I completely spaced the January Color Knitting Links so I'm combining January and February for one huge list. I promise to try to keep the links to a more manageable size in the future.
FREE PATTERNS
The Peony Handwarmers include a feather and fan type cuff and are knit in DK weight yarn.
The mosaic Burntwater Socks use one solid and one multicolored sock yarn.
The My Rose Red hat by Christi Wasson uses two colors of worsted weight yarn and might be a perfect gift for a special Valentine.
The I Love Someone with Autism Beret uses three colors of Paton's Classic Wool.
This Drops baby sweater pattern has a rabbit motif and it even includes matching trousers and socks.
Maria Leigh's wild and crazy Brickwork socks use one solid and one variegated yarn for an eye-catching result. I may have to make these.
The Colorwork Turtleneck Sweater from Better Homes and Gardens uses worsted weight yarn and is a good choice for a beginning color knitter.
Bernat has this Yoke Sweaters for the Whole Family pattern available. The sweaters feature turtlenecks and should be quick to knit in bulky weight yarn.
HERE are some free patterns for Icelandic sweaters and a few hats using thick Lopi yarn.
The Helsingland Toddler mittens are a quick knit in Aran weight yarn and feature a flared cuff.
PATTERNS FOR SALE
I still have post-traumatic stress syndrome from having to read Beowulf in college but the rest of you might love these incredible Hwaet socks from Sanguine Gryphon which use some of the text from the first page of the manuscript. I love the yarns used for this project.
Barbara Gregory's Dragon Paws use fingering weight to make a great fingering weight mitten for dragon lovers of all ages.
Lynn DT Hershberger of Color Joy offers these colorful Keys and Coins Andean Style Hats with Optional Ear Flaps through Patternfish. The hats use a self-striping yarn along with a solid and are a good choice for a beginning color knitter.
Kirsten Jensen's Sant'Angelo Sweater is a gorgeous pattern knit in sport weight yarn. I love the flared cuffs.
If you love corrugated ribbing as much as I do, check out Lucy Neatby's Sizzling Hot Hat. It is double knit using sock yarn.
Rebecca Blair's elaborate and intricate Guardian Gloves use 3 colors a row and duplicate stitch in Palette yarn. Check them out to see how magnificent a stranded design can look when you add extra colors to each row.
Mary Jane Mucklestone's Halcyon Hat uses 6 colors of fingering weight yarn and looks like a good pattern for beginners.
Elinor Brown's Forest Mushroom Mittens use lots of my beloved braids with some simple color designs in 3 colors of sport weight yarn.
TECHNIQUES/REFERENCE
Tips and Techniques: Color Dominance in Stranded Knitting has a good photo showing a pair of geometric mittens with the dominant color switched on the second mitten.
Here's a PDF form you can fill out to keep track of which colors of Palette you have. Speaking of Palette, here's a great photo on Flickr of the Palette colors with names and numbers in grayscale so you can get a better idea of the contrast between colors.
I've been working on updating the group pages for the Stranded forum on Ravelry. Check it out especially the recommended Color Knitting Books list, Wool Yarns Recommended for Colorwork, Other Yarns Recommended for Colorwork, and Cast On and Bind Off Techniques.
There is a good thread HERE in the Xtreme Fair Isle Knitting group on Ravelry on Knitting with Older Eyes. My personal favorite suggestion from a fellow mod on the Stranded forum - put a white towel on your lap to help see your knitting better.
Another good Rav thread is this one on how to break out of color ruts in the Color Coordinated forum.
OTHER
Laura is giving away a free copy of her book about intarsia, Picture Perfect Knits. Just comment on her blog by tomorrow at 3 pm Pacific time to enter.
Sam from Lakeland is the chullo queen of Ravelry. Check out her project page for photos of dozens of gorgeous chullos.
Looks like Bea Ellis is selling off her inventory on Ebay HERE. Check it out if you're seeking any Dale of Norway patterns or yarn.
Need a new knitting notebook? You can't do much better than this cool Fair Isle notebook with a stranded wool cover from the Shetland museum.
Loopyworks' Fitted Jacket with Embroidery is a work of art. I'd make this myself but I doubt I'd ever wear it.
One of my favorite color knitting inspirations is MariannAn on Ravelry. Check out her mind-boggling Leaving for Miklagaard at Sunset socks. She used the Sandnes free Viking Ship pattern for some of the colorwork. Also check out her Tudor Roses socks using the Starmore Henry VIII pattern for inspiration.
Another Ravelry FO I love is Jenniferaf's Bohus Blue Shimmer Hat.
Here is a Chicago Tribune article on how traditional Fair Isle designs are inspiring today's fashions.
Beckyzzz's beautiful A.S. Inspired Sweater used colors from one of her mom's paintings.
Here's a good message thread about Jamieson and Smith raising the price of their Shetland yarns and the future for this industry.
I'm planning on trying out some new needles soon. First I'm going to get a pair of the 5" Kollage square double pointed needles for gloves and I also want to try some of the new 9" circular needles for mittens and socks. Has anyone tried either of these needles for colorwork?
EVENTS
We're starting a KAL on Ravelry's Stranded Forum for the Undergrowth Hat in the current issue of Knitty on the Stranded forum on February 15th. It uses two colors of sport weight yarn.
Our Glove Knitter's forum is doing a Stranded Gloves KAL. It starts March 1 and goes for two months and even includes prizes. I think I'm going to do the Red Bud Gloves by Alexis Winslow.
Knit Picks is holding an ongoing Colorwork KAL with reference info and links to some of their colorwork patterns.
SpillyJane is holding a contest. If you knit her free pattern for Camilla patterns (PDF here) and send her a photo before the end of February, she'll send you any of her patterns you choose.
February is Stephanie van der Linden month on Sock Knitter's Anonymous. Cast on any of her sock patterns in February and you have until the end of March to finish. There are lots of great prizes for some of the lucky competitors.
