New Pattern Book from Knit Picks

I just got my fall Knit Picks catalog, which is a dangerous thing for me to be looking at right now, but I opened it up for you guys so I could tell you about the new pattern books Knit Picks has just released.

Modern Sophisticate by Erica Jackofsky has six patterns inspired by modern dance choreographers. I love the simple Twyla cardigan with eyelet shaping at the hips, as well as the cute fingerless armwarmers that combine stockinette and garter stitch (they’re called Yvonne).

And Ann Weaver’s Twentieth-Century Graphic should appeal to some of you who enjoyed meeting her during the Olympic giveaway. Her collection of six patterns uses lots of color blocking, similar to the projects found in Craft Work Knit. The Modular Mitts look like a lot of fun, but I really like the Partition Cardigan, too, which has an easy raglan design with a vertical stripe. (That’s the one pictured here.)

Hmmm…mitts and cardis. I must be thinking fall!

Both of these pattern collections are available now as ebooks ($9.99 each) and will be available soon in printed form. They look like great fun if you’re looking for something new to put on your needles.

[Photo by Ann Weaver/Knit Picks.]

Next Pattern:

Not too long ago I was seeing a crochet pattern for a glasses holder shaped like a bear all over the Internet. It was super cute, and also useful as a place to put your glasses on your bedside table instead of just throwing them somewhere random.

This project stewed in my brain for a little while and I decided I needed to make a knit version, but I didn’t want to make a bear. If you know anything about me you might know that I’m a cat person, so of course my version had to be a cat.

The base is just a basic little basic worked from the center out to the desired size, then up the sides as long as you want them. Knit some ears and add embellishments to make it whatever kind of animal you want.

The way I figured out to work the base from the center out was to use a crochet cast on, which gives you an easier way to pick up stitches from the back of the cast on than if you worked a more traditional cast on for a knitting project. It’s kind of fun to do things in a different way from time to time.

This little project is adorable if I do say so myself, and even as a plain little basket not made into an animal it’s a cute way to keep your glasses or other little things in one place. I’m tempted to make one for my desk to hold pens or even little little scissors and sewing needles that are always on my desk but somehow always seem to get lost on my desk.

If you need a little holder for your glasses on your table, check out the pattern at Our Daily Craft.

[Photo: Our Daily Craft]

Next Pattern:

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