Author: Lesley Robinson

I am a work-at-home-mom doing freelance Interior Design in Lansing, Michigan, taking care of my two adorable boys and knitting whenever I get the chance. After graduating from the College for Creative Studies (located in Detroit, Michigan) with a degree in Interior Design and a minor in Fiber Design, I moved to New York City! I spent several years there working as a commercial Interior Designer and learned so much! I recently started publishing my own knitwear designs and knits for the home, and I just love everything about this incredible community!
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New pattern release :: Autumn Vibes hat!

Feeling all the Autumn Vibes :: now available on Ravelry and knitgraffiti.com!!  Receive a 20% discount on this pattern through the end of today using coupon code VIBES at checkout.  Autumn Vibes is a color dipped hat with a textural arrow band, knit using the two-color brioche stitch. The pattern is written for two sizes: Adult Small and Large.  See the pattern pages for more details.

Remember my Summer Vibes shawl I released in July?  I was so inspired by the brioche arrows stitch pattern that I created for that design, I wanted to see what it would look like in a different application!  I loved working with YOTH yarns Best Friend for that summer shawl, and I wanted to continue working with them for this design.  Autumn hats should be totally squishy and warm, right?  Well, YOTH yarns Big Sister DK weight was an absolutely PERFECT yarn for this hat!  Seriously, it is so soft.  It is a blend of superwash merino (the softest), cashmere (wow, even softer), and a bit of nylon to give it a bit of memory.  And did I mention the colors??

Color Dipped version, shown in Large size

The pattern is written specifically for this color dipping, shown here in the Large size. I used colors Peach, Mint, and Caviar for this one. But I really wanted to see what it would look like in simply two colors!

Two Color version, shown in Small size

This sample used colors Mint and Caviar together for a neutral look. There really are endless possibilities for this pattern.  Knit it as written, or grab tons of leftover balls of DK yarn and create a super stripey version that’s the ultimate stash buster!!

Autumn Vibes modeled. Summer Vibes hanging in the background, shown in YOTH yarns Best Friend in colors Oyster and Cracked Pepper.

I like to wear my hats a little big, and this one has the perfect amount of slouch.  I truly hope you enjoy my newest pattern, and keep your eye out for another fun pattern this winter!!  (wink wink).

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New pattern release :: Primono!

I am so excited to share my newest pattern with you all!! Introducing Primono (Primrose Yarn Co. + Kimono)!!  This pattern is available both on Ravelry and knitgraffiti.com!  Receive a 20% discount using coupon code PRIMONO at checkout through Friday, September 8 at midnight CT.

Primono has been an idea of mine for almost one year, when I sketched it out last fall of 2017. I wanted to create a kimino-style robe that I could wear comfortably around the house, but something that was also stylish enough to be worn out on the town as a jacket! I was totally inspired by the fashion craze of wearing kimonos and robes as jackets, and the women who are wearing them around New York are just so fabulous. I knew I wanted it to be a modular construction, to keep it exciting.  And I really wanted to used different stitch patterns to ensure that it fit nicely on my body.

Originally, I wasn’t even thinking of using two-color brioche!  I was afraid that it would stretch out too much and just be really heavy.  But using Primrose Yarn Co.’s Sophia MCN fingering weight yarn actually kept it very lightweight!  I knew two-color brioche would give it an extra depth, and so I paired it with the slip-stitch honeycomb pattern for the waistband and collar.  This really helped give it some extra stability and cinched in at the waist!  The modular construction makes it SUPER fun to knit, and even though it is a rather large piece, the knitting just flies by as you’re constantly itching to get to the next section!

I wanted to add a modern touch to a classic kimono-style cardigan, so I created this brioche stitch pattern to bloom out of the waistband.  The pattern is carried up the back for added depth of interest.

Be sure to check out all of my amazing test knitters’ glorious projects!!  There were so many different color combos used.  And with the pattern being available in 7 different sizes, you are sure to find your ideal fit.  I decided I wanted 8″ / 20cm of positive ease, so I knit the size 46″ bust for myself.  I actually measured my own robe to ensure that this fit exactly the way I wanted!!  You can read more on the pattern page, and if you have any more questions, feel free to email me or leave a comment here.

I hope you enjoy my newest pattern, and thank you for reading!!

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Knit Graffiti loves Texas!

To help with the relief efforts going on across Texas in the wake of Hurricane Harvey, I will be donating 100% of all Knit Graffiti pattern sales to Red Cross Hurricane Harvey from today through this Sunday, September 3rd. All sales on Ravelry and knitgraffiti.com will be donated.

We have been thinking of everyone close by who may have lost their homes or belongings, and those in Houston suffering from the massive flooding. Thank you all so much for your love, support, and thoughts through this hard time for us in South Texas.

If you have already donated on your own, feel free to comment here and let me know.  I’d be happy to gift you a pattern of your choice.

Much love from Texas.  <3

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New pattern release :: Organic Angles hat!

I am so so excited to finally share my newest brioche hat pattern with you, Organic Angles!  You can find this pattern on Ravelry, as well as my webshop.  Receive a 20% discount using coupon code ANGLES through midnight CT tonight!

When Laurie from Feel Good Yarn Co. approached me to design a new brioche hat with her SilverSpun® yarn, I knew I wanted to create something totally different. I had this idea to use brioche increases and decreases to create interesting angles in the fabric.  Boy, was I surprised by the end result!  One side ended up pulling down, which the other side pulled up!  The asymmetry was much more drastic than I had anticipated, so I knew I had to come up with a plan to even out the hat for wearability.  That’s where the garter stitch striped short rows came in. Brioche really does have a mind of its own!

