(No longer virtual) Virtual Friends – strange title for a collection you think? The reason is that all patterns in this collection were designed for friends I made online, actually here on Ravelry, and who - after knowing them virtually for a long time – I had the chance to meet in person during our travels in the past few years. As a ‘thank you’ for the wonderful time we spent together, I knitted my (no longer virtual) friends socks and these are the patterns.

A musical journey through the week in hand-knitted socks

It all started with one skein of yarn in colours that made me think of Ireland right away. Thing is, I fell in love with Ireland the first time I went there on holidays and there are so many things that make me smile, that I find charming, that are so unique in Ireland. So of course I had to get some of the yarn to play with and the moment it arrived here, I started to knit it up. And it gave me ideas - so many, that a complete collection of ten sock patterns came to life.

Meandering cables ripple down the length of these cuff down socks. The small cables emerge from the ribbed cuff, cover leg and instep completely and finally blend neatly into the heel and toe which are worked also in ribbing.

These socks are not only the perfect Friday night companion for curling up on the sofa with some snacks and your favourite movie, but they are also a very relaxed and enjoyable knit.

Brighten up even the dullest of days with these joyful and colourful socks!

Solely Stripes is a fun take on socks for people who prefer their socks to look ordinary yet unique at the same time. Looking at the socks from the front, they are simple socks in plain Stockinette stitch with contrast coloured cuff, heel and toe. The unique feature is somewhat hidden on the sole: stripes worked in Intarsia in the Round techniq...

This shawl in stripes alternating between Stockinette stitch and small lace insertions is easy, yet interesting to knit. It was designed with the idea to combine a rather solid colourway with a variegated one. Stopover refers to the fact that there are always parts which are rather ‘mindless’ knitting with less concentration needed; taking a br...

These textured socks are knitted cuff-down with a heel flap and gusset. The all-over Scribble stitch pattern is formed with yarn over stitches and works perfectly with colourful yarns. The pattern continues onto the instep where it vanishes gradually towards the toe.

For this delicate shawl, delayed decreases create a gorgeous ripple effect.

Brighten up even the dullest of days with this joyful and colourful socks!

This pretty shawl features a pattern that evokes the scales on a dragon’s back.

These comfy socks celebrate snowflakes - while at the same time they keep your toes toasty on even the coldest of days.

The body of the mittens is shaped with short-rows to set-up the chevron pattern. Work as many chevrons as you like, using just one or multiple colours for the chevrons, to create a unique look. The mittens make a matching set with the Chevronay Hat.

The body of the hat is shaped with short-rows to set-up the chevron pattern. Work as many chevrons as you like, using just one or multiple colours for the chevrons, to create a unique look.

The gloves feature a distinctive cable pattern that forms an arrow shaped motif on a background in Stockinette stitch. They are worked in the round from the cuff up.

The colour sections on these socks form staircases that go up and down and all around.

Mix and match cute Christmas motifs inspired by typical Scandinavian patterns for a cosy pair of socks. Use the motifs as an accent stripe only or work them as an all-over pattern – the choice is all yours to create a truly unique pair of socks for yourself or as gift for your loved ones.

Just a few slipped stitches are needed to change a pattern of single stripes into a pattern with an op-art effect.

This shawl illustrates the versatility of Brown Sheep Company’s Shepherd’s Shades yarn, utilizing the three hues within a colour gradient to mark the progress of an asymmetrical triangle shawl as it moves from light to dark or dark to light. The heavy weight yarn, easily memorized lace and mosaic stitch patterns, and clever colour play contribu...

Knit this romantic shawl with only one skein of yarn!

This hat uses an interesting stitch pattern and multicoloured yarn to great effect.

Acacia combines patterns from traditional Estonian and Shetlandlace knitting to create a unique, light as a feather, stole.

Cheerful coloured patches are placed randomly all over the socks. Vary the number of patches, their size, use only two or as many colours as you like - there are just so many options to make your socks unique.

Cheerful colours make this shawl the perfect accessory for your summer wardrobe.

Add a bit of summer to your wardrobe with these socks in a bright and happy colour featuring a flower socks.

Show off a beautiful hand-dyed yarn with this delicate one-skein knit.

A stunning lace shawl which shows perfectly the different results that can be achieved using the most basic of knitting techniques: knit or purl decreases paired with yarn over stitches. The look of it stitch pattern varies greatly depending on where and which way the decreases are worked.

