Pattern | Tikkyn Reversible Afghan

Fast, easy and reversible, Tikkyn offers unlimited possibilities. This Middle English word for a soft touch or small dot captures the charm of this afghan with its easy colorwork, cozy texture and versatile unisex appeal.

From rainbows to neutrals, just shift your color choices to suit everyone from babies and new moms to guys and grandmas. As an added plus, this slip stitch is easy to execute, makes colorwork a breeze, and produces a fabric that’s attractive on both sides. These marvelous qualities may explain why it's one of my all-time favorite stitches.

Strip construction keeps your project compact, portable and comfortable to work in any season. The modified three-needle method makes assembly a snap, creating polished seams that preserve drape and add stability.

               

With Tikkyn, the:

• Slipped stitch is easy to execute and produces appealing textures on both sides.
• Colorwork is a snap, because only one color is worked on a row.
• Blocks are worked in strips, which simplifies work in progress and speeds assembly.

• Strip strategy keeps your project compact and portable, so you can knit anytime and anywhere without the weight of a blanket on your lap or needles. 

• Seams preserve drape and are a breeze to work, so assembly goes quickly and smoothly.
• Pattern is simple enough for any moderately experienced beginner. Concise but complete, it includes a basic schematic along with directions, stitch counts, yardage and dimensions for three popular sizes (baby, lapghan, throw).
• Yarn is worsted weight or its equivalent, so your project grows quickly.
• Unisex design suits everyone young or old, so have fun and experiment with different color combinations and arrangements. 

Tikkyn Afghan  | Fast, Easy & Reversible

Skill Level 2: Easy
Yarn: Worsted weight; adapts to any weight and multi-stranding

Shown: Cotton Fleece (Brown Sheep)

Needles: US 8 (5 mm)
Sizes: 3 sizes (baby, lapghan, throw)
Yardage (approx.): 925 to 1950 yards

Written for worsted weight yarn, the pattern includes directions for three popular sizes (baby, lapghan, throw) and readily adapts to other weights and multi-stranding. It includes layouts for two different color strategies, and offers suggestions for multiple block, color and strip combinations.

The version shown incorporates five rainbow shades set against cream for a light, fresh look, and it's worked in a cotton-wool blend for year-round appeal. 

The same block and strip arrangement would be lovely in soft wool and warm autumn tones, saturated brights, or neutral earth tones. This stitch also looks lovely worked in one color. So, work each strip in a different but related shade for a custom ombre or gradient effect. Pair a related solid with a speckled or variegated yarn for a fresh, unexpected look. Or simply choose a soft shade for a little one on the way, grey for the perfect guy-ghan, or burgundy for a rich, plush throw for your family.

It’s entirely up to you. You can follow the pattern as written, customize it using the yardage breakouts and useful tips, or do a mix of both.

Whatever approach you take, the end result will be a soft, cushy afghan that's so inviting and versatile, you may find yourself making one for every knitworthy person you know.


Looking for the pattern? Click here to buy it now.

FYI

Want to read more? See FO | Tikkyn Rainbow and FO | Tikkyn Flagstone.
Shopping at your favorite LYS? All patterns are activated for in-store sales.
Seeking inspiration? Read Beyond the Block: 20 Surefire Configurations.

Wrestling with color choices? These articles offer ideas and inspiration.

Considering a multi-strand or LOSY strategy? See this helpful conversion chart.

FO | Tikkyn Flagstone

From the beginning, I always envisioned a neutral version of Tikkyn as a nice counterpoint to the colorful rainbow version.

I also wanted the light, lofty warmth of wool, which is so very welcome this time of year. To accomplish this, I chose Amherst (Valley Yarns), because the color palette offered a nice variety that included greys ranging from light to charcoal.

I've been enamored with this simple slipped stitch for too many years to count. It's fast, it's easy, and it creates a textured fabric with two different but very attractive sides. 

On the front, the main color (charcoal) dominates, while dots of grey and burgundy appear in disciplined rows and columns. On the back, the contrasting colors are more prominent, forming a chain-like design lightly woven with charcoal.

(If you spot any lumps, bumps or irregularities, try to look past them. I'm so pleased to have this finished, I'm jumping the gun and sharing photos in its unblocked state.)

While Tikkyn Rainbow featured an all-over block strategy, for Flagstone I wanted something different, so I used the Diagonal 2 layout included in the pattern. 

The result is a series of burgundy focal blocks that travel from the lower left to the upper right corner, dividing the top left (charcoal and light grey) from the bottom right portion (charcoal and ash).

On the back, the blocks travel from the upper left to lower right, and the colors are more prominent.

To keep things simple, I opted for narrow seams and trimmed only the far left and right edges. The cast on and bind off resist curling, so there was no need to trim the top and bottom.

