Rook was the third pattern I wrote for my book, Graphic Knits. I chose the lovely Blue Sky Alpacas "Alpaca Silk" yarn for this design because it comes in such a fantastic palette of colors. As soon as the yarn arrived, I could hardly wait to get started on this design.

Rook is one of my very favorite patterns in the book, but it probably gave me the most trouble design-wise. It was a little bit of a nightmare, actually. I started work on this pattern as Hurricane Sandy approached New York City in October 2012, and didn't finish until four months later at the end of February 2013. To put that in perspective, I was trying to design, and knit about 1½ to 2 new things every single month to make the seemingly impossible August 2013 deadline I had for my book.

I had a grand vision for Rook. I would invent a new shoulder construction just for this design–my very own method for a top-down seamless sweater with a simultaneous set-in sleeve cap. It's a lot of fun to knit, but boy it was a doozy to figure out!

Of course, I rarely get anything right on my first try, and this new shoulder construction was no exception. I knitted the whole body of the sweater, and half a sleeve before I realized that my original design had some serious problems. The armsyce was just too long and the top of the cap was strangely boxy. The long armsyce introduced a whole heap of other issues that I won't even bore you with.

It was clear I had to start over. I knew the concept had great potential but my time limitations were forcing me to consider scrapping the whole design. I was so sad, because I thought it was one of the very best designs in my whole book proposal.

After taking a little (two month) break from the project, I decided to give it another try. I refigured the math for the sleeve cap and got to work re-knitting the top portion of the sweater. Version 2 was everything I hoped it would be! An all around perfect fit.

Thankfully, most of the color-work in the lower portion of the sweater could be salvaged, but I would have to graft it by hand to the new top–not an easy task! And lucky you, I documented the whole thing, for your future blog reading delight.

The graft became 100% invisible after I blocked the sweater. Since the new shoulder section was shorter by a couple of inches, I was able to add a little more of that lovely Fair Isle pattern to the bottom, which made me really happy.

I think I look a little triumphant in that picture. What do you think?!

Of course making the decision to rip out weeks of work is not easy, but I've never regretted it once. It was my expectation that as I became a more experienced designer, that there would be many fewer of these kinds of harrowing experiences, but that is just not the case. In fact, I start over on things much more than I used to. I think I hold myself to an ever-higher standard, because I know that every new design can be a masterpiece. It might not look like a Rembrandt, but completing Rook was one of my proudest moments.

For more information about the design, check out the pattern page here.

Time is almost up to back Midwestern Knits on Kickstarter! This is a book I really want to see published, so I hope you'll join the campaign to help
Allyson and Carina reach their goal.

I'm a native Oklahoman transplanted to Brooklyn. Enthusiastic cultural pride seems to be an important part of being a New Yorker, so people here are always trying to pin down my regional identity. Because it's right in the middle of the country, Oklahoma is a bit perplexing for most people to classify, including Oklahomans. Is it the South? Well, not really. True southerners don't think so anyway. Is it in the Midwest? No, not quite. Well, that leaves southwest, right? Um, definitely not!

Technically, the Sooner State is the South, but I feel a bit like a chameleon sometimes when talking to people from adjacent regions. I can identify with all of them in some way. That's why I was so excited (and a twinge prideful) when I saw my buddy Allyson's concept for a Midwest inspired collaborative collection. I love the idea, and can hardly wait to see what the impressive roster of designers come up with.

I've backed this project, and I hope you will too!

Welcome to the Knit Darling Sweetness Pullover KAL! If you missed the announcement, catch up on the details about entering to win and participation here. Part 1 is all about yarn! Your KAL assignment this week is to select yarn and figure out what needles you need to use by making some gauge swatches.

YARN SELECTION

The pattern for Sweetness was written using Tosh Sport yarn from Madelinetosh. This superwash yarn is tightly wound, very smooth and a little bit on the dense side. The result of these attributes is incredible stitch definition and a full but supple knitted fabric, which made for a really nice fit on this negative-ease sweater. While these attributes produced a very beautiful sample that looked great in photos, the sweater came out a little bit heavier than I usually prefer for everyday wear.

For my KAL sweater, I have decided to use a different yarn from the pattern. There is always a lot to consider when substituting yarn, but that's all part of the fun, now isn't it? My #1 desire is a lighter weight sweater because I know I will wear it more.

