Author Archives: twostrands

About twostrands

Traditional knitting with a colorful twist. Website = MaryAnnStephens.com.

How I picked up stitches on my Wild Rose Vest

Posted on April 18, 2022 by twostrands

A delightful knitter who is working on my Wild Rose Vest wrote to me this morning wondering exactly how I like to pick up stitches on steeked garments, such as Wild Rose. Whether you’re working on one of my vest … Continue reading →

Posted in Fair Isle Knitting, Knitting, Knitting Classes, Mary Ann's Designs, shetland wool | Tagged fair isle knitting, Fair Isle Vest, knitting pattern, ladies' vest, shetland wool, steeked, steeks, stranded knitting | Leave a comment

2 new designs: Wild Rose Vest & Doggy Loves Kitty

Posted on February 9, 2022 by twostrands

“Wild Rose Vest” is a traditional Shetland wool vest / slipover with an updated bit of femininity. It’s knit in 12 colors of Jamieson’s Shetland Spindrift. “Doggy Loves Kitty” is a baby blanket knit in Fair Isle technique with some … Continue reading →

Posted in Fair Isle Knitting, Knitting, Mary Ann's Designs, Norwegian Knitting, shetland wool, Uncategorized | Tagged baby blanket, fair isle knitting, Knitting, knitting pattern, ladies vest, Norwegian knitting, Roway yarns, shetland wool, stranded knitting | Leave a comment

Morning Glory Hat & Fingerless Mittens Set

Posted on April 17, 2021 by twostrands

Just released my “Morning Glory” design: Details on my online yarn shop: knitting pattern pdf Jamieson’s of Shetland “Spindrift” 100% Shetland wool yarn pack The Morning Glory Set PDF is also available on Ravelry.

Posted in Fair Isle Knitting, Knitting, Mary Ann's Designs, shetland wool | Tagged colorwork, fair isle, fingering weight, fingerless mittens, floral, hat, Jamiesons of Shetland, Knitting, knitting pattern, ladies, Morning Glory, pdf, shetland wool, spindrift | 1 Comment

25% off 20 of my patterns for colorwork KAL

Posted on February 3, 2021 by twostrands

Be sure to get the discount code from The Woolly Thistle KAL on Ravelry. You can use the KAL discount code either on my website or in my Ravelry store to get 25% off any of these 20 pattern pdfs, … Continue reading →

Posted in Fair Isle Knitting, Knitting, Mary Ann's Designs, Norwegian Knitting, shetland wool, Special Sales | Tagged fair isle, gloves, hats, Knitting, mittens, Norwegian knitting, scarf, stranded knitting | 2 Comments

Cosmos Chullo

Posted on October 28, 2020 by twostrands

My new “Cosmos Chullo” earflap hat knitting pattern pdf gives you a choice of two motifs for a super warm, quick-to-knit hat. The new MadTosh Triple Twist TML chunky / Aran weight superwash merino I used worked beautifully! You can … Continue reading →

Posted in Blogroll, Fair Isle Knitting, Knitting, Mary Ann's Designs, Norwegian Knitting, Uncategorized | Tagged chullo, Cosmos Chullo, earflap hat, fair isle hat, Norwegian knit hat, Norwegian knitting, quick knit, ski hat | Leave a comment

Gazania Hat

Posted on September 26, 2020 by twostrands

My new “Gazania Hat” design, knit in 5 shades of Shetland Spindrift. Knitting pattern PDF and yarn packs are available on my online knitting shop, MaryAnnStephens.com. The PDF is also available through Ravelry.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged fair isle, fingering weight, floral, Gazania Hat, hat, jamieson's shetland spindrift, Knitting, pattern | 4 Comments

Centifolia Hat

Posted on May 16, 2020 by twostrands

I hope this finds you well and that, somehow, you’ve found bits of joy amidst the World’s sadness lately. Today, I’ve released a new design, a nine-color extravaganza of a hat, to brighten my “lockdown”. I hope it brightens your … Continue reading →

Posted in Blogroll, Fair Isle Knitting, Knitting, Mary Ann's Designs, shetland wool | Tagged Centifolia Hat, fair isle, hat, jamieson's shetland spindrift, Knitting, knitting pattern, shetland wool | Leave a comment

How to get 25% off on Ravelry for ALL of my mitten PDFs through February 2020

Posted on February 1, 2020 by twostrands

I’m thrilled to be a participating designer in The Woolly Thistle’s 5th Annual Colorwork Mitten KAL on Ravelry. I’m giving a 25% discount on all of my colorwork mitten knitting pattern PDFs all month long (Feb 2020) to anyone participating … Continue reading →

Posted in Fair Isle Knitting, Free Knitting Patterns, Knitting, Mary Ann's Designs, Norwegian Knitting, shetland wool, Special Sales | Tagged colorwork, discount, fair isle knitting, KAL, Knitting, knitting design, mitten, mitten knitting, Norwegian knitting, ravelry, shetland wool, stranded knitting | Leave a comment

Polar Pizazz + Sonoran Christmas

Posted on November 17, 2019 by twostrands

Here are a couple of particularly popular, recent highlights from my Instagram page:

Posted in Christmas, Fair Isle Knitting, Knitting, Mary Ann's Designs, shetland wool, Uncategorized | Tagged charity knitting, christmas balls, Christmas decorations, Christmas knitting, earflap hat, fair isle knitting, free knitting pattern, jamieson's shetland spindrift, polar bear hat, polar bear sweater, Polar Chullo, shetland wool, stranded knitting | Leave a comment

Timbers Hat, updated

Posted on October 5, 2019 by twostrands

My Timbers Hat design, first released in 2006, has always been a favorite. The worsted weight Dale yarn I used for it originally was discontinued years ago, so I’ve upped my game, updated the pattern to my now-usual format and reworked it in some wonderful Jamieson’s Shetland Heather Aran for a slightly denser, warmer, more durable hat. Continue reading →

Posted in Fair Isle Knitting, Knitting, Mary Ann's Designs, Norwegian Knitting, shetland wool, Uncategorized | Tagged beanie, braid, cap, fair isle, hat, knit, knitted, knitting pattern, Mary Ann Stephens, norwegian, pdf, plaited, ski hat, snowflakes, stars, Timbers Hat, trees, trim | Leave a comment

Rose Arbor Hat

Posted on September 28, 2019 by twostrands

This hat was inspired by the upcoming “Rose City Yarn Crawl” in Portland, OR. The last couple of years, Jamieson’s US distributor, Simply Shetland, a sponsor of the yarn crawl, asked me to donate some of my patterns to go … Continue reading →

Posted in Fair Isle Knitting, Knitting, Mary Ann's Designs, shetland wool, Uncategorized | Tagged DK, double knitting, fair isle, Fair Isle knit hat, hat, jamieson's, Jamieson's of Shetland DK, Knitting, pattern, pdf, rose, Rose Arbor Hat, shetland, wool, yarn | Leave a comment

More on downloading my newly-free Hedgerow pattern

Posted on August 9, 2019 by twostrands

This morning, a message was left for me in the Ravelry comments for my newly-free Hedgerow design, making it clear that the author of the message did not like my solution of directing folks to my regular, for-sale pattern page … Continue reading →

Posted in copyright, Fair Isle Knitting, Free Knitting Patterns, Knitting, Mary Ann's Designs, Norwegian Knitting, Uncategorized | Tagged free knitting pattern, Hedgerow Fingerless Mittens | 6 Comments

