Introducing WILDFLOWER

I'm pleased to announce the launch of my Spring 2018 collection: WILDFLOWER

Consisting of three new embroidery designs and three new knit designs, WILDFLOWER is a floral inspired walk through the season: a cozy cardigan for those early days of spring when the wind still bites, socks and shawls for warmer days, and embroidery designs that go from seed to vase. 

Projects range from beginner-friendly to the more complex. Over the next few weeks, I'll also be sharing some tutorials to provide extra support for these designs, from coloring your embroidery, to colorwork tips, and to reading a lace chart. 

Each pattern in WILDFLOWER can be purchased individually, or as part of a complete kit featuring high-quality materials. As a special bonus for this collection, I've partnered with Nabi Wool Studio in Switzerland and Red Sock Blue Sock Yarn Co. in Canada to bring you hand-dyed yarn kits for the Rambling Eden Shawl and Bracteole Socks. Interested in a Cormous Cardigan Kit? Pre-orders are open now through the end of the month.

The knitting patterns can be purchased as an e-book for $16.00 USD or individually ($6-$8 USD). Likewise, the embroidery designs can be purchased as a set for 20% off the individual price.  

Flip through the lookbook below, or check out the shop! 

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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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Growing WILDFLOWER(s)

Even as I'm preparing to plant my first real seeds of the season, my next pattern collection is rapidly growing. 

I'm now less than a month away from launching WILDFLOWER, which means I'm neck-deep in partially-finished samples, pattern edits and kit supplies. Mr. Cleaver is being extremely patient about the number of project bags and cardboard boxes littering our house at moment. 

But even in the midst of all this chaos, the beauty of it all, like a bud peaking out of the dirt, is apparent and I'm relishing all the time I'm getting to spend with these beautiful threads and yarns in their vernal greens, pinks and purples. 

To be the first to know when this collection launches, which includes some limited-edition hand-dyed kits, sign up for my newsletter below. You'll receive a special discount and a free garden planning template (excel) as my thank you to you!

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FO Roundup - Winter 2018

One of the most fun parts of being a designer is seeing how others interpret your designs. Here are a few of my favorite finished objects (FOs) of late, with a focus on cozy sweaters and comfy couches!

Caiterly - Knit by srblipscomb

Willamette Coat - knit by TIcheek

Alaria -  knit by wmcurella

Alaria - knit by StephanieArrese

Cresting Waves Shawl - knit and dyed(!) by kquinnschroeder

Summer Rain Shawl - knit by maplebuttermom

Fleet Fox - knit by littlelena

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

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Caiterly - PDF Pattern

$6.50

Sweetly feminine with all the right details, Caiterly is adorned with delicate cables against reverse stockinette. Leah B. Thibault's bottom-up raglan cardigan is worked in Cleaner Cotton™ Willet resulting in a medium-weight sweater to go with any and every last thing in your closet, from borrowed boyfriend jeans to sundresses.

Shown in size 33” / 84 cm with 1” / 2.5 cm negative ease

Bust Circumference: 31¼ (33, 34¾, 38, 40¾, 42½, 45, 46¾)" [79.5 (84, 88.5, 96.5, 103.5, 108, 114.5, 118.5) cm]
Yarn:8 (8, 9, 10, 10, 11, 12, 12) skeins of Willet by Quince & Co in Sail (701)(100% cleaner cotton; 160yd [146m]/50g)
Needles:32" circular in sizes US 4 and 5 [3.5 and 3.75 mm] / set dpns in sizes US 4 and US 5 [3.5 and 3.75 mm]

Gauge: 26 sts and 35 rows = 4”/10 cm in reverse St st on larger needles

Learn more about Caiterly in the Chronicles

View it on Ravelry

Photos © Pam Allen

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Alaria - PDF Pattern

$6.00

A traditional triangle shawl featuring a flowing series of lace patterns. Inspired by the undulating forms of seaweed and the summer chills that result from overly air-conditioned offices.

Shawl begins at the long edge and ends at the point. The lace patterns used only have the yo’s and dec’s on the RS rows and all the WS rows are purled. Pattern includes both charted and row by row instructions.

Shawl size can be increased by completing additional 24-row repeats of lace patterns #1 and/or #2. Any modifications may necessitate more yarn.

