Madeline Beanie by Kneedles and Love

11 June 2019 by Kati

This past spring I had the opportunity to test knit Kneedles and Love Kalley’s knit hat pattern, The Madeline Beanie, and it felt like the perfect design to continue my knit lookbook posts! It’s another beginner friendly knitting project full of texture, squish and simple stitches that combine into an amazing beanie. This one too knits up in no time and I made two hats in like one sitting!

Yarnwise I went with Phil Rapido by Phildar, which is a bulky #5 yarn and so soft it feels like a hug. Lately I’ve noticed that my knitting tension has gotten a lot tighter than before, so I opted for my 8mm needles and they ended up being the perfect choice for this project (the pattern calls for 6,5mm)! I often knit bulky designs with double stranded Phil Looping, but it’s such a nice change to use a yarn that’s bulky enough as it is (that is, single stranded). The yarn also comes in some seriously delicious colors so it always takes an afternoon to choose the shade you want to take home with you!

But back to the pattern! Like the two previous patterns I’ve introduced, The Pinecrest Beanie by Aspen Leaf Knits and The Linen Texture Hat by Steffer Knits Studios, this one is definitely an instant gratification project as well and once you get started, you could just keep knitting forever! The finished beanie is fun, the knit and purl stitches create a beautiful texture & feel, and it’s just beautiful in all its simplicity. I would 100% recommend this pattern for beginners and for anyone who’s looking for a cute and quick ready-in-an-afternoon project!

In other beanie-related-news, I bought a new pattern this morning and couldn’t be more excited! I’ll be making the Favorite Cable Beanie by The Chesapeake Needle – absolutely can’t wait to get started already and show you guys the finished hat!

Love, Kati

Knit Lookbook Knitting

Linen Texture Hat by Steffer Knits Studio

10 June 201910 June 2019 by Kati

Another day, another beautiful beanie! I can’t tell you enough how much I love quick and simple knits full of texture and fun stitch ideas. One of my maker BFF’s Stef from Steffer Knits Studios sent me her newest beanie design, The Linen Texture Hat and as soon as I’d finished Ginny’s Pinecrest Beanie I knew I couldn’t wait to get started on Stef’s gorgeous pattern! Luckily I had enough Phil Looping left and after last night’s classic just one more row situation I finally finished the hat this morning and ughhh is it a beauty!

The Linen Texture Hat uses super bulky (#6) yarn that I, as usual, substituted with double stranded Phil Looping. I made the brim a little shorter than in the original pattern and used a *k1, p1* ribbing, and went for my 8mm needles for the brim. THIS was a total game changer! I feel like my brims stretch out far too much for my liking with the 10mm needles, so after knitting the brim with the 8mm needles I changed into the 10’s for the body of the beanie and it was smooth sailing from start to finish.

I absolutely love the texture of this hat – it’s elegant, beautiful and despite the super bulky yarn it doesn’t have a heavy feel or overall look. The beanie is super soft, it fits nicely and feels soooooo comfy! It’s another beginner friendly design that knits up in no time and, if necessary, can in my opinion be easily adjusted to fit different size circumferences. The pattern comes with two sets of instructions for 2 different yarns which is always a big plus!

So to wrap up today’s beanie, you should definitely get a copy of the pattern and get knitting because you’ll absolutely love it!

Happy Monday!

xx, Kati

beanie easyknits knitlookbook knitting linentexturehat pattern

Knit Lookbook Knitting

Pinecrest Beanie by Aspen Leaf Knits

9 June 201911 June 2019 by Kati

Hi thereee! I love coming up with original patterns and I’m totally a fan of the whole process that comes with it; the knitting, the tweaking, the testing, the typing and the picture-snapping, but sometimes it feels SO GOOD to just sit down with a beautiful pattern designed by someone else! Ginny from Aspen Leaf Knits was a total sweetheart and sent me the pattern for her Pinecrest Beanie and I wanted to show you guys a little how it looks and tell you what a wonderful (and relaxing) time I had knitting mine up!

As I don’t live anywhere near to a yarn shop that would have Lion Brand in their selection, I always have to make the tiniest adjustments to patterns that call for Wool Ease Thick & Quick. So I relied, once again, on my go-to yarn aka Phil Looping by Phildar, this time held double stranded, and I also went for my biggest needles, the 10mm ones. And oh my gosh how weird did the big needles feel like in the beginning! It’s been a hot minute since I needed to dig out the good old 10s, but luckily after a few brim rounds things got a whole lot easier and smoother!

