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Saturday January 04, 2025

Meet Everything I Knit in 2024!

posted by: Amy Small in Weekend Inspiration, Year in Review

It's a new year which means it's time to dream big about cast-ons and also look back on all the makes from the previous year to see how far we've come. I knit A LOT in 2024—44 FOs in total đŸ€Ż with a few false starts and on-going WIPS thrown in the mix. Thank you big needles (haha!) for making it happen!

 

I also noticed, going back through my list, that I knit a lot in our yarns this year and knit the same patterns multiple times. I love knitting patterns more then once when there is an element of creative invitation built into them. For example, in my Feeling Groovy Vests, each vest was an opportunity to play with color and texture!

 

In addition to our Spring and Fall Knitalongs, we added our Challenges into the mix. The Challenges are like mini knitalongs—they run for a shorter time (10 days - 2ish weeks) and go deep into one specific design. In 2024, we ran 3 of these challenges—The Solstice Hug, Faye Fringe Bag and Dream Weaver Pillow—which meant I taught 3 new classes  and knit many samples for them. We also added a course to our Holiday Stocking Kit. So, between both KALS and these new additions, I taught over a dozen designs and created hundreds of videos for each of these classes. 

 

In small business, you have to wear ALL the hats and it's rare that I actually get to spend a portion of my work day knitting, but it sure is magical when I do. It's one of the best things about what I do and I'd love to show you my year in knits and take you along for the ride! So, here it is: Everything I knit in 2024:

 

1-2: The Solstice Hug designed By Cheryl Kubat

We kicked off 2024 with our first ever Knitting Challenge! Starting Jan 1, we knit The Solstice Hug pattern by Cheryl Kubat together over the first 10 days of the new year. It was the perfect way to begin a year of knitting and I couldn't help but make two of this gorgeous pattern. The first is made with our Spun Cloud yarn in Bubblegum Candy and a Mini Skein Kit in Geode. The second one was all blue-toned stash yarns.

 

ï»ż3. The Selena Slipover by Cheryl Kubat

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Cheryl originally designed The Selena Slipover pattern as part of a class she taught for our Creative Knitters membership and we loved it so much we had to release it to everyone! It was inspired by this epic sweater Selena Gomez wore in the show Only Murders in the Building:

For my ivory version I used a mix of our yarns and yarns from Hill Country Weavers, Purl SoHo and Chelsea Yarns.

 

ï»ż4-5. The Frolic Flower Shawl and Scarf by Amy Small

ï»żThis was a concept that lived inside of me for a long time before I put hook to yarn and created the Frolic Flower Shawl and Scarf for our Spring Knitalong. I was obsessed with the idea of flowers for Spring (groundbreaking, I know! đŸ€Ł) and wanted to create modular crochet motifs that could be used in freeform ways to create whatever you dream. The flowers are all crocheted individually out of a mix of our Wildflower and Waterfall yarns. Then they can be assembled together into a shawl and/or scarf as shown, or stitched together in any shape or way that resonates with and inspires you.

 

6. Alpine Bloom Hat by Caitlin Hunter

This hat has easily become one of my most worn makes of 2024. I cast on The Alpine Bloom Hat designed by Caitlin Hunter of Boyland Knitworks on a trip to Costa Rica with the Jeff Walker fam. I could only take a tiny project in my carry on so even though it was odd knitting on wooly wool in the tropics, I loved knitting this—despite bringing the wrong needle size with me 😅. I used a kit from Barrett Wool Co and would 100% knit again!

 

ï»ż7. Stay Cozy V-neck Sweater by Shaina Billow

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I knit this ultra cozy sweater by Shaina Billow in a gorgeous yarn from Summer Camp Fibers  and I love it so much. It's my favorite to style with jeans.

 

ï»ż8.Â ï»żEasy Street Sweater by Amy Small and Susan Hislop

  

I designed the Easy Street Sweater in collab with Susan Hislop to be the perfect wear-everyday Raglan. We based the fit off of one of my very favorite sweaters from the early aughts and it has the PERFECT amount of ease—not too loose, not too tight—and I love how it shows off the texture and subtle sparkle of our Spun Cloud Light yarn. This was my first sample and I knit it in the Hazy Willow Green color.

 

ï»ż9. Faye Fringe Bag by Anna Skala

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I knit the Faye Fringe Bag designed by Anna Skala for our second Knitting Challenge. I love this pattern so much and can never get over the gorgeous texture. It's the perfect canvas for stash diving and mixing cool yarns.

 

ï»ż10-13. Faye Fringe Minis by Amy Small and Anna Skala

I went on a bit of a kick after the Faye Fringe Challenge where I couldn't stop making miniature versions. I whipped up 4 of these little cuties to sell in our booth at the Telluride Yoga Festival this summer. This size is perfect for the essentials—phone, keys, wallet—and a great companion for a night out on the town. We released the mini pattern on it's own as part of our annual Black Friday extravaganza!

