Introducing Ezekiel Saw

Every so often, a design bursts, Athena-like, fully formed from its creator’s head. Ezekiel Saw is one such design for me. I had a clear vision of a triangle shawl in two-similarly toned, but distinct colors with detailed open lace bands.

When I went to Knitwit, my local yarn shop, to scout yarns to bring that vision to life, I was immediately entranced by the drape and subtly marled palette of CoopKnits’ Socks Yeah! yarn.

The Wave and Wheel lace pattern of the bands creates a wheel within a wheel motif, reminiscent of an old folk song about an altogether different kind of vision that we used to sing in my high school choir: “Ezekiel Saw Da Wheel.”

“Ezekiel saw da wheel;
Way up in the middle of the air.
Now Ezekiel saw da wheel in a wheel;
Way in the middle of the air.

And the big wheel run by Faith, good Lordy;
And the little wheel run by the Grace of God;
In the wheel in the wheel in the wheel good Lord;
Way in the middle of the air.”

I'm also pleased to say that for the first time, I'm offering kits for one of my designs!

The Ezekiel Saw kit is exclusively available through MsCleaver.com and comes with all the yarn needed to complete the project, a printed pattern, and a sturdy cotton drawstring project bag. You can also purchase the suggested needles if desired. 

The PDF pattern is available for $6.00 USD from the following online shops:

LoveKnitting (coming soon)   ||    Ms. Cleaver Creations    ||    Ravelry

If you knit it and participate in social media, use #ezekielsaw to share or tag me @mscleaver !  

I'd love to see your version!!!

Photos by Bristol Ivy

---

Things I Made This Summer

There's been so much knitting stuff this summer (which seems like an odd phrase to write) that I've sorely neglected sharing some of the other projects I've been working on!

Which is a shame, because I've been working on some cool stuff these past few months.

Like, I made a backpack!

The pattern is Made by Rae's Toddler Backpack, to which I added the optional lining, and some self-drafted pockets on the outside with mesh fabric, elastic and bias tape. It looks super-impressive, but is surprisingly easy to make.

Also awesome?

Lobster shorts!!

There's been three different Renfrew tees that have been getting a lot of wear (including the white one above and this beauty):

I made baklava  for the first time and garlic scape hummus. I've baked tiny cherry pies and at least three versions of a buttermilk tea cake trying to get my recipe perfect (almost there...)

I've done some embroidery:

I've whipped up quick little projects:

And sewn another dress LMC refuses to wear even though she picked out the fabric from my stash.

Let's just say, it's been a productive summer. :) 

---

Three Needle Bind-Off - a quick tutorial

A few people knitting Atlee had mentioned that they'd never done a three needle bind-off before, so I thought I'd post a real quick tutorial. Once you see how easy it is, you'll be kicking yourself for not learning it ages ago (I did!). Prefer to see it in motion? There's a quick video on my Instagram.

A video posted by Leah B. Thibault (@mscleaver) on Aug 15, 2016 at 9:07am PDT

Atlee - PDF Pattern

$6.00

---

Knitting with Cotton, a tutorial

Earlier this year I had the chance to spend a lot of quality time with Willet, Quince & Co's sport-weight 100% cotton yarn. After swatching my way through a skein of yarn, I had some ideas of what did and didn't work in the yarn, and came up with three very different designs: Atlee, Ocaso, and Caiterly. While cotton yarn isn't as commonly seen in hand-knitted garments as wool or even linen, it doesn't need to be relegated to the land of dishcloths, as cotton can be very versatile and wearable.

It does, however, have some distinct differences from it's woolly counterparts that should be kept in mind, which I'll be covering today. For all the photos in this post, Willet is shown in the Dinghy colorway, a teal, and I'll be comparing it with Quince's Chickadee - a 100% sport-weight wool in Carrie's Yellow. Both swatches were knit with the same stitch and row count on size US 5 (3.75 mm) needles.

---

Gauge

Per the tag guidelines, both Willet's and Chickadee's base gauge is 6 sts/inch on size 5 (3.75 mm) needles.  When I made the swatches, I hit 6sts/inch exactly on my stitch gauge for both yarns, but Willet had 8.25 rows/inch, while Chickadee came in at 9 rows/inch. Over 12 inches, this is 9 rows of difference, so it can really add up over a long length (like a sleeve or body)

Tip #1 - when alternating between wool and cotton, pay attention to row gauge.

