Katimaaria

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

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

Life Travel

A weekend in the Alps

21 March 2019 by Kati

Hi guys! Yayyy how exciting is it to be writing something other than knitting patterns for a change, I should do this more often! Although I do have a few patterns on my mind as well that need to be written down so keep your eyes peeled for those (we’re talking pillows and tassels here)! I’ve found that I’m not really that into summer knits and last summer I was really in a creative rut not knowing what to do with my needles and yarn, but this spring and summer I plan on really getting into home decor elements like throw pillows and why not even blankets! Anything with tassels should work. And shawls too, and maybe crochet tops… Okay so maybe I could get excited about summer projects this year anyway (if you have any tips or favorite designs please let me know)!

But into today’s subject aka our trip to to the Alps! Benjamin had the best surprise when he told me he had booked a hotel in Annecy for our 3-year anniversary – I’ve been wanting to go back to the city ever since we visited it the first time in 2016 and ahhh was it just as wonderful as I remembered! We spent two days walking around the city, admiring the lake and the mountains, and drinking nice coffees. It was also our first holiday together in AGES so it all felt really special.

And another thing, WE GOT ENGAGED! Believe me when I say my heart might just explode. I’m so happy and thankful for being able to share my life with the most amazing human on earth.

Before leaving for the trip I went on a little google and tripadvisor hunt to find some nice places to stop by, and it turned out to be an excellent move (I actually often don’t do this). Annecy can be really tourist-y so I wanted to avoid the places that scream TOURIST TOURIST TOURIST, and as a coffee shop fan I obviously checked out what the city had to offer coffee-wise! We ended up going to this place called Brumes, which is located on a small street right next to the city center and ughhh it was simply amazing! The staff was extra friendly and helpful (they even gave us a list of nice dinner spots), the coffee was excellent and the interior design made me feel like I was back in Finland. Yes yes yes to this place!

So all in all, we had such a wonderful and unforgettable weekend and it was nice to get away from school and work, even if it was only for a few days. I’m currently working hard on writing my new throw pillow pattern and I also have another post in the making about how I take and edit my knitting flat lays – I’m super excited about it and can’t wait to share my tips and tricks with you! Happy Friday-eve to everyone!

xx, Katimaaria

Annecy France life

Knitting Patterns

Free knitting pattern: The Onni Mittens

7 September 201820 November 2022 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! There’s also a tutorial on my blog for a cabled cowl which includes a video on how to knit basic and braided cables (the video doesn’t include the cables used in this design but it gives you a better overall idea of how to slip stitches in the front or the back side of the work and so creating cables)! 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.

Click here for the free beanie pattern!

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.

Find this pattern on Ravelry by clicking here!

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

Strasbourg Travel

Picture diary: Strasbourg

23 August 201818 March 2019 by Kati

Hi guys! Phew I feel like it’s been a hundred years since I last sat down and actually had the time to update anything on the blog. But here I am now! We’ve had a few busy weeks as my boyfriend was on holiday and we even got to have my little sister from Finland stay at our place for a whole week. We drank a lot of wine, ate too many pains au chocolat and watched a bunch of movies so all in all, I’d say it was a very successful week!

Before our overnight trip to Strasbourg we visited the small city of Riquewihr which is located on the wine route in Alsace. The day was a little cloudy so I didn’t get many nice pics but the main street is very picturesque and full of these little wooden houses that are really typical for Alsace and Germany. And in Riquewihr, there are A LOT of all things wine (which makes sense as the city is literally in the middle of vines…). You can find everything from wine tastings to wine shops to cheap boxes of wine, so yeah, I definitely wish we would’ve had more time to spend than just an afternoon but at least we now know that it’s a city definitely worth re-visiting!

And then, well then we went to Strasbourg! I don’t know what it is about the city but I’m absolutely obsessed with it and I already thought about taking up German classes at the uni (as if French wasn’t already enough of a challenge hahaha) and moving to Strasbourg! But we’ll see about that… Well anyway, we mostly spent our time strolling aimlessly around the city, admiring the cathedral and sitting on different patios drinking… need I say it, wine.

And I mean isn’t the cathedral just SO IMPRESSIVE? It amazes me every time how something so massive has ever been built and how it’s still standing. Also we were quite lucky as we went to Strasbourg on a Monday so the city wasn’t too crowded and even the weather wasn’t too hot so we really got all the best things out of a little city vacation.

We also found this super cute coffee place, Café Bretelles, in the Petite France block (the pic on the right), and in my opinion having a gem like this in the otherwise extremely touristy area was like a breathe of fresh air! And the picture on the left is actually from Petite France, which is a small island in the city center full of old houses like these – charming and crowd-free as can be!

I have a few posts in the making at the moment so you’ll be hearing from me again soon! I’ve also been getting my autumn-mood on with a lot of tea, John Mayer and knitting, and I have at least two beanie patterns in mind so keep your eyes pealed for them too!

xx, Kati

Alsace France Strasbourg travel