What to Knit Next – Page 5 – Elliebelly Knit & Dye Works

Knit It Now: Stephen West’s Honegart Hat

Posted on October 11, 2014 by Joyce Makes Art

This is my favorite hat of all time, possibly my favorite knitting project of all time.

I made it back in 2011, but it was a rush job as cold weather set in for a child who was going to school up North, and I didn't get decent pictures at the time. Thankfully, the child returned, and with him the hat. I pulled it out with some other winter things this morning and remembered what a brillant pattern and fun knit it was, and wanted to share it with you all.

This hat is knit in two different sections, which gives you endless possibilities — solids, variegated yarns, you name it. I dyed Elliebelly Alpaca & Merino just for this project. The honeycomb portion of the hat is so much fun to knit that I pulled over at a farmstand on the way back from the beach, and knit much of it while eating fresh peach ice cream and watching the tourists. I couldn't wait to finish it.

This hat is at the top of my "must knit it again" list and I recommend you try it if you are looking for something a little bit frisky but well within the capabilities of a advanced beginning knitter with a couple of projects under your belt. (I mean that in the realistic sense — not in the way some well-meaning experienced knitters who have forgotten what it's like to be knew to sticks and twine will tell you the lace shawl is "really easy" or the heavily cabled pattern is fine for a new knitter). Like all of Stephen West's design, it is slightly edgy but imminently practical. And, it's really warm. Return of the Polar Vortex, anyone?

What to Knit with it? Mulberry Silk, Dyed in the Ember Colorway

Posted on August 23, 2014 by Joyce Makes Art

I have never been a red/orange kind of person. Cooler colors have always been my favorite, blues and greens and even purples. Pale colors, not jewel tones. But somewhere along the way last year, I seem to have developed a love of red, and even — perish the thought — orange. I really don't think of myself as someone who loves a blistering orange-red, but there you have it.

To nudge my expanding color sense along, I've been working on developing a colorway right at the point where a brilliant, scarlet red turns seamlessly into a hot-sun-going-super-nova orange. The sort of color we'll see if the Bardarbunga Volcano in Iceland goes on and erupts above the glaciers this week. After several months of experimentation, I came up with Ember, my newest colorway.

Ember looks beautiful on every fiber I've tried it on. It's a semi-solid colorway, so it should work for everything from socks to sweaters. To test it out, I've dyed five skeins of DK weight Mulberry Silk, for a total of 560 yards of yarn, and now I'm off in search of a pattern. Please leave a comment below if you have ideas, help, or advice for me!

Pattern used with permission of Anlin

TienMimi is a wonderful camisole pattern, written for a DK weight silk, and it would be perfect for the yarn. I'm not so sure it would be perfect for me — I'm concerned I would cover it open too much because of the open neckline and lack of sleeves, but perhaps this is just the excuse I need to pull out my arm weights and get back to work! Make sure you check out the designer, Anlin's, fabulous Finnish Blog. I'm also looking at the Liwi Top. It's written for a silk/merino blend, so my silk yarn alone may not have enough elasticity to give it the shape it needs. And Avebury, a shawl by Kirsten Kapur, is also up for discussion.

I would love to hear your suggestions and thoughts for this yarn-in-search-of-a-pattern! Help me decide what to knit with it.

One-Skein Knitting Pattern Contest Winners

Posted on July 23, 2014 by Joyce Makes Art

We have winners! But really, I think we all won in this case, because we got to peruse all of the great knitting pattern ideas and eye candy we got to see!

Three one skein patterns, graciously offered to blog readers, are ready to send off:

The Fèe shawl by Tabismiles on Ravelry, goes to Angela Shira (FairyBlue on Ravelry), who was lucky enough to dye the yarn the original sample was knit with.

Gunard's Rainbow Trout hat pattern goes to Ericka, Bensgirl102397 on Ravelry, who wrote, "I can see making a family set of these for everyone since we are avid rainbow trout fisher-people."

Liz Corke's Storm Warning shawl pattern is going to Katie, Krgolden on Ravelry, who liked all of the patterns but thought Storm Warning would be perfect for a cold winter or a drafty church. I agree.

Come join us on the Elliebelly Group on Ravelry, and have input into the pattern selection for our self-indulgent September Knitalong, which starts September 1. It will be a great place for new knitters to pick up skills and old knitting friends to have fun together.

Roving Into Yarn

Posted on June 26, 2014 by Joyce Makes Art

If you've come here looking for the Yarn Giveaway, Click Here, to be take to that post. Leave a comment by June 30 and be entered in the drawing!

I played around with some Blue Faced Leicester roving several months ago, using leftover, random dyes. There wasn't a plan for it, just eight ounces of pretty wool that had never made it into a dye bath. When it was dry, I asked Momofana on Ravelry if her spinning services were for hire, and indeed they were.

She is such a lovely spinner! This yarn is everything that I could have hoped for and has a wonderful texture that goes from fingering to sport and should work to emphasize the colors when it is knit up. The colors are unintentionally reminiscent of the tall garden iris in my front yard and the way they have been plied makes them exceptionally luminous.

