OLGAJAZZY

It took me a while to get back to drawing winners, please forgive me because I got 9 lbs of yarn last month and have started working on a new exciting collection. While it’s already under way I thought it’s about time to have some joyful news announced:

Congratulations to Brigi who won an entire set of 8 Shibui Geometry patterns of the collection!

Congratulations are also in order to Gyorgyi, Lisa (ElloKnits) and Leigh Forsstrom – you each won a copy of Hypotenuse cowl pattern!

Please send me a PM on ravelry (my id is olgajazzy) or email info@olgajazzy.com with your snail mail information.

Thank you all for participating and remember there are more exciting patterns and giveaways coming ahead!

Congratulations and Happy Knitting!

 

Last year I was asked to be a part of this exciting new project for Shibui Knits yarn company, following the release of my Shibui Silk booklet.
Shibui Geometry is a collection of single printed leaflet patterns with a stunning visual and carefully selected palette.

A range of interesting garments is comprise of 8 patterns from different designers.

My design contribution is Hypotenuse.
Hypotenuse. The longest side of a right triangle, opposite the right angle.
This funky accessory with three dimensional texture can be styled in several looks. Loop style cowl is bouncy and is reminiscent of armor. The Staccato yarn used double contains silk that makes light reflect the highly textured surface. The construction is relatively simple, yet makes knitter polish their techniques and possibly learn a new one. Eye-catching yet dramatic way to exhibit your taste. Pairing it with your favorite tailored jacket or coat or to compliment your favorite layered outfit.

 

Now something special for all of you!

I am giving away a whole set of 8 patterns (1 of the pamphlets contains 2 patterns inside) for the whole Shibui Geometry collection!
And 3 copies of just Hypotenuse cowl to 4 lucky winners!

What do you need to do to enter:

Tell me in the comments below which is your favorite Shibui Knits yarn to work with!

And Join Olgajazzy designs group on Ravelry to increase your chances of winning!

Please leave your comment with your Ravelry ID or email or other way of contacting you.

Entries will be open till Tuesday, October 2, 11:59pm EST.
Thank you everyone for participating! Entries are now closed and winners will be announced later this week!

Good luck and Happy Knitting!!!

In translation from Japanese Ama-sei 亜麻製 means “flaxen”.

This fun rectangular shawl is a beginner knitting project for someone who wants to learn how to knit lace. The combination of fingering linen and cobweb merino yarns together create wonderful drapey accessory yet it’s cosy and comfortable. Perfect for chilly summer evenings as a wrap and it’s easy to bundle up in colder weather.
With a simple pin I got at Churchmouse yarns and teas this summer I turned this shawl into a cardigan.

And I love the slouchy look of this makeshift cardigan in the front.

Or just more like a basic scarf scrunched up.

Please enjoy free pattern below, please do not copy and re-post text/chart of the pattern elsewhere. Just link to this post. Have questions? Just ask!

Queue on Ravelry

Skill Level
Beginner

Finished size
Approx. 70″ length and 23″ width (blocked)

Yarn
Yarn A:
Habu Textiles XS-21 Linen (100% linen), (763 yds/698 m per 100g/3.5 oz), 2 skeins
OR
Habu Textiles XS-55 Linen (100% linen), (370 yds/339 m per 48g/1.7 oz), 4 skeins

Yarn B:
Habu Textiles N-75 Fine Merino (100% wool), (747 yds/683 m per 28g/1oz), 2 skeins

NOTE: Yarns A and B are worked together throughout in the sample shawl, but if desired you can omit Yarn B and work with a single strand of Yarn A only.

Needles
US 5 (3.75 mm)
OR use size needle to obtain gauge

Other
Markers (optional)
Tapestry needle

Gauge
20 stitches and 32 rows = 4″ in St st with 1 strand of A and 1 strand of B held together

Notes
To help keep track of lace pattern, separate each repeat by placing stitch markers at the * indicators in the pattern below.

Directions
Holding both yarns together, cast on 118 stitches using the long-tail method.
Work 6 rows in Garter stitch (knit every row).

Row 1 (RS): K1, *p1, k2, ssk, yo; repeat from * to last 2 stitches, p1, k1.
Row 2: P1, k1, *p4, k1; repeat from * to last st, p1.
Row 3: K1, *p1, k1, ssk, yo, k1; repeat from * to last 2 stitches, p1, k1.
Row 4: Work same as row 2.
Row 5: K1, *p1, ssk, yo, k2*, repeat from * to last 2 stitches, p1, k1.
Row 6: Work same as row 2.