 

14-15. Sunbeam Stripe Sweater by Cheryl Kubat

I cast on this moody rainbow stash version of Cheryl's Sunbeam Stripe Sweater pattern as part of our Spring Knitalong and, sensing a theme here, I couldn't stop at just one. I cast on another right away in a mix of Sedona brown and pink tones. This cardigan is knit side to side and it's a really fun one to play with color on. It's beginner friendly too!

 

16. The Lotus Sweater by Julia Norris

The Lotus Sweater was another Spring Knitalong design that flew off my needles. I learned two new stitches for this design—the Lotus stitch and the Wheat Stitch—and got to teach them to all our KAL participants which is always fun. I knit this version using Aquamarine Spun Cloud Light and a Wildflower Mini Skein kit in the color Dawn Sky.

 

17. The Lotus Pillow by Julia Norris

After I finished my Lotus Sweater, I tackled the pillow! This one is knit with the same mini skein kit and Fawn as the main color. It's more muted of a color pallet than I would typically go for but I made it to match my bedroom. The back panel is plain stockinette so this knits up QUICK and I love how polished the statement I-cord edge makes the finished product.

 

18. DK Weight Vanilla Socks by Kay Litton

I knit my first pair of socks as a class with our Creative Knitters. This pattern is by Kay Litton, aka the Crazy Sock Lady, and it's written for DK weight yarn instead of sock weight, so it felt more approachable for someone used to big needles. I used yarn from Skein Cocaine and they bring me so much joy—love wearing them with Birks!

 

19. Unnamed Mixtape Yarn Top

 

This pattern isn't really a pattern yet but it was a way to test out our new Mixtape Yarn—Coming soon! This yarn is a little bit of everything Knit Collage all rolled into one and it creates a self-striping explosion of color and texture that I can't wait to get into your hands this spring.

 

20. Sunnyside Shawl by Cheryl Kubat

This happy rainbow version of the Sunnyside Shawl is easily one of my favorite makes of 2024. This design was part of our Spring KAL in 2023 so it took me awhile to finish it but it was sooo worth it. It's the ultimate statement piece and I could not love it more. Check out this video to see how I style it.

 

21. Lotus Sweater again... but cropped!

I loved making my Lotus Sweater so much that I needed to make a version that felt a little more me. So, I cast this baby on using a mix of Wildlower stash in a rainbow gradient (as you do...) and made it to have a cropped fit with 3/4 length sleeves. I wrote up a blogpost with the modifications I did if you're interested in making your own cropped Lotus!

 

22. Easy Street Sweater again... The Moondrake Version

Back in August, we released a super special collaboration with Moondrake Co! Rachelle, the extra-talented owner of Moondrake Co., artfully hand-dyed two limited edition, magnetic colorways for us on our Spun Cloud Light  base: Ultraviolet Unicorn and Electric Sea Horse. I used Ultraviolet Unicorn to make this dreamy cotton candy version of the Easy Street Sweater. We still have just a few kits left if you need to make your own!

 

23-24. The Come As You Are Beanie by Christine M Young

I used both colorways from the Moondrake Collab to make my favorite one-skein hat pattern: The Come As You Are Beanie. This pattern is free on our site and it is the perfect everyday wear beanie that looks great with either the folded brim or worn slouchy with no cuff.

 

25. The Woodlands Light Hat by Cheryl Kubat and Pia Thadani 

Then I whipped up a Woodlands Light Hat with just the Electric Seahorse collab color. This cable knit hat pattern was based on the original Woodlands Hat Pattern by Cheryl Kubat. Our amazing tech editor Pia Thadani worked some knitting math magic so that it would look just as great in our Spun Cloud Light base. The pattern is free on our site. 

 

26. The Dreamweaver Pillow by Laurel Gervitz

 

For our 3rd and final Knitting Challenge of 2024 we tackled entrelac together and made the Dream Weaver Pillow by former team member Laurel Gervitz. I (once again!) made a rainbow stash version—what can I say, I love a good 🌈

 

27-29. The Feeling Groovy Side Tie Vest by Jen Geigley

Before we knew it, it was time to prep for the Fall Knitalong. Between making samples for the photoshoot and teaching the KAL classes, I knit 3 separate samples of the Feeling Groovy Side Tie Vest by Jen Geigley. I love the cropped silhouette and mock turtleneck of this design. For my three samples I used: (1) French Vanilla Spun Cloud/Dreamweaver Minis (2) Honeysuckle Spun Cloud / Jade Green Minis and (3) Cafe Au Lait Spun Cloud/ Bouquet Minis.