• 52 “ wingspan, 25” depth
• 430-500 yds of Fingering weight yarn, sample shown in Quince & Co. Tern in Seagrass 143
• 24-inch circular needle, US 6 - 4.0 mm
• 19 stitches and 36 rows = 4 inches in lace pattern #1 blocked open

Learn more about the Alaria Shawl in the Chronicles

View it on Ravelry.

Photos © Carrie Bostick Hoge

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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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Berroco Portfolio Vol 5.

I was honored when I was invited to submit designs for Berroco's fifth Portfolio Collection. Berroco's independent designer collection, previous Portfolio, have included a number of my favorite design pals, including Jesie Ostermiller, Allison Jane and Beatrice Perron Dahlen - as well as biggies like Norah Gaughan. 

Each Portfolio highlights a different yarn collection and the prompt for my go-around was to show off the versatility of Berroco Remix and Berroco Remix Light. Remix is machine-washable, wool-free yarns are recycled from garment industry pre-consumer waste. I've used a fair number of recycled yarsn before, both in personal knitting and design work, and I have to say that Remix light (used in both patterns above) is my favorite I've used. It's not splitty, but has a nice tweedy texture and is lighter and more stretchy than most yarns with a high cotton content (it's 30% Nylon, 27% Cotton, 24% Acrylic, 10% Silk, 9% Linen, if you're curious). All of this makes it perfect for spring/summer knits. 

My two contributions to the collection are the Lake Arrowhead Tee, a knit-in-the-round tunic with an allover lace pattern and the Amber Waves Shawl, a cleverly designed triangular shawl knitting pattern, that begins at one tip and is worked sideways with an traveling charted stitch pattern to mimic waves of wheat on the plains. 

You get a lot of bang for your buck from these yarns too. The largest size of the tee (55 1/2 inch bust) only requires three balls and the shawl blocks out to over 7 feet long, but uses less than two!

The patterns are available individually for $6 USD each, or as part of a 15-pattern ebook or pamphlet for $17.95. 

Lake Arrowhead Tee

Ravelry | Berroco

Amber Waves Shawl

Ravelry | Berroco

Portfolio Vol 5 Collection

Ravelry | In stores

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Planting Seeds for WILDFLOWER

The WOODLAND collection came together as a collection more or less by accident. I had a few designs I wanted to do and as I was working on them, I realized that they had a similar theme, so I decided to go with the flow. That said, I quickly learned that I liked working in the collection format - even if it mean photographing a half dozen things in about 45 minutes. So when I starting thing about where I wanted to go with my design work, doing more in the collection format immediately sprung to the top of list. 

And so, in December, I started thinking Spring. 

WILDFLOWER seemed like a good good follow up to woodland theme, so I started gathering images and thinking about what the collection would be. I also knew I wanted my work to be more collaborative this year, so I'm partnering with indie dyers NabiWoolStudio and RedSockBlueSock for two of the knitwear designs. At this point, all the planning stuff is pretty much done and I'm deep in pattern writing and sample making. There will be three new knitwear designs and three embroidery hoops and it's all going to be so pretty!

So wish me luck as I furiously stitch and try to find a spring-esque photoshoot location in Maine in Feb/March!

Inspiration images from top to bottom:

• Andrew Wyeth's Around the Corner
• Old farmer sowing seeds from traditional apron, Hilltown, Co. Down, 1970s, Bobbie Hanvey, photographer.

• "Miss Rumphius" by Barbara Cooney

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Introducing Souviens

Did you ever have one of the experiences that just stuck with you, in a good way? This past summer's trip to Quebec City, remains one of the best trips I've ever taken and the whole household talks about it constantly - making the Quebec motto of Je me souviens -  I remember - very appropriate.

This cowl/stole pattern is a tribute to that great city, and features a lace version of the Fleur di Lis so prominent on the province flag. The large scale lace pattern is backed with a no-sew lining, to provide extra warmth and a (subtle or bold) pop of color. The stole version also provides instructions for adding a drawstring, so it can be worn around the shoulders as shown, or cinched up into a big cowl. 

The samples shown are both knit in Coop Knit's Socks Yeah, a favorite yarn of mine for its color palette, texture, and affordability.  Souviens is available as a PDF pattern, a 2-skein cowl kit or 4-skein stole kit in three different colorways. 

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!

