Norwegian & Fair Isle knitting
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Took this photo last weekend, just before sending these off to #jamiesonsofshetland for their Christmas appeal to benefit #mrimaakers . (Something tells me their #ChristmasTree in Lerwick 🎄might look a wee bit different than the trees here in #Tucson, 🌵#Arizona. 🤓 ) These were knit in Jamieson’s DK #ShetlandWool #yarn, but you can use whatever yarn your heart desires. If you’d like to help the good people of #Shetland raise funds to finally get an MRI machine for their community, please feel free to use any of my many #freeknittingpatterns for #christmasornaments. Just head to my website (link in profile) click on the “FreePatterns” tab at the top of the page, then scroll down to find your favorite. Have fun!! #fairisleknitting #strandedknitting #christmasknitting #charityknitting #knittersofinstagram #knitting #stricken #strikke #tricotA fantastic knitter with the Ravelry ID “swissmissdenise” just shared this lovely photo of her modeling her wonderful #polarchullo sweater. (Photo shared here with her permission.) My “Polar Chullo” hat design uses five natural shades of #jamiesonsofshetland #spindrift. Shortly after “swissmissdenise” knit my hat design, I saw her order for six identical Polar Chullo yarn packs come through. I had to reach out to her - was that a typo??🤔Nope, no typo - this amazingly talented knitter definitely knew what she was doing! She layered some of my Polar Chullo charts over her own sweater shape and came up with...magic!😍What a great job, and doesn’t she look wonderful in it?!😍 Thanks so much for sharing your lovely result, dear Denise!❤️#fairisleknitting #knittersofinstagram #hi.ravelry #knitting #shetlandwool #ull #garn #strikke #stricken #tricot #polarbears #knittingpattern #knitspiration #knittingdesignWho needs red and green?! One pink #kilimball down and one blue one in the works, both headed to #jamiesonsofshetland shortly for their #Christmas window #fundraiser to aid @mrimaakers in their drive to provide a sorely needed MRI scanner for the wonderful people of #Shetland. My #freeknittingpattern, “Christmas Balls”, is available through my online shop (url is my name + dot com - see link in bio.) It includes two more #christmasornament designs and, if you go to my #freepattern page, you’ll find several more free patterns for #christmas #baubles, too. Both of these #kilim balls use Jamieson’s splendid #DoubleKnitting #ShetlandWool yarn but you can use whatever sport or dk weight #yarn you have on hand. I hope you all have a happy #fairislefriday and a fun weekend, filled with lots of happy #knitting ! #fairisleknitting #norwegianknitting #strandedknitting #knittersofinstagram #stricken #strikke #tricot #knittedchristmasLast week, @juliedennison shared her wonderful version of my Two Strands Christmas Ball, a #freeknittingpattern on my website. Julie made hers super-special by changing it from a two-colored Norwegian look into a fabulous, five-colored, Fair Isle delight featuring the beautiful colors found in #harrietshat, the official hat of the recent 2019 #shetlandwoolweek. Not only did Julie knit up a beautiful bauble (see 2nd photo, copyright Julie Dennison 2019) but she was brilliant in using those colors, for many of you probably have those same leftovers in your stash. I hope you’ll consider putting them to great use, knitting up your own Two Strands baubles, or any of the other free #christmasball designs on my Free Patterns page and sending them to #jamiesonsofshetland for their #Christmas window to benefit the @mrimaakers appeal. And if you’ve used up all your Harriet’s Hat colors (a doubled strand of Spindrift will knit at the same worsted /Aran gauge used for the Two Strands ball) don’t feel you’re up the creek without the usual red+green Christmas colors - here I’ve put together just a few more ideas for fun ways you might add some #fairisle flair to your Two Strands baubles using all sorts of leftovers from your stash. Happy #Christmasknitting!