I am so excited to have just published 3 super cute new hand knitting patterns! All are knitted in the round from the bottom up, and are so fun to knit and watch the traveling rib patterns take form. Click on the images below to see more details on Ravelry, and you can also find the patterns in my Etsy shop. Hope you enjoy!
“Total Sweetheart“
Say hello to Total Sweetheart, the tank top that’s equal parts cute, flirty, and endlessly versatile. Taking its cues from corsets and bodices, but reimagined in a soft, wearable knit, you’ll get that lingerie-inspired look while staying comfy and cozy. With a sweetheart neckline edged in picot and bust darts to sculpt your bodice, this design will flatter your figure and put the spotlight on your curves in the sweetest way. Whether you wear it as a bralette-inspired crop top or a versatile tank, Total Sweetheart is here to bring a touch of flirtation and charm into your everyday wardrobe.
“Bridal Bodice”
Say “I do” to the Bridal Bodice, a knitted bralette pattern inspired by the romance of a wedding dress and the allure of the sea. With a rib pattern that flows into a shell-like fan, and a sweetheart neckline reminiscent of ocean waves, this design will transport you to uncharted waters. Bust darts are incorporated into the entrancing stitch pattern to enhance your curves and sculpt the bust with a timeless, feminine shape.
With the option to make this top in a 3×1 traveling rib pattern or in Stockinette Stitch with princess lines, the Bridal Bodice is as versatile as it is enchanting. You could even think about adding on a skirt to make it into a dress? Whether you’re making it for a special occasion or simply to feel like your most magical self, this whimsical pattern will bring out your inner Siren.
“Flora Aura”
Meet Flora Aura, the bralette that’s as dreamy as a desert bloom. Knitted in a traveling 3×3 rib pattern inspired by the curves of a cactus, this eye-catching pattern is not only beautiful to look at, it’s super fun to knit too! Bust darts are incorporated into the flora inspired stitch pattern to accentuate your curves, with a sweetheart neckline finish to flatter your décolletage. Whether you wear this top on its own as a tank top or peeking out under layers for a flirty vibe, it’s sure to enhance your sparkling aura. Sweet, sculpted, and just a little bit sassy, Flora Aura is the bralette your top drawer’s been waiting for!
These new bralettes were inspired by the bodice of my wedding dress, which I shared more about designing and making in a blog post here. Hope you enjoy!
I am so excited to be back today with a new machine knitting tutorial for you! In this new tutorial, I walk you through all of the steps to knit my new pattern “Total Sweetheart“, which was inspired by my knitted wedding dress!
While I also have a pattern that is closer to the original design of my wedding dress that uses a standard gauge machine and ribber attachment, I designed this one so that it could be made on an LK150. Because it uses a sport weight yarn, you can also knit it on a standard gauge (4.5mm) machine. With this design the traveling rib pattern is latched up, so you don’t need a ribber to make it and can use any flat bed machine.
There are also 2 other versions of this bodice within the pattern that you can make, that are equally as cute! There is a “Slanted” version (blue) which has the beautiful fanned out design created by the transfer rows, but without the latched up ribbing so it takes less time, and a “Simplified” version (pink) which has the increases at the side rather than at the bust darts, making it the speediest option to knit up. It is up to you, and I talk through all of the different options in the video.
In the new tutorial, first I show you how to cast on for mock ribbing for the bottom band, which is a folded hem that looks ribbed but doesn’t require a ribber. Next, I walk through how to work the transfer rows and do increases for the darts that make this bodice fit so beautifully. Then I show you how to do the sweetheart neckline using short rows, an amazing technique that I was so excited to figure out! Lastly, I show you how to knit the picot edge, seam the sides and neckline, and a couple different options for adding straps to the bodice. The tutorial can be found on YouTube here.
The yarn I feature in this new pattern and tutorial is Hobbii Friends “Extra Fine Merino”. I love this yarn because it is so super soft, and wonderful to work with on the machine! It is a 100% superwash merino, and comes in an amazing array of colors. I featured the Olive, Deep Ocean, Dark Denim, and Dusty Rose colors which were my personal faves.
