Early Rides and a New Pattern

Hello readers! Last time I posted, we were gearing up for Christmas, and now - so swiftly does time fly when one is having fun - spring has sprung. (And then, of course, it changed its mind and retreated. No surprises there.)

In January we had a bit of this, though not nearly as much as we needed:

February surprised us all with balmy weather and the very early return of robins, Canada geese, and sandhill cranes. And this:

A February bike commute!

Hello, river trail:

Nice to see you floating over my shoulder, February moon:

And if that weren't treat enough, a week later this happened:

Another February bike commute - in shorts. I still can't quite believe it. Passing drivers were doubtless shielding their eyes from the glare of my legs, and I'm sure I heard Tallulah the Turtle mutter something about needing sunglasses, but no matter. It was glorious.

Unusually mild weather continued, leading to more rides in early March:

Now, alas, we're back to clouds and cold weather, with snow and spitting rain, but we press on undaunted. Spring has shown its mettle, and warmth and sunshine will return soon. Meanwhile, I solace myself with fresh chives and tarragon from the doorstep planter, for they too came back early this year.

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In other news, I've just published a new pattern! Meet the Squirreltail shawl:

Note: Pattern links will take you to my Ravelry store; you don't need to be a Ravelry member to buy a pattern there. If you're not comfortable using Ravelry, and you live in the US, you can contact me via email, or use the contact form at right, to request a pattern purchase through Paypal Goods and Services.

Squirreltail is a triangular shawl featuring modular sections worked Log-Cabin-style in varying stitch patterns, outlined with a striking embellishment technique that loops tall stitches together for a beautifully textural result. The braided-look embellishment rows, together with a rich edging of treble fans, evoke the wild grass for which the pattern is named. Squirreltail is suitable for solids, tonals, or long gradients. Choose a fingering or sportweight yarn.

The pattern is a doozy (and a good part of the reason I haven't blogged since December): 19 pages long, with charts and written instructions for two sizes, plus illustrations, link to a videotutorial, and extensive tips for customizing your shawl size.

The small (gradient) version was worked in Hobbii Azalea, a stranded sport weight cotton/acrylic yarn, color 07 Berry Rose. The shawl used about 862 yards, and measures 52" at the top edge x 25 1/2" at deepest point after blocking. This yarn was soft and pleasant to work with, though a bit splitty (as are all stranded yarns), and the finished shawl is drapey and comfortable. I've enjoyed wearing this version.

The large (grey) version was worked in Cascade Yarns Heritage Sock, a fingering weight superwash merino wool/nylon blend in color 5742 Silver Grey, a lovely tonal. Heritage Sock is a nicely springy yarn, and gives good stitch definition. The finished sample used about 1251 yards, and measures 68" x 31" after blocking. This shawl is so warm and cuddly, and I look forward to wearing it next winter.

I blocked both shawls by spritzing them with water to dampen, letting them sit for a little while so the moisture could permeate the yarn, then gently stretching them out on blocking mats to open the lace, using blocking wires and pins to keep them in shape as they dried. Both yarns blocked beautifully.

You can find the Squirreltail pattern here in my Ravelry store. Readers of this blog can enjoy 40% off the pattern through April 2, 2024, with code WILDGRASS at checkout.

Speaking of wild grass, here is the one that inspired this pattern's name:

Squirreltail (Elymus elymoides),
a wild rye. Photo copyright
My-Lan Le, used under
Creative Commons License CC-BY

Now that this pattern is off my plate, I hope to blog more often!

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Northern Hemisphere readers, was your winter unusually mild? Did spring arrive early where you live?

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September Flowers, and a New Shawl Pattern

Where did August and September go? Here we are on the cusp of October, with autumn beginning to color the landscape, and the air resounding with geese on the wing. Summer heat has given way to warm days and cool nights. Thanks to rampaging seasonal allergies, I'm rather looking forward to the first frost, though as yet there's been no hint of one. (On the bright side, delayed frost means a longer garden season; there is much solace to be found in fresh-picked herbs and tomatoes.)

It's been a while since I posted any wildflower photos, so here is a month's worth to make up for it.