Afghan | Tikkyn Flagstone
Yarn: Amherst (Valley Yarns)
Needles: US 10 (6 mm); US 11 (8 mm)
Size: Small (baby)
Dimensions: 28 x 36 ins
Yardage: 984 yards (approx.)

I promise to get better photos once it's blocked. Meanwhile in this stitch, the Amherst yarn created the light, lofty fabric I envisioned with a satisfying drape and feel. Through handling, steaming and blocking, the surface has developed a slight halo that adds to its soft, cozy appeal. 

Flagstone took just over two months from the first stitch to the last woven end. It sounds contradictory, but for me that's remarkably fast (comparatively speaking), since it served as my pick-up-lay-down project while I worked on a flurry of small projects, patterns (Kintra, Wyndfael), and Christmas trees in a range of sizes, shapes and configurations.

This time of year, I'm typically drawn to cheerful, saturated shades to offset winter's gloom, but for some strange reason, I'm still craving neutrals. That may explain why a neutral shawl has unexpectedly jumped onto the needles, but we'll save that discussion for another day.


The Tikkyn Reversible Afghan pattern has been released, so you can:

• Click here to buy it now. 
• Learn more about it here: Pattern | Tikkyn Reversible Afghan.
• See the Rainbow version here: FO | Tikkyn Rainbow.

For ideas and inspiration, check out Beyond the Block: 20 Surefire Configurations.

FOs | 2016 in Review

As the new year dawns, it's time to review what's been accomplished and create a plan for this bright and promising year.

I won't bore you with the backstory, but for numerous reasons, the past 24 months have been a mad scramble. Work and life have been so challenging, knitting and designing have routinely taken a back seat. Many weeks, I knit nary a stitch (a rarity for me), so I was pleasantly surprised to find I'd completed a fairly respectable list of projects this year.

Let's take a quick look. (Click the link to see the project post.)

Accessories

Alaris Wrap

Kintra Oyster Bay

Kintra Nearly Neutral

Wyndfael Mitts

Afghans

Angletyn Vivid

    
Angletyn Rainbow

Lucben Rose

Lucben Tidepool

Tikkyn Rainbow

Tikkyn Flagstone - Almost but not quite finished!

Small Things

Christmas Trees - Multiple sizes and configurations. Here are just a few:

Patterns
On the pattern front, I fell short of my ideal goal, but managed to release eight new ones for an average of one every six weeks or so. (To see the pattern release post, just click the link.)

Accessories

• Alaris Wrap
• Kintra Mitts
• Wyndfael Mitts

Afghans

• Angletyn Afghan
• Lucben Afghan
• Tikkyn Afghan

Home & Holidays

• Christmas Tree Ornaments & More
• Graefen Cloth & Towel Set

NextGen Knitters
The opportunity to begin teaching my god-daughters how to knit was one of the supreme pleasures of 2016. Whether they recognize it or not, they seem to have an innate talent for this craft, so the lessons have progressed well. The combination of distance and busy schedules makes it difficult to get everyone together for family knitting sessions, but when winter eases up a bit, we might manage to do so more often.

Planning Ahead
My plans for this promising new year are still evolving, but a few things are certain. It's more important than ever to keep things simple and straightforward (KISS), so my primary goal is to knit what I want in whatever order suits my fancy, with an emphasis on focusing and finishing.

With that in mind, here's where things stand:

• 1 new shawl ready to cast on (hopefully today)
• 2 new afghans in progress
• 3 small things waiting in the wings
• 9 new designs in the pipeline
• Too many test swatches to count

On the good news front, the yarn cupboards are relatively well organized and pleasantly full but not overflowing. The studio, on the other hand, is awash in yarn, swatches, pattern notes and WIPs, so it needs some serious attention.

To start the new year on a positive foot, I'm going to spend some time tidying the studio (and kitchen and office), finish edging Tikkyn to bring it one step closer to completion, and cast on the shawl I've been itching to make.

As we wrap up the old year and welcome the new one, feel free to share your 2016 accomplishments, your plans for 2017, or both.

Meanwhile, let me wish you and yours a bright and happy New Year filled with the joys of family, friends and fiber!

FO | Tikkyn Rainbow

What can I say? 

It appears I've traded my blue streak for a succession of rainbows. Last week, Angletyn was in the spotlight, and today, Tikkyn has claimed center stage.

In spite of the shared rainbow theme, there are obvious differences. Angletyn sports bold chevrons, while Tikkyn features a more traditional approach with color blocks worked in classic shades:

• Buttercream
• Provincial Rose
• Raging Purple
• Lapis
• New Age Teal
• Cottonball (MC)

The very easy slip stitch creates a textured fabric with two different but very attractive sides. On the front, creamy stitches highlight contrasting dots, while on the back, colorful chain-like stitches are lightly woven with cream.

