g.bella knits

Reverse Rib Kerchief Pattern

2010-01-30T15:59:00.009-05:00

Hello out there, folks - sorry I've been absent for a long time but I now have something new for you, and I hope you'll enjoy it! I have been working on triangular patterns (for a change) and playing with textures, and I ended up with the Reverse Rib Kerchief - already a favorite! Reverse rib is just like regular rib stitching except that everything is knit or purled through the back loop, which makes the knit stitches really pop up. It's an incredibly versatile little shawl, basically intended to be worn like a bandanna, tied around your neck at the back, but there are many creative ways to wear it and wear it well. The Tosh Sock yarn used in this pattern is so beautiful and warm - comes in many amazing bright colors. Highly recommended! I used the Cobalt and Warm Maize colorways for these.

This pattern should be a straightforward knit for those who have knit triangular shawls in the past, or who feel ready to give it a shot. You need to know how to do a provisional cast-on (directions for that are readily available online in many places), knit and purl through the back loop, and make yarn-overs. It requires about 400 yds of sock-weight yarn and US #3 needles, 24" circular. There is no chart for this one - just written instructions. Hopefully they will be easy to follow, but as always, please feel free to leave a comment below if you run into any problems.

I will also be posting this under my name on Ravelry so you all can go discuss there! I look forward to seeing what you come up with.

It is available for purchase via paypal only for $5.50 here (you will receive a .pdf document containing the pattern emailed to you):

Mesh - basic stitch pattern

2009-06-06T13:19:00.003-04:00

A few of you have asked me about what stitch pattern I used to make the shawl in the previous post. It's very straightforward: using US2 needles and a laceweight yarn, cast on 99 stitches. The stitch pattern is as follows: K1, *ssk, yo*, repeat between * *, end k2. It is the same stitch pattern on the right and wrong sides of the shawl. Get a few rows in and you'll see that you can do this while hardly watching your hands - making it great for your stitch & bitch, an airplane, watching tv...etc. Enjoy!

Meshed

2009-04-30T12:28:00.004-04:00

Here's the finished project of the red preview in the previous post. The stretching properties of mesh are not to be underestimated!

This is a mystery yarn, found in Albuquerque in a stash of weaving materials - a beautiful deep red silk. This one's gonna get a LOT of use.

Spring Textures

2009-03-31T13:45:00.004-04:00

Haven't had much time of late as I try to finish grad school (yes, that's right, seven more weeks to my masters!!), but lately I've been really attracted to color and texture, and have been swatching up projects like the ones above and below. Top photo is merino in fabric stitch; bottom photo is silk in a loose mesh rib. Happy spring!

february bay rain + blue sarcelle

2009-02-15T13:55:00.008-05:00

I often tell people that knitting is my zen activity - it always chills me out and allows me mull things over while keeping my hands busy. Of course, you all know about that effect.

Kristi Geraci's Sarcelle, which I've now made twice, is a fantastic pattern for zen knitting. It has a lovely bias-running silhouette that I plan to work with in my next pattern...if I ever get out of thesis madness, that is.

As for the yarn, I got it here, at yarnchef's etsy store - it is the "spun sugar" silk laceweight in a custom color. Without question, the most amazing blue I have ever seen.

So, two recommendations for you: the pattern, and the yarn. Go to town!

New Prez, New Socks.

2009-01-20T21:04:00.003-05:00

I decided to welcome our awesome new Prez Obama in style, with some finished kneesocks (after all, the man said we are not allowed to sit around and wait for things to happen - we have to get going and make them happen, y'all!) The pattern is lovely (I subbed in Lorna's Laces sock yarn in this sagey green, 3 skeins) - and linked in the previous post. Below: close up of the lace repeats. Enjoy. And welcome, Mr. President - we are so lucky to have you leading the way.

Y'all best go check this out.

2008-11-17T23:38:00.002-05:00

So I am pretty picky about patterns - in that, I don't really like them 'cause I'm not big on following directions/rules/etc and prefer to make my own ;) - but, I must say, you really should see this pattern. Unbelievably cool lace kneesocks...mad props to Julia Vaconsin because these just totally rock my dpns - I'll be making them soon...

Socks for Barack!

2008-10-22T14:12:00.005-04:00

The election day kneesocks are done! They are super cozy and I'm loving the color combo. The yarn is Wollmeise sock yarn - one skein each of Granatapfel (red) and Vergissmeinnicht (blue), with a bit left over in each skein. I alternated ten rows of red with six rows of blue for the striping, with red heels and toes. (That is, this is not self-striping yarn, but you can easily do stripes by alternating skeins of the solid color yarn yourself.)