You can also use your preferred sport weight yarn as long as you’re able to get the gauge, which is 27 stitches and 39 rows = 4 inches in Stockinette Stitch. I used T2.5 on my LK150 to get this gauge, and T9 on my standard gauge machine. The pattern comes in 10 sizes that range to fit a 30-60″ bust, and more info about sizing and yardages can be found on the Ravelry page here.
If you do have a standard gauge knitting machine with a ribber attachment, and would like to use it to make the original design of the bodice, you can check out that pattern here! Fair warning that it is quite challenging as there are a lot of transfers and short rows which can be a bit tricky with 2 beds, but if you are up for the challenge it is a rewarding result! There is also a simplified version of this design within the pattern that primarily uses the main bed, and is also and option. This design uses a 4-ply/fingering weight yarn, so is finer than the other bodice.
Lastly, I also just published another design, “Flora Aura“, that is similar to these in that it has a traveling rib pattern and sweetheart neckline. This one has a 3×3 rib pattern, so a little different (and reminds me of a cactus!) This design uses a 4-ply/fingering weight yarn, and requires a standard gauge machine with a ribber attachment. Like the “Bridal Bodice” pattern, it is quite challenging, but so amazing to accomplish!
I hope you enjoy the new designs, and if you are a hand knitter, I’ve got you girl! “Total Sweetheart“, “Bridal Bodice“, and “Flora Aura” are also hand knitting patterns. I had a lot of fun knitting these traveling rib bodices by hand, and think you will too!
I am so excited to share that last year I got married, and decided to knit my wedding dress! When I came to the UK to do my masters in knitwear design, as mentioned in the previous post, I made friends with a group of international students also doing their masters in various fields of study. One of those friends, Joe, had an older brother Luke (wink, wink), who I just happened to hit it off with. A year later we were engaged, and on May 19th 2024, we got married 💜.
We chose to have our wedding in Combe Martin, a beautiful coastal town in one of the most awe inspiring parts of England, North Devon. Luke and I had already shared some magical memories there, so it seemed like the perfect place to exchange vows.
Now, I didn’t initially think I was going to knit my wedding dress. I thought I wanted something with a bit more structure, but maybe I would knit a cute little cardigan to go with it a la Kate Middleton? I was doing a lot of research on what type of dress I would like, and wasn’t finding anything that was quite right. Then I talked to my 95 year old Grandma who insisted that I make it. “Who better to make the perfect dress for you, than you?” She had a point. After that call the vision came to me, and I knew exactly what I wanted to make.
Because we were getting married near the sea (and because it’s no secret that I’ve always loved mermaids, hehe), I knew I wanted a mermaid inspired dress. A lot of the dresses I had saved had that whimsical influence, and I wanted it to be magical.
Thankfully during my masters program, I experimented a lot with evening dress techniques. I was looking at the Art Deco era of fashion for inspiration, and noticed a lot of use of layered scallops. I wondered how I could create this look using my knitting machine, and was delighted when I found a technique that worked. Each scallop was knitted separately, and then joined together so that they overlapped. It looked a little bit flappery, a little bit feathery, and definitely mermaidy. While I loved the result, I found it very time consuming – especially the part where you need to seam up all of the edges! Because of that I didn’t end up using the exact technique for my masters collection, but I figured for my wedding dress I was willing to go the extra mile. I ended up knitting 42 individual scallops, which meant sewing up 42 teeny tiny side seams!
For the bodice of my wedding dress, I drew from the experimentation that I did during my masters of using traveling rib patterns. I’ve come to be fascinated by traveling ribs – they look so elegant, and am entranced by what they do to enhance the curves of a woman’s body.
I also knew I wanted a sweetheart neckline for my bodice, but that was something that I had yet to venture into. I knew I would need to use short rows, but how?! I documented my first attempt in an instagram post, which despite having lots of holes and mistakes, inspired me enough to know that I could figure it out.
I went on to create many iterations of the bodice, as you’ll see in that instagram post! It was certainly a long and intense design journey, but I finally landed on something that looked like what I had seen in my original vision. It was perfectly fitted, flattering, and looked reminiscent of seashells – win!