Fabric Characteristics

Even though the gauge is quite similar, the fabric itself behaves rather differently. The wool is much squishier and plusher, and tends to hold it's shape better, while the cotton is more floppy, but not exactly drapey (not like silk or linen). The wool, in general, has better recovery (springs back to shape), while cotton has a more relaxed vibe.

Tip #2 - for highly structured knits, cotton isn't your best bet, but it works great for softer, more relaxed lines. 

Weight

Though these swatches are basically the same size (the Willet is 5"x4.5"; Chickadee is 5"x 4.25"). the cotton weighs a gram more. This is why 50g of Chickadee (100% wool) gets you 181 yds, while 50g of Willet (100% cotton) gets you 160 yds. This weight can make a difference in two things: number of skeins required and the row gauge of finished product. 

A few grams isn't a big deal in a swatch, but again, it can really add up over a large garment. If you were working, say, a sweater coat in both yarns, the additional weight of the cotton can drag the garment down, lengthening the row gauge and pulling more on the shoulder seams, and again, leading to a more relaxed silhouette.

The weight can be compensated for in a number of ways - making a close-fitting garment, so the weight is distributed across the body; having strong shoulder seams; and making sure to block the garment flat.

Tip #3 - a little extra weight can add up, so choose your pattern wisely

The Yarn

The biggest complaint I've heard about cotton yarn is that it "has no give" and/or "it hurts my hands." The "no give" is pretty much true. 

Remember how I mentioned the fabric of the wool swatch is springier and has more recovery? The same is true of the yarn itself. 

From a 6 inch piece, I was able to easily stretch the wool yarn an additional 2 inches, and it sprung right back into place. With the same length of cotton yarn, I could barely stretch it all, even pulling quite hard. If you're used to tensioning wool yarn, this can be quite a shift. So once again, the key to cotton is relax. Let the yarn glide through your hands, rather than trying to pull it.

Tip #4 - When knitting with cotton, relax and don't try to fight the yarn. 

But don't think of this rigidity as a knock against the yarn. It has some great benefits, namely that the stitch definition is fantastic. The reason the single stitch cables on Caiterly or the subtle patterning on Atlee's yoke work is because of the way the Willet stitches sit on top of the fabric, instead of blending in the way it would more with wool. One caveat: this means ends don't blend in as well too, so hides your ends in an inconspicuous place, like the side seams. 

Tip #5 - Pay attention to ends, but enjoy the stitch definition!  

Blocking and Washability

One of the big draws of cotton is it's washability. It can go in the washer and the dryer and be none the worse for wear. Both the swatches were washed loose and dried along with a load of laundry in a top loading machine on warm and a standard electric dryer on regular. While the wool swatch clearly felted, losing about a half an inch in both length and width, the cotton swatch was virtually unchanged. That said, some cotton yarns may experience more shrinkage than others, and it may be more noticeable over a larger area than this rather small swatch. 

Tip #5 - treat your swatch like you intend to treat the finished garment, then measure gauge

In Conclusion

Cotton is great for a lot of things, but not everything. So as with any project, match your yarn appropriately to the project and you'll have success! So let's get the cotton yarn out of the kitchen and on to our bodies. 

---

Caiterly - PDF Pattern

$6.50

Ocaso - PDF Pattern

$8.00

Atlee - PDF Pattern

$6.00

---

Cast On Party!

It's cast on day for the KAL - what are you making??

---

Introducing Caiterly and the Dog Days KAL

While I wouldn't normally volunteer to spends months knitting only in white yarn, especially with a dog and a toddler in the house, the nice thing about spending a bunch of time with the sample yarn in a neutral color is that you really get to play with it and see all the things it can do. That's what I got to do with Quince's Cleaner Cotton™ Willet,.

Ocaso shows off the yarn in a beautifully smooth stockinette stich, Atlee displays the marvelous stitch definition in the textured yoke. Caitlery shows what it can do in fine-gauge cables. I like all three designs for different reasons, but Caiterly is probably the one that is most distinctly me.

With three-quarter sleeves, a fitted bust, and delicate cabling, Caitlery  is elegantly feminine and the details are subtle enough that it can be worn with almost anything. 

