Zauberball Tiling

Recently, when I thought again about what to do with my two skeins of Zauberball Fuchsienbeet. I had them lying around since I tried something with them last year which didn't exactly work out.

This time I wanted to try a (sort of) entrelac pattern, but with different sized patches. Even though the colors don't distribute as evenly as I would like them to, I really like how it looks. The pattern reminds me of parquetry or tiling. 

Fingerless Gloves with Stacked Stitces

Ever since I've seen stacked stitches I wanted to do my own patterns with it. I first succeed earlier this year when I knitted my Stack Overflow Cowl (free pattern available here), but I always wanted to do fingerless gloves with this technique.

I first imagined something knitted in the round around the thumb (a bit like my Circle Mitts, but with stacked stitches), but I haven't managed to make that work (yet?). So I decided to do something on the lines of the Strata Fingerless Gloves but with a panel of stacked stitches on the back of the hands.

So far, I like it. But I haven't decided yet, whether to make the second one exactly the same or with opposing colors, i.e. starting with the lighter tone and using the darker yarn only for the stacked stitches ...

Checkered Lace Scarf

In preparation for autumn, my mum asked me to knit a new black scarf for her to match her black mitts.

I wanted to do something no completely black, so I tried to introduce some kind of "pattern" with lace stitches to loosen up the black a bit. I ended up with a checkered pattern, with rectangles of lace alternating with garter-stitch-only rectangles.

The pattern looks the same from RS and WS, i.e. it is completely reversible.

This work by Knitting and so on is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.





Materials

• 150 to 200 grams of fingering weight yarn
• 3.5mm needles
• 4 stitch markers
• a tapestry needle to weave in ends

Construction

The scarf consists of 5 squares (or nearly squares) in width - alternating garter stitch squares with lace squares. The arrangement of the squares is shown in the picture below.

How to Knit the Lace Squares

Row 1: * sl1, k2tog, psso, yo twice, repeat from *
Row 2: * k1 p1 into double yo, k1, repeat from *
Row 3: k all
Row 4: * sl1, k2tog, psso, yo twice, repeat from *
Row 5: * k1 p1 into double yo, k1, repeat from *
Row 6: k all

When knitting one of the side rectangles, the lace part is widened with 2 edge stitches.

Instructions

CO64
Setup Row: sl1 k13, pm (= place marker), k12, pm, k12, pm, k12, pm, k14

Since the pattern is reversible and looks the same from RS and WS, I'd advise you to mark the RS as soon as possible.

2x Lace Section
Row 1a (RS): sl1, k to marker, * sl1, k2tog, psso, yo twice, repeat from * until you reach the marker, k to next marker, * sl1, k2tog, psso, yo twice, repeat from * until you reach the marker, k to end
Row 2a (WS): sl1, k to marker, * k1 p1 into double yo, k1, repeat from * until you reach the marker, k to marker, * k1 p1 into double yo, k1, repeat from * until you reach the marker, k to end
Row 3a (RS):  sl1, k all
Row 4a (WS): sl1, k to marker, * sl1, k2tog, psso, yo twice, repeat from * until you reach the marker, k to next marker, * sl1, k2tog, psso, yo twice, repeat from * until you reach the marker, k to end
Row 5a (RS): sl1, k to marker, * k1 p1 into double yo, k1, repeat from * until you reach the marker, k to marker, * k1 p1 into double yo, k1, repeat from * until you reach the marker, k to end
Row 6a (WS): sl1, k all
Knit rows 1a to 6a two more times
Inbetween row (RS): sl1, k all

