new shawl designs

Posted on May 20, 2013 by Anastacia Knits

Any of my readers who are also on my Ravelry group probably already know I’ve been working on several new shawl designs – after taking a break from shawls for a while to work on afghans, squares, American Girl Doll designs, and so on.

Well, I’m pleased to announce two NEW shawl / wrap designs, both top down crochet designs written for two sizes, with notes for making them larger if you so choose. I’m not only really excited about both beautiful designs, but I’m even more excited because I had an absolutely beautiful model to work with, my coworker’s daughter Zoe.

First, the Hawaiian Sea Glass half circle shawl

Shown in Noro Taiyo Sock, size large, 150 grams were used.

Only $5.00

Next up, Peacock’s Plume, a wrap / scarflette that can be worn in many, many different ways… I made two samples in two different weights, but it’s also very easy to resize so can be worked in any weight / any gauge of yarn.

Above shown in Knit Picks Swish DK, almost 4 skeins used.

And the fingering weight version, crocheted up in LB 1878, a fingering weight yarn sold on 1 pound cones – 572 yards were used.

Thanks for looking!

new designs

Posted on May 5, 2013 by Anastacia Knits

Good morning! As promised, here are the last two recently published designs of mine!

First, the Pinecone Square, which is the May CAL square for the ongoing afghan CAL on my Ravelry group, Anastacia Knits Designs. It’s free through the end of June.

This square has been a long time in coming. I had actually originally written this as a Pinecone Afghan, with a sample made over a year ago. But the afghan didn’t lay very flat after it got about 2 feet wide, and the pattern directions were ridiculously complicated. I kept telling myself to rework it, and rework it I did, but the directions remained ridiculously complicated. Some things, like sweaters and cardigans, need complicated directions because you are making a complicated item, but afghans? nah, I want something fun and easy to memorize. So after more thought, I decided to turn my afghan idea into a 12″ square, and this is the result.

I don’t normally design one color squares, but at least now you know why I designed this one!

Next is the Free Spirited Shell Shawl – try to say that name 3 times fast! It’s a sideways shawl, worked in any weight / any gauge, and made to any size. I made one sample using Knit Picks Chroma in Fingering weight and another in Red Heart Super Saver.

the chroma

and the red heart

Pattern is only $4.50.

friday fo: socks, Warm up america free patterns, new scarf test

Posted on May 3, 2013 by Anastacia Knits

good morning! or really, I should say good afternoon.

I’m sorry I disappeared for the past couple of weeks – I can’t believe it’s been two weeks since I’ve chatted with you! I’ve been so busy with real life stuff and lots of designing & behind the scenes action! *grin* The best news however, is news we just got on Wednesday: that Jon does not need surgery! Yay! Life can finally start to move forward!

So first, a finished pair of summer socks (scraps of cotton / bamboo / wool / soysilk)

(I know, I know, really not the best photos!)

The pattern is loosely based upon the German sock pattern, Fade-In-Fade-Out Socken by Christiane Eichler, converted to my usual toe up.

Next up, a bit of a teaser photo…

It’s my latest scarf design that’s being tested on my Ravelry group right now.

Next, I’ve made a bunch of warm up america blocks – I won’t bore you by showing you every one I’ve made, but I’ll show you two, because they go along with the latest WUA free patterns I’ve posted on Rav.

WUA Group Square

WUA Cdc Square

Tomorrow I’ll share with you my two designs published in the Summer issue of Crochetvolution! (I TOLD you I’ve been busy! whew! Five patterns published in May alone so far!)

Flowerpot Afghan Design

Posted on April 15, 2013 by Anastacia Knits

Do you remember the white lace afghan I’ve blogged about a couple of times?

Well, not only is the afghan done, but the design is now published as well! I’ve been calling it the Nemo Afghan because I wrote up the pattern (and did all the math for the different sizes) during Nemo, but didn’t want to actually publish it with that name because I also wrote up a square that day & I publlished it as the Nemo March Square. Because the two designs are completely unrelated, I definitely didn’t want to use the same name for two separate designs, so after brainstorming, I finally came up with the Flowerpot Afghan.

Do you see little flowerpots?

