Monica Knits

Design Features This lace cap is knitted of fingering weight cotton yarn in pearl white with a contrasting peach I-cord tie. Garter stitch details enhance the pearlescent yarn. The body of this cap is knitted flat to the crown, beginning with a garter stitch border, followed by a vintage leaf pattern border and stocking stitch accents. A purl stitch ridge sets off the stocking stitch crown, which is knitted in the round and shaped with 5 symmetrical, spiral decreases. The garter stitch neckband has an integral eyelet row for a ribbon or an I-cord tie.

Leaf Stitch PatternThe leaf-patterned baby bonnet uses the first 24 stitches of the pattern discussed in the spreadsheet article. The pattern has a garter stitch ground (not stockinette stitch), but is otherwise the Madeira Leaf Stitch border described in A Treasury of Knitting Patterns. The garter stitch background is integral to the design, enhancing the lustre of this yarn.

Leaf PatternI knitted the Leaf Bordered layette for a friend who was expecting her first child. This was definitely not your knit while watching TV sweater, but I will make it again. It was worth the effort and lovely when completed, but I had to concentrate when I knitted the sweater because the lace stitch pattern comprised 48 rows and the YOs, particularly on row 25, had to be watched carefully as they had a tendency to move. Before I created a spreadsheet to follow the pattern, I had to take apart the half-completed sweater; the leaves were complete, but incorrect. Using a spreadsheet to translate the words into a picture allowed me to verify the stitch pattern, prevented errors, and made following the pattern instructions easier. Read further to view the spreadsheet and an explanation of how it was created.

Red Wing BlackbirdThe red-wing blackbird made me think of the many budding artists and designers I have met at the College for Creative Studies (CCS) over the years. Often the automotive design instructors and students wore black, yes and the ubiquitous turtle neck, but they carried themselves with style and cuts that framed their faces and their personalities. There may have been an accent pin or scarf as well. As a result, you remember the face, the smile, the person, with the clothes serving as a backdrop. This set me to thinking of the needlework designers that have influenced my work either directly or indirectly.