Category Archives: Norwegian Knitting

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 →

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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 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

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

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

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

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

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 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

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

“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

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

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

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

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

I’ll be teaching a class for my Vogue Knitting hat

Posted on October 30, 2011 by twostrands

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

Sleepy Monkey Blanket, a reversible stranded baby blanket knitting design

Posted on March 1, 2009 by twostrands

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 | 5 Comments

Postwar Mittens on Winter 2008 Twist Collective – a stranded knitting design

Posted on November 13, 2008 by twostrands

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 →

Posted in Blogroll, Knitting, Mary Ann's Designs, Norwegian Knitting, On Twist Collective | Tagged Baby Ull yarn, circular knitting, Dale Baby Ull, Dale of Norway, Knitting, knitting design, ladies mittens, latvian mittens, mittens, stranded knitting, twist collective | 3 Comments

Steeks

Posted on September 11, 2008 by twostrands

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 →

Posted in Knitting, Mary Ann's Designs, Norwegian Knitting, Technique | Tagged cutting stitches, fair isle, fair isle knitting, Knitting, Norwegian knitting, steeks, stranded knitting | 1 Comment

Chrysanthemum Mittens – a free knitting pattern for ladies’ Norwegian mittens

Posted on September 11, 2008 by twostrands

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

Chrysanthemum Mittens and the Mystery of Hauk vs Heilo

Posted on March 6, 2008 by twostrands

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 | 3 Comments

How to knit a hem

Posted on December 16, 2007 by twostrands

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 | 1 Comment

Monkster Gets Stranded – Free Knitting Pattern for a Fair Isle style teddy bear sweater

Posted on August 15, 2007 by twostrands

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 →

Posted in Blogroll, Free Knitting Patterns, Knitting, Mary Ann's Designs, Norwegian Knitting | Tagged build a bear, build a bear knitting pattern, Dale of Norway, fair isle knitting, free knitting pattern, stranded knitting, teddy bear sweater, teddy bear sweater knitting pattern | 3 Comments

Grafting 911 – How to save your knitting with kitchener stitch

Posted on June 7, 2007 by twostrands

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 →