The mittens are worked in an all-over brioche pattern designed to showcase the beauty of speckled or tonal variegated yarns. While the stitch pattern looks like cables, the pattern is worked using a technique of knitting 3 stitches out of 3 stitches.

The striking accessory uses double knitting, which gives you a reversible cowl – choose your shades and switch sides according to your outfit!

These socks are knitted from the cuff down with an attractive slip stitch pattern which forms zigzagging lines. The pattern is continue onto the instep where it vanishes gradually. The socks are worked with an integrated heel, i.e. increases for the gusset and the heel flap are worked with the leg in the round.

Show someone you care with these beautiful heart motif socks.

A cute hat in an all-over brioche pattern designed to showcase the beauty of speckled or tonal variegated yarns. While the stitch pattern looks like cables, the pattern is worked using a technique of knitting 3 stitches out of 3 stitches. An optional eye-catching feature is a big pompom.

The hat features a distinctive cable pattern that forms an arrow shaped motif on a background in Stockinette stitch. It is worked in the round from the bottom up.

Who doesn’t love to work on a cheerful project on dull and grey winter days? This scarf with its easy to memorise pattern can be worked with as many colours as desired and makes a great stash-busting project for small amounts of yarn left over from other projects.

The Boreal set, named for the coniferous forests of the northern hemisphere, uses a simple yet stunning colourwork motif to transition from one color to the other and back again. Reverse the colors between the hat and mittens for a gorgeous effect.

I figure most of us know the Beatles’ classic ‘Eight Days a Week’ and considering that a week has seven days only, I think it’s quite a funny title. But it is very common in many languages to say ‘in eight days’ referring to the same day next week, because with this counting method today counts as day number one. So in case that a pair of socks...

Back in the 90’s when Saturday Night by Whigfield was popular, I lived in Spain next to an open-air club. If you’ve ever seen a crowd doing the dance to this song, I’m sure you know right away why I created a ‘waves’ pattern for these socks.

These socks were inspired by the song ‘Friday I’m in Love’ by one of my favourite bands ever, The Cure. The pattern picks up on the love theme with the symbol that stands for love for most of us: a heart. The socks feature an all-over pattern with small hearts worked in purl stitches on a Stockinette stitch background.

My musical inspiration for these socks was the song ‘Thursday’s Child’ by Tanita Tikaram. I admit, I have no idea what the song is all about, but I love the happy folksy spirit of the melody, so I chose a playful all-over stitch pattern to go with this feeling.

The inspiration for these socks was the classic Ruby Tuesday by the Rolling Stones. A song about people falling in love and leaving each other again, about regrets for not being able to keep your loved one, so I picked a cable pattern to resemble paths that cross but that finally drift apart from each other at the toe.

One of my favourite all time songs is “Sunday Girl” by Blondie. Even though it’s one of the songs I am not quite sure what it is about – a pretty girl whose boyfriend is cheating on her? Never mind! I love the melody and enjoy to sing along. For me it’s the perfect summer, sun, easy-going party song, so I picked a cheerful colour and a lacy pat...

These sock continue the musical journey through the week with the song “Wednesday Morning” by the folk rock band “America”. Once again a rather sad song about parting from each other, so I chose a cable pattern that’s parting and added a subtle eyelet pattern on the instep. You know there’s this line in the lyrics “Wednesday evening was the fir...

Zigzagging stripes in Stockinette stitch and Seed stitch travel up these fingerless mitts from cuff to top. For a good fit the mitts are worked with a thumb gusset, which emerges neatly from one of the stripes.

In the past few years, social media has grown in importance, and the hashtag is one of the most-used symbol these days. The stitch pattern used in these socks is reminiscent of the hashtag symbol.

The mitts were designed to use up yarn left over from the Temperance Shawl and the pattern picks up design elements from the shawl pattern.

A folded, ribbed cuff transitions into meandering columns of fishermen’s rib in these cuff down socks. They are the perfect pair to snuggle up on the sofa during wintertime, but they also make a perfect travel companion to wear on the plane on a long distance flight or while on a camping trip.

Have you ever noticed how baffled non-knitters look when you say something like ‘I should have used k2tog instead of ssk, this seems to slant into the wrong direction’. It makes sense – but only to knitters. It appears ‘Knit’ is a language of its own. So, do you speak Knit?

