Author Archives: JC
Musings
By JC | August 14, 2014
Don’t get me wrong. The grand majority of the time, I think that cabled stitch patterns, like knit/purl patterns, are best charted using traditional grid-based charts. The grid provides structure, making it possible to choose symbols that clearly represent the fabric with a minimum of clutter. But I still want to support cables at Stitch-Maps.com. […]
In case you hadn’t noticed, I’m a bit obsessed with stitch patterns. So it’s no surprise that, as I’m flipping through Textured Stitches by Connie Chang Chinchio, part of me is oohing and aahing over the lovely garments, but a bigger part of me is drooling over the stitch patterns. Case in point: the lace […]
Two-fer
By JC | March 27, 2014
Remember how I said I was going to update my patterns to include stitch maps? Yeah, that project fell by the wayside. (Too many projects! Too little time!) Today, though, I present to you a two-fer: two sock patterns updated to use stitch maps in addition to traditional charts and written instructions. First up, Corrine: […]
Long-time readers of this blog will remember Jolie, a lace scarf knit in Berroco Ultra Alpaca Fine. Ditto my rantings on how its edging should be charted. Of course, those rantings pre-dated Stitch-Maps.com. Don’t you just love the stitch map for the edging? No “no stitch” symbols, and a clear understanding of how the parts […]
Traveling
By JC | November 5, 2013
Next up in the series of patterns updated to include stitch maps is the Traveling Vines scarf. I don’t know what I like most about this scarf: its yarn, Windsor Farms Rabbitry Angora Blizzard, or its stitch pattern, Traveling Vines. Way nicer as a stitch map, don’t you think? Speaking of traveling… tomorrow I’m headed […]
Updated
By JC | October 29, 2013
You know those Sidewinder socks I posted about yesterday? The pattern has been available for almost two years, but now it features a little facelift: That’s right, traditional grid-based charts and grid-free stitch maps, side by side. (And written instructions, for those of you that haven’t yet jumped on the chart bandwagon.) You can follow […]
Lately it seems I get most of my knitting done while traveling. Case in point: Before Stitches Midwest, knowing that I would need some travel knitting, I cast on these Sidewinder socks. I don’t often knit one of my own designs twice, so this was a treat: No need to scour stitch dictionaries for ideas! […]
Collecting
By JC | October 20, 2013
Yesterday I visited Rhinebeck for the first time, and what did I do? Buy fiber and yarn? Nope, I don’t spin, and my yarn stash overfloweth already. Instead, I did a little collecting: Some people collect stamps, or butterflies. Me, I collect stitch patterns. These I found “in the wild,” on samples hanging in vendor […]
Inspired
By JC | September 10, 2013
Last weekend’s test-run of my new Wedge Shawl Design class went quite well, if I do say so myself. Oh, sure, there was a hiccup or two, and you know I’ll be making improvements to the class based on the feedback I got. But what blew me away was how inspired the students were. Several […]
Did you take some time off this holiday weekend? I did. It was fabulous. But now it’s back to work, and oh, my. If I think too much about my upcoming schedule, I start hyperventilating: This weekend I head to small, local retreat where I get to test-teach a new class to a bunch of […]