#knittedchristmas #knittersofinstagram #fairisleknitting #norwegianknitting #strandedknitting #charityknitting #ull #garn #yarn #knitting #stricken #tricotMore FREE Christmas ball patterns! My “Christmas Eve Collection”, all of the #knittingpattern designs shown here, used to be a for-sale pdf, but in honor of the Jamieson’s of Shetland Christmas appeal for their MRI fund raising, as of today, it’s a #freeknittingpattern available through my online shop (link in bio). Go to my site’s free pattern page (link in nav bar at top of my site), scroll down the free pattern page until you see this photo, click on the photo and the pdf is all yours for either personal-use or charity fund raising. ( Please consider sending some to Jamieson’s in Lerwick -see the #jamiesonsofshetland page for details.) I’ve also added a link near the top of my free pattern page that will be helpful for anyone who’s a bit uncertain about diving into shaped color work charts like this. This pattern uses DK / sport weight yarn and would look wonderful in Jamieson’s Double Knitting. #knit #knitting #knittingpatterns #christmasknitting #charityknitting #fairisleknitting #norwegianknitting #christmasballs #handmadechristmas #strandedknitting #strikke #stricken #knittersofinstagram #dkweightFREE knitting patterns from my online shop (link in bio). UPDATE: Please feel free to use my free patterns for the #jamiesonsofshetland Christmas window fund raiser!❤️ Jamieson’s DK is a perfect substitute for my old patterns that used Dale Falk or Heilo. I also have a worsted /Aran weight free Christmas ball pattern that would be nicely improved in some Jamieson’s Heather Aran. The perfect way to kick off your holiday 🎄 knitting, work down that stash, save a little cash and spread a bit of cheer. 😁Find these #freeknittingpatterns and more through the “free patterns” link in the nav bar at the top of any page on my site. Wondering how to work the charts? Check out my popular article, “On Flat Charts for Round Shapes” on the “Technique” page and you’ll be a chart work master in no time! #knit #knitting #knittingpattern #freeknittingpattern #christmasknitting #norwegianknitting #strandedknitting #strikke #stricken #knittersofinstagram #dkweight #christmasballsYou never have too many monkeys! Clockwise from top left: My “Monkey Hat” (2012) in the Infant & Toddler sizes, #knit in #fingeringweight yarn; my “Sleepy Monkey Blanket” (2009), a reversible stroller blanket / playmat knit in #worstedweight yarn; same #monkeyhat #knittingpattern, in the Adult size (there’s a Youth size, too), knit in #dkweight. The Monkey Hat & Sleepy Monkey Blanket PDFs are both available for $6 each through either my online shop - see link in bio - or Ravelry). Lastly, we have our friend Monkster showing off his “Monkster Gets Stranded” sweater, a free teddy bear sweater pattern - one of several free patterns on my online shop’s free pattern page (yep, see that same, old bio link). Once you’re on my site, use the links in the navbar at the top of the page to get around. My “Sleepy Monkey Blanket” was originally published in Twist Collective in 2009 and that sweet photo with those delicious, chubby leggies was taken by Genevieve de la Plante, the rest are mine. #monkey #hat #knittingforkids #babyknits #knitting #strandedknitting #fairisleknitting #norwegianknitting #strikke #stricken #tricot #ravelryI’ve reworked my Timbers Hat pattern using #jamiesonsofshetland Heather Aran yarn. I’m thrilled with the result! When I first released this design, way back in 2006, I used a Dale yarn that was discontinued several years ago, so the #timbershat was overdue for a fresh look. It’s always been a favorite of mine - at 19 stitches over 4”/10cm, it’s a pretty quick knit, so it’s awesome for gifts, yet I still get to play with beloved, traditional motifs. If you already have the original pattern, there’s no problem with it, but you might prefer my recent, hopefully extra user-friendly version using a wonderful, currently-available yarn. Ravelry updates have been sent out. If you already purchased the old version directly from me, tell me when (approximately), what email you used and I’ll send you the update. If you haven’t tried my Timbers Hat yet, the still $5 pdf is available either through my site (see bio) or Ravelry and the yarn packs are available through my site, too (yep, same old bio link). #hat #knit #knittingpattern #strandedknitting #fairisleknitting #fairisleknittingpattern #norwegianknitting #shetlandwool #knittersofinstagram #strikke #stricken #tricot #worstedweight #timbershatBarrel cactus #sabinocanyon #tucson #arizona. Next photo shows some of the area’s stunning #saguaro cactus 🌵. The video gives a spectacular panorama seen from a very accessible dirt walking path just a few hundred yards from the parking lot. Plenty of awesome trails beyond! #barrelcactus #wildflowers #sonorandesertCome Play in My Yarn Shop!