Striking socks worked in an easy to memorize mosaic pattern. The pattern in mosaic knitting technique is worked with a single colour at a time – making these socks perfect for a first project using more than one colour!

Stripy socks with a hidden secret: Depending on the angle you look at the socks, the diagonal lines are almost invisible or they are a prominent feature.

These cosy and warm socks feature an interesting stitch pattern with zigzagging stripes. Other than the cuff and the toe, which are worked in main colour only, the rest of the work is done in stranded knitting. The eye-catching feature is the hybrid fleegle heel, which is worked with the leg in the round and emerges from the zigzagging stripes.

Cheerful coloured stripes spiral down the leg and look different from whichever perspective you look at them.

Slanted stripes in slipped stitches seem to swirl around the hand of these mittens and showcase variegated yarns at their best. An eye-catching feature is the thumb gusset, which emerges from one of the knit stripes between two ‘chains’ and also wanders into the direction of the slant.

Slanted stripes in slipped stitches seem to swirl around the hat from the brim to the top and showcase variegated yarns at their best.

One of the items I knit most often as a charity project are socks. These socks knit top down with an integrated heel are worked entirely in ribbing patterns. The advantage of this kind of pattern is that thanks to the ease of rib the socks fit slightly smaller or bigger circumferences comfortably, which is perfect when the exact size of the rec...

A cute beanie with an unusual construction method: First the cable band is worked from side to side and joined in the round, then stitches are picked up on either side of the band to work the ribbed brim and the crown in Stockinette Stitch. If desired, a pompom embellishes the beanie.

A comfortable cardigan with a wide cable panel that runs down both fronts and the back. To make the eye-catching cable panel the main feature all other parts are worked in Stockinette stitch. The cardi is supposed to have a slightly oversized silhouette, enhanced by the way the dropped shoulders are worked.

Wrap your feet in elegance with these cute cuff-down socks with an eye-catching lace panel running down the front. The easy to memorize lace pattern is worked with clustered stitches for extra texture.

Spring Sprout is a rectangular stole inspired by rows of cultivated seedlings, worked from one short side to the other.

Cuff down socks knitted entirely in narrow knit and purl stripes which head towards each other, stay combined for a short while and then separate from each other again. The pattern is absolute regular - but nevertheless it seems to form irregular lines and segments.

Comfy slippers in a heavyweight yarn, with an eye-catching panel in slipped stitches running from the cuff to the toe. Knit in just a couple of hours, they also make a great gift for the loved ones in your life.

What makes a home more welcoming and cosy than handmade decorations?

he Central Wrap is a rectangular shawl with an allover garter-stitch diamond pattern, worked back and forth in rows on the bias. With its classic look, it’s the perfect piece to wrap up in when you need an extra layer of warmth no matter what occasion.

Short-rows create an asymmetrical brim on the this hat, so it will always sit at a jaunty angle. Knit this hat in the round from the bottom up using one color or change colors after the brim for a bit of fun.

Keep your hands warm with these pretty mittens with a fun design of slanted textured stripes, which seem to swirl around the hand. Because the pattern is kind of ribbing, the fabric has some elasticity and creates a snug, yet comfortable fit. The eye-catching feature is the thumb gusset, which is worked into one of the knit stripes and also wan...

The Bay Mitts feature vertical lines of twisted ribbing that converge with horizontal rows of garter stitch, resulting in a purposely skewed look because of the different row gauges.

The Tubac Stole is a rectangular wrap with an interesting construction method: it is knit from the centre out in rounds. The first colour change is done in a geometric slip stitch pattern.

This cardigan is knit from the top down with a cabled yoke. The cables start small and get wider with each yoke increase. This shows how you can shape a yoke simply by shaping each cable or element in it.

Plasma is an airy summer shawl in a slightly crescent shape. The eye-catching feature are the flame-shaped motifs, created with an easy to work dropped stitch-pattern.

Cosy mittens knitted mainly in a textured pattern that forms horizontal and vertical lines. The allover pattern has a lot of stretch which leads to a snug yet comfortable fit. The eye-catching feature though, is a broad ribbed cable which runs along the back of the hand and which gets smaller and then vanishes completely at the top.