The next step was finding a yarn for my design. I went to Denier Studio in London, which sells deadstock cone yarns bought off designers that are ideal for machine knitting. I wasn’t totally set on having a white dress, but when I saw this yarn on the shelf it commanded my attention! It was SO shiny and pretty, and knew it would be perfect for my design. While a silk yarn might have been ideal for my dress, this was 100% viscose so gave the same pearly shimmer and luxurious drape. I decided to hold it together with a metallic thread yarn, which gave my dress that extra special sparkle.
In case you are wondering if it was smooth sailing from there, it certainly wasn’t! I bought 2 cones of the yarn with the owner telling me there was more in stock in the warehouse, but when I realized I didn’t have enough and went to buy it, it was sold out! I decided to get crafty and see if I could make it work. The problem was that 1 ply of this yarn was a bit see-through. I could get away with it with the scallops because they were layered, but for the bodice I would need to hold it double (where even then it was still a bit sheer!) The other problem with this yarn is that because it was itself 1-ply, it frayed easily and didn’t unravel well. I couldn’t afford to make any mistakes! I thought I might have just enough, but after finishing the front of my bodice, it was clear I didn’t. The back would need to be 1 ply.
Thankfully I was able to find a white bodysuit with a built in bra to go under my dress, which was a lifesaver because it perfectly matched and enhanced the dress! To deal with the see-though back situation, I decided to get some body jewelry to help distract from that area. I had already been interested in some sparkly arm jewelry sleeves, so it worked out quite well. I then also decided to have tulle bow “veils” at each shoulder to try to help cover the back – and these again ended up being really pretty and felt they helped bring the dress together. Happy mistakes!
In the end, I was so thrilled with how my dress turned out. Naturally I was a little nervous about hyping it up to everyone (and sharing the entire journey on my instagram!) in case it didn’t work out. I also had anxiety dreams about someone hugging me and getting caught on my dress at the wedding and unraveling the whole thing, lol. Thankfully nothing like that happened, and honestly I appreciated how comfortable and lightweight the dress was! We had an amazing photographer Esme Buxton Photography who took photos of us on the beach at golden hour, and it truly was the most magical day of our lives.
In case you are wondering, I do now have a pattern for the bodice of my dress! While it is really personal to me, I thought it was too pretty not to share, and it makes such a cute little top on its own. I’ve spent the last year and a half working on it, alongside 2 other new designs that are similar, “Flora Aura” hand knit and machine knit which looks like my original prototype, and “Total Sweetheart” hand knit and machine knit which uses a heavier sport weight yarn. “Bridal Bodice”, which is closest to my wedding dress, is now available as a hand knitting pattern and machine knitting pattern, and it is fabulous if I do say so myself! 😉
I hope you enjoyed hearing more about this journey!
Back in September ’21, I decided to come to the UK to do my masters in fashion knitwear design! I studied at Nottingham Trent University, which is known for its fabulous knitwear facilities. Even though I worked in NYC as a fashion designer for 15 years, fun fact, I was self-taught and had never actually gone to fashion school! I always thought it would be fun to study fashion and explore my creativity, creating a collection based on whatever was of interest to me. After looking into the MA program, applying, and being accepted (along with a partial scholarship!), I was so excited for the adventure ahead.
The first week of the program we were asked to decide what we wanted our project to be, then spent the rest of the year carrying out that vision. I decided I wanted to design a collection of knitted evening dresses, because I had always been in awe of glamorous gowns, and thought that exploring that would push me creatively. What kinds of yarns would lend themselves to evening wear? What sort of techniques would make sense to use? Knitwear isn’t common in formal wear, so I loved the creative challenge.
One technique that I explored every which way of doing was knitting ruffles. I wanted to create volume with my dresses, and kept thinking about how I could do that. One way you can create ruffles, which is the same technique you would use to knit a circle skirt, is by using short rows. This is a method that machine knitting really lends itself to.
Another way you can knit ruffles, which I came upon after much experimentation, is by knitting long panels, and then rehanging them 3-4 stitches at a time to create that gathered effect. While it may seem intuitive to do this, one limitation you might find is that the panels will be limited to the width of your flat bed. To get around this, I decided to knit panels in long vertical strips, and then rehang the rows. Using this method, the length of your ruffles and how much you can gather them is unlimited!
