Marie Grace Designs

Classic Raglan Knitting Pattern

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The ever-classic raglan is still one of my favorite sweater styles to knit and to wear. The raglan shaping lends itself to the roomy fit that growing kids need. A single band at the hem, cuffs, and neck is just enough to add a little color to this classic style.

Gauge: 19sts/28 rows = 4 inches over stockinette stitch on US#6 (4mm) needles.

Sizes: Child 2 (4, 6, 8, 10, 12).
To fit chest 21 (23, 25, 27, 29, 31) inches.

Finished Measurements:
Chest 27 (30, 32, 34.5, 36, 37) inches.
Length 13 (14, 15, 17, 19, 21) inches.

Yarn Llamajama Alpaca/Merino blend
(50% alpaca/50% merino)
100 grams/220 yards per hank.
Main Color 2 (3, 3, 4, 4, 5) hanks.
Small amount contrast color.

Needles:
US#6 (4mm) Double point needles.
US#4 (3.5 mm) Double point needles.
US#6 Circular needle.*
US#4 (3.5 mm) Circular needle.*
*A 24 inch circular will be sufficient for most sizes but you may prefer a longer needle for the larger sizes.

Skill Level: Easy +

Skills needed: Working with DPNs, working in the round, decreasing.

Price: $5.00
Your printable pattern will be immediately downloadable in Adobe PDF (v5.0 or later) format

Alpaca Baby Shawl Knitting Pattern

New babies are very special and their first blankets should be too. I know I still have several blankets that my kids used when they were tiny but none of them are like this. Back then I didn’t knit with alpaca, I didn’t use double point or circular needles and I certainly didn’t know you could knit a square by going in a circle. Starting in the center with double point needles and just 12 stitches you’ll go round and round and in the end you’ll have a blanket worthy of the name Baby Shawl.

Gauge:
19 stitches/28 rows = 4 inches over stockinette stitch on US#6 (4mm) needles.

Sizes:
One size.

Finished Measurements:
Approximately 34 inches square.

Yarn:
Llamajama Alpaca/Merino blend
(50% alpaca/50% merino)
100 grams/220 yards per hank
4 hanks
Sample shown in heather

Needles:
US#6 (4.0mm)
You’ll need a set of 5 double point needles and several circulars as the blanket grows. I started with the DPNs then changed to a 24 inch circular until the stitches got too cramped and finally moved to a 40 inch circular for the remainder of the work.

Skill Level:
Intermediate +

Skills Needed:
Working with DPNs, working in the round, increasing, basic lace work, working from a chart.

Price: $6.00
Your printable pattern will be immediately downloadable in Adobe PDF (v5.0 or later) format

Luna Trail Pullover Knitting Pattern

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Diamonds are a girl’s best friend... and they’ll keep her warm when the cold winds blow if they’re all cabled up in a great pullover. Come to think of it they’re a boy’s best friend too this time around. Of course, an easy pattern is best so they won’t outgrow it before you finish knitting it, so the majority of this design is basic garter stitch and traditional 4 stitch cables.

Gauge:
20 sts/34 rows = 4 inches on US#6 (4mm) needles over garter stitch.

Sizes:
18-24 months (2-4, 6-8, 10-12, 14-16) yrs.

Finished Measurements:
Chest 24 (27, 31, 34, 37) inches.
Length 12 (14.5, 17, 19.5, 22) inches.

Yarn:
Llamajama Alpaca/Merino blend
(50% alpaca/50% merino)
100 grams/220 yards per hank.
3 (4, 4, 5, 5, 6) hanks.

Needles:
US#6 (4mm) knitting needles.
US#4 (3.5mm) knitting needles.
US#4 (3.5mm) double point needles for neck ribbing.
Cable needle.

Skill Level:
Experienced.

Skills needed:
Cables, shaping in cable patterns, working from a chart, neck ribbing in the round with double point needles.

Price: $6.00
Your printable pattern will be immediately downloadable in Adobe PDF (v5.0 or later) format

When life gives you lemons...

go buy a tortoise!

Well, okay, I’m sure that of all the things you thought I might say that probably wasn’t one of them.

But I did. I bought a tortoise. A very tiny tortoise.

He’s a Leopard tortoise. His name is Newton and he brightens my day.
(Yarn shown for scale...and to get your attention because after all you are here for the yarn, right?)

No, I haven’t lost my marbles. I’ve actually wanted a tortoise for a very long time.