3x Lace-Section
Row 1b (WS): sl1, k1 * sl1, k2tog, psso, yo twice, repeat from * until you reach the marker, k to marker, * sl1, k2tog, psso, yo twice, repeat from * until you reach the marker, k to marker, * sl1, k2tog, psso, yo twice, repeat from * until there are only 2 sts left, k2
Row 2b (RS): sl1, k1, * k1 p1 into double yo, k1, repeat from * until you reach the marker, k to marker, * k1 p1 into double yo, k1, repeat from * until you reach the marker, k to marker, * k1 p1 into double yo, k1, repeat from * until there are only 2 sts left, k2
Row 3b (WS): sl1, k all
Row 4b (RS):  sl1, k1 * sl1, k2tog, psso, yo twice, repeat from * until you reach the marker, k to marker, * sl1, k2tog, psso, yo twice, repeat from * until you reach the marker, k to marker, * sl1, k2tog, psso, yo twice, repeat from * until there are only 2 sts left, k2
Row 5b (WS): sl1, k1, * k1 p1 into double yo, k1, repeat from * until you reach the marker, k to marker, * k1 p1 into double yo, k1, repeat from * until you reach the marker, k to marker, * k1 p1 into double yo, k1, repeat from * until there are only 2 sts left, k2
Row 6b (RS): sl1, k all
Knit rows 1b to 6b two more times
Inbetween row (WS): sl1, k all

Repeat alternating 2x Lace-Sections and 3xLace-Sections until the scarf is about as long as you'd like it.

End with 2x Lace-Section as follows
Row 1a (RS): sl1, k to marker, * sl1, k2tog, psso, yo twice, repeat from * until you reach the marker, k to next marker, * sl1, k2tog, psso, yo twice, repeat from * until you reach the marker, k to end
Row 2a (WS): sl1, k to marker, * k1 p1 into double yo, k1, repeat from * until you reach the marker, k to marker, * k1 p1 into double yo, k1, repeat from * until you reach the marker, k to end
Row 3a (RS):  sl1, k all
Row 4a (WS): sl1, k to marker, * sl1, k2tog, psso, yo twice, repeat from * until you reach the marker, k to next marker, * sl1, k2tog, psso, yo twice, repeat from * until you reach the marker, k to end
Row 5a (RS): sl1, k to marker, * k1 p1 into double yo, k1, repeat from * until you reach the marker, k to marker, * k1 p1 into double yo, k1, repeat from * until you reach the marker, k to end
Row 6a (WS): sl1, k all
Knit rows 1a to 6a two more times
BO loosely.

Weave in ends and block gently.

Widows Weeds Fingerless Gloves

After my dad died earlier this year, my mum asked me to knit a pair of black fingerless gloves for her. I decided on something unspectacular with an easy lace pattern, so that it would be suitable of early spring and not too flashy.

This work by Knitting and so on is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Materials

• about 25 to 30 grams of fingering weight yarn
• 3mm dpns
• 3 stitch markers
• scrap yarn or yarn holder 
• tapestry needle to weave in ends

Lace pattern 

This lace pattern works in the round with any multiple of 8 stitches:

Round 1: p1, k7 

Round 2: p1, k1, k2tog, yo, k1, k2tog, yo, k1

Round 3: p1, k7 

Round 4: p1, k7 

Round 5: p1, k1, yo, ssk, k1, yo, ssk, k1, 

Round 6: p1, k7 

Instructions

CO48 (or any other muliple of 8) and join in round and place a stitch marker to mark the end of the round

Knit 6 rows of p1, k3-ribbing

Then start the lace pattern

Round 1: * p1, k7, repeat from *

Round 2: * p1, k1, k2tog, yo, k1, k2tog, yo, k1, repeat from *

Round 3: * p1, k7, repeat from * 

Round 4: * p1, k7, repeat from * 

Round 5: * p1, k1, yo, ssk, k1, yo, ssk, k1, repeat from * 

Round 6: * p1, k7,  repeat from * 

and repeat rounds 1 to 6 until you start the thumb gusset. In the last round place two stitch markers around one purl channel

Thumb gusset

While continuing the lace pattern for the rest of the round knit the thumb gusset as follows

Round 1: [lace pattern up to marker] into the purl stitch: k1 yo k1 [marker, lace pattern to end]

Round 2: [lace pattern up to marker] p1 k1 p1 [marker, lace pattern to end]

Round 3: [lace pattern up to marker] p1 k1 p1 [marker, lace pattern to end]

Round 4: [lace pattern up to marker] p1, into the knit stitch: k1 yo k1, p1 [marker, lace pattern to end]

