Katydid

 My friend Kate was telling me one night about her favorite type of summer shirt. As I scoured the internet with her looking for a shirred bandeau-top, tunic-like top, I had the idea to knit one. 

I fought with the idea for a few days, typed up the pattern, and then finally cast on to only come up short about 20 meters of yarn. So I put it away until I received the perfect yarn from my friend, Sammy. 

A hank of DK and a hank of fingering weight. Both yarns held the colors of orchids and while they didn’t match, they were close enough to what I was wanting. 

I messed around with the pattern in a spreadsheet until I was satisfied with it enough to knit up a prototype. And here it is. 

DK bust, fingering weight bottom, with ties from fingering weight at the top of the bust.  There is so much stretch to the bust that this is a size XS on a S figure of my niece. 

I have already cast on my own, sizing down for myself also. I’d rather have it more form fitting and tighter in the bust so I don’t have to wear a bra with it. 

I will be releasing the pattern real soon on my website, Payhip and Ravelry. 

Solstice Empire - a summer top knitting pattern

I have been working on this design for few months and with the help of my wonderful testers over the past couple of months, it has been brought to life.

Solstice Empire is available for download on Payhip, Lovecrafts, and Ravelry.

Solstice Empire is knit in cotton fingering weight yarn for a cool summer top to wear when the temperatures start to soar. With eyelets at the raglan increases, hem and sleeves, along with a loose gauge, this summer top is designed to breathe while letting the breeze in, if you're lucky enough to have a summer breeze.

The pattern is a series of decreases and increases with vertical darts. No short row darts. Designed as a top down raglan, Solstice Empire will leave you free to move your arms without loads of excess fabric bunched up under the arms.

Here is my gorgeous friend, Cassie, wearing her Solstice Empire.

Throughout writing the pattern and grading it, I found I am so in love with spreadsheets. I had forgotten all about the love I had years ago while in school. I also found I love designing. In the mean time I have designed 2 more sweaters, one that is getting ready to start testing and one I am just starting the knitting on the sample. All are raglans because I have yet to wrap my head around how to grade a bottom up sweater, but I am hoping in time, that will come.

Here's more info about the Solstice Empire top:


Abiding by CYC standard measurements, the top is #SizeInclusive and designed for 0-2"/5cm of positive ease. However, you might find that you like a forming fit in the bust, and a size down might suit you. Sample was knitted at 2"/5cm of negative ease.

Sizes:

XS 28-30 (S 32-34, M 36-38, L 40-42, 1X 44-46) [2X 48-50, 3X 52-54, 4X 56-58, 5X 60-62] In between sizes go up one size up for a roomier fit, or size down for a more forming fit.

Yarn Estimates:

490-564 (590-679, 710-817, 850-978, 980-1127) [1040-1196, 1185-1363, 1340-1541, 1510-1737] yards

457-526 (539-620, 649-747, 777-894, 896-1031) [951-1094, 1084-1246, 1225-1409, 1381-1588] meters

Knitting Notions:

* Sz 6US/4mm circular needles with a
  cable dependent upon your size minus
  several inches - **OR size needed to
  obtain gauge**. If you don't use the Magic
  Loop method for sleeves, you will also need DPNs in the
  same size. *Most testers found 7US/4.5mm got them gauge.*
* One size smaller than main needles for the neckband
* One size larger than main needles for the body below the empire waist band
* 5 stitch markers
* 2 unique stitch markers
* tape
* darning needle
* waste yarn

Please note: sizes 4X & 5X have not been fully test knit yet. The testers started but due to personal reasons were not able to finish the test at this time. If you are in one of these sizes, and would like to test the pattern, please send me a message.

*Thank you to my test knitters who helped bring this pattern to life: Cassie, Ashley, Sharon, Christine, Beth, Stephani, Julia, Leah, and Michelle. I truly appreciate you!*

I Pray Changes are Being Made for the Better

I've been trying to come here and post for a couple of weeks, but each time I go to do so, I get an uneasy feeling in the pit of my gut. It has nothing to do with the blog, or blogging in general. More so, it is that I do not know what to say.

George Floyd. Breonna Taylor. Ahmed Aubrey. Just 3 of the numerous deaths that have happened in the past couple of months across the nation that should not have. No one has any right to take a life from someone. No one has the right to play judge, jury and executioner against someone. No one has any right to view the color of someone's skin as a sin, as a crime. White, creme, yellow, tan, bronze, brown, black, mahogany. red, opal and onyx, and every color in between. Every. Single. Skin. Color. Is. BEAUTIFUL!

I'm so sick of reading the news, hearing the news, listening to the radio and everyone wanting to debate what is going on in the world today.