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Cholla Blossom Fingerless Mittens Kit
Calling Scotland Hat and Fingerless Mittens Set
Catalina Highway Pillow Knitting Kit
Allamanda Hat Knitting Kit
North Star Hat Knitting Kit
Flourishing Scarf Knitting Kit
Polar Chullo Knitting Kit
Spice Route Gloves Knitting Kit
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Author Archives: twostrands
Hedgerow Fingerless Mittens
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
…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
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
New Dale Kits page added for out-of-print goodies
At the top of this page, on the far right, you’ll see a new “Dale Kits” tab. Click it and you’ll land on a new page here on the Two Strands blog where I’m building the long, and growing, list … Continue reading
Two New Knitting Classes – Stranded Mittens and Circular Booties
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
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
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
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Snowbird Hat
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.
Posted in Knitting, Mary Ann's Designs, Uncategorized
Tagged beanie, cable, cabled, cables, cap, chunky, chunky knit, hat, hubro, knit, Knitting, knitting design, knitting pattern, Mary Ann Stephens, quick knit, ski hat, twisted stitches
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I’ll be teaching a class for my Vogue Knitting hat
Please note: This class was offered in 2011; it is not offered currently. I’ll be teaching a class for my Vogue Knitting Fair Isle Hat #08 this November / December with the wonderful folks at Keep Me In Stitches, here … Continue reading
Posted in Knitting, Mary Ann's Designs, Norwegian Knitting, Technique, Uncategorized, Vogue Knitting
Tagged cascade 200 sport yarn, circular knitting class, fair isle hat, fair isle knitting, fair isle knitting class, keep me in stitches, Knitting, knitting class, knitting instruction, Mary Ann Stephens, nordic knitting class, vogue knitting
1 Comment
Creating Knitting Pattern PDFs
I’m often asked “What special software packages do you use to create your knitting pattern PDFs?” and the apparently surprising answer is “Nothing special, really!” Ninety-nine percent of my work is done in Microsoft Excel (for charts) and Word (for … Continue reading
Posted in Knitting, Mary Ann's Designs, Technique, Uncategorized
Tagged chart, excel, fair isle knitting, free, free software, knit, Knitting, knitting chart, knitting pattern, Norwegian knitting, pattern, pdf, stranded knitting
5 Comments
Snow Day Hat…
…or “How I Survived A Sweltering September With One Easy Project”: And all it took was 2 balls of Dale of Norway Freestyle yarn (plus a lot of wishful thinking.) Are you starting to “Think Snow”, too? Here’s the PDF, … Continue reading
Posted in Knitting, Mary Ann's Designs
Tagged beanie, cap, colorwork, design, fair isle, fair isle knitting, hat, knit, Knitting, knitting pattern, nordic, nordic knitting, norwegian, Norwegian knitting, outerwear, pdf, ski hat, snow, snow day hat, snowflake, snowflake hat, snowflakes, stranded, stranded knitting, winter, yarn
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Dale Book NR 235: “Julevott Adventkalender”
That’s Dale of Norway’s Book NR 235 and it’s in stock (for now) at Kidsknits.com. It includes instructions for several winter and Christmastime gifts to knit, such as hats, mittens, scarves, afghans, ornaments, etc., including the “Julevott Adventkalender” (mini-Christmas mitten … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
Tagged advent, advent calendar, adventkalender, book, book 235, chart, Christmas, Dale, Dale of Norway, jule, julevott, knit, Knitting, knitting book, knitting chart, knitting pattern, mittens, nordic, norway, norwegian, stranded, vott, yule, yuletide
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How to make a tassel
A few folks have asked me how I made the tassel on my Fair Isle Hat that’s in the Fall 2011 edition of Vogue Knitting. Not too surprisingly, to save space and to fit more designs into their biggest issue … Continue reading
Ruth’s Tiger Lily
I want to share with you a wonderful photo I recently received from a very talented customer: That’s Ruth modeling her green version of my old Tiger Lily Jacket design. Isn’t her knitting just beautiful?! And I love those Falk … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
Tagged color, colorway, Dale, Dale of Norway, design, fair isle, falk, Heilo, jacket, knit, Knitting, knitwear, Mary Ann Stephens, norwegian, pattern, pdf, stranded, sweater, tiger lily, yarn
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Fair Isle Hat in Vogue Knitting Fall 2011 – chart errata