Round 5: [lace pattern up to marker] p1, k to 1 before marker, p1 [marker, lace pattern to end]

Round 6: [lace pattern up to marker] p1, k to 1 before marker, p1 [marker, lace pattern to end]

Round 7: [lace pattern up to marker] p1, mk1r, k to 2 before marker, mk1l, p1 [marker, lace pattern to end]

Round 8: [lace pattern up to marker] p1, k to 1 before marker, p1 [marker, lace pattern to end]

Round 9: [lace pattern up to marker] p1, k to 1 before marker, p1 [marker, lace pattern to end]

Repeat the last three rounds until the thumb hole is big enough for you (for me this was the case at 17 sts between the markers

In the next round, knit lace pattern up to marker, place the stitches between the markers on a stitch marker or some scrap yarn, CO1 (with backwards loop CO) and continue the lace pattern to the end of round.

Continue the lace patter for about 2 pattern repeats, and finish with 5 rounds of p1, k3-ribbing, BO in pattern.

Thumb

Remove thumb stitches from stitch holder, and pick up about 5 stitches from the gap (between last thumb stitch and top) and the underside of the backwards loop CO. 

(At this point I had 22 sts on my needles).

Knit stockinette stitch in rounds, knitting decreases in the first two rounds where the stitches from stitch holder meet the newly picked up stitches to avoid gaps. Continue with a few more stockinette stitch rounds. End with a few rows of p1, k2-ribbing. BO in patten.

(The ribbing you can do at the top of the thumb depends on the number of stitches that you aim for - I aimed for a multiple of 3 (22 sts minus twice two decreases = 22-2x2 = 18), that's why I did a p1k2-ribbing. If you finish on a multiple of 4, you can do a p1k3-ribbing to exactly match the ribbing at the top of the mitts.)

Make two.

Bitilasana Yoga Socks

Recently, a friend asked me to knit some yoga socks for her – she only specified the colors she wanted: black and fuchsia. So, first of all I went stash-diving and found that I had three yarns (in fingering weight) that would fit that color scheme – and then I thought about the design. As usual, I wanted something without any yarn cutting while knitting one piece. Unfortunately, I didn’t reach that specific goal but nevertheless, I quite like the look of these yoga socks.

This pattern describes how to do this in three colors. Of course you can adjust it and knit it only with one yarn or in two colors. I guess it would look interesting with some variegated sock yarn (and with one yarn you wouldn’t even have to break your yarn while knitting one sock :)

As to the name: the wavy lines reminded me of the cat-cow-sequence in yoga; and Bitilasana is the name for cow pose.

This work by Knitting and so on is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Materials

• a total of about 30 grams of fingering weight yarn in 3 colors
• 3 knitting needles (3mm), it’s best to use double pointed needles (e.g. one circular and one straight needle)
• a tapestry needle for grafting and to weave in ends
• scrap yarn for crochet provisional CO
• a crochet hook for crochet provisional CO