Obviously matched my nails to the beanie…

I usually do something else while knitting – be it listening to music or a podcast, or watching Netflix – but this beanie had me in almost a trans-like knitting state (let’s say that’s a thing alright) and I didn’t even miss any background noise! It was just me and a beautiful blush pink yarn on a Sunday morning while B was still asleep and I kid you not, it was exactly as poetic and romantic as it sounds.

So in short, the Pinecrest Beanie is a total pleasure to knit. It’s 100% beginner friendly, knits up in literally no time (mine was ready in under 2 hours) and you just want to keep going after you finish the first one! It’s everything I love in a design: simple and elegant, yet full of amazing texture that both looks AND feels good. The perfect pattern for your next knitting project!

Hope everyone’s had a good weekend!

xx, Kati

beanie easyknits knitlookbook knitting pinecrestbeanie superbulky

Knitting Patterns

Free knitting pattern: The Onni Mittens

7 September 20189 January 2024 by Kati

Hi there folks, so glad to see you’ve found your way to this free mitten pattern so let me present to you: The Onni Mittens! Onni is the Finnish word for happiness and if you ask me, keeping your hands warm when the first snow falls and you’re drinking hot chocolate from a take away cup while enjoying the cool, crisp air should definitely be the dictionary definition of comfy (might’ve gotten a little poetic there but let me have my delusions about the perfect winter that doesn’t include rain, wind that makes the snow hurt your face and gloomy skies!). But anyway, back to the mittens. They have an intermediate cable pattern, a double cuff and thanks to the bulky yarn, they work up in no time!

In this free pattern you’ll find full written instructions on how to make the mittens from start to finish and a knitting chart for the pattern as well. The pattern is actually worked like any other cable pattern or chart would be (even if it doesn’t really look like traditional cables…) but don’t let the cables scare you – once you get the hang of the pattern you’ll be knitting the mittens up in no time! In this mitten pattern, by slipping stitches onto the cable needle you’re actually changing the places of the knit and purl stitches and this way creating the diamond like shape.

If at any point you have any questions don’t hesitate to leave a comment on this post or send me an email at kati@katimaaria.com!

Also if you share a picture of the mittens on Instagram, please tag me @katimaariaknits and use the hashtag #onnimittens – I can’t wait to see your designs! You may also sell the finished product but please give credit to the designer.

So let’s get knitting!

Measurements

One size, will fit an average woman. Length with the cuff folded: approximately 24cm/9.4 inches

Yarn & needle variations

First things first: if you identify yourself as a tight knitter, opt for bigger needles!

The pattern is designed for bulky yarn (weight category #5) and 6mm/US 10 needles. If you wish to make the mittens more chunky you can choose a bulkier yarn or for example knit with double stranded bulky yarn (like I did with the pink mittens) but keep the needle size at 6mm/US 10 or any needle size to obtain the gauge. I’ve found that this way, you’ll get more texture to the work but as the needle size remains the same and rather small for chunkier yarn, the gauge doesn’t radically change and you can still follow this pattern from start to finish.

For example, the chunky pink mittens in the pictures are knit with double stranded bulky yarn (Phil Looping by Phildar, find it here!) using 6mm/US 10 needles.

The grey mittens are knit with double stranded worsted yarn (Alpaca Wool by Novita, find it here!) using 6mm/US 10 needles, making the yarn an equivalent to a category #5 yarn.

Materials

6mm/US 10 DPNs or any needles to obtain the gauge (if you’re a tight knitter, give 8mm/US 11 needles a try for example!)
Approximately 100m/109 yards of bulky yarn (weight category #5) with the following gauge: 10x10cm/4×4″ of stockinette stitch with 6mm/US 10 needles = 14 stitches, 22 rows
Cable needle or extra DPN
A little piece of contrasting color yarn for the thumb hole
Tapestry needle

Abbreviations

K = knit
P = purl
M1 = make one stitch by picking up the yarn in between two stitches with your left needle and knitting it through the back loop
C3F = slip 1 stitch onto cable needle and leave in front of work. Knit 1 stitch, purl 1 stitch and then knit 1 stitch from cable needle.
C2B = slip 1 stitch onto cable needle and leave in back of work. Knit 1 stitch and then purl 1 from cable needle.
C2F = slip 1 stitch onto cable needle and leave in front of work. Purl 1 stitch and then knit 1 from cable needle.
K2tog = knit 2 stitches together
Skp = slip 1 stitch, knit 1 stitch and pass the slipped stitch over the knit stitch

Cuff

Cast on 24 stitches on your 6mm/US 10 needles. Work the mittens with 4 needles: keep the work on 3 needles in a triangle shape and knit with the fourth one. Share the stitches evenly so that you have 8 stitches per needle. The beginning of the round is between the 1^st and the 3^rd needle (see needle map below!).