The sweater is worked seamlessly from the bottom up- raglan style.and features a ribbon-lined button band. (See my tutorials page for details on how to add this detail). 

Caiterly is available for $6.50 from the following online shops:

Quince & Co.     |     Ms. Cleaver Creations      |      Ravelry

If you knit it and participate in social media, use #quincecaiterly to share and/or tag me @mscleaver !  

To celebrate the release of my three Willet patterns, I'm hosting a Willet-centric knit along with Quince on their Ravelry group.  The KAL runs for six weeks and includes special handmade prize for a FO knit from one of my patterns and several Quince gift cards for FOs worked in Quince yarns. For more details, visit my Knit Along page or the Quince group. I'll be knitting an Atlee myself, and I hope you'll join in!

---

Introducing Atlee

The range of what you can do with knitting is so broad and varied - colorwork, cables, lace, brioche, intarsia, etcetera. I love a good complex knit, but sometimes you want a palate-cleanser - something simple, just knits and purls - and why not make it in white?

In comes Atlee, my newest design for Quince & Co. - a simple, soothing tee. In Quince's Cleaner Cotton™ Willet, with an a-line shape, scooped neckline and textural details in the yoke, Atlee is a picture-perfect essential for easy days in the sun.

The tee is worked in the round from the bottom up and split for arms, with the ribbing picked up and worked after a three-needle bind-off at the shoulders. Simple tee, simple construction. Easy enough that you could make one in multiple colors! Which is good, because I want to knit one for myself, but how do I choose between Dinghy, Windlass, or Oar?

Atlee is available for $6.00 USD from the following online shops:

Quince & Co.     |     Ms. Cleaver Creations      |      Ravelry

If you knit it and participate in social media, use #quinceatlee to share and/or tag me @mscleaver !  

I'd love to see your version!!!

---

Introducing the Paper Bird Shawl

I'm pleased to introduce the Paper Bird Shawl - part of Quince and Co's annual Shawl Week and the second in my Songbird series of shawls inspired by music.

Paper Bird is simple to knit, but results in a graceful and dramatic shawl, with biased fabric framed by clean ribs and a distinctive edge of sharp points. Knit in Quince & Co's silk/wool blend Tern, the shawl has gorgeous drape. The shawl can be worn spread out as shown, or the shawl's texture makes it easy to fold up and wear as a cozy scarf.

After the ribs are firmly established, the knitting flows easily off the needles. In some ways, the story for the inspiration behind this pattern is longer than the actual pattern itself.

Do you, do you remember? That time you told me you would unfold me like a paper bird?  -Heather Maloney, Word for Word

While listening to the song "Word for Word" by Massachusetts-based singer-songwriter Heather Maloney, I was struck by the phrase "Do you remember that time you told me you would unfold me like a paper bird?"

If you've known me for any length of time, chances are you've seen me make a paper crane ranging in size from over a foot tall (from flip-chart paper) to smaller than your pinkie nail (from a post-it). 

When I was ten or so, I read Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes in school, which tells the story of a young girl who gets cancer as a result of the Hiroshima bombings and begins folding paper cranes in line with a Japanese legend that a wish will be granted to anyone that folds 1,000 cranes. We learned to fold cranes in class and while I haven’t been striving for any specific wish, I have probably made nearly a 1,000 cranes since that day. But I don’t know that I ever unfolded one, it seems sacrilegious somehow.

The Paper Bird shawl is my attempt to capture the elegance of a live bird’s wing, along with sharpness and folds of its origami counterpart. Through the combination of ribs and bias stitching, the shawl takes on the quality of unfolded origami.

The pattern is available for $6.00 USD from the following online shops:

Quince & Co.   ||      Ravelry

If you knit it and participate in social media, use #quincepaperbird to share and/or tag me @mscleaver !  

I'd love to see your version!!!

---

Finishing Your Knit with a Folded Hem

Stockinette St is one of the most basic of knitting techniques. It creates a smooth fabric of knit stitches, but if it has one shortcoming, it's that it's curls. 

Usually this is counteracted by adding an inch or more of ribbing to hems, which works great in most cases, but does look, well, ribby. But what if you really want to embrace the smoothness of Stockinette, without having a curling hem, what do you do?

Enter the folded hem. 