In case anyone is interested, this is my basic formula for kneesocks (I knit old-school style socks - top down on dpns!): start with about 500 yds of sock yarn (more or less depending on height and size). cast on 76 stitches (19 sts per dpn) and knit k2-p2 around for 30 rows. Switch to k all stitches and decrease by two stitches every ten rows as follows - on the tenth row, where you decrease, k to three sts before end of dpn 1, ssk, k1; k all sts on dpns 2 and 3; then k1, k2tog, k to end on dpn 4. Do this decrease row every ten rows eight times, until 60 sts remain. Rearrange sts so there are 15 on each dpn and proceed as for a normal sock through ankle, heel, foot, and toe. My legs are short so I tend to make my socks about 14" from heel to top of cuff, and this circumference is stretchy in the calf but my calves are about 13.5" around. You can make the circumference bigger or smaller by adjusting the number of decreases and the frequency of decreases - there's no real scientific formula for that, just play around with it until you find the right "recipe" for your own legs. :)

And, most importantly: don't forget to VOTE on November 4th!! (Hopefully you've already registered since I think the deadline has passed in most states by now...) These socks will be voting 100% Obama (hells yeah) but whoever you vote for, make sure you participate. Happy election season!

Hyperbolic knitting - or, how yarny crafters can explain the universe.

2008-10-19T16:01:00.002-04:00

You always knew we could, didn't you? :)

Check this out. Apparently there is a partnership between some mathematicians, physicists and knitters/crocheters to model every possible spatial form. Knitting and crochet are the only media that can do this - because, as you know, you can make any shape you can imagine just by adding, subtracting, skipping, or wrapping stitches.

How wicked rad is that??

Look at this page - click on the first orange link on the right, "gallery of crocheted hyperbolic models." The "crochet hyperbolic reef" gallery is pretty amazing too - they can recreate entire, completely accurate coral reef models with crochet techniques.

Election Day Kneesocks

2008-10-16T13:49:00.005-04:00

So what were the stripes? Election day kneesocks, but of course. :) This is about as patriotic as I get on my person but really, I just loved the color combo in this gorgeous yarn (again, it's Wollmeise sock yarn in Granatapfel and Vergissmeinnicht). Pretty rad. Photo's pretty craptastic but my resident talented photographer was unavailable today and well, you try taking a photo of your own leg!!

Also, as a bonus: I don't know if you've seen the moon this week but you should look up - it is AMAZING. This was taken yesterday early early morning from my window.

The hue of things to come...

2008-10-11T20:58:00.002-04:00

...as the weather cools (tentatively) here by the Bay.

ETA: This yarn is alternating stripes of Wollmeise sock yarn in Vergissmeinnicht (blue) and Grantapfel (red)...gorgeous stuff, highly recommended.

wedding shawl in action

2008-10-02T13:33:00.002-04:00

Here's a photo of bro, sister-in-law, and a friend of ours that was sent to me - here you can see the shawl in action at the post-wedding picnic.

Wedding Shawl

2008-09-23T01:46:00.004-04:00

My bro and his lovely bride got hitched here in SF last week! My new sister-in-law had requested a custom shawl for the wedding, and of course I was happy to oblige. The finished product is pictured above (click for larger version) - for obvious reasons this pattern won't be available for purchase, but thought you all might like to have a look. I don't have any photos of her wearing it (at the reception, and the picnic the following day) but I'm sure someone does so if/when those photos are sent my way, I'll post one so you can see the shawl in action. And...here's the happy couple, with exaggerated groomsmen in tow. Awww.

Golden Discoveries

2008-07-14T22:09:00.003-04:00

Hey folks - this is a special post because this week, I did my part to aid the economy (in addition to all the foreclosure research I'm doing in my day job, mind you). I feel the need to spread the word far and wide on the gems I've found...

This here is Yarn Chef "spun sugar" - a gorgeous 100% silk laceweight dyed beautifully by Katy in Columbus. I cannot stress enough how much you all need to get some of this, especially if you are a lace knitter. It is very high-quality work and Katy is a joy to work with! Head on over to etsy immediately and get shoppin'.

Also, I stumbled on a little shop on Solano Ave in Albany, CA called k2tog today - very friendly owner and a lovely little shop with a healthy selection of good stuff. Among the good stuff? Addi Turbo Lace needles! As in, the only needles I use anymore. I had never seen them in a store, and I was thrilled to get my hands on another pair. If you are in the Bay Area, wander on over and check out k2tog - and get some tasty falafel at Sophia's across the street while you're at it.

