A quick and easy remedy against a chilly spring, these armwarmers can be readily knit from stash oddballs or leftovers from other projects. A dash of stranded colorwork and a faux button detail add eye-catching style. Download the PDF here: Lovisa Armwarmers

I used two different alpaca yarns, Frog Tree Alpaca Sportweight (the natural color) and a skein of unmarked burnt-orange I bought at La Droguerie in Paris. Both have been in the stash for some time. The buttons were leftovers, too–from one of the first baby sweaters I made when I learned to knit. They were supposed to go on a matching cap that I never made. My Lovisas have already seen a lot of wear, since they let me bring my 3/4-length shirt sleeves back into wardrobe rotation. The garter flap above the thumb keeps them nicely in place, but it’s easy to slip my thumbs out and free my hands, too, which isn’t true of my other fingerless gloves and is turning out to be a useful feature. I’m planning other color combinations. Who doesn’t have an odd 50 or 100 yards of sport or DK leftovers lying around in every shade? I’m never able to bring myself to throw them away. I could see following the same recipe but making stripes if I’m not in the mood for stranded colorwork, or if I have even shorter bits to use up. Before you go off to paw through your own stash, a few doggie outtakes:

New version of the pattern added 28 January 2010.

By popular request (and my own long-delayed intention), the Columbia pattern has been modified to include a medium size that will fit smaller heads or those who like a real beret rather than a beret/snood. Get the new version here:

ColumbiaBeret.pdf

The wool I used is a soft 2-ply Columbia wool from Oregon’s Imperial Stock Ranch; you could substitute any worsted weight wool, but a fuzzy woolen-spun will give you a cohesive, warm fabric. The slouchy beret is worked on needles slightly smaller than recommended for extra structure and a felt-like hand. Lines of yarnover eyelets swirl decoratively up to a knit-on garter-stitch topper. The Columbia wool will full quite readily if you wish to tailor the fit after knitting.

LeifsTwistedTree.pdf

New version with corrections added 28 January 2010

Leif’s sweater is ready to meet the public at last! This is a raglan pullover I designed for my good friend Abbie, who has an adorable nephew called Leif to knit for. Since Leif has a fine old Viking name, I wanted to add an element to his sweater that would remind me of Norse mythology. This ancient illustration of Yggdrasil, the World Tree, put me in mind of the Twisted Tree stitch in the first Barbara Walker treasury, which opens its branches to the sky in the same manner. I threw in some panels of reverse stockinet to set off the twisted trees, sketched in rolled cuffs, hem, and neckband for an unfussy look, and the design was born. My test sample, which you see my cousin Asa modeling above, showed the need for much fuller sleeves and a slightly looser neck, which I have now written into the pattern. Asa is a well-grown three years and eight months old and is wearing the 2/3 size, so it’s also snugger on him than intended. Leif’s Twisted Tree Pullover is sized for kids aged 1-7, and can be knit with almost any DK-weight yarn. If you want to make one for a bigger kiddo, use worsted-weight yarn and larger needles and follow the directions for the largest size. Click the link below the picture to download the free PDF. If you find errors, I want to know about them right away. Leave a note in the comments here so others will know about the problem, and I’ll make corrections as quickly as I can.

Here’s Leif modeling his eponymous sweater just the way it ought to be worn – askew from playing in the snow! Thanks to Abbie for the photographs and the knitting of this one. (And if you’d like to eat this darling boy right up, you’ll have to get in line. But there are more pictures of the irresistible laddie in his Twisted Tree sweater on Abbie’s blog – go look!)

Axel fingerless mitts.pdf

Behold, quick-knitting fingerless mitts! I have named them in honor of recently retired cyclist Axel Merckx. They have three crossed cables on the back; the palm is in 2×2 rib like the cuff and finger covering. For extra warmth, you can wear them like this:

They’re a fast, stash-busting project — perfect for toasty hands this fall, whether you’re cycling, knitting, reading, or typing. Click the link beneath the first image to grab the free PDF.