Canyon Wall Vest

Posted on May 11, 2019 by twostrands

My new “Canyon Wall Vest”, in four adult sizes, using nine colors of Spindrift, seventeen 25g balls in all. Circularly knit in traditional Fair Isle style without any type of steek reinforcement. Pattern includes not only the usual text and … Continue reading →

Posted in Fair Isle Knitting, Knitting, Mary Ann's Designs, Uncategorized | Tagged canyon wall, fair isle, knit, Knitting, knitting chart, mens, pattern, slipover, Southwestern, steek, steeked, stranded knitting, unisex, vest | 1 Comment

Baby Elephant Blanket

Posted on November 3, 2018 by twostrands

I’m not too big on marketing. I’d much rather be designing or knitting. So, in case you just follow me here, through TwoStrands.com, and missed my lone post over the summer about moving my home, business and website… Here’s a … Continue reading →

Posted in Fair Isle Knitting, Knitting, Mary Ann's Designs, Norwegian Knitting, shetland wool, Special Sales, Uncategorized | Tagged baby, baby blanket, blanket, elephant, fair isle, knit, knitted, Knitting, MaryAnnStephens.com, pattern, stranded | 2 Comments

New site, new home, same old TwoStrands

Posted on September 16, 2018 by twostrands

Hi Knitters! It’s been a while! We moved over the summer – all the way from New York to Arizona! We knew it would take a while, not only to get to AZ, but to get settled in, too. Knowing … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Kilim Pillow

Posted on June 9, 2018 by twostrands

Information on the Kilim Pillow design is now available through Mary Ann’s new website, MaryAnnStephens.com. You can also find this pattern on Ravelry here. Unfortunately, Hubro was recently discontinued. The suggested gauge on Hubro’s ball band was 10 stitches to … Continue reading →

Posted in Fair Isle Knitting, Free Knitting Patterns, Knitting, Mary Ann's Designs, Norwegian Knitting, Uncategorized | Tagged Dale, design, fair isle, hubro, Kilim, knit, knitting pattern, pillow, quick, super bulky, wool | Leave a comment

Cholla Blossom Fingerless Mittens

Posted on May 23, 2018 by twostrands

My latest:

Posted in Fair Isle Knitting, Knitting, Mary Ann's Designs, shetland wool | Tagged Cholla Blossom, fair isle, fingerless, jamieson's, Mary Ann Stephens, mittens, shetland wool, spindrift | 2 Comments

Free Knitting Pattern: Mittens in a Blink

Posted on January 19, 2018 by twostrands

UPDATE, September 2018: This free pattern has been moved to my new knitting website, MaryAnnStephens.com. Here’s the link to my new free knitting patterns page. Below, you’ll see more of my designs using super-bulky yarns: Supernova Hat in Hubro

Posted in Free Knitting Patterns, Knitting, Mary Ann's Designs, Norwegian Knitting, Special Sales, Uncategorized | Tagged clearance, Dale, Dale Garn, Dale of Norway, easy, free, free knitting pattern, hegre, Heilo, hubro, mittens, quick, sale, wool, yarn | Leave a comment

Calling Scotland

Posted on January 5, 2018 by twostrands

“Calling Scotland” is my new Fair Isle style ladies’ hat and fingerless mittens set knitting design, knit in Jamieson’s of Shetland “Shetland Spindrift” jumper / fingering weight 100% Shetland wool yarn. The PDF for the set is available from me, … Continue reading →

Posted in Fair Isle Knitting, Knitting, Mary Ann's Designs, Uncategorized | Tagged Calling Scotland, design, fair isle knitting, hat, jamieson's, knitting kit, knitting pattern, ladies, mittens, pdf, shetland wool, spindrift, yarn | Leave a comment

Catalina Highway Pillow

Posted on December 20, 2017 by twostrands

The inspiration for my Catalina Highway Pillow: Down in America’s Southwest, up in the northeast corner of Tucson, AZ, you’ll find the Catalina Highway. At its base in the Sonoran Desert, the landscape is punctuated by the lively reds … Continue reading →

Posted in Fair Isle Knitting, Mary Ann's Designs, Uncategorized | Tagged Catalina Highway, fair isle, jamieson's, knitting kit, knitting pattern, pillow, shetland, spindrift | 2 Comments

Christmas Ball FAQs

Posted on November 23, 2016 by twostrands

Here’s a compendium of info and links for all of the Christmas balls I’ve designed over the years: These are my five, free Christmas Ball knitting patterns, below… …and here is my Christmas Eve Collection, which is available for purchase … Continue reading →

Posted in Christmas, Fair Isle Knitting, Free Knitting Patterns, Norwegian Knitting, Uncategorized | Tagged ball, Christmas, Christmas Eve, Dale, decoration, fair isle, free, Holly, Kilim, knit, knitted, Knitting, Marius, norwegian, ornament, pattern, Star of Bethlehem, two strands, yarn | 3 Comments

On Swatching for Gauge

Posted on November 4, 2016 by twostrands

A knitter wrote to me this morning, wondering if she had misinterpreted something or done something wrong because she could not get the 32 x 38 stitches per 4″ gauge for a Dale Baby Ull pattern (Peace Sweater). Her stitches, … Continue reading →

Posted in Knitting, Technique | Tagged fit, gauge, Knitting, needle size, size, swatch, yarn | Leave a comment

The Flourishing Scarf

Posted on November 4, 2016 by twostrands

UPDATE: This design is now available through Mary Ann’s new website, MaryAnnStephens.com. You’ll find the pattern here.

Posted in Fair Isle Knitting, Knitting, Mary Ann's Designs, Norwegian Knitting | Tagged alpaca, circular knitting, Dale, Dalegarn, design, ECO Baby Wool, fair isle, knit | 2 Comments

Baby’s 1st Fair Isle Cardi

Posted on April 12, 2016 by twostrands

It’s been an awfully long time since we’ve had a baby in the family. Right now, our “baby” is my youngest son, who’s 16 already! (Although he’d probably tell you the “baby” in our family is Gracie, below:) One of … Continue reading →

Posted in Fair Isle Knitting, Knitting, Mary Ann's Designs | Tagged baby, baby ull, cardigan, Dale, fair isle, infant, newborn, steek, sweater | 2 Comments

Knitting’s many health benefits

Posted on January 27, 2016 by twostrands

Don’t miss Jane Brody’s article on the health benefits of knitting in yesterday’s New York Times: http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2016/01/25/the-health-benefits-of-knitting/

Posted in Knitting, Uncategorized | 2 Comments

Another Shetland Spindrift Shipment

Posted on January 26, 2016 by twostrands

Yippee, another dearly-awaited Jamieson’s Shetland Spindrift shipment just waltzed through my door last night! A couple of colors for some of my Fair Isle knitting kits have been missing in action the last few weeks. If you’ve been wondering when … Continue reading →

Posted in Fair Isle Knitting, Knitting, Mary Ann's Designs | Tagged Allamanda Hat, amaryllis hat, fair isle, jamieson's, kits, Knitting, Polar Chullo, Sagebrush Chullo, Shamrock Mittens, shetland, spice route gloves, Tulip Mittens, wool, yarn | 2 Comments

Top 10 Tips for Machine-sewn Steeks

Posted on December 21, 2015 by twostrands

UPDATE: My post on steeking has been updated, formatted as a free, downloadable PDF and moved to the Technique page on my new website, MaryAnnStephens.com.