In my new pattern and tutorial for my “Ruffles on Ruffles” Scarf, I show you how to do these two approaches. The scarf is first knitted by using short rows, and then another ruffle is knit vertically and added onto it for a doubley ruffley scarf. You can use any flat bed knitting machine to make this design, and the pattern includes instructions for using either a standard gauge (4.5mm) or mid-gauge (6.5mm) knitting machine, with suggested tensions for various yarn weights. This pattern is very versatile, and a great way to use up some of the lightweight yarns in your stash!
I hope you enjoy this tutorial, and have fun knitting ruffles! This scarf was one of the many pieces that made it into my final collection. If you want to see the rest of the collection and learn more about my research and inspiration, check out the website I created for my masters at laurenriker.com. Would love to know what you think!
Ever since I got my knitting machine, I have wanted to knit a button down cardigan. But how do you do the button band, and how do you make the button holes? I had seen people make separate bands that they added on, or hand knit the bands on afterwards. I wanted to do it in a way that was simple and straightforward and 100% on the machine for those who don’t hand knit. As for making the button holes, every way I saw looked overly complicated.
After MUCH experimentation, I came up with a way to do a button band that you knit alongside the garment, and a way to create buttonholes using short rows, that in my opinion, is much easier than binding off and casting on again. I also came up with a way to make seaming the button band a breeze, by creating a latched up column that guides you for where to seam the band.
In my new YouTube tutorial, I show you exactly how to do this, so you can try it out for yourself! You can use this technique on any flat bed machine. I also have a new pattern, the “Girlfriend Cardigan” that uses this method. For the samples pictured above and in the demo, I feature Hobbii “Portobello” in Antique Rose and Teal. This is a fabulous DK weight yarn with a unique variegated look that was a pleasure to knit with on my machine.
This LK150 cardigan pattern comes in 9 sizes that range to fit a 28-54″ Bust, with 4 different length options. You can make it Cropped (3 buttons), Regular (4 buttons), Long (6 buttons), or as a Dress (8 buttons). You can also customize the width of the sleeves, making them as fitted or loose as you like.
I designed this pattern with the beginner in mind, and have included tons of detailed photos of all techniques used within the pattern. I also demonstrate all of the important steps needed to construct this cardigan in my YouTube tutorial. If you want to add pockets on to your finished cardigan, I have another video tutorial which explains how to do that here.
After publishing this tutorial and pattern, I got some requests to offer it in a fingering weight yarn so that it could be made on a standard gauge machine. I then published my “Girls Best Friend” Cardigan, that is just that! This cardigan is the same design as the “Girlfriend Cardigan”, just adapted to be knit with a lighter weight yarn. You can still use the video tutorial, as the construction and techniques are mostly the same.
I hope you enjoy these new tutorials and cardigan patterns, and would love to know what you think of this technique!
This past month I was delighted to have the opportunity to review some of Hobbii’s yarns and tools. On Hobbii.com you will find a wide variety of affordable yarns that come in an amazing selection of colors. There were so many yarns that I was curious about trying out to see if they would work for future projects I had in mind. If you’re like me, you never really know a yarn until you’ve been able to touch it and knit with it, which can make it challenging when shopping for yarn online. Hopefully this post will help you get the know the yarns I chose to try out a bit better!
Recently I’ve been focusing on machine knitting, so I chose yarns that I could potentially use with my LK150 and SK840 flat bed knitting machines. All of the above swatches were knitted on my machines, and I have included the machine and tension I used in the individual reviews below. All of these swatches could of course be knitted by hand too, and I have included the equivalent needle sizes that I used for the swatches.
I am currently working on a 4-ply version of my new Cardigan design, the “Girlfriend Cardigan“. I had made this design on my LK-150 using a DK weight yarn, Hobbii’s “Portobello“. I received some requests to have this pattern adapted for a standard gauge knitting machine, and was searching for a sock weight yarn to feature for the design. I was interested in Hobbii’s “Soft Alpaca“, but looking at the yardage and recommended needle size, was concerned it might be closer to a sport weight yarn. I decided to go with this lace weight version instead, hoping I could perhaps double it up to get the gauge I was going for, 30 sts and 42 rows = 4 inches in Stockinette Stitch.
