Sandra's Designing Blog

This is an exclusive area of my web site where you can find out more about my knitted designs, what inspires me, how I work and what I like (and don't like) to design. 
 
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Category: Kits & Patterns

  1. My latest adventure in scrap yarn designing

    Posted on

    I’ve been continuing my journey with leftover yarn – something close to many knitters’ hearts. If you saw my recent newsletter, you’ll know I shared my free Striata Cowl pattern (you can still find it here), designed to use up those odd little scraps we all keep tucked away. Leftover yarn projects aren’t just practical – they’re creative, sustainable, and often spark ideas we’d never have thought of with full skeins.
    FREE PATTERN - Striata Cowl
    A few days ago, I took this idea further by attending a designer workshop run by the talented Lisa Richardson, who happens to live in my village (and formerly worked with Rowan). The workshop theme? Designing a garment entirely from stash yarn.
    We were asked to bring two things:

    • A garment we already loved and wore often.

    • Some yarn from our stash to play with.
    I chose a favourite red A-line top as my starting point, and brought yarn in shades of blue, taupe, cream, and pink.

    The day began with swatching – not just for tension (I measured half a tension square 5cm x 5cm and then doubled) but also to explore whether we liked the fabric our oddments produced. Lisa encouraged us to try different techniques such as stripes, Fair Isle, intarsia, and slip stitch. My first experiment was striped slip stitch knitting, which I turned vertically to imagine slimming stripes on my A-line top. Clever in theory, but when I tried to add shaping with German short rows, the abrupt stops in the striping didn’t sit right with me. Time to rethink!

    Luckily, Lisa had brought along some sample garments, and I fell in love with one: a very simple design , The Fowberry, with no complicated shaping (just at the shoulders), no extra bottom or front bands, and the option to add sleeves later if I wished. It was a revelation – something achievable without too much maths (a relief in a busy workshop environment!).
    As an added bonus, I picked up plenty of insights listening to Lisa guide other designers – and was reassured that the way I calculate my own designs is indeed on the right track.
     

    Behind the scenes: my schematic + sums

    Here’s a little glimpse of the sort of rough notes I made during the day. It doesn’t look fancy – just sketches with measurements, and stitch counts. But this is the backbone of turning an idea into something wearable.

    • Garment shape: straight body with slight shoulder shaping.

    • Gauge from swatch: [24 sts x 32 rows = 10 cm].

    • Back length: [38cm] ÷ gauge = number of stitches to cast on.

    • Body width: [59cm] ÷ row gauge = rows needed across the back

    • Shoulder shaping - calculation concludes need to increase every 3 or 4 rows to middle then decrease down in the same way.

    It’s all very rough at this stage, but enough to get the knitting underway!

     

    I’m now nearly halfway across the back piece, and have already encountered a small issue that I’ll need to solve once I reach the end. I’ll share more about that (and whether I succeed!) in my next newsletter, so you can follow along with the whole process.

  2. ✨ 5 little things to inspire calm and creativity

    Posted on

    Hi, 

    There’s something special about this time of year — the long golden evenings, the quiet hush between projects. It’s the perfect time to let your knitting slow right down and become a little ritual again.

    No pressure, no deadlines. Just small, beautiful things that bring joy with every stitch.

    Here are five ways to bring a little stillness and inspiration into your knitting week:

     

    1. Knit a little colour, just for you - The French Inspired cowl
    My Slip-Stitch Colourwork Cowl is simple, relaxing, and completely free. A great project to try out slip-stitch colourwork without anything too fiddly — and it makes the most of leftover Aran weight yarn.

    👉 Download the free pattern here »

     

    2. Play with a new idea: Short rows
    Short rows are one of my favourite design tools — they shape fabric gently and add subtle interest. If you've never used them before, or just want a refresher, I’ve written a little guide on how I use them in my designs.

    👉 Read the blog posts »

    👉 Buy the pattern »

    👉 Download the Guide »

     

    3. Add a tiny treasure to your toolkit
    These Zentangle & other ceramic Buttons are individually hand-drawn and sealed — perfect for cardigans, pouches, handmade notebooks, or just as a lovely gift for another maker. 

    👉 See the Zentangle buttons »

    👉 See the Ceramic buttons »

     

    4. Organise your projects (and your thoughts)
    Now’s the perfect time to take stock of your WIPs and ideas. These handmade A5 Project Notebooks are ideal for jotting down yarn details, stitch counts, sketches, or even just your knitting mood.

    👉 Browse the notebooks »

     

    5. Just enjoy the quiet
    Whether you pick up your needles tonight or simply sit with a cup of tea and your thoughts, this season is for slowing down. Take a moment to breathe, to swatch, or to knit something soft and simple — just for you.

    👉 Browse the knitting tools »


    I hope something here brings you a small, quiet joy — a pattern, a notebook, or a beautiful button. Thank you for being here and being part of this calm and creative space.