Category: Knits of Steele Designs

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Free Patterns Knits of Steele Designs

Hazelnut Latte

I started this hat in late 2019 or early 2020, I’m not really sure because I ended up putting it down at some point and leaving it dormant for a while! 

My inspiration for this hat was something really squishy and cozy to wear in the early spring and late fall. The perfect hat for that chilly transition weather. A simple style with just enough detail to keep it interesting. 

And the name….well I bet you can guess what I was drinking when I thought up this design 😉

I used Red Heart Chic Sheep by Marly Bird for this hat in the colour Linen which is such a soft and cozy shade of white. This yarn is so soft and squishy. It’s the perfect yarn for a cozy and simple hat. You may recognize it from the Hacked Hat pattern that I put out on this blog earlier in 2020. 

I settled on reverse stockinette, knit inside out to avoid all that purling, with knit stitch details along the decreases to create the illusion of a seam. 

One of the most challenging things to figure out for this design were the decreases. I’m used to decreasing on the right side using a knit-two-together and slip-slip-knit to create paired decreases, but this design is knit wrong side out so it required decreasing in reverse. 

So I ended up using purl-two-together and -slip-slip-purl. The slip-slip-purl was a new technique for me and it took a little while to get used to. You can find a tutorial on Very Pink!

I almost gave up and just left it at a purl-two-together on each side, it didn’t look quite right but it would be “good enough”. I’m so glad I took the time to figure it out. It took a little trial and error but I finally got it! And it was totally worth all the extra effort. 

I put this project in hibernation again after that, but the cool weather sparked my desire to finish this cozy hat.

Hazelnut Latte has been a staple in my wardrobe this fall and I love it so much. I hope you feel the same! You can download Hazelnut Latte FOR FREE on Ravelry: https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/hazelnut-latte

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Free Patterns Knits of Steele Designs

Free Pattern: Reusable Cotton Face Scrubby

6 reusable cotton face scrubbies laid out on a white background
Four scrubby styles are better than one!

This free knitting pattern for a reusable cotton face scrubby is a great way to reduce waste instead of using one-use cotton pads. I was inspired to design this pattern by Earth Day and out of a need I had in my own skincare routine!

I was so tired of using toilet paper, tissues and one use cotton pads to take off make-up, remove nail polish, and apply toner. Not only was it a waste to use so many one-use products, but they didn’t work very well!

A white woman's hand holds a bottle of Lush Tea Tree Water Toner against a dark wood table with a reusable knit cotton face scrubby next to it
These scrubbies are great for applying toner – this is my favourite toner from Lush!

When cotton face scrubby patterns started cropping up last year, I thought wow that is such a great idea, but something was wrong….nearly all of them were crochet!! There’s nothing wrong with crochet, but I cannot crochet more than a chain so making a round face scrubby was out of the question.

So I grabbed some cotton DK from my stash and got started! I knew I wanted to design something that was pretty enough to leave stacked on the counter and also functional. So I sat down and designed Reusable Cotton Face Scrubbies 4 Ways!

The pattern includes instructions for

  • The Classic style
  • Mitered Square
  • Striped Mitered Square
  • And Bordered style

6 reusable cotton face scrubbies laid out on a white background
Four scrubby styles are better than one!

And today I’m so happy to bring you the pattern for the Classic style free on the blog in honour of Earth Day 2020!

Each square takes so little yarn, this is a perfect stash busting project to use up leftover bits of cotton, which adds to the sustainability of the design. I used Paintbox Yarns Cotton DK for my scrubbies in the colours Dolphin Blue, Duck Egg Blue, and Vanilla Cream.

If you plan on using your scrubbies for make-up or nail polish I would recommend a darker colour so it doesn’t show the stains as much.

A blue reusable cotton face scrubby sits on a grey washcloth
FREE on the blog the Classic Style Scrubby!

Free Pattern: Classic Style Scrubby

Inspired by the classic hand knit dishcloth, this classic style make-up pad is knit corner to corner with timeless eyelet details around the border.