Posted in Fair Isle Knitting, Knitting, Mary Ann's Designs, Norwegian Knitting, Technique, Uncategorized | Tagged cut, cutting, fair isle, finishing, Knitting, machine, norwegian, reinforced, sewn, steek, steeked, steeking, steeks, tips | 6 Comments

Ivy Headband

Posted on December 14, 2015 by twostrands

My new, warm, soft, stranded, braided, purpled, ivy-covered headband: I used five different shades of sport weight alpaca yarn. You could use merino, superwash wool, cashmere – whatever type of DK / sport weight yarn knits to the right gauge, … Continue reading →

Posted in Fair Isle Knitting, Knitting, Mary Ann's Designs, Norwegian Knitting | Tagged alpaca, alpakka, Dale, design, fair isle, headband, ivy, knit, Knitting, norwegian, pattern, pdf | 1 Comment

The Christmas Eve Collection

Posted on December 6, 2015 by twostrands

The Christmas Eve Collection – Three new Christmas ball ornament designs, making new Christmas memories for little ones; bringing back sweet, sugarplum memories of our own: The $6 PDF, which includes instructions for all of the designs pictured, is available … Continue reading →

Posted in Fair Isle Knitting, Knitting, Mary Ann's Designs, Norwegian Knitting | Tagged balls, Christmas, Dale, dog, falk, gingerbread, knit, Knitting, man, ornaments, pattern, puppy, reindeer | 2 Comments

Free Knitting Pattern – Sports Fan Hat

Posted on November 30, 2015 by twostrands

UPDATE: This free “Sports Fan Hat” knitting pattern has been moved to the free knitting pattern page on Mary Ann’s new website, MaryAnnStephens.com.

Posted in Free Knitting Patterns, Knitting, Mary Ann's Designs | Tagged aran weight, cap, Dale, end of the round, fan, free, hat, hegre, jog, jogless, Knitting, pattern, pompom, ribbing, ski hat, sports, stripes, wool | 2 Comments

Happy Thanksgiving!

Posted on November 26, 2015 by twostrands

Posted in Mary Ann's Designs, Uncategorized | 1 Comment

Sagebrush Chullo

Posted on November 22, 2015 by twostrands

That’s my new Sagebrush Chullo, knit in seven shades of Jamieson’s Shetland Spindrift fingering / jumper weight wool. As I did with my old Polar Chullo design, I knit Sagebrush at an extra warm and highly detailed gauge of 9 … Continue reading →

Posted in Fair Isle Knitting, Knitting, Mary Ann's Designs, Uncategorized | Tagged colorful, earflap, fair isle, fingering weight, hat, jamieson's, kit, knit, Knitting, Mary Ann Stephens, pattern, pdf, shetland, spindrift, wool, yarn | 4 Comments

Littlest hat, biggest honor

Posted on September 23, 2015 by twostrands

OMG! Sometimes I get the sweetest reports back from my customers! I think today’s might top ’em all: Isn’t it wonderful, what we can do with sticks and string?! The pattern was originally written for sport weight Terne (newborn size) … Continue reading →

Posted in Knitting, Mary Ann's Designs, Miscellaneous, Norwegian Knitting | Tagged baby, Dale, hat, infant, knit, Knitting, Mary Ann Stephens, norwegian, stranded knitting, toddler | Leave a comment

Après Ski Wine Cozy

Posted on July 5, 2015 by twostrands

So, now I take requests. Well, at least I took this one. A particularly nice person who just so happens to be an absolutely wonderful knitter (funny how those two pop up together so often) asked me to design a … Continue reading →

Posted in Fair Isle Knitting, Knitting, Mary Ann's Designs, Norwegian Knitting | Tagged apres, cozy, Dale, fair isle, Heilo, knit, Knitting, norwegian, pattern, Ski, wine | Leave a comment

NY Nordic Hat

Posted on June 9, 2015 by twostrands

It’s not easy for an old knitter to capture the interest of a frenetic teenage boy. But, when a few bags of Dale Garn Freestyle came through my door, sporting unmistakably neon colors, my youngest son, Mikey, practically pounced on … Continue reading →

Posted in Fair Isle Knitting, Knitting, Mary Ann's Designs, Norwegian Knitting | Tagged beanie, Dale, design, fair isle, freestyle, hat, knit, Knitting, neon, new york city, nordic, norwegian, NY, pattern, ski hat, worsted weight | 2 Comments

Ladies’ “Spice Route Gloves” knitting kits

Posted on June 8, 2015 by twostrands

My ladies’ Spice Route Gloves Fair Isle knitting design, to be knit in Jamieson’s Shetland Spindrift 100% Shetland wool yarn, is available as both a PDF and yarn packs in two different colorways through my online shop, MaryAnnStephens.com. PDF format … Continue reading →

Posted in Fair Isle Knitting, Knitting, Mary Ann's Designs | Tagged fair isle, gloves, kit, knit, Knitting, ladies, pattern, shetland, wool | 2 Comments

The Littlest Fisherman’s Hat

Posted on May 12, 2015 by twostrands

The inspiration for this hat is eighteen years old. Back in March ’97, my now-hulking son Alex was a newborn. Waaaaay too much of that spring was spent in a frustrating search for a sunhat for my bald-as-a-cueball little fellow. … Continue reading →

Posted in Fair Isle Knitting, Knitting, Mary Ann's Designs, Norwegian Knitting | Tagged baby, cotton, Dale, DIY, fair isle, fish, fisherman, fishies, hat, infant, knit, Knitting, newborn, norwegian, pattern, sunhat, yarn | 2 Comments

I Spy a Crocus

Posted on March 31, 2015 by twostrands

After the brutal winter we’ve endured, I got up out of bed this past Saturday morning – our last weekend in March – hoping that maybe, finally, we’d have a decent, spring-like weekend. I had this silly notion that, “Oh, … Continue reading →

Posted in Fair Isle Knitting, Knitting, Mary Ann's Designs, Norwegian Knitting | Tagged alpaca, crocus, fair isle, flower, hat, knit, Knitting, ladies, merino, norwegian, pretty, soft, yarn | Leave a comment

Val’s Tiger Lily Jacket

Posted on March 26, 2015 by twostrands

Yesterday, I received a delightful email from another one of my immensely talented customers, Val. It’s always a big thrill for me, to see the face behind the emails and phone calls. Turns out, not only is Val bright, funny … Continue reading →

Posted in Fair Isle Knitting, Knitting, Mary Ann's Designs, Norwegian Knitting | Tagged cardigan, Dale, Dale Garn, design, fair isle, jacket, kit, knit, Knitting, ladies, norway, norwegian, pattern, sport weight, stranded, tiger lily | Leave a comment

Nordic Easter Egg – reminder

Posted on March 16, 2015 by twostrands

UPDATE, March 2017 My “Nordic Easter Egg” pattern is still available through Ravelry. Here’s the link to the $5 PDF. Happy Easter and Happy Knitting!

