FO Roundup - Into Fall 2018

One of the most fun parts of being a designer is seeing how others interpret your designs.

We’re in October already, leaves are starting to change color, which means we are entering peak knitwear season! Instead of the most recent FOs this go round, I thought I’d share some of my favorite of your autumnal knits.

Click on any image to visit the maker's Instagram or Ravelry page!

I LOVE seeing your makes! Tag me @mscleaver on Instagram, or if it's on Ravelry, I'll see it. :) 

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Leading Bird Shawl by Mindful Folk in her own yarn!

Cormac by Fullosheep (pattern available via Interweave)

Marketa Mitts by Irr-Saukh (pattern available via Interweave)

Hemingway (Men's) by karencampandknit (pattern available via Twist Collective).

Madalynn by Wolfcreeker

Breakwater by Kahlefam

A Two-Color Dolan Beret knit by Frances 75

Honeymaker by Shortrounds

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Want to make one of your own? Grab the patterns below!

Honeymaker - PDF Pattern

$6.00

A feminine take on the traditional aran sweater, with a bee-inspired twist, the Honeymaker pullover features stitch patterns inspired by netting, hives, and, of course, the honeycomb. Knit in the optional bee inset, if you like.

• 33 (36, 38 ¾, 41 ¾, 45 ¾, 48 ¾)" [84 (91.5, 98.5, 106, 116, 124) cm] bust circumference
• 1020-1700 yds of Aran weight yarn, sample shown in Quince & Co. Osprey in Clay 113
• 36-inch circular needle and set of dpns, US 9 - 5.5 mm and US 7 - 4.5 mm
• 22 stitches and 22 rows = 4 inches in pattern stitch with larger needle

Learn more about Honeymaker in the Chronicles

View it on Ravelry

Photos © Quince & Co.

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Leading Bird - PDF Pattern

$6.00

Inspired by the song “The Leading Bird” by Markéta Irglova, I designed this cozy half-pi shawl with the idea of creating a wooly piece with a rustic, yet graceful feel. Worked top down in Owl and featuring garter stitch and dropped stitch techniques, Leading Bird is the perfect project to take with you wherever you may go.

kills required : knitted cast on,  increasing, decreasing, working with dropped stitches.

• 52 “ wingspan, 20” depth
• 720 yds of Worsted weight yarn, sample shown in Quince & Co. Owl in Abyssinian 309 / 6 skeins
  Note: Sample used all of 5 skeins. Extra skein is required for swatching purposes.
• 32-inch circular needle, US 7 - 4.5 mm
• 17 sts and 33 rows= 4 inches in garter stitch, after blocking

Learn more about Leading Bird in the Chronicles

View it on Ravelry

Photos © Pam Allen

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Dolan Beret - PDF Pattern

$5.00

Knit stitches, purl stitches--the basic bits of knitting. Used together they can create all manner of fancy fabrics. But even in simple repeating combinations, like those in the Dolan Beret, they can be dramatic.

• 18” brim circumference, unstretched, 10” diameter
• 170 yds of Aran weight yarn, sample shown in Quince & Co. Osprey in Leek 131
• 16-inch circular needle, US 9 - 5.5 mm and US 8 – 5 mm; dpns in US 9 – 5.5 mm
• 16 stitches and 25 rows = 4 inches in pattern stitch

Learn more about the Dolan Beret in the Chronicles

View it on Ravelry

Photos © Carrie Bostick Hoge

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Madalynn – PDF Pattern

$5.00

Inspired by cross-stitch embroidery and old wallpaper, Madalynn is a subtly-toned infinity scarf which features stripes on one end and a simple colorwork pattern on the other.

The scarf is knitted in the round as a tube in stockinette stitch, first in cross stitch pattern, then stripe pattern. Scarf is then blocked flat before the ends are grafted together.

Instructions are given for working with dpns, and links are provided for working with 2 short circs and magic loop.

• 52" [132 cm] circumference and 4" [10 cm] wide
• 724 yds of Sport weight yarn, sample shown in Quince & Co. Chickadee in Kittywake 151 (MC) and Frost 103 (CC)
• 16-inch circular needle or dpns, US 5 - 3.75 mm
• 36 stitches and 30 rows = 4 inches in cross stitch pattern

View it on Ravelry

Photos © Carrie Bostick Hoge

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Breakwater Pullover - PDF Pattern

$8.00

Inspired by traditional Aran sweaters, but simplified to the essentials, this sweater is a great introduction to cable work. This simple bottom-up raglan pullover features a striking woven cable panel down the center, while the back and sleeves are just simple stockinette. The knitting on Breakwater will keep you interested, but not overwhelmed. This fit of this sweater works equally well on both guys and gals. The unisex pattern is sized to fit both.

