I really hope you all enjoyed the preview for pure knits! posting all the pictures got me all excited for the book all over again. I need to figure out what I have in my stash that will work with some of the patterns. actually, I still need to decide what to start first. stash diving should help. what about you? what do you think you'll knit? what yarn and colors are you planning on using? I would love to hear your ideas!

thank you so much for all your comments last week. I loved reading all of them and I'm so happy so many of you came out of lurkdom. now I have a ton of new blogs to check out.

I used the random generator today and...

the winner is:

andrea! send me your address and I can get the package out to you!

I also found a hank of malabrigo in natural hiding amongst the book stuff. so guess what, we get another winner!

little miss s! surprise! send me your address as well.

Posted by bitter purl at 03:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

tonight brings us to the fourth and final chapter, cables! I didn't realize until now how much bigger this chapter is.

both the scarf and hat in the cameron set are knit in the round with multiple strands of baby alpaca, making them quick knits for the winter. I love that the scarf is basically a big cable you get to wear.

I wish I had a photo of the hat from the top so you could see how the cables change size as you knit up the crown. the same thing happens with the booties but in reverse. you can knit the set out of one hank of pear tree 4 ply. the pattern is knit with their alpaca, but it's easily subbed with the merino in the yarn bundle I'm giving away.

I said there wouldn't be colorwork, but I didn't say that there wouldn't be stripes in this book. two shades of louet gems are used to create subtle stripes. subtlety continues with the tiny cables at the raglan line and along the sides, creating texture and shaping in an unexpected way.

I think of the victorian dress as the companion to the boy's cabled raglan, this time with a little more spunk and in a solid shade of white. the raglan and side cables are combined with a picot edge, cabled ribbing, and little puff sleeves.

the orchid sweater is a body hugging piece knit in my favorite yarn, laines du nord cashsilk. there are strategically placed slipped stitches at the bust that create shaping, while the cable and rib patterns draw the fabric in.

chains of love is such a unique cami. the yarn is a blend of wool, silk, and milk protein. the cables on the body transition to chained i-cord straps. the yarn, tilli tomas elsie, is sold as a worsted weight but it really knits up as fingering or sport weight. trust me, the fabric and texture the smaller needles create is worth it.

enchanted cables satisfies any cableholics needs. different cables patterns meander and mirror each other throughout this sweater. a pretty sophisticated one if you ask me. I could easily see see this as a man's sweater.

this sweater is for you malabrigo lovers out there. the loft of the yarn really shows off the texture of the seed and cable stitches. I love how the seed stitch changes to ribbing at an angle, echoing the raglan shaping in the upper body.

I was inspired to design this sweater by one I saw on the runway. I really liked the idea of a cabled sweater that was fitted rather than the boxy, oversized men's sweaters I'm used to. I combined a simple cable stitch with ribbing to achieve a modern fit while the funnel neck continues the edgier look. the yarn, pear tree summit, is a merino perendale blend which creates a soft and rugged fabric.

Posted by bitter purl at 11:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (8)

chapter three features touches of lace to full on lace sweaters. there's a nice range of styles and experience levels for everyone.

I love the easy styling of athena. not to mention the fact that it's knit in silk with a silk mohair trim. it's all about the details for me, like the full fashioned shaping in front, the subtle draping neckline, the little bit of lace at the hem, and the braided belt. it all comes together to make a sophisticated tunic.

the nicole cardigan is perfect for beginners. it's mostly stockinette with a little bit of lace on the fronts and sleeves and closed with a brooch. it's also great for those cool summer knits (or weird fall we're having) since it's knit using a cotton tencel blend. I think you can really have fun customizing this pattern. don't want to lace on the sleeves? leave them out! you can add a button band pretty easily or maybe have it close just at the neck with a change in the neckband. I'm also imagining it knit in some heavier wool for winter. I love the unexpected look of bulky lace.

I wouldn't mind this as a sweater for me since it's knit up in cashmere and has cute little lace sleeves with a garter stitch trim. since it doesn't really fit me, I guess I could start knitting it as a gift. it would be a pretty quick knit since it uses dk weight yarn.

falling snow looks so delicate and ethereal, making it versatile enough for both summer and winter. I can see it fit in at both holiday parties and summer weddings. the best part? it doesn't take any yarn at all. it's knit in a silk mohair blend.