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged baby ull, colorwork, decoration, Easter, egg, fair isle, free, knit, Knitting, norwegian, pattern, pdf, toy | Leave a comment

Nordic Easter Egg knitting pattern

Posted on March 7, 2015 by twostrands

It sure has been one long, hard winter! But, if you can believe it, we’re just two weeks away from spring. While Mother Nature is apparently still enthralled with winter, someone else has been busily focusing on the colorful, lively … Continue reading →

Posted in Fair Isle Knitting, Free Knitting Patterns, Knitting, Mary Ann's Designs, Norwegian Knitting, Special Sales | Tagged decoration, Easter, egg, fair isle, fingering, free, Knitting, nordic, Norwegian knitting, pattern, pdf, stranded, toy, weight | 1 Comment

Searching for Spring

Posted on February 20, 2015 by twostrands

The thermometer outside my kitchen window reported a bone-chilling two, count ’em, two sorry degrees this morning. So, I checked the weekend forecast, hoping for a sunny reprieve. Snow and ice starting on Saturday afternoon, lasting into Sunday. Not exactly … Continue reading →

Posted in Fair Isle Knitting, Knitting, Mary Ann's Designs | Tagged fair isle, kit, knit, Knitting, ladies, mittens, pattern, shamrock, shetland, spindrift, st patricks day, wool, yarn | 3 Comments

Chevron Fingerless Mittens – knitting kits, colorway ideas

Posted on February 13, 2015 by twostrands

We’ve just added a new kit page for my Chevron Fingerless Mittens. You can select your three favorite Dale Alpakka colors from the three little pull-downs, right there on the kit page. But, how do you choose three favorites shades? … Continue reading →

Posted in Fair Isle Knitting, Knitting, Mary Ann's Designs | Tagged alpaca, alpakka, color combinations, Dale, fair isle, fingerless, fitted, kit, knit, Knitting, ladies, Mary Ann Stephens, mittens | 3 Comments

Free Knitting Pattern – North Shore Hat – UPDATE

Posted on February 9, 2015 by twostrands

February 9th, 2015 – Today, I’ve updated my old North Shore Hat free knitting pattern PDF with a new version which includes a bunch of explanatory notes which will hopefully clarify the earflap joining process. Since most of my work … Continue reading →

Posted in Free Charts, Free Knitting Patterns, Knitting, Mary Ann's Designs | Tagged earflap, free, hat, Knitting, north shore hat, pattern, pdf | 8 Comments

Interview on “How to become a Professional Knitter”

Posted on January 30, 2015 by twostrands

Robin Hunter recently interviewed me for her blog, “How to become a Professional Knitter”. It’s up there now, right…over…HERE!

Posted in Fair Isle Knitting, Knitting, Mary Ann's Designs, Norwegian Knitting | Tagged business, career, design, designer, indy, interview, knitter, Knitting, Mary Ann Stephens, professional, robin hunter | 3 Comments

Fair Isle “Gentle Hat” kits now online

Posted on January 29, 2015 by twostrands

Ladies’ Fair Isle “Gentle Hat” kits are now available through my Kidsknits.com store site. The kits come with my pattern (printed or emailed PDF, your choice) and seven different shades of delightful Dale Garn “Alpakka” (aka “Royal Alpakka”) 100% … Continue reading →

Posted in Fair Isle Knitting, Knitting, Mary Ann's Designs | Tagged alpaca, alpakka, Dale Garn, fair isle, gentle, hat, kit, Knitting, yarn | Leave a comment

Andrea’s Spice Route Gloves

Posted on January 20, 2015 by twostrands

I thought you’d like to see the lovely result, above, that my customer, Andrea, shared on Ravelry. She knit my “Spice Route Gloves” design to a “T”, but in her own choice of colors. As a designer, I think it’s … Continue reading →

Posted in Fair Isle Knitting, Knitting, Mary Ann's Designs, Uncategorized | Tagged design, fair isle, fingering weight, gloves, knit, Knitting, Mary Ann Stephens, pattern, shetland wool, spice route gloves, spindrift | 4 Comments

Knitted Hem Fine Points

Posted on January 6, 2015 by twostrands

Happy 2015! I hope you all had a wonderful 2014 and are ready for an even-better 2015. Now, it’s time to get to work on those resolutions! One promise that I made myself for 2015 was that I’d stop letting … Continue reading →

Posted in Fair Isle Knitting, Knitting, Mary Ann's Designs, Norwegian Knitting, Technique, Uncategorized | Tagged cotton, Dale, Dale Garn, egyptian cotton yarn, finishing, hem, knit, Knitting, technique, vipe | 2 Comments

Polar Chullo Shetland Spindrift Back in Stock

Posted on January 2, 2015 by twostrands

It’s baaaa-aaaack! Yippee, we just received yet another big shipment of wonderful Jamieson’s Shetland Spindrift. In addition to several colors for some new designs that are “in the works” (stay tuned) I ordered a large amount of the five popular-but-elusive … Continue reading →

Posted in Fair Isle Knitting, Knitting, Mary Ann's Designs, On Twist Collective | Tagged earflap, fair isle, hat, Knitting, polar bears, Polar Chullo, shetland, ski hat, spindrift, wool, yarn | Leave a comment

Gentle Hat

Posted on December 23, 2014 by twostrands

At 85 years old, most every day for almost three years now, my mother has driven nearly an hour each way over rough, winding, often-icy, upstate roads. Her mission? To spend as much precious time as possible trying to eek … Continue reading →

Posted in Fair Isle Knitting, Knitting, Mary Ann's Designs, Norwegian Knitting, Uncategorized | Tagged alpaca, alpakka, Dale Garn, design, fair isle, gentle, gift, hat, knit, Knitting, pretty, soft, warm, yarn | 5 Comments

Christmas Balls – A Brilliant Blocking Idea

Posted on December 17, 2014 by twostrands

I’m so lucky – I have the coolest, most talented customers! Here’s a nifty blocking idea that one of my brilliant customers shared recently on Ravelry: She’s been using my free Christmas Balls patterns. Before she stuffs and closes up … Continue reading →

Posted in Fair Isle Knitting, Free Knitting Patterns, Knitting, Mary Ann's Designs, Norwegian Knitting, Technique | Tagged balls, Christmas, decorations, free, holiday, Knitting, norway, norwegian, ornaments, pattern, pdf, yarn | 1 Comment

On Flat Charts for Round Shapes

Posted on December 2, 2014 by twostrands

This popular post on using flat charts to knit rounds shapes has been moved to the “Technique” section of Mary Ann’s new website, MaryAnnStephens.com.