Like I usually do for my afghan designs, the pattern is written for four sizes:

preemie 24” by 24”
small lapghan / toddler sized 32” by 32”
small afghan (twin sized bedspread) 49” by 72”
large afghan (full sized bedspread) 60” by 84”

Afghan requires Red Heart Super Saver yarn, 100% acrylic worsted weight yarn, 7 ounces (198 grams), 364 yards (334 meters), 2 (3,6,7) skeins needed.

If you prefer to use a “one pound” skein of yarn such as Caron’s One Pound, you need 1 (1, 3, 4) skeins to complete the afghan.

Afghan is now for sale on Ravelry, Craftsy, Shop Delighted, and Etsy, and soon to be listed on Patternfish. I’ve also listed the pattern on Crochetville, which now sells crochet patterns by independent designs! I’m slowly listing all of my designs.

New 12″ Squares

Posted on April 14, 2013 by Anastacia Knits

I recently blogged about Melinda’s Wrap Square, a free for the moment 12″ square design. Well, I’ve been a busy bee, and I’ve also published two other temporarily free 12″ square designs… Celebrate the End of Winter Blues

Celebrate the End of Winter Blues was designed for my year long afghan square CAL on Ravelry.

and It’s a Cluster Square.

Purple Square made by one of my testers, pandastamper

It’s a Cluster Square was designed for the Afghans & Blankets ongoing square CAL. This is year two of the CAL. The first year we brought out a new square to crochet every week, and this year we’re working a little slower by crocheting a new square every two weeks. This is the second time one of my squares was chosen for the CAL but the first one I designed specifically for the group.

Both patterns are free through the end of May & then the price will be $2.25 each.

melinda’s wrap square

Posted on April 2, 2013 by Anastacia Knits

This is a 12” crochet block pattern that utilizes an unusual stitch called the “wrap” stitch, which is similar to a cluster but differs in the method of construction.

Pattern will be available for free through the end of May, 2013, and will then become a paid pattern, so be sure to download it now!

Many many thanks as always to my fabulous testers, marjos, debspugs, pandastamper, Tinochka7, and Marifly.

download now

new design: Short Sands Shawl

Posted on March 21, 2013 by Anastacia Knits

Good morning, peeps! I want to share my latest shawl design. I named it the “Short Sands Shawl“. Regular readers know I have a horrible time naming my designs & often ask my testers for help & just as often, I name the designs for the place where I took the photos (York Shawlette and Wells Ripple) or sometimes just local landmarks (Webster Lake Shawl). So, this shawl was named after Short Sands Beach in York, Maine, one of our favorite beaches.

This shawl, like my latest free shawl, the Three Triangles Shawl, is made of three triangles. It was designed in response to my wonderful testers in my group. It started off with one of them asking for a “three triangle” shawl, good for stashbusting & charity, so I wrote up the original Three Triangles Shawl. But many of the ladies wanted more texture, different stitches, just MORE… so, the Short Sands Shawl was born, which features crossed double crochet stitches in just one of the pattern repeat rows, for a little bit of texture. Crocheted loosely & heavily blocked, it ends up a great mix of “lace” and “texture” even though absolutely no lace is involved.

The sample in the photos above was stitched with yarn from a thrift store sweater. It’s 100% wool, about a DK weight, and used just over 7 ounces of yarn.

I also stitched up a scrap busting acrylic version

Pattern is available for sale for only $5

NEW FREE shawl pattern

Posted on February 8, 2013 by Anastacia Knits

(smaller, 12 ounce, wool version, shown after blocking)

Good morning! I’d like to share with you my latest shawl design! And best of all, it’s free!

For a downloadable version, download now

That being said, I am offering this shawl pattern free but I do ask, and strongly urge you to, make one shawl for charity, in exchange for this free pattern. I’d prefer if it went to a nursing home or cancer center, but any charity of your choice would make me very happy. Failing that, I’d love it if you made a donation to the Alzheimer’s Society of America.

I also give any teachers out there permission to use this shawl pattern in any classroom setting, with the above provision: please ask your students to donate a finished shawl to charity. thank you!

