Friday Finds

Earlier this week, Colorado saw a dramatic cold snap, in the form of single digit highs and a good amount of snow. So here’s a bunch of patterns I’ve found over the last few weeks to keep pandas warm. There have been so many awesome looking patterns popping up on Ravelry that I’m building a bit of a stash for future Friday Finds—keep up the amazing work, designers! 😀

• Hats are important winter wear, since they keep heat from escaping your head when the rest of you is covered up, and they’re usually pretty stylish to boot. Plop one and and instant style! I really like the twisty cable bits in Trina Obino’s Advent Pillar Beret (FR$5).

  

• Little ones need warmth too, and I adore this Oslo Anorak (free for size 6-12 mos) from Pickles.

  

• And keep yourself warm with some fantastic new sweaters. I love the color and simple lace detail of Ágnes Kutas’s Dijon sweater ($5).

  

• And Miriam Felton’s Vinculum Cardigan ($6.50) has simple structural details at the yoke and hem. Also check out her newest eBook collection, a steal at $18 for 6 patterns.

  

• Olga Buraya-Kefelian’s Olga Pullover ($6) features a flattering purl-ridge hourglass to give the illusion of shaping.

  

• Another pattern from the Quince and Co folks, the Alys Cardigan ($6) is a sweet swingy cardigan with simple cable details.

  

• Pierrot is a Japanese yarn company that publishes a ton of cute and free patterns. Most of them are still only in Japanese, but I’ve heard great things about how Japanese patterns can be knit mostly from charts. I especially love their recent Cowichan-Style Geometric Vest and Shine Pullover. A word of warning—these are free patterns, but a cursory glance and fact-checking from Maria tells me that Japanese patterns are only written in one size; the knitter is expected to do the sizing work (read: customize it to fit you!)

  

• And nothing keeps your feet warm like stranded colorwork socks. This is why I need about five more pairs. This particular pair is super cute and clever with Nordic stars and reindeer on the cuffs. Christmas Socks (free) from DROPS.

  

• Fargo ($7) by Kate Gagnon Osborn is all delicious cables and shawl collar sweater goodness incarnate.

  

• Finally, you all know about my obsession with stranded colorwork mittens, and I just came across these phenomenal Mermaid Mittens ($4) from yellowcosmo.