Meet the Designer: Kate Oates

Kate Oates is a knitting designer and author. With over 300 patterns to her name and several popular books, including Grown, Knits for Boys, and Knitting Clothes Kids Love, she's a beloved figure in the knitting community. Her designs offers modern, stylish knitwear for adults, showcasing her talent for creating contemporary designs.

When Kate and Kalliope crossed paths at TNNA, little did they know that their meeting would spark a deep and lasting friendship. Their shared passion for knitting and design became the foundation of a bond that has flourished over time.

Kate Oates at the Anzula booth at TNNA, 2012

In the early days, Kate's creations were predominantly focused on garments and accessories for children. Her designs were beloved for their whimsy and practicality, capturing the playful spirit of childhood with every stitch. But as time passed and her skills evolved, so did her focus. Today, Kate's portfolio showcases a sophisticated range of designs for adults, reflecting a mature and refined aesthetic.

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We are proud to share her pattern Tempest made with For Better or Worsted in Black

Indulge in ultimate coziness with this statement pullover. Its squishy cables create a gloriously textured, blousy silhouette. Knit sideways for the sleeves and armholes, then worked top-down for easy customization, this sweater is as comfortable as it is stylish. The playful cable twists add dramatic depth to any color choice, making it a versatile piece you'll reach for again and again.

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Serenity Cardigan by Kate Oates

Crafted in one seamless piece from the bottom up, this cardigan features drop-shoulder sleeves for a relaxed, yet refined silhouette. The clever construction means that even the buttonband is worked in tandem with the body, ensuring a flawless finish. Embrace the blend of elegance and comfort with this textured cardigan, and elevate your knitting experience with a piece that’s as beautiful as it is practical.

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Jesse Half-Zip Pattern by Kate Oates

This cozy sweater is designed with a double-sided collar and a half-zip placket, striking the perfect balance between warmth and coolness. Its distinctive cable knit pattern adds a touch of sophisticated texture, giving it a sleek, modern look that’s perfect for any little gentleman.

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As Kate continues to expand her creative horizons, we’re curious to know: What is your favorite of her designs? Whether it’s a beloved childhood piece or one of her new adult creations, we’d love to hear which of Kate’s designs speaks to you the most. Share your thoughts in the comments below and let’s celebrate the beauty of knitting together!

Visit Kate’s Ravelry page to see all her amazing patterns!

Instagram: @KateOatesDesigns

Pinterest: @TotToppers

Twitter: @TotToppers

Pattern Spotlight: Blackstar Cowl by Andi Smith

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I have to admit to being a huge FanGirl of Anzula yarns, and when I was designing for the book, I’d planned on creating this cowl in Dreamy, but fate had plans.

I’d found this obscure star cable that intrigued me, and was somewhat obsessed with designing something very graphic with it. I grabbed my yarns, caked, and swatched like a crazy person! I think this motif broke my record for number of swatches to make it perfect!

I was so happy with it though; sometimes, the yarn, the color, and the pattern just gel to create the perfect trifecta. This was one of those times.

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When you’re working with two colors, and a tricksy cable motif, having an uninterrupted field of purl bumps in the background can be hard to achieve. A stitch that was one color became a different color on the next round, and that differently colored purl bump became all- encompassing problem for me for longer than I care to admit!

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After much playing around, and experimentation, and frogging, fixing that issue on the round before solved was the solution, and I was crazy happy with the results.

I sat down to write the pattern, and that is when disaster struck! In my mad rush to knit-all-the-things, I’d inadvertently picked up a skein of Cricket for the cables, not Dreamy! What’s worse, is that I didn’t have another skein of Dreamy in the One Red Shoe colorway!

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I know the amazing ladies at Anzula would have sent one out to me right away, but I wanted to knit this cowl NOW! Waiting was NOT an option! Do you ever have a project like that? I know I do.

So, I broke my must use the same weight for the cables and background rules, and went with what I had.

I’m so glad I did! Using a DK for that red pop of deliciousness was such a great choice. I’m thrilled that my impatience paid off! I love how the star pops out majestically, how graphic and understated it is; how just a few cables makes such a big impact!

