Show off a beautifully hand dyed yarn by knitting a simple geometric lace pattern that doesn’t compete with the colour variation in the yarn.

Top down socks with lots of texture. Knitted in a lovely soft DK yarn.

Fine fun faux fair isle in fingering weight yarn.

A cozy warm and generously sized shawl, knitted in the round with a steek. Lovely soft fingering weight yarn in contrasting colours (Miss Babs Yummy 2-ply Superwash in Pewter and Rainy Days - 2 skeins of each colour) knitted in an old Anatolian motif drawn from Turkish socks. The very subtle variegation in the yarn adds extra dimension to the n...

A step up from plain stocking stitch this easy zig zag pattern works well in just about any yarn - solid, tweedy, variegated, self-striping….

Andean motifs and dancing ladies in a fun two-colour knitted sock.

Quick to memorize lace and texture pattern in a rich ombred yarn

An early design of mine for ankle socks in stretchy Cascade Fixation with an alternate pattern for Cantata Colori a sport weight colourful cotton.

A beautifully soft hand dyed yarn with long colour changes knitted into a cozy warm cowl. The pattern takes advantage of the contrasting colours in the yarn and uses both ends of the ball to work the motifs.

Fingerless mittens in the best beloved yarn - Noro Kureyon

Companion to my Bayern Small Shawl, Bavarian Shawl is a full sized neck down lace shawl. Both are in a stitch pattern borrowed from a Bavarian lace sock.

A pretty smaller shawl to drape over your winter duds in a stitch pattern borrowed from Bavarian socks.

Based on old Turkish designs, Bird Foot is a faux fair isle using a variegated yarn and a solid. The ankle pattern is “Bird Foot” and the instep and sole patterns are “Bird Wing”.

A beautiful yarn, hand dyed in beautiful colours and double knitted into a long, wrap-able cowl.

Lots of lovely crunchy cables for super texture. Nothing

Motifs from old Anatolia in a faux fair isle sock. Beautiful, colourful Bittersweet Lorna’s Laces Shepherd Sock set against a black background. Yum

Love love love mosaic knitting!

A beautiful textural sock subtle and easy to knit. Rich in detail and gorgeous in any yarn at all. Try it in a tweedy sock yarn for extra interest and texture or use a pretty coloured solid for a more traditional look.

Dragonflies are a sweet reminder of the warm sun in summer. This double knitted cowl is a cosy way to wrap up in when cooler days are upon us.

Simple geometric two colour pattern makes a great 1st fair isle project. Based on an African mud cloth design.

A colourful triangular shawl knitted from the centre of the neck in a very special yarn with long colour changes

A colourful triangular shawl knitted from the centre back neck in a very special yarn with long colour changes

Faux Fair Isle in 2 yarns - 1 variegated and 1 nearly solid. The colours play against each other in a variety of patterns from strictly geometric to swirly. Motifs are Egyptian and Anatolian.

Take a traditional fair isle pattern or two and shake them up with a beautiful hand dyed yarn and what happens? …..Another take on the faux fair isle theme.

Fantastic fun faux fair isle in a sparkly yarn with just enough glitter to brighten up the day. Fingering weight colour paired with a contrasting solid.

3 classic patterns plus a variation or 2 for a bucket of lace socks.

Linked leaflets scroll down the ankle and instep (and heel for a clog version) all topped off with a picot edge.

Two of Lorna’s Laces lovely colours together in a filigreed faux fair isle pattern.

Five leafy lace motifs to make 5 pretty scarves - or you can make 1 long one using all 5 leaves - the charts show where to end to start the next one.

Fingerless mitts with Latvian braids, corrugated ribbing, and colourwork- a great practice piece for any of the techniques.

Take a gorgeous wool and alpaca (with a bit of nylon) yarn in truly beautiful rich and complex colours and knit them into a sock with a strong graphic that repeats deliciously. Add some Latvian Braids and a corrugated rib. Top it off with a dusting of 2 by 2 checkerboard (both diagonal and linear) and you have a sock that sings.

Faux Fair Isle butterflies flutter by on a dark background. The yarn is a lovely wool and alpaca blend (with nylon) - a personal favourite!

A top down sock created with motifs borrowed from two beautiful pieces of Japanese fabric. The cuff motif is from an Obi and the ankle and instep are from an old kimono-- both jaw-droppingly beautiful.

Fun faux fair isle borrowing a Zebra’s stripes. This Zebra was playing in the finger paints!

Vine Lace is my favourite of all of the old lace patterns. It shows off the colour variations of the beautiful hand dyed yarn without being overwhelmed.

Based on an African mud cloth design. A good first 2-colour sock . Make sure there is lots of stretch in your fabric so you can get it over your heel. Keep the yarn carries loose-ish

A highly textured slip-stitch sock knitted from the top down in a sport weight yarn in both men’s and women’s medium sizes.

