Mary Jane Mucklestone

Hand Knitting Blog & Knitting Patterns

handmade craft

Gift-A-Long 2019

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I’m offering 25% off twenty of my patterns beginning Tuesday Nov 26th at 8pm EST through end of day Monday Dec 2nd!

It’s the Ravelry Indie Designers Gift-A-Long and I’m participating for the first time.

Visit my Ravelry designer page and click on the Gift-A-Long bundle.

Indie Designer Gift-A-Long 2019 is a multi-designer promotion that should help jump-start your gift making whether for the holidays or anticipating the year ahead.

Beginning at 8pm EST today, it’s a 5 week long KAL & CAL of making gifts using patterns designed by a giant list of participating designers. Starting today, hundreds of patterns are on sale for gift knitting and crocheting. It’s a great way to explore new-to-you designers. When I took a look it made me want to pick up my hook and do some crochet.

For my sale bundle, I chose 20 projects that would be fairly quick to knit, some at a large gauge and others small but interesting projects.

In the spirit of the season and for the fun of the Gift-A-Long this is the only time I’ll be offering such a big discount on my patterns.

Vementry Vest

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Vementry Fair Isle Vest

Vementry Vest has been published on Ravelry as a stand-alone pattern with extended sizes. It was originally designed for my Craftsy Class (now Bluprint) The Fair Isle Vest: Stranded and Steeked, and is in my opinion a great introductory project for Fair Isle knitting, not too hard, but with enough going on to learn the basics. The traditional styling makes the vest popular with experienced knitters as well. With unisex styling it is easy to customize and make your own. It’s a wonderful project for developing your own colorway. Find the pattern Here.

Vementry Vest is knit with a DK weight yarn so the work goes quickly. You can immediately see progress. It is knit in the round with steeks for the armholes and neckline. The pattern comes with two pdfs, one each for the smaller sizes and the larger sizes, so you only have to print the one you need!

Isle of Vementry, Shetland

Vementry Vest is named after Vementry, an uninhabited island in Shetland, that I was lucky to visit with friends several years ago. As there isn’t a bridge or a ferry, we chartered a boat in of the town of Aith on Mainland Shetland. The island is known for its well-preserved Neolithic heel-shaped cairn, which sits at the highest point on the isle with spectacular views in all directions.  Cairns were used as burial chambers, and heel shaped ones are only found in Shetland and Orkney.

PATTERN DETAILS Smaller Sizes

Finished Smaller Sizes 1 (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
Bust 32 (34½, 37, 39½, 41¾, 44¼, 46¾, 49¼) in, 81.5 (87.5, 94, 100, 106, 112.5, 119, 125) cm

Yarn
Jamieson’s Double Knitting (100% Shetland wool, 25 gr ball – Approximately 82 yds / 75 m)
4 (4, 5, 5, 6, 6, 7, 7) skeins 103 Sholmit (MC)

2 (2, 2, 2, 3, 3, 3, 3) skeins 102 Shaela
1 (1, 1, 1, 2, 2, 2, 2) skein(s) 106 Mooskit
1 (1, 1, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2) skein(s) 105 Eesit
1 (2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2) skein(s) 182 Buttercup

2 (2, 2, 3, 3, 3, 3, 4) skeins 390 Daffodil
1 skein 350 Lemon
1 skein 660 Lagoon
1 skein 570 Sorbet

PATTERN DETAILS Larger Sizes

Finished Larger Sizes 9 (10, 11, 12, 13)
Bust 51 3/4 (54 1/4, 56 1/2, 59, 61 1/2) in, 131.5 (137.5, 144, 150, 156.5) cm

Yarn
Jamieson’s Double Knitting (100% Shetland wool, 25 gr ball – Approximately 82 yds / 75 m)

7 (8, 8, 9, 9) skeins 103 Sholmit (MC)
3 (3, 4, 4, 4) skeins
102 Shaela
2 skeins 106 Mooskit
2 skeins 105 Eesit
2 (3, 3, 3, 3) skeins 182 Buttercup
3 (4, 4, 4, 4) skeins 390 Daffodil
1 skein 350 Lemon
1 skein 660 Lagoon
1 skein 570 Sorbet

Find Vementry Vest on Ravelry

Knitting in Peru

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Today sign ups begin for Knit Stars 4.0: Alpaca My Bag 🌟

It’s the world’s first and only, all-online, multi-star knitting (and crochet) festival! 🙌

  • Learn from some of the most skilled knit designers in the world with Knit Stars 4.0: Alpaca My Bag.
  • Featuring breathtaking videos from Peru, courses from 10 expert knitters and crocheters, and exclusive kits only available when you join the course.
  • Visit Manos del Uruguay in Uruguay.
  • Find out how here!

