Amanda Rogers

A woman poses in a just finished, pre blocked hand knit hat in front of an aqua green wall with a map in the background. The hat pattern is Musselburgh, in a hand dyed merino-nylon sock yarn purchased from my LYS. The hat is mostly yellow with speckles and small pools of purple and pink.

The Musselburgh hat laid out to block. A yellow fabric tube lays out to dry on grid marked blocking mats atop a floral bed sheet. This tube will fold into itself to make a double layered squishy hand knit beanie with folded brim.

A brick red sweater in progress lays atop a soft gray blanket. The sweater pattern is Oksa by Caitlin Hunter and the yarn is a gorgeous merino silk blend from Vortex yarns in Taos. This is a single color sweater with a textured yoke.

The perfect Colorado day: bright orange aspen, mountains, and blue skies with fluffy white clouds.

Squeezing in for Autumn Knits and #FOFriday! Finished the Musselburgh hat (for my hiking partner) and making great progress on the Oksa while the leaves change 🍂🍁 #showmeyourknits

That’s a good idea- maybe some of the sort of aqua tone you think?

A hand dyed skein of yarn from Six and Seven fibers rests on a black background. The yarn is cream with large swaths of warm chestnut brown, subtle greenish areas, and speckles of indigo throughout. It is destined for a single skein project, but at 328 yards, it’s shorter than many of the patterns I like call for.

A screenshot of the Lightweight Hipster scarf/shawl by designer Joji Locatelli. This shawl is a crescent shape and features lace and tassels, making clever use out of a single skein of yarn that is *over 400* yards. This is the project I envisioned when I purchased my yarn failing to take note of the yardage discrepancy. Now that the vision is in my head I feel tied to a longer scarf with tapered ends that will showcase the beautiful colors.

For scarf week I give you a pre-scarf conundrum: I bought one gorgeous skein, thinking it would become the Hipster, but it’s 70 yards shorter than the recommended amount. Knitting enthusiasts, what wisdom can you share? Anyone have pattern recs? #showmeyourknits #slowfashion #helpwanted

A calico cat lays on a squishy gray blanket-covered couch. In front of her is a copy of “A Court of Thorns and Roses,” an indulgent read the photographer is using to make reading a habit again. Next to the cat is a large cake of brick red yarn attached to the beginnings of a sweater yoke on knitting needles. The yarn is a merino silk blend from Vortex Yarns out of Taos, it’s a worsted weight and came in a giant 550yd skein. This will become the Oksa sweater by Caitlin Hunter.

Knitter’s hand for scale: a giant squishy skein of luxurious brick red yarn lies on a wooden table. The skein is larger and wider than the hand. Despite the political tones of this shade, I’ve always loved the warmth of red. I’ve avoided it in recent years. This color way is “brick,” and I’m tying meaning to resistance and sturdiness and foundations. The tantalizing texture and tone of this yarn led to a pricey impulse buy and an irresistible urge to cast on yet another sweater, but the activity feels comforting and like an ode to the chill in the air and changing of leaves. It’s a simple joy to find this sort of peace and comfort, and is in stark contrast to the dissonance of the world at large. During the days I work with students, and do my best to unravel the heinous systems of oppression that feel heavier with each day of the administration, and at night my screen whispers that danger is nearing. I’m knitting together a fresh nervous system on weekends like this, when I allow myself to follow the gentle suggestions of the weather. “Stay inside,” the cold rain whispers, “knit another row. Read until you remember you have a body with needs. Rest,” as the yellowing leaves drop off the cottonwoods and the aspens transform to orange gold masterpieces overnight. A privilege to follow their guidance, and yet: come Monday I’ll be a safe space for my students, we will think and question and dream together, and I’ll share these strategies of stillness so they too can recharge and show up as their best selves.