Rosa Shawl Pattern

2008-06-07T19:30:00.004-04:00

**NOTE: There is a slight error in the pattern chart. The last stitch of row 23 and row 51 should be regular knit stitches, NOT k2tog. Thanks to Daryl for finding the mistake!**

As promised...and with sincere apologies for the delay. Here is the pattern for the Rosa Shawl, pictured above. The pattern may be purchased for $6.50 via PayPal only (to purchase, click on the "buy now" button above), and downloads as a .pdf file with four pages, including pattern instructions, chart, and photos. Please note, as always, the chart rows are not also written out in text - they appear in chart form only.

This pattern is suitable for beginning lace knitters who are comfortable reading simple lace charts. It uses the following techniques: knit, purl, knit through the back loop, yarn over, knit two together, and slip slip knit. Instructions are also provided for set up, finishing, and twisted cord fringe. You will need approximately 1000 yds of any laceweight yarn (shawl shown above is knitted in the recommended yarn, Kaalund Enchante - if using Enchante, you will need three balls of this yarn total), and US size 2 circular needles, 24" or longer. Finished dimensions are approximately 18" W x 83" L, after blocking. Please leave any questions in the comments section for this post and I will try to get back to you or amend information as possible.

Enjoy, and thanks! :)

Hang in there guys...

2008-04-19T15:37:00.003-04:00

Update: the pattern for the red shawl featured in the post before last will be available SOON. I am, however, about to enter finals madness and immediately thereafter job/custom design madness, so please be patient with me, it might be a few more weeks yet... I'll do my best to get the shawl pattern together as soon as feasible. Thanks so much for all the lovely comments on it!

Streamlined

2008-03-23T16:55:00.002-04:00

Friends: as you may notice, I had to delete much of my blog for personal and professional reasons much too complicated to get into here. But, please rest assured, all of my patterns are still here and available to you (all the links should still work without any problems) - and when there are new ones, I will post them here as well. I know this is a strange adjustment, but I've decided to use this blog more as a design showcase of sorts. I hope you'll stick with me and I promise to share any new work with all of you, of course. Thank you so much for your support all along - I will try to keep up with all of your lovely blogs as time permits. Happy knitting!

Happiness is...a completed design project.

2008-02-18T15:00:00.011-05:00

Here she is, all blocked and ready to go!

What do you think? I hope to have the pattern written up (and more nicely photographed) for you in some form soon...on my site or, with any luck, on one that's better trafficked! I'm so, so, so happy with this design, I can't even tell you. It's super light and airy, and long enough to be wrapped a few times - just how I like 'em! The color is most accurate in these close-up shots.

I do still completely hate making corded fringe - all that twisting really kills your knuckles - but it looks so good as a finisher on rectangular shawls that it's worth the joint pain. Trust me. By the way - I tried out the string-blocking method (weaving a piece of a laceweight mercerized cotton through each of the four sides and tying the cotton to pins at the corners) this time instead of pinning all along the edge - the string is SO much better! If you're making any lace with straight edges - this is the way to go, for sure. I don't know where it's been all my life.

Stella Shawl

2008-01-10T21:31:00.000-05:00

Hello folks! I'm really sorry for the long delay in posting - life is much, much busier than it used to be. But with a month of vacation from school under my belt, I finished a pattern for you all - the Stella Shawl. Unfortunately, I probably won't be posting anything else for a while yet, but I did want to mention that I do check the blog and my email regularly, even if I'm not posting, so if you have any trouble with a pattern you've purchased from me please feel free to drop me a line and let me know - I'll respond as quickly as I can.

Stella Shawl pattern, $6.50 (pdf format, delivery via PayPal).
Please make sure you get TWO pdf documents with your purchase.

Details for the Stella pattern:

Materials: 800 yds of fingering weight yarn - silk is recommended; US size 2 needles (as always, I recommend Addi lace needles - they are the best for this kind of work and a great investment!)

Skill Level: Beginner lace knitters shouldn't have problems with this pattern. As with all of my patterns, you must be able to read a lace chart, as the pattern is only given in chart form and not written out row by row. Techniques used include knit, purl, ssk, k2tog, and yarn over.

Finished Size: 44" long by 14" wide after blocking.

Enjoy!

Finestra Scarf Pattern

2007-11-28T00:56:00.000-05:00

11/30: Photos now working - thanks Susanne!
Reposted due to some very, very odd spammy comments left on the previous version of this post. I've added word verification for comments - hopefully this will help!

