Knitting in Nordic White

 

One of our favourite places to walk when we lived in New England was the White Mountain National Park in New Hampshire. The air always seemed so crisp and clear there. As you walked around a curve in the path you would come across a crystal clear stream and distant views of craggy mountains.

It always seemed that would be the first place we would see snow in the area, and also where it would linger longest. Long after spring had started in earnest near our house, we could still see ice crystals making the granite boulders sparkle and glisten.

More recently we were in Sweden and were reminded of just how early autumn can turn to winter in these northern climes.

So I was extremely glad to have a set of warm winter woollies to keep the cold at bay. I had purchased some wonderful pale blue and snowy white yarn during the summer and immediately imagined it in a “Nordic White” winter collection. I like working that way around – selecting some yarn and then seeing what it wants to be made into. This yarn definitely spoke of walking in the countryside, snow gently falling all around, then returning home to a welcome cup of hot chocolate... Yum.

The blue yarn is Quince & Co “Chickadee” sportweight in the appropriately named Glacier colour, and the creamy white is “Phoebe” DK which is just a little touch thicker. Both are 100% wool and super super soft. So I first made a cozy sweater using doubled yarns for extra warmth (and if you would like to read more about how doubled yarns can add to the warmth of a finished garment, then please click here).

I decided to work this in Granite Stitch from our Reversible Knitting Stitches book. I used the same stitch for the Petersfield Scarf I made for my husband Tim a short while ago and loved the way that came out. Granite Stitch produces such a soft, lofty fabric with a high degree of insulation which makes it a perfect choice for cozy items. I can certainly attest to how warm that sweater is!

I then added a matching hat, with a deep brim in a 1x1 rib. I was glad of that when the temperatures dropped way down. The extra thickness from the doubled DK weight yarn really kept my ears warm!

I still had lots of yarn left (yes, I do tend to buy quite a bit at a time!...) so went on to add a co-ordinating pair of gloves and legwarmers. I chose a slightly smaller stitch for these, Double Moss Stitch also from our Reversible Knitting Stitches book, and they really teamed up well. Double Moss is worked over 4 rows while Granite Stitch is over 6, but that makes a big difference in the final appearance. Double Moss is much crisper and tighter, while Granite Stitch has just that little bit of extra space to bloom. However, the two stitches go together perfectly.

The collection worked out really well and I found myself using one or more items from the set on most days. One thing I hadn't made was a scarf so that's my next project to complete the set! 

Well, I hope it is not too cold where you are right now… It certainly looks as though it is going to be a chilly holiday season this year! Time to start work on some new cozy knitted items, I reckon.

I’ll leave you with one of Tim’s lovely photos from our Sweden trip and with my best wishes for safe travels wherever you’re heading for the holidays.

Until next time – Happy Holidays and Happy Knitting!

Moira

Last Blogpost: Reversible Knitting Stitches, Version 2.1 Next Up: Hats off to 2023! ​ Our book: Reversible Knitting Stitches My Website: www.wyndlestrawdesigns.com

Reversible Knitting Stitches, Version 2.1

In my last blogpost, I was extolling a new-to-me knitting stitch combination which produced a delightful mix of Half-Twisted Rib vertical lines combined with horizontal Rice Stitch bands. The Rice Stitch bands held the ribs nicely apart and gave a wonderful grid-like structure.

I used this for a lunch-bag and bottle carrier set I was making so I could carry around some gluten-free goodies for our explorations in Sweden in the early summer. The stitch combination worked so well for these, so I was keen to add it into our Reversible Knitting Stitches E-book. That's the beauty of an E-book isn't it – you can add in just a few new pages really easily.

Anna and I had also been experimenting with some new colour ideas for the book. I love colourful reversible stitches and the one above is a well-known stitch which definitely needed a place in the book!

This is Three-Colour Linen Stitch and I can see myself using this in a project soon. I think this would work really well for a set of placemats and coasters. Linen Stitch and this colourful variation are slow to work, but are such strong, interesting stitches so it is well worth the extra time needed.

In addition, we have received some suggestions for a few new stitches from readers, so this seemed like an ideal opportunity to add those in. Many thanks to everyone who sent those to us. We love trying out new stitch patterns, so please do keep sending in your ideas so we can incorporate them into future updates.

We also had a few new project photos to squeeze in, including the Petersfield Scarf above. This uses a really warm stitch from Chapter 1: Allover Stitches. The stitch is called Granite Stitch and it can be worked in a single colour or in stripes and still remains fully reversible. That is quite unusual, even for a reversible stitch! I wrote about another reversible striped pattern, Roman Striped Lace, in a blogpost here. I wasn’t sure at first if Granite Stitch would give a good striped pattern but was pleased when I tried it out to see such lovely crisp lines.