When I received this yarn, I did indeed find that it was lace weight! It is 400 m (437 yds) per 50g skein. I tried it out on my SK840 standard gauge knitting machine, and was able to get the 4-ply gauge I was going for using T6 (~US 2 (2.75 mm)) with 2 strands held together. I ordered 8 skeins, which was the perfect amount for the long version of the cardigan.
I really loved working with this yarn, and as the name suggests, it is super soft! It has a lovely fuzzy halo, and that combined with the subtle variegation in color gives it a very luxurious appearance. It also has a great drape which lends itself well to the cardigan I’m making. I also love this particular colorway, which does indeed remind me of beach pebbles. There is a very subtle blue undertone to it which I tend to prefer in heather grey hues. This yarn comes in over 30 colors, so you’re sure to find one you like. I personally like the neutral tones which have the subtle variegation in color giving them a heather effect.
Overall, I was really happy with how this yarn knitted up on the machine. The only challenge was getting the yarn to come out smoothly from the center of the skein in the beginning, but that’s usually the case with yarns in this put up. The fuzziness may have contributed to it’s slow start too, but it definitely wasn’t a deterrence and I would use it again.
Looking at the photos of this yarn online, I couldn’t resist giving it a try! I loved the unique texture it appeared to have, and was intrigued by this fiber combination and the effect it had on the yarn’s color. This yarn is 78% cotton and 22% silk, and classed as a DK weight yarn at 120 m (131 yds) per 50g ball.
As you can see from the photos, the silk gives this yarn subtle flecks of grey. I feel like this yarn is so beautiful that a simple stitch pattern would suit it best, and envisioned it working up nicely in a loose cable pattern.
Normally with a DK weight yarn I would use T4 on my LK150, but I decided to use T5 (~US 7 (4.5 mm)) because this yarn appeared to vary in thickness. This did turn out to be a good match. This yarn knit up super smoothly on my machine, and it was truly a pleasure to work with being so silky and soft. I think it would make a fabulous slouchy cardigan or hat.
I was excited to try out this yarn because I love a superwash merino, you get all the luxury of a deliciously soft wool, and it’s easy to care for! This particular yarn also comes in nearly 50 shades which is incredible! I was drawn to this deep teal color, which was just as vibrant and beautiful in person as it looked online.
This yarn is very smooth with great stitch definition, which would make it perfect for colorwork and intricate stitch patterns. It is sport weight, and comes in 50g balls of 165 m (180 yds). I used T3 (~US 4 (3.5 mm)) on my LK150, paired with a lace cable pattern that I had been wanting to try out on my machine. This stitch pattern was so fun and easy to do on the machine, and I loved how the swatch came out. I hope to incorporate it into a design and teach it, as I think this pattern is a great example of what you can do on a knitting machine beyond stockinette stitch that looks intricate but is actually quite simple to execute.
This yarn knit beautifully on the machine, and was just as fabulous as I expected a super fine merino to be. If you are in the market for sport weight superstar, this is your yarn!
Recently I have been loving a cotton acrylic blend. 100% cottons can be tricky to knit with on a knitting machine because they can be too rough, but the combination with acrylic gives it a smoothness that makes it glide right though. The acrylic also offers a bit more structure so the cotton doesn’t bag out with wear. I like this yarn option for those who don’t wish to knit with animal fibers, and want something that is easy to wear and care for.
Acacia is a DK weight yarn, at 250 m (273 yds) per 100 g skein, and I was happy using T4 (~US 5 (3.75 mm)) on my LK150 with it. I love that this yarn comes in larger skeins, and how affordable it is. The colors are also all lovely muted cottony tones which I appreciate.
I have been interested in adapting my “Blossoming Beauties” pattern for the knitting machine, and wanted to try out the lace pattern I used in that design with this yarn. It worked perfectly, and I was very happy with how this yarn knit up. I could also see this lace stitch pattern being cute for a springy cardigan. We’ll see! If it happens I would definitely be interested in featuring this yarn.