Tortoises just seem so calm and wise. Its almost like they are just observing the world as it goes by. Little left over dinosaurs.

Now...about those knitting patterns...

Starting Monday my patterns will be available right here on the blog. They will be available to purchase as a download.

The first one will go up on Monday and there will be a new one available everyday until they are all up.

Here’s a run down of the newest patterns that will be available:

Alpaca Baby Shawl

Luna Trail Pullover

Hooded Scarf

Classic Raglan Pullover

After the new ones are up I’m going to add the older patterns that have already been released. I think it will be nice to have them all in one place.

The adult version of the Luna Trail Pullover is going well and will be added to the collection when its finished and written up.

Webring...

I do believe I have everything set for the webring. Interested parties may now join and steal a button from the sidebar.

Snow for free...

Well I certainly didn’t need to worry about the Valentine’s Day hype. With all the snow and ice that fell from the sky for about 48 hours Mac Daddy’s office was closed and the classes the kids were signed up for were canceled. We all got to stay home together and have homemade french toast for lunch. A happy day, indeed. And it didn’t cost a thing.

The adult version of the little cabled sweater is officially OTN.

I felt a little guilty having 2 days this week when we did no schooling. I’m usually a real stickler about things like that and I tend to be a rather scheduled schooler. Its just so hard some days, especially when its all snowy and icy outside and there’s all this wool begging to be knit. Its so hard to spend all day with that wool just out of reach on the other side of a math book.

So it got me to thinking about other knitters who homeschool and wondering what their breaking point is.

Apparently for me its snow. I mange to look away from the needles and the knitting books and the swatches until the school work is done for the day...unless there’s snow outside. Snow and wool and hot noodle soup...just too much to resist.

So these thoughts led me to tinker with the idea of a new webring. Knitters who homeschool. Maybe Unsocialized Knitters.

I’ve never set up a webring but I’m sure I can figure it out. Give me a few days to pull it together and spread the word. In the meantime if anybody wants to help a little guidance would be fabulous. (Email me personally)

Snow, finally...

Well I sat down this morning, since co-op was canceled, and started a blog post but Typepad was having a fit or I looked at it sideways or something because it wouldn’t load images for me. Me not being the patient sort I gracefully deleted the whole thing and wandered off for some more coffee.

So now the whole day has gone by and its still snowing. I’m not usually one to chuck an entire school day because of snow but I figured what the heck. Since co-op was canceled it only seemed right to just go ahead and have the day off.

The kids were thrilled.

Outside it looked like this (that’s the end of our driveway and the road out front. Our house is actually behind me)...

The girls did some crafting...

The boys did some more film making...

I tackled this... (yes Meredith, I confess, I got distracted by the alpaca)...

But the good news is I started the adult version of the cabled pullover. There’s still a few more good hours of knitting ahead of me tonight and the snow is still falling so I might even have a progress pic tomorrow.

Hmmmm....tomorrow.....something about tomorrow rings a bell......oh yes, Valentine’s Day.

Here’s my thoughts on Valentine’s Day (turn your head if you don’t want to see the carnage)...

Mac Daddy always gets a bit nervous around this time simply because I don’t want anything for Valentine’s Day and he’s afraid its some sort of trick. My usual line:

“If you spend all that money on roses just because everybody else is doing it I’ll beat you with them. Besides, do you have any idea how much Silk Garden you can get for the price of a dozen roses this time of year?!?”

Think about it people...there’s this person who loves you, who puts up with all the crap you dish out and and the moods you get in and all the good days and bad dinners and the flu and that time the dog barfed right in your shoe and the best you can come up with is a national holiday that makes it mandatory for you to stop by the drugstore on you way home from work to buy a $4 card in a pink envelope.

Shame on you.

If you want someone to genuinely feel special take them out for dinner next Wednesday for no reason at all or call them in the middle of the day just for the heck of it. Don't rely on a calendar to tell you its time to let somebody know you love them.

With me there's no trick. Maybe I'm a little cynical or distant or weird but I’d much rather you save yourself the trip to get roses (that will die in 3 days) or candy (that the kids will eat) or a card (that I’ll lose in an hour) and just come home to me.

Tomorrow and the day after and the day after that...just come home to me.

And don't ever complain about all the yarn.

The cat’s out of the bag...

and the yarn’s out of the box.

Well, the mail lady brought some things including some disappointment. The Canadian DVD is on backorder and the German books won’t be arriving at all. The books are out of print, which I knew, but the place I “ordered” them from said they still had a few copies. Apparently nobody there bothers to check inventory on a regular basis because they don’t have a copy. Not one.

