norah gaughan vol.2

Today we will have a tour of norah gaughan Volume 2. It is her second in a series of seasonal pattern books in which Norah creates mini-collections with two different women in mind.

In the first of two stories objet d'art, our lovely model Ashley is exquisitely composed in a curio shop filled with mid-century modern furnishings. The sculptural knitted pieces in this story are well synchronized with Ashley's calm composure and the muted simplicity of the furnishings. Meanwhile, in the second story 3 for all, our independent film actress Eleanor lavishes in the sophisticated setting of an artist's loft space. Dabbling in painting or relaxing with friends, the diminutive star is fascinated with the moment and truly comfortable in her surroundings. The stages having been set, we proceeded with the photography of Norah's 15 brilliant pieces knit in Seduce™, Linen Jeans™, Suede™, Cotton Twist™, Touché™, Love It™ and Lumina™. Click on the Audio Slideshow buttons to hear us talk about each individual project.

sculptural knits with twists of logic

variations on a theme, designed in 3's

Our free patterns today are also designed by Norah. Lyre is a bubbly hat with multiple seams knit in Pure®Merino. It matches the Jyri Scarf, featured in norah gaughan vol.1. Our other free pattern is Laure, a ruffled scarf composed of partial hexagons and knit in Ultra®Alpaca Light.

Lyre (hat)
Knit in Pure®Merino
Skill level: Intermediate
FREE pattern instructions


Laure (scarf)
Knit in Ultra®Alpaca
Skill level: Intermediate
FREE pattern instructions

Marci from cyberspace wrote this note to Norah:  "I am knitting Manon, a cardigan from norah gaughan vol.1. I don't have much experience setting in sleeves. Can you give me any pointers?"

Hi Marci.  Norah says - I always sew from the outside. Vogue Knitting: The Ultimate Knitting Book* shows how to do this when sewing vertical to horizontal and I bet you can find it illustrated on the web, too. I do have a few tricks that can save you a lot of heartache:

1. Sew with the outside facing.
2. Set in the sleeve BEFORE you sew the side seams so you can lay the armhole out flat.
3. Using very small safety pins, pin the center of the sleeve cap to the shoulder seam, then the underarm end of the sleeves to the underarm end of the body. Pin the rest at 2-3" intervals.
4. Differences in measuring and row gauge can affect the fit of the sleeve cap in an armhole. If the sleeve cap is a bit too small, stretch in along the lower portions. If the sleeve cap is a bit big, put the extra towards the top.
5. Here's the BIG ONE: Start with a piece of yarn long enough to sew the entire sleeve. Put your needle at the shoulder and pull 1/2 of the yarn through. Sew down one side. You may find you will grab 1 stitch for 2 rows twice and then 1 stitch for 1 row ... or something like that. Once you find your rhythm, remember it to use on the other side, again working from the sleeve cap down. Problems like having too much sleeve or too little tend to add up as you go along. Starting at the sleeve cap means you don't double the trouble you may be having, and also puts any problem at the underarm, instead of at the shoulder where you really want the seam to look best.

*Sixth&Spring Books, 2002

All the best,