RORSCHACH'S NET

A triangular scarf worked in a substantial yet open netting pattern that pleasingly shows off a small amount of precious yarn you’ve been hanging on to.

Materials:
-yarn- 2 skeins Colinette Tao (100% silk) in colorway Venezia, 126 yds per skein
-needles- one 29” size 6 circular
-notions- stitch markers, tapestry needle

Size & Gauge: dependent on yarn/needles used. Gauge is only of importance if you are working with a very limited/specific quantity of yarn, as this pattern is designed to use up the entire amount. My gauge is approximately 5sts and 12 rows in Irish net pattern

Skills Needed: Basic lace knitting knowledge would be helpful, as would knowledge of triangular scarf construction, but I would consider this an easy project suitable for knitters with no lace experience. If you are new to lace triangle scarves, there is an included diagram to help illustrate how it's all put together.

Abbreviations: K - knit, P - purl, S - slip, CO - cast on, BO - bind off, YO - yarn over, PSSO - pass the slipped stitch over the others and off the needle, PM - place marker, SM - slip marker, st(s) - stitch(es), LN - left needle, KFB - knit into the front and the back of the next stitch, RS - right side, WS - wrong side.

PATTERN:

~ CO 5 sts and work scarf set-up rows across the whole length of the work as follows:
rows 1 & 2: Knit even
row 3: K1,PM, KFB, PM, K1, PM, KFB, PM, K1 (7 sts)
rows 4, 6, 8, & 10: K2, SM, purl to last marker of row, SM, K2
row 5: K2, SM, YO, KFB, YO, SM, K1, SM, YO, KFB, YO, SM, K2
row 7: K2, SM, YO, K4, YO, SM, K1, SM, YO, K4, YO, SM, K2
row 9: K2, SM, YO, K6, YO, SM, K1, SM, YO, K6, YO, SM, K2

~ After completing row 10 of the set-up, work the Irish Net pattern for the body of the scarf. Work as many repeats of the pattern as desired. NOTE: the pattern rows are given for the sts that fall between the sets of markers. All RS pattern rows are to be worked as follows: K2, SM, YO (work sts in pattern) YO, SM, K1, SM, YO (work sts in pattern), YO, SM, K2. THE GARTER SELVEDGE, CENTER STITCH, AND THE YARN OVER’S THAT FLANK THE PATTERN STITCHES WILL NOT BE WRITTEN, BUT ARE ESSENTIAL!
row 1(RS): K3, *YO, S1, K2, PSSO* to last 2 sts, K2
even rows 2-12 (WS): K2, SM, purl across to last marker in the row, SM, K2
row 3: K3, *S1, K2, PSSO, YO* to last st, K1
row 5: K2, *YO, S1, K2, PSSO* to last st, K1
row 7: K2, *S1, K2, PSSO, YO* to last 3 sts, K3
row 9: K1, *YO, S1, K2, PSSO* to last 3 sts, K3
row 11: K1, *S1, K2, PSSO, YO* to last 2 sts, K2

~ Bind off- after working the body of the scarf to the size desired, ending on a WS row, work the bind off rows as follows:
row 1 (RS): Knit even
row 2 (WS): purl even
row 3 (bind off): *K1 st and do not slide it off the LHN; slip the newly made st back onto LHN and knit into it without slipping it off; slip newly made st back onto LHN; BO 4 sts and slip the remaining st on RHN back onto LHN* repeat between *’s until only 1 st remains; fasten off.

~ Weave in all ends and block. A note about blocking: I am a big fan of wet blocking, but I found that this yarn, though it was not structurally compromised by gentle wet blocking, did bleed considerably and the colors seemed to dim minimally. Use your blocking method of choice for silk, but you may want to test on a swatch if you have enough yardage to knit a swatch that you wouldn’t have to unravel.

Chunky Oats Cap

CHUNKY OATS CAP

This yarn has a nice, natural color that is perfect for fall – very evocative of the harvest. And when worked doubled, as in this super-simple, super-fast hat, it has a nice puffy quality that reminds me of rice, wheat, and all those other fabulous little grains. Make one just in tine for autumn and enjoy some Chunky Oats with your Thanksgiving Feast!