There are few things I enjoy more than bumming around bookstores, so I generally prefer to pick and choose my knitting magazines from my favorite stores, rather than to receive them all via subscription. Recent events might force me to … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
Tagged errata, fair isle, fair isle knitting, hat, norwegian kniiting, stranded, voge knitting
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Fair Isle Hat, Vogue Knitting Fall 2011
ETA: Link to PDF available through Vogue Knitting. That’s my “#08 Fair Isle Hat” that just came out in Vogue Knitting Fall 2011. While I was waiting for the black and white Cascade 220 Sport to arrive from Vogue Knitting … Continue reading
Posted in Knitting, Mary Ann's Designs, Vogue Knitting
Tagged circular knitting, color, colorwork, Dale, Dale of Norway, Dalegarn, design, fair isle, fair isle knitting, hat, Heilo, Kidsknits, knit, Knitting, knitting design, knitting magazine, knitting pattern, knitting pattern pdf, Mary Ann Stephens, nordic, nordic knitting, norwegian, Norwegian knitting, pdf, stranded, stranded knitting, vogue, vogue knitting, wool, yarn
2 Comments
A few Heilo shades added to the Yarn on Sale page
Check out the updated Yarn on Sale page – I’ve added 4 discontinued shades of Heilo – yep, H-E-I-L-O – to the clearance page!
Posted in Uncategorized
2 Comments
Dale’s Ladybug design in my Girlybug colorway
Dale of Norway has an extraordinary number of beloved designs for children, but I guess the most beloved of all would have to be their “Marihone”, or “Ladybug”, sweater. I have more than a few customers whose first reaction, upon … Continue reading
Booties for a Special Day
OMG, these were so much fun to make! I’ve done so many adult-sized things lately that I had nearly forgotten the thrill that comes from the quick turnaround of knitting little babies’ things. Of course, I wasn’t looking for lightening … Continue reading
Posted in Knitting, Mary Ann's Designs
Tagged babies, baby, baby ull, booties, circular knitting, cuff, Dale of Norway, Kidsknits, knit, Knitting, lace, layette, Mary Ann Stephens, newborn, pdf, slippers, socks, yarn
2 Comments
Wintergarden now available as PDF through Ravelry
I have two quick bits of news for you. First, I’ve finally gotten around to formatting my ladies’ Wintergarden Pullover as a PDF and it’s now available through Ravelry. Secondly, it turns out Gracie is a knitter! (I guess that … Continue reading
Posted in Knitting, Mary Ann's Designs, Uncategorized
Tagged dog, fair isle, golden retriever, humor, knit, Knitting, knitting pattern, noro, norwegian, pdf, stranded, wintergarden, yarn
4 Comments
Links to the 3 new Dale books on Kidsknits.com
Oslo 2011 Book 228 Baby Book 229 Kids Book 230
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Yarn on Sale
I’ve just made a bunch of updates to the “Yarn on Sale” page. (See also top right of menu.) Definitely check it out – there are some beautiful deals here! Since they’re predominantly discontinued yarns, email me at mas “AT” … Continue reading
Posted in Knitting, Miscellaneous, Special Sales
Tagged ara, carry along, cheap, clearance, close out, closeout, cotton, Dale, discontinued, discount, discounted, fair isle, flamingo, harlequin, knit, Knitting, nordic, norway, norwegian, on sale, popcorn, reduced, sale, silk, stranded, svale, wool, yarn
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New Dale Books: Oslo 2011 NR 228, Baby NR 209 and Kids NR 230
We’ve just received a shipment of three brand new Dale books, with instructions in English. Hopefully, they’ll be up on the website before long. But, in the meantime, click on the links below to see gorgeous full screen PDF photos … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
Tagged baby blanket, circular knitting, Dale, Dale books, Dale of Norway, Dalegarn, daletta, design, fair isle, falk, free knitting pattern, hat, Heilo, Kidsknits, Knitting, knitting books, knitting design, knitting pattern, mittens, nordic, nordic knitting, norwegian, Norwegian knitting, norwegian ski team, oslo, oslo 2011, pdf, ski sweater, skiwear, steeks, stranded, stranded knitting, sweater, wool, yarn
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Tulip Mittens, a Fair Isle / Norwegian / Turkish stranded knitting design
I knit my ladies’ Tulip Mittens in 3 shades of Jamieson’s Shetland Spindrift jumper weight wool – two 25g balls for the medium blue, “Merlin”, one ball of the light “Natural White” and one ball of the dark “Prussian Blue”. … Continue reading
Posted in Knitting, Mary Ann's Designs, Special Sales, Uncategorized
Tagged circular knitting, design, fair isle, fair isle knitting, jamieson's, jamieson's spindrift, Knitting, knitting kit, knitting pattern, knitting pattern pdf, latvian mittens, mittens, mitts, Norwegian knitting, pattern pdf, shetland spindrift, shetland wool, spindrift, stranded knitting, wool, wool yarn, yarn
3 Comments
Happy Thanksgiving – a free chart
Click on the image to see a larger, clearer version.