Posted in Fair Isle Knitting, Free Charts, Free Knitting Patterns, Knitting, Mary Ann's Designs, Norwegian Knitting, Technique | Tagged ball, chart, Christmas, design, fair isle, free, Knitting, norwegian, ornament, pattern, shapes, stranded, yarn | 8 Comments

Sparkling Scrunchie, a free crochet pattern

Posted on December 1, 2014 by twostrands

Another early Christmas present for you – the “Sparkling Scrunchie”: It’s made from Dale Garn’s lovely Gullfasan metallic yarn. Hopefully, the Sparkling Scrunchie will solve some of those last-minute stocking stuffer quandaries. Have fun! Click this link to download your … Continue reading →

Posted in Free Crochet Patterns, Mary Ann's Designs | Tagged accessory, beads, crochet, Dale, free, garn, gullfasan, hair, holiday, metallic, pattern, sparkling, tie | Leave a comment

Ethereal Diamonds – a free lace scarf pattern, introducing “Erle”

Posted on November 18, 2014 by twostrands

I had lost count of all the projects on my needles. Sanity warned “Don’t you dare cast on one more stitch until 2015!” But, if you could just hold one soft, little cloud of Dale Garn’s new “Erle” in your … Continue reading →

Posted in Free Charts, Free Knitting Patterns, Knitting, Mary Ann's Designs, New From Dale of Norway, Uncategorized | Tagged chart, Dale, Dale Garn, Dale of Norway, erle, free knitting pattern, Knitting, lace, mohair, scarf, silk, wool, yarn | 5 Comments

Supernova Hat

Posted on October 13, 2014 by twostrands

Thirty, count ’em, thirty quick rounds of short repeat, short float bliss, then *poof*, you’re done. Should fit most of the adults on your holiday list. It seems a shame to knit just one, no? Knit yours in any two … Continue reading →

Posted in Fair Isle Knitting, Knitting, Mary Ann's Designs, Norwegian Knitting | Tagged circular knitting, Dale, Dalegarn, fair isle, hat, hubro, Knitting, knitting pattern, Mary Ann Stephens, Norwegian knitting, ski hat, stranded knitting, wool, yarn | 1 Comment

Ode to Heilo

Posted on September 25, 2014 by twostrands

Going through some of my files this morning, it dawned on me that, oh my gosh, my Wintergarden Pullover is ten years old! It’s been a hectic decade of adventures for Wintergarden – skiing, hiking, knitting, scrambling, chasing, knitting, lounging, … Continue reading →

Posted in Fair Isle Knitting, Knitting, Mary Ann's Designs, Norwegian Knitting, Uncategorized | Tagged Dale, Dale of Norway, Dalegarn, fair isle, Heilo, knit, Knitting, Mary Ann Stephens, norwegian, pattern, pdf, steeks, sweater, wintergarden, wool, yarn | 3 Comments

Shepherdess Cloche

Posted on September 24, 2014 by twostrands

My “Shepherdess Cloche” hat design, sized for adult females, knit in Dale Garn Monjita, Hegre and Heilo or Falk, now available as a knitting pattern, PDF or kit: Dale Garn’s new, wonderfully soft, Persian-lamb-lookalike, Monjita, is held together with … Continue reading →

Posted in Fair Isle Knitting, Knitting, Mary Ann's Designs, Norwegian Knitting | Tagged beanie, beginner, cloche, Dale, Dale Garn, Dale of Norway, easy, fair isle, hat, knit, Knitting, ladies, monjita, norwegian, pattern, simple | Leave a comment

Camissonia Mittens

Posted on September 22, 2014 by twostrands

My new “Camissonia Mittens“, sized to fit the average adult female hand. Knit in standard Fair Isle knitting technique, then (optionally) embroidered, using Dale Garn Alpakka throughout: The knitting kit is available through my on-line yarn shop, Kidsknits.com. It includes … Continue reading →

Posted in Fair Isle Knitting, Knitting, Mary Ann's Designs, Norwegian Knitting | Tagged alpaca, alpakka, Dale Garn, Dale Garn Alpakka, design, embroidery, fair isle, fair isle knitting, floral, knit, knitting pattern, ladies, Mary Ann Stephens, mittens, norwegian, stranded, yarn | Leave a comment

Fair Isle Cowl in 60 Quick Luxury Knits

Posted on July 17, 2014 by twostrands

“60 Quick Luxury Knits” has just been released and it includes my reversible fair isle cowl, below: The publishers had me use Cascade’s “Venezia Sport” 70% merino wool, 30% mulberry silk sport weight yarn. (In fact, all of the designs … Continue reading →

Posted in Fair Isle Knitting, Knitting, Mary Ann's Designs, Norwegian Knitting | Tagged 60 quick luxury knits, Cascade Venezia Sport, cascade venezia yarn, Cascade yarns, cowl, Dalegarn Royal Alpakka, fair isle, knit, knitting pattern, riverside cowl, stranded knitting, tribal motif | 6 Comments

Chevron Fingerless Mittens

Posted on May 23, 2014 by twostrands

My “Chevron Fingerless Mittens”, sized for the average adult female hand, with fitted cuffs and gusseted thumbs. Knit in luxurious Dale of Norway Royal Alpakka. Use any three shades your heart desires. I used 19g of Slate 0007, 32g of … Continue reading →

Posted in Knitting, Mary Ann's Designs, Norwegian Knitting | Tagged alpaca, colorwork, Dale of Norway, Dalegarn, design, fair isle, fingerless, Knitting, knitting pattern, mittens, norwegian, stranded, yarn | 1 Comment

Free Knitting Pattern – North Shore Hat

Posted on May 7, 2014 by twostrands

Here’s a free pattern for a super-quick, adult-sized earflap hat I made for my winter beach hikes. I used wonderfully soft and warm Dale Hubro 100% pure new wool. It’s “bulky” weight, so it knits up in a blink. (I … Continue reading →

Posted in Free Knitting Patterns, Knitting, Mary Ann's Designs | Tagged adult, bulky, chunky, Dale, earflap, free, hat, hubro, Knitting, pattern, quick, soft, warm | 52 Comments

Blendoku – a great game for Fair Isle fanatics

Posted on April 21, 2014 by twostrands

What’s Blendoku? It’s an intriguing free app that sharpens your color management skills. Should disaster strike and you find yourself without your knitting (gasp!) it’s a fun way to sharpen your skills for setting up smooth color gradients for your … Continue reading →

Posted in Knitting, Miscellaneous, Technique | Tagged Blendoku, color, color gradient, colorwork, fair isle, fair isle knitting, free, game, Knitting, Norwegian knitting, stranded knitting | 1 Comment

Knitting’s Cerebral Side

Posted on March 28, 2014 by twostrands

CNN’s very interesting article on knitting’s cerebral benefits: http://www.cnn.com/2014/03/25/health/brain-crafting-benefits/ (But from the tips of our fingers, to our hearts, to our minds…we knew that! 😉 )

Posted in Knitting | Tagged brain health, knit, Knitting | Leave a comment

Steek stitches – how many???

Posted on February 25, 2014 by twostrands

Someone just posted an interesting question in my Two Strands group on Ravelry. It’s one I’m often asked regarding Norwegian steeks, so I’ll share it with you folks here, too. She’s thinking about knitting the Dale Sirdal design from their … Continue reading →

Posted in Knitting, Mary Ann's Designs, Norwegian Knitting, Technique | Tagged cut you knitting, cutting stitches, Dale, fair isle, knit, Knitting, machine-sewn, norwegian, steek, steeks, stranded knitting | Leave a comment

Free Chart – Happy Valentine’s Day!

