Knitting

Patterns, projects and techniques

Giveaway: 3 Leisure Arts Pattern Stitch Booklets

by

Congratulations to Teresa!

I’m a sucker for a good pattern stitch dictionary, and I’ve got way more of them on my shelves than you’d expect for a person who sticks to basic stitch patterns most of the time.

But these books can be a lot of fun for inspiration, and this week I’ve got three little booklets by Rita Weiss from Leisure Arts and the Creative Partners, LLC, that are sure to inspire some swatching and fun knitting projects.

One winner will receive a copy of each of these three books:

Each book offers big pictures and written instructions for each stitch pattern. Each pattern takes up a full page (or more, with some) so you get a good look at how the stitch pattern looks over several repeats.

These would be great as blocks for a throw or to make a full afghan, or incorporate them into other projects.

If you’d like a chance to win these, leave a comment on this post by the end of the day Sunday, September 28. I’d love to hear how you incorporate different stitch patterns into your knitting projects, or if you’re a stitch pattern book hoarder like I am!

Thanks for visiting, commenting and sharing, and good luck!

Next Pattern:

Comments

  1. I look at stitch pattern books as a subset of cookbooks. Reading them makes me happy, integrating new ‘recipes’ into scarves, afghans make me happier.

  2. I like stitch dictionaries for both reasons: to make my library more complete and best of all, I love finding new patterns to incorporate into my favorite projects – cowls!

  3. I don’t currently incorporate many stitch patterns into my knitting but I do hope to branch out into doing that. I think I would start with something simple like dish cloths and work up from there. I do love to collect knitting books and pour over them dreaming of the possibilities.

  5. I’m a stitch book hoarder. I print out stitch instructions off the internet and make my own stitch book collaborations.

  6. I’m a stitch book hoarder.I find stitch patterns off the internet, print them out, and make my own print book collaborations.

  8. I love stitch dictionaries. It boggles my mind how people find so many ways to play with sticks and strings. I love the challenge of seeing wonders unimagined emerge from my needles.

  9. I’m a beginner knitter, and I’m working my way through a stitch dictionary, making 6″ swatches of each stitch. It’s a lot less daunting than learning a new stitch as part of a whole pattern. With reasonable effort you can always get a small swatch right and you’re not messing up a big project while you learn. In addition to learning a lot of stitches with low stress, I get the thrill of a completed project every few days. Really great for motivation and growth as a knitter.

  12. So far, I’m still a by-the-pattern gal, but I love stitch books because they help me figure out difficult amateurish patterns!

  13. I love stitchionaries. Sometimes I just page thru them, dreaming of what I might make. Sometimes I knit sample swatches of various stitch patterns, particularly when I’m asking a yarn what it wants to be. And sometimes I actually incorporate those stitch patterns into FOs.

  14. I’m still really a beginner knitter but I’m already obsessed with new stitches and wanting to learn them, I’m making a sampler afghan this would be awesome to have since I’m not using a specific pattern just any stitches I like to make the right size squares. So the more options the better (I plan on making a huge afghan, more like a comforter really).

  15. I don’t have many stitch books so these would be awesome to add to my collection. I’ve started doing more designing and sometimes I have a general idea in my head but just want to add a different touch – which is where stitch dictionaries help tremendously

  16. When I first started knitting my sister told me to find my favorite pattern in a scarf, hat, sweater and mittens. Then collect pattern stitch books to change up all your old favorites for new and exciting knits! I love pattern stitch books and now I also have a favorite crescent shawl pattern and a triangle shawl pattern that I am able to incorporate and dress up these accessories, too! What a great give away! My books are very old and I would love to see the more modern stitch patterns and give them a try! Thank you!

  17. I am an aspiring knitter. My mother sat me down twice when I was young and said “I know you don’t want to learn to knit now, but someday you might be glad you learned how”. That time came when my daughter wanted me to make scarves for her out of fun fur (which is great for covering up imperfections). I would love to win these books to have incentive to try more stitches. It would please my mother, who is now 88 to know that I am still trying! Thank you for the chance to win!

  18. When you find a pattern that you like, as in the case that I did for a particular sweater, and wanted to re-make it, but switch it up a bit by using a different stitch, books such as these are a Godsend!! I’d also like to design my own sweater in the near future, and I’m sure that I’ll be able to find something out of one of these books!! I’ve also started to hoard different knitting and crochet books, because there are so many stitches that I’m unfamiliar with since I’ve started doing my needlecrafts 30 + years ago. Thank you for such a generous giveaway!!

  19. My Mum would love these. She is always trying new patterns and makes little blankets for my daughters’ dolls to try out new stitches!

  21. I love stitch dictionaries, whatever niche they cater to – cables, lace, textured, colorwork – whatever. In fact, I Just bout on on Fair Isle stitches at the thrift shop this morning! Most of what I knit is “my own design”, which is to say that I’ve taken a cable from this book, the saddle shoulder and shawl collar from that sweater, some colorwork from these magazines, and a bit of lace from the internet and turned them into something totally original. Sort of.

  22. crochet is great, so is knitting!! I have no patterns for knitting, and
    would love to start over again as it has changed a lot since I tried
    some years ago

Have you read?

Add a Little Lace to Your Knitting Patterns

If you’re new to lace knitting or just aren’t sure how to incorporate the technique into garments, check out these tops and sweaters that use lace as a decorative element.

The easiest lace out there is eyelets, and you can practice them plenty with this eyelet covered sweater from Knitcro Addict. It uses light/DK weight yarn and is worked in four pieces knit flat. It’s intended to be a little cropped and a little oversized, and includes sizes XS to XXL in the pattern.

If you’re in parts of the world where it’s getting colder as you read this, the Nora sweater from Bummbul might be a good choice. This is actually a great one for learning lace because it’s worked in super bulky yarn, which makes it easier to see what you’re doing and makes the lace super graphic. This one just comes in one size, with a 42 inch (106) cm bust, but that could fit a variety of people depending on how much ease you like.

Minimi Knit Design has a cute allover lace cardigan worked in one piece from the bottom up. It’s worked in lace weight mohair held double, which maybe isn’t the best for those new to lace (because it can be hard to rip out) but it sure is pretty. Sizes range to fit from 30 to 66 inches/76 to 168 cm bust measurements.

If you’d rather not have lace all over your sweater, you can knit the Lumi sweater from Originally Lovely, which has a chevron lace pattern on the yoke and is otherwise worked in reverse stockinette stitch. (It’s worked inside out so you don’t have to purl every stitch.) The pattern has 9 sizes from XS to 5XL and uses worsted weight yarn.

Or try the super romantic sookie blouse from Trust the mojo (available on Ravelry). This sweet top is started working flat from the bottom up and has a V-neck and I-cord edgings. The sleeves are worked separately in the round, and the pieces are all joined together to work in one piece to finish off the top. It comes in eight sizes and is available in English and French.

You can also pair lacy sleeves with an otherwise plain top, like on the Starflower Wrap from Annelise Driscoll Gingrow. This intermediate pattern makes a wrap sweater with generous lacy sleeves and a double wrap belt. The pattern has nine sizes, from XS to 5XL, and is available for free from Hobbi.