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Butter-and-eggs, or toadflax, has been thick along the river trail this year:

The real stars of September are of course the asters - all kinds, all sizes, from tiny spears to tall and swaying bouquet-like clusters, in every delightful shade of white and palest pink, soft blue and lavender:

Red clover still shines out from roadsides and ditches:

Queen Anne's Lace is beginning to curl up and hug itself against the cooler weather to come:

Once-bright coneflowers are putting on their fall clothes:

On a clear day in mid-September, goldenrod shines against a deep blue sky:

The marshes are full of cheery tickseed:

Snakeroot blossoms in pale clumps at the edge of the woods:

Tiny white sweet-clover edges the road:

Cinquefoil is still blooming too:

And a lone amaranth (I think) guards a glowing golden field of soybeans:

On this ride, I pass a thick patch of hawkweed (or possibly hawk's-beard), looking like tall lacy dandelions:

Many of them have gone exuberantly to seed:

A week later, most of the goldenrod have also gone to seed:

The countryside is taking on its late-September coloring of scarlet, yellow, and green:

Not exactly a flower, but a bike named Iris:

Another common September sight - a woolly bear crossing the road:

(Tallulah the turtle, being rather fond of woolly bears, here climbed down to say hi. But the woolly bear was in a rush, and crawled right past her without saying a word, so I have no photos of their encounter.)

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Over the weekend, life turned grey and drizzly, and rain is forecast for the next several days. I'll miss my bike commutes this week, but am very grateful for the moisture (we've been in severe-to-extreme drought status all summer).

How has your September been?

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In other news, I recently released a new shawl pattern:

Note: The pattern links below will take you to my Ravelry store; you don't need to be a Ravelry member to buy a pattern there. If you're not comfortable using Ravelry, and you live in the US, you can contact me using the form at right to arrange a pattern purchase through Paypal Goods and Services.

A tribute to my twin loves of bicycling and crochet, Vuelta is a top-down triangular shawl named for La Vuelta a España, the final Grand Tour of the professional cycling year. (Which was won by an American this year! Way to go, Sepp.) The Vuelta shawl is open and airy, with lacy stitch elements inspired by sprockets and spokes and wildflowers growing along the road.

Vuelta is suitable for laceweight, fingering, or sport weight yarn, and is easily customized for size; the edging can be worked after any even-numbered row. My sample was designed with a gradient, but this pattern will also look lovely in a solid, tonal, or lightly speckled yarn.

A note about the yarn: I used Apple Tree Knits Groovy Lace in colorway Rainy Day Gradient, from my sister's stash (miss you, Sis). Groovy Lace is a single-ply, 100% wool laceweight yarn, beautifully light and ethereal. My sample used 85 grams, or about 623 yards, and measured 48" wide by 20" deep after blocking.

The Vuelta pattern is 6 pages long and includes written instructions and charts. You can find it here in my Ravelry store. Enjoy 25% off the pattern through October 3, 2023, with code SPROCKET at checkout.

Thanks for reading, and happy crocheting!

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Maerula - a New Pattern

Note: Pattern links in this post will take you to my Ravelry store. You don't need to be a Ravelry member to buy a pattern there. If you're not comfortable using Ravelry, and you live in the US, you can contact me using the form at right to arrange a pattern purchase through Paypal.

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Meet Maerula, my newest crochet shawl pattern:

Named for Anteos maerula, the Yellow Angled-Sulfur, Maerula is a shallow, asymmetrical triangle shawl with rounded corners and a scooped top edge. It's crocheted side-to-side in a lacy stitch pattern inspired by butterfly wings, with a striking edging worked in one with the rows. This pattern is suitable for fingering, sport, or dk weight yarns.

My sample was made with Hobbii Cotton Kings Sultan Pastello, color Gooseberry, a stranded 100% cotton sport weight yarn perfect for warm weather or chilly offices. The finished shawl measured 64" x 14½", and used about 586 yards.

The Maerula pattern includes full written instructions and charts. You can buy it here in my Ravelry store, and enjoy 25% off the pattern through August 20, 2023 with code BUTTERFLY at checkout.

Thanks for viewing, and happy crocheting!

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P.S. Here's a peek at the butterfly behind this pattern's name:

Anteos maerula, Yellow Angled-Sulfur
(c) John Rosford – some rights reserved (CC BY)
Photo used under a Creative Commons License

You can find many more photos of Anteos maerula here.