Rosalia Encore: the longer version
I used Dale of Norway Falk for my original Rosalia, mainly because of the great range of colors available in that line. But there are plenty of other sport weight yarn options you could use, like Dale of Norway Heilo … Continue reading
Posted in Blogroll, Knitting, Mary Ann's Designs, On Twist Collective, Uncategorized
Tagged cardigan, Dale of Norway, fair isle, falk, Heilo, kimono, knit, Knitting, Mary Ann Stephens, norwegian, Rosalia, stranded, sweater, twist collective, winter 2010, yarn
7 Comments
Rosalia: a Fair Isle / Norwegian / Asian design
My “Rosalia” is now out in the Winter 2010 edition of Twist Collective. For those of you asking “What was she thinking?!?!?!?!”, I offer the following excuses: When I was a child, unless it was Christmas or Easter, we simply … Continue reading
Posted in Knitting, Mary Ann's Designs, On Twist Collective, Uncategorized
Tagged asian, cardigan, Dale of Norway, Dalegarn, danish, falk yarn, happi, kimono, knit, Knitting, knitting design, knitting pattern, knitting pattern pdf, Mary Ann Stephens, norwegian, pdf, Rosalia, steeks, stranded, sweater, twist collective, washable wool, wool, yarn
5 Comments
The dearest beast is dead, long live the dearest beast!
Ah, autumn, at last! I hope you all had wonderful times this summer. We did, too, although the summer began with great sadness: we lost our dearest beast, Bubba. He was 14 1/2 years old – downright ancient for a … Continue reading
“Norwegian Sweater Techniques for Today’s Knitter” by Therese Chynoweth
I’ve been looking forward to getting my hands on “Norwegian Sweater Techniques for Today’s Knitter” by the wonderful Therese Chynoweth. At last, it made its merry way to my desk last week. What a treat! I’m so delighted by this … Continue reading
Amaryllis Hat knitting pattern PDF added to Ravelry
Okay, okay, I give up! I’ve just added the PDF for my ladies’ Amaryllis Hat to my Ravelry store. It just kills me to say “No!” to knitters! When the Amaryllis Hat debuted on my Kidsknits.com site a few months … Continue reading
Posted in Knitting, Mary Ann's Designs, Uncategorized
Tagged amaryllis, amaryllis hat, baby ull, beret, circular knitting, Dale of Norway, fair isle, fair isle knitting, hat, jamieson's shetland spindrift, knit, Knitting, knitting kit, knitting pattern, knitting pdf, norwegian, pdf, shetland wool, stranded, tam, wool, wool yarn, yarn
1 Comment
A blue by any other name
<a name=”2645695659″></a> I get all sorts of interesting emails from my customers. This morning, I received an interesting question that sparked off a delightful inquiry. I hope you’ll enjoy the results as much as I did. The question: “On the … Continue reading
Posted in Knitting, Uncategorized
Tagged color, color names, Dale of Norway, flags, Knitting, norwegian, yarn, yarn names
1 Comment
Answering the dreaded PDF question
I like knitting pattern PDFs. I’ve bought a few myself. In fact, even though I’m usually more inclined to relish diving into a long, deliciously-complicated, painstakingly drawn out design process for most anything I knit, I needed to knit a … Continue reading
Posted in Mary Ann's Designs, On Twist Collective
9 Comments
Amaryllis Hat, a Fair Isle / Norwegian knitting design for a ladies’ hat
My new ladies’ Amaryllis Hat coordinates with my old Amaryllis Mittens. Kits for the hat and/or mittens are now available through my Kidsknits site.