Cuff down socks knit mainly in garter rib for a snug, yet comfortable fit with a heel which is integrated nicely into the stitch pattern. The eye-catching feature though, is an interesting cable panel running down the front of the leg.

My musical inspiration for these socks was the song “Love you till Tuesday” by David Bowie. The title sounds like there will be a new love on Wednesday and many to follow afterwards, so my socks feature lots of hearts for all the loves yet to come. The hearts are randomly placed all over the socks.

Knitted in a single-ply, DK-weight yarn, the Parquet Pullover is both lightweight and pleasantly warm. It is worked entirely in an allover shifting rib pattern with drop shoulders and a voluminous turtle neck.

A project to bring to knit group gatherings should be portable, and the pattern should be easy to memorize so that one doesn’t lose track while chatting. These socks meet those criteria perfectly. The main pattern is a knit-and-purl ribbing, which travels to the side every couple of rounds. The interesting detail is the heel because the heel fl...

Knit from a single ball of yarn that travels the colour spectrum from reddish-purple to yellow to off white, this half-circle shawl features a chevron pattern reminiscent of flames. The flames grow wider and longer with each lace segment worked and showcase the beauty of the yarn changing colours at long intervals.

A simple slip-stitch pattern and three colours of yarn is all you need to create the funky, lovable Heartbeat Mitts. The eye-catching pattern is easy to work, so the mitts are quick and fun to knit.

A hat featuring a nosy raccoon ravaging the trash cans at night – a cute pattern in stranded colorwork called ‘Masked Bandit’ from the Alterknit Stitch Dictonary by Andrea Rangel. To further embellish the motif it is enclosed by ‘chain details’ in main colour.

Squares in four different textured patterns flow down the leg and form a patchwork-like pattern. The heel flap emerges between the stripes of squares and is worked in the round in a fifth knit and purl pattern. The toe, worked with paired increases, features yet another textured pattern on the top of the foot - knits and purls at their best!

The Black Forest Hat and Cowl are worked in illusion knitting (also known as shadow knitting), a technique which changes the look of the knit depending on the viewer’s perspective. The effect of the diagonal stripes which appear when looking at the fabric from the right angle, is created by the placement of knit and purl stitches. Illusion knit...

The set is a modern and fun take on matching accessories. Both items use a geometric pattern in stranded knitting to change from one colour to the other. The motifs are different, yet similar enough to create a matching set and for a more playful look the yarns are used in reversed order for the second item.

The inspiration for this cardigan came from Ann Veronica (1909) by H. G. Wells, a novel about the “New Woman” and the British suffragist movement. In it, a middle-class girl rebels against her father and strikes out on her own. The Ann Veronica cardigan reflects this change in society by combining Edwardian lace with soft curves for a modern lo...

The Agatha Shawl is knit sideways on the bias. It is knitted back and forth in rows, mainly in garter stitch stripes with a wide border in mosaic knitting as the eye-catching feature. To add additional interest to the knitting and the look, small mosaic insertions are added to the garter stitch stripes given intervals.

Winona is a tiny village located along historic Route 66 in northwestern Arizona. The area has been inhabited for ages—first by Native Americans, then by European settlers—and the Winona Poncho incorporates artistic influences from the different cultures that have populated the area.

Add some color to your wardrobe with this bright knitted sock pattern. Use slip-stitches to create intriguing color and textural effects, breaking up otherwise simple stripes. You won’t break the yarn at all as you work these stripes, so finishing is a breeze!

The Accented Socks are the perfect introduction to stranded knitting. The stitch pattern forms geometric shapes, so it’s easy to keep your place in the chart. Also, they’re designed so that you never have to deal with a long float; the small pattern repeat keeps the yarns tidily lined up on the wrong side.

Cheerful coloured blocks form socks which look different from every angle you look at them. They can be worked in a set colour scheme as shown above or using as many different colours as there are blocks for a unique pair of socks.

This oversized drop-shoulder cardigan showcases an allover geometric pattern that combines brioche stitch and garter-stitch squares in interesting vertical and horizontal lines. The edging is worked in garter stitch to enhance the garter squares in the cardigan body.

Melissa is one of the first people I ‘met’ when I joined Ravelry, and while many groups we mingled in are no longer active, our friendship has grown stronger over the years and it was the most wonderful moment when we first met in person at Indie Untangled. I chose this stitch pattern which resembles interwoven stripes as a symbol of how close ...