Techniques

• Provisional Cast-On: My preferred method of a provisional cast-on is the crochet provisional CO – as shown in this YouTube Video
• Grafting: Joni Coniglio has written a series on grafting (“5 Grafting Myths”) on the knitting daily blog. All her post can be found here: http://www.knittingdaily.com/author/joni-coniglio/).
  The techniques used here, can be found in this blog post.
• Here's a short (!) description of the grafting techniques used for this pattern:
• If you want to graft in garter stitch you can do it in two ways – depending on the way you hold your knitting and which yarn you’re using.
• (1) If you do it with your working yarn (in case of this pattern the needle you knitted your last row with is the front needle), you’d want to have the knit valley in front and the purl ridge on the back needle.
  Here the formula is (in short): Front needle: knit slip, purl leave; back needle: knit slip, purl leave
  Or spelled out: 
• First stitch: on front needle insert needle purlwise and leave stitch on the needle, on the back needle do the same 
• For all following stitches:
  Front needle: insert needle knitwise and slip stitch from needle, insert needle purlwise into the next stitch and leave the stitch on your needle
  Back needle: do the same, i.e. insert needle knitwise and slip stitch from needle, insert needle purlwise into the next stitch and leave the stitch on your needle
• (2) If you work with yarn that you kept when casting on your stitches (in case of this pattern, your front needle contains the stitches of the provisional CO), you’d want the purl ridge on the front needle and the knit valley on the back needle.
• Here is the formula in short: Front needle: purl slip, knit leave; back needle: purl slip, knit leave
• Or spelled out:
  First stitch: on front needle insert needle knitwise and leave stitch on the needle, on the back needle do the same
  For all following stitches:
  Front needle: insert needle purlwise and slip stitch from needle, insert needle knitwise into the next stitch and leave the stitch on your needle
  Back needle: do the same, i.e. insert needle purlwise and slip stitch from needle, insert needle knitwise into the next stitch and leave the stitch on your needle
• (3) If you want to decrease a stitch while grafting, you need to push the … needle through two stitches instead of one, both when it’s left on the needle, and when you’re about to slip it off.
  E.g. when you want to decrease a stitch on your front needle in the middle of a row in garter stitch:
• Front needle: insert needle knitwise and slip stitch (stitch before the decrease), insert needle purlwise through the next two stitches (the decrease) and leave on needle 
• Back needle: insert needle knitwise and slip stitch from needle, insert needle purlwise into the next stitch and leave the stitch on your needle
• Front needle: insert needle knitwise into the first two stitches (as if to k2tog) and slip from needle, insert needle purlwise into the next stitch and leave the stitch on your needle
• Back needle: insert needle knitwise and slip stitch from needle, insert needle purlwise into the next stitch and leave the stitch on your needle

Gauge and What to Measure
Before starting to knit measure the circumference of your ankles. You will be asked to knit until you have reached half of that circumference.

General Construction
The picture below shows the general construction. You start with half of the intended lenght of the sock for the first provisional CO. Then you knit half of the sock's circumference and afterwards provisionally CO the other half of the intended stitches. The part that is knitted next is used to cover the back of the foot and the front part of your ankles (wide part in the middle).
When this is finished, the first provisional CO is grafted to the upper stitches creating the first tube of your sock. Then you continue in another narrow strip of horizontal ribs and finish with a second graft to complete the second part of the tube.

Instructions

Lower narrow part

With scrap yarn provisionally CO22 sts, leave a tail long enough to graft and knit the first row with colour 1.
With color 2:
Row 1 (RS): k1, * kfb k2, ssk, k2tog, k2, kfb, repeat from * until there is only one stitch left
Row 2 (WS): k all
With color 3:
Row 3 (RS): k1, * kfb k2, ssk, k2tog, k2, kfb, repeat from * until there is only one stitch left
Row 4 (WS): k all
With color 1:
Row 5 (RS): k1, * kfb k2, ssk, k2tog, k2, kfb, repeat from * until there is only one stitch left
Row 6 (WS): k all
With color 2:
Row 7 (RS): k1, * kfb k2, ssk, k2tog, k2, kfb, repeat from * until there is only one stitch left
Row 8 (WS): k all
With color 3:
Row 9 (RS): k1, * kfb k2, ssk, k2tog, k2, kfb, repeat from * until there is only one stitch left
Row 10 (WS): k all
Repeat rows 5 to 10 until the piece as long as half the circumference of your feet.


Wide part

With color 1:
Row 1 (RS): k1, * kfb k2, ssk, k2tog, k2, kfb, repeat from * until there is only one stitch left
Row 2 (WS): k all - on a third needle provisionally cast on 20 stitches and continue knitting row 2.
(see photos 1 and 2 in the illustration below).
With color 2:
Row 3 (RS): k1, * kfb k2, ssk, k2tog, k2, kfb, repeat from * until there is only one stitch left
Row 4 (WS): k all
With color 3:
Row 5 (RS): k1, * kfb k2, ssk, k2tog, k2, kfb, repeat from * until there is only one stitch left
Row 6 (WS): k all
With color 1:
Row 7 (RS): k1, * kfb k2, ssk, k2tog, k2, kfb, repeat from * until there is only one stitch left
Row 8 (WS): k all
With color 2:
Row 9 (RS): k1, * kfb k2, ssk, k2tog, k2, kfb, repeat from * until there is only one stitch left
Row 10 (WS): k all
With color 3:
Row 11 (RS): k1, * kfb k2, ssk, k2tog, k2, kfb, repeat from * until there is only one stitch left
Row 12 (WS): k all

Repeat rows 7 to 12 until the piece as long as the circumference of your feet.
Slip stitches to other side of the needle.