Vancouver – Back at it!
I had a little time this weekend to finally get back to my Vancouver v-neck. The solid portions make for great spectator knitting but, boy, am I ever happy to be back into colorwork!
Posted in Knitting, New From Dale of Norway, Uncategorized
Tagged circular knitting, Dale, Dale of Norway, Dalegarn, daletta, knit, Knitting, Olympic, sweater, v-neck, Vancouver, Vancouver 2010, yarn
2 Comments
Vancouver V-neck 21302 – errata
I’m plugging along happily on my Dale of Norway Vancouver V-neck. However, I have stumbled across a couple of minor errors in their Vancouver V-neck #21302 pattern that I thought I’d mention, since I know many of you are just … Continue reading
Polar Chullo on Winter ’09 Twist Collective – a Fair Isle earflap hat design
Polar Chullo, sized for adults, knit in Jamieson’s Shetland Spindrift That’s my Polar Chullo design which you can now find in the Winter 2009 Edition of Twist Collective. The pattern, either printed or as an emailed PDF, yarn packs and kits (pattern … Continue reading
Posted in Mary Ann's Designs, On Twist Collective, Uncategorized
Tagged cap, chullo, circular knitting, design, earflap, earflap hat, fair isle, fair isle knitting, hat, jamieson's, jamieson's shetland spindrift, knit, Knitting, knitting pattern, knitting pattern pdf, Mary Ann Stephens, nordic, pdf, polar bear hat, polar bears, Polar Chullo, shetland wool, shetland yarn, spindrift yarn, twist collective, yarn
11 Comments
A dpn bag with a pedigree
Remember “Home Ec” class? If yours was anything like mine, maybe we shouldn’t even dredge those dreary memories up. Fast forward to 2009 and I bet you’ll be impressed with some of the ideas that are swirling around the “Family … Continue reading
Posted in Miscellaneous, Uncategorized
Tagged craft, DIY, dog food bag, double pointed needle, dpn, Knitting, knitting needle bag, needle, recycling, reuse
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Vancouver Progress Report #2
I’m just past the base of the neckline now. I think it really helps to put a marker on either side of those steek stitches so that you know exactly where to make your decreases:
Posted in Knitting, New From Dale of Norway, Uncategorized
Tagged Dale, Dale of Norway, Dalegarn, daletta, knit, Knitting, Olympics, sweater, v-neck, Vancouver 2010
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Transatlantic Name Calling
Last week, all eleven new Heilo colors arrived. What fun! Delving into that colorful pile of woolly goodness brought back memories of leaping into piles of freshly-raked leaves and revelling in nature’s colors or filling goodie bags from the candy … Continue reading
Posted in Knitting, New From Dale of Norway, Uncategorized
Tagged color, color names, Dale of Norway, design, Heilo, Knitting, nordic knitting, Norwegian knitting, yarn
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Vancouver V-neck progress report #1
All three of my sons play football, so I’m a very busy spectator, this time of the year. Vancouver is the perfect project for my purpose – simple enough that I can blast through the stockinette portions without missing any … Continue reading
Posted in Knitting, New From Dale of Norway, Technique, Uncategorized
Tagged Dale of Norway, Knitting, knitting project, nordic, norwegian, olympic knitting, olympic sweater, Vancouver
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Boggled by Toggles
Have any of you seen the ready-to-wear version of the Dale of Norway Vancouver sweater? You can see a great photo of it here. Now compare that one to the handknit version shown in DofN’s Vancouver 2010 Book 213 here. … Continue reading
Posted in Knitting, New From Dale of Norway, Uncategorized
Tagged Dale of Norway, design, Knitting, norwegian, olympic sweater, toggle, Vancouver
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Birds of All Feathers – a stranded and felted knitting design
The “Birds of All Feathers Bag” pattern is for sale as a downloadable, personal-use PDF through Ravelry. The first time I was out in the world on my own, I encountered one particular problem: Apparently, I was too friendly. I … Continue reading
Posted in Knitting, Mary Ann's Designs, Uncategorized
Tagged binghamton, charity knitting, fair isle, felted bag, Knitting, stranded knitting
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Decisions, decisions…Fun with choosing yarn colors
I really want to make the new Vancouver v-neck, but I’m not the copying type. As much as I like the light blue model… I feel the need for a different colorway. So… I’ve been playing around with some possibilities. … Continue reading
Posted in Knitting, New From Dale of Norway, Technique, Uncategorized
Tagged colorways, designing with color, fair isle, Knitting, norwegian, stranded
21 Comments
Vancouver 2010 is in!