Though it requires a little extra yardage and a bit of hand sewing, the folded hem easily gives a smooth, clean finish on both sides of the fabric and can add a bit of heft/stability to a collar or button band, as the fabric is doubled. A folded hem can be put in place of a rib hem by following a few simple steps.

For simplicity's sake, these instructions will refer to a hem, but the same technique can be used for collars and front facings. 

Working from the top down:

1. Work pattern as described to beginning of where the rib would begin. 
2. Work in Stockinette (or pattern) stitch to desired finished body length or length of original rib.
3. Next wrong side (WS) row, knit. This will create a line of purl stitches on the right side.
4. Work in Stockinette st for desired length of inside hem. This could be the same length as the ribbing would have been or shallower or deeper, as you desire. For comparison, on the Ocaso cardigan shown here,  the front bands are 2" wide/deep, while the sleeve hem and body hem are 1".  All fabric after the purl line is the facing. 
5. Bind off.
6. Block garment.
7. Fold facing toward inside of garment along the purl line. 
8. Pin to body of garment, making sure facing lies flat and is evenly distributed.
9. Using a whipstitch every 2-3 sts/rows, attach facing to body of garment. If you picked up stitches for the band, there should be a clear line to attach the facing to, otherwise, when pinning, eyeball a row of stitching and stick to it to maintain an even hem.
10. Weave in ends and block again as needed.
11. Enjoy your smooth hem!

Working from the bottom up:

1. Cast on number of body stitches. If the number changes from ribbing to first row of the body, use the body number.
2. Work in Stockinette st for desired length of inside hem. This could be the same length as the ribbing would have been or shallower or deeper, as you desire. For comparison, on the Ocaso cardigan shown here, the front bands are 2" wide/deep, while the sleeve hem and body hem are 1". 
3. Next wrong side (WS) row, knit. This will create a line of purl stitches on the right side. All fabric before the purl line is the facing. 
4. Work in Stockinette (or pattern) stitch to length of facing or length of original rib.
5. Work garment as described.
6. Block garment.
7. Fold facing toward inside of garment along the purl line. 
8. Pin to body of garment, making sure facing lies flat and is evenly distributed.
9. Using a whipstitch every 2-3 sts/rows, attach facing to body of garment. If you picked up stitches for the band, there should be a clear line to attach the facing to, otherwise, when pinning, eyeball a row of stitching and stick to it to maintain an even hem.
10. Weave in ends and block again as needed.
11. Enjoy your smooth hem!

---

Ready to Give it a Try?

These patterns include folded hems.

Ocaso - PDF Pattern

$8.00

Kaeryn - PDF Pattern

$6.00

---

Introducing Ocaso

Meet Ocaso!

Fun to knit and easy to wear, Ocaso is the perfect summer cardigan.

Ocaso takes a traditional shape and uses knitterly techniques to construct it in a way that only knitting can. The garment starts off in a similar fashion to a pi-shawl, but is transformed into a boxy kimono shape though the use of short rows. Worked in a smooth cotton yarn (Quince & Co's Willet), the cardigan is warm enough to ward off summer breezes, but not too hot for warmer days.

The sweater is worked in one piece from the neck down. It begins with a circular yoke that is transformed into a square using short rows. The front and back body are joined in the round and knit downwards, as are the sleeves, all of which are finished with a folded hem. A wide folded band is picked up and knit along the front opening and neckline.

Ocaso actually began life as the Leading Bird Shawl. I was working with pi-shawl shaping and got stuck on how I wanted to do the border. I was texting ideas with Bristol Ivy and she suggested I "change the direction"  and then I thought I could use short rows to change the circular shapes into a rectangular one. While that didn't happen in the shawl, I couldn't shake idea and though it could work wonderfully in a boxy- kimono-style shape and, thus Ocaso was born! 

The unique construction makes it fun to knit, while the stockinette lets the shaping show and keeps it simple. Folded hems keep the lines clean. Never worked a folded hem before? Don't worry! There's a tutorial coming later this week!

The pattern is available for $7.00 USD from the following online shops:

LoveKnitting   ||    Ms. Cleaver Creations    ||    Ravelry

Ocaso is on sale on Mscleaver.com and Ravelry from now until Saturday, June 4 2016 for just $5.00 USD

If you knit it and participate in social media, use #ocasocardi to share or tag me @mscleaver !  

I'd love to see your version!!!

---