I received some glass samples from TAG, also known as Trautman Art Glass while I was in Las Vegas at Glass Craft. Las Vegas again…had such a good time there and I encountered so many great things. So last night I gave a few of the samples a try. I made the prettiest flower bead that I plan to use for a ring. I used Dali Lotus, a new glass they’re about to release. It’s a striking reactive glass that starts out a beige color and strikes with blues and purples. Check out the flower and look at the rods. So amazing. What’s great is that right now there are at least four different glass manufacturers that are all making these striking reactive glasses and they are all such a pleasure to work with. Another color to check out from TAG is Tibet. I have Tibet/Transcendental in the picture too. So cool…
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Twist Your Stitches for a Fun Vest Knitting Pattern
In the past few years I’ve developed an appreciation for vests that I never had before. I had knit a few, and I liked them OK, but I guess I just didn’t fully embrace the layering possibilities that they can provide.
You can wear a vest over a long sleeved or short sleeved shirt, over a dress, even on top of a shirt but under a sweater (or over a lighter weight sweater).
Some vest can even double as tops on their own, like the Traveling Vines Vest from Amy Gunderson.
This twisty project is worked in a DK weight yarn and is available in five sizes. The chest measurement ranges from 34 to 70.5 inches, or 85 to 176 cm. It’s worked flat in pieces and, because of the somewhat high scoop neck and arm holes, it’s totally fine to wear by itself or as a vest.
The fun part of this pattern is all the little twisted stitches and cables, which make a very interesting texture that’s fun to knit and to wear. The pattern includes a chart and a written pattern. They look like pretty small cables, but there are a lot of them, so it might help to have a cable project or two under your belt before trying this one.
You can grab the free pattern when you create an account at Yarnalia.
If you want to boost your cable knitting skills, check out my collection of fun cable knitting patterns. And since a lot of these twists are small, you could also use this project as an opportunity to learn how to make cables without using a cable needle. And you can find more easy vest knitting patterns here, and get a little more of the story about how I learned to love vests here. Mostly it has to do with not wanting to knit sleeves, which I relate to a lot right now as I wonder if I could pull off a one-sleeved cardigan.
[Photo: Amy Gunderson]