Luckily a box of yarn did arrive and made it all better.

I don’t know if you remember but long, long ago I mentioned that Llamajama yarns would eventually be available on a grand scale and well, they soon will be. Llamajama and I have worked hard the past year or so making plans and decisions and soon you’ll be able to buy 2 fabulous yarns from Llamajama at One Planet Yarn and Fiber.

You’ll also be able to check out a few new designs from me including the cabled pullover and that gray mystery lump, which is actually an alpaca baby blanket, and a few others.

The yarn up there in the picture is Llamajama 50/50 merino/alpaca. These are the new spring colors we are adding to the line of natural colors we already have.

This is truly my favorite yarn in the entire world. I know...you think I’m just saying that because I do design work for Llamajama but really...if I didn’t like the yarn I wouldn’t design with it and I wouldn’t blab about it.

Its the perfect balance of heavenly alpaca and trusted wool. Alpaca is an amazing fiber because it is so light and unbelievably soft yet extremely warm. My issue with alpaca, however, has always been that 100% alpaca is too soft for the things I like to design. Its great for shawls and things that don’t need to be too sturdy but I’ve found that it doesn’t hold shaping well enough on its own and tends to slouch.
The 50/50 blend means you get all the softness and light feel of the alpaca but the wool gives it great body. It still drapes well but holds shaping and cables like a dream.

Below is a picture I took this morning of The Daisy Cardigan I made with the 50/50 a year ago. Tater wore this sweater a lot and you can see it has held up nicely. Unfortunately Tater is tall and has arms like an octopus and has now outgrown the sweater.

I’ll keep you posted on dates for the release of all the new stuff and you can check out One Planet news here.

Next time I’ll give you the low-down on the Llamajama wool.

Totally tubular...pants for little people...

Ya know it seems that the older my kids get the deeper my denial burrows into my wee brain. They are getting bigger yet I’m knitting the smallest wearable items possible. Items I will never use. Wee bitty cutesy-fartsy knitted things. Go figure.

The idea of little knitted wool pants has always intrigued me but when my squabs were small enough to actually wear little wool pants I didn’t have the knitting dexterity to actually knit little wool pants. Better late than never I suppose.

So while I’m working out the charts for the grown-up version of the little cabled pullover I’m doing actual hands-on knitting with candy-colored wool and playing with different shaping theories for little wool pants. Simple. Cute. Fun.

The waste yarn that I used for the cast on is still intact because, quite frankly, I love the little things...like removing the waste yarn from a tubular cast on. So I save it for last. What can I say...I'm easily amused.

I’m amazed at how well tuned my ears have become. I can hear a mail truck from several houses away. I can also tell the difference between the postal truck, the UPS truck, and the Fed-x truck without looking out the window. I can tell if the mail truck has stopped at the end of the driveway (which means there is a package that is too big for the mail box and the mail lady is bringing it to the door) or if the truck actually stopped at the mailbox (which means there’s probably nothing but bills).

I’d tell you I can also tell the difference between a mail lady carrying a box of yarn and a mail lady carrying a box containing something other than yarn from 50 yards away but you probably wouldn’t believe me.

Some time this week the mail lady will be bringing a box of yarn, Canadian DVDs, and German books. My ears are so tuned.

Of tissues and temperatures...

All of the temperatures inside the house (including mine) are finally down and everyone is feeling much better.

The temperature outside the house is down too. This morning when Mac Daddy left for work the temperature reading on the thermometer outside was 3 degrees Fahrenheit.

Brrr. I totally understand that there are places much colder than central Pennsylvania right now but still. Dude, its cold.

So I’ve been neglecting the blog, yet again, but I blame the kids for:

A) Having a cold.
B) Giving it to me.
C) Mac Daddy being away all week leaving me with the kids and all the colds.
Blah!

Anyway...

About that little cabled sweater. I hear ya when you say we need an adult version. And I totally agree. Enter more alpaca....

I love cabled sweaters and any design with cabled diamonds is really my favorite. I’m going to change the traditional pullover outline a bit for a more flattering over-all fit. I need to lay out the charts and get some final measurements down and I’ll be sure and let you know the moment its on the needles.

In the meantime have you toyed with the tubular cast on? Its lovely really. Not only does it make a wonderful smooth edge for ribbing but its the best if something needs a casing for elastic or a drawstring.