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A New Twist on an Old Pattern

(Note: All links in this post will take you to my Ravelry store. You don't have to be a Ravelry member to buy a pattern there. If you're not comfortable using Ravelry, and you live in the US, you can contact me using the form at right to arrange a pattern purchase through Paypal.)

I'm pleased to present Olive Twist II, an updated version of the Olive Twist shawl pattern originally published in Love of Crochet, Summer 2014.

Olive Twist II is a lacy, top-down triangular shawl featuring twisted loops for a filigreed effect. It works up quickly in any yarn weight from fingering to worsted, and the size is easily customized by working more or fewer repeat rows.

The updated pattern has been revised to improve the shawl’s shape, allow for a range of yarn weights, and eliminate the need for a top edging, making it suitable for gradient yarns. Olive Twist II will also look lovely in a solid, tonal, or lightly speckled yarn.

My sample was worked in Wonderland Yarns & Frabjous Fibers Blossoms, color Narcissus Poeticus, a lovely 80% merino/20% nylon fingering weight gradient yarn with a soft hand, great structure, and wonderful drape. The finished shawl measured 44" x 19" after blocking, and used about 450 yards.

The yarn blocked beautifully, letting the twisted loops really pop:

This stitch pattern responds best to vigorous blocking, so if you're planning an Olive Twist II of your own, choose a fiber that will block well.

The Olive Twist II pattern includes full written instructions, charts, helpful illustrations, and a link to a short video tutorial. You can buy it here in my Ravelry store, and enjoy 25% off the pattern until May 1 2023 with code TWISTY at checkout.

Thanks for viewing, and happy crocheting!

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New (and New-to-You) Patterns

I may have slacked off from blogging for nearly a year, but I didn't stop designing. So this post is a bit of a catch-up to highlight my two latest patterns, and show you two more that were published last year but never blogged.

We'll start with the newest first. (Note: All links will take you to my Ravelry store. You don't have to be a Ravelry member to buy a pattern there. If you're not comfortable using Ravelry, and you live in the US, you can contact me using the form at right to arrange a purchase through Paypal.)

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Rhyolite Hat

Like the stone it's named for, the Rhyolite Hat features a fascinating combination of textures, from the smooth and stretchy linked-stitch crown, to the cushiony, crystalline-looking star stitch band accented with drop stitches. It's also reversible, so you can wear it inside out for a completely different look.

Rhyolite looks best in a solid, tonal, or lightly speckled yarn. Light to medium colors will let the stitch pattern shine.

The pink Rhyolite sample was worked in Emma's Yarns Simply Spectacular DK, 100% superwash merino, color Glamping. This yarn was lovely to handle and work with, though just a tiny bit splitty here and there. Based on its yardage and size, it seemed more like a light worsted than a DK weight, so I used the same size hook (US H/5mm) as I did for the green worsted weight version.

The green version was worked in Misti Alpaca Best of Nature Worsted, 100% alpaca, color Spring Bud. This yarn is beautifully silky to the touch, and held up well to lots of frogging and re-working as I developed the pattern. The finished hat feels soft and luxurious, with a wonderful drape.

Both hats were very lightly blocked by spritzing with water to dampen, then laying flat on a towel to dry.

Rhyolite is worked top-down in spiral rounds from the crown to the band, and joined rounds from the band to the brim. Careful stitch placement and special joining techniques give the band a perfectly seamless appearance. If you enjoy unusual stitches and mindful crochet, you'll like this pattern.

The Rhyolite Hat pattern includes full written instructions for both worsted weight and dk weight versions, plus charts and a video tutorial for the special stitches and joins. Find it here in my Ravelry store, and enjoy 25% off this pattern through Tuesday February 21 with code MRSM at checkout. (This code will work for all of the patterns featured in this blog post.)

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Ashborn Shawl

The Ashborn Shawl is a shallow, elongated crescent shawl, worked side-to-side with a softly zigzagged lower edge. The simple stitch pattern and intriguing short-row edging make for a happy mix of mindless crochet with regular pops of interest. Wear it bandanna-style, or swirl it around your shoulders for layers of soft scallops. The pattern is divided into sections for easy customization, so you can make your shawl wider or narrower, deeper or shallower, by working more or fewer repeats of the desired sections.