Materials:
-yarn- 2 skeins Red Heart Eco-Ways Bamboo Wool in colorway Gold (55% bamboo, 45% wool), 87 yds per skein
-needles- one 16" size 10 1/2 circular needle, one 40" size 10 1/2 circular needle (I only used the 40" when I had to do the crown decreases, as I knit them using magic loop method and the longer needle works better for this. If you prefer DPNs, use them instead of the 40" circ.)
-notions- markers, tapestry needle

Gauge: 3.5 sts = 1”. Guage is not very significant in this project because it stretches a lot

Size: Comfortably fits the average women’s head, with room to stretch. Increase or decrease the number of sts. Cast on by a multiple of 4 to alter size.

Skills Needed: circular knitting, decreasing (by K2TOG), long tail cast on

Note: Yarn is held doubled throughout! If you were to substitute a regular bulky yarn for this cap instead of working 2 strands together, just keep in mind that the two little “grains” you get by slipping the YO strand in the Oat stitch Pattern would come out as one “grain” rather than two lying together.

Stitches Used:
1) 2x2 Ribbing, in the round (multiple of 4 stitches)
Round 1 and all rounds: K2, P2 around

2) Oat Stitch, in the round (multiple of 4 stitches)
Round 1: *K2, YO, K2, PYOO*
Round 2: Knit even
Round 3: *YO, K2, PYOO, K2*
Round 4: Knit even

Abbreviations: K - knit, P - purl, YO – yarn over, PYOO – pass the YO loop over the stitch(es) just knitted, S – slip, CO - cast on, BO - bind off, rnd - round, K2TOG - knit two stitches together, St(s) - stitch(es), PM – place marker

PATTERN:

-CO 64 sts and join for working in the round, taking care not to twist. PM for beginning of the round (or just use the yarn tail)

- Work 2x2 ribbing for 3” * NOTE: If you want less ribbing at the bottom of your hat, just do as much as you want and then increase the number of Oat stitch pattern repeats you do.

- Knit one row even and then switch to Oat stitch pattern. Work Oat Stitch Pattern twice (or more if you’ve shortened the ribbing). Work rounds 1 and 2 of Oat stitch and then begin decreasing as below (switching to DPNs or magic loop as the hat becomes too small for 16” circs)
Round 3: *YO, K2TOG, PYOO, K2, YO, K2, PYOO, K2* (8 sts decreased)
Round 4: Knit even (56 sts total)
Round 5: *K1, YO, K2TOG, PYOO, K2, YO, K2, PYOO* (8 sts decreased)
Round 6: Knit even (48 sts total)
Round 7: *YO, K1, PYOO, K1, YO, K2TOG, PYOO, K2* (8 sts decreased)
Round 8: Knit even (40 sts total)
Round 9: *K1, YO, K1, PYOO, K1, YO, K2TOG, PYOO* (8 sts decreased)
Round 10: Knit even (32 sts total)
Round 11: *K2TOG* (16 sts decreased)
Round 12: Knit even (16 sts total)
Round 13: *K2TOG* (8 sts decreased, 8 sts total)
Round 14: *K2TOG* ($ sts decreased, 4 sts total)

- Cut yarn with enough of a tail to weave through remaining 4 sts and pull tight to close.

- Weave in all ends, block if desired.

Bishop Sweater

This sweater was knit mostly during the long hours of a Fringe season one marathon, and it is lovingly named after one of the show's main characters. Walter Bishop is the fumbling, adorable genius responsible for the advancement of science and technology beyond what the human mind is able comprehend. Yet, to look at him, one would never guess what his brain is capable of conceiving, what strange and otherworldly experiments he may be conducting in his thoughts. He appears to be a simple old man that you quickly grow fond of.

The Bishop sweater is just that - an experiment in comfort. I say experiment because this sweater was knit completely without a pattern - and it's the first sweater I've ever knit. I knew what I wanted to construct and what yarn I would be using, and with the help of an INCREDIBLE book as a guide, I set off into the unknown, listening to the voices of Walter Bishop and Olivia Dunham in the background as they explore the fringes of our reality.