A pile of knitting projects in various states of progress lay on a couch. Clockwise from top: The Lenore cardigan by Audrey Borrego is in the beginning stages, abandoned since June due to the tedium of flat worked fingering weight stockinette. The deep heathered purple Palette yarn beckons as the weather changes. The moss green and oatish cream striped Parnell pullover remains languishing on needles, despite the recent progress of seaming the shoulders and picking up and knitting half a sleeve. The Musselburgh hat is growing steadily thanks to regular meetings that could have been emails and webinars that could have been asynchronous. A handy project for all occasions that accompanies me everywhere. The Billie pullover by Sari Nordlund in thunder cloud gray worsted merino from Knitting for Olive is coming along… and I’m afraid that my cable honeymoon is nearing an end! What began as a fascinating journey of twists and turns is beginning to feel like a slog… but ski season is approaching, and the knitting group is planning to wear out Billies for opening weekend :) In the center the beginning of a hat that deserves more attention, but has been cast aside multiple times in the name of sweaters. Maybe if it’s the only project the knitter has on a plane it will finally get the focus it deserves.

Last week I attended my first fiber festival, and despite my ambition to finish a project before casting on another, I couldn’t resist a new skein begging to become a cozy autumn staple. There’s hope in a fresh cast on- and we must find ways to persist despite the horrors. #showmeyourknits #wip

The yoke of a dark gray cable knit sweater sits on needles atop the pattern. The pattern is Billie by Sari Nordlund.

Close up of some cables: being new to cables I’m stunned by the intricate patterns a simple cross of stitches can create; and so easily amused by the emerging pattern that I can’t put it down. Cables might be my thing??? Never mind that I frogged and restarted this sweater FOUR times before I got going, or that I’ve had to drop entire columns to correct a cable I’ve crossed in the wrong direction. Mistakes are lessons you get to remember forever 🌈 The yoke of a dark gray cable knit sweater sits on needles atop the pattern. The pattern is Billie by Sari Nordlund.

I had a long run of summer knits but had to start on my Billie last week! The gals I knit with are all making this sweater for skiing this season. It’s our first friendship sweater 😍 It’s also my first major cable project and I’m absolutely loving it so far! #showmeyourknits #wip #slowfashion

A sweet simple garter stitch baby blanket for a soon to be babe! The beginnings of a blanket in pink and sherbet orange are on needles on a wood table, surrounded with balls of yarn in a light pastel rainbow. This pattern is based on the Hello Rainbow Baby Blanket from My Poppet, but I’m slipping the first stitch of each row for a cleaner edge and slipping every other stitch on color change rows. The yarn is knit picks heatherly worsted, and winding them was so fun. I’ve never wound such giant chunky balls before. I ordered this color set specifically for this baby, but I’m very pleased that there’s plenty of yarn for a different future babe! The era of aunthood is upon me, and all of my friends babies henceforth shall be swaddled in my love 🩷🧡💛💚🩵💜

A partially finished striped sweater in an oaty gray with moss green stripes lies on a wood table. One sleeve is partially finished. My oldest WIP! After I made a cat blanket and a hat, I thought, now is the time to make a sweater. Patterns are so expensive, I thought, and any old yarn is as good as the next. The model looks so elegant and casual, I thought, this will be a breeze! I started the garter stitch hem in the spring of 2023 with Lion brand cotton linen yarn. It has a lovely drape but good lord does she split! Splitty yarn being unkind to novice knitters, I was constantly adding and subtracting stitches and frogged the hem at least three times before I carried on. The back of the shirt features a twisted stockinette because FOR TWO YEARS I PURLED BACKWARDS 🤦🏻‍♀️ Now it’s a lovely *detail* that gives the piece a little extra *flare* and totally not a mistake. Will I even like her when she’s done? Will she even fit? Who can say. Now that I figured out the shoulder seams and picking up stitches for sleeves I think she’ll be done any day now. Any week now. Before the year is over…

A striped knit tee laid out on a wood table. The tee is boxy and the sleeves are a simple short rib. The main color is a creamy white with long stripes of light indigo and squares of moss green. This is the Zinnie tee by Audrey Borrego. I love her patterns. I worked it in lion brand coboo yarn- I bought the white and purple because I had a ton of green leftover from my sabai and now I have plenty left for a whole slew of baby sweaters. This is the second piece of Audrey’s that I’ve finished and I find them easy to follow and the fit is great. I’ve worn this to school a couple times this year and it is light, comfy, and gets loads of compliments.