A while ago I was so lucky to visit the Sheep and Wool Festival in Rhinebeck, NY. Not only was it a fantastic show, but it also gave me the opportunity to meet with long-time Ravelry friends for the first time. Meeting point: Around noon in the picnic area. So no wonder I used a stitch pattern that reminds me of picnic tables for Linda’s socks.

When travelling to Rhinebeck, New York, our route led us through long stretches of autumn forest. Maples, birches, oaks and several other kinds of trees formed the most beautiful scenery. No wonder, I picked a stitch pattern that reminded me of acorns for Stacy’s socks, who I had the pleasure to meet at Rhinebeck for the first time.

No matter where you are in Ireland you’ll come across one of the island’s most popular symbols: the Shamrock. According to legend, St. Patrick used the shamrock to explain about the Trinity when he was trying to convert the Irish to Christianity. Nowadays many companies use it as part of their emblem and you find it on many Irish souvenirs. It ...

When you visit Dingle you will definitely hear about the town’s famous ‘inhabitant’: Fungie, also known as the Dingle Dolphin. Fungie is a bottle nose dolphin who, according to the locals, was first seen in Dingle’s harbour in 1983 and who has stayed in the Dingle Bay ever since. There are boat tours to watch Fungie and the townspeople even bui...

I’ve visited Ireland a couple of times and I’ve learnt that the prejudice that it always rains in Ireland is not true – but it does indeed rain a lot. There is a reason why the Irish use so many words to describe the different types of rain: it spits, drizzles, teems, buckets down and there are a lot more expressions. Even on the sunniest of da...

I enjoy cheerful and lively traditional Irish music and it is always a treat to watch Irish dancers in their colourful costumes dancing jigs and reels.This sock pattern was inspired by the so-called ‘Poodle Socks’ worn by Irish dancers.

In almost any small town in Ireland you still find independent shops. There are small hardware stores where you can buy the exact number of nails or screws you need and are not obliged to buy the whole bulk pack. In Germany, most independent small town businesses are long gone and were replaced by chain stores, so visiting this kind of shop in ...

Sláinte (pronounced ˈslaːntʃə‘) is the Irish word for ‘health‘ and it is the thing to say before you take the first sip of your drink. There are literally thousands of pubs in Ireland, with cosy décor and always friendly guests to chat with, so it’s one of the Irish words almost everyone learns when visiting Ireland.

The N17 is a national road in western Ireland that runs from Galway through Mayo to Sligo. When travelling along that road for the first time, I realized that the scenery indeed looks like in the song ‘N17’ by my favourite Irish band ‘The Saw Doctors’: Stone walls and the grass is green…

Something that makes me smile every time we visit Ireland is the way many houses are painted in bright and cheerful colours – what a happy sight, even on days when the weather is dreary.

Ireland has a rich culture of storytelling and is famous for its fairy-lore. You can take tours to visit fairy forts, buy a fairy door to invite a fairy to your home and the fairies sometimes even get blamed for any mishaps. When visiting Ireland you are surrounded by fairy tales all the time and it might happen you are away with the fairies…

Quite a while ago, when I was happily singing away to some Irish traditional songs in our favourite Irish Pub, I was asked whether I was Irish. When I said no, I got the response ‘but Irish at Heart’. Well, it’s true that there are lots of things I love about Ireland, and what better way is there to show it than socks with a heart motif in Iris...

The rich colors of hand-dyed yarns are electrified in this energetic sock pattern. A simple textured pattern runs cuff to toe, angling left and right mimicking lightning bolts. The eye-catching feature is the so-called hybrid fleegle heel, integrated nicely into the purl stripes in the pattern and worked in the round.

A skein of yarn in my stash so boldly yellow that it reminded me of voltage warning sign gave me the idea for this design. I used vertical stranding to create arrows in two contrast colours, in reversed order for the left and right sock. The arrow heads are added using duplicate stitch.

The Crystal Palace, site of the Great Exhibition, relied on technological innovations to achieve its open, airy appearance. The shawl it inspired, however, requires only knitting needles and beautiful yarn. Solid stripes alternate with panels of lace mesh to mimic the Crystal Palace’s famous entry hall.

