Chawton Mittens — Re-released!

Long-time readers of this blog will remember my Chawton Mittens, which were originally published in the inaugural issue of the Jane Austen Knits magazine all the way back in 2011. Well, the rights reverted back to me after a year, and re-releasing that beloved pattern has been on my to-do list since then. Today, my friends, I’ve finally done it!

Chawton Mittens — including brand new pattern photography!

Announcing: Hue and Value!

I’m thrilled to announce a brand new pattern, launching today. Introducing the Hue and Value shawl!

What to Knit?

I’ve finished a few lingering projects lately, and now… now I’m wondering what to knit next! I want to knit ALL THE THINGS, but I have only two hands, and that means I have to pick ONE pattern and ONE yarn (or set of yarns) to start with. But how?!?

Sneaky peek

Thanks to my sister, I found out late last night that there’s a preview of my forthcoming pattern out there in the wild…

A Needle Pulling Thread -- summer preview page in the spring issue (with thanks to my sister for the photo!)

Let’s look a little closer, shall we?

Zooming in (and correcting the colour somewhat)... TA DA!

This is a beach coverup that I designed, at the request of Kate Atherley/Wisehilda, the knitting editor of the magazine (and tech editing genius, Knitty sock editor, and all-around knitting inspiration), for A Needle Pulling Thread magazine. (ANPT is a Canadian needlework magazine, featuring knitting, crochet, quilting, beading, embroidery, etc.)

The request was for something reeeeeeeeally simple, in linen. Et voilà:

Simple? Check. Linen? You bet.

I’ll have more to say about the coverup design when the actual summer issue comes out — for now, you can read my sister’s blog post about finding the preview.

Moment of SQUEE

I literally just did a dance in my chair — at the office, no less — on seeing Maria’s finished pair of Chawton Mittens in her blog post. These are the first completed Chawtons I’ve seen (aside from the original sample pair). She had a few technical difficulties, but the results are still outstanding. Way to go, Maria!

Maria's Chawton Mittens

Chawton Mittens update

Interweave has now made the patterns from the (dare I say it) outstanding special issue, Jane Austen Knits, available for individual download.

That means that my Chawton Mittens pattern can now be yours for $5.50 US as a standalone pattern. You can still buy the entire magazine, either as a PDF download, a Zinio subscription, or a printed copy, of course!

(Can I just say how surreal it is, STILL, to see my name on the Interweave website?)

Chawton Mittens

Rav link for Chawton Mittens

 

Cameos Your Way

The Chawton Mittens are, I hope, utterly Austen. But they really don’t have to be. Cameos are really trendy these days, whether they feature classic Grecian goddesses or something a little more quirky. There is absolutely nothing saying that you have to knit the Chawton Mittens as designed; you could easily use them as a framework to show off your own allegiances.

Chawton Mittens — Insider Tips

There is one potentially tricky section of the Chawton Mittens: the cameos. Traditional fair-isle patterns avoid long stretches of one colour, specifically because it’s hard to maintain tension when you have long floats of the unused colour strung along behind the work. (Also, those long strands are easily snagged on fingertips, rings, etc.) But with the Chawton Mittens, the cameos are the main design feature, and the whole definition of a silhouette is that it’s just an outline. I had to unvent a technique for dealing with the resulting long strands.

Inspiration for Chawton Mittens

So, the magazine is officially out! I can now talk and talk and talk about it as much as I want. (You’ve been warned.)

The call for submissions for Jane Austen Knits came out last fall, and I was immediately captivated; I have an inordinately geeky soft spot for Jane, specifically, and the Regency period in general. I’d only barely dabbled in design, at that point, but I knew I wanted to at least try to design something for this publication.

A Cashmere Hug

Even while I was knitting the Damask shawl, by Kitman Figueroa, for my sister’s wedding, I was already plotting which of Kitman’s patterns to knit next. Seriously, that woman is some kind of stitch-whisperer; the way she combines stitch patterns is nothing short of magical.