This yarn is next in my queue, although I don't have a project in mind. It would make a lovely infinity scarf or perhaps a hat and pair of mittens. I can't wait to find some time to search for the perfect project that is worthy of this yarn!

Nangou: What To Knit Next?

Posted on June 2, 2014 by Joyce Makes Art

Before I start this post, I need to say: I have too many works in progress (WIPs). I know this. But it doesn't change my desire, at a certain point every summer, to start casting on new projects. I get one started and then suddenly, like June lightening, a new pattern calls me with an irresistable pull and I'm off again. Fortunately, I tend to have a fall spate of finishing up all those projects, but still, I view this riotous approach to knitting as something of a character flaw and envy those who are more restrained.

That said, I have fallen in love with Nangou.

Nangou is a simple garter stitch with simple eyelet lace patterning rows scarf that was written for a fingering weight silk-merino blend yarn, so think light and delicate but gently warm.

This version, by German knitter Blauregan, is knit in the pattern yarn, with the clever twist of using an undyed skein for the lace eyelet rows. It's one of my favorites.

Lismete's gold on gold variation is really eye catching as well, and I like the looser gauge she used for her project.

And AniaBKnits' version in a rich purple with darker eyelets looks like something I could toss around my shoulders every day.

Since I'm trying to knit from stash these days, I took a look on Ravelry, which let me know I had a number of possibilities already in my stash.

My Tosh Dandelion has a lot in common, color-wise, with several of the projects I like and the addition of 10% linen to the merino woud give it a nice drape. Plus, I've been dying to find something to knit with this yarn.

A lot of knitters have used Tosh Merino Light, and it just so happens that I've got three skeins of Spruce tucked away.

And then, I could always dye some yarn just for this project. I've been impressed with the BFL/Silk sock yarn I've been dyeing for the last month, so I may dye some in a brown-gray colorway just for Nangou.

Currently, Ravelry includes 333 projects and Nangou has a rating of 4.7 stars out of 5, so it looks like it has made a lot of knitters happy. I'm looking forward to joining them!

What Would You Knit With It?

Posted on May 11, 2014 by Joyce Makes Art

I've been doing some dyeing for myself, as well as some for prizes at the close of the Adventurous April Knitalong. I thought it would be fun — and helpful too — to show off the yarn and ask what you would knit with it if it came to live with you. You can respond in the comments here or in this thread on the Elliebelly Group on Ravelry.

The first yarn is BFL Silk Sock — It’s a 55% superwash Blue Faced Leicester/45% Silk yarn with 438 yards to the skein. It’s a fingering weight, and I’ve dyed two skeins of it.

The colorway is Strawberry Roan — inspired by our trip to Iceland and the “Little Horses” (we were told it’s an insult to call them ponies) that populate the island. The Strawberry Roan horses were so pretty and particularly sweet.

Also inspired by our Iceland trip, this is the Gullfoss colorway on aran weight Blue Faced Leicester. There are 183 yards in a 100 gram skein, and again, I've dyed two skeins.

Panda is a silk and bamboo blend, roughly 50/50 that has 150 meters to a 100 gram skein. This is a new-to-Elliebelly yarn that I'm testing out for the first time. I am very fond of the sheen so far — the yarn seems to glow from within. There are two skeins of this and I wish I had dyed more as it would make a lovely large summer weight Clapotis for wrapping up on the beach at night or for movies in the park!

Pink Loves Brown is a classic Elliebelly colorway that I've dyed here on 8-Ply Coventry Cashmere. Each two ounce skein has 130 yards, and I've dyed two in this colorway.

As yet unnamed, this new colorway was my effort to replicate some of the rich blues and greens we saw on our Iceland trip. The three dye bath process was definitely worth it. I've dyed four skeins of this colorway on 8-ply Coventry Cashmere, again with 130 yarns per skein.

Finally, another classic Elliebelly colorway, Lakehouse. This is on aran weight BFL, with two skeins of 183 yards each. It's been a long time since I dyed this colorway, and it took all the strength I could muster to avoid casting on with it immediately. I love how the golden strands peak out from between the variety of blues and greens in this colorway.

So, friends and knitters, what would you knit with this yarn? What patterns have you been dreaming over? Inspire me. Motivate us all. It's so much fun to see different knitters' take on the same yarn!

What to Knit Next?

Posted on February 7, 2014 by Joyce Makes Art

I've been knitting a lot of small projects lately. I have another small, but challenging project in mind as my Olympic knitting project. After that, I want to finish up a few works in progress and then move on to a larger project.

After lots of looking and oohing and ahhing over patterns, I settled on this sweater.

This is Pam Allen's Sophie Sweater, and I've purchased some Quince Osprey yarn in a pale, pale petal pink to use. I can't wait for the yarn to arrive in the mail! Although I won't be starting this one until late this month, I'm looking forward to it already.