Materials: 
6 (7, 7, 8, 8) skeins Swans Island All-American Collection, 75% USA Rambouillet wool, 25% USA alpaca; worsted weight
(80 gms, 210 yds each) Color Shown: Newport #AAW416

US size 8 (5 mm) 29” circular and double pointed needles, 
or size needed to obtain gauge. 
US size 6 (4 mm) 29” circular and double pointed needles

Stitch markers, cable needle, stitch holders or waste yarn, yarn needle.

Finished Dimensions
Chest Circumference: 35¾ (39½, 42¼, 46¾, 50¾)”. 
Length: 25½ (26¾, 26¾, 27¾, 28½)

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Introducing Nerio

Meet Nerio, my latest (and 21st*!) release with Quince & Co. yarns. These quick-knit socks feature a deceptively simple lace pattern reminiscent of dragon scales. Toe-up construction with an afterthought heel keep the knitting flowing so these little beauties will practically hop (or should I say fly?)  off your needles. 

Nerio can be purchased as an individual pattern ($5.50 USD ) or as part of the five-pattern Tern 2018 collection ($18.00) from the following sources:

Ravelry | Ms. Cleaver | Quince & Co.

*And the third to be styled with that skirt!

Nerio -PDF Pattern

$5.50

Knit from the toe-up with an afterthought heel, these brief little socks feature a pretty lace design reminiscent of dragon scales that makes these a fun knit.

Shown in 8½“ / 21.5 cm foot length to fit women’s US size 8½ / 39 shoe

yarn 
tern / seaweed 404 
2 skeins

needles 
set of five dpns in size US 1½ / 2.5 mm

gauge 
29 sts and 42 rnds = 4” / 10 cm in stockinette stitch, before wet blocking 
31 sts and 44 rnds = 4” / 10 cm in stockinette stitch, after wet blocking

skills required 
Judy’s magic cast on, Jeny’s surprisingly stretchy bind off, grafting (links provided); increasing, decreasing. Charts and line-by-line instructions included.

Also available as part of the Tern 2018 collection from Quince & Co.

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FO Roundup - Spring 2018

One of the most fun parts of being a designer is seeing how others interpret your designs. Spring is in the air, which means there's a lot more linen and short sleeves popping up on the internet - here are a few of my favorite finished objects (FOs) of late. Click on any image to visit the maker's Instagram or Ravelry page!

Want to share your knits with me? Tag me @mscleaver on Instagram, or if it's on Ravelry, I'll see it. :) 

Ripley knit by SkinnyHookerCreations 

Reed knit by Chrisstrickt

Atlee knit by Beeweefibers

Atlee knit bu Todoknits

Dal knit by Decosphere and clevery adapted to a men's sweater

Summer Rain knit by Carie May

Summer Rain knit by Carie May

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Toulouse knit by Bad Apple Betty

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Want to make one of your own? Grab the patterns below!

Ripley - PDF Pattern

$6.50

Bare those sun-worshipping shoulders in Ripley, designed by Leah B. Thibault. This racer-back tank is knitted in the round from the bottom up in Kestrel linen, shaped with side and back darts, and embellished with a beautiful vine lace detail at the back. For those seeking a true summer knit, this beauty is for you.

FINISHED MEASUREMENTS:
30 (32, 34, 37¼, 40¼, 42¼, 45½, 47½)" [76 (81.5, 86.5, 94.5, 102, 107.5, 115.5, 120.5) cm] bust circumference; shown in size 32" [81.5 cm] with 2" [5 cm] negative ease

YARN:
kestrel / cove 503 / 5 (5, 5, 6, 6, 7, 7, 8) skeins

NEEDLES:
32" circular in size US 10 [6 mm] / one spare circular in size US 10 [6 mm]

GAUGE:
15½ sts and 22 rnds = 4" [10 cm] in stockinette stitch, after blocking

SKILLS REQUIRED:
Knitted cast on, wrap-and-turn short rows, three-needle bind off (links provided). Chart and line-by-line instructions included.

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Reed - PDF Pattern

$6.00

Inspired by freshly plowed fields and the plants that grow from them, the botanical lace section is worked first, with the body picked up along its side and decreased to form a triangle. Pattern includes both charted

Finished measurements
50" [127 cm] wingspan and 25" [63.5 cm] deep

Yarn
Sparrow by Quince & Co
(100% organic linen; 168yd [155m]/50g)
• 3 skeins Frond 252

Needles
• One 24" circular needle in size US 5 [3.75 mm]
Or size to obtain gauge

Notions
• Stitch markers
• Tapestry needle

Gauge
19 sts and 23 rows = 4" [10 cm] in ladder lace pattern, after wet blocking.