 

30-31. Walking on Sunshine by Cheryl Kubat

Also for the Fall KAL, I knit two of Cheryl Kubat's epic Walking on Sunshine sweaters. This gorgeous raglan is all about the sleeves (that bell đŸ€©) and the yarn—it completely sold us out of Daisy Chain! Don't worry, we'll have more yarn coming this spring if you missed out. I knit mine in our newest color, Secret Garden Green, and old favorite Grand Prismatic.

 

32. Le Triangle Granny by La Bien Aimee

When we vended at Cake Palooza, I saw Shala of Black Purl Magic rocking the most gorgeous crochet shawl. I immediately cast on using my Chelsea Yarns Advent from a few seasons past.

 

33. Le Triangle Granny... Knit Collage Version!

I loved my Le Triangle shawl so much I had to try it in our yarns and I wrote an entire blogpost about it if you're interested in the deets! LOVE.

 

34. Dreamy Beanie 

 

We released SIX new colors of our Dreamland yarn this fall and I whipped up a Dreamy Beanie in my favorite of the new colors—Once Upon a Time. This is another free pattern on our site by Laurel Gervitz and it's SUPER quick to knit. I made this one in just a few hours.

35. Enchanted Forest Sweater by Cheryl Kubat

Back to Fall KAL designs, I made the Enchanted Forest Sweater by Cheryl Kubat in my all time favorite color of Serenity boucle—Periwinkle! A colorwork snowflake design has been on our list for a long time and Cheryl knocked it out of the park with this one. I love the oversized collar and balloon sleeve, but I especially love it styled with this sequin skirt that Cheryl convinced me to buy in Colorado this summer. Best decision ever!

 

36-37. Winter Solstice Bias Scarf by Amy Small 

I designed this simple bias scarf (pattern on the way!) with our Winter Solstice yarn calendars in mind. I knit two samples, both in light-to-dark gradients.

 

38. Pixelated Cardi by Laurel Gervitz

The Pixelated Cardi made a comeback this fall as a Greatest Hits design in our Fall KAL so I was inspired to make an updated version. This is the first pattern Laurel ever designed for us and it's a forever fav of mine. I knit this one with Bubblegum Candy Spun Cloud and Mocha Paisley Wildflower yarn.

 

39. Roadtrip Sweater by Amy Small

My final Fall KAL project was the Road Trip Sweater which is a hybrid knit/crochet pullover that I designed on an actual road trip through Durango Colorado in the Summer of 2023. It's inspired by a few sweaters I designed back in my Free People days and features a panel of crocheted granny squares and funky striped sleeves. I used French Vanilla Spun Cloud for my main color with Honeysuckle Spun Cloud, Caribbean Waters Wildflower, and Sage Green Wildflower for my contrast colors.

 

40. The Holiday Stocking by  Danielle Shields

I FINALLY created a video course for our popular Holiday Stocking Pattern by Danielle Shields and it now comes included when you buy the kit. I forgot how fun this is to knit and I want to knit one for each of my 3 boys next year. For this sample, I used a mini skein sampler kit in the color Geode, which I think might be my fav color combo.

 

41-44. Winter Solstice Collared Dickie by Cheryl Kubat

To close out the year, I knit FOUR samples of this year's Solstice Challenge design—the Solstice Collared Dickie designed by Cheryl Kubat. The first one I made was a mixed yarn version using Lavender Dust Spund Cloud and Ochre Twist mini skeins. I love the colors together but I think it turned out a bit big (size 2) so I went with a smaller size for my other samples. The next one I made was the Solid version in Evergreen Spun Cloud, which might be my fav neutral at the minute. Then, I made an ultra neon version using French Vanilla Spun Cloud and Poptart minis. Finally, I rounded out the collection with a moody rainbow stash version inspired by a team member's Kaleidoscope sweater. I love them all!

 

Whew...I think that's EVERYTHING I knit in 2024. 44 FOs in total as long as I'm not forgetting anything 😃 What a year! Looking back I can say with so much confidence that all this knitting helped me show up better and calmer as a parent, friend, teammate but maybe best of all, knitting helped me feel more creative and in tune with my own true self
something that’s hard to put into words unless you feel it 🌈

 

I'll leave you with a pic of the two wips I'm coming into 2025 with... an Alpine Bloom Sweater by Caitlin Hunter and another Enchanted Forest, this time using a one-of-a-kind skein of Serenity dyed by Jake Kenyon. I hope you found some inspiration in this post and some patterns you can't wait to cast on for yourself!

Saturday December 07, 2024

Intuitive Knitting ~ Knitting with the creative flow...

posted by: Amy Small

This week, I'm excited to share about something that is at the heart of both what we do as a business here at Knit Collage AND my own personal creative practice: Intuitive Knitting.