It took one more death for eyes to be opened. But was it the death of Mr. Floyd, or was it the protests that made them stop and listen. Unfortunately, I fear it was the latter for most people.

But it is not just one death that blew everything into the protests and revolutions that people are marching for, rooting for, rioting for. No. It was one death too many.

On Instagram, on my stories, I post at least once a day when I do post, to LISTEN. PROCESS. LEARN. I believe it is the only way that we can truly learn; learn from each other, learn the hurt and heartache, learn the inequalities, learn the fight for equalities, learn the victories, learn the fears, learn the soft way and learn the hard way.

I am a white female. I do not know what it is like to live as a black person. I do not know the fears, the inability to walk down the street without people crossing the road to avoid me, the anxiousness of getting pulled over by a police office, wondering if it is my last day on earth. I do not know these first hand. I only know by reading, by listening. By learning. And it's sickening. It's injustice. It's despicable. It's complete racism.

By being white, I have the privileges that many POC, especially black and brown people, do not have. I have the ability to use my voice and make it heard. I have the ability to blog about my feelings without the wrath of hell raining down on me. I have the ability and the privilege to stand up for my fellow neighbors, my friends, my family.

As a Christian, I know that God did not create us as different beings, outside of the differences that make us each unique and beautiful. God did not create humans and sub-humans. NO! HE created us equal. And until we are all seen as equal, until all lives matter, I will forever hold to my truths that Black Lives Matter over All Lives Matter.

It is my prayer that peace is in the near future; that these protests are not in vain. That voices are being heard. That changes are being made. As of right now, I have read that the Minneapolis Police Department is being disbanded. Will this help? Will this create more issues? Is this a start?

I hate to use the term "wait and see" when black and brown people have waited WAY TOO LONG and there still hasn't been a change. But I pray this time, changes are being made for the better. 

Knitting Summer Tops

So, I've been on a sweater knitting kick for the past year to year-and-a-half now. What I haven't found is the best sweater for my figure... an inverted hourglass HA! Big bust, big arms, big waist, big hips, big legs, short legs. But I'm not a rectangle as I do have some curves. So I decided to create my own empire waist sweater, which I already know that silhouette looks better on me than almost anything else.

As I've been knitting this summer top, I have been thinking about the next design I want to make. A top down ribbed summer top. It's a lot more math, but I think I can get it --- hope so anyway. I have a vision of it in this most gorgeous pink... and I found that pink, Fizzy Flamingo, by my friend, Kate, at Graphic Dyeworks.

In the meantime while I wait for that yarn, I am knitting on the empire waist top. I have a spreadsheet and pattern written up for 9 or 10 sizes, from 30-62 bust. I have tweaked and tweaked this entire pattern a dozen times over, so I am hoping once I get this top done, that makers will want to test the pattern for me and it doesn't have any stupid little errors in it.

This is what I have done so far. Lots of positive ease under the empire waistband, negative ease above it. (Or, the makers can choose to have positive ease above also.) I knit it up in 100% cotton for a cool summer top that I won't drown in, nor will I overflow it. This has been a whole new world for me - now I need to figure out bottom up sweaters. I have knit them, but can't wrap my head around designing them. Ha!

Stay Connected!

At this time in our lives, we are separated from everything and everyone. Social distancing. Isolation. Quarantine. It’s sad what is happening with the Coronavirus Covid-19 taking over the world. But one by one and all together we can help flatten the curve by staying home. However, don’t distance yourself from everyone. Please stay in touch somehow, someway. Text messaging, instant messaging, social media, etc. are all ways we can continue to STAY CONNECTED while continuing to STAY SAFE!

Stay Connected is worked in either wool or acrylic (or the fiber of your choice). Don’t hesitate to dig through your stash and mix fibers. The sample was made in a size M with 99y/90.5m of Knit Picks Wool of the Andes in Orange and 48.2/y44m of Knit Picks Brava Worsted in Asphalt Heather. It’s what I had in my stash when the pattern struck me, so it’s what I used.

The beanie is stranded with only two colors, and perfect for both the beginner and seasoned stranded-knitter. The pattern is written but also charted for the colorwork design. It has a nice rhythm to it and is easy to memorize.

Due to the beanie being stranded, it is double the warmth! Perfect for those lingering cold spring mornings in the Northern Hemisphere, the early coolness of autumn in the Southern Hemisphere, or for a head start on winter knitting. Whatever your case may be for knitting this beanie, I sure hope you enjoy it and it helps keep you connected.

Now live on Ravelry. Blog readers will be able to receive the pattern for free until April 9th and then 75% until April 16th by using code “CONNECTED”. If you  grab this pattern, please leave me a comment below letting me know! Happy Knitting!

Hope you are staying safe & healthy!