Just a quick post to let you know it’s here; I’ll post links as soon as Phil gets a chance to add it to the site. (BTW, it’s $13.95 + s/h) Update: here’s the link to the Vancouver book on … Continue reading
Two Strands Headband, a free knitting pattern
Some folks in my Two Strands Ravelry group recently asked me to recommend a great project for a first try at stranded knitting. I could point out a few fine places to start but, to tell you the truth, I … Continue reading
Posted in Blogroll, Free Knitting Patterns, Knitting, Mary Ann's Designs, Uncategorized
Tagged beginner knitting, beginner pattern, circular knitting, color, colorways, colorwork, Dale of Norway, Dalegarn, fair isle, falk, floats, free, free chart, free knitting pattern, free pattern, headband, Knitting, Mary Ann Stephens, nordic knitting, Norwegian knitting, star, star chart, stranded, stranded knitting, two strands, two strands headband, yarn
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First Glimpse
Although the US pattern booklet for Dale of Norway’s new Olympic design won’t be released until mid to late August (whaaaaa!), they’ve sent out a peek at some of their new designs for Vancouver: Of course, there will be the … Continue reading
Posted in Blogroll, Knitting, New From Dale of Norway
Tagged Dale of Norway, Knitting, Norwegian knitting, Olympics, skiing, sweater, Vancouver
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Marisa brings Høxbro to the nursery
Once in a while, I’m lucky enough to receive photos of some of the truly gorgeous work my customers do. Here’s one showing a magnificent baby blanket, knit by Marisa from Portland, OR. Marisa used Dale of Norway Baby Ull … Continue reading
Posted in Blogroll, Knitting
Tagged baby blanket, Kidsknits, Knitting, Vivian Hoxbro
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Like the blog? Join the group!
I’ve just started my own Ravelry group, “Two Strands”. I’m hoping it will grow into a fun place to discuss stranded knitting in general and my work in particular. You’re all welcome to join in the fun, talk about whatever … Continue reading
Vancouver 2010 in Fall 2009!
I’ve just hung up from a conversation with folks at Dale of Norway US and, boy, do I ever have good news for knitters! There will be a Vancouver 2010 Dale of Norway sweater for the Olympics. It’s scheduled to … Continue reading
Posted in Blogroll, Knitting, New From Dale of Norway
Tagged Dale of Norway, Knitting, knitting design, Norwegian knitting, Olympics, Vancouver 2010
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Free Knitting Patterns from Dale on Kidsknits
Dale of Norway has just issued several free – yep, you read that right…”free” – knitting patterns as PDFs for ladies’ summer knitting. We’ve just put them up on my Kidsknits site. You’ll find them here. Have fun!