The socks were designed for my long-time Ravelry friend Patti. Over the years we’ve known each other, there were quite some incidents and changes in her life and I wanted to use a stitch pattern to reflect this and to symbolize that it is hard to predict what happens next in life. On the heel flap and the instep the zig-zagging all-over pattern...

The Oregon Trail is a historic east-west wagon route in the United States, which led through steppes, deserts and across rivers and mountains and connected the Missouri River to the valleys of Oregon. It took bends and curves to avoid any barriers and to make it accessible for large-wheeled wagons. The stitch pattern used for these socks, resem...

Girasol is the Spanish word for sunflower and literally it translates to ‘turn to the sun’. And that’s what the flowers seem to be doing all day long: turning their bright yellow heads towards the sun. For me they are a happy sight, even though they symbolize that summer is almost over when they are in full bloom – so why not knit their happy l...

Two-color brioche forms alternating squares of color and texture. Brioche stitch, a variation on traditional ribbing, is easy to knit, even with a second color. This handsome scarf suits all occasions, whether you’re calling on the prime minister or visiting the local pub.

Traditional knitting motifs borrowed from the Isle of Guernsey run across this generously sized triangle shawl. Knitters in Guernsey decorated close-fitting fishermen’s sweaters (known as ganseys or jerseys) with similar knit and purl motifs.

Bits of information, symbolized by columns in twisted stitches, get bundled to streams. They connect in a regular pattern with streams coming from the opposite direction and resemble a network. A symbol for the ginormous amount of information available to everyone thanks to the nowadays common use of the internet.

For all cats in love and everyone in love with cats: A cowl worked in the double knitting technique with a cute cats and hearts motif. The technique makes the cowl reversible and adds extra warmth.

I cannot count how often we’ve danced the night away at Mulligan’s, our favourite pub on Gran Canaria. These socks were designed for Kevin, who is not only a friend, but also the musician in said pub and who has entertained us time and again. It’s high time I told him: Thank you for the music, Kev!

The Cascade Mountain is a peak in the Bow River Valley in sight of the beautiful town of Canmore in Alberta, Canada. It’s named after the waterfall that cascades down its southern flanks; just like the all-over knit and purl pattern seems to cascade down the socks I knitted for my friend Eryn, who I had the pleasure to meet during my visit to C...

My dear friend Evey from Canada loves autumn coloured yarns, but has a dislike for variegated yarns because they often spoil the stitch pattern. So I picked the most variegated yarn in her favourite colours that I could find and knitted it up using a stitch pattern which, in my opinion, truly shows the yarn’s beauty… a special gift for a specia...

My friend Shelley doesn’t mind mismatched socks and loves to knit with self-striping yarn. While I love the look of striped socks, usually working with this kind of yarn makes me want to ‘manipulate’ the stripes. These socks, knit from a ‘split skein’ with reversed colourways were designed to meet the preferences of both of us.

These socks are named after a pub in Vancouver, Canada, which I had the pleasure to visit a while ago. My friend Kelly took me there for a drink after exploring the Granville Market and some extensive yarn shopping at the Three Bags Full yarn store just across the street from the pub. What a fabulous time we had!

The sound of a long train slowly making its way through a town brings back memories of our visit to Canmore, Canada, right away. The trains are an impressive sight and just imagine all the work and material that went into establishing all those tracks. The Railroad Ties Socks were my gift for Lauren who is so lucky to live in such a beautiful p...

When I visited my dear friend Laurel in her hometown, it took her completely by surprise that I cracked up with laughter when we went to lunch. Why, you ask? Because next to the diner was a ‘beer drive thru’! Unheard of in my neck of the woods. So fun. I designed a sock pattern which shows you which way to go or rather to drive to get a drink r...

A cascade of decreases and increases combined with garter stitch ridges form flowerlike structures while tiny yarn over holes ripple down between them – a pattern my friend Yola named right away ‘Falling Petals’.

At downtown Spokane, Washington, the Spokane River forms two waterfalls which are impressive to look at from one of the footbridges across the river. The stitch pattern of the socks designed for Alix, who I had the pleasure to visit in Spokane, reminds me of the rapids and spume of the swift-flowing water.

This classy beanie is knitted mainly in a textured pattern that forms horizontal and vertical lines. The allover pattern has a lot of stretch which leads to a snug yet comfortable fit. The eye-catching feature though, is a broad ribbed cable which runs along the side of the head and which gets smaller and then vanishes completely at the top.