I just added this video to YouTube that I created for last year’s Solstice Hug Challenge where I riff on this idea, but the concept is all about tapping into what YOU love and making something that becomes an expression of who you are inside. It’s a manifestation of your own unique, inner creative voice through knitting and there’s no wrong way to do it!

 

Intuitive knitting is all about leaning into what feels good in your body when you’re knitting it. What lights you up and makes you excited about your project. What gives you that “just one more row” feeling as you create. It’s about feeling totally alive and engaged with your creative work.

My first real experiment with Intuitive Knitting was my Penguono sweater, by Stephen West, that I’m wearing in the photo above. When I knit that piece years ago, something unlocked for me ~ the freedom and sheer JOY of combining color and textures. It’s like the doors to my creative self-expression blew open, never to be shut again. Have you ever experienced something like that? If you want to hear how I approached knitting the Penguono sweater, I created a YouTube video about it here too!

This stunning Kaleidoscope Cardi, designed by Laurel Gervitz, was knit by a former team member Vanessa Reyes and it’s such an inspiration for what’s possible when you embrace this method of creating. Vanessa is such a talented designer and knitter who is more than worth a follow.

 

In this intuitive creative process, there’s no wrong way to do something. There are no rules. It’s absolutely your world. This might feel a little scary at first, but as you practice this skill it strengthens your connection to your intuition and eventually it becomes second nature.

Intuitive Knitting requires you to trust your gut and embrace the creative process which sometimes involves ripping back your previous work. When you embrace intuitive knitting, frogging doesn’t have to be a dirty word. It’s all just part of the process of playing with yarn and achieving your dream result. It’s all about checking in with your creative self and asking “Do I like this?” “Would I like it even better if I did this instead?” “Where do I want to go next?” It’s a conversation between maker and the making.

Another one of my favorite projects that encourages this free flow of yarn color and texture mixing is the Sea Glass Tee by Wool & Pine. I did long sleeves for mine like the sea glass sweater but used fingering weight scraps and mohair mixed in. We had an informal knitalong for this one in our Creative Knitters group and I shared some tips and tricks in this YouTube video here.

Intuitive knitting is all about what feels fun and free and like ME. I think that is the key to creating a piece that feels completely like your unique self. Each project gets to be an experiment in self discovery using yarn, color and texture as your medium! It’s all about diving deep into your inner knowing—that intuition we all have within—and using that as your guide to choose the colors as you go along in your project.

 

If you’re interested in exploring this practice further, I put together a pattern round up of 10 favorites that use our unique, wild yarns that I’ll link below.

 

10 Favorite Knit Collage Patterns for Intuitive Knitting

 

Thank you so much for being here! If this resonated or if you have questions about intuitive knitting or favorite examples of your own, let me know in the comments below!

Friday November 29, 2024

The Lotus Sweater - Amy's Cropped Version

 

 

 When I posted on Instagram about the modifications I made to my Lotus Sweater over the summer, I got some questions about what I changed to achieve this cropped aesthetic. 

 

 

So, here is an informal roadmap for the mods I did in order to get this look:

 

First, I cast on for the Front Hem according to the instructions in the pattern for my size—size 2. Instead of knitting to the length called for in the pattern, I knit my front hem to 1.5'' / 3.75 cm and placed my stitches on hold.

 

Then, I cast on for the Back Hem according to the instructions in the pattern and knit to 1.5'' / 3.75 cm, just like on the front. Then, I followed the instructions to join in the round and begin knitting the body of my sweater.

 

I followed the instructions for the body for 9 total Lotus rounds, ending after a row 15 of the pattern repeat. Then, I continued to follow the pattern as written for both front and back armhole and upper body shaping, front and back neck and shoulder twisted ribbing, and the 3-needle bind off called for in the pattern.

The total body length of my sweater from shoulder to hem ended up being 15.5” / 38.75 cm.

 

 

 

For sleeves, I opted to do a 3/4 length sleeve. From where I picked up my sleeve stitches per the size 2 pattern instructions, my sleeve measured 11.5” / 28.75 cm in total length, including a 1.5'' / 3.75 cm cuff.

 

 

 

To make my Lotus flowers, I used a rainbow gradient of stash Wildflower yarn. I've listed each color used below, in order from the bottom up:

 

 

1. Ochre Rose

2. Blossom

3. Lotus Petal

4. Goldenrod

5. Come Alive Green

6. Reflection Pool

7. Caribbean Waters

8. Iris

9. Caribbean Waters

10. Reflection Pool

11. Come Alive Green

12. Goldenrod

13. Lotus Petal

14. Blossom

15. Ochre Rose

16. Blossom

 

 

I've now knitted two of these sweaters for myself—this cropped style and the OG version in Aquamarine! I love them both dearly in different ways and think both definitely have a place in my wardrobe.

 

Let me know if you have any questions about the mods I made or if you plan to knit your own! I'd love to see pics 💕

 

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