Work rows 1-6 for a total of 67 times or until shawl is desired length, keeping in mind that a larger shawl will require more yarn. Make sure to save enough yarn to work the final border rows.

Work 6 rows in Garter stitch. Bind off all stitches loosely on the next row.

Wash and block.

Red box represents a single pattern repeat.
K – Knit on RS, Purl on the WS.
P – Purl on the RS, Knit on the WS.
YO – Yarn over.
SSK – Slip, slip, knit those 2 slipped stitches together.

This week really slipped through my fingers as I have spent majority of it swatching piles and piles…
But today I want to catch up and announce Sanagi Transformable dress winners!

 

Drumroll please…

Congratulations to sydneypaige, Olwyn Morinski and Illana H ! Each of them won a copy of  Sanagi dress pattern. Enjoy ladies and can’t wait to see you knit it up!

Olwyn Morinski is also a winner of Shibui Linen yarn to make this dress! Congratulations!!!!
Your wish to make and wear it in time for Christmas can now come true!!!

While on the subject of linen, I have to mention about my discovery of a brand new linen yarn to the market by ShibuiKnits yarn company. Shibui Linen is a linen yarn with a chainette construction that comes in array of vibrant and lots of neutral colors and I was lucky enough to grab a bag of it for my new “transformer” knitwear design.
When trying to make the right yarn choice it contained all the necessary properties that linen usually does plus a range to work with – single or double or even triple stranded. This certainly opens up more options for one to experiment with this linen.

Today I am very excited to share my new design – Sanagi Dress.Originally inspired by a skirt I have designed for Ori Ami Knits – Airfoil skirt – Sanagi embodies bigger and more wearable garment with a range of styling looks.

When sides become swinging neckline.

Neckline becomes armhole, while sides create a decorative pleat in the front and the back.

Tied in the back, a la Apron Dress.

With I-cords tied on the inside, creating a more straight silhouette.

And many many more!..

When Sanagi design was being planned I started by wanting it be worn at least three different ways but upon my progress I have discovered that this idea is expandable by implementing several notions. There are at least 10 styling looks presented at the moment, but I am sure you can explore and find even more.

Constructed to be worked in the round, seamlessly, the fabric is completely reversible! You may want to have circular needles in 2 different lengths to make it easier for you to try it on as you go. And imagine instead of buying 1 pattern that will only look 1 certain way, here is one that yields at least 10 different ways. You don’t have to like every single one of them, but you can find several ones that suit your taste and body shape the best.

And to know how to wrap all those particular styles I have created a styling video where you can practice and learn all the Sanagi ways.

Pattern Specs:

LEVEL
Beginner
TO FIT BUST
30-32 (34-36, 38-40, 42-44, 46-48, 50-52, 54-56)”
FINISHED MEASUREMENTS
Around bust 68 (76, 84, 92, 100, 108, 116)”
YARN
ShibuiKnits Linen (100% linen; 246yds/225m; 1.76oz/50g):
7 (8, 9, 9, 10, 11, 12) skeins in Graphite #2002
OR 1576 (1772, 1970, 2166, 2364, 2560, 2758) yds of any other fingering weight yarn (to be worked held double)
OR 788 (886, 985, 1083, 1182, 1280, 1379) yds of any other worsted weight yarn (to be worked as single strand)
OTHER SUGGESTED YARNS
1 strand
Louet Euroflax Sport
2 strands
Habu Textiles A-1 Tsumugi Silk
Habu Textiles XS-55 Linen or Habu Textiles A-174 Cotton Gima
NEEDLES
US 7 (4.5 mm) circulars 29”, 47”, and 60”
US 7 (4.5 mm) dpns (for I-cord)
GAUGE
18 sts and 26 rnds in 4”/10cm over St st swatch worked in the round with yarn double stranded

Queue on Ravelry

USD 10.00

Giveaway Alert!!!
Fun times ahead!
Lucky 3 commenters would receive a copy of Sanagi dress pattern pdf.
But only 1 of the lucky three will ALSO get Shibui Linen yarn  enough to make Sanagi dress in their size!!!

