Sea Foam Cowl

When some of my knitting friends from my Ravelry group – enVision – had our first meet up in Colorado last year, some of them went on a yarn crawl and purchased a skein of Malabrigo Caracol, a super-bulky-weight yarn. They all knitted a cowl that evening! I finally picked up a skein in Diana colorway and got a chance to knit one myself. I have written up this simple pattern and it’s available free on Ravelry!

Here is the official write up:

Sea Foam Cowl is a quick knit using super-bulky-weight yarn. It uses one skein of Malabrigo Caracol or equivalent – 90y / 83m on size us15 / 10mm needles with a gauge at 8-9 sts / 4” / 5.0 cm. Final size after blocking is approximately 12” x 13” / 30.5 mm x 33.0 mm (w x h). If you prefer a long cowl/infinite scarf, cast on double the stitches and use two skeins.

Sea Foam Cowl may also be knitted in worsted weight but you will need to adjust the number of cast-on stitches (in increments of 10). For example, if you elect to use Malabrigo Rios in worsted weight with a gauge of approximately 18 sts / 4” / 5.0 cm, you will need to cast on 100 sts). Please note that your required yardage will differ.

OD – Ovale Decke Shawl

Just published another Herbert Niebling adaptation – Ovale Decke Shawl! This is my fifth Niebling adaptation and one I modified the most (including adding an interesting edge to the design) yet retaining the integrity of a Niebling.

OD – Ovale Decke Shawl is a large deep-crescent shaped shawl based on a lesser-known Herbert Niebling pattern of the same name, Oval Doily in English. OD is worked from the top down with increases throughout the body. The original pattern is in an oval shape. I modified it into a softer deep-crescent shape.

OD uses approximately 437-475 yards / 400-435 meters of fingering-weight yarns for the regular version and 920-1300 yards/840-1200 meters of lace-weight yarns for the large version, as well as anything in between. The yardage is just a guide for OD is a very adaptable pattern. Knitters may elect to omit some sections thus allowing OD to be knitted in one 100-g skein (fingering or lace weight). It may also be knitted using multiple colors, a set of coordinated colors, as well as leftover yarns.

 

Nephthys Shawl

Now that we have completed our annual MKAL (Mystery Knit A Long) on our Ravelry group, enVision, the full pattern of my latest lace shawl design is released!

Nephthys Shawl is a deep-crescent shaped shawl named after Nephthys: an Egyptian goddess who was the personification of darkness and all that belongs to it and sister to goddess Isis. Nephthys means “lady of the house” but in this case, it’s referred to a house of worship, thus referring to the goddess as being in the role of a priestess rather than a homemaker.

Nephthys is a mostly solid shawl with lace accents and is the result of Hayley’s current love of knitting lace and her early obsession with cables. Nephthys uses approximately 675-750 yards / 615-685 meters for the regular version and 825-1050 yards / 755-960 meters for the large version in fingering-weight yarn. It may also be knitted in heavier weight yarn for a warmer and cozier shawl. Nephthys may be knitted with or without beads.

Test knit by Jutta

Test knit by Di

Sibylle Shawl

Sibylle Shawl is a large deep-crescent shaped shawl based on the Herbert Niebling’s pattern of the same name. Sibylle is worked from the top down with increases throughout the body. The original pattern, in half, is a half circle. I added patterns to the two edges for a softer deep-crescent shape. I hope to continue modifying these amazing designs – Sibylle is the fourth one after Quadratische Decke (QD), Pfingstrose (Peony) and her sister, Simply Peony, and Blattkranz (Leaf Wreath) – into a shawl shape with well illustrated charts and clear instructions so more knitters will discover and enjoy the magic of Niebling.

Sibylle uses approximately 985-1020 yards / 900-930 meters of heavy-lace-weight yarns. It may also be knitted in lace-weight yarn (765-820 yards / 700-750 meters) for a more open look, or fingering-weight yarn (1095 yards / 1050 meters) for a denser fabric, and even larger shawl. Sibylle may be knitted with or without beads.

Join us in our Ravelry group, enVision, for a Sibylle knit along this month!

 

Test knit by Tish

Diana Shawl!

We ran a special mystery knit (MKAL) on our enVision group at the fiber forum, Ravelry, in August. It featured my latest shawl design, Diana, along with Dye Diana Dye yarns specially dyed for this MKAL by my good friend, Diana, as an exclusive Celestial Kit. Now that the MKAL is over, the Celestial colorways – Sol, Luna, Venus, and Mars, and the Diana shawl pattern, are available as individual sales.

Moreover, I am able share pictures of Diana!

Diana in Dye Diana Dye PurBamboo Heavy Lace, Sol Edgy

Diana in Dye Diana Dye TussaLin Heavy Lace, Venus Edgy

 

 

 

 

Latest Shawls

Between designing my own original lace shawl patterns and adapting German doily designer, Herbert Niebling’s, I enjoy knitting patterns from other designers – especially those whose creativity is also an inspiration for my own work. I also love learning new stitches and constructions.