Put the first provisionally CO stitches on another needle (photo 3), fold it over (photo 4) and graft these 22 stitches to 20 of the that are on the working needle with the yarn tail in color 1.

The needle holding the stitches from the former provisional CO is now the front needle.
Use the grafting technique (2) as described above while decreasing the first and last stitch on your front needle (as described under grafting techniques (3) above).

Upper narrow part

With color 1:
Row 1 (RS): k1, * kfb k2, ssk, k2tog, k2, kfb, repeat from * until there is only one stitch left
Row 2 (WS): k all
With color 2:
Row 3 (RS): k1, * kfb k2, ssk, k2tog, k2, kfb, repeat from * until there is only one stitch left
Row 4 (WS): k all
With color 3:
Row 5 (RS): k1, * kfb k2, ssk, k2tog, k2, kfb, repeat from * until there is only one stitch left
Row 6 (WS): k all

Repeat rows 1 to 6 until you have reached the circumference of your feet - measuring from the second provisional CO 

Cut your yarn but leave a tail long enough for grafting.

Put the 20 stitches from the 2nd provisional CO on another needle (photo 5) and graft it to the 22 sts on the working needle (photo 6). The former working needle is your front needle while grafting

Use grafting technique (1) as described above and decrease the fifth stitch on the front needle and the fifth stitch before the last.

Weave in ends.

Make two.

Sideways Top

Currently, instead of knitting small things like slippers or fingerless gloves, I like doing bigger projects, i.e. tops and sweaters. And since I don't like the finishing work on my knitting projects (i.e. assembling the pieces or weaving in ends) I have tried to design a sweater that can be knitted in one piece and that doesn't have to be sewn together in the end. I hope it will work.

Here's what it looks like so far.

Where to Share Your Free Knitting And Crochet Patterns

When I started to design knitting patterns, I wasn't interested in hit rates and traffic to my blog. Over the years I have wanted to increase my traffic. There are a lot of general posts around that give really good advice on how and where to share your posts - these deal with Search Engine Optimization (SEO), commenting on other peoples' blogs, shareable photos, best times to share your posts on social media etc.

I have followed some of this advice in the past and it has helped a lot to drive more readers to my blog (especially SEO is important - since it will make search engines find your content). However, as a knitting blogger, I would also have liked to get more specific links, i.e. a compilation sites that useful for knitting (and crochet) bloggers to promote their content.

Since I haven't found any such list yet, this post specifically lists sites, directories, social media groups etc. for knitting and crochet patterns. It may be useful both for designers that are trying to get more traffc to their blogs as well as crafters trying to find free resources.

So, which sites do you use? Do you have any other recommendations to share or find free patterns? Let me know in the comments.

Pattern Directories and Pattern Sharing Sites

• allfreeknitting.com / allfreecrochet.com: Huge directory of knitting and crochet patterns where you can submit your patterns using a standard web form. You need to create an account to submit your projects - but they might link to your pattern in one of their newsletters which usually provides a spike in my webside traffic.
• craftgawker.com: A curated photo gallery to showcase the works of craft bloggers. You have to create an account and use a web form to submit your work. They also review the submissions in order to make sure that the photos match their standards.
• shareapattern.com: Links to a new free knitting, crochet and sewing pattern each day. You have to register to submit a pattern.
• knittinghelp.com: A site with videos to help knitters learn new techniques that also lists free patterns by category. You can submit a pattern using this web form.
• CraftGossip.com: According to their about page "CraftGossip covers news written by craft people telling you about all the good stuff". To submit your pattern for being linked to, you have to fill in a form. 
• 365crochet.com - crochet patterns only - there is a web form to submit a free pattern to be listed
• knittingpatternsgalore.com / crochetpatternsgalore.com 
• craftroulette.com

Social Media for Knitters and Crocheters

Ravelry

Ravelry is THE site to share and find knitting and crochet patterns - both free and paid. You have to create an account to search their huge pattern directory, but it is well worth it. The search function is excellent. As a designer you can showcase your pattern there - and you also have the fun of seeing other people's projects from your patterns. Over the years Ravelry has provided more than 20% of the traffic to my blog.

