November quickie: Snow Showers
Lindsay Lewchuk has designed a beautiful cowl, Snow Showers and it’s our November Quickies pattern.
Step outside and exhale. Instantaneously the water droplets in your breath freeze, declaring it is cold enough to snow! Snow Showers captures the first snowflakes of the season in cozy warm double knitting. Wipe away Autumn’s rain tears and revel in Winter’s falling snow. Harnessing the excitement through clever construction tricks, Snow Showers preludes the adventures awaiting you in your finished Snow Showers cowl.
Lindsay’s design uses 2 skeins of Verano, in the colorways Sailor Blue and Rain.
Jessica, from our team, had the chance to ask Lindsay some questions about her design and we are sharing it with you!
What is your favorite part of your Quickies design and why?
I went big with the snowflake motif as if examining a single flake under a microscope. But I think my favorite bit is the little snowflake drops that are randomly scattered around the large impressions. Not only are they functional, which makes the engineering side of my brain happy, they are cute, which makes my designer’s heart sing.
What should knitters pay attention to when working this pattern? Do you have any tips or tricks that will make knitting this pattern easier?
A few times this design drew me into the “just one more round” late night illusion, so from that I’d say, make a note as to what you’ve picked as our main color so when you put it down at lights out, or just one more round after lights out, you’ll remember which color is which when you pick it up again the next day.
The pattern includes three photo tutorials: seam as you go, grafting, and three needle bind off. Near the beginning you’ll work a “seam as you go” trick. This has two time saving results – it encases the I-cord in place, and it sets up the stitches for double knitting all in one step! For a completely flawless look, pay attention to what color you have first when holding both yarns together. Anytime that changes you’ll get a “design element” of an extra mini snowflake up at the top of the design. A few are super cute, too many will really stand out. Multiple in a row will create a stripe. Since it is only a single round, I recommend taking the time to pay a little extra attention to your yarn, as it leads to a very noticeable difference in the end and is only one round of carefulness.
What do you think knitters will enjoy the most about this project?
That’s a tough question! Process knitters, I hope, will love the process, especially the little tricks, like the “seam as you go” mentioned above. There’s a rhythm to the design with the snowflake placement that fits with cozying up with 2 skeins of Verano on cold nights and knitting by the fire with a favorite cuppa. Product knitters, I hope, will love wearing their Snow Showers in snowfalls time and time again. Verano is an incredibly soft yarn and by double knitting it, the thick fabric produced provides extra cold protection. The tie allows product knitters to cinch it tight so no snowflakes drift down the neck or leave it loose when the sun shines brightly off the fresh white groundcover.
What does your design process look like?
My design process changes for each design. This one was very specific due to sketching and applying for the Quickies program. I knew before I cast on what the end result would be… or at least thought I did. Check out the design blog, Solitary Snowflake (https://knitecochic.com/solitary-snowflake), for the little secret of what happens when designers miscalculate yarn requirements .
What beverage are you most likely to have by your side while designing?
Organic Green & Blacks Hot Chocolate
Thanks Lindsay for sharing a bit about your process with us!
You can find this pattern here: www.knitecochic.com/snow-showers
Lindsay creates patterns engineered with intentional details to create enjoyable WIPs and stunning FOs, Knit Eco Chic provides knitting patterns with an eco-focus. She crafts each design in the beautiful mountains of North Carolina with Puddles, her Great Dane, lending a paw. Inspired by God’s creation outside her window, expect the unexpected with her fresh take on structure and stitches.
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Website: www.knitecochic.com