Posted on February 11, 2014 by twostrands

A “little something” to show my love for my dear customers. Use this free chart in the next few days, to brighten up your Valentine’s gift wrap, or use it in your stranded knitting, down the road. Either way, I … Continue reading →

Posted in Free Charts, Mary Ann's Designs, Norwegian Knitting | Tagged bird, card, chart, cross stitch, embroidery, fair isle, folk, free, gift, giftwrap, heart, Knitting, love birds, needlepoint, norwegian, traditional, valentine, valentine's day, wrapping paper | 1 Comment

Free 2014 Chart

Posted on January 20, 2014 by twostrands

Whether you work “2014” into some wonderful chart work you have planned for this year, or embroider it in with duplicate stitch, once you’re done, may it someday spark sweet, sweet memories of the many fine times you had “way … Continue reading →

Posted in Free Charts, Free Knitting Patterns, Knitting, Mary Ann's Designs | Tagged 2024, chart, cross stitch, date, design, embroidery, free, heirloom, historic, Knitting, needlepoint, needlework, traditional | 1 Comment

Free Knitting Pattern – Twist and Sprout Hat

Posted on January 18, 2014 by twostrands

The middle of January…yuck! Here in the Northeast, you wouldn’t want to face January without a cozy hat nearby. Not a dreary hat, mind you – there’s more than enough of that dreariness in the skies these days. So, here’s … Continue reading →

Posted in Free Knitting Patterns, Knitting, Mary Ann's Designs, Uncategorized | Tagged adult, baby, beanie, cap, child, female, free, hat, kid, Knitting, knitting kit, male, pattern, pdf, swirl, teen, toddler, twist, worsted weight, youth | 4 Comments

Shetland Spindrift Naturals are back in stock!

Posted on December 24, 2013 by twostrands

Yippee! I just received a big box of long-awaited Jamieson’s Shetland Spindrift in the natural shades I use in my Polar Chullo design (among others.) Normally, they’re a mainstay of my selection – foundation shades that I can’t bear to … Continue reading →

Posted in Knitting, Mary Ann's Designs, Uncategorized | Tagged chullo, earflap hat, fair isle, fingering weight, hat, jamieson's, jumper weight, knit, Knitting, polar bear, shetland, shetland wool, spindrift, traditional, wool, yarn | Leave a comment

Free Knitting Pattern – Lace Scrunchie

Posted on December 23, 2013 by twostrands

Need a last-minute, low-budget gift idea for a long-haired lovely on your list? If you have a stray elastic band somewhere, plus a few extra ounces of Lerke yarn lying around, you’re in luck! (And if you don’t, well, you’re … Continue reading →

Posted in Free Knitting Patterns, Knitting, Mary Ann's Designs | Tagged accessories, accessory, downloadable, free, gift, hair, hair tie, Knitting, lace, lace knitting, last-minute, low-budget, ornament, pattern, pdf, pony tail, scrunchie, scrunchy, tie | 10 Comments

Happy Thanksgiving – a free chart

Posted on November 26, 2013 by twostrands

Happy Thanksgiving, Everyone!! Click on the image to see a larger, clearer version. (Originally published here on Two Strands for Thanksgiving 2010.)

Posted in Free Charts, Free Knitting Patterns, Mary Ann's Designs, Miscellaneous, Uncategorized | Tagged chart, cross stitch, cross stitch chart, free, free chart, happy thanksgiving, Knitting, knitting chart, needlepoint, needlepoint chart, thank you, thanks | Leave a comment

Free Knitting Pattern – Two Strands Christmas Ball

Posted on October 17, 2013 by twostrands

An early Christmas present, to say “Thank You!” to all of my dear customers. I hope it brings cheer to your home, year after year. UPDATE: This free pattern has been moved to my new website, MaryAnnStephens.com. Here’s a link … Continue reading →

Posted in Free Knitting Patterns, Knitting, Mary Ann's Designs, Norwegian Knitting | Tagged ball, Christmas, christmas tree, Dale of Norway, decoration, fair isle, folk, free knitting pattern, holiday, knit, Knitting, nordic, norwegian, ornament, pattern, pdf, stranded knitting, wool, yarn | 3 Comments

Circular knitting intro for use with Christmas Balls PDF

Posted on October 1, 2013 by twostrands

When I wrote my “Christmas Balls” free knitting patterns last year (and my free “Star of Bethlehem” pattern this year) I had my “typical” knitting customer in mind. Not that any of you are typical – you’re all special and … Continue reading →

Posted in Free Knitting Patterns, Knitting, Mary Ann's Designs, Norwegian Knitting, Technique | Tagged chart, Christmas, christmas balls, christmas ornaments, circular knitting, colorwork, fair isle, fair isle knitting, free, free knitting pattern, how to read a knitting chart, knit, Knitting, knitting chart, knitting design, knitting pattern, knitting pattern pdf, nordic knitting, norwegian, Norwegian knitting, pattern, pdf, stranded, stranded knitting, wool, yarn | 1 Comment

Spice Route Gloves

Posted on September 12, 2013 by twostrands

…or, “What I Did Over My Summer Vacation”: My “Spice Route Gloves” design, knit in 4 shades of Jamieson’s Shetland Spindrift. Finished palm circumference of 8″, so they’re sized to fit average adult female hand. Five 25g balls of Jamieson’s … Continue reading →

Posted in Knitting, Mary Ann's Designs | Tagged color work, colorful, fair isle, fingering weight, gloves, jamieson's, jumper weight, knit, Knitting, knitting pattern, Mary Ann Stephens, shetland, spindrift, wool | 4 Comments

Free knitting pattern: Christmas Ball – “Star of Bethlehem”

Posted on July 23, 2013 by twostrands

UPDATE: This free knitting pattern for Mary Ann’s “Star of Bethlehem” Christmas ball has been moved to the free knitting pattern page on her new website, MaryAnnStephens.com.

Posted in Free Knitting Patterns, Knitting, Mary Ann's Designs, Norwegian Knitting | Tagged ball, balls, child safe, Christmas, christmas tree, circular knitting, colorwork, Dale, Dale of Norway, Dalegarn, DIY, fair isle, falk, free, holiday, Kidsknits, Knitting, knitting pattern, nordic knitting, norwegian, ornament, ornaments, pdf, stranded knitting, wool, yarn | 4 Comments

Tiger Lily, in the pink

Posted on June 5, 2013 by twostrands

Reason #352 why I love knitting: Merely by changing the shades of yarn we’re using, we can give an entirely new look to beloved, old designs. It’s true, I do lament when an “old favorite” shade is discontinued by the … Continue reading →

Posted in Knitting, Mary Ann's Designs, New From Dale of Norway, Norwegian Knitting | Tagged circular knitting, color, colorwork, Dale, Dale of Norway, Dalegarn, design, DIY, fair isle, fair isle knitting, falk, floral, Heilo, knit, Knitting, knitting design, knitting kit, knitting pattern, knitting pattern pdf, lilies, lily, Mary Ann Stephens, nordic, nordic knitting, norwegian, Norwegian knitting, pattern, pdf, steeks, stranded, stranded knitting, sweater, wool, yarn | Leave a comment

Stranded Knitting Presentation at LI Knitting Guild

Posted on April 23, 2013 by twostrands

I’d like to send out a big, warm “Thank You!” to everyone at the Long Island Knitting Guild. This past Friday, I presented my talk to them, “Stranded on Long Island – Tips and Tricks for Developing Your Very Own … Continue reading →

Posted in Knitting, Knitting Classes, Mary Ann's Designs, Technique | Tagged class, craft, DIY, fair isle, guild, Knitting, knitting instruction, long island, Mary Ann Stephens, norwegian, presentation, stranded knitting | 1 Comment

“More monkeys, please!”