Strings of (yarn) pearls in contrasting colors swirl around this sweet hat. You can vary the number of strings, their colors, and their placement: add just a few for fashionable accents or put them in an allover pattern for a more playful look.

Put bargello, a type of needlepoint embroidery associated with furniture from the Bargello palace in Florence Italy, on your feet! Worked in stranded knitting, zigzags in varying widths create an all-over pattern. Place the stripes at random, or use a wildly coloured self striping yarn as the background colour to make your pair of socks unique.

Cosy socks with a cute heart pattern in stranded knitting.

The main feature of these cuff down socks is a classy, yet elegant stitch pattern that resembles a cable pattern, but the effect is easily created with decreases and increases. The wide panels are worked on the front and the back of the socks and are reminiscent of stable pillars used for centuries in many architectural styles.

The classy look of these two-coloured socks with a diamond pattern in stranded knitting on leg and foot, makes them suitable for women and men alike.

The cowl is knitted in the round using an intricate-looking stitch pattern, which is nevertheless easy to work. The peephole pattern is created with simple yarn overs and knit decreases and looks way more difficult than it is to knit. The small repeat of only 8 stitches makes the cowl easy to adjust to your preferred size.

Spain is home of some of the earliest examples of European knitting; especially lace knitting has a long tradition. Some historians even believe that the well-known Shetland lace was brought to the Shetland Islands by the Spanish. Spanish mantillas (chapel veils) are typically rectangular pieces with rounded edges, worn over a woman’s head.

Lacy socks to showcase solid or semi-solid yarns: Twining leaves run down the front and the back of the socks, embellished with small ‘dew drops’ from tiny bobbles. These beauties not only keep your feet warm, but are a stunning fashion accessory when worn in open shoes.

Fingerless mitts keep the hands and wrists comfy and warm and at the same time the fingers free for all the tasks that need to be done: texting, typing, knitting, handling money… Turn the most convenient accessory on a chilly day into a fashion statement with the eye-catching cable and lace panel which runs along the back of the hand of the Roc...

Crossers are knit in an all-over stitch pattern that combines different knitting techniques: textured diamonds. bordered by eyelets for a lacy look, are embedded in stripes in Stockinette stitch which form crosses thanks to small cables. An interesting to knit pattern which crosses the ‘borders’ between different techniques.

Slip-stitch patterning adds colour, texture, and a second layer of insulation to these lovely socks in a geometric tiles pattern. The two-coloured slipped stitch squares are replaced at random with squares in main colour to give the socks a unique look.

Anacapa is a big lace shawl that sits nicely on your shoulders, thanks to its almost three-quarter circle shape. Five lace segments are surrounded by cables with an eye-catching finishing touch—a sideways knitted lace and cable edging.

Twisted single rib cables that seem to swing to and fro in a rhytmic way remind you of waves caused by the current in a stream. A great unisex pattern with a snug and super cosy fit.

A country-style tweed yarn or heathered yarn enhances the beauty of this stylish yet subtle design, suitable for men and women alike. The cables which form knot-like structures run down the front and the back of the leg of these socks are continued onto heel flap and toe. The side panels are knit in Mistake Rib and are used to adjust the width ...

The idea for this cowl started with a bright yellow skein of yarn, which reminded me of the symbol of the Circle line on London’s underground map, shown in yellow and looping around central London. The Tube really is a great way to get around in London and its map looks like an intricate pattern. The overall cable pattern used in this cowl, wan...

Paulie the Penguin feels fine barefoot in the snow – unlike most of us human beings. Why not have him help to keep your feet warm during the cold season with these cute socks featuring a penguin motif?

“I sat three quarters of an hour in the flower-garden, while Fanny cut the roses, and very pleasant it was.”

“My mother is very well & finds great amusement in the gloveknitting, when this pair is finished she means to knit another, & at present wants no other work.”

“He seems a very harmless sort of young man, nothing to like or dislike in him—goes out shooting or hunting with the two others all the morning, and plays at whist and makes queer faces in the evening.”

Take a classic checkered pattern to a new level!

