Amy van de Laar's blog
My latest just-for me project is a stripy cardigan worked sideways, and it’s a milestone for me as it’s my very first crocheted sweater. I actually learned to crochet before I learned to knit, but I’m much more experienced with knitting as I’ve spent much more time doing it over the years.
The Greenery Set is a trio of hat, cowl, and mitts featuring a rich texture of cable-and-lace leaves, seed stitch, and half-twisted ribbing. This combination of stitches may sound complex but it’s much simpler to knit than you might think, because in any one round you’ll only be using one technique at a time - e.g. you’ll be working either two-stitch cables, or simple lace, or a small number of…
I’ve been lazy about taking photos in recent months, so I have a bit of a backlog of makes to show off - but here they are! I’m splitting them up into two groups with the first being my knitting FOs and current main WIP, and my sewing projects will follow in a post of their own.
I have two new patterns to share today, a cabled hat and scarf duo in DK weight yarn. The cable pattern reminds me of a formal garden with flower beds laid out in groups of interlocking shapes, a style called a ‘parterre’. The travelling cables create geometric shapes softened by twirling verticals. The Parterre Scarf has two options for the width, a classic scarf (shown here) and a wider wrap,…
This classic hat and scarf combo is all about the cables! They twirl across a background of 2x2 ribbing, and with only a handful of cable crosses on alternating rounds or rows the set is relatively quick to knit in worsted weight yarn. Best of all, the cable pattern is moreish and satisfying to watch unfold. The hat, with instructions for two very stretchy sizes, and the scarf, with two width…
Sometimes a knit or crochet scarf could do with a little something extra, and a classic fringe is an easy addition which suits many different styles of scarf, wrap, or shawl. The method I’m going to take you through below involves making ring hitch knots with a crochet hook, which I’m demonstrating on my cabled Melisma Scarf. This is a simple and secure method with plenty of options for…
My Dayspring sweater is finished and I love it! It’s cosy, comfortable, and colourful, and will be perfect for winter walks and choir practices in chilly halls. The pattern is Dayspring by Ainur Berkimbayeva, available here on Ravelry and in Pom Pom Quarterly Issue 36 (Spring 2021).
As a little bonus, here is a simple method for adding beads to my Candy Cones pattern. One of my talented test knitters, Laura (or furstyferret on Ravelry), came up with it during pattern testing and I’m sharing it here with her permission.
Introducing Candy Cones , a collection of little stuffed ‘trees’ which I designed to brighten up my apartment during the holidays. I've been wary of putting up a proper Christmas tree because my cats like to get into absolutely everything, so I designed these as a safe (and cute!) alternative. With five texture options, you can choose the difficulty level according to what you feel like knitting:…
Fellow colourwork lovers, this one’s for you! I’ve designed the Braeburn Mitts to show off three colours of Appledore DK, and I couldn’t resist naming them after my favourite variety of apple, which is always one of the first things I buy when I fly home to New Zealand. Because you only need a small amount of each colour, these mitts are a perfect project for mini skeins and odds and ends. The…
I have a sewing machine again! When I lived in New Zealand I used to sew all kinds of things, from pillowcases to elaborate costumes, but it’s taken me about ten years to purchase one in Australia, for various reasons. Now it’s time to get back those skills and make some clothes. I’m thrilled that there are so many more patterns available in my size than last time I was sewing.
My Beeswax Hat, Cowl, and Mitts have been some of my most popular patterns since I first published them nearly a decade ago. My pattern writing has evolved a lot since 2014 when I first published them, and even more since 2018 when I last updated their charts and layout. And because I want them to continue to reflect my best work as a designer, I’ve been working on a big update to polish them up.…
I’m continuing my obsession with botanical shapes in knitting with a colourwork hat and cowl duo, featuring lush leaves framed by delicate linework. The Herb Garden Hat and Herb Garden Cowl are named for the sensory delight of a garden overflowing with herbs, humming with bees, and bursting with culinary possibilities. I have a little pot of herbs on my balcony which provides rosemary for roast…
In the mood for some cosy cables? This squishable scarf was created in collaboration with John Arbon Textiles, who are launching their new Yarnadelic Worsted yarn tomorrow (which just happens to be my birthday - I’ll be 43)! The Observatory Gate scarf is thick and cosy, with an all-over cable pattern meandering to and fro over a background of reverse stockinette. Every now and then I see something…
Brooklyn Tweed are launching a new yarn this month, and they’ve knit up a new sample of my Ensata Scarf to show it off! I love the fun, juicy-looking colour and the slightly softer, plump texture in this yarn. Tones Light will be available to purchase from the 17th of August, with more details and colour-reveals coming soon. The Ensata Scarf & Cowl pattern includes directions for knitting the…
The Beanstalk Cowl is a one-skein fingering-weight cowl featuring the same columns of lacy leaves and twisted ribbing as my Beanstalk Hat and Beanstalk Shawl patterns. This is my first cowl design with a tapered shape, which is created by working occasional increase rounds to add extra twisted-rib columns between the ‘beanstalks’. The wavy edges are created by the lace pattern, and add to the…
The ninth annual Indie Design Giftalong has just begun! If you haven't joined in before, here's a quick introduction: the Giftalong (or GAL) is a multi-designer craft-along held in a Ravelry group with dedicated threads for different project types, chat threads, games, and more. You can also join in on Instagram by taking part in our photo-prompt challenge and/or using the event hashtags -…
If you want your newly-knitted hat to look its best, I really recommend taking the time to finish your hat by blocking it, especially if you’ve used lace stitches or colourwork. You’ll be able to tidy up uneven stitches (at least to a certain degree) and open up a lace or mosaic pattern.
It’s one year to the day since I released my Heartwood Cowl design, and at long last it has its companion hat! Introducing the Heartwood Hat, a cosy, deeply-textured beanie in DK-weight yarn featuring an all-over pattern of cabled hearts entwined with ribbing. I actually started working on the hat design long before the cowl, but got bogged down in puzzling out the crown decreases. After a lot of…
I’ve been wanting to design some cat-inspired knits for a long time. This year, when my cats have been such wonderful little distractions through lockdowns and uncertainty, has turned out to be the year! The Cat’s Eye Cowl is a tribute to my beautiful kitties Sasha and Katya, who always like to keep a close eye on me in case I might be about to hand out cat-treats or a new cardboard toy. The cowl…