This sweater is knit top-down, starting at the shoulders and knitting the top back and front sections flat, and then joining them at the underarm and working the body in the round. Sleeves and neckbands are added at the end. What I am posting here are my notes from my process; if you're close to me in size you can follow this pattern to recreate the Bishop. However, if you want to substitute a very different yarn or if you need a much smaller or larger size, I must point you in the direction of the book that inspired me. Custom Knits, by Wendy Bernard of knitandtonic.net, is a virtual Rosetta Stone of sweater construction. It takes all the mystery out of designing and provides lots of support and examples for how to customize any pattern or convert a bottom-up to a top-down sweater.

BISHOP SWEATER

Materials:
-yarn- 9.5 hanks Classic Elite Inca Marl in colorway Mallard (100% alpaca, worsted weight), 109 yds. per hank
-needles- one 29" size 7 circular needle, one 40" size 7 circular needle (I only used the 40" when I had to do the sleeves, as I knit them using magic loop method and the longer needle works better for this. If you prefer DPNs, use them instead of the 40" circ.)
-notions- variety of markers, waste yarn, stitch holder, tapestry needle

Gauge: 5 sts and 7 rows = 1" square in stockinette stitch

Size: I'm on the small side of medium with broad-ish shoulders. If your measurements are 17" across the back of your shoulders, 35-36" at the fullest part of your bust and around 29-30" at your waist, you should fit into this sweater just fine.

Skills Needed: circular knitting, short row shaping, increasing (by KFB), decreasing (by K2TOG and SSK), provisional cast on, backwards loop cast on.

Note: Since this is an experimental garment and it was worked top down, I tried it on frequently to see where I needed to increase and decrease. If you want to play around with the garment in the same way, don't pay too much attention to my notes on where to increase and decrease - try yours on and see how you like the fit! Also, the alpaca is a very drapey, soft yarn. If you're looking for a garment that clings a little bit more to the body, consider using a wool or wool-blend yarn

Stitches Used:
1a) Stockinette, knit flat (any number of stitches)
row one: Knit even
row two: Purl even

1b) Stockinette, in the round (any number of stitches)
round one and all rounds: knit even

2a) Twisted Rib, knit flat (multiple of 2 stitches +1)
RS: K1 tbl, P1 to last stitch, K1 tbl
WS: P1, K1 tbl to last stitch, P1

2b) Twisted Rib, in the round (multiple of 2 stitches)
round one and all rounds: K1 tbl, P1 across

Abbreviations: K - knit, P - purl, CO - cast on, BO - bind off, rnd - round, PM - place marker, SM - slip marker, wrpt - wrap the next stitch and turn (when forming short rows), tbl - through back loop, K2TOG - knit two stitches together, SSK - slip one as if to knit, slip one as if to knit, knit slipped stitches together through back loops, st(s) - stitch(es), LN - left needle, KFB - knit into the front and the back of the next stitch, RS - right side, WS - wrong side



PATTERN:

- Start with the Back. CO 78 stitches using provisional cast on. Work stockinette stitch (with the odd rows being the RS) for 40 rows. Begin armhole shaping as follows:
row 41 (RS): KFB, knit to last stitch, KFB (2 sts increased). Knit every odd row in the manner (rows 43, 45, and 47)
row 49: CO 4 sts at each side of row using backwards loop method
work one WS row (row 50). Break yarn and put these sts (94 total) on waste yarn or stitch holder)

-Unravel provisional cast on at shoulder and divide sts as follows: first 21 sts on needle for front left side, next 36 stitches on stitch holder (these will be used in the neckband at the end), and last 21 sts on needle for right front shoulder. The two shoulders are worked at the same time using two balls of yarn. Work the two fronts flat in stockinette stitch, with the odd rows being the RS. Follow directions below for BOTH sides.
rows 1-10: stockinette stitch
row 11: KFB at each side of neck line (NOT the shoulder edge), knit rest of row as normal. Knit every other odd row in this manner (rows 15, 19, 23, 27, 31, 35, 39)

- At row 41 the two front sections will be joined and the armhole shaping begins.
row 41: starting at left front section, KFB, knit across to neckline edge and CO 20 sts using backwards loop. Break the yarn from the right front section and use the left front yarn to join these CO sts to the right front sts. Knit across Right Front to last st and KFB. At this point follow the instructions for armhole shaping as detailed for the back section (see above), ending on a WS row (row 50).