Abbreviations

k: knit

k2tog: knit two sts together

yo: yarn over

st(s): stitch(es)

Pattern Instructions

Cast On 4 sts

Row 1: K all sts

Row 2: K all sts

Row 3: K2, yo, k to end

Repeat Row 3 until there are 18 sts.

Row 4: K1, k2tog, yo, k2tog, k to end

Repeat Row 4 until there are 4 sts. 

Row 5: K all sts

Row 6: K all sts

Bind off all sts. 

Finishing

Weave in ends and block if desired. 

And that’s it – so easy! I bet you already want to make more. Did I mention that these make great gifts? I sent some pictures to my mom and she said she wants some, so I’m planning to make her a set for Mother’s Day.

A blue and cream reusable cotton face scrubby sit on a grey washcloth on a dark wood table
A close up look of the Bordered style. This one has two different textures on the right and wrong sides!

Don’t forget you can visit my Ravely store to purchase the downloadable pdf pattern that includes instructions for 4 Scrubby styles:

  • The Classic style
  • Mitered Square
  • Striped Mitered Square
  • And Bordered style

A reusable cotton scrubby sits on an aqua washcloth on a dark wood table
Shhhhh don’t tell the others, but the Striped Mitered Square is my favourite!

 

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FO Spotlight Knits of Steele Designs

FO Spotlight: Twister Mitts

Two hands wearing blue speckled knit fingerless mitts hold a mug of coffee
Make sure you take this time to relax and enjoy some slow knitting

Today I’m shining the FO Spotlight on my most recent knit design the Twister Mitts! I love these fingerless mitts, I’ve been wearing them almost non-stop for the past few weeks. Knit with worsted weight speckled yarn and an off centre cable detail makes these an irresistible accessory.

A white woman holds her hand on her chest showing knit fingerless mitts
These mitts have been my favourite accessory for the transition from Winter to Spring.

Did I mention the seed stitch detailing!

The cable and seed stitch also pops when made with solid yarn. They would of course look absolutely gorgeous in any colour, but I’m eager to see a pink pair pop up as that is my favourite colour!

The Twister Mitts are knit in worsted weight yarn. I used this beautiful speckled yarn from KnitPicks that I had leftover from a sweater. It was a KnitPicks special reserve colourway, but you can still get the regular Swish Worsted. Which comes in so many colours!

My tester for this pattern used Lion Brand Heartland and hers are absolutely lovely as well. Any worsted weight yarn will do it.

I am in love with the off centre cable, I’ll be honest I didn’t do it on purpose! I originally planned for the cable to go straight up the middle, but the way I worked the gusset caused it to drift towards the thumb. And I have to say what a happy accident because I love how it turned out.

A white woman's hand is held outstretched palm down, the sidewalk and orange construction fence are int he background

I knew I would need a different stitch along the top of the mitts and the thumb as stockinette stitch would curl. I debated doing a 1×1 rib to match the cuff, but it just didn’t seem right. Seed stitch to the rescue, after the rib this was the first stitch I thought of as it’s one of my all time favourites.

I designed these last Fall so I would have a pair of mitts to wear when it was chilly, but that would still allow me to easily use my phone for playing Pokemon Go! It took me a while, but I did get around to writing up the pattern and built up the confidence to release it. 

A white woman's hand lays on a computer keyboard wearing a knit fingerless glove
I’ve even been wearing my Twister Mitts in the office when my hands get cold.

With the outbreak of COVID-19, it’s a difficult time for a lot of people during this pattern release. My office is closed and we are all working from home until April 6th.

So I want to offer a special discount! Until April 6th the Twister Mitts are 30% off on Ravelry – no coupon needed! Head over to my Ravelry store to buy your copy and let’s stick together and support each other during this challenging time.

A young while woman wearing glasses leans with her hand against a tree trunk, she is wearing knit fingerless mitts.
Sometimes…photos don’t turn out exactly like you envisioned…