Click the image to open it bigger!

Join the work in the round and *K1, P1* all around (round 1) and repeat round 1 for another 17 times, knitting a total of 18 rounds for the cuff or until it measures 10cm/4 inches.

Increase round

1^st needle: no increases, knit 8 stitches
2^nd needle: increase 3 stitches evenly, for example in the following way:

K1, M1, K3, M1, K3, M1, K1

3^rd needle: no increases, knit 8 stitches

Body

After the increases, you’ll have 27 stitches on the work: 8 stitches on needle 1, 11 stitches on needle 2 and 8 stitches on needle 3. You’ll knit stockinette stitch on the 1^st and the 3^rd needle until the end of the mitten and work the cable pattern on the 2^nd needle.

The following written instructions are only for the 2^nd needle, knit stockinette stitch on the 1^st and the 3^rd needle.

Round 1: K1, P3, C3F, P3, K1
Round 2: K1, P3, K3, P3, K1
Round 3: K1, P2, C2B, P1, C2F, P2, K1
Round 4: K1, P2, K5, P2, K1
Round 5: K1, P1, C2B, P3, C2F, P1, K1
Round 6: K1, P1, K7, P1, K1
Round 7: K1, P1, K1, P5, K1, P1, K1
Round 8: K1, P1, K7, P1, K1
Round 9: K1, P1, C2F, P3, C2B, P1, K1
Round 10: K1, P2, K5, P2, K1
Round 11: K1, P2, C2F, P1, C2B, P2, K1
Round 12: K1, P3, K3, P3, K1

The knitting chart for the cable pattern can be found at the end of the post!

Repeat rounds 1-12 twice more (you’ll knit the rounds three times total) and finish by knitting round 1 once more before starting the decreases.

When you’re knitting rounds 1-12 for the second time, make the thumb hole on round 4 (round 16 on the total row count after starting the cable pattern).

For the right mitten, make the thumb hole on the 3^rd needle: knit 2 stitches, then knit 4 stitches with a contrasting color yarn and move these 4 stitches back to the left hand needle. Finish the needle by knitting stockinette stitch and continue onto round 5.
For the left mitten, make the thumb hole on the 1^st needle: knit 2 stitches, then knit 4 stitches with a contrasting color yarn and move these 4 stitches back to the left hand needle. Finish the needle by knitting stockinette stitch and continue the round normally.

Decreasing

Round 1:

1^st needle: K5, K2tog, K1
2^nd needle: skp, K7, K2tog
3^rd needle: K1, skp, K5
stitch count after the round: 23

Round 2:

1^st needle: K4, K2 tog, K1
2^nd needle: skp, K5, K2tog
3^rd needle: K1, skp, K4
stitch count after the round: 19

Round 3:

1^st needle: K3, K2tog, K1
2^nd needle: skp, K3, K2tog
3^rd needle: K1, skp, K3
stitch count after the round: 15

Round 4:

1^st needle: K2, K2tog, K1
2^nd needle: skp, K1, K2tog
3^rd needle: K1, skp, K2
stitch count after the round: 11

Round 5:

1^st needle: K1, K2tog, K1
2^nd needle: K3
3^rd needle: K1, skp, K1
stitch count after the round: 9

Cut yarn and pull through remaining 9 stitches, tighten and secure the end well by weaving in on the wrong side of the work.

Thumb

Remove the help yarn and pick up the 7 stitches the yarn was holding. Pick up 5 extra stitches from around the thumb hole adding the total amount of stitches to 12 (if you want to make a bigger thumb you can pick more stitches from around the thumb hole). Share the stitches evenly on 3 needles so that you have 4 stitches per needle. To avoid stretching the stitches and making holes at the core of the thumb, knit all the stitches through the back loop on the first round. After the first round, continue knitting stockinette stitch until the thumb covers approximately half of your thumb nail.