Sleepy Monkey Blanket, a reversible stranded baby blanket knitting design
Monkster has something he’d like to show you: That’s my Sleepy Monkey Blanket which I designed for the Spring 2009 edition of Twist Collective. No, that’s not a second blanket – it’s reversible! Nifty, huh? My 3 boys aren’t babies … Continue reading
Posted in Blogroll, Knitting, Mary Ann's Designs, Norwegian Knitting, On Twist Collective
Tagged baby, baby blanket, baby knitting, Dale of Norway Freestyle yarn, fair isle, knit, Knitting, knitting pattern, lovey, mary ann, Mary Ann Stephens, merino, monkey, monkey blanket, nordic, norwegian, play mat, reversible blanket, sleepy monkey, steek, steeked, steeks, stephens, stranded knitting, stroller blanket, superwash, twist collective, valley yarn, washable merino, washable wool, wool, worsted weight yarn
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Postwar Mittens on Winter 2008 Twist Collective – a stranded knitting design
Woohoo! The Winter 2008 issue of Twist Collective is out and guess who got a chance to join in the fun: Click here to go straight to my mittens. (Thankfully, they’re infinitely better with the camera than I am. And … Continue reading
Steeks
A number of knitters have been looking around this blog, wondering where the heck I’ve hidden my steeks article. Actually, it’s on my Kidsknits store site, right where it’s always been. You can get to it through the menu bar … Continue reading
Chrysanthemum Mittens – a free knitting pattern for ladies’ Norwegian mittens
UPDATE: This pattern has been moved to my new knitting website, MaryAnnStephens.com. Here’s a link directly to the free Chrysanthemum Mittens page.
Posted in Free Knitting Patterns, Knitting, Mary Ann's Designs, Norwegian Knitting
Tagged charity knitting, colorwork, Dale of Norway, fair isle, falk, free chart, free knitting pattern, free pattern, Heilo, Knitting, knitting pattern, mitten, mitten pattern, Norwegian knitting, stranded, stranded knitting, yarn
18 Comments
Fair Isle Repeat Offenders – managing motif layouts in Fair Isle knitting
We all learned at a very young age that even numbers split nicely and odd numbers create those troublesome leftovers, remainders. For some, that thought alone is the only seed needed to sprout an appreciation for optimal knitting design layout. … Continue reading
Chrysanthemum Mittens and the Mystery of Hauk vs Heilo
UPDATE: This post discussed the fine points between the two long-ago-discontinued yarns used for this free pattern. While I can’t get you those yarns anymore, my free Chrysanthemum Mittens knitting pattern pdf is available on my new website, MaryAnnStephens.com. Here’s … Continue reading
Posted in Blogroll, Free Knitting Patterns, Knitting, Mary Ann's Designs, Norwegian Knitting
Tagged Dale of Norway, Hauk, Heilo, Norwegian knitting
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How to knit a hem
A few knitters have asked me lately how I finish a knitted hem. I just came across the above old photo and thought it might be useful in answering that question. This photo shows how I slipstitch the hem inside … Continue reading
Posted in Knitting, Norwegian Knitting, Technique
Tagged circular knitting, hem, hemmed knitting, knit, Knitting, knitting design, nordic, nordic knitting, Norwegian knitting, stranded, stranded knitting, sweater, technique, yarn
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Monkster Gets Stranded – Free Knitting Pattern for a Fair Isle style teddy bear sweater
I’ve just added the free knitting pattern for these Norwegian Teddy Bear sweaters to my Kidsknits.com site. You’ll find links to this and a few other free knitting patterns I’ve designed on the left-hand side of my homepage, Kidsknits. You … Continue reading
Svale Tank Book 172
And now, for something completely different! Ordinarily, if I want to produce wonderful effects with color, 99% of the time, I prefer stranded knitting over other methods. It’s a very rare day that I’m working on a monochrome project, such … Continue reading
Rosy Outlook Vest – a Fair Isle style knitting design
I’ve just finished my new Rosy Outlook Vest. It’s made in 7 colors of Dale of Norway “Daletta” 100% washable wool. It’s knit at a gauge of 27×27. That’s slightly looser than the ball band gauge of 28×38 – the … Continue reading
Posted in Blogroll, Knitting, Mary Ann's Designs
Tagged Dale of Norway, fair isle knitting, vest knitting pattern
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Grafting 911 – How to save your knitting with kitchener stitch
Knitting patterns start with the presumption that we will all follow every direction to a “T”. Experience teaches us that none of us is perfect, and, no matter the skill level, we will all eventually make some mistakes. Furthermore, it … Continue reading
Posted in Blogroll, Knitting, Norwegian Knitting, Technique
Tagged grafting, kitchener stitch, Knitting, knitting technique, knitting tutorial, Norwegian knitting
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