Muntins is here!!! (Pardon me—I’m not actually a screamer in person…)
As I mentioned last week, this scarf is part of Knotions September 2020, which is portal-themed; when I saw the issue theme in the submission call, my geeky knuckles began cracking on reflex. I’ve loved windows as long as I can remember; originally I wanted to go in a fantasy-elvish sort of direction for this sub call, but ended up going with my childhood affection for Tudor windows. See below!
I’d actually created the lace/cable stitch pattern for this scarf a few years ago in a madcap swatching experiment, one of the few instances in which I’ve ever cast on with no plan whatsoever and for the pure joy of discovery (as you may have heard, I am a confirmed product knitter). The ragged piece of graph paper that I used to chart the mesh inside of the cables may still be kicking around in a basket or project bag somewhere in my house. But in any case, the swatch had been collecting dust for so long that I’d forgotten what needle size I used. Which, incidentally, is why I wrote this post; but I digress.
So that little swatch got dusted off, photographed and proposed to Knotions; the pattern has been in the works since February. Knit Picks ran out of the Elizabeth colorway I used in my swatch (coronavirus, I’m looking at you; ahem…), which is why the sample ended up being teal. And it’s a good thing I didn’t remember what needle I used, because my gauge changed significantly in two years; whatever size I used before, it was a good bit bigger than the US 3 that ended up being in the pattern.
Here this little ramble reaches its destination—the details! The pattern can be downloaded, from Knotions or from Ravelry, for free today, August 22, only. So if you want it, come and get it!
It’s an intermediate to advanced pattern, not exactly a skill builder but more of a skill combiner. The original concept in my mind was to use cables as a frame in which the lace would be “suspended”, which means both lace and cables are being worked at the same time. Not for the faint of heart, but not necessarily a daredevil project either. For reference, you don’t have to be as brave as Samwise Gamgee but should definitely be braver than Lotho Sackville-Baggins. (I guess those muntins would look quite nice in a hobbit hole, wouldn’t they? And the window shapes are even round! I promise, I only just thought of that! Really! ) And as I mentioned last week, it hardly uses any yarn; so it may come in handy in a pinch for stashbusting or quick gifts.
Did I mention there’s a video? The magical people at Knotions have put together an issue trailer that you can view on their website or on YouTube.
And Muntins made #6 in Ravelry’s Top 20 most viewed patterns (aka Hot Right Now)—how nifty is that? These screenshots were taken exactly 24 hrs after publication.
Finally, as I promised last week, a yarn giveaway! Enter the drawing here for 2 skeins of Knit Picks Alpaca Cloud Fingering to make this scarf in the colorway Frances, a lovely cobalt blue.
That’s all for this week! But whether you’re adventurous, foresighted, nerdy, or all of the above, I hope Muntins has something for you. Remember, it’s free today only!
All watermarked photos are the property of Kellie Nuss for Knotions Magazine.