Posted on March 21, 2013 by twostrands

A common request around here lately: “More monkeys, please!” Today’s answer: “Coming right up!” You’re just one click away from one dozen new colorway ideas for my Monkey Hat using Dale of Norway Baby Ull yarn, our hands-down favorite for … Continue reading →

Posted in Knitting, Mary Ann's Designs, Norwegian Knitting, Uncategorized | Tagged baby, baby ull, boy, chart, circular knitting, color, colorwork, craft, Dale, Dale of Norway, Dalegarn, design, DIY, fair isle, fair isle knitting, girl, hat, knit, Knitting, knitting design, knitting kit, knitting pattern, layette, Mary Ann Stephens, merino, new baby, newborn, Norwegian knitting, stranded, stranded knitting, superwash, yarn | Leave a comment

Shamrock Mittens

Posted on February 14, 2013 by twostrands

My new Shamrock Mittens, knit in Jamieson’s Shetland Spindrift. Sized to fit an 8″ adult female palm circumference. The PDF is available for purchase and download through Ravelry. The Spindrift yarn (in natural white and…you guessed it…”leprechaun”) is available through … Continue reading →

Posted in Knitting, Mary Ann's Designs, Uncategorized | Tagged design, fair isle, fingering weight, irish, kit, knit, Knitting, knitting kit, latvian, Mary Ann Stephens, mittens, norwegian, pattern, shamrock, shetland, spindrift, st patricks day, stranded, wool, yarn | 1 Comment

Free Crochet Pattern – The Quickest, Easiest Hat

Posted on February 12, 2013 by twostrands

The “Blizzard of 2013” (the first one, at least) swept in this past Friday, bringing 30+ inches of snow to our area, along with frantic cries of “Ahhhh, what’s your quickest, easiest hat?!?!?” I was tempted to pull out some … Continue reading →

Posted in Free Crochet Patterns, Mary Ann's Designs, Uncategorized | Tagged basic, beanie, crochet, crocheted, Dale of Norway, design, easiest, easy, fast, flower, free, hat, pattern, quick, quickest, simple, warm, wool | 23 Comments

More Riverside Cowl Colorways

Posted on January 22, 2013 by twostrands

Some alternate colorway ideas for my Riverside Cowl design: Got a favorite? Get the customizable kit here.

Posted in Knitting, Mary Ann's Designs, Norwegian Knitting | Tagged alpaca, alpakka, colorwork, cowl, Dale, Dale of Norway, fair isle, fairisle, knit, Knitting, knitting design, knitting kit, knitting pattern, Mary Ann Stephens, royal alpakka, stranded knitting, yarn | 2 Comments

Free Knitting Chart – Numerals

Posted on January 2, 2013 by twostrands

Here’s a happy way to make your 2013 knitting special:

Posted in Free Charts, Free Knitting Patterns, Knitting, Mary Ann's Designs, Miscellaneous, Norwegian Knitting | Tagged fair isle numbers, free knitting chart, free knitting pattern, free number chart, free numerals chart, stranded knitting chart | 3 Comments

Tiger Lily Jacket Color Substitutions

Posted on December 4, 2012 by twostrands

I think putting together new colorways can be a lot of fun. But, it takes a lot of time, too – something I’m finding in short supply these days. In an effort to stop wasting time on duplicated effort (okay, … Continue reading →

Posted in Knitting, Mary Ann's Designs, New From Dale of Norway, Norwegian Knitting | Tagged choosing yarn colors, colors, fair isle, knit, Knitting, norwegian, stranded, yarn, yarn colors | Leave a comment

Catching long floats on the Polar Chullo

Posted on November 29, 2012 by twostrands

I know quite a few of you are working on your Polar Chullos, hoping to get them done in time for the holidays. I’m reposting a response I just sent to a knitter in Ravelry who is working on her … Continue reading →

Posted in Knitting, Mary Ann's Designs, Technique | Tagged catching floats, chullo, earflap, fair isle, fair isle knitting, hat, jamieson's spindrift, Knitting, knitting kit, knitting pattern, long floats, Polar Chullo, shetland wool, stranded knitting, weaving in | Leave a comment

Hubro Mittens – free knitting pattern with yarn purchase

Posted on November 16, 2012 by twostrands

I’m happy to report that my “Mittens in a Blink” ladies’ super bulky mitten pattern, introduced to you a few weeks ago in Malabrigo Rasta 100% merino, works beautifully with Dale of Norway Hubro 100% wool, too. (See above, in … Continue reading →

Posted in Free Knitting Patterns, Mary Ann's Designs, Special Sales, Uncategorized | Tagged Dale of Norway, easy, free, free knitting pattern, hubro, knit, Knitting, knitting pattern, ladies mittens, mittens, pdf, quick, super bulky yarn, wool | 4 Comments

Hurricane Sandy Report

Posted on October 31, 2012 by twostrands

We’re all here, post-Sandy, and I’m very thankful to report that we came through essentially unscathed. We’re up on a hill, a mile or two from the Long Island Sound and several miles from the ocean, so fortunately, no flooding. … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Riverside Cowl

Posted on October 29, 2012 by twostrands

My “Riverside Cowl” – knit in Dale of Norway Royal Alpakka yarn. Fair Isle and garter stitch on the outside, solid stockinette stitch on the lining, luxurious warmth all over. The kit is available through my on-line store, Kidsknits.com. It … Continue reading →

Posted in Knitting, Mary Ann's Designs, New From Dale of Norway, Norwegian Knitting, Uncategorized | Tagged alpaca, alpakka, cowl, Dale of Norway, dale of norway knitting, dale of norway royal alpakka, design, fair isle, fashion, gift, knit, Knitting, knitting design, knitting kit, knitting pattern, Mary Ann Stephens, neckwear, norwegian, Norwegian knitting, paisley, riverside, riverside cowl, unisex, yarn | Leave a comment

Mittens in a Blink

Posted on October 23, 2012 by twostrands

“And now, for something completely different…” I’ll always love fussing over fine-gauge, stranded designs. But, I gotta tell you, being able to make these cushy, comfy, colorful babies in a blink definitely has its own rewards. Knit a complete pair … Continue reading →

Posted in Free Knitting Patterns, Knitting, Mary Ann's Designs, Uncategorized | Tagged easy, free with purchase, knit, Knitting, knitting pattern, malabrigo, mitten, mittens, quick, rasta yarn, super bulky | 2 Comments

Sirdal

Posted on October 6, 2012 by twostrands

I’m very fortunate to have some tremendously talented customers. This past week, a charming coincidence arose: two of my wonderful customers showed me their very special renditions of Dale of Norway’s beloved “Sirdal” design, a traditional Norwegian knitting classic (which, … Continue reading →

Posted in Free Knitting Patterns, Knitting, New From Dale of Norway, Norwegian Knitting | Tagged baby, baby ull, circular knitting, colorwork, Dale, Dale of Norway, Dalegarn, design, fair isle, fair isle knitting, free knitting pattern, free pattern, Heilo, Kidsknits, knit, Knitting, knitting design, knitting pattern, knitting pattern pdf, nordic, nordic knitting, norwegian, Norwegian knitting, pattern, pdf, Sirdal, ski sweater, sport weight, steeks, stranded knitting, sweater, traditional, yarn | 9 Comments

Allamanda Hat

Posted on September 20, 2012 by twostrands

My new Allamanda Hat design. It’s easier than it looks. It’s first knit in typical Fair Isle style (no more than two colors at once.) When the knitting is done, you have the option to get carried away with some … Continue reading →