The Zinnie tee on: a woman holds her phone to a mirror to capture the fit of her newly finished piece. The striped tee is boxy but drapey and looks perfectly at home over some high waisted jeans. The slipped stitches line up with the double twisted rib at the bottom to carry a subtle texture all over.

Most of my WIPs and my most recent FO are stripes! Featured here is my longest running WIP, the Parnell, a free pattern from Berroco that I found in my earliest knitting days after searching “free easy knit sweater” 😅 (spoiler: not super beginner friendly) #showmeyourknits #stripes #slowfashion

I was wearing it within 4 weeks of casting on! The worsted weight makes it quick, but I also had bad weather keeping me indoors. And, personally, I cannot set something down in the middle of a row full of yarn overs- every row I did I thought “ok just one more to make sure I didn’t miss anything!”

A woman poses proudly in a finished hand knit gray sweater with eyelets and cables. This is the Salty Days pattern by Veronika Lindberg, knit with Lion brand Jeans yarn.

A gray Salty Days sweater, pattern by Veronika Lindberg, knit with Lion brand Jeans yarn, pinned on blocking mats to ensure a boxy drapey fit.

A nearly finished gray sweater lays on a blue ottoman. I left quite a bit of yarn on the right sleeve and didn’t bind off, then did the neck finishing before moving on to the left sleeve. I wanted to make sure the neck didn’t pull up the sleeves and make them too short- I love a sweater I can pull over my hands! This turned out perfectly cozy.

The very beginning of the salty days sweater- beginning with the back of the yoke. I started this sweater over spring break because my friends were having a Love Is Blind Reunion watch party- I hadn’t seen the season yet, so I sat down with my project and watched the whole thing in two days. By the time we watched the reunion I had joined the body and was well into cables- I often refer to this as my love is blind sweater! Nothing like bad reality tv and foul weather to spur on a project.

Happy birthday #showmeyourknits 🎉 it’s been so fun seeing and sharing knits with other crafters. For knitter’s choice I have to share my Salty Days sweater simply because I haven’t yet- so fun to knit and wear, quick to work up, I may make it again in a different yarn! #knitsky

Thank you! I bound off way too tightly on my Sabai and it it doesn’t lay quite right- I’m thinking of reworking the bottom a bit. Yours looks great! The Musselburgh is lovely for a trip- I have my single skein wound and tucked in a tiny stuff sack from a sleeping pad and it packs away so nicely.

A woman poses in the Outline Crop Tee by Jessie Maed in front of a wrought iron fence covered in vinery. She is wearing sunglasses and floppy hat, looking back over her shoulder. The shirt is knit in a lace weight hand painted Manos del Uruguay yarn with pastel shades of blues, greens, purples and pinks.

A woman in glasses and blue jeans stands in front of a white wall modeling a Wisp tank top by Caitlin Hunter. The straps were modified in the back to be more of a racer back style. The tank top is knit with a heathered purple cotton yarn.

A freshly finished, pre-blocked Sabai top by Susanne Müller in a sage green bamboo cotton yarn

The beginnings of a Musselburgh hat, pattern by Ysolda, on small needles in a lap. Legs are propped up on a backpack, hiking shoes are off for a break under a tree in a small ponderosa forest. In the background is a lake and many mountains, including the final pass of the loop trail: a beastly climb to finish out the last day of a long long walk, still over a week away.

I love a summer knit! Maybe it’s because summers are so short where I live that they’re that much more precious… the last knit is counting as a summer knit for color and knitting locale: it’s come along on my backpacking trip :) #showmeyourknits #knitsky #backpacking

A moss stitch beanie with a hand made pompom in a teal-ish blue-ish yarn with flecks of pink, blue, red and yellow tweed. A tag on the brim reads “hand made with 🩵.” This hat went to a dear friend of 18+ years in our annual college friend group crossed country gift exchange. I found the pattern for this hat free online, the yarn is lion brand homeland (I think!).