- Join front and back pieces to work in the round, working in Stockinette Stitch:
rnd 51: PM (beginning of round at right underarm), knit across back section, PM, knit across front section

- Waistline Decreases are worked as follows:
rnd 62: K2TOG, K to marker, SSK, SM, K2TOG, K to marker, SSK (4 sts decreased). Work this round at the even rounds 66, 70, 80, 90, 100, 104, 108, 112.

- Waistline Increases are worked as follows:
rnd 126: KFM, K to one st before marker, KFB, SM, KFB, K to one st before marker, KFB (4 sts increased). Work this round at the even rounds 130, 134, 138.

- After round 140, switch to Twisted Rib stitch (in the round) and work to round 175. BO in pattern

- Sleeves: the directions below apply to both sleeves. Four markers, a pair of one color and a pair of another, will be required, as well as a marker to note the beginning of the round.
pick up 60 sts around armhole, starting at the underarm. Work in stockinette stitch and place markers as follows: K8, PM color A, K9, PM color B, K26, PM color B, K9, PM color A, K8. Knit two round even before working the short row sleeve cap as below:
-rnd 1: work to second B marker, SM, wrpt.
-rnd 2: work back to B marker, SM, wrpt.
-rnd 3: work to wrapped stitch, work wrapped stitch, work one st, wrpt
keep working rnd 3 until you reach the color A markers on each side. The cap is now done. Work 55 more rounds (not counting the initial two or any of the cap rounds), then work ten rounds of twisted rib. BO in pattern.

- Neck: the neckline is worked in two sections. Section A is worked as follows:
Pick up 22 sts along Right Front section of neck, pick up the 36 sts from provisional CO, pick up 22 along Left Front section of neck (80 sts total). At this time do nothing with the 20 sts CO with backwards loop that conects the two front sections.
-row1 (RS): start at corner of the right front and work one knit row, placing markers as follows: K14, PM, K to approximate center of neck and KFB, K across to last 14 sts, PM, K14. (81 sts total)
Short rows are worked starting in the next row (RS). Use Twisted rib (worked flat) and work as follows:
-row 2 (WS): work to second marker, SM, work 1, wrpt
-row 3 (RS): work back to marker, SM, work 1, wrpt
-row 4: work to wrapped st, work wrapped st, work 1 st, wrpt. Repeat this row until the edges of the neckband are reached. Work one more row and then BO in pattern.

- Neck Section B is worked as follows:
Pick up 21 sts from the 20 sts CO between the two front sections (pick up the odd stitch from one side or the other). Work these 21 sts in twisted rib for five rows then BO.

- Finish Neckband: the Neck Section B is a small flap between the front sections now. Stretch it up and stitch both sides along the bottom edges of Neck Section A.

- Weave in all ends. Block if desired.

Stag Gauntlets

Here is the pattern for the Stag Gauntlets. Additional information and photos can be found at my ravelry page (username Livingdeceiver)

STAG GAUNTLETS

Materials:
-yarn- 2 hanks Artyarns Supermerino handpainted in colorway 101 (Aran/10 ply/ 8 wpi); 204 yds per hank. For me, each gauntlet used up less than one hank.
-needles- one 29" US size 4 (3.5mm) circular needle *see note on skills needed*; cable needle.
-notions- at least 4 markers, tapestry needle, stitch holder

Guage: Not especially relevant given the nature of the pattern.

Size: As designed it comfortably fits a women's medium sized hand. Width is easily altered by adding/subtracting multiples of 4 sts to give more/less ribbing. As designed the glove reaches nearly to mid forearm, but again is easily altered by doing more pattern repeats before the thumb gusset.