A cowl with a light and airy stitch pattern that can be worn in different ways: as a fashionable accessory in one long loop, wrapped twice around the neck or for extra warmth even with one loop over the head while the second loop around the neck keeps it in place.

Go for a twirl in these pretty textured socks. Easy to memorize knit and purl patterns are used in stripes that swirl down the leg and taper off the instep. A great pattern for men and women alike.

I love tulips because they are a sign that spring has finally arrived. I found it very interesting when I read the other day that several plant breeders have tried to create blue tulips. So much easier to make your own using yarn.

This hat is worked in the round from the brim up. Its 10-stitch pattern features two popular techniques, cables and lace, and each column features both of them. Hence the name ‘Twist and Turn’, since the pattern panels change from cables to lace and back again.

A cowl in a classic monochrome geometric pattern, enhanced with small details in a contrast colour as the eye-catching feature. The cowl is worked in the double knitting technique, which makes the cowl reversible and adds extra warmth.

Inspired by the book ‘The Hunger Games’ and the main character’s weapon of choice in the arena, these socks are reminiscent of an arrow. The cuff is shaped with short-rows and combined with the twisted stitches on the leg it forms the fletching; the twisted stiches on the instep form the arrowhead. Take a good aim!

As a kid I had a story book about flower fairies and I loved the illustrations of the fairies in their colourful lustrous clothes. My favourite part was the fairies having a Ball on Midsummer Night. I imagine the fairies would like to wear these socks to the Ball since the stitch pattern looks like fairy wings. The socks were named after the qu...

Even on warm summer days evenings can be chilly. This light and airy Moebius cowl, with a reversible knit and purl dropped stitch pattern and its twist front, not only peps up the summer wardrobe but also keeps away the cool of the evening.

Chains formed with slipped stitches swirl around the leg and across the instep of these socks. The easy slip-stitch pattern helps to break up the pooling effect of variegated yarns, while it still creates a knock out pattern knit in a semi-solid colourway.

These cosy heart slippers are the best of both worlds - soft and stylish but also hard wearing. Knit in just a couple of hours, they also make a great gift for the loved ones in your life.

Twisted stitches and lace create dramatic socks in a bright golden yarn. Worked from the top down with a charted heel.

Getting into the Christmas spirit!

Each mini stocking uses about 9g (40m/44yds) of fingering weight yarn.

A pattern to show off the beauty of variegated yarn - the changes in knitting direction create stripes that change directions too. A quick and easy knit for small amounts of leftover yarn.

A pattern to show off the beauty of variegated yarn - the changes in knitting direction create stripes that change directions too: vertical, horizontal, angular.

Basic knit and purl stitches combined to a beautiful pattern that forms rows and rows of horizontal, vertical and diagonal stripes.

Libra is balance. A balance weights and measures, and according to many sources Libra natives love this measured and balanced approach in their daily lives. They also seek equality and harmony.

Spring is the time of nature’s awakening. Every year I am amazed anew by the incredible colours and shapes of plants starting to bloom and new life being formed everywhere you look. These socks were inspired by magnolia trees and the main lace pattern resembles their beautiful blossoms with the beads adding the effect of drops of dew in the ear...

Glittering ice crystals in the sun - capture the magic beauty of winter in a delicately shaped beaded shawl. The shawl can be worn instead of a scarf to keep you warm on a cold day, but it looks just as nice around the shoulder to pep up elegant evening garments.

If Santa wore slippers, maybe he’d love these ones in worsted weight yarn to keep his feet toasty on the coldest of days. They are worked with an all-over 1/1 cable pattern and the modular construction method adds interest to the knitting.

Comfy slippers to keep your toes toasty on a chilly night. A pair in size medium needs no more than a couple of hours knitting time and one skein of worsted weight yarn – the perfect pattern for those odd skeins most knitters have in stash.

Inspired by the song “Blue Monday” by New Order the pattern features a ribbed stitch pattern with cables, because I think it resembles the rhythm of the song: Straightforward, but with some unexpected twists.

Pattern available in English and German. Anleitung auch auf deutsch.

A warm and cozy moebius cowl with an easy dropped stitch pattern to show off the beauty of variegated yarn.

Garter stripes interrupted by bold slipped stitch columns form an interesting structure on the back of the hand. The mitts were inspired by Westknit’s ‘Clockwork Shawl’ and they not only make a nice match to the shawl but they also need only little yarn.