A beanie with vertical blue and gray stripes and a blue brim lays on a darker blue background. I made this version of the Humdrum hat for my FIL figure- the alternating color in the ribbing made for a much stiffer and less squishy hat than I aimed for, so he may be receiving a second attempt this year!

A woman tries on a newly finished Easy V sweater, fresh off the needles and before blocking. She stands in front of a mirror to see the side profile of the sweater, cropped slightly to hit at the hip. The sweater is a denim blue with zigzagging stripes of golden yellow, tonal purple/teal/pink, and rich plum on the yoke and cuffs. The hems of the sweater feature a roll past the ribbing giving the sweater a relaxed and flowing fit.

The Easy V sweater on some blocking mats- this yarn (malabrigo rios) bloomed so much in the wash I thought I had ruined the sweater! No pinning necessary- thankfully it shrunk back to the intended size and stitches became soft and smooth as it dried. The sweater is a denim blue with zigzagging stripes of golden yellow, tonal purple/teal/pink, and rich plum on the yoke and cuffs. The hems of the sweater feature a roll past the ribbing giving the sweater a relaxed and flowing fit.

Surprisingly not a whole lot of blue in my collection yet, but plenty in my queue to look forward to! The hats were both gifts, the sweater is the Easy V by @boylandknitworks.bsky.social
#showmeyourknits #knitsky

A woman tries on a WIP hand knit in front of a mirror. The top is a dusty rose pink with a sweetheart shaped solid knit line and a lace motif going up to the neck. There are no sleeves yet, and the top is cropped so much you can see her belly button (not a feature this woman prefers). The Provence Top by Ekatarina Vorobeva, in progress, knit in a recycled polyester yarn from my stash. I have one skein in this color, and it *should* be enough, but I’m thinking about pulling out the whole thing! This yarn is scratchy and I don’t like it against my skin, and though I wanted a bit of a crop, this is way more cropped than anticipated, so once the sleeves and neck are finished I’ll rip out the ribbing and knit in the opposite direction in the lace motif until it’s a reasonable length OR until I run out of yarn… or I’ll start over with a soft squishy yarn :)

A crowded couch arm and coffee table are pictured, cluttered with a variety of knitting projects, coffee, maps, and backpacking guides. On top of the pile is the Provence Top in a dusty pink. Beneath that is the beginning of a Lenore cardigan by Audrey Borrego in a rich heathered purple. In the forefront are a few skeins of cotton bamboo blend destined for a Zinnie Tee, also by Audrey Borrego, in white with indigo stripes and green squares. Bear the back of the table by a lamp is a large ball of variegated yarn destined to be a dog blanket. This is a recently frogged project, done entirely in stockinette when I was a novice knitter, that I’ve pulled out to make a border of moss stitch and some purpled detail stripes throughout. A less typical WIP is the planning for a long walk I’ll do this summer with a friend, and perhaps I’ll bring some knitting along!

The beginning of my Zinnie Tee by Audrey Borrego. The double twisted rib is squishy and tidy and can’t wait to wear this during the hot days of August.

The first two rounds of pattern are completed on my Dutch Tulips Shawl that I picked up on a whim in Taos a few weeks ago. I’m in love with this color combo: the deep golden sunset with a variegated teal strand changing from the deepest royal blue, to teal, gray, and a soft yellowish white. The pattern has been fun and engaging while repetitive enough to do with friends or watching tv. This will be a triangular shawl, so the bottom tip is complete and worked up quickly. Now, each row takes a little more time than the last as I increase 2 stitches on every right side row and decrease 2 every sixth row. This is my current go to for casual hang out knitting. The shawl work in progress is laying on a soft gray blanket protecting a relatively new couch from the dirt and fur of our giant land dolphin (dog).

WIP feels like a major theme of life and knitting… and perhaps adhd? I’ve got a WIP for each day of the week! #showmeyourknits #wip #knitsky

Patterns/descriptions in alt text!

Khaleesi, a calico cat whose tongue is always out, snuggles under a small teal garter stitch hand knit blanket. The cat is winking, probably because she knows she’s cozier than anyone else on the planet. This blanket was the first real knit project that sparked a full and expensive but deeply gratifying hobby for Khaleesi’s mom.