Three Triangles Shawl

(16 ounces, scrap acrylic, no blocking)

By Anastacia Zittel / anastaciaknits on Ravelry /

http://www.ravelry.com/groups/anastacia-knits-designs

Materials: about 12-16 ounces worsted weight yarn and a size J (5.0 mm) crochet hook OR yarn and crochet hook of choice

Gauge: 12 dc=4 inches. Gauge doesn’t matter

Measurements: customizable

Abbreviations (pattern uses US terms):

ch: chain

ea: each

dc: double crochet

Pattern Note: Shawl is made with three triangles, for additional warmth and it is easier to “stay put” on your shoulders. It can be made any size using any yarn / hook / gauge, and is designed for stashbusting!

Pattern:

Ch 4, join with a sl st to form a circle.

Row 1: Ch 3 (counts as dc, now & throughout pattern), turn. (2 dc, ch 2, dc, ch 2, 3 dc) in circle: 7 dc made.

Row 2: Ch 3, turn. Dc in 1^st dc, dc in next 2 dc, (dc, ch 2, dc) in ch 2 sp, dc in next dc, (dc, ch 2, dc) next ch 2 sp, dc in next 2 dc, 2 dc in last dc: 13 dc made.

Row 3: Ch 3, turn. Dc in 1^st dc, dc in ea dc across until first ch 2 sp, (dc, ch 2, dc) in ch 2 sp, dc in ea dc across until next ch 2 sp, (dc, ch 2, dc) in next ch 2 sp, dc in ea dc across until final dc, 2 dc in last dc: 19 dc made at end of row 3, 6 dc increased each additional row.

Rep row 3 as many times as desired.

End off. Weave in ends, block, and wear with pride!

Options: This shawl is easy to change up, customize, and make your own! If you want more of a curved shape, add an extra double crochet at the beginning & end of every other row. Or substitute the double crochet for all single crochet, half double crochet, or treble crochet! The possibilities are endless!

Thank you to CollieGrl64, ppremdas, marjos, debspugs, dtf1983, beverlygoulet, Blacky67, pixie56, Marifly, harnish408, cfbandit, and artlikebread for testing this shawl, and for so many of you donating your finished shawls to charity. You are the best as always!

Feel free to make as many of these as you like for local craft fairs/auctions/raffles/bazaars, but please do not sell finished items online without emailing me first. Feel free to use this pattern in a classroom setting IF all students agree to donate a finished shawl to charity. If you have any questions or comments or just want to join like-minded souls, please join my Ravelry group at http://www.ravelry.com/groups/anastacia-knits-designs. Thanks!

terrific crochet shawl designers round up

Posted on January 25, 2013 by Anastacia Knits

(Stepping Stones)

No, I’m not the one doing the round up!

But i was very, very honored when I read that Kathryn from Crochet Concupiscence had done a very nice round up of ten terrific crochet shawl designers, and that I was on the list! Of course I am mainly a crochet shawl designer, but it’s such a huge thrill that my work is starting to be recognized. She wrote a very nice post, shared lots of photos and talked about each designer’s unique work. She mentions my Stepping Stone shawl, my very popular half a granny square shawl, and also mentioned Snowdrop (shown above), that was published in Crochetvolution. If you’ve always wanted to make snowdrop, now’s the time to do so, because on the Crochet Shoulder Wrappers group on Ravelry, there’s a CAL going on starting February 1, and everyone is already planning their yarn choices. I’ll be hanging around as well if you need a hand!

Thanks again, Kathryn!

friday fo: coins quilt

Posted on December 14, 2012 by Anastacia Knits

I have a new fo! This one snuck up on me, I never even took a wip photo let alone shared one with you!

I had forgotten just how fast my Coins Quilt pattern is to make.

Have you made one of these? This is one of my older designs, made specifically for using up small amounts of yarn in a pleasing way. Being quite a yard saler, I’d always end up with small amounts of yarn & I was always quite frustrated with the current scrap patterns on the market: often, they’d call for large amounts of “scrap” yarns, like a full size skein, or the main color would also be a large amount – like 2 pounds or so. I didn’t consider those true scrap projects. Depending on the size of your finished coins quilt, you might only need a skein of Red Heart Super Saver as your main color. So even if you don’t have a full skein laying about, you can easily make of one blankets & only need to buy one skein of yarn that’s often on sale for $2. And, the best part is, even if you don’t have a skein on hand now, you can still start your blanket today with the scraps you have on hand! And, it’s free!

download now

link up

http://somedaycrafts.blogspot.com/

Anastacia Knits

easy, elegant & edgy crochet designs

Category Archives: designing