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That's the nice thing about a free pattern-- it's kind of like having a contest where everyone is a winner.  Yes,

I actually considered calling the ladies' version of

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Pattern now available!

Pattern now ready for purchase!

Pattern now available for purchase!

How sweet it is to have my first pattern published in Vogue Knitting magazine!  I'm certainly keeping good company, with my #30 Aran wrap alongside Mary Lynn Patrick's #29 cabled jacket in VK's "English Garden" story.  A pause while I say "Aahh," and bask in the moment I've been waiting for since I first learned my design was accepted, more than nine months ago (photo at left courtesy of Soho Publishing).  Ah, yes.  Dare I admit a few thorny details which are marring my rosy day?  First, the prickliest:  the text on the photo page states, "...the sleeves are worked separately and sewn in."  Um, NO THEY'RE NOT!  At first I thought the editors had radically altered my Original Pattern, but no, the pattern still calls for the sleeve stitches to be picked up around the armhole and then worked down to the cuff.  Maybe this is my inner neurotic designer speaking, but that seems like a fairly important bit of information regarding the sweater construction.  It's also a fun way to work the sleeve (secondo me) and nicely maintains the continuity of the cables across the back and down the sleeve.  Another cool thing about the design is that the front edge (which is really the top edge) cable is reversible, meaning it can be folded back and still looks like, well, the right side instead of the wrong side of the fabric--something which is not mentioned.  And finally, I guess I never really noticed this before, but with only one photo of each design, it's not possible to get a good idea of how it looks from various angles, which I think is a problem for anything with an unusual construction or special detailing on the back or the sleeves.  After considering this, I thought to myself, "At least knitters can look at the schematic and get a better idea of the construction,"-- but again, no, there is no schematic for my design.  So, if you look carefully at the 2nd photo, at least it gives a good idea of the construction:  you work the upper part side to side, binding off stitches and then casting on again to form the armholes; pick up stitches around the armholes and knit down to the cuff for the sleeves; and then pick up stitches along the lower edge and knit down to form the wide vertical ribbed hem.  Simple?  Maybe not.  Fun?  Yes.  (But be warned, it is the size of a lap blanket, and quite heavy if worked in the suggested alpaca yarn.) And now, please indulge me as I post a few morephotos; the top of my son's head managed to find its way into the last one.

From pattern introduction:

Now that the Interweave Knits Summer 2008 preview is up, I think it's finally safe to show a detail of my Wakame Lace Tunic.  I found the lace pattern in a Japanese book of stitch patterns and fell in love with it; the undulating curves of the cables and the foamy effect created by the eyelets immediately reminded me of breaking waves.  And since the yarn (Tilli Tomas Fil de la Mer) contains seaweed fiber, I thought "wakame" would be a good name; I'm glad IK saw fit to keep it!  (By the way, the fabric in the photo is doubled; I draped the tunic over a chair to get the picture.) As for the Roped Shell, the design was originally for a sort of tube top with cable straps, and the yarn originally chosen was Brown Sheep Cotton Fleece, but when they were reluctant to ship their yarn to Italy,the IK editors chose Filatura di Crosa Luxury instead.  This silk yarn has a lovely drape but very little stretch, which seemed to me to be an unforgiving (and very difficult to fit) combination for a knit tube top!  In addition, the slipped stitch pattern loses its nice curvy effect if it is stretched much, so I suggested that we change the design to a sleeveless shell instead; the Cotton Fleece would have suited the more casual style of a tube top, but I thought that this finer silk yarn would work better in a somewhat dressier top.  I also wanted to find a way to hide the jog in the stripes at the beginning of each round, so I took advantage of the slipped stitch pattern to create a vertical stripe at each side "seam."  Not the best photo, but at least you can see how light and drapey the fabric turned out to be.

If you’re like many knitters, during the height of summer you may find yourself impatient for the brisk days of fall and even winter, when you can pull out those woollen items created with long hours of pleasant labor.  And yet-- human nature being what it is-- during those wintry periods, even knitters may find themselves remembering with longing those lazy hours on the beach in July or August:  the penetrating heat of the sand, the glints of light off the water, the cooling salt spray flying off the crests of the waves.  That’s why these gloves are a perfect anytime project:  during the warmer months, they’ll augur frosty days to come, and once those days arrive, the wavy stitches, deep ocean teal and crystal bead droplets will remind you of those carefree seaside afternoons. SizesWomen’s S-M (M-L)Circumference (unstretched):  7”/18 cm (8”/20.5 cm); to fit hand circumference of 7-8”/18-20.5 cm (8-9”/20.5-23 cm)Length:  10”/25.5 cm (11”/28 cm)DifficultyIntermediate knitter/beginning beader; skills required include reading chart and working in the round. MaterialsAlchemy Yarns Synchronicity (50% silk, 50% wool; 118 yds/108 m per 50 g skein); 30W: Spruce; 2 (2) skeins.Size S-M:  1 set US #5/3.75 mm double-point needles OR size to obtain gaugeSize M-L:  1 set US #7/4.5 mm double-point needles OR size to obtain gaugetapestry needle; waste yarn or stitch holdersbead needle for threading beads (I used The Big “Eye”) Clear glass beads, size 6/0 (4 mm), 52Suggested Yarn SubstitutesBrown Sheep Lamb’s Pride Superwash or Karabella Aurora 8 GaugeSize S-M:  24 sts/ 32 rows measured over 10cm (4 inches) in stockinette stitch (st st)Size M-L:  21 sts/ 28 rows measured over 10cm (4 inches) in st st Pattern NotesSee attached charts.  The original stitch pattern (“Seaweed” from Barbara Walker’s Second Treasury of Knitting Patterns) is used for the left glove only, while the pattern for the right glove is its mirror image. Both left and right gloves are fully charted to show the position of beads and construction of thumb gusset and fingers.  Directions are the same for S-M and M-L; altering gauge by using different size needles results in two finished sizes.  Follow written directions as well as charts!  Picked up and knit on stitches for upper hand and fingers are not shown on charts, but are worked following chart for stitches adjacent to each part.    Thread beads onto yarn before casting on, pushing beads down along yarn until they are needed.  Beads actually sit between 2 purl stitches; to place bead, purl first stitch, push bead into place, and purl second stitch.Click here to purchase pattern pdf ($3.50)!  Includes written directions, photos and full charts for both hands.  By the way, if your fingertips prefer to be covered, instead of binding off each glove finger, just continue the stitch pattern as established until each finger is slightly longer than your own, and then do not bind off:  instead break the yarn, thread it through all stitches, pull to close, and then fasten on the inside of the finger.