Tag Archives: fair isle

Centifolia Hat

Posted on May 16, 2020 by

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 →

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Timbers Hat, updated

Posted on October 5, 2019 by

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 →

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Rose Arbor Hat

Posted on September 28, 2019 by

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 →

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Canyon Wall Vest

Posted on May 11, 2019 by

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 →

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Baby Elephant Blanket

Posted on November 3, 2018 by

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 , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Kilim Pillow

Posted on June 9, 2018 by

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 →

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Cholla Blossom Fingerless Mittens

Posted on May 23, 2018 by

My latest:

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Catalina Highway Pillow

Posted on December 20, 2017 by

  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 , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Christmas Ball FAQs

Posted on November 23, 2016 by

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 →

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The Flourishing Scarf

Posted on November 4, 2016 by

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 , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Baby’s 1st Fair Isle Cardi

Posted on April 12, 2016 by

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 →

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Another Shetland Spindrift Shipment

Posted on January 26, 2016 by

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 →

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Top 10 Tips for Machine-sewn Steeks

Posted on December 21, 2015 by

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 , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Ivy Headband

Posted on December 14, 2015 by

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 →

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Sagebrush Chullo

Posted on November 22, 2015 by

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 →

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Après Ski Wine Cozy

Posted on July 5, 2015 by

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 →

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NY Nordic Hat

Posted on June 9, 2015 by

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 , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Ladies’ “Spice Route Gloves” knitting kits

Posted on June 8, 2015 by

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 →

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The Littlest Fisherman’s Hat

Posted on May 12, 2015 by

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 →

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I Spy a Crocus

Posted on March 31, 2015 by

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 →

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Val’s Tiger Lily Jacket

Posted on March 26, 2015 by

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 →

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Nordic Easter Egg – reminder

Posted on March 16, 2015 by

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!

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Nordic Easter Egg knitting pattern

Posted on March 7, 2015 by

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 , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Searching for Spring

Posted on February 20, 2015 by

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 →

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Chevron Fingerless Mittens – knitting kits, colorway ideas

Posted on February 13, 2015 by

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 →

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Fair Isle “Gentle Hat” kits now online

Posted on January 29, 2015 by

  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 →

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Andrea’s Spice Route Gloves

Posted on January 20, 2015 by

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 →

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Polar Chullo Shetland Spindrift Back in Stock

Posted on January 2, 2015 by

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 →

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Gentle Hat

Posted on December 23, 2014 by

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 →

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On Flat Charts for Round Shapes

Posted on December 2, 2014 by

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 , , , , , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

Supernova Hat

Posted on October 13, 2014 by

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 →

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Ode to Heilo

Posted on September 25, 2014 by

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 →

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Shepherdess Cloche

Posted on September 24, 2014 by

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 →

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Camissonia Mittens

Posted on September 22, 2014 by

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 →

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Fair Isle Cowl in 60 Quick Luxury Knits

Posted on July 17, 2014 by

“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 →

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Chevron Fingerless Mittens

Posted on May 23, 2014 by

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 →

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Blendoku – a great game for Fair Isle fanatics

Posted on April 21, 2014 by

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 →

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Steek stitches – how many???

Posted on February 25, 2014 by

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 →

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Free Chart – Happy Valentine’s Day!

Posted on February 11, 2014 by

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 →

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Shetland Spindrift Naturals are back in stock!

Posted on December 24, 2013 by

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 →

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Free Knitting Pattern – Two Strands Christmas Ball

Posted on October 17, 2013 by

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 →

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Circular knitting intro for use with Christmas Balls PDF

Posted on October 1, 2013 by

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 →

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Spice Route Gloves

Posted on September 12, 2013 by

…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 →

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

Posted on July 23, 2013 by

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 , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Tiger Lily, in the pink

Posted on June 5, 2013 by

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 →

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Stranded Knitting Presentation at LI Knitting Guild

Posted on April 23, 2013 by

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 →

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“More monkeys, please!”

Posted on March 21, 2013 by

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 →

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Shamrock Mittens

Posted on February 14, 2013 by

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 →

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More Riverside Cowl Colorways

Posted on January 22, 2013 by

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

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Tiger Lily Jacket Color Substitutions

Posted on December 4, 2012 by

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 →

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Catching long floats on the Polar Chullo

Posted on November 29, 2012 by

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 →

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Riverside Cowl

Posted on October 29, 2012 by

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 →

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Sirdal

Posted on October 6, 2012 by

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 , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

Allamanda Hat

Posted on September 20, 2012 by

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 →

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Christmas Balls – a free knitting pattern PDF

Posted on August 27, 2012 by

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 , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 24 Comments

Monkey Hat

Posted on August 1, 2012 by

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 →

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Two new hat designs in Hegre

Posted on July 7, 2012 by

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 , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Return of the Vikings

Posted on May 25, 2012 by

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 →

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Hedgerow Fingerless Mittens

Posted on April 24, 2012 by

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 →

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Fishy Booty

Posted on March 28, 2012 by

…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 →

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The Nomad Earflap Hat

Posted on February 21, 2012 by

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 →

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Two New Knitting Classes – Stranded Mittens and Circular Booties

Posted on December 30, 2011 by

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 →

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Zinnia Mittens, Twist Collective Winter 2011

Posted on November 15, 2011 by

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 →

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Snow Day Hat…

Posted on October 5, 2011 by

…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 →

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How to make a tassel

Posted on August 22, 2011 by

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 →

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Ruth’s Tiger Lily

Posted on August 21, 2011 by

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 →

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Fair Isle Hat in Vogue Knitting Fall 2011 – chart errata

Posted on August 14, 2011 by

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 →

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Fair Isle Hat, Vogue Knitting Fall 2011

Posted on August 4, 2011 by

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 →

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Dale’s Ladybug design in my Girlybug colorway

Posted on June 30, 2011 by

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 →

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Wintergarden now available as PDF through Ravelry

Posted on May 14, 2011 by

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 →

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Yarn on Sale

Posted on April 7, 2011 by

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 →

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Tulip Mittens, a Fair Isle / Norwegian / Turkish stranded knitting design

Posted on February 4, 2011 by

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 →

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Rosalia Encore: the longer version

Posted on November 22, 2010 by

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 →

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Amaryllis Hat knitting pattern PDF added to Ravelry

Posted on June 24, 2010 by

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 →

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Amaryllis Hat, a Fair Isle / Norwegian knitting design for a ladies’ hat

Posted on May 10, 2010 by

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.

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Polar Chullo on Winter ’09 Twist Collective – a Fair Isle earflap hat design

Posted on November 15, 2009 by

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 →

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Birds of All Feathers – a stranded and felted knitting design

Posted on September 29, 2009 by

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 →

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Decisions, decisions…Fun with choosing yarn colors

Posted on August 5, 2009 by

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 →

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Two Strands Headband, a free knitting pattern

Posted on July 13, 2009 by

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 →

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Like the blog? Join the group!

Posted on June 6, 2009 by

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 →

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Sleepy Monkey Blanket, a reversible stranded baby blanket knitting design

Posted on March 1, 2009 by

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 →

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Steeks

Posted on September 11, 2008 by

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 →

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

Posted on September 11, 2008 by

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 , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 18 Comments

Fair Isle Repeat Offenders – managing motif layouts in Fair Isle knitting

Posted on April 2, 2008 by

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 →

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