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Summer Rain Shawl - PDF Pattern

$6.00

As a child, I dreamed of summer storms.

Growing up in northern California, my summers consisted of soaking my swimsuit in the sprinkler and rushing to the driveway to leave an ephemeral body print on the concrete; of running barefoot across the hot asphalt to my friend’s house and trying not to burn my feet; of the dark towels my mother put over the windows in the daytime to keep out the heat.

I wanted my summers to be cooler, wetter. I thought a summer storm would be the perfect antidote to the dry California heat, a backyard sprinkler writ large.

Having lived in Maine for a decade, the dozen or so summer storms take on a different role than I imagined as child, offering not an invitation to play, nor to hide, but to simply be still. After a stretch of hot sunny days, the plants in my garden welcome the rain. I follow their lead, raise my face to the heavens and drink it in.*

This shawl is knit flat from the bottom up. You will decrease 4 stitches every right-side row through raindrop pattern and every row thereafter.

FINISHED MEASUREMENTS
66" [168 cm] wingspan, 31" [79 cm] high
YARN
Milo by Manos del Uruguay (65% merino wool,
35% linen; 380 yards [350 m] / 100 grams)
2 skeins in Lisboa
NEEDLES
One 36" circular needle in size US 5 [3.75 mm]
GAUGE
24 stitches and 36 rows = 4" blocked
NOTIONS
Stitch markers
Tapestry needle

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Atlee - PDF Pattern

$6.00

Summer begs for basics, and Atlee delivers. In Cleaner Cotton™ Willet, with an a-line shape, scooped neckline and textural details in the yoke, Leah B. Thibault’s tee is a picture-perfect essential for easy days in the sun.

Shown in size 35” / 89 cm with 1” / 2.5 cm positive ease

• Bust Circumference: 33 (35, 36¾, 39¾, 43¼, 45, 48, 50)" [84 (89, 93.5, 101, 110, 114.5, 122, 127) cm] bust circumference
• Yarn: 5 (5, 6, 6, 7, 7, 7, 8) skeins of Willet by Quince & Co in Sail (701)(100% cleaner cotton; 160yd [146m]/50g)
• Needles:

32” circ in size US 5 / 3.75 mm 
16” circ in size US 4 / 3.5 mm 
set dpns in size US 4 / 3.5 mm

• Gauge: 25 sts and 33 rows = 4”/10 cm in St st on larger needles 

Learn more about Atlee in the Chronicles

View it on Ravelry

Photos © Pam Allen

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Dal - PDF Pattern

$7.00

I love textured stitches in Lark, and chunky cables on top of texture just pop! Knit and purl stiches combine for a cushy body, while a stockinette sleeve keeps this cozy raglan from being too busy.

Finished measurements
30¾ (34¼, 37½, 41, 44¼, 47¾, 51, 54¼)"
[78 (87, 95.5, 104, 112.5, 121.5, 129.5, 138) cm] bust circumference; shown in size 34¼" [87 cm] on a 31" [79 cm], 5' 7" [170 cm] tall model (3¼" [8.5 cm] positive ease)
Yarn
Lark by Quince & Co
(100% American wool; 134yd [123m]/50g)
• 10 (11, 11, 12, 13, 14, 16, 17) skeins Carrie's Yellow 125
Needles
• One 32" circular needle (circ) in size US 8 [5 mm]
• One 16" circ in size US 6 [4 mm]
• One set double-pointed needles (dpns) in size
US 8 [5 mm]
• One set dpns in size US 6 [4 mm]
Or size to obtain gauge
Notions
• Stitch markers
• Cable needle
• Waste yarn
• Tapestry needle
Gauge
22 sts and 32 rnds = 4" [10 cm] in stockinette stitch with larger needles, after blocking
19 sts and 32 rnds = 4" [10 cm] in basketweave pattern with larger needles, after blocking.

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Introducing Gully

Linen month continues at Quince & Co. and this week features the release of the Kestrel 2018 collection. Kestrel is a fun yarn to knit with it, it has the beautiful drape of linen, but it's ribbon-style construction means that it knits up fast, without ever being bulky.

I knew that combination would be the perfect pairing with Gully, my newest Quince design.

No lengthy backstory behind this one - it was inspired by a colleague's summer tank and translated to knitting. I loved the idea of a crossover/apron-style back and spent some time perfecting the angle of the drape on the back. 