I got some really beautiful Shi-Bui Pebble yarn from Knit-Purl in Portland, Oregon that I am going to try out held doubled. The pebble yarn is an exquisite cashmere/recycled silk/merino blend, so I think the fibers will probably bloom and fill out after blocking to make a deliciously soft light fabric.

If you're also going to substitute yarn, what do you plan to use? Let me know over in the Ravelry forums here.

Now, on to the swatch!

SWATCHING

Of course thorough swatching is one of the best ways to ensure a successful project. It's important to keep notes about every swatch you do, too, especially if you're doing a radical yarn substitution like I am.

For every swatch, I make a tag with all the pertinent info: needle size, yarn type, pre-blocking gauge and post-blocking gauge. I'm pretty meticulous with my gauge documentation because I like to know how the fabric is going to behave pre- and post-blocking. This info might be useful when I figure out how long to knit my sweater.

I had to make three gauge swatches before I got close enough to the 5 stitches per inch gauge listed in the pattern. Size 6 needles ended up working best, which was actually a little surprising to me. After blocking my third swatch, I got about 5.25 sts per inch. I want a very snug fit, so I think this will work just fine. Also, my experience with silk blends has been that they grow a little with wear.

When you're making a gauge swatch, it's very important to simulate how you will knit the actual sweater as much as possible. You might notice that my swatches look a little funny. Since this sweater is mostly worked in the round, I decided to also make my swatches in the round on circular needles. Also, it's good to knit the swatch with the exact same needles you plan to use. I've written a little about this subject before, you might remember.

There is an easy technique for this simulated circular swatch. You use circular needles to make something very similar to a gigantic icord. Cast-on normally, a knit row, then scoot the stitches to the other end of your needle. Pull out about a 6" tail, and knit to the end, leaving the strand to dangle across the piece on the backside. Continue scooting and knitting to make the swatch.

There's a good reason for making this funny swatch. Most people have a different gauge for knit stitches vs. purl stitches. The difference can add up dramatically over a large number of rows.

I wet-blocked the swatches (because that's how I plan to finish the actual sweater) and cut the strands with scissors before laying them out to dry.

If you're joining in on the KAL, come on over to the Ravelry Forum and share what kind of yarn you're using.

I'd also love to see you on Instagram. Follow me @alexiswinslow and use the hashtag #sweetnessKAL when you share your project pics.

Rockling was the second pattern I wrote for my book, Graphic Knits.

Like my Minnow Top, this is another example of a stitch pattern inspiring a garment. I actually knitted a cardigan similar to this many years ago before I began recording my patterns. I loved that sweater so much and practically wore it out. When I ran across this beautiful slipped-stitch textured pattern in one of Barbara Walker's Treasuries I knew it would be perfect for this wonderful cozy cardigan. Here's the sketch that I included in my book proposal:

I was really excited to get started on this one. I remember casting on while sitting outside in the Brooklyn Bridge Park almost exactly 2 years ago. The giant yarn cake of the freshly wound Eco+ Wool seemed like a ridiculous thing to lug around on my bike, but I love knitting outdoors!

I finished the cardigan in just a few weeks and proudly wore the sample to work the next day. My husband snapped a few pictures of me before I walked out the door in my new sweater.

I look pretty proud of myself, don't I?! I was definitely feeling good that day. Putting my second book design to bed gave me a little more confidence, for that day, at least!

I like the finished version even more than my original design sketch. I love to look back at my old sketches and compare them to the finished garments. I get a little sentimental because every change occurred for a reason, and I'm reminded of a particular challenge or insight I had along the way.

I loved this design so much, that I just couldn't wait for the sample to come back from Interweave. After I turned in my manuscript I scooped up some yarn from L & B Yarn Co and knitted another one to keep in my cubicle at work. I rarely reknit my own designs, so it was a little weird for me to experience the pattern as a reader would. Actually, it was much more relaxing without all the second-guessing of myself that usually occurs in my design process!

For more information about the design, check out the pattern page here.

I have a TON of trunk shows, knit-alongs, and blog appearances planned from now until the end of 2014. I hope you'll stop by as many as you can to see what all the fuss is about!