Cooper the sharprador attempts to snuggle under Khaleesi’s blanket. It covers only his rump. Not to worry, Cooper the big black dog has his very own hand knit blanket in the works.

Khaleesi Daenerhiss Clawgaryan, the meowther of dragons, plots the downfall of society from the comfort of her emotional support blanket. The teal garter stitch blanket is small, like her, and never had the ends woven in because she prefers bonus strands.

Today, after almost 2 years of drool, cat hair, and many inappropriate machine washes, the cat blanket’s stitches are a little less defined and is a bit misshapen, but Khaleesi still uses it daily. Khaleesi sits on a window shelf to have full view of her lawn and the many birds who visit. She sits atop her blanket which helps insulate her little shelf, because we have little need for cooling where we live.

… underway, and I had never learned to cast off. So I pulled it off the needles and it was the last gift I ever gave to him 😅
10 years later another friend invited me to her knitting club. This time I wasn’t in the throes of a giant life transition. I learned to cast off, among many other things!

For #showmeyourknits this week y’all get a story, because I relearned how to knit making a garter stitch “blanket” for my cat. A friend taught me to knit well over a decade ago, and I made a simple scarf for my soon to be ex husband. By the time I had finished the scarf, divorce proceedings were…

Most recent WIP: Dutch Tulips shawl featuring malabrigo in sunset and Theodora’s Pearls in Palladio: Durango. A mosaic pattern crescent shaped shawl with a golden yellow main color and a variegated teal as the accent.

The beginnings of the Dutch Tulip pattern, featuring the business card for Mooncat Fibers in Taos. If you’re in Taos, go visit! I forgot to bring a project with me and Cathy helped me find the perfect travel project, perfect colors, and made sure my yarn was wound into tidy balls before I left.

My Easy V by Caitlin Hunter also features the malabrigo sunset color way in a worsted weight: close up of a denim blue v neck sweater with zigzag color work in a deep golden yellow, a variegated purple and aqua, and purple stripes on the yoke and sleeve cuffs.

A woman plays with a dog, she is wearing a yellow hand knit cardigan and a mosaic shawl designed by Audrey Borrego in shades of purple, grey, white, teal, and yellow.

I would tell you that I’m not a big yellow person, but my knits may be telling another story! #showmeyourknits #knitsky

Thanks. I don’t have sheep- one day I hope to have a few alpacas, but visiting a farm for shearing was a special treat. I’m very grateful to live in the mountains though! Seeing so many folks here live out their slow paced dreams makes it feel a lot more attainable.

Thank you. It’s been humbling yet healing!

That’s gorgeous! You should check out the group, it’s so empowering to be surrounded by caring and knowledgeable folks. They’re always tackling ambitious projects, so after I thought nothing of it and now I feel like I can knit anything. Plus it’s a great way to make friends. Happy stitching :)

My friend taught me, I knit with a group of gals who have been knitting incredible things for years and I’m lucky to bask in their wisdom- but I also spend a lot of time watching videos and pulling things out :)

Danke!

A woman poses excitedly in a newly finished hand knit sweater. The heathered purple yarn is somewhat mismatched; it was made before she learned about alternating skeins or how to purl correctly, but she is full of pride anyways for finishing her first handmade garment.

A woman poses in a newly finished hand knit sweater. The heathered purple yarn is somewhat mismatched; it was made before she learned about alternating skeins or how to purl correctly, but she is full of pride anyways for finishing her first handmade garment.

A woman poses in front of the setting sun with a mountain valley backdrop. The saturated light makes the aspen leaves sparkle. She is wearing a hand knit purple sweater that was finished that morning, ends woven in on the car ride.

My first sweater was the autumn league by Alexandra Tavel in a cheap purple yarn from Amazon… it’s absolutely riddled with mistakes 😅 but in each one a see a little love note to my past self. Learning new hobbies is a gift! I’ve come a long way in the year since this FO #showmeyourknits #knitsky

Image shows a lap covered with a fluffy gray blanket, a pattern for the Sabai top (#1), a dusty sage cotton bamboo yarn, and a nearly empty coffee cup. Next to the lap a peaceful black dog is curled up sound asleep. In the background a variety of dog toys is strewn about on the carpet.