Those who know me know that I love traveling, especially when I’m traveling to learn new-to-me knitting techniques. I was lucky to visit Peru on a number of occasions where I learned so very much. This new season of Knit Stars should offer some great armchair travel for those of us hankering to visit themselves. I know I want a return visit, and since I can’t go anytime soon I’m looking forward to watching Knit Stars 4.0.

Above, images from my own past trips to Peru, learning from the masters.

You can also sign up for my Knit Stars Workshop from Knit Stars 3.0. I teach stranded knitting and what makes Fair Isle knitting special.

Sign up for Knit Stars 3.0  and all the other seasons!

Mary Jane Mucklestone Knit Stars 3.0

Cast On Sólbein Steekalong!

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Happy New Year!!! I thought I had it all planned out. But at the last moment I drove to Montreal to spend New Year’s Eve with my son in Montreal. I grabbed 3 balls of red Lettlopi from my stash. It’s really the only color I have enough of…I’m going to try and make it work.

When I went to sleep early this morning, I’d decided to start with the sleeve, totally forgetting that Solbein is knit top down. Not to be thwarted, I used a provisional cast on and went from there. I can graft the cuff on at the end with kitchener stitch – which I LOVE. So added pleasure. That’s if I end up liking how the colors work.

The reds are really really close in value…it might look cool like melted candle wax, or kind of a fade…or it might be too close in value. Honestly after the festivities of last evening my brain is a little muddled and I had a hard time following my own pattern especially on the 3 color round. I think I’ll draw a chart that has the reds in the right spot, so I don’t have to color-translate the chart. New term: color-translate!

I’m lucky to have a helper.

Travel over to Fringe Association to read what Karen has to say about the steekalong! We’re so happy that so many of you have joined us.

There will be prizes!!!

Use the tag #fringeandfriendssteekalong on Instagram so we can see what you’re up to!

Post any comments or questions you have here, or on Karen’s blog. I’ve also got a thread in my Ravelry group going. Bear with me, I usually forget to check everywhere…but NO FEARS MY FRIENDS!!! We’ve got you covered.

Off the top of my head I know we’ll be talking about those 3 color rounds and how to best handle 3 yarns (go slowly, slow and steady wins the race). Steeking methods, what to consider, and what happens if you change your mind 1/2 way through your project. To button band or to zipper…one of my big decisions…. We’re going to have fun!

Sólbein Cardigan

Just joining us now? It’s not too late! Find the pattern here.

The pattern includes a steeking tutorial that explains machine stitched steek reinforcement. I’ve also got a post on a crochet reinforced steek here.

Happy Happy New Year!!!

Off The Grid

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http://fiber-trek.squarespace.com/wool-scouts-retreat

Hello Friends!
Just a note to let you know that I’ll be off the grid for ten days in August beginning on the 10th. So if I seem super silent – Not To Worry! I’ll be back in my usual haunts of Instagram, Facebook and here too…though I have been lax.

I’ll be teaching at the Wool Scouts Retreat in at a remote camp in Northern Maine, two sessions that I’ve been looking forward to all year, we had so much fun last time! There is no cell phone service, Wifi or even electricity in our cabins! HEAVEN!

In addition, there’s a lot going on behind the scenes that I look forward to sharing with you some time soon!
Happy Summer!
Or Happy Winter if you’re in the Southern Hemisphere!
oxo
MJ

Shetland in July

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July means Shetland for me this year! Beautiful Shetland! Above you see St. Ninian’s Isle, connected to Mainland Shetland by the UK’s largest tombolo. St. Ninian’s is one of my favorite places to take a walk. We are blessed with stunning weather so far. Shetland is a WiFi challenged location, but I’ll try and defy the odds!
Tomorrow I visit Fair Isle with a few friends who are helping me with a secret project. Subscribers of my newsletter will get the first details, so sign up if you’re inclined!

Knit Stars Special Offer!
Production has started for Knit Stars 3.0 and I can’t WAIT to share my lesson with you! I’m developing some of the content while I’m over here in Shetland. November is still a ways off, though, so if you can’t wait and want a some fresh inspiration and fantastic instruction RIGHT NOW, you can get a special deal on Knit Stars 1.0 and 2.0 for the next week! Click  HERE  for more info and to see who’s teaching what. Offer ends July 12th.

Summer also means small project knitting. I’ll be making a hat while I’m here because I forgot to bring one and I already needed one last evening! What’s your favorite summer knitting project?

Weston Beanie

Maritime Mitts

Kanoko Socks