THE SCHEDULE

Graphic Knits Book Reviews:

9/14 - The Knit Girllls Video Podcast
9/18 - Knitting Daily Blog
10/06 - Alex Tinsley on Dull Roar
10/27 - Hand Made by Stefanie

Interviews:

9/15 - Sweatshop of Love
9/16 - Tanis Knits
10/09 - Planet Purl
10/16 - Neo Knits
10/30 - A Verb For Keeping Warm - interview planned
11/14 - Berroco Blog

Graphic Knits KAL's:

9/19 - Knit Darling – Sweetness Pullover
10/3 - Heather Zoppetti Designs – Woodstar Mitts
10/7 - Dayana Knits – Laszlo Cardigan
10/9 - Knitscene/Knitting Daily blog – Barbet Turtleneck
10/9 - Stockinette Zombies – Megan will knit Germander Shrug and Amy will make Sweetness Pullover
10/16 - Polka Dot Overload – Bowerbird Wrap

Trunk Show and Book Signing Events:

10/11- Brooklyn, NY La Casita Yarn Shop during NYC yarn crawl 2-5pm
10/18 - Rhinebeck, NY – New York Sheep & Wool Festival 10am-5pm
10/19 - Rhinebeck, NY – New York Sheep & Wool Festival 10am-5pm
10/26 - Vancouver, BC – Urban Yarns // book signing & trunk show (time tbd)
11/1 - Portland, OR – Knit Purl // book signing & trunk show (time tbd)
11/14 - San Francisco, CA ImagiKnit // book signing & trunk show 4pm
11/16 - Oakland/Berkely, CA – A Verb for Keeping Warm // Book signing & trunk show 3-5pm
12/22 - Norman, OK – L&B Yarn Company // book signing & trunk show 6-8pm

(this post will be updated if events times/places change)

Announcing plans for the Sweetness Pullover knit-along! The Sweetness Pullover is one of my favorite designs from my new book Graphic Knits, and I'm so excited to make one for myself!

If you've never knitted a sweater before, the Sweetness Pullover is an excellent place to start. Any beginner sweater knitter would probably have to learn a few new skills, but don't worry because I'll be with you all the way!

Some of the more intermediate level skills in the pattern are circular knitting, a small section of short-row shaping to raise the back if the collar (that's completely optional, actually), fair isle knitting, picking up stitches, and blocking your finished garment. All these skills are incorporated one at a time, in a very straightforward way, so there's absolutely nothing to be scared of. Also, I have created video tutorials for each of these skills that you can watch over and over if you're nervous ;)

The KAL will be broken up into 6 parts from September 19 to November 17, at a nice leisurely pace. Feel free to step it up and work ahead in the pattern though!

As a prize, all participants in my Ravelry group who finish their sweater by the deadline will get their choice of one free Knit Darling pattern. I will also have a grand prize that includes some fabulous yarn from my gigantic stash and a signed copy of my Winsome Knits booklet from Knit Picks.

Participants can post pictures via Ravelry or Instagram, and I will share some of my favorites here on my blog as we go along.

The Graphic Knits book that contains the Sweetness Pullover pattern is available in paperback and as an instant PDF download. If you want the paperback check your local yarn shop, or order now so you have the pattern in time to start!

THE DETAILS
KAL begins September 19 and ends November 17 (my birthday!) Of course late joiners are also welcome, but you must finish the sweater and post a picture by the end date to be eligible to win.

Prize winners will be selected from Ravelry participants, but you can also join the fun on Instagram with hashtag #sweetnessKAL.

Ravelry Info: Join KnitDarling's Ravelry Group and share your work in progress (WIP) pictures in the Sweetness KAL thread.

Instagram Info: follow @alexiswinslow and share your progress pics with the hashtag #sweetnessKAL .

Here's another pic of the sample from the book for a little inspiration.

I'm so excited to get started! I hope to see everyone over in my Ravelry group soon.

Minnow was the very first pattern I wrote for my book, Graphic Knits.

The simple act of beginning the book was an incredibly daunting thing. It was September 2012, and I had just finished my Winsome Knits collection for Knit Picks. I had about 11 months to produce 20 more new patterns and the corresponding samples. I was basically freaking out.

The proposal process was stressful, but Interweave's wonderful acquisitions editor, Allison Korleski guided me through every step. After my proposal was accepted and I signed my contract, it took an excruciating 5 weeks before Interweave assigned an editor to my book.

Based on my experience with Allison, I had a lot of assumptions about my editor's roll in the book. I assumed that once I had an editor she would become very involved; this was my very first book, after all. I'm not sure why, but I thought a close author/editor relationship was essential. I thought I needed my editor's permission to start the Work. Every passing day was excruciating because I knew my deadline was already next to impossible. All I wanted to do was BEGIN. It soon became clear I was going to have to figure it out on my own.

