The Soapy Knitter » Rosi G. Patterns

Shoru

Rosi G. — Tue, 19 Oct 2010 16:03:08 +0000

I have wanted to design a triangular shawl knit from side to side for a while now. I knew I wanted the edging to be knit along with the rest of the shawl to make it nice and simple.

After various messages back and forth with Anne of Alpha B Yarn, we decided to pair up her yarn with one of my designs. She dyes the most beautiful, saturated colors. Her base yarn is of very good quality. It washes well and blooms beautifully.

Doesn’t Tawana have a beautiful smile??

This shōru design is inspired by Japanese stitches and the rich colors in Japanese culture. You knit it by starting in one corner, increase towards center-back and then decrease towards the opposite corner. With this method, you can estimate (or weigh the skein) when you are halfway through your yarn before you start knitting the other side of the shawl, ensuring that you have enough yarn to complete it. Make it as large or as small as you want by knitting more repeats.

My favorite aspect of Shōru’s design is the three wraps. This adds a pretty simple detail without needing to make nupps where you have to p9tog or something crazy like that.

The Alpha B Yarn is the BFF B line, a hand-dyed, 100% superwash merino, fingering weight base which comes in a wide array of rich colors. I’ve never worked with a fingering-weight yarn that blocked so beautifully and had such gorgeous drape afterwards.

So run and buy your own skein of Alpha B, knit your own Shoru and wrap yourself up in elegant comfort.

Shoru

Source: Rosi G. Designs
Sizes: Small [Large]
Finished Measurements: Small: 62″ wingspan x 22″ long; Large: 96″ wingspan x 30″ long
Yarn: Alpha B Yarn BFF B [100% Superwash Merino; 400 yd/366 m per 100g skein]; 1 [2] skeins
Color: Yanagi (yellow-green); Momiji (deep red); Ayame (dark purple)
Needles: 24 or 32 inch-length US 6/4.0 mm circular needle
Gauge: 24 sts/32 rows = 4 inches in pattern stitch
Started: April 20, 2010
Finished: April 30, 2010
Photo credit: models and photographers: Rosi Garmendia, Tawana Hutchinson (Carmelnap), and Weezalana

Cousin Tony

Rosi G. — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 15:58:14 +0000

Meet Cousin Tony.

He was just finished just arrived today. He’ll only be here another day or so visiting before he moves on to his new friend’s house. In the meantime, he’s having lots of fun hanging out with his buddy, Fwed.

Tony’s a ham and a camera hog! I had to give him a stern talking to before he stopped his antics and allowed me to take a decent pic of the two of them.

You can still see a little smirk there, can’t ya? TONY!!!!!!!!

Sock Monkey

Source: Yvonne Knits
Size: one size fits all
Yarn: Brown Sheep Cotton Fleece (I LOVE this yarn for kids’ stuff)
Color: MC (Truffle) – 151 yds, CC1 (Antique Lace) – 33 yds, CC2 (Barn Red) – 11 yds; about 185 yds total.
Needles: US 3, 32″ circular
Gauge: not really important
Cost: Cost for yarn: $5.73, buttons: 50c, stuffing: ~50c. Total cost: $6.73
Started: October 3, 2009
Finished: October 11, 2009
Mods: none, except for working ITR instead of flat

PS: Look what’s in the works! The adult version of Mi Escuelita is about halfway done. What do you think of these buttons?

Mi Escuelita

Rosi G. — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 20:37:15 +0000

Last year, I was brave enough to submit a design to Knitty for the first time. I waited at the edge of my seat for weeks before hearing back from Amy that she loved my design but wanted to save it for the Fall issue instead of the Spring issue I’d submitted it for. FINE BY ME! )

So now, a little over a year after I took it off the needles, I present to you Mi Escuelita. Inspired by my beautiful daughter, Rossani aka Little Rosi, I made this cabled sweater for her. She needed a school sweater to add some color to her boring uniform of navy blue bottoms and white shirts.

The sweater needed to be quick, easy and comfy for her. Not to mention the quality had to be good to take the amount of washings a school sweater gets in any given year.

The body of the cardigan is knit in one piece, back and forth to the armholes then set aside. The sleeves are knit in the round to the armholes on double pointed needles or using the Magic Loop method. All pieces are then placed on one long circular needle and the yoke is knit. Buttonbands, buttonhole bands and shawl collar are knit onto the garment later.

The generous shawl collar acts as a scarf under a jacket or coat to keep her neck nice and toasty.

I was able to complete her sweater with a day or two to spare before she started 2nd grade last year. Needless to say, Rossani wore her sweater all year loving how all her friends and teachers always said what a pretty sweater she was wearing and she proudly announced, “My mommy made it for me!!!” )

Mi Escuelita (My Little School or My Darling School)

Source: Knitty, Fall 2009
Size: Shown here in size 8 years
Yarn: Bollicine Dolly
# of skeins: for this size I used a total of 781 yds almost exactly (5.1 skeins of suggested yarn). For the two largest sizes, you could probably get away with 1 skein less than the suggested amounts.
Color: Pink #454
Needles: US Size 5
Gauge: 24 sts and 32 rows = 4″ in stockinette stitch
Cost: $3.83 per skein, $19.53 total for the yarn; $0.75 per button, used 5 = $3.75 – Total cost: $23.28
Started: August 29, 2008
Finished: September 5, 2008

Shaimani’s Blanket

Rosi G. — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 14:10:14 +0000

Lately I find myself knitting more baby things than expected. My friends are popping out babies left and right.

This particular blanket is dedicated to one of my bestest buddies. I do not need to tell her who she is. She knows how much her friendship means to me and how much I text her when I can’t find her online for my daily dose of BFF! Here’s to a healthy and wonderful baby, my friend. I love you, girl.

Now don’t let the fact that the sample shown here is a blanket deter you from making a scarf or shawl out of this stitch pattern. I think it would make a beautiful stole! Just cast on any multiple of 15 stitches plus 11 and follow the pattern.

I would say this pattern is intermediate since it has cables and lace. The pattern includes written instructions and a chart. You can use either.

Shaimani’s Blanket

Source: Rosi G. (Purchase it on Ravelry – $5.00)
Finished Size: 33″ x 36″
Yarn: worsted weight, 645 yds, (shown here in Brown Sheep Cotton Fleece, 3 skeins)
Color: Antique Lace
Needles: US 7
Gauge: 4 sts and 6 rows in st st on US 7
Total Project Cost: $19.41
Started: May 29, 2009
Finished: June 28, 2009

Valkyrie

Rosi G. — Fri, 22 May 2009 21:00:09 +0000

I wanted to use up some of my sock yarn for things other than socks. Valkyrie is a one-skein scarf with an easy-to-follow cables and lace pattern.

It can be made wider to make it more of a stole. I can see this in some gorgeous hand-dyed silk laceweight with one or two extra pattern repeats.

The combination of cables and lace with purled wrong-side rows makes for a nice pattern that goes smoothly and is easy and quick to knit.

Valkyrie Scarf

Source: Rosi G.
Finished Size: 64” long x 9.5” wide after blocking and with fabric relaxed.
Yarn: Blue Moon Fiber Arts Socks that Rock – Mediumweight, 1 skein, 380 yds.
Color: Valkyrie
Needles: US 7
Gauge: 14 sts = 3.5″ in cables and lace pattern
Started: May 12, 2009
Finished: May 18, 2009
Pattern cost: $5 (pattern includes both written and charted instructions)