wool

Outlander Background Woolworker #7 Mitts.

I’ve been working on my Outlander mitts since October, and the pattern is finally finished: you can find it here. The name is a little sardonic at the moment, since I’ve always been oddly uncomfortable referencing the occasional costume designer’s decision to use my work: it’s so exciting and so cool and there’s a sense of being really well-appreciated because the designers themselves are easy and enjoyable to work with—it’s always been a really good experience. It’s the ideal way for a shy person to be on TV.

Which is to not be, at all.

But I feel like once I slowly, gradually catch on as to why someone is making an unusually large order or wants four of x given thing (or get told), I can’t tell if it’s a secret or not. I guess since no one’s ever actually asked me to be hushed about it, I can admit to one brief brush with fame from years ago. The potential for it to be effectively self-promotional has probably faded.

Anyway, the most interesting thing about this mitt design is that they appeared very briefly in Outlander. It was a long time ago, in the first season, I think. You can see them, knit in moss green Patons Classic, on the lady to the lower left of your screen.

(Incidentally, if you do costume design, and would like to use my pieces in your work, I’m always thrilled to know, and would also not tell anyone if you asked me not to. Conversely, I’d probably tell everybody if you asked me to. So.)

Another Thing: Offshoot.

If you’d like to support the future general production of mouse army knitting patterns, it’s easy to do for this one: there is a paid version available! The cost is a token $2 US. The .PDF includes this version and a slightly different one, plus a schematic. If you’d like the free version, find it below!

The Offshoot scarf is related to the Garter Scrap Shawl, but small changes make a big difference to the overall shape. This is the simplest possible version of this scarf,* and it’s the version I knit for my main sample—the one you see in all the photos. I like it a lot; it’s got a solarpunk/optimistic-but-apocalyptic feel when you drape it just right. It’s also a good way to use scraps, although a part of me would love to see it knit up from a big lot of soft, rustic woolen handspun yarn.

Knit the Offshoot from scraps, as shown, or with a deliberate, planned color-scheme of your own! It would make an excellent template for knitting a temperature scarf, or for showing off texture or color effects of big skein of special handspun. And to me, the long triangle seems preferable to a wider one, in terms of wearability.

Materials:
Materials are for the scarf as shown, and the pattern is based on worsted-weight/dk for the sake of consistency. You can knit this in any weight, at any gauge!

  • Approximately 670+ yards of soft, scarf-appropriate worsted-weight scrap yarns
  • 1 16” circular needle in US7-8/4.5-5.0mm, or size needed for gauge, or size needed for yarn weight chosen
  • Tapestry needle for weaving in ends

Gauge:
Gauge is whatever suits you and your yarn! Knit this scarf in any yarn you like, whether you want it bulky or want the luxury of fine-knit garter stitch. (I love garter stitch in fine yarn.) Gauge in the sample shown is 15 sts and 29 rows in garter stitch, prior to blocking. 

Terms used:
k—knit
p—purl 
m1r—make 1 right. I really wasn’t joking; this shawl is 3 stitches if you count this increase as a stitch. 
RS/WS—right side, wrong side. 
sl1–slip one. Sts are generally slipped purlwise unless otherwise specified.
st/s—stitch/stitches

Begin Work.
Using the cable cast-on method, CO 4 sts. Work flat. Odd rows are RS rows.

Row 1 (RS). sl1, k remaining.
All Even Rows, 2-6. sl1, p1, k remaining,
Row 3. sl1, k to last 2 sts, m1r, k2 (1 st inc) 5 sts total. 
Row 5. sl1, k to end of row.
End with Row 6.  

Rows 3-6 form the basic pattern repeat.

Repeat Rows 3-6 until triangle reaches desired size, only enough yarn remains for a standard bindoff, or you’re sick of knitting triangles. 

Bind off using the basic bindoff, working loosely and evenly for a good edge, or using an alternate flexible/stretchy substitute of your choice. 

The Wool Market Bag.

The Wool Market Bag is another one of those designs that’s been percolating since last summer. I wanted to get it done by Estes Park Wool Market, but missed it by a long shot last year, and then missed it by days this year.
This year, I didn’t even go. I made a bad choice of wool purchase and felt like I’d been, well, fleeced. (You should always check the skirting! And don’t let a random wool grower sell you on a non-coated fleece when you’re thinking about coated or even washed wool! Man I do not like washing fleece, honestly. I don’t have an efficient system for that at all.)

It turned out to be a market tote in the style of a Japanese knot bag. I’m working on a second finishing, so there will be two options. So you can make a knot bag, or you can…knot.

This pattern will go out two different ways: via an informal knitalong I’m hosting on Patreon (my page is brand new! My tentative plan is to use the patron-only posts feature for this knitalong, and then go from there; I don’t think I’ll add tiers until I feel like the initial bonus content has been a success, and the actual Patreon page has some real value for people. I’m not sure it will. I think Patreon could factor in to my knitwear design and be a viable venue for it, and help a lot with adding to the overall production values of the my independent designs, but it’s kind of uncomfortable in some ways, too, for me personally. I am not entirely sure about it), and then afterward as a basic .PDF.

I’m aiming to start the knitalong thing on June 17th! If there’s some response but not a lot, I may postpone it slightly, but other than that, we’ll aim for a Monday. Right now, my calendar is set up for updates at 3-day increments—this is a relatively quick knit, so that should be a nice pace for it.

If you’d like to join in on the Patreon knitalong, the link is here:
Become a Patron!

If not, no sweat—the Wool Market pattern will be available to everyone else just a week or two after the knitalong completes, if there’s enough interest for a knitalong in the first place, honestly.

slightly whelmed.

This week I’m working primarily on light cardigans and shrugs—one of each; if you’re on the test knitting list you’ve seen one of them—but I’m also distracting myself from the pressure of full-fledged garment design with hats, and the hats, of course, are coming along a lot more quickly, because they’re hats. (I guess the same things that make them effective for procrastination make them go a bit faster as projects.) I dislike the procrastination habit, but I like the crown decreases.

Wool Market in a Box.

If you are not following the Mouse Army Tumblr, but have an interest in handmade yarn, hand-dyed spinning fiber, and farm wool from many sources, have a look! (If you’d like.) This past week I have been doing little writeups of a tiny set of artists/makers there, complete with photos. Wool Market will continue this week with 1-2 more posts.

ITSREMARKABLE 006 (1280x848)ITSREMARKABLE 002