While visiting my family in Michigan this past summer, I was lucky enough to enlist the help of my super talented brother photographer, Peter Mowry!  He took some gorgeous photos, and really helped to showcase my new design.

If you’d like a chance to win an Organic Angles kit of your own, be sure to check out Wooly Ventures Maker Spotlight post about me and my newest pattern! She’s hosting an awesome giveaway, and Laurie from FGYCo. has generously offered yarn as part of a kit for the Grand Prize!!

Thank you to all for your amazing support, and I hope you enjoy my newest pattern!

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Wool and the Gang :: Careless Cardigan and giveaway!

Simple and carefree, that is exactly how I felt as I was knitting the Careless Cardigan, using Tina Tape yarn by Wool and the Gang.  I teamed up with them to test out this new yarn, which sounded like a dream come true for me.  Something that is as soft as silk and more cooling than linen?  Count me in!  Ever since we moved down to South Texas (as I’ve probably rambled on about before), I have been searching for yarns that I could be comfortable working with in this super hot and humid sub-tropical climate.  Well, here it is, folks!!!  Seriously, I even took this project to the beach and knit there very comfortably!!  It’s like knitting with satin ribbon, and even when the garment became fairly large, it didn’t feel like a hot blanket on my legs.  Isn’t that the curse of knitters?  We want to knit sweaters and blankets for the fall and winter….but that means we need to knit them in the SUMMER!

I digress.  Here are some photos of me knitting my Careless Cardi on the beach.  It was heavenly.

Ok now about the color.  Perfect Peach.  I am currently OBSESSED with this color, and am finding that my wardrobe is turning into pieces either mainly this color, or ALL this color.  Millenial Pink anyone?  ALL OF IT!  I was debating between this and Quetzal Green, which is close to a teal blue.  I’m so glad I went with this one.

I was excited to knit this cardi because it has very interesting construction!  It is knit from side to side, starting with one sleeve, and then knitting to the other sleeve, with some shaping in between.  Then the bottom is knit separately and you seam it all together.  I learned quite a bit from the pattern, and it was very relaxing at the same time.  I even took it to the movie theater once, and worked on it while the movie was playing! I only modified one thing, and made my sleeves a bit shorter than the pattern recommended.  I personally love a 3/4 length sleeve, so I made these only 11″, rather than the 15″ length in the pattern.  I am so happy with this decision, and I ended up with very little yarn at the end, so it’s a good thing!!

After seaming and a nice blocking, this cardi is the perfect addition to my wardrobe!!  I will probably end up wearing it in the cool evenings at home, and out as a jacket in the winter.

GIVEAWAY TIME!!

WATG and I are offering one Careless Cardigan kit in a color of your choice to one lucky winner!! To enter the giveaway, all you have to do is leave a comment here telling me which color you would choose!!  That’s it!  I will be closing the giveaway on Sunday, August 20, and then choosing a winner that following week.  Good luck!!

Other wardrobe items:

Dress: Loren embroidered linen dress in blush, by Roolee
Earrings: Anthropologie
Necklace: H&M

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New pattern release :: Summer Vibes shawl!

Feeling all the Summer Vibes :: Now available on Ravelry and knitgraffiti.com!!  Summer Vibes is a lightweight, asymmetrical triangle shawl with textural arrow stripes, knit using the two-color brioche stitch. There are two size options for this shawl: Small and Large. They both start the same way, and the pattern repeats are simple and easy to memorize. The Small size is meant to be more of a shawlette, to be worn as an accent to your favorite summer dress. The Large size is perfect to drape around your shoulders or neck on a chilly summer evening.  I am offering an introductory discount, receive 20% off using coupon code VIBES through Thursday, July 13 at midnight Central!

Do you live in a sub-tropical climate where it is hot, sunny, and humid basically every day of the year? Well, I do. But I haven’t always lived here. I grew up in the great north….well, in the great state of Michigan anyway. I have been used to hot summers (at least they were to me), cold and snowy winters, crisp autumn days walking on crunchy fallen leaves, and warm springs that bring green and color back to the world. When we moved down to South Texas last year, I wasn’t quite sure what to think. But I knew one thing was for sure, I needed to find ALL the lightweight summer yarn if I was going to keep knitting!!

I was lucky enough to meet Veronika and Danny of YOTH yarns at DFW Fiber Fest this past April, and Ve was knitting with the most scrumptious-looking cotton yarn! I knew I had to try it. It was a brand new yarn line they were about to start carrying, which you all now know as Best Friend. Don’t you just love their yarn base names and colorways?  It makes me feel connected to them, to their family.  Anyways, I knew I had found the ultimate lightweight yarn to use and wear in this hot climate, yes!!!  I was so excited.  I immediately started dreaming about a subtle two-color brioche shawl that would be very simple in construction, but oh so fun to knit.  So I came up with this variation on my Sizzle Pop stitch pattern, which mimics the look of arrows rather than full chevrons, with plain two-color brioche in between.

Using less than two skeins of Best Friend yarn, which is a Light Fingering weight cotton / wool blend, this shawl is sure to give you all the Summer Vibes. This asymmetrical triangle shawl is knit on the bias from tip to edge, using a combination of even two-color brioche knit on the bias, and two-color brioche arrow textural stripes to keep the pattern interesting. For the Large size shown here, I used Natural Vanilla for the Main Color, and Oyster for the Contrast Color, for a beautifully subtle two-color brioche.  Be sure to check out all of my wonderful test knitters’ projects for different color combinations, which are sure to inspire and delight!!

Thank you so much for reading about my design process, and for all of your support.  It means the world to me.  Happy summertime knitting, my friends!!