Souviens Cowl/Stole Kits

from $28.00

Complete Kit for the Souviens Cowl (Stole)

Includes:

• 2 (4) Skeins Socks Yeah! by CoopKnits (75% Superwash Merino, 25% nylon; 230yd [212m]/50g)
• 1 (2) skein(s) each MC and CC - Chose from three colorways (L to R last photo, with MC on left of each pair)
  • Greens - MC: Malachite (110); CC: Chyrso (110)
  • Blues - MC: Beryl (107); CC: Danburite (105)
  • Reds - MC: Ammolite (102) and CC: Axinite (103)
• Printed Pattern 

Also available as a PDF Pattern

Size:

Select Size Cowl Stole

Colorway:

Select Colorway Green Blue Red

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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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Winter Warm Up Sale!

Woodland Hat - PDF Pattern

$6.00

Woodland is a colorwork hat and mitten set. The thick fabric from the colorwork makes it perfect for keeping you cozy during your walks in the woods.

Size
16”-26.75” circumference, depending on gauge (see chart)

Yarn
1 Skein Each: Nature Spun Sport by Brown Sheep Company (100% Wool; 184 yd [168m]/50g)
MC: Ash (720S)
CC: Pewter Green (401S)
OR yarn you can achieve a gauge w/ between 6 -7.5 sts/in.

Gauge
Because the pattern repeat is so wide (32 sts), the easiest way to change sizes is by changing your gauge, in conjunction with adjusting the stitch count. Use the chart below to match your gauge to the desired finished circumference.

Measure gauge in blocked colorwork pattern, using suggested needles, then reference chart to choose size.

Sample shown in 128 st cast on at 7 sts/inch (18.25” circ) on an average adult woman sized head. The smallest size would fit a young child, and the largest would fit a man.

Needles & Notions
US 4/3.5 mm 16” circular or dpns
US 6/4 mm 16” circular or dpns
OR SIZE TO ACHIEVE DESIRED GAUGE
Tapestry needle
Stitch markers

Available as part of and ebook or as a kit
 

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It's blizzard conditions here in Maine today, but even so, I'm focused on spring. At least design-wise, that is.

I'm hard at work pulling together my spring collection; WILDFLOWER, which means I could use some more space in the "Studio"/spare bedroom - so I've put a bunch of my winter kits, patterns, samples, and more on sale in the shop.  The items listed here are just a handful of the sale goods, so be sure to look around before the end of the sale on January 12th. And if you're more of a Ravelry person, all the WOODLAND patterns are 20% off for the same period, no code needed.

I get some space and you get some cozy knits for the long stretch of winter still to come. WIn-win!!

Felt Ornament Kit - Pink, Blue and Green

$23.00

Available in four colorways (see Embroidery shop for Red), so you can hang them at Christmas or all year round, these ornaments are suitable for the beginning stitcher.

Each kit makes four ornaments and contains:

• 1 sheet 100% wool felt in Ecru

• 1 sheet 100% wool felt in color of your choice

• 2 skeins coordinating DMC floss

• Stuffing

• Needle

• Pattern Template and Stitch Guide

• Guide to basic embroidery stitches

Color:

Select Color Pink Pale Blue Pale Green

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Ice Skater - Complete Kit

from $9.00

Is there anything more perfect in the winter than skating across a smooth patch of ice? This design, simple enough for beginners, uses Satin stitch and chain stitch to capture that beloved winter pastime. 

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With the design pre-printed on a beautiful linen-blend fabric, stitching a heirloom quality piece of embroidery is almost as simple as coloring!

Embroidery kits make great gifts (including for yourself!) and are a wonderfully meditative activity that comes with a beautiful product at the end.

Hang your finished piece right in the hoop (I’ll show you how!), frame it, or sew it into a cushion, bag or quilt.

New to embroidery? Each kit comes with a 2-page color guide to basic stitches or check out the tutorial library for tips and step-by-step instructions.

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COMPLETE EMBROIDERY KIT

Contains everything you need to stitch a beautiful wall-hanging.

• High-quality Linen/Cotton Fabric pre-printed with design

• 6” wooden hoop

• DMC Embroidery Floss to complete design as shown

• Embroidery needle

• Guide to basic embroidery stitches (additional tutorials available at MsCleaver.com)

• Complete kit packaged in a sturdy reusable kraft envelope suitable for gifting.

Have more floss than you know what to do with, or want to pick your own colors? Purchase the pre-printed panel only in the drop-down menu above. Also available as a PDF Pattern. 

*Materials shown are a sample only and may vary by design

Materials:

Select Materials Panel Only Complete Kit

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