Decrease by knitting 2 stitches together at the end of every needle (repeat on every round) until you have a total of 6 stitches left on the thumb. Cut yarn and pull through remaining 6 stitches, tighten and secure the end well by weaving in on the wrong side of the work.

Knitting chart

And here’s the visual for the cable pattern! After knitting the cuff, you’ll repeat rows 1-12 for a total of three times and then knit row 1 once more before starting the decreases (no chart for the decreasing part so head back up a little to see the written instructions!).

Click the image to open it bigger!

And there you have it, your Onni mittens are now ready (you see, I told you they would work up in no time)!

I hope you’ve enjoyed this pattern and will be making all the mittens for the winter!

xx, Kati

cables knitting mittens pattern

Bts-series Knitting

Bts-series Part 7: Swoolify

16 May 201818 March 2019 by Kati

Hello folks, I can’t believe we’re almost at the end of this little series! Today’s part will be all about the sweet and talented Heini from Swoolify whose Instagram feed is filled with amazing neutrals and her home is incredibly cozy and full of Scandinavian vibes! She’s also Finnish like me and it’s wonderful to follow the journey of another maker from your own country (this is a special feeling because I don’t think we’re THAT many hehe). She’s so kind and creative and I always love seeing her beautiful pictures! So keep on scrolling to find out more about her and click the pictures to get straight to her Instagram!

The basics

Name: Heini
Home town: Espoo, Finland
Instagram: Swoolify
Describe your business in a few words: Cozy, chunky, simple, neutral colored and Nordic-inspired handcraft designs from the Northern part of the world. Opening my Etsy shop later this year!

10 questions

1. What’s your favorite 90’s jam?
– So difficult to pick just one! I don’t know the favorite but all Backstreet Boys’ songs and Shania Twain’s!

2. What were you like in high school?
– I was very social and always had some projects going on. I still am but now I just love being at home if I’m not at work! Hygge mode on!

3. How many times does it take for you to listen to a song that you love before you actually hate it instead?
– A few days of non-stop playing! But I still never hate any song.

4. What’s your favorite cereal brand?
– Probably Weetos (because chocolate best) even though I haven’t eaten those for years haha.

5. What life advice would you give to your 10-year-old self?
– Hmm, I would probably say that you will have an awesome life ahead! Also stop being afraid of doing round off back handspring (gymnasts will know).

6. If knitting/crocheting didn’t exist what would be your go-to hobby?
– I love interior design as well, so maybe that! And gymnastics.

7. Do you have a lot of unfinished knitting/crocheting projects or do you always finish what you’re doing before starting a new one?
– I wonder how many agrees with the last one? I get excited very easily about new projects (especially when it comes to knitting) and I have to start doing it immediately. But I still finish most of my own projects eventually. This is why I need thick yarn and needles that knit fast so I’m ready with the project quickly…

8. If you could only use one yarn for the rest of your life what would that yarn be and why?
– This is savage! Right now, probably Adlibris merino soft and quick! I love the colors (perfect tweed and oatmeal), thickness and the price (!!!) Drops Andes or Drops Nepal as close seconds because of the softness of alpaca (LOVE) and they knit up so beautifully!

9. What are your tips for taking good pictures of your knits?
– 1. Natural light. 2. Knits should “interact” well with a background and props. Only a few different colors in a photo. 3. I prefer white/light color background so that the knit is on point! 4. Photo editing makes a lot! I use VSCO. 5. Not showing too much stuff in a photo + wipe off the lens! I am still learning!

10. What has been the biggest and proudest moment of your maker journey so far?
– 100 % I must say that each and every compliment about my knittings I’ve received. I really appreciate every one of them and it makes me so happy to hear those! ️In the future, I hope opening my own Etsy shop would make another proudest moment!

5 favorites

Favorite thing about your home town?
– There are many beaches, it’s peaceful and next to Helsinki. Oops I said three things!

Favorite food?
– Can I say chocolate? No? Then it would be sushi.

Favorite person or people?
– My boyfriend who is always there for me and supports me!

All time favorite knitting or crochet project?
– My chunky blanket because it was just so extreme and different. More to come!

Favorite holiday memory?
– Sunset in Cambodia. That magical moment required nothing more than a sandy couch on the beach, a drink and course my better half! The little things.