Posted in Knitting, Mary Ann's Designs, Norwegian Knitting | Tagged beret, color, design, embroidered, embroidery, fair isle, fair isle design, fair isle hat, fair isle knitting, floral, hat, knit, Knitting, knitting design, knitting pattern, Mary Ann Stephens, norwegian, norwegian design, Norwegian knitting, shetland, slouched, slouched beret, slouched tam, stranded, tam, wool, yarn | 1 Comment

Christmas Balls – a free knitting pattern PDF

Posted on August 27, 2012 by twostrands

It’s Christmas at Kidsknits! Oh, okay…it’s still August. But, I’ve been busy making Christmas presents, and the first one is for…YOU! Around this time last year, the red and white Heilo was flying off the shelves, as fast as we … Continue reading →

Posted in Free Knitting Patterns, Knitting, Mary Ann's Designs, Norwegian Knitting, Uncategorized | Tagged arne & carlos, balls, Christmas, christmas balls, christmas ornaments, fair isle, free, free knitting pattern, gift, julekuler, knit, Knitting, Mary Ann Stephens, norwegian, norwegian christmas, Norwegian knitting, ornaments, pattern, pdf, scandinavian, stranded | 26 Comments

Monkey Hat

Posted on August 1, 2012 by twostrands

My new Monkey Hat design. Knit in Dale of Norway Baby Ull yarn for newborn and infant sizes. Knit in Dale of Norway Falk yarn for youth and teen / adult sizes. Kits with printed patterns available through Kidsknits.com. Personal-use … Continue reading →

Posted in Knitting, Mary Ann's Designs, Norwegian Knitting | Tagged adult, baby, baby hat, baby ull, child, Dale of Norway, design, fair isle, fair isle hat, falk yarn, hat, infant, kit, knit, Knitting, knitting pattern, monkey, monkey hat, newborn, nordic, norwegian, pattern, pdf, superwash, teen, yarn, youth | Leave a comment

Two new hat designs in Hegre

Posted on July 7, 2012 by twostrands

Recently, a knitter wrote to me, saying “Mary Ann, I’m thrilled with my Two Strands Headband- thanks! You’ve turned me into a real stranded knitting nut! What can I knit next that won’t be too challenging, but will help to … Continue reading →

Posted in Knitting, Mary Ann's Designs, New From Dale of Norway, Norwegian Knitting, Uncategorized | Tagged Dale of Norway, fair isle, hat, hegre, knit, Knitting, norwegian, ski hats, yarn | 2 Comments

Return of the Vikings

Posted on May 25, 2012 by twostrands

Waaaaay back in ’06, I made these Viking Hats for my dear son #2, Alex. Back then, to the casual observer, Alex was a mild-mannered, studious sort; hence the relatively tame, blue version. But even in those early years, those … Continue reading →

Posted in Knitting, Mary Ann's Designs, Norwegian Knitting, Uncategorized | Tagged Dale of Norway, fair isle, fair isle hat, funny hat, hat, horns, knit, Norwegian knitting, ski hat, stranded knitting, Viking, viking hat | Leave a comment

Hedgerow Fingerless Mittens

Posted on April 24, 2012 by twostrands

My Hedgerow Fingerless Mittens require only two 50-g balls – 1 light, 1 dark – in your favorite shades of either Heilo or Falk. The instructions offer sizing for average adult & extra large adult. The PDF is available for … Continue reading →

Posted in Knitting, Mary Ann's Designs, Norwegian Knitting, Uncategorized | Tagged Dale, design, fair isle, falk, fingerless, fingerless mittens, Heilo, knit, Knitting, knitting pattern, Mary Ann Stephens, mittens, mitts, norwegian, pattern, pdf, stranded knitting, yarn | 1 Comment

Fishy Booty

Posted on March 28, 2012 by twostrands

…Or, how to get maximum cuteness from one tiny pile of sock yarn scraps… The Fishy Booty design is knit circularly and seamlessly, using mainly garter stitch, with a few priceless little rounds of stranded garter stitch (which is explained … Continue reading →

Posted in Knitting, Mary Ann's Designs, Norwegian Knitting, Technique, Uncategorized | Tagged baby, baby shoes, baby ull, baby yarn, bootie, booties, booty, cute, cuteness, Dale of Norway, DIY, fair isle, fingering, garter stitch, home, knit, Knitting, merino, newborn, nordic knitting, Norwegian knitting, pattern, pdf, sock yarn, stranded, stranded knitting, yarn scraps | 1 Comment

The Nomad Earflap Hat

Posted on February 21, 2012 by twostrands

Knit in Dale of Norway Hubro yarn at a super speedy, yet oh-so-cozy 3 sts/inch. Choose any 3 contrasting shades of Hubro; you’ll need 1 ball of each. (If you have some Hubro on hand, you’ll want an entire 100g … Continue reading →

Posted in Knitting, Mary Ann's Designs, Norwegian Knitting, Uncategorized | Tagged chullo, chunky knit, Dale of Norway, design, earflap hat, fair isle, hat, hubro, knitting pattern, knitwear, Mary Ann Stephens, Norwegian knitting, pdf | Leave a comment

Two New Knitting Classes – Stranded Mittens and Circular Booties

Posted on December 30, 2011 by twostrands

Please note: These classes took place in 2011; they are not offered currently. I had a wonderful time teaching the Fair Isle Hat class at Keep Me In Stitches a few weeks ago. In fact, I think everybody had a … Continue reading →

Posted in Knitting, Knitting Classes, Mary Ann's Designs, Uncategorized | Tagged booties, circular, circular knitting, class, dpns, fair isle, i-cord, knitted braids, Knitting, knitting class, lace, mittens, norwegian, stranded | 1 Comment

Perfect Mitten Blockers, on the Cheap

Posted on December 14, 2011 by twostrands

Right about now, I’d guess quite a few of you are finishing up Mitten #2, and you’re looking forward to that sparkling moment when you present your beautiful work to a (hopefully deserving and endlessly appreciative) special someone. Before you … Continue reading →

Posted in Knitting, Mary Ann's Designs, Miscellaneous, Technique | Tagged block, blockers, blocking, finishing technique, free, homemade, knit, Knitting, mitten, mittens, mitts | 2 Comments

Zinnia Mittens, Twist Collective Winter 2011

Posted on November 15, 2011 by twostrands

Yippee, the new Twist Collective is out! There are so many beautiful designs in this issue! I’m honored to have my Zinnia mittens among them: The links: Zinnia on Twist Collective, main pattern page Zinnia on Twist Collective, detail page … Continue reading →

Posted in Knitting, Mary Ann's Designs, Norwegian Knitting, On Twist Collective, Uncategorized | Tagged baby ull, chart, circular knitting, color, colorwork, Dale, Dale of Norway, Dalegarn, design, fair isle, fair isle knitting, knit, Knitting, knitting design, knitting pattern, knitting pattern pdf, Mary Ann Stephens, mittens, nordic, nordic knitting, norwegian, Norwegian knitting, pdf, shetland wool, stranded, stranded knitting, twist collective, wool, yarn, zinnia | Leave a comment

Snowbird Hat

Posted on November 7, 2011 by twostrands

My Snowbird Hat, knit in Dale of Norway’s Hubro, a tremendously soft, chunky 100% wool yarn which knits up in a blink. The PDF for this design is sold through Ravelry.