Okay folks, here she is - the Finestra pattern. Many thanks to those of you who sent me some email to assist with the pdf problem - I think I got it to a legible format, but please do let me know if you have any trouble reading the chart. I'll add some better photos to this post once I have some to show you.

Pattern is $6.50.*

Here are the details:

Materials: approx. 800 yds of laceweight yarn (I used Posh Yarn Eva 2-ply, which is a silk/cashmere blend), and US size 2 needles (I used a 24" Addi Turbo Lace circular needle).

Skill Level: Beginner lace knitters should be fine working on this pattern - it is a fairly simple repeating motif. You must be able to read charted lace patterns, as I have not included written-out instructions for each row (you will see that it is much too long to make that practical). Techniques used: knit, purl, yarn over, knit through back loop, knit two together, slip slip knit, slip one-knit two together-pass slipped stitch over.

Finished Size: 68 inches long by 13 inches wide (may be made longer - instructions to modify
length are included).

*A note about the price: I had to bump up the cost of this pattern by 50 cents, because I noticed after selling Basilica for a week that Paypal charges me a fee of just under 50 cents for US purchasers, and just over 50 cents for international purchasers. I'm really sorry to adjust prices on you now, but I hope you can understand it is just to cover the processing fee. Thank you!!

Catalina Correction

2007-07-15T13:53:00.000-04:00

I didn't notice before, but Jenna pointed out a while back that there is a small error in row 69 of the pattern for Catalina. I can't change the pdf but I'm giving the correction here and in the post with the pattern. I apologize for the error! Thanks very much to Jenna for bringing it to my attention.

Correction is as follows: Row 69 has section B worked over only 17 stitches, not 18. This row should start with a ssk, k2tog, yo in section B, rather than a k1, k2tog, yo (similar to the beginning of row 71).

I've been really busy with the housing search and am getting really close to having a place to live (yay!), but the new shawl has doubled in size since the photo in the post below (how's that for anxiety-fueled knitting??)...photos soon, once I have an apartment nailed down!

Basilica Shawl Pattern

2007-06-25T13:31:00.000-04:00

I was able to get this together earlier than anticipated, so here you go! This is the pattern for the Basilica Shawl. (It takes its name from the building in Firenze whose ironwork gate inspired the design.)

Pattern is $6.00 US.

The Details:
What's Included: PDF with one photo, pattern set-up and finishing instructions, and main pattern chart. Please note that I have not included written out instructions for each row; the pattern is only in chart format. This is because the chart has almost 500 rows, making it very time-consuming and confusing to write out. The chart is a much more readable format.
Yarn: Shawl shown made with recommended yarn, Posh Yarns Eva 2-ply, 2 skeins. You will need approximately 800 yards of laceweight if you are substituting yarns, but as always be sure to check your gauge and modify as needed.
Needles: US size 2 circulars
Skill Level: Intermediate. I recommend that knitters attempting this pattern have some previous lace knitting under their belts, as this chart is a bit complex and is quite large. Techniques used include knit, purl, k2tog, ssk, yarn over, and slip one-k2tog-psso.

Important Note: In order to get the chart to fit on one page with as few interruptions as possible, it was necessary to shrink it down considerably in the pdf. As a result, I fully acknowledge it is a bit difficult to read. I highly recommend either zooming in to 150% or 200% in your pdf reader program if you are working from your computer, and/or printing it and making a copy to blow-up the sheets so the chart is easier to read. I apologize for the condensed format but as I hope you will understand, this was the best way to get everything on as few pages as possible for readability's sake. Thank you!

Also, I slipped the first stitch of each row to make a cleaner edge, which is not indicated in the pattern - this is optional. If you do choose to slip the first stitch of each row, you should slip as if to knit on right-side rows, and slip as if to purl on wrong side rows.

Catalina KAL

2007-05-23T17:26:00.000-04:00

Ruth has very kindly set up a KAL for Catalina here - go check it out! (Thanks Ruth!)

Catalina Shawl Pattern

2007-05-20T16:15:00.000-04:00

The Catalina Shawl Pattern is now complete and available for download! Please let me know if you have any problems with the purchase or the download. The pdf includes written instructions, stitch pattern chart, and six photos. It may be printed for personal use, but may not be sold or distributed without permission from the author. FYI: I used Handmaiden Lace Silk in colorway Sangria for the shawl in the photos.

**Important Revisions: The second sentence of the last paragraph on the first page should begin as follows: "Repeat rows 1-76 of all sections in the chart..." instead of "Repeat rows 1-76 of Sections A through B..." Thanks to Rebecca (not sure if you have a blog) for bringing this to my attention! Also, row 69 has section B worked over only 17 stitches, not 18. This row should start with a ssk, k2tog, yo in section B, rather than a k1, k2tog, yo (similar to the beginning of row 71). Thanks to Jenna for pointing this out and discovering a fix for it.**

Thank you, and I hope you all enjoy the pattern! :)

Pattern is $6.00.