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If you want to knit Blackstar, you’ll find it in my new Color Cables book, (©Cooperative Press 2018), which also includes full color tutorials for all the techniques featured in the book.

Stay up to date on all things Andi:

ravelry - https://www.ravelry.com/designers/andi-smith

Meet the Yarn: It Could be Worsted

Jill Wolcott
passion.fashion.knits

Hi there!  I’m back after a hiatus, and there are still fabulous Anzula yarns to be reviewed, so let's leaping back in.  Next in the lineup is It Could be Worsted.  

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“It could be worse” than this soft, yet strong worsted blend of 50% silk and 50% merino.  I have to admit that I love this yarn and wasn’t at all upset when I realized I had to reknit my Tangiers sample because I had failed to return to seed stitch after completing the moss stitch neckband.  Yup, I ripped it back to the end of third Arabesque, then decided to just go all the way back and reknit the whole thing.   

I also did my standard gauge swatch, beginning with garter, moving to stockinette, on to seed stitch, then rib, and on to moss stitch.  Unblocked, there was some biasing in this yarn.  I used US size 6[4mm] needles, but liked the fabric I got, so don’t think that was a problem. Although there was some biasing, I was able to block it flat so it wasn’t a long-term problem.  It did unsettle me though!  Biasing is leaning in one direction and is usually the result of the way the yarn was spun.  If it blocks out, it is usually not a problem.  I just caution you to do a swatch and to block.  Having noticed these things swatching, I might not knit a large piece in the round.

I’ve looked through the projects on Ravelry, and don’t see anyone with problems, although there are not many comments.  I was amused to see my notes were equally incomplete!  There are 58 stashes, and 53 projects.  Such a great yarn needs more love!  Looking online, it sells for about $38/skein, so a single skein project might fit into a lot of budgets.  My new Tangiers pattern is made with two colors in It Could be Worsted (shown in Gumball and Aqua), and a version in a single color (sample uses For Better or Worsted).  

The yardage is 190 yards or 174 meters to 114g or 4 ounces.  There were several games of yarn chicken, probably owing to the 10 yard difference between It Could be Worsted and For Better or Worsted!  Judging by what I have remaining one could knit opposites of Tangiers.  If needed, some fudging could be done to make it work.

So let’s get to the details:  

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Do be sure to take extra time on the blocking.  Pinning it to shape should do the trick.  I also steam blocked mine.  The Tangiers 2-color Scarf just needed a little patting into shape when I steam blocked it after wet blocking it.  Due to the small number of stitches, no biasing occurred.

Worsted is a great weight for knitting gifts—the knitting goes pretty fast and in this yarn, it looks super impressive—everything we want in our gift knits.  The colors are sharp and clear in this yarn,  I thoroughly enjoyed Gumball and Aqua both.

Tell me why—in the comments—you think there are 10 fewer yards in a skein of It Could Be Worsted than in a skein of For Better or Worsted.  I’ll do a drawing and give away one Tangier’s pattern for every 50 comments.  Deadline for comments is October 9, 2018.

You can find It Could be Worsted at these shops:

Admit Ewe Knit - Raleigh, NC
Amazing Threads - Maple Grove, MN
Baskets of Yarn - Charlotte, NC
Do Ewe Knit - Westfield, NJ
Fiber Artwork - Huntsville, AL
Harps & Thistles - Cuyahoga Falls, OH
KnitKnit - Couer d’Alene, ID
Knitorious - St Louis, MO
Knitting Garden - Coral Gables, FL
Sated Sheep - Dripping Springs, TX
Swift Stitch - Santa Cruz, CA
Online @ Kitterly.com

You’ll find more great pattern ideas for It Could be Worsted on our Pinterest page here!

Keep up on all things Jill Wolcott:
Contact: jill@jillwolcottknits.com
Blog:  http://www.jillwolcottknits.com/category/blog/
Twitter: @jillwolcottknit
Instagram: @jillwolcottknits
Pinterest: Jill Wolcott Knits
www.JillWolcottKnits.com