Ashborn was designed with a gradient, but will also look lovely in solid, tonal, or lightly speckled yarns. This sample was worked in Hobbii Cotton Kings Sultan, 100% cotton, color 37 Pearl. Stranded cotton yarns like this one can really flatten with wet-blocking, so to preserve the edging texture I gave this shawl a just bit of a spritz to lightly dampen it, then let it dry flat. (The fabric worked up so nicely I could probably have skipped the blocking altogether.)

The Ashborn Shawl pattern has written instructions, full charts, and a link to a video tutorial. You can buy it here in my Ravelry store, and enjoy 25% off this pattern through Tuesday February 21 with code MRSM at checkout.

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The next two patterns were both inspired by a little verse of my own, published here in May 2011 (a lifetime ago!):

Cross-legged in the grass, I watch

the rainbow growing in my hands

while lilac winds make music in the pines

Music in the Pines

Music in the Pines is an asymmetrical triangle shawl with a softly curving neckline, worked corner-out in a lacy combination of chain loops, v-stitches, and treble crochet clusters. A scalloped edging is worked in one with the rows, and an openwork section across the short end features subtle pine tree shapes:

Music in the Pines was designed with a gradient, but will also look lovely in solid or tonal yarns. (For best appearance, choose a yarn that will block well.) This sample was worked in Hobbii Azalea, a stranded cotton/acrylic blend, color 5 Persil. The yarn was soft and pleasant to handle; it responded well to wet-blocking and being pinned to shape until dry.

The Music in the Pines pattern includes written instructions and charts. Find the pattern here in my Ravelry store, and enjoy 25% off through Tuesday February 21 with code MRSM at checkout.

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Lilac Winds

The sister pattern to Music in the Pines, Lilac Winds is a lush and lacy trapezoidal shawl with a softly scooped neck. Worked from the top down, it features stitch patterns inspired by lilac petals, wind, and pine boughs. An easy foundation loop row lets you customize your shawl’s relative width and depth.

Lilac Winds was designed with a gradient, but will also look lovely in solid or tonal yarns. (For best appearance, choose a yarn that will block well.) This sample was worked in Hobbii Cotton Kings Sultan Pastello, a 100% cotton stranded yarn, color 7 Beautyberry. The finished shawl was blocked by dampening and pinning to shape. 

The Lilac Winds pattern includes written instructions and charts. Find it here in my Ravelry store, and enjoy 25% off the pattern until Tuesday February 21 with code MRSM at checkout.

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Whew! All caught up now. The next pattern I post will be a free one. :)

Thanks for viewing, and happy crocheting!

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Two New Patterns

I'm pleased to announce that I have recently published not one, but two patterns. And - wait for it - one of them is knit. (Gasps resound from crocheting readers around the world.)

Let's start with the crochet pattern. This is Crystallon, a lacy shawl inspired by thoughts of crystallized water (Crystallon means "frozen drop" in Greek):

Crystallon uses only chain, single crochet, and double crochet. My sample measures 55" across by 25" deep, and took 142 gm (about 621 yards) of sportweight yarn.

The yarn is Hobbii Cotton Kings Sultan (color Apatite), a stranded gradient yarn consisting of four threads that change color one at a time, every hundred yards or so. This yarn is unplied, and takes a bit of getting used to, but it blocks beautifully and is a very affordable option for gradient-yarn lovers.

Crystallon includes charts and full written instructions, with options for a beaded or picot edge. Find the pattern here in my Ravelry store, and enjoy a 25% discount until February 20 with code ICY at checkout.

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And here is my new knitting pattern: iHat!

iHat knits up quickly in worsted weight wool, and features simple stranded colorwork, subtle decreases, a quirky spiral crown closure, and contrast color nupps made with a crochet hook.

The nupps can be worked as-you-go (videotutorial here), or after the hat is complete. Having tried both methods, I found the afterthought nupps easier to make, with more consistent results. Your mileage may vary.

Afterthought nupps on the left, as-you-go on the right

The grey/yellow hat was worked in Knit Picks Wool of the Andes Worsted (colors Mist and Creme Brulee); the sand/purple hat was worked in Shepherd's Wool Worsted (color Beaches) and Wool of the Andes Worsted (color Columbine). All the yarns were lovely to handle, and blocked well.

iHat includes charts, full written instructions, and illustrated tutorials for two nupp methods. Find the pattern here in my Ravelry store, and get a 25% discount until February 20 with code MIHAT at checkout.

Thanks for viewing, and happy crocheting. And knitting!

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