Oh, and - please, please spread the word on this pattern to anyone you think might be interested. I greatly appreciate your help and all of your supportive comments along the way as I designed Catalina! You guys are awesome.

ETA: a few folks have asked about using the photos for linking/blogging purposes - please do! I just put a copyright on them because it's what you're "supposed" to do as far as I know, but as long as you don't sell them or hand them off to any shady characters I'm totally cool with the photos being posted up in knitting blog land so people can see what the finished item looks like. (Please do not, however, reproduce and/or post the pattern chart, obviously - thanks!) If you could just save any photos to your server before you post them, though, that would be great, for bandwidth reasons I don't fully understand... ;) Thanks for spreading the link!!

More notes: Okay, in reading the comments I see you all would like more specs on this, so here you go! The yarn I used for this is about 600 m/100 g to a skein, 100% silk laceweight (you can find it here), and I didn't use all of it (about 15 g. leftover) - it's a great project to show off more expensive laceweight yarns that you might only purchase one or two skeins of. It's written for laceweight (any laceweight really), and could also be done in cobweb or fingering weight. I haven't tried it in cobweb or fingering weights, though, so make sure you have plenty of yardage just in case. In laceweight worked as written in the pattern, the finished dimensions are about 60" by 15" without fringe. It can easily be widened or lengthened (or vice versa) by adjusting the number of repeats. Finally, I would say this pattern is totally doable for beginning lace knitters, as long as you can read a chart. Techniques used include: knit, purl, yarn over, double yarn over (explained in the pattern notes), slip slip knit, knit two together, purl two together, and knit two together through the back loop. There are no increases or decreases along the edges and the border is a very simple yarn over stitch pattern. Any of these techniques may be found, often with photos, in online tutorials if you aren't sure of how to do them.

Clessidra Notes!

2007-03-09T18:43:00.001-05:00

First off, thank you all so very, very much for your kind words about Clessidra! It really means a lot to hear such great feedback from you all on my first effort in the patterning world (now, let's see how the comments go when you actually start knitting them...heh heh). I wanted to point out a few things about the pattern that I noticed after submitting it, and some hints.

1) Yes, I know, 4 balls of Regia Silk is a lot of money for a pair of socks (hell, I sometimes balk at spending $40 on yarn for a whole sweater! So I know what you mean). Here's the deal: the socks you see pictured in the pattern (the ones I made for myself) were made with three balls, not four. BUT: the reason I suggested getting 4 balls is that I just barely made it with 3, and I'm pretty short and small, with very short legs! Figuring most of you would be taller than me, I put down 4 balls. Worse comes to worst, you can return the extra ball if you don't use it (save your receipt!). If you are subbing in a different yarn for the Regia, I would suggest making sure you have about 700-720 yards of fingering weight yarn just to be on the safe side. I've seen people commenting that they might use knitpicks Gloss - I haven't tried it (so be sure to swatch) on this pattern, but it looks like a pretty good sub yarn if you're looking for something cheaper. You can also just sub some regular wool or cotton Regia, which is a bit cheaper.

2) Yes, I did make a mistake in the example socks! You caught me. You may have noticed in the photo at the bottom, of the sides of the socks, that there seems to be a strange extra-stitch thing going on in the top sock. I was rushing like mad to finish the second sock to take photos and make the knitty deadline, so I screwed up a bit. Hey, it's for luck! (But don't worry, that error is not in the instructions, so you should be fine.)

3) If you DO run into any problems, please don't hesitate to ask! As this is my first go at a public pattern, I'm sure there will be issues - and I'll do my best to help with any mistakes or alterations you might need to make. There are many ways to alter the pattern for various sized legs, and I'm sure you all will come up with many more.

4) FYI - I'm fairly certain the Regia Silk color is indeed #32 or #032, but it may be called something else in other parts of the country/world - in any case, it is the burgundy color.

Sock It To Me, Baby.

2007-03-07T19:23:00.001-05:00

Spring Knitty is up and running! Woo-hoo-hoo. I hope you all enjoy Clessidra - it was definitely a love/hate relationship between me and this pattern for a while, but I am totally stoked that the pattern made it in! (And many thanks to the folks who left comments in the last post - I'm so glad to hear it's already getting good reviews!) This is my first "real" pattern, so it will be cool to see what people do with it.