Lastly, I was excited to try out this super fun mohair yarn! Hobbii has quite a few mohair yarns to choose from, and I chose this one because I’ve always enjoyed mohair silk blends. This one is 72% mohair, 25% silk, and 3% wool, and classed as lace weight at 200 m (218 yds) per 25 g ball.
While this yarn is fabulous is that it comes in 70 (!) vibrant shades with a whole lot of halo, I have to admit that it wasn’t my favorite to work with in this batch. Unfortunately I found it a bit itchy (could be the wool which I am sensitive to) or that it wasn’t kid mohair which I am used to working with which is a bit softer and smoother than regular mohair. I also did find it a bit challenging to work which on the machine because it is so fuzzy and gets caught on itself (which of course happens with hand knitting too, but a bit more of a nuisance on the machine!) If machine knitting with mohair in the future I am thinking it would be best to get a coned yarn.
I used my LK150 and T1 (~US 2 (2.75mm)) to try out this yarn, and knitted up a short row ruffle with an added ruffle at the bottom. During my MA last year I experimented a lot with knitted ruffles, and kept thinking about how fun it would be to knit them in a mohair silk blend. I have an idea for a dress I eventually want to design, and it was exciting to try this out and see how it would come to life. For this yarn in particular, I think I would be more interested in using it for a ruffle accent, but not for an allover design. The volume and texture it gave were indeed fabulous!
Hobbii was also so kind to let me review these “Unicorn Scissors” in Rainbow and “PU Organizer” in Purple. The yarn colors I chose for this haul ended up being in a unicorn color theme, so I thought it only fitting to have some unicorn scissors to hang out with them! I am always needing scissors whether it be at my knitting machine, on the couch while seaming and weaving in ends, or on the go in my project bag, and thus I can never have enough! I was surprised at how big these scissors actually were – I was expecting them to be a mini size, but they’re about the size of a hand. The scissors are adorable and I am so happy to have them to cheer up my workspace.
I also love this circular case for helping me get organized with my tools. I am always in need of a tapestry needle and stitch markers, and this case is perfect for making sure those tiny tools are in a findable spot and don’t get lost! This is another fun tool to add some joy to your workspace. The color is really gorgeous, and I’m always thrilled to have more purple things around to brighten up my day!
I hope you enjoyed this review. Stay tuned for more designs to come!
Have you ever tie dyed your knits? I’ve always wanted to but was nervous that I wouldn’t like the result and cry about all of the time I spent knitting. I’ve definitely had my tie dyeing efforts on my own clothes go south, but at the same time, sometimes they turn out amazing! Ultimately I decided to be brave and try something new. I had some white fingering weight yarn in my stash from Knitcrate that was meant to be experimented with and dyed, so I knitted up my “Girly Knits Bra Top” and “Lounging My Best Life” pants pattern on my knitting machine and gave it a go. Thankfully, they turned out as fun and colorful as I was imagining!
The dye that I used was a highly rated kit that I found on Amazon in “Unicorn” colors, which you can find here. My vision was to have an ombre effect of pastel colors. While these colors were a bit brighter than I was going for, you can’t deny that they are fun! I invited some friends over to tie dye their white goods alongside me, and it was a lot less nerve racking doing this process with their support. As you can see, all I did was tie rubber bands around sections of the top and pants, and use a different color dye for each section. The second photo was the set in a bucket after I rinsed the dye out, which clearly did not fade!
Part of the fun of tie dying is that you do give up a bit of control, and let whatever colorful artistic magic is going to happen happen. It was very exhilarating to take off the rubber bands and ultimately see the end result. Here is the finished set below, I like to describe it as what I would look like if I collided with a rainbow!
I hope you enjoyed seeing this knitting tie dye journey and perhaps inspires you to give tie dying your knits a go!
When I designed my “Cozy Up With Me” machine knitted pants and shorts pattern last year, I got a lot of requests for them to be adapted for a standard gauge knitting machine using fingering weight yarn. So here they are! “Lounging My Best Life” is a machine knitting pattern now available on Ravelry and features Knit Picks “Muse” Hand Painted Sock Yarn in Thrill. You can knit them on a standard gauge (4.5mm) flat bed knitting machine, and still use the video tutorial I created as the techniques used are the same. Paired with the “Get it Girl” Bra Top, a tank top pattern that can easily be converted to standard gauge, this makes an undeniably adorable loungewear set!