I have been using this stitch a lot for recent projects as I wanted to make a set of winter garments for our current stay in Sweden. When we left Florida in October it was about 32ºC and as I write this, it is only 2ºC… brrr….. Lovely for early snow pictures for my husband Tim, but decidedly chilly otherwise. I’ll take some photos of what I’ve been knitting recently and will post about those in a future blogpost.

We also added in photos of the Darlington Lace Wrap and the Grayswood Scarf in Chapter 11, Lace & Mesh Patterns. Both of those were finished too late to be included last time, so I am pleased that we have managed to fit them into this update.

So the new updated Reversible Knitting Stitches book now has a total of 273 different stitches and 86 project ideas! We have left the sub-title of the book “A Sourcebook of 250 Double-sided Stitch Patterns” but I suppose we might have to update that if we eventually get close to the 300-mark!

I have already uploaded this new updated version to my website here. Alternatively, you can also find it on Etsy and on PayHip. I hope you enjoy these new stitches and find good uses for them in your future work.

If you would like to read more about the Reversible Knitting Stitches book, please click here. The book is available for immediate download from the site. If you would like to gift a copy for a knitting friend, then please contact me and I’ll get that organised for you. You can say if you would like it delivered on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day or another special day, and any message you would like included.

If you already have the Reversible Knitting Stitches E-book and would like this new updated version, then please let me know and I’ll send that on to you.

Until next time – Happy Knitting!

Moira

Last Blogpost: Combining Twisted Stitches Next Up: Knitting in Nordic White ​ ​​​Our book: Reversible Knitting Stitches My Website: www.wyndlestrawdesigns.com

Combining twisted stitches

I have written before about how I "invented" a new type of rib when I was about 13. I had been knitting a twisted rib for the welt of a sweater when I found that if I twisted just the knit stitches but left the purl stitches untwisted then it gave a really interesting stitch. 
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The rib lay flatter, the inside was smoother and last but not least, it was a whole lot easier to work! That's always a bonus, isn't it.

Well of course as others before me have found, it is really hard to invent anything new in knitting. My "invented" rib turned out to be Half-Twisted Rib but it is still one of my favourite stitches! 

​So, when I wanted to make a lunch-bag and a few other accessories recently, I immediately thought about using Half-Twisted Rib as the basis for the patterning.  However, I wanted to add some extra interest so decided to combine it with slim bands of Rice Stitch. It isn't a combination I have used before, but I really love the way this turned out. 
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The Rice Stitch bands have acted to hold the rib stitches apart, giving them extra definition, and the contrasting vertical and horizontal patterning really catches the light in an interesting way. 

​I chose Rice Stitch as a companion to the Half-Twisted Rib because some of the stitches are also twisted, so I thought they would go very well together. In fact, the back of Rice Stitch looks quite like a dotted version of a Half-Twisted Rib.
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Rice Stitch gives such a wonderful texture to a design, as you can see in the photos above taken from our Reversible Knitting Stitches book. It almost looks as though grains of rice have been scattered in a neat grid across the knitting. 

I love exploring different stitches and putting them together to come up with something new. You never quite know what you're going to get! 
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I can definitely see myself using this particular combination of stitches again. I am thinking it might work really well in a knitted rug, for example, or a set of cushions. I would think those would look really interesting scattered on a sofa with the light catching all the different lines and angles. 

I wanted to share this and a few other colour ideas I have been working on recently, so we have been working on a small update to our Reversible Knitting Stitches book! That's the beauty of an E-book isn't it – you can just add in a few new pages really easily.

So I have just uploaded "Version 2.1" of the book onto the website here and will post some more details about this in my next blogpost – and yes, the stitch combination I have been featuring today, Moray Rib, is in there as a new entry on Page 74! Please click here to read more about our the book and I will be back soon with lots more details about this new update.

Until then – Happy Knitting!

Moira

​Last Blogpost: New blogpost feature on my website! ​Next Up: Reversible Knitting Stitches, Version 2.1  Our book: Reversible Knitting Stitches My Website: www.wyndlestrawdesigns.com

Keywords: Reversible Knitting Stitches,
twisted stitches, Rice Stitch, Half-Twisted Rib, stitch combinations, knitting stitch, reversible stitch, 

New blogpost feature on my website!

Hi everyone,

I wanted to let you know that I have added a new "Blogpost tab" on my website, so you will now be able to read all the blogposts there as well as here on Blogger! This should make it much easier to follow the links I have included in my pattern information pages so you don't have to jump around from one site to another. 