The color blocks stair-step diagonally from left to right across the front, and the butter yellow and provincial rose provide warm pops of color that contrast nicely with the cool teal, blue and purple.

For now, I'm sharing the finished project unblocked and fresh off the needles. When it's properly blocked, I'll strive to get better images, but until that happens, we can make due, right?

Afghan | Tikkyn Rainbow
Yarn: Cotton Fleece (Brown Sheep)
Needles: US 8 (5 mm); US 9 (5.5 mm)
Size: Medium (lapghan)
Dimensions: 32 x 42 ins
Yardage: 970 yards (approx.)

Worked in Cotton Fleece (80% cotton, 20% wool), this fabric has a pleasing drape, light but substantive feel, and true four-season versatility. 

From start to finish, the project took three months. In terms of real knitting time, we could easily cut that in half, since I was juggling multiple WIPs (Angletyn Vivid, Christmas Trees and Lucben Rose).

This was such an enjoyable project, I'm eager to cast on another. Meanwhile, the back-to-back string of multicolored knits has generated lots of leftovers and partial skeins. To put them to good use, I'm working on several new concepts, which can only mean one thing. 

There are definitely more rainbows on the horizon.

UPDATE
The Tikkyn pattern has been released:

• Click here to buy it now. 
• To learn more about it, see Pattern | Tikkyn Reversible Afghan.
• To see this design in neutral shades, go to FO | Tikkyn Flagstone.

Beyond the Block: 20 Surefire Configurations

I was planning to tackle this topic one day soon, but a question from a knitter prompted me to move it up in the blogging queue.

This is her dilemma. She's making the Tikkyn afghan for her grandson, and when she asked him what colors he preferred, he chose cranberry and purple.

We all know I'm fond of that particular combo (Angletyn Vivid and Flashpoint Bold), but it's not a natural pairing for many people. Our knitter prefers muted autumn shades of tobacco brown, olive and burgundy, so she's struggling to find a way to get this bold combination to work. To tone down the purple and red, she's thinking of adding a third color, such as grey or navy.

For context, it helps to remember Tikkyn features a block-based design worked in five strips rather than separate squares. 

The simple slipped stitch makes colorwork easy (see above and below), but it's equally appealing worked solid.

With these factors in mind, let's think beyond the block and experiment with 20 surefire configurations that range from classic to creative and incorporate either two colors (purple, red) or three colors (purple, red, grey).


Two-Color Concepts

1. Solid strips (purple MC for seams and trim):

2. Solid and two-color strips (purple MC):

3. Solid sections with two-color focal blocks (color-matched seams and trim):

4. Solid blocks alternated with two-color blocks (purple MC):

5. Solid and two-color blocks arranged for a diagonal gradient or ombre effect (purple MC):

6. Solid and two-color blocks arranged for a diagonal gradient or ombre effect (red MC):

Three-Color Concepts

7. Solid strips (grey MC):

8. Two-color strips (grey MC):

9. Solid sections offset with solid focal blocks (grey MC):

10. Two-color sections offset with solid focal blocks (grey MC):

11. Two-color sections offset with two-color focal blocks (grey MC):

12. Solid and two-color blocks arranged to create squares inside of squares (grey MC):

13. Two-color blocks arranged in a simplified Maltese cross (grey MC):

14. Solid blocks arranged in a simplified Maltese cross (grey MC):

15. Solid elongated blocks stair-stepped like tiles (grey MC):




16. Two-color elongated blocks stair-stepped like tiles (grey MC):

17. Solid blocks in each color (purple MC):

18. Solid blocks in each color (grey MC):

19. Solid and two-color blocks (grey MC):

20. Solid and two-color blocks (purple MC):

Whew! I'll stop here, even though we haven't come close to exhausting the possibilities. (We could quickly multiply the choices just by switching the MC shown to one of the other options.)

The illustrations feature the specific colors our knitter is considering, but the core concepts adapt to any color combo you might choose and accommodate purpose-bought yarn, stash skeins or a mix of both. We've focused on Tikkyn, but these strategies could easily be applied to Color Check, Drumlin, Lucben and Twegen. With a little thought and preparation, they could suit almost any block-based afghan design.

Color play like this keeps knitting fresh and fun. Add in the anticipation of making something special for someone you love, and it's easy to see why the planning process is just as addictive as knitting.

If you're at all like me, one of the toughest challenges is deciding which layout holds the greatest appeal. So tell us, which one would you make? What other configurations might work? Your feedback and suggestions are welcome, as always.


To see no. 11 in shades of grey and burgundy, go to FO | Tikkyn Flagstone.
For more color ideas and inspiration, click here.
To learn more about the Tikkyn pattern, click here.