How to enter this giveaway:
Leave a comment for this post below by midnight on Saturday EST, August 25th, 2012.
AND
Like Olgajazzy page on Facebook or Follow olgajazzydesign on Twitter
Winners will be drawn on Sunday, August 26th!
ETA: Please include your Rav ID or email to contact you.

GOOD LUCK AND HAPPY KNITTING!

I grew up a country that is well-known for growing lots and lots of flax and linen was implemented in everyday life for many many years, but at times we don’t get to appreciate what we have and admire what we have till we travel the world and see others’ fascination with this amazing fiber.

I have been collecting skeins of linen yarn produced by various companies for years now and every time there are some new properties I found admirable about them, compare them and dream of a perfect project with them.

Living in Japan has certainly makes you notice and give more appreciation for the linen garments and fabric, here it’s almost as expensive as gold as it is a very sought after fabric and garments to be worn in extremely hot and humid summer. It’s considered luxury to have numerous linen everyday items around your household, but once you are aware of them it makes you even more appreciative than before. Take LIN-NET store/company in Kyoto for example, Japanese made linen is quite exquisite. And another quite popular Japanese company Fog Linenwork that has their products made in Europe for Japanese market.

Linen knitwear is joyous to wear as it keeps you cool on hot summer days and wicks out moisture but it provides amazing drape as well. Once you figure out how to take care and handle your linen it’s all you really want to have around.

I have stumbled upon this movie a while ago and it’s simply amazing with gorgeous cinematography, makes you fall in love with linen all over again.

BE LINEN MOVIE IN ENGLISH from Linen and hemp community on Vimeo.

I have been browsing some items for my wish list and linen was getting more and more attention. Dreaming of one of these linen throws for my couch during summer. Love the polka dotted one especially!

During my recent travels I did pick up some amazing screen printed linen from A Verb for Keeping Warm and made this new pillow for my couch. Invisible zipper and all. Sometimes it takes as little as sewing a new pillow to want me sew more…

And in between knitting on my very wooly deadlines this summer I got to squeeze in some knitting a new design with wonderful linen I had in my stash for a while. Here is a sneak photo of it. And pattern is coming up this week.

It has been a while now since I blogged last but the summer is seemingly fleeting this year and yet preparations for it started all the way in March. I decided to attend The National Needlework Association show in Columbus, OH this June. Not just attend, to be an exhibitor for the first time and present my line of design in person to retailers attending from all over, not just US…
Not an easy task to travel half across the globe to get to a place, let along bring bulky things with you. Lots of careful planning and logistics and actual designing turned my entire spring into a mad race since I needed to get everything done before flying to the States. But leave it to me to make things work and put more challenges up by having to flying on a military plane from Japan to wherever base on the US West coast.

As I was leaving in early June, Japan’s annual rainy season has already been in full swing. Weather this year has been weird all over and here we didn’t really have nice days between cold and hot. It all turned into muggy, sticky, hot mess.

So what a girl to do to get on a military flight from Japan to US? Bring lots and lots of necessary paperwork – check!
Pack a suitcase for 40F to 104F weather range – check!
Leave the house at 5am, switch 5 different trains, get a cab and get to an Air Force base – check!

Be lucky enough (thank the stars and the rain!) to get the LAST seat on a C-17 plane going to sunny California!!! It’s like winning a lottery let me tell you, such an emotional roller-coaster, it takes up to 3-5 attempts to get on a flight at times, that’s why need to try leaving much earlier.

The moment the plane took off it was time to relax a bit, well for 10 hours of non-commercial seating and no entertainment, yet feeling hardcore that is what I get to do to for work! Ear plugs and all. Plus check flying aboard C-17 off the bucket list.

Unplanned mini work+vaca-tion in San Francisco and seeing friends – double check!!!
The week of absolutely delicious food, amazing wine and great company!!!

California greeted with early morning clear skies and warm temperatures.

Unprecedentedly SUNNY and hot weather has certainly made it feel welcome while catching up with Vanessa and Cookie. I’ve got a chance to visit local yarn store mecca A Verb For Keeping Warm in Oakland and meeting lovely Kristine, her staff including ever adorable dog Cleopatra Antonia. Seeing some of the fabrics there certainly started sewing bug anew for me. I picked up some lovely cotton and locally printed linen.

