There are four new designs on the site.
First, one of my very earliest designs for Rowan, the Gathering Scarf.
Detail of the open, translucent fabric and very subtle bead detail from Gathering
I designed this for my first book, Little Luxury Knits, now out of print and thus the copyright is mine again, so I have published this as a single download, as it was probably the most popular design in that book. Just bear in mind that if you’ve got that book, you also have this exact design. You can buy Gathering here.
This design only takes 1 ball of Kidsilk Haze and a hand-full of beads. It’s absolutely perfect as a Christmas gift knit.
Next, a new design, never published anywhere else. It’s the Eastwater Beaded Boa.
The Eastwater Boa has contrast colour details, with the shades used for the side-frills simply being reversed
I do love boas, partly because they offer a chance to show off a bit, looking fabulous as they do, worn with simple dresses or coats. I also love them because they offer great design options.
A detail of the ‘insert’, edged with beads, from Eastwater
This one is a beaded version of a frill, based on knitted ‘inserts’. It looks quite complex but it’s really easy. The design takes 4 balls of Kidsilk Haze and about 600 beads, but knitted on 5mm needles, it is actually very fast.
You can buy this design here.
Now two designs based on one stitch. First, Cave Pearls Mittens, offered in two options (both in the same pattern): with or without beads.
Cave Pearls Mitts with beads
The stitch looks like cable but it’s not, it’s mock-cable. This forms a rather lovely rounded, nest-like stitch structure, shown off to great effect by the crisp stitch definition that you get with Rowan Pure Wool 4 Ply, surely one of the best value quality yarns on the market.
The stitch is easy, the mitts are knitted in the round, and I like the fully fitted thumb that ‘grows’ neatly out of one of the mock-cable lines.
The un-beaded version of Cave Pearls Mitts showing the crisp stitch definition and tailored thumb detail
They give your hand a lovely, snug fit and are easily sized up if needed. You can view and buy the pattern here.
Lastly, the Cave Pearls Scarves. Two options in one design. You can view and buy the design here.
This uses the same stitch as the mitts but re-designed to be knitted flat. The beads – and the options are for lots of beads or for fewer – are placed from the wrong side (but of course, they show on the right side). Here is the highly beaded version:
The beads settle in the little ‘nest’ that is created by the clever but very easily-mastered stitch; this is the heavily beaded option
And here, the version with fewer beads:
This image shows a detail of the frill on this version of the scarf, as well as the more lightly beaded fabric
Note: if you like the Cave Pearls designs, I am going to hold a workshop here next year, based on them, with the addition of another garment option – a shrug, knitted in the round. So you could wait, book for that and get the design of your choice included in the booking fee for that workshop.
Both the mitts and the scarves are really lovely projects and great gift options too:
Hurrah! Yes a w/shop on Cave Pearls to explore the 3 ways we can knit this stitch (flat, round, beaded) and choose a design on the day from one of three of mine – two of which I have now done, one to go (shrug) XX
Did somebody say workshop??!! Sign me up! 😀
Hurrah! Yes a w/shop on Cave Pearls to explore the 3 ways we can knit this stitch (flat, round, beaded) and choose a design on the day from one of three of mine – two of which I have now done, one to go (shrug) XX