be adapted.

The knitting pattern is available on

• Ravelry 
• Payhip
• Lovecrafts (soon)

The pattern PDF is 8 pages long and contains 

• written row-by-row instructions 
• pattern chart
• a short photo tutorial for intarsia knitting 
• a schematic and a short explanation of the construction

To knit this scarf you need the following materials

• Fingering weight yarn in two colors – I used a total about 600 metres (167 grams):
• about 120 metres (30 grams) of C1 (neon green in the pictures, I used madeline Tosh, Merino light, colorway Infrared Sky 455-O)
• about 480 metres (135 grams) of C2 (dark blue in the pictures, I used Wollmeise Pure 100% Merino Superwash )
• 3.25 knitting needles
• optional: removable stitch marker (to mark the beginning of one repeat), to make counting easier

Mitred MItts

Some designs take a million tries to get them right (e.g. the Partly Biased Fingerless Gloves I published earlier this year) and others just work at once. This design is of the latter category. I had the idea, drew a picture, tried it and voilà - it worked.

These fingerless gloves are knitted flat and in garter stitch stripes. They start with a provisional CO, is worked in short rows around the thumb and closed by grafting. The combination of stripes and short rows results in a striking geometrical pattern.

Since these mitts are worked with two colours and at times with very short short rows it can be quite fiddly. It is NOT a beginner pattern.

The knitting pattern is available via

• Ravelry 
• Payhip
• Loveknitting (soon)

The pattern PDF is 13 pages long and contains:

• written row-by-row instructions for knitting a mitt in one size only – including eight in-process photos 
• a full chart
• short photo tutorials for the following techniques
• provisional CO with a crochet hook and how to undo it
• grafting in garter stitch
• short rows with wrap and turn and picking up the wraps and an explanation on doubly wrapped stitches
• weaving in yarn while carrying it (backwards and forwards)
• crochet CO

To knit these mitts you need the following materials:

• fingering weight yarn in two colors – I used a total about 35 to 40 grams: I used two (semi-)solid colored yarns with a good contrast (about 16 to 20 grams per color)
• 2.5 mm or 3 mm knitting needles (or another needle that gives you the gauge) – straight or circulars
• a crochet hook (about 3mm) and scrap yarn for the provisional CO and for the crochet CO
• 2 stitch markers 
• a tapestry needle for grafting and to weave in ends

The photo on the right shows two pairs that I knitted – one with 2.5 mm needles (top) and one with 3 mm needles (bottom); with one piece already sewn up and one before that step.

• With 2.5 mm needles 28 ridges (56 garter stitch rows) gave me 10 cm in height and 26 sts gave 10 cm in width (unblocked, since I didn't block the mitts). The finished piece is about 17 cm high (at it's highest point) and about 16 cm in diameter (without just below the thumb). 
• With 3 mm needles 25 ridges (50 garter stitch rows) gave me 10 cm in height and 24 sts gave 10 cm in width (also unblocked). The finished piece measures about 19 cm in height and about 18 cm in diameter (just below the thumb).

However, the pieces are all in garter stitch, so they are quite stretchy.

Summer Breeze Cowl

This colorful cowl is a light and airy accessory –  suitable for summer or early autumn. It looks especially good when knitted with variegated yarn because it shows off the short row construction.

This cowl knitted flat and all in garter stitch. It starts with a provisional cast-on, is knitted on a bias and with many short rows, and ends with grafting. Because of this construction the circumference is easily adaptable. 

It is a very repetitive pattern and only needs one 100 gram skein of lace weight yarn, so therefore it is a very portable project. However, you should be comfortable with short rows, binding off and casting on within a row, so it is not a beginner pattern.

The knitting pattern is available via

• Ravelry 
• Payhip
• Loveknitting 

The pattern PDF is 10 pages long and contains:

• written row-by-row instructions for knitting this piece – including 9 photos
• a schematic of the construction, i.e. how the diamonds stack up to create the whole piece
• charts of one diamond (in two variations)
• short photo tutorials for the following techniques
• provisional CO with a crochet hook and undoing it
• grafting in garter stitch
• short rows with wrap and turn and picking up the wraps 
• crochet CO (at the edge of a knitted piece)
• backwards loop CO

To knit this cowl you need the following materials:

• about 500 metres of Lace weight yarn – I used less than 100 grams of Wollmeise Lace (colorway Allegria)
• 3 mm knitting needles (straight or circulars)
• a crochet hook of a similar size (I used a 3 mm hook)  
• scrap yarn
• a tapestry needle – for grafting and to weave in ends

Knitted in Lace weight yarn the finished and blocked piece measures 24 cm in width and 125 cm in circumference (unblocked it was 19 cm in width and 118 cm in circumference). About 24 stiches measured 10 cm in width and 24 garter stitch ridges (i.e. 48 rows) measured 10 cm in height (blocked).

Partly Biased Fingerless Gloves

I love knitted pieces with constructions that are a bit out of the ordinary. These fingerless gloves have a middle part knitted on a 45 degree angle. They are all in garter stitch and mainly knitted knitted flat (back and forth) – with the exception of the thumb.

They are a great way to show off variegated or self-striping yarn. Because the lengths of the rows vary, colour pooling is less probable.

The pattern PDF is available via

• Ravelry 
• Payhip
• Loveknitting 

The pattern PDF is 13 pages long and contains:

• written row-by-row instructions for knitting these gloves in one size – including twelve photos of the different stages (the finished piece (unstretched garter stitch) measures 17 cm in height, with a circumference of 15 cm at the top and 17 cm at the bottom)
• explanations how to adapt the pattern to other sizes
• explanations how to knit a variation of these pieces with  stockinette stitch in the middle
• short photo tutorials for the following techniques
• Magic CO
• kbf (a stitch symmetrical to a kfb)
• Three-Needle Bind Off
• German Short Rows and how to work the resulting “double-stitch”
• Picking up Stitches from a gap to avoid holes

You should be comfortable with using the magic loop technique to knit these pieces.

 

To knit these fingerless gloves, you need the following materials:

• About 150 meters of fingering weight yarn - 
• for the ones in the title picture I used Hedgehog Fibres, Skinny Singles, (colorway Goblin)
• for the ones with the contrast stripes, I used Lana Grosse Meilenweit Socktober (colorway 18314321, green), with Wollmeise Pure (dark blue) for the contrasting stripes
• for the ones with a stockinette part (see below) I used Supergarne Aktiv 4-fach (colorway 3358)
• 3mm circular knitting needles – at least 80 cm long
• 3 stitch markers – one of them removable