Posted by bitter purl at 02:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)

I'm sorry I'm a little late on today's post, but I was hit with insomnia last night and I'm really dragging today. hopefully I'll actually make sense!

while chapter one is all about shaping and contrasts, chapter two plays with textures using stitch patterns.

the herringbone and chevron patterns in the pilatus hat and scarf set are set off by the use of two different yarns, grace wool and silk and a merino wool. the sheen of the silk really highlights the "crags" of the pattern.

the crosshatch top is knit with one of my favorite yarns, sublime cashmere merino silk dk. I love it as is, but I see this as another one of those pieces that you can really make your own. things I'm picturing: changing the length, moving the center stitch pattern higher up, and knitting the sleeves in a different style.

a fun layering piece that should be quick to knit, bubble bath is knit with kidsilk haze and large needles. I love the little flutter sleeves. it has just enough smocking to make it interesting, but not too much to drive you batty.

ice queen is form-fitting, slimming, and luxurious. it's knit with jo sharp alpaca silk georgette and features ribbing combined with a diagonal motif and an unexpected sleeve cutout. a total aside, this model kills me!

I would love to see this "corset" over a silk blouse. the slipped stitches add structure and there's elastic thread woven through the ribbing to keep everything in place.

I totally have to come clean and tell you why I named this hugo's sweater. during stef's first pregnancy, she swore up and down she was going to have a boy so we called the baby "hugo" (you'd have to ask her why!). of course, hugo turned out to be mazie (I won that bet) but I think she can still rock this sweater when she's a little older. it's a raglan (my little ode to stef) with both seed stitch and garter stitch on the yoke. I used pear tree 12 ply and 6mm needles for a quick and cozy knit. I still remember knitting knit it while I was in california a couple of summers ago, those big needles came in handy.

Posted by bitter purl at 12:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (7)

with a book of all white pieces I had to figure out a way to organize the patterns. there obviously wasn't going to be a color work chapter :) if you picked up sensual knits, then you noticed that it was pretty sweater heavy. pure knits follows suit; what can I say, I love sweaters. don't worry, there are a few accessories, a couple of baby projects, and two men's sweaters included. eventually I split up the projects by how the yarn was used. the first chapter, pure white, is about the little details.

I love the idea of combining two different gauge yarns in one project. the pintuck panel combines shibuiknits sock and silk cloud to create a modern and sexy cap sleeve sweater. I can't wait to see what yarn and color combinations you come up with. this pattern is offered in NINE sizes!

the mary ellen camisole is knit using louet kidlin pixie, which is an interesting blend of linen and mohair. the top is stockinette while the main body is textured lace. it's getting a little cool for this piece, but I'm picturing it as a layering piece for fall. or if you live in a warmer climate, wear it with a tank and some tights.

the retro picot looks simple, but it's anything but! the upper and lower pieces are knit in different directions and joined together like a shawl. get ready for knitting in the round and using short rows. the cardi is completely seamless! the baby alpaca we used created a plush fabric, perfect to cuddle in.

the dimple v-neck is a classic piece that will really let your imagination flow. it's knit in blue sky silk and alpaca in two different shades and textures. you can really play with color combinations or use two different fibers for a different look. you can change the amount of ease or the length to make it your own.

I hope you like this little preview! there are four chapters total with almost 30 projects, so keep reading this week for more photos. and don't forget to leave a comment anytime this week for a chance to win a copy of the book and a bundle of yarn!

Posted by bitter purl at 11:12 AM | Permalink | Comments (17)

or rather the book is shipping early from amazon!

I'm so excited that it's finally out there for people to knit from! I may be biased, but this is a gorgeous book. there's cables, there's lace, there's cashmere, there's silk... pretty much all of my favorite things. I'll be posting photos of the designs this week, but in the meantime you could win a copy of the book plus a bundle of yarn.

I've been saving up this yarn now since we wrapped up the book, which feels like eons ago! the bundle includes some louisa harding grace, pear tree merino, a little ball of shibui sock yarn, and some kraemer yarn. grace and kraemer yarn are used in a beautiful hat and scarf set, so you'll be able to start right away! all you have to do is leave a comment on this post or any post this week and I'll pick someone at random by monday the 26th.

Posted by bitter purl at 05:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (171)