Needlecrafts - Knitting Stitch Primer, Ripples

Helen Rodel | website here
M Missoni Online | website here
Ermanno Scervino | website here

Ripple Stitch Patterns also known as Old Shale Stitch, Feather and Fan Stitch, Wavy Stitch with most of their variations have been around forever.
This family of stitches, like other familiar stitches, were predominately used throughout the whole garment, usually in a standard style with flat yarn.
Variegated yarns, eyelash type yarns and mohair gave the stitch some variety but it still was used in standard stripes.
What is truly exciting about the new generation of knitters is the fearless willingness to experiment with guage, texture and form.
Mixing yarns, whether it's weight or texture or throwing out old notions of colour combinations, isn't a problem.
Ripples can be very effective design elements in small areas such as cuffs, neckbands, buttonbands, borders and used as edgings.
Any design with a knitted rectangle would benefit from this stitch such as shrugs.
Colour blocking with this stitch would definitely take the design to a new level and perhaps mixing that with narrow ripple stripes.

Read further for further inspiration, variations of this stitch and free patterns featuring the Ripple Stitch.

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Needlecrafts - Knitting Stitch Primer, Drop Stitch

Making Waves | Ravelry-ForestWeave,purchase pattern here
Cables and Twists | vogue.com
Leafy Vines | no further info
Sheer Delight | here

It's always interesting to see how any trend evolves. Patchwork, colour blocking, combining knits with wovens and creating sheerness with different guages.
Machine knitting allows the knitter to create see-through areas easily, mixing heavier yarns with very fine guages.
Handknitting is a different story. You can use a heavier guage yarn such as a chunky weight and use the same needle size for a fingering weight. This will lighten the yarn and provide some sheerness.
Another way is through stitch patterns called Drop Stitches, which can be used in a variety of ways.
While knitting you wrap a stitch once, twice and even three times, letting the wraps go on the next row.
This stitch is especially effective and pretty with tape yarns.

Read further for further inspiration, stitch tutorials and free patterns featuring the Drop Stitch.

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DIY - Soft Shapes In Jewelry

Images | vogue.com

There's something special about jewelry that doesn't take itself seriously. Jewelry is a decorative accessory, you don't need it but oh how appealing it can be.
This piece of adornment can be anything that makes me feel stylish, gives my outfit a shot of colour, texture, a playful lift.
Soft yarn "jewelry" has really grown up and become sophisticated.
Whether it's crochet, knit or macrame, the result is textured and tactile, begging us to touch it.
Tory Burch has fun with her accessories for the Spring season. Straw, shells, crocheted balls and pompoms in bright colours bring a smile to your face.
These accessories have an added benefit, they are easy and fun to make.

Read further for wonderful inspiration and tutorials on how to make some of the components in the soft jewelry.

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Trendspotting - Knit, Crochet with Metallic Finishes

Runway Images | Vogue.com - F|W '13

Knit fashions have really become ornate. Whether it's bejewelling or the surface "metallized", the added attraction has been embellishment.
Yarns blended or twisted with a lurex filament have been around forever, but a surface treated to look like "wet metal" is new, at least to me.
Ultimately, it reminds me of gilding furniture and frames with fine gold, silver or even iridescent foil sheets. The surface is painted with a substance that becomes tacky, helping the foil to adhere.
There are also very interesting new reflective yarns that can be blended with traditional yarns, especially effective with eyelash type yarns where the light peeks out under the eyelash fringe
Read further about iridescent pigments and how you can "paint" iridescence onto a surface.

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Needlecrafts - Knitting Stitch Primer

Top Left Image | here
Top Right Image | here
Bottom Left Image | here
Bottom Right Image | here

Bobbles are so much fun to make. Up until recently bobbles have been decorative little balls, added texture on cable patterns or adorable additions on children's patterns.
The little bobble has become big and bold, in some cases like they are on steroids. Weight of yarn has a lot to do with how big the bobble will be, even if you are working the traditional 3 or 5 stitch bobble.
The tempting selection of bulky, yet lightweight, roving type yarns has allowed designers to experiment with outrageous texture. Supersized bobbles and cable designs are simple, no need for complicated patterns.
The designs above and below the jump illustrate how these big bumps add style.

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Needlecrafts - Making It Personal

Main Image | Patons Free Pattern here

Cable Capelet Free Pattern

First off I would like to mention that this is a free pattern and more importantly, a fairly simple pattern to modify.
The weight of yarn and tension can be important as it determines the finished size of your garment. In this case whether the capelet is an inch or two longer and wider is not a tragedy, but garments that are heavily cabled or have a specific sizing and structure are recommended only for knitters with strong stomachs and lots of patience.
I have neither, so this example is perfect.
Modifying in this case is really tweaking. We are making minor changes to stitches and measurements (hopefully, if your tension is not way off).

Things I Want To Change

1. Not crazy about the bulky cable at the bottom of the capelet.
2. Want a zipper or some kind of front closure - hate over the head turtlenecks.
3. Love texture and easy, so I want a border of texture, but a relatively simple stitch.

Read further for changes and stitch pattern suggestions.

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I will be taking a break during the holidays and will be back ready to post all kinds of creativity after New Year's Day.

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