Facebook Groups

On Facebook there are a lot of groups for knitters and crocheters - on some of them you can also share your free patterns. Just search for "knitting" or "crochet" and apply for membership.
Groups that are specifically made to post free patterns are  for example (links only work if your are logged in to Facebooks) Ravelry Free Pattern Alerts, Ravelry Free Pattern Alerts (Knit Only), Free Crochet and Knitting Patterns. Other great knitting and crochet groups are Knitting, Love Knitting and Crocheting, CROCHET ADDICT and (if you can read German) nadelspiel ... Whichever group you post your patterns to, make sure to read the group's rules and comply to them and don't spam!

Google+ Groups

On Google+ there are al so a lot of groups for knitters and crocheters - many of them also allow to post links to your free patterns (but as always, read the group rules and comply to them - and don't spam). Just search for knitting/crochet groups and ask to be admitted. Groups that I post my patterns to include: Knitting, Knitting Bloggers, Knit Along on Google+, Knitters Support Group and Some Crochet Too, The Crochet Lounge, Free Crochet Patterns, The Crochet Café and many more ...

Pinterest and Pinterest Group Boards

Pinterest calls itself as "the world’s catalogue of ideas". You can certainly find a lot of inspiration there - not only in the yarny arts but also in recipes, home decor, life hacks etc.
Pinterest is great to store good ideas (by pinning them to your boards), but also to promote your own projects and blog posts, You can do this by pinning to your own boards and using appropriated hash tags. You can encorage others to pin your posts by using Pinterest friendly photos and adding a Pin-It-Button using Pinterest's widget builder.

Group Boards: If you want to find a suitable group board, go to PinGroupie.com, browse the groups and ask to be added as a contributor as indicated (this process may be different for different boards).
If you have created a group board yourself, you can list it at a Group Board Directory.

Group Boards that I post to are: Let's Knit and Crochet, Knitting Knitting Knitting PIN for ALL, Fiber Arts Community Board {P2P}, Yarn Love Community Pinboard, my knit affair ¦ pin here, The WHOot Best Crochet and Knitting, etc. (And no, I'm not the owner of any of these boards so I cannot add you to the list of contributors - you have to ask the owner's permission (politely!) - and it's their decision to accept you or not.) Also, all of these boards have a set of rules to comply to.

Yarny and Crafty Link Parties

If you are featured at a link party, it might create a spike in your blog's hit rate - especially if it's a popular link party and the hosts share the features on their social media channels. Here's a list of link parties that specialise in "yarny" stuff:

• Fiber Tuesdays by Oui Crochet and The Quilting Room with Mel (Tuesday - every week)
• Hookin on Hump Day by MooglyBlog and Petals to Picots (Wednesday - every other week)
• Link and Share Wednesday by OombawkaDesign (Wednesday - every week)
• Link Your Stuff by meertje (Wednesday - every week)
• Yarnalong by Small Things (Wednesday - every week)
• Crafting along by mazkow.com (Saturday - every week)
• Link Your Stuff by annemaries haakblog (Saturday - every week)
• KnittingLove Link Party by the Underground Crafter and Jessie at Home (monthly)

More link parties (not yarn specific) that I regularly frequent can be found here.
Other peoples (crafty) link party lists are for example here and here. One general link party directory can be found here.

Forums etc.

• Knitting Paradise is a forum for knitters to share free resources (especially the Links and Resources Board), to show off their projects to ask for advice and to generally chat about knitting. You have to create an account to post there and you have to be a "regular" to post your own patterns. The boards have rules - read them before posting!
• CrochetVille Community
• Crochet.Community

So, these are my favorite places to promote my patterns. I hope this list was helpful to you and I would love to add more recommendations to my list.