To be perfectly honest it felt amazing to be back in a real yarn store with yarn brands that I am familiar with and seeing what’s new in the market and just enjoy colorful feast for your eyes and hands. Especially since my last time in any LYS was over a year ago. Certainly gives you much more appreciation when living very far from one. Kristine’s shop is known for sewing, knitting, felting classes as well as classes that teach you how to spin and to dye with natural ingredients. Here is the line of yarns that Kristine dyes herself. I am dying over a skein in French Monk’s Finest (which is incredibly gorgeous but hard-to-dye shade of mustard) and Indigo… My only regret is not living closer to this store so I could learn more for myself, motivate to sew more and be craftier all around besides being close to a great source for all things DIY!

Best coffee in your life – check!

We tried siphon coffee for the first time in Japan, but nothing stands close to Blue Bottle Coffee‘s fresh coffee beans. Coffee connoisseurs will approve! Here is a video filmed at that same location in Mint Plaza. The process is amazing and looks really like a project in a lab.

While enjoying that coffee spotted something new to me.. food trucks are apparently old news, now it’s boutique trucks – fashion on the go! We need more fashionable people in the world!

Before long though it was time to head down to HOT Columbus and get excited about the booth set-up and the show!!!

To be continued…

 

The story for this design started 2 years ago. Believe it or not it is how long at times ideas have to sit inside a sketch book before they finally materialize. After Petal Halter design success I thought about working out a similar looking shape and incorporating it into a different type of a garment. And this design’s story is not particularly cheerful at the beginning. The design was turned down twice when I submitted it to be published elsewhere, but it lacked a secret ingredient which I have finally found last January…

 

Making the right yarn choice transformed the idea into a perfect marriage or you can call it some other epithet. But the yarn and colors made this shawl “sing”.
Actual patterning that takes place within the shawl can remind everyone of sometimes they know. Whether grey storm clouds, fish scales, even ceramic mosaic floor tiles and of course – as in a place where I live – of a traditional Seikai-ha print or sewn pattern of sashiko embroidery, fabric and prints.
To me personally the shawl reminded of winter ocean of Japan, stormy weather, foamy raging waves, greyness and obscurity of the horizon line between the sky and the water. That is why this shawl is named

Aranami 荒波 (jap).- (n) stormy seas, raging waves.

After I made a swatch I did all necessary calculations to start on actual shawl sample and I LITERALLY couldn’t put it down.. It’s quite addictive really, portable and you just keep telling yourself – one more, 15 minutes later – one more.. then you start seeing color transition to aligning beautifully. I will admit I burned midnight oil while knitting on it couple of times but no regrets. Just wanting to finish the last color and tier… and take it all in!

 

I am going to be making a couple more of these. I want to explore more color families! Aranami is exciting to work on – being not overly complicated, relaxing garter stitch so you keep attention on shaping, yet it’s a pleasure to know that the shawl is reversible! My only suggestion would be, when picking up stitching instead of going between the last and the previous stitch as you would usually do, go inside the last stitch itself. That way the lines on the wrong side would be less bulky, they would be still outlined delicately.

 

I know I am in love and if you are not yet, be prepared to! Brooklyn Tweed LOFT has an amazing range of 32 heather shades. I used 5 colors, 1 skein of each color. So 5 skeins! But amazing yardage of LOFT actually will yield 2 shawls out of those 5 skeins. They will just have to be made in 2 different graduating color directions. Still it’s great usage of yarn and yardage! Remember there are several flagship stores in US that carry Brooklyn Tweed yarns at their locations.

Choosing colors together is a bit harder for some, so I have put together several LOFT color pairings to help. You can also order Brooklyn Tweed Shade Card and play with it for the colors you prefer.

My original Aranami was done in

 

Fossil, Snowbound, Sweatshirt, Soot, Cast Iron

And you can easily replace Fossil with Hayloft or Embers to create a sort of grellow or effect of sun setting/rising over grey seas or skies.. just an idea.

    

First column: Fossil, Woodsmoke, Barn Owl, Nest, Pumpernickel
Second column: Snowbound, Sweatshirt, Faded Quilt, Almanac, Old World
Third column: Faded Quilt, Stormcloud, Truffle Hunt, Meteorite, Pumpernickel

    

First Column: Embers, Wool Socks, Long Johns, Homemade Jam, Plume
Second Column: Postcard, Blanket Fort, Thistle, Plume, Old World

      

First Column: Hayloft, Sap, Fauna, Tent, Birdbook
Second Column: Sap, Tent, Birdbook, Artifact, Cast Iron
Third Column: Foothills, Tent, Birdbook, Artifact, Cast Iron

But you certainly don’t have to stick to these colors combos above, use your imagination to entertain other ombré pairings you can create with these colors.