“Lounging My Best Life” is also a machine knit shorts pattern which you can make using your standard gauge knitting machine. These shorts are so cute and comfy, and I have loved wearing mine around the house and to sleep in. For this pair I used Knitcrate’s “La Brebis” Marled Sock Yarn in Grey Twist. While this particular yarn is discontinued, you can use any 4-ply yarn you like to make this design!
I know a lot of hand knitters also prefer knitting with fingering weight yarn, so these shorts and pants are available as a hand knitting pattern as well. “Keep Dreaming” is a hand knitted shorts (and pants!) pattern featuring Knit Picks “Muse” Hand Painted Sock Yarn. Isn’t this yarn gorgeous? It is the Kindness Speckle color way, and when knit up looks like a beautiful piece of art . This design is basically the same as “Ombré All Day” Shorts and Pants but using fingering weight yarn. I love how they came out, especially paired with the “Get it Girl” Bra Top (which you can adapt for any gauge). You couldn’t look any cuter while getting some zzz’s!
I always listen to your pattern requests, so if you have any please comment below!
Hello! Today I have a new video tutorial where I will be showing you how to knit lace on your LK150 knitting machine using the Needle Beetle by Kris Krafter. The Needle Beetle is an automatic needle selector and will help you knit lace by selecting which stitches you will need to transfer each row for your lace pattern, eliminating potential mistakes and making the transfers much easier to see. The Needle Beetle selects repeats of 8, so you can use it with any pattern that is a multiple of 8 stitches. Check out the video to learn more about the Needle Beetle and see it in action to fully understand how it works and can help you knit lace.
In this demo I show you how to read a lace chart and translate that to the Needle Beetle. I walk you through every row of a 26 row lace chart which is the lace pattern featured in my two newest designs, “Awesome Blossoms” Lace Sweater and Dress and “Lace for Days” Leg Warmers. After the lace demo, I show you how to do a latched up ribbed edge, a technique used in the leg warmers pattern. To give you an idea of how quickly you can knit lace on a knitting machine using the Needle Beetle, the picture below is the front of the sweater which I knitted in only one day!
“Awesome Blossoms” is a machine knitting pattern that can be either a sweater or a dress, and is based off of an existing hand knitting pattern I designed years back called “Take a Bow”. This sweater is updated from the original design to have a crew neckline and sloped shoulders so that you can add sleeves. I’ve added an additional .pdf to “Take a Bow” so you can make these mods with the hand knitting pattern – if you have purchased the pattern you should have received an update! I love this design as a drop shoulder sweater with sleeves, and I hope you do too. The yarn I used for this sweater is a gorgeous DK Merino Silk blend which unfortunately is discontinued, but a yarn that has the same fiber content and is just as beautiful is Knit Picks “Gloss DK” which I used for another one of my machine knit samples as well as the original hand knit version.
I hadn’t thought of this dress design being a beach cover up before, but this cotton yarn I used from Knitcrate inspired it! This yarn is so much fun – it is a Pima Cotton with a subtle variegation that almost makes it look tie dyed when knit up, especially in lace. It was a limited edition yarn called Uru Yarn Cotton Basic that is now sold out, but I’m wondering if there’s something similar out there? If a yarn comes to mind let me know! I’ve also seen knitters make this dress into a graduation dress, a wedding dress (!), and an everyday top, it’s so versatile! Any DK yarn will work with this pattern (as long as you’re able to get the gauge stated) so I encourage you to go ahead and use your favorite.
This is another version of “Awesome Blossoms” with just a touch of lace, that is included as an option within the pattern. This version is nice in that it knits up faster with less lace, and that you can just wear a bra with it without worrying about having to wear a tank top underneath. Which version do you prefer? One knitter pointed out that this lace pattern looks like tulips which was inspiration for the name, do you see them?