I will still be adding new blogposts right here too, but now I will also post them on my website so you can access them from the site that is most convenient for you. Each site has its own features of course. Blogger is especially good for searching for specific keywords included in the blogposts and is also excellent for browsing through archive titles so you can hunt out your favourite "old" blogposts.

However, my website version is perfect for finding information on different categories. For example, you can search for some of the "Tutorial series" that I have run from time to time, such as the Seeing Double series I posted last year which looked at using doubled yarns in your next knitting project.

​And in the photo above, you might recognise one of my favourite photos from a blogpost way back in November 2013! The photo was taken by my husband Tim on our of our many visits to the Brecon Beacons in South Wales and shows some of the hardy sheep of the region near a wonderfully windswept tree. Long-time readers of my blog will know that I love to include Tim's photos in the blog, especially when we are travelling so I hope you enjoy seeing all those right here on my website too.

I'll be back next time when I will be looking at some lovely new combination stitches.

Until next time – Happy Knitting!

Moira

Last Blogpost: The inside story – adding a fabric liner to a bag ​​Next Up: Combining twisted stitches My blogposts can also be found on my website here. Our book: Reversible Knitting Stitches My Website: www.wyndlestrawdesigns.com Many thanks to my husband, Tim, for his photo at the top of this blogpost. If you would like to see more of his photos please visit his Flickr page.

The inside story – adding a fabric liner to a bag

In my last blogpost I was writing about how much I have been enjoying using my new Weymouth Shoulder Bag which you can see in the photo above. This is a neat, fabric-lined bag and can be used as a handbag or a shopping bag. 

The cotton outer shell is worked in a crisp cotton yarn using Embossed Check Stitch, which is a wonderfully textural pattern from our Reversible Knitting Stitches book. This is a strong stitch with a structure that looks almost crocheted. I then added a light-weight fabric lining and love the versatility this has given the bag.
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The lining was super-easy to do too, so that  inspired me to add a lining to a few other bags and that is what I have been working on in the last couple of weeks.

So first, I decided to add a lining to my BYOB Market Bag that I made some while back. I had some lovely bright yellow fabric left-over from a skirt that I made last year which looked a perfect colour match. 
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I followed the lining instructions from the Weymouth Shoulder Bag pattern, but cut the fabric a little "oversized" so that the bag would still be flexible and roomy. I didn't want to lose the advantage of a nice stretchy bag the next time I headed to the Farmers' Market! ​

I also added a deep phone pocket at the top and a key tag so I could retrieve my house keys easily. 

With the lining the bag works perfectly for heavier loads coming back from the market. It also co-ordinates really well with the unlined BYOB Bags that I always carry for all the bulky light-weight items. Perfect!

Then I decided to make a fabric-lined lunch bag. One of the issues of having Coeliac Disease is that I am never quite sure if I'll find anywhere with gluten-free food when we are out and about, especially in rural areas. So I always carry some items around with me when we go out for the day. 

For this bag, I wanted to make it short and square so I could fit my lunch box and a few nibbles inside. I chose a combination of Rice Stitch and Half-Twisted Rib from our Reversible Knitting Stitches book for the sides and love the way this combination has worked. I can see myself using this again in the future. The twisted stitches also add strength to the fabric so it shouldn't stretch out of shape in use.
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I added some long ribs at the corners for definition and then brought the top in slightly with a decorative top edge. I will thread a string through the holes in that border to act as a gather to cinch the bag closed.

Now I am at the stage where I am ready to line the bag. I was pleased to find some really interesting Japanese fabric on-line. This seems to be so appropriate given that the lunch box I have is a Bento box that we purchased on our last visit to Japan a few years ago! 

Now I just need to put it all together and add the handles. I will probably also add a piece of plastic canvas as a base for extra stability. I used that technique in the Weymouth Shoulder Bag and found it worked so well to give a nice flat base. 

I hope that will inspire you to add some fabric linings to your own knitting bags. To explore all the bag patterns I have available, please click here, and to read more about our Reversible Knitting Stitches book, please click here.

Until next time - Happy Bag Knitting!

Moira

​Last Blogpost: A postcard from Sweden – Time for Midsommar! Next Up: New blogpost feature on my website! Our book: Reversible Knitting Stitches My Website: www.wyndlestrawdesigns.com

Keywords: Patterns/Bags,
bag, bags, market bag, lunch bag, fabric lining, lined bag, knitted bag, market bag, shoulder bag,

A postcard from Sweden – Time for Midsommar!

