28 June 2011

so many yarn shops...





mary neill's website america's knitting is a celebration of this country's brick-and-mortar yarn shops...do check it out!




21 June 2011

19 June 2011

14 June 2011

flora band...


little miss nova's headband was originally intended to be a hat...


it was the night before the recent photo shoot,
and  i needed something to coordinate with the green and violet sweater that nova would be wearing...

i cast on a bunch of stitches
and began to make a little rolled-brim hat...

but it was late, and i was exhausted...
i looked at the work in front of me
and thought,

"headband"

a few rows and three flowers later,
the flora band was born...



as you see, it is simple, simple, simple...
a quick and easy project

a useful way to use up leftovers,
you can make it with almost
any yarn
(though, obviously, more elastic fibers like wool are preferable)

don't want to make flowers?
buttons will do!


the how-to...

  • measure the recipient's head
  • choose some yarn in two colors--A and B
  • determine the gauge-per-inch of your chosen yarn
  • multiply the head size, minus 2-3", by the gauge-per-inch to determine the number of stitches to you will need to cast on
  • grab the appropriately-sized circular needle (or double-pointed needles) and cast on with color A;  join work, being careful not to twist!
  • knit for 6-or-so rounds with A
  • purl one round
  • change to color B and knit until the work measures about 2.25" (or more...or less...that's your call!)
  • change to color A and knit one round
  • purl one round
  • knit six-or-so rounds
  • bind off very loosely (check out Jeny's stretchy bind off here)
  • steam to block
  • add flowers (here) or buttons...or flower-and-buttons...or nothing...or whatever you wish...
et voilà!!!

© 2011 pamela w allen designs if you use this "pattern", 
please consider showing your gratitude by making a donation
to the red cross...





13 June 2011

beach sweater...

                                                                   
summers, here on the northern california coast, are known for their fog...


typical summer day, today...

however

this does not stop local children from enjoying the beach...


here is a sweater for those chilly days...

a child can play in the sand without getting his or her sleeves wet and mucky...


and the hood keeps the wind--which often picks up on a summer's afternoon--out of little ears...


plus
it is as easy to knit as it is to wear...
there are no seams!


the pattern is currently being test-knit

look for it soon!

coming tomorrow...another free pattern...

cool, no?


10 June 2011

a winsome toddler...


spirited little maverick in a hat made with one of my favorite yarns, the fair-trade
 frog tree alpaca...


aren't those eyes intriguing?

07 June 2011

photo shoot...

a full week, this last one...

it began with a photo shoot...

emily in the "tomato hat" by pamela w allen
photo by anna myers photography

bay area portrait photographer
photographed the delightful young models
nova, maverick, stella,
emily and lily
in several of my hats and sweaters...

emily in the purple and black "swatch hat"

i have seen only these three of the many shots she took that day...

emily and lily

...cannot wait to see the rest!


by the way, lily looked stunning in the grey alpaca sweater--a new design--that she wore for the shoot, but i am afraid i cannot let you see it
until the pattern is published...

like anna's work?
do check out her blog to see more!

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