“Lace For Days” is a leg warmer pattern that features the same lace pattern as above, but on a much smaller scale if you want a quick win! Wear them under boots, over tights, or to lounge around in to make your legs look pretty. Available in 5 sizes to fit Girls-Adult, this is both a hand knitting and machine knitting pattern and you will get both when you buy the pattern. They feature Skacel Knitting’s “Simplicity” Metallic which has just a hint of glimmer to give your legs some extra sparkle.
A couple other things I mention in the video are the handheld steamer I use, and an invite to join my machine knitting facebook group!
I hope you enjoy this tutorial and and learned something new about using the Needle Beetle. If you do make any of these designs, please share photos on Ravelry or Instagram where I’m @girlyknits, I would love to see what you make! To see all of my LK150 machine knitting patterns, check them out here.
If you are familiar with my knitting patterns, you will know that there’s nothing I love more than bows and back interest, and especially when the two come together! This is a design I have been wanting to create for the longest time, and I’m so excited to have it available now as both a hand knitting and machine knitting pattern, and as a sweater and dress! The hand knitting patterns are called “Peek a Bow” sweater and dress, and the machine knitting patterns are called “Put a Bow on It” sweater and dress.
The beauty of this design is that the middle bow is strategically placed so that it will cover your bra closure, so you can show off your backside while still wearing a bra. The keyholes and bows are added once the sweater is complete so you can ensure they hit the right spot. If you want to show just a smaller peek of your backside, you can alternatively make 1 keyhole (pictured right), which is another version in the pattern that is just as cute, or no keyhole at all. Part of what makes this design so adorable is the puff sleeves, so even without the keyholes it’s the perfect girly sweater!
These patterns call for a worsted weight yarn, and I’ve used a variety of them to show you the possibilities. I always encourage knitters to use their favorite yarn though I’m happy to share mine – as long as you can get the gauge with your yarn (19 sts and 27 rows = 4″ in Stockinette Stitch) you are good to go!
This super fun pink/purple color combo used for the hand knitted sweater is a brand new yarn from Knit Picks. It is called “High Desert” Worsted, and is a 100% American grown and spun wool yarn. I had the honor of being among the first to be able to try it out. I received the Lupine and Dusk colors, and had so much fun knitting with it! It’s surprisingly soft, and has a great bounce to it. And these colors! So girly and fun.
For the pink hand knitted dress, I used Malabrigo Worsted. This yarn is so soft and luxurious, and has the most beautiful variegation of color! I used the Pink Frost color which is a gorgeous dusty pink and a perfect match for this girly design.
For this machine knitted dress, I used Knit Picks Brava Worsted. I love that this yarn is so affordable and easy to care for – you can put it through the washer and dryer without worry, and it looks and feels great for a 100% acrylic yarn. I also love that it comes in so many fun colors, and especially the heathers. For this dress I used Dove Heather with Cobblestone Heather, and also made dresses using Fairy Tale and Wine (for a Christmas Dress!) that you will find on the pattern page!
Lastly, for the machine knit version of the sweater, I used Caron “Latte Cakes” which has become one of my favorite yarns to work with. It is so unbelievably soft and fuzzy, and surprisingly holds up in the wash as well! I’ve had some favorite fuzzy store bought sweaters that sadly only survived one wash so I was skeptical when I first bought this yarn. I threw a swatch in to see what would happen and was delighted to see that it came back exactly the same! I also used this yarn for my favorite Winter hat and it has held up great.
I also made the machine knit sweater with Knit Picks Brava Worsted in Tide Pool with Lion Brand Heartland in Great Smoky Mountain for the bows. This sweater has more of a sporty look which is super fun – the possibilities are endless with mixing and matching yarns and bow colors!
I hope you enjoy these new bow back designs! I had so much fun creating them, and I can’t wait to see what you come up with! If you make a bow back dress or sweater, please make sure to share it on Ravelry or tag me on Instagram so I can see, there’s nothing I love more than seeing your creations!
Happy Knitting!
💜 Lauren
P.S. I also created a video showing you how to make a bow on a knitting machine, and I show you exactly how I create the keyholes and attach the bows to the back of the sweater/dress which you can reference if you’re making the hand knitted versions too. Hope you enjoy!