Here are two shawls I just completed. The first is The Doodler by Stephen West. The construction of this shawl is interesting and fun to knit! I also had a fabulous time coming up with the right color combination of three different yarns – variegated silk/camel Seda de Desierto Grande by Dibadu, dark blue all-silk Robynn, and bronze silk/merino Virginia by Posh Yarn –  and am very pleased with the result.

This is Tru Wuv by Jane Araújo. It was also my first time knitting with Dye Diana Dye‘s fabulous FlaxenSilk lace in Fresh Mint – a gift from a dear friend. I normally don’t knit with fine lace-weight yarns preferring to stick with heavy lace and fingering weights. But the linen in the FlaxenSilk lace really gives it a stiffer feel making it a joy to knit! Unfortunately, I didn’t enjoy the pattern as much. I am happy with the result but many of the lace patterns didn’t align “logically” making it not as intuitive and impossible to memorize the pattern making it a much slower knit.

I am currently working on Anne-Lise Maigaard‘s Mystery Knit Along, Green Gables. Anne-Lise is my favorite shawl designer and I can’t wait to be able to share pictures … soon!

Celestial MKAL

Announcing the first ever Dye Diana Dye / enVision collaboration – the Celestial Mystery Knit Along (MKAL) featuring my lace shawl design and Diana Hughes/Dye Diana Dye‘s yarn – hosted on our Ravelry  enVision group!

Celestial MKAL

Diana has created four heavenly colorways, Sol, Luna, Mars, and Venus. Each colorway is available in three bases, TussaLin, PurBamboo Heavy Lace, FlaxenSilk Lace, or SilkenSea Lace, and two textures, Edgy (with speckles), or Elegant (without speckles). I have designed my first open-lace shawl – named Diana, the Goddess of the Moon – in a large, ethereal crescent shape.

The pattern and colorways are offered only as a kit until end of September. They will be available as a standalone pattern / individual dye-to-order (DtO) colorway on 1 October. You may elect to purchase more than one skein and/or one colorway (in the event of multiple-kit purchase, the cost of the pattern will be refunded on the second and subsequent kit(s)).

Schedule
DtO at Dye Diana Dye’s Etsy store (current turnaround time is up to four weeks to dye and ship)
Info pdf – by 30 June (this is when you will receive a copy of the pattern as a gift to your Ravelry library)
Clue 1 – 29 July
Clue 2 – 5 August
Clue 3 – 12 August
Clue 4 – 19 August

For more information and to join our MKAL, visit our enVision group thread on Ravelry!

QD – Quadratische Decke Shawl

QD – Quadratische Decke Shawl was my first adaptation of a Herbert Niebling’s pattern. Originally it was a square doily – its name, Quadratische Decke, in German isn’t really a name but a description for it literally means “square doily!”

It started with a Niebling KAL (Knit-along) on the popular fiber site, Ravelry (if you knit, crochet, weave, spin, or dye yarn and aren’t a member, check it out!) Majority of Niebling’s patterns are for doilies and/or table clothes, thus in circular, oval, or square shape. My very first lace shawl, Queen Anne’s Lace, was in a circular shape and not easy to wear as a shawl. Moreover, the old German pattern was not the most user friend, used unusual symbols in the charts, and in the case of Quadratische Decke, riddled with mistakes. So I decided to modify and rechart it into a triangular shape. In addition to changing the shape and creating easy-to-follow charts, I completely reworked the lace edge pattern so the motifs align properly. By popular demand, I published this pattern so more knitters can enjoy knitting this amazing design.

QD – Quadratische Decke Shawl

QD – Quadratische Decke Shawl

Peony – Pfingstrose Shawl Pattern Released!

Very excited to release the much awaited Peony – Pfingstrose Shawl pattern today! It’s my second Herbert Niebling adaptation with a third, Blattkranz/Leaf Wreath Shawl, to be released next month. Herbert Niebling was a German doily knitter whose patterns are still very popular 50 years after his death. I started to adapt his design from circular or triangular to the more wearable deep-crescent shawl shape with Quadratische Decke – QD Shawl. 

I hope that by modifying these amazing designs into a shawl with well illustrated charts and clear instructions, more knitters will discover and enjoy the magic of Niebling.

Peony – Pfingstrose Shawl

Peony – Pfingstrose Shawl

 

Lace Knitting Continues …

My second shawl design, Affinity, was inspired by Downtown Abbey and its period fashion of the Edwardian era. Using two yarns – one in smooth pure silk and one in fuzzy silk/mohair blend – of the same colorway, Affinity can also be knitted in one yarn.

Affinity with pure silk and silk/mohair blend yarns

Affinity with silk/cashmere yarn