Gully would look wonderful layered over a lacy camisole or summer dress and for best fit, I'd recommend pinning together the straps before seaming and lengthening or shortening the straps (a super easy process) to get the coverage you want.

Gully requires minimal seaming, as the tank is worked flat, from the bottom up, in one piece to the underarms, with front and backs are worked separately, then joined at the straps using a three-needle bind off.

The pattern is available for $6 USD for the individual pattern or $18 USD for the whole Kestrel 2018 Collection from the following online shops:

MsCleaver.com   ||   Quince & Co.   ||      Ravelry

 

Share what you've made!

 #quincereed to share and/or tag me @mscleaver !  

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Introducing Reed

Last year, I spent some time doing some genealogical research on my family tree. That research basically confirmed two things: 1) I'm just about as American as you can get and 2) it's pretty much farmers and ranchers all the way down.

My father was born on a farm in northwestern Missouri, and while they moved to California when he was a young child,  leaving the farm life behind for good, I still feel like there's still some farmer in my blood.

Granted, the scale of my gardening harvests belie any natural talent in that area, but I have pull to land and a deep appreciation for those who do the hard work of tending to the plants and animals that give us food and fiber. 

Just as my perennials bloom again each year, my family's rural past is a source of inspiration I return to again and again. 

Reed, knit in Quince & Co's linen yarn has a naturally earthy texture that blocks beautifully to show the crisp lines of freshly-plowed fields and the leafy vines that grow from that well-tended soil. 

The lace band is knit first, with the body picked up along the edge and decreased to make a triangle shawl, meaning you only have to keep track of one lace pattern at a time. 

The pattern is available for $6 USD for the individual pattern or $19 USD for the whole Sparrow 2018 Collection from the following online shops:

MsCleaver.com   ||   Quince & Co.   ||      Ravelry

If you knit it and participate in social media, use #quincereed to share and/or tag me @mscleaver !  

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Introducing Sprout & Flutter

Sometimes, it's fun just to play - and for me as a designer, designing a hat is like play - after all, sometimes you need a sample you can knit up in under a week! 

The product of my early winter play is this pair of hats  - Sprout (blues) and Flutter (purple/pink). Both hats use simple construction and contrasting colors to play up fun-to-work stitch patterns that use slips and wraps to create texture. Quince & Co's Phoebe yarn, used in the samples, has a lovely kettle-dyed quality that lends extra depth to the colors. 

The samples were designed to be a closely-fit beanie/toque,  but instructions are included for making your version a more slouchy, as desired. I would have loved to have some "on-head" photos, but Little Miss Cleaver has definitively told me, "Mama, no pictures." But she's consistently wearing Flutter, and that's a win in my book, so I'm not complaining.

I'd also like to put out a special thank you to Patti, Katie, Maryellen, Jessi and Jodi for their feedback!

The PDF Pattern contains both designs (for the price of one!), and is sized from newborn to adult large.

The pattern can be purchased for $6 USD via the following:

Ms. Cleaver Shop | Ravelry | LoveKnitting

Share what you've made!

Use #mscleavercreations and/or tag me @mscleaver on Instagram!

Sprout & Flutter -PDF Pattern

$6.00

A pair of hats that use contrasting colors and slip stitches to fun effect!

Sizes: XS (S, M, L, XL). 13.25 (15, 16.75, 18.25, 21.75) circumference un-stretched; 7.5 (7.5, 8.25, 8.75, 9.5) height.  

Chose a size with approx. 2” negative ease. Roughly, XS would fit a newborn; Small, a baby; Medium, a young child; Large and XL, adults. Due to the nature of the decrease pattern, there is no S in Sprout. 

Both samples (L for Sprout, M for Flutter) used approx. 35 g of both colors, including pompom on Flutter.

Sprout:                Flutter:
MC: Mercury        MC: Saturn
CC: Neptune        CC: Andromeda

Also available on Ravelry

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Introducing Becket

My dear friend Bristol Ivy is just about to release a book called "Knitting Outside the Box." She's awesome, the book is awesome and you should totally pre-order it. 

But, for me, I prefer to design within the box. Or boxes as it were.

That is, I love working within constraints. I've always found that some of my best creative leaps have come from some kind of restriction, be it a writing prompt, moodboard, or budget limitation. The freedom to create anything can be overwhelming, so sometimes I like to place restrictions on myself. 

After I had designed Leading Bird and Paper Bird, I decided I wanted to do a whole series of shawls (that wide-open palette) within three rules: 

1. It had to be inspired by a song with the word "bird" in it.
2. It had to use a shape not in the series yet
3. It had to use a Quince yarn not in the series yet.