A winter themed sock for your feet instead of for your mantel.

Motifs are from old Anatolian patterns. Background is a sold and the colour is from a variegated yarn that does all the work for you.

Motifs borrowed from antique Japanese fabrics, adapted for knitting and set in a soft wool and alpaca blend fingering weight yarn.

Jazzy stripes zig zag down the ankle and onto the foot.

Cables criss-cross and turn back on themselves in this allover cable sock in a yarn that gradually changes colour. Reminds me of a Victorian Knot Garden.

Based on traditional Latvian mitten motifs, these socks are in honour of my dear Latvian friend and celebrate the 7th anniversary of the Red Bird Knits Sock of the Month Clubs. “Ilze” is in full regalia with braided cuff and 4 pattern motifs. “Brigita” sports a garter stitch cuff and 1 main pattern (and a different sole).

Four motifs borrowed from Latvian mitten patters combined into a sock and knitted in a variegated yarn set against a solid colour background.

Iconic motifs reverently borrowed from Latvian mittens and the traditional Latvian engagement ring (Ligava). See my popular Latvian Wedding Sock for similar motifs

Based on traditional Latvian Motifs as seen on the Ligava or Latvian Engagement Ring, these socks celebrate the wedding of a dear friend’s son.

Double knitting, snowflakes, hearts, cobalt blue and white, long and warm for wrapping twice around your neck - these are a few of my favourite things.

Modular pattern is knit in strips with each one joined onto the last one as you go. Great for mixing up the colours in a self striping or hand dyed yarn

Using Cat Bordhi’s brilliant moebius cast on, these cowls are knitted in either linen or half-linen stitch.

Highly textured cowl in a soft fingering weight ombre yarn for a lovely lacy look.

A lovely complicated looking lace - but it isn’t. It is much much easier to work than it looks.

Great for self-patterning or hand dyed sock yarns. Mix up the colours for a unique look

Mosaic knitting means no carrying of the 2nd colour. Great for socks as there is less tendency to pull in.

I own several pieces of African Mudcloth. Their graphic designs and strong colours are wonderfully appealling. I set out to honour the tradition by designing socks base on some of the motifs.

Out of Africa is the 4th in my series of African inspired sock designs. This one is perhaps the most poignant with so many in Africa sick and dying from a horrible disease.

Modular knitting in a gorgeous hand dyed yarn (Shepherd Sock). Yarn colour is Vera.

Not quite a traditional Fair Isle but Playing in the Snow uses some traditional Fair Isle patterns. Colours change in a block and a line of red highlights the centre of each motif and trims the cowl with a picot edge at the top and the bottom.

Faux fair isle inspired by the garden

Poppy is a double knitted cowl that is a companion to my Poppy Socks and uses the same combination of yarns. This was my first foray into double knitting and I LOVE the technique - I have since worked several more cowls and started a scarf too.

Knit the inside mitten first in a 2 by 2 stripe with a floral border, then pick up from the provisional cast on and work a picot turn then the outside mitten in poppy motifs.

January 2010 Sock of the Month from Red Bird Knits.

Just a delightful sock for winter, bright and fun and spirited. Placement information for reindeer is thoughtfully given (“if you would like your reindeer to romp on the sides of your ankle, knit to the first x stitches… if you prefer your reindeer at the front and back…”

A wavy lace cuff and a wavy lace pattern in a gorgeous silky merino yarn.

Five lace sampler scarves to knit in a variety of lovely yarns. Focussed on hand dyed yarn but would also be lovely in something like Rowan’s Kid Silk Haze.

Setesdal is based on a Traditional Scandinavian sweater and is the 2nd in a series. Fana is the first

Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening by Robert Frost was on my mind when working out this design. Sparkling snow, big fat snowflakes and evergreens.

Waiting, wishing, hoping, longing for Spring. A sock full of flowers to get through the drear of Winter.

Materials 100g of any 4-ply, fingering/sock yarn

Pick a yarn…. any yarn (these are fingering weight)…. add some mitered squares…. keep going for a bit…. Voila… a cozy cowl to snuggle into. Make it long so you can double it up or make it short so it sits close to your neck. Both options are quick, easy and pretty colourful.

To me, dragonflies are the essence of summer. They bring back the warmth of the sun on your back, the buzzing of bees and the smell of roses.

Not only is this a breathtakingly beautiful sock, but it’s knitted from the toe up just in case your existence was too tiresome.

I love dragonflies. Watching them flit with their shimmering beauty is one of the joys of summer.

Sock of the month for May 2006.

Wrap yourself in the warmth of a woolly garter stitch shawl. An elongated edge that ends in an I-cord for tying make this a very wearable, versatile garment.

Two socks in two colour knitting - one a little easier and one a little more complex.

I have been knitting some linen stitch squares to eventually turn into a blanket and wanted to incorporate this great way to mix colours into something more immediate (the squares will take a while!) and wearable.