Skills Needed: Circular knitting, cables, bar increases. These are an easy knit suitable for advanced beginners or those looking to branch out into cables or new circular techniques. I knit these gauntlets using the magic loop method, which I like because it makes it very easy to try them on as you go and see how you like the fit. The pattern can easily be adapted to two circs or DPNs if you like, however.

Stitches Used:
1) K2,P2 Ribbing (multiple of 4 stitches)
round one and all rounds: (K2,P2) around
2) Antler Cable (multiple of 16 stitches, worked over 6 rounds)
rnd 1, 3, and 5: knit even
rnd 2: K4, C4B, C4F, K4
rnd 4: K2, C4B, K4, C4F, K2
rnd 6: C4B, K8, C4F
*C4B: slip 2 sts to cable needle & hold at back of work, K2 sts from LN, K2 from cable needle
*C4F: slip 2 sts to cable needle & hold at front of work, K2 sts from LN, K2 from cable needle

Abbreviations: K - knit, P - purl, CO - cast on, BO - bind off, rnd - round, PM - place marker, M1 - make one (bar increase), st(s) - stitch(es), LN - left needle, KFB - knit into the front and the back of the next stitch

PATTERN:

~CO 42 stitches and join for knitting in the round, taking care not to twist. Use yarn tail or a fifth marker to designate the begining of the round.

- rnd 1: Work K2, P2 ribbing to last 18 sts, PM, K16, PM, P2. *this sets up the 16 st panel for the antler cable. As the remainder of the glove is worked, these 16 stitches will be worked in the corresponding round of the cable pattern detailed above.
- rnds 2-6: K2, P2 rib to marker, cable round [2, 3, 4, 5, or 6], P2

~Thumb gusset begins in 8th pattern repeat. During the 8th repeat...
- rnd 1: as usual
- rnd 2: KFB, K1 (1 st increased), work K2, P2 rib to marker, cable rnd 2, P2. *thumb increases will always be worked in the even rnds - the rnds where you do the cabling)
- rnd 3: as usual
- rnd 4: K1, PM, M1, K1, M1, PM, K1 (2 st inc), work K2, P2 rib to marker, cable rnd 4, P2.
- rnd 5: as usual
- rnd 6: K1, M1, K to marker, M1, K1 (2 st inc), work K2, P2 rib to marker, cable rnd 6, P2.
* when working the ribbing in the thumb gusset, it is important that the ribbing be done in pattern - that is, when it says "K2, P2" rib, purl the purl stitches and knit the knit stitches. Starting the ribbing section with K2 would not continue to yield the proper pattern, as the original K2 have become the edges of the gusset.

~continue to work in this fashion, making one stitch after the first marker and before the second marker during each even round, until there are 17 stitches between the markers (this should occur at the 6th (final) rnd of the 10th pattern repeat). On the next round (rnd 1 of the 11th pattern repeat), K1 before the marker, slip these 17 stitches onto waste yarn or a stitch holder, K1 after the marker (pulling the yarn snug to avoid a hole) and then continue the round as usual. Work the pattern until there are 13 total pattern repeats (13 "antlers" in the cable panel), and BO in pattern.

~For thumb: transfer the 17 sts back onto the needle, pick up 4 sts around the hand (where you pulled the rib back together. K these 21 sts for three rounds even and BO

~Weave in ends.

*The above instructions will yield the right hand gauntlet. To create the left hand, the directions are the same, but the markers are placed differently. Follow set-up row below:
- rnd 1: P2, PM, K16, PM, P2, K2, P2 rib to end *the extra P2 highlighted here is just to make sure that the ribbing comes out right - if you started the ribbing on the right hand with two knit sts instead of purl, you wouldn't have a nice purl panel on the right side of the cable anymore.

The cabling will occur at the beginning of the round rather than the end. When it comes time for the thumb gusset, follow this set-up:
- rnd 2 (of the 8th pattern repeat): P2, cable between markers, P2, K2, P2 rib to last 2 sts, KFB, K1
- rnd 4: P2, cable between markers, P2, K2, P2 rib to last 3 sts, K1, PM, M1, K1, M1, PM, K1
- rnd 6: P2, cable between markers, P2, K2, P2 rib to 1 st before marker, K1, M1, K to marker, M1, K1