So I had done a semi-circular shawl in Owl and an elongated triangle in Tern. I started by coming up with my favorite bird-referencing songs:

• Cage the Songbird (which became the traditional triangle shawl, Tributary); 
• "Top of World" by Patty Griffin ("I'm afraid I broke the wings/Off that little songbird;"
• "Here Stand" by The Ballroom Theives "Well, here I stand/A bird in hand/One foot in sea and one on land" 
• The entire oeuvre of Brown Bird

(clearly, I'm not done with this idea yet and if I allow myself to be a bit liberal with the "bird" definition, "Maybe Sparrow" by Neko Case would be on there too.)

And then my favorite band, Darlingside, came out with an album called "Birds Say" and I just had to make a shawl around the title track. 

The title track from their 2015 release was the sixth song of their set at the Beachland Tavern in Cleveland, Ohio, where Darlingside appeared with David Wax Museum on Sunday, May 8, 2016.

My first bit of inspiration was from the way Darlingside performs - as four voices around a single microphone, which translated itself to four trapezoids around a central point in a shape that's half-scarf, half-shawl (a scrawl?). The fabric design was easy - an irregular rib based on the rhythm of the song.  I knew from earlier swatching experiments that Quince's springy Phoebe would let the ribs "pop," while the semi-solid coloring keeps the eye moving horizontally, like reading sheet music. 

All of that pulled together to become the Becket shawl (Quince picks the final names), part of their Marsh Collection. 

The pattern is available for $6 USD for the individual pattern or $19 USD for the whole Marsh Collection from the following online shops:

MsCleaver.com   ||   Quince & Co.   ||      Ravelry

If you knit it and participate in social media, use #quincebecket to share and/or tag me @mscleaver !  

And here's one more song for the road (because I really can't help fangirl-ing)

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Introducing Dal

I'm pleased to introduce Dal - part of Quince and Co's Spice Collection. I love Lark, Quince's worsted weight wool. It's a simple workhorse yarn, but it lends itself to texture so well - as demonstrated by the knit/purl basketweave texture and cables on Dal. Knit and purl stitches combine for a cushy body, while a stockinette sleeve keeps this cozy raglan from being too busy. The width of the front-center panel scales with sizing, to be flattering on a range of figures. 

I'm in love with the rich golden hues of Carrie's Yellow, but Dal would also look great in olivey-green, like Wasabi; a steel blue like Sage; or the deep Merlot of Barolo:

The pattern is available for $7 USD from the following online shops:

MsCleaver.com   ||   Quince & Co.   ||      Ravelry

If you knit it and participate in social media, use #quincedal to share and/or tag me @mscleaver !  

I'd love to see your version!!!

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Linen Verdant

It's linen month over at Quince & Co., and I'm pleased to have two designs in their latest collection of warm-weather knits: Linen Verdant. 

As in it's woven form, knitted linen fabric has such a beautiful texture and drape on it's own that I like to keep the designs simple. Both the Ripley tank and the Snell tee are knit from the bottom up in the round with minimal finishing, and a little decorative touch to make it special. 

Make sure to include some positive ease for that extra breezy feel, field of wild grasses not required.

You can buy both patterns as part of the Verdant Collection at Quince & Co. or as individual patterns in my shop or on Ravelry. 

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Introducing the Tributary Shawl

I'm pleased to introduce the Tributary - part of Quince and Co's Piper Week and the third in my Songbird series of shawls inspired by music.

"God cage the songbird
Before the feathers run brown
God bar the windows
That we may though hollow be sound

And this island shall be shackled to her waters
Here we vow never to change
Here we will stand at last for something
With no desire to pretend"

- The Low Anthem

Inspired by lyrics from the Rhode Island-based folk band The Low Anthem, this traditional triangle shawl plays with closure and openness, with the body knit in Stockinette st for the first third, before opening up into a wide lace border.  The strong lines of double yarn-overs both open up the fabric, evoking bars, and the final pattern has a feather-like texture, the connection the two lace patterns giving the shawl a feeling of downward motion, and falling feathers.

The pattern is available for $6.50 USD from the following online shops:

MsCleaver.com   ||   Quince & Co.   ||      Ravelry

If you knit it and participate in social media, use #quincetributary to share and/or tag me @mscleaver !  

I'd love to see your version!!!

http://thealternateside.org. The Low Anthem performs "Cage The Songbird" live in Studio-A. Find more exclusive content at wfuv.org and thealternateside.org.

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