07 April 2010

Matsudo Pullover

One of the great laments of Those Who Knit for Men is that they (men) only want 'boring' sweaters; they must be blue, black, or grey in plain stockinette, and maaaaybe they can have a stripe across the chest or something. The Matsudo pullover is one of my offerings to appease all parties involved.


Pattern: Matsudo Pullover (my own)
Yarn: Fibra Natura Sensational (Superwash Merino Wool 100%), shown in 'Ultra Violet'
Needles: Addi Turbo Circulars in sizes US6 & US8


The search & experiments that led me to the texture pattern you see in the Osmundiale Beanie & Wristers (shown below) also yielded this subtly textured patterns stitch. As with the texture in the Osmundiale set, this one uses basic increases & decreases to manipulate the "grain" of the fabric. One of the things I like so much about this texture is that it's super subtle. From a distance, one might think this is just another pullover. With closer inspection, however, you can really appreciate the gentle visual shifts that are created by the way the knit stitches lay.


All in all, it makes for a very wearable pullover (in 7 sizes, from a finished chest measurement of 33" to a finished chest of 57") that is still interesting to knit, as the pattern shifts regularly throughout the body to create the "meandering" effect of the stripes. This meandering was reminiscent (for me) of the spiraling branches of the Curly Willow (Salix matsudana, named for Sadahisa Matsudo, and so was this pullover, albeit a bit more indirectly).


Matsudo Pullover

This pattern will be available soon wherever you find Universal Yarns (distributors of Fibra Natura, which you can also buy on their website). Naturally, Ravelry members can also buy & download this pattern from my Ravelry Store, and anyone can buy & download the pattern right here by clicking the button above. Thanks again to my friend Melissa Diaz for modeling for me, and to my roommate Yimka for modeling for me at the last-minute!

04 April 2010

Osmundiale Beanie & Wristers

Hey there, I wanted to give a quick look at some of what I've been working on.

One of my goals has been to create hand-knitting patterns for men's garments & accessories that are both wearable for a wide range of guys, and are interesting to knit. To that end, I've been playing with some basic techniques to create textures in knitted fabric that are engaging for the knitter, and not too overwhelming for the guy next door.


The Osumundiale Beanie & Wristers set is the result of some of these early experiments. This set uses a texture pattern that is created entirely with simple increases & decreases, & each piece is very wearable for Men and Women.


Pattern: Osmundiale Beanie & Wristers set (my own)
Yarn: The S/M set is shown in Universal Yarn Deluxe Worsted Concord Tweed (Wool 90%, Acrylic 7%, Viscose 3%) in 'Gold Spice'.
The M/L set is shown in Universal Yarn Deluxe Worsted (Wool 100%) in 'Dolphin'.
Needles: Addi Turbo Circulars in sizes US5 & US7

Both accessories come in sizes S/M and M/L. The S/M wristers are, effectively, a Men's Small/Women's Medium, and will fit a hand approximately 7.5" in circumference. The S/M beanie is sized to fit a head approximately 22" in circumference.--which is appropriate for most heads, really. The M/L wristers fit a hand about 8" in circumference, making them a Men's Medium/Women's Large. The M/L beanie is really for those of us with 'large craniums', as I like to explain it, and will fit a head approximately 24" in circumference.


While I was developing this stitch pattern, the symmetric horizontal lines that are created by the paired decreases reminded me of the doubled leaflets of the Cinnamon Fern (Osmundastrum cinnamomeum), so I felt it made sense to give the knits a name that reflected their inspiration. The instructions for the beanie & wristers both come with options for the ribbed edge or the rolled edge treatments shown, and the beanie includes instructions for a more fitted version, as well as for the slouchy version you see here.


I love the way the slouchy beanie shape & rolled edging form a structural counterpoint to the very regimented & linear stitch pattern, while the ribbed edging provides that fit & structure that many people love w/their knits.


These & other patterns (to be blogged soon) are currently available in my Ravelry store. You can also ask for the Osmundiale Beanie & Wristers Set pattern wherever you find Universal Yarns, which you can also buy directly from their website. These accessory patterns will be available bundled into one pattern in stores, or you can buy them separately in my Ravelry Store. You can also buy these patterns with PayPayl by using the links below, even if you are not a Ravelry member. The cost of the bundled pattern is the same as what you would pay if you bought both the Beanie & Wristers patterns individually (in case you were curious about that. I know I would be. ;o) )


Osmundiale Beanie Pattern


Osmundiale Wristers Pattern

Remember, you don't need to be a Ravelry member to use the "buy now" links above. ;o)

Many thanks to my friend Melissa Diaz for modeling the Beanie & Wristers for me! She's also wearing the Matsudo Pullover that I designed for Men & Women--the pattern for that will be available in the next day or two, so y'all come back now, y'hear?

01 April 2010

Hello (again).

Hello, everybody!

Whether you've just discovered me, or whether you've followed me here from Splendor Knitting, welcome to the new TricotChico blog!

This is the place to watch for new knitting patterns & projects by Homero Luna (aka 'TricotChico'), so stay tuned; there's plenty of wooly hotness just around the corner! :o)

Here's a blurb about me, in case you're completely new here (welcome!): I'm a 30-something guy living in Brooklyn, NY. I started knitting in 2007 because I wanted a Gryffindor scarf & couldn't find one in stores, so I figured I'd just make it. While working on that project, I started thinking of other clothes & accessories I also wanted, but had a hard time finding, & decided I would knit those, too. I soon realised that most knitting patterns for men's garments & accessories were not my style. I ended up designing most of what I knit, and eventually decided to share these designs with others.

This blog will be a place to share my thoughts on knitting & designing stuff that is both wearable & interesting to knit, as well as a venue for people to buy & download my patterns.