Enjoying the perfect Sunday: a fresh cast on for summer, bottomless coffee, and a snuggly pup. #knitsky #slowfashion

Or that I bought this kit on sale before I knew patterns had names or there were different types of yarn.
But, if you want the pattern, just say that. Or scroll past. Thanks (2/2)

Hi. You can’t possibly know what a hard week I had, that I crawled to this corner of the internet for comfort and community. Or that one more critique was going to put me over the edge. Or the courage it took for me to share this tag for the first time, fearing I’m not a real enough knitter. (1/2)

A woman in a yellow hand knit cardigan, large hat and sunglasses smiles on a wood deck. In the background, a variety of aspen and cottonwood are visible. The yellow fall leaves match the color of the cardigan.

A woman models her newly completed yellow cardigan, complete with pockets and sleeves that are far too long but make for an extra cozy fit.

A woman in glasses models the back of a hand knit yellow cardigan in an all over waffle texture. The cardigan has a slightly oversized, boxy fit.

#showmeyourknits I finished my first cardigan in September and am eyeing several more on ravelry 👀
#knitsky #slowfashion #madebymemay

A woman poses in a hand knit purple tank top and jeans

A hand knit purple tank top pinned and blocked on a grid, almost ready to wear.

A woman poses in a hand knit long sleeve cream colored sweater with brown patterns all over.

A blue and grey toque style hand knit hat with vertical stripes rests on a deep blue background

Some other recent finishes: the wisp tank and koivua by @boylandknitworks.bsky.social and the humdrum hat (a gift). I’ve finished off enough that I feel good casting on a new sweater or two! #knitsky #slowfashion #handknits #knittersofbluesky

A woman in a large floppy hat and sunglasses looks over her shoulder, smiling, in front of a wrought iron fence overgrown with leafy green vines. She is modeling a hand knit short sleeve shirt made with lace weight painted yarn featuring a variety of pastel hued colors.

A woman in a large floppy hat and sunglasses looks over her shoulder, smiling, in front of a wrought iron fence overgrown with leafy green vines. She is modeling a hand knit short sleeve shirt made with lace weight painted yarn featuring a variety of pastel hued colors.

A woman leans against an abode wall in front of a variety of cacti, modeling a hand knit short sleeve shirt

Finished my outline tee during the trip, so no blocking yet, but I was pleased with how it turned out. Perfect for a hot day in the desert!

A black and white barn cat lays in a freshly sheared, still warm sheep fleece on a skirting table

A woman in an old cap and sunglasses holds a baby goat in a fenced pen. Mountains loom in the distance

A woman excitedly skirts a large gray, brown, black and white fleece in a barn. Behind her is a giant bag overflowing with skirted fleece.

A variety of sheep look on, awaiting their entry to the chute for shearing.

A break from the standard weekend- skirting sheep and bringing home a GIANT beautiful fleece to spin! 🐑🧶 #slowfashion #handknits #fiber #knitsky

A calico cat watches birds from her perch through a window revealing a snowy landscape.

A hand knit sweater in progress in the foreground, showing brown color work on a cream background. Blurred in the background, a black dog lays on the carpet with his prized toy lobster.

A hand knit sweater, in progress, on a blue background. The sweater is cream colored with brown patterns and varied texture all over.

A man and a woman in ski goggles and helmets smile in the foreground of a snowy, stormy day on the slopes. Behind them, a snow covered mountain looms with pine forest up to the tree line.

This snowy weekend was good for the soul to refuel after long weeks of community care. A cat in the window, a dog at my feet, and a WIP in my hands is the perfect Sunday. Powder day with my love was a lucky addition to a much needed respite! #knitsky #catlady #freshpow

The beginning of a knit project in white yarn cast on and worked with #2 pencils

I teach after school once a week, and students wanted to learn to knit… enter, pencil knitting! I don’t know that they *love* it just yet but it’s low budget. #knitsky #improvising #teachingonabudget