Pattern specifications:
Level – Beginner Intermediate

Finished shawl measurements (blocked)
Depth 14”
Wingspan 67”

Yarn
Brooklyn Tweed Loft (100% US Targhee-Columbia Wool; 275yds/50g): 1 skein each of “Fossil” (A), “Snowbound” (B), “Sweatshirt” (C), “Soot” (D), “Cast Iron” (E).
OR
any other fingering weight wool in colors
A: 6g or 33yds
B: 14g or 77yds
C: 22g or 121yds
D: 30g or 165yds
E: 38g or 209yds

Needle
US 2 (2.75mm), circular 36″ or longer

On Ravelry

USD 7.00

 

Speaking of last year’s Shadow.

 photography ©BrooklynTweed
I am WAY behind, so I am catching up. Today I want to tell a little bit more about an exciting collaboration I was lucky to be a part of last year. I felt so very honored to be among many great knitwear designers and talents in BrooklynTweed | Wool People Vol.1.
I am sure everyone knows Jared Flood, a fellow knitwear designer, amazing photographer and a genius mastermind behind BrooklynTweed. Who not so long ago has started his own yarn company with his namesake and a desire to bring all American grown soft wool to the knitting world. As a result, wool from Targhee and Columbia sheepies that live and graze in Wyoming, US is blended, then spun in historical Harrisville mill in New Hampshire into wonderful squishy skeins of Shelter and Loft. And now many of us are eager to get our hands on these exuberant heathers that both yarns come at. This yarn is not sold in every yarn store, but only several flagship stores or directly online and it’s worth every little yard and penny.

At first, when I have swatched a variety of stitch patterns using Shelter I was amazed how great it looks with cables. They are delicious and fluffy and texture just pops. And at that moment it has become obvious that I have to create something cable-y since it had been way too long from my last cabled project! I honestly have hard time finding adjectives to describe my experience on working with this woolen spun yarn. I don’t think in my knitting life I have worked with it ever before. You have to try it for yourself – this yarn is sticky so it’s great for colorwork, yet it bounces, it feels a bit like sponge when you knit with it, yet soft and malleable, really like a marshmallow! And once it’s washed it blooms a great deal. Garments produced barely weigh anything versus when you knit a sweater in worsted spun. I have re-discovered what it’s like to have a cabled knit sweater that weighs only 300 grams?!! That’s why I gave my Shadow a lot of love and wear this winter.

But back to the origins of it. As my path was set onto cable-town, I wanted to preserve a bit of my personality in this design. So with little geometric cable texture, flattering fit and a whimsy to keep it modern yet balanced. The swatch below is not knit in Shelter though. And my doodle called a sketch, but you get the idea.

I have used telescope lattice stitch as a starting point. That stitch has always reminded me of the famous French luggage company Goyard Monogram logo, but I wanted to customize it and make it more distinct. Those cables had to have more “breathing room” to stand out and not look crowded. And in the pullover itself,  idea of having cables right under your arms and sides can get a little bulky, so I have chosen to go with a reverse stockinette stitch to ease that part up. And little pockets are given as an option, you can knit them, you can skip them entirely, but they felt organic that can make this sweater “young” without tipping the overall texture and cables balance. Stand up neckline shaped into a collar and is backed with a knit facing worked in the same yarn, but provides the necessary structure for it.

After I have worked through the design and have sent off the sweater, there was this new X-men movie out in the theaters and my eyes kept staring at the wallpaper in one of the scenes. This was interior of a submarine believe it or not, but I couldn’t move my eyes away from the Goyard-looking wallpaper. It just looked so good and after having worked through my own design process, this print had me excited all over again.

I had to do a little bit of research to find out that this wallpaper is being made and in several colors by Osborne & Little and this print is called Trifid. Neat, isn’t it?

And here are couple more detailed images of Shadow on a grey Japanese January afternoon a year ago.

There has been many great variations of Shadow since the pattern has been published last August. Make sure to check them out and queue your own on Ravelry. You know you absolutely need one!

View colors of Shelter yarn
Shadow Pullover on BrooklynTweed site