My book proposal contained about 30 designs and I figured I could choose anything I wanted for the required 20. Looking it over, I divided my designs into a list of "definitely's and maybe's." The next step was ordering yarn. I had zero contacts in the yarn biz, but I did have a favorite yarn company, Blue Sky Alpacas. I decided to start there.

About a year prior, one of my design proposals made it into Ann Budd's book, Scarf Style 2. When Ann ordered my yarn, she CC'd me on the email she sent to the yarn company. I remember thinking how casually she asked for free yarn, kind of like "Hey Mr. Yarn-Guy, we haven't met but please send a bunch of free yarn to this unknown designer. Kthxbye." I thought, wow! What confidence! I could be like that.

So with this in mind, I visited Blue Sky Alpacas' website and filled out the "contact" form to introduce myself and to ask for yarn support. They responded quickly and I felt empowered. Soon, boxes and boxes of yarn were arriving on my doorstep, and I began working away on my very first pattern, Minnow.

I chose to begin with Minnow partially because I thought it wouldn't give me much trouble design-wise, and partially because I just could not wait to dig into that delicious Blue Sky Alpacas Metalico yarn. The name Minnow was inspired by the beautiful texture of the yarn. It's called Metalico, but it really has more of a pearly glow than a hard metallic shine. It's silvery luster reminded me of the little minnow fish. It made me think of the giant minnow tanks inside the gas stations near my childhood home in Oklahoma. In that area, the gas stations all carried fishing bait because they were near a lake. I would peer into the dark swirling minnow tanks to kill time while my parents chatted up the shopkeepers.

The design for Minnow was actually inspired by another one of my patterns, the Westfalia Scarf, which I had just completed for Winsome Knits. If you look at that design, you'll notice that the eyelet motif is very similar.

For some reason, certain stitch patterns are just more entertaining and relaxing to knit than others, and this is one of those stitch patterns. The stitch seemed kind of like an old friend that I was very glad to see again.

Every time I look at Minnow, I think about the all fun I had knitting it, but also all the emotion tied up in that period of time. It's funny how knits can do that. We spend so much time with our projects in our hands that they each become woven into life's experiences.

I hope you'll pick up a copy of the book and create your own memories! For more info, check out the pattern page here.

Graphic Knits is my new book from Interweave Press that hits the shelves in just a few weeks (available for pre-order here) . The book, with 20 exciting new garment and accessory patterns, is the pinnacle of my design career and I couldn’t be more proud to share it with the world!

The process from start to finish took just over 2 years, and consumed most of my waking/non-day-job-working hours. If you've ever wondered what it's like to write a knitting book, you're in luck. Over the coming weeks I will tell-all, divulging everything I wasn't supposed to talk about from start to finish. I will introduce each design from the book here on my blog, talk about my life during the design process, discuss inspiration, show sketches, and finally share all the difficulties and the triumphs I encountered on the way.

To kick off my blog campaign, I'm running a YouTube contest! Check out my video below, and comment for a chance to win a free signed copy of Graphic Knits. Comment here on my blog AND on YouTube to double your chances of winning!

Contest Rules:
One comment per person at KnitDarling.com AND at YouTube.com. Contest ends September 30th, 2014. The winner will be contacted via their profile on YouTube or via the information provided in the comment form at KnitDarling.com.

Update: Winner Announced
Anita Nauman won a signed copy of the book and a couple extra bonus patterns.

Recently, I needed a button for a new cardigan I knitted for an upcoming Brooklyn Tweed Wool People collection (sorry, no pictures allowed yet). The button needed to be sort of plain, because the design is very clean and modern, but also compliment the warm coziness of the BT Loft yarn I used. Of course, I have some of the very best button stores at my disposal here in NYC, but why bother when I have the power to make the perfect button, right here in my living room?!

If you've never made covered buttons before, you've been missing out. It's kind of amazing because they open up a whole new world of interesting button possibilities--including of course, hand-knitted buttons.

Covered buttons are especially great for using with lightweight hand knits that require larger buttons. Big heavy buttons can pull on delicate hand knits and distort them over time. I learned this the hard way, of course, so I'm very sensitive to gravity's effects. Covered buttons are pretty much hollow, making them more lightweight than standard plastic buttons. This is exactly what I needed for my BT cardigan.

As I created my buttons, I thought this is just the kind of thing my Knit Darling readers would love to learn about! I’ve made a great number of covered buttons over the years, so I have a lot of knowledge I can share. Before I get into the instructions though, I have a few things you should consider.