It has been a busy time for us so far this summer, with travels to both the UK and now to Sweden! It is so wonderful to be able to travel again after two years at home and lovely to catch up with friends and relatives in both countries. 

We arrived in Sweden just in time for the big Midsummer festival called “Midsommar” here. This involves music, folk dances and the raising of a huge decorated pole at various locations. The photo shows the one being raised at Sundbyholm Castle, just to the west of Stockholm where we went.

The pole is in the shape of a cross with two circular rings below and is usually completely swathed with leaves and flowers. Sometimes flags and ribbons in the Swedish colours of blue and yellow are also attached for extra colour.

It was quite an effort for the team of pole raisers, with everyone calling out encouraging "Ehhh-Up!" shouts as it was lifted up. Then when it was up and bolted into place, a huge cheer went up from the large crowd of on-lookers.

The pole was not the only thing decorated with flowers, as many people had beautiful flower garlands on their heads too. Even the local ponies giving rides up and down the shady avenue of trees had flowers braided into their tails.
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I love the wildflowers over here. Every path and road has flowers alongside in a profusion of colours. Farmers even sow wildflowers in a wide strip around their fields to provide a habitat for bees, nesting birds and other wild creatures. It gives such a wonderful colour to the edges of the fields.
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Flowers are especially important at Midsummer as it is said that if you gather seven different types of wild flowers on Midsummer night and place them under your pillow, then you will dream of the future love of your life!

So what have I been working on during my travels? Well, I have been so enjoying using my new Weymouth Shoulder Bag that I wrote about in my last blogpost so I decided to add a lining to some of my other bags! 

The lining for the Weymouth Shoulder Bag was so simple and easy to make so I wanted to use this idea for other bags too. It certainly produces a sturdy bag that can carry a lot of weight. I love stretchy bags that can expand to whatever size of awkward packaging a supermarket can devise, but being able to carry a couple of cartons of milk or orange juice home is a real benefit too.

So I cut some fabric before we left on our travels and set to the other day to attach it to my BYOB Market Bag. I really like the way this turned out, so I am going to see if I can rustle up a couple of photos for next time.

Until then – enjoy Mid-Summer wherever you are!

Moira

Last Blogpost: A new shoulder bag for the summer Next Up: The inside story – adding a fabric liner to a bag Our book: Reversible Knitting Stitches My Website: www.wyndlestrawdesigns.com

Keywords: Patterns/Bags, Travel Postcards,
Sweden, summer knitting, 

A new shoulder bag for the summer

I love knitted bags. They're great for teaming up with all kinds of different outfits for a totally unique look. 
So for the up-coming summer season, I have designed a new bag with crisp cotton yarns in strawberry, apricot and lemon ice colours. As soon as I held the yarns together I was reminded of summer holidays down on the beach, with raspberry ripple lollies and lemon ice pops from the ice cream stand – always a high-point of the day. 

And that's the inspiration for the new Weymouth Shoulder Bag, named for Weymouth Beach in the south of England with its long arc of golden, powdery sands and, yes, yummy ice cream!

The bag features long knitted shoulder straps and is a great size for a summer tote, with space for all the little extras for a day at the beach. The handles are also a generous width so the bag is comfortable to carry on your shoulder.
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Both the bag and the straps are lined with a co-ordinating cotton fabric to make a lightweight but sturdy bag which can be used for either a handbag or a tote. ​

The Weymouth Shoulder Bag is worked in Embossed Check Stitch from our Reversible Knitting Stitches book. This is a strong stitch with a distinctive patterning and texture, so is a good choice for bags such as this. The stitch is also easy to work, with sharply-defined colour transitions for the different colour stripes.
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The shoulder straps are worked in a co-ordinating pattern, Double Moss Stitch, which gives an interesting contrast of texture and patterning.

The Weymouth Shoulder Bag is available as a stand-alone pattern or as part of the Southampton Collection, which now has patterns for five fabric-lined bags!

Full step-by-step knitting and sewing instructions are included in the pattern and it is available for immediate download from my pattern store here.

If you would like to read more about our Reversible Knitting Stitches E-book and see examples of other double-sided stitches included in the collection, then please click here. 

Until next time – Happy summer knitting!

Moira

Last Blogpost: Knitting for the change in seasons Next Up: A postcard from Sweden – Time for Midsommar! Our book: Reversible Knitting Stitches My Website: www.wyndlestrawdesigns.com

Keywords: Patterns/Bags,
bag, bags, knitted bag, lined bag, fabric-lined bag, shoulder bag, shopping bag, handbag,