ONE
I’ve never successfully made a tiny knitted covered button. Because of this, I suggest you use a medium to large sized covered button kit. I like to use the kind of covered buttons that feature comb-like teeth on the underside because they are perfect for grabbing the edges of knitted fabric. I've used Dritz brand half-ball covered button kits with great results.

TWO
Select a very lightweight yarn–fingering weight works best. Most covered button kits are designed to be used with thin woven fabrics. Thicker yarn doesn't work because it prevents the back plate from snapping into place properly.

THREE
Use a smaller needle than suggested to create a very dense fabric. This is more of an aesthetic thing. The piece of fabric you knit has to stretch over the shiny metal button, and any little gaps between your stitches will become very obvious. I always use size 0 needles.

FOUR
Contrary to the kit instructions, make your knitted piece only barely larger than the button itself. This will reduce bulk inside the button, which will make snapping the cover into place much easier. Again, the kits are designed to be used with woven fabrics that fray near the cut edges. We won't have that problem with our custom made knitted covers, so ignore the pattern on the back if the package.

INSTRUCTIONS
You will be making a little octagon that is just big enough to wrap around the top if the button. You might like to measure the button to determine this size, but I've also done pretty well just estimating it as I go.

Cast-on about 4-8 stitches, depending on the size of your button (about 1/3 the width of the button). Begin knitting the piece in whatever stitch you like, and cast-on one extra stitch at the end of every single row until the piece becomes a little wider than the button itself. At this point, it should be about 1/3 of the total length that you need. Now, knit straight without shaping until the piece is about 2/3 of the total length that you need. Then, begin decreasing one stitch at the beginning of every row until the piece is the right length and bind-off.

ASSEMBLE THE BUTTON
Look at your knitted piece and determine if the fabric is dense enough to hide the shiny button to your liking. If not, it's okay to paint the button with a matching color (use nail polish, acrylic paint, or enamel spray paint).

Now, place the knitted fabric with the right-side facing down on a table. Position the top of the button, rounded side down over the fabric. Pull a bit of the fabric around to the back so it catches in the teeth. Take a bit of fabric from the opposite edge and stretch it so it catches on the teeth on the other side. You want the fabric to be tight across the top of the button, but not stressed, if that makes sense. Make adjustments to center the fabric now, because it becomes practically impossible later.

Continue attaching small bits of fabric from opposite sides until the fabric is completely secured. Trim the ends about 1/8" from the fabric.

Then, the only thing left to do is snap the back cover plate into place. Refer to the package to see which side is "up" on the back plate. This maneuver is always a little tricky, and occasionally I find it necessary to employ a hammer, but usually I can just use the edge of a table to press the plate into place.

Of course, there are lots of opportunities to get creative with your covered buttons. Try different stitch patterns or stripes. I think it could also look cool to paint the button cover a contrasting color, and let that show through a lace stitch pattern.

Do you have any cool ideas, or maybe some tips of your own? Please share in the comments section below!

 

Since I finished writing the manuscript for my book, I've been trying to use my extra time to expand my skills. I've had a lot of fun doing so many different things like video production, web design, and even exercise (I've been working up to doing a push-up, and somehow discovered that I like running- nobody saw that coming, especially me!).

I've been all over the place doing things that have very little to do with knitting, but last weekend I brought it home (a little) by taking a two-day intensive machine knitting class at the Textile Arts Center.

The class was taught by Mandy Kordal, who has her very own beautiful independent knitwear line. She taught us 3 cast-on techniques, how to make eyelets, some simple shaping techniques, and a few different ways to bind-off. By the end of the class, everyone had made a simple slouchy beanie. Here's mine:

I used two strands of yarn knitted together to get a marled effect. Here's what it looked like right before I "casted-off":

Of course knitting by machine is very different from hand knitting, but I was definitely able to apply my design skills. I have to admit, sailing through a 100 stitch row of stockinette in about 2 seconds was pretty exhilarating. I couldn't help myself when I saw we had some extra time at the end of class, and I whipped up this simple top.

I think owning a knitting machine would be pretty useful because I could quickly test out unusual shapes for my knitting patterns. But the machines are pretty expensive, so unless I find time to produce and sell my knitted items, I'm not sure it makes sense to buy one. If I ever saw one for cheap at a garage sale though, I would snatch it up in a heartbeat!

Have you ever owned a knitting machine? Did you use it much?