Palisade, a new pattern! This fun scarf can be worn long or doubled for added warmth.
Size: One Size
Measurements: 52” 132 cm circumference and 8.5” 21.5 cmwide
Yarn: Madelinetosh tosh dk (100% superwash merino; 225 yds 206 m/100 g): MC: alizarin and CC: antique lace; one skein each
Needles: US #8 5 mm
Gauge: 20 sts and 28 rows = 4” in st st, UNBLOCKED
Notions: Stitch marker, tapestry needle
Another year…
At the start of every new year I like to think back on the year closing. 2011 was a big year for me. Here are some professional highlights:
This year I have some goals. I don’t like to say they are resolutions…because they aren’t. I don’t want to make promises to myself that I cannot keep. But somehow, having goals seems much more do-able.
What are your goals for the new year?
I’ve just released a new pattern called Tiny Treasure! It’s a free download and is available via Ravelry HERE. You can also download it directly from my site HERE.
Tiny Treasure is a sweet little drawstring bag that can hold little gifts, secrets, treasures, maybe even a tiny project.
Tiny Treasure
I designed it for my upcoming knitting with beads class. A small project that covers two ways to add beads to your knitting. I used just 27 grams of sock yarn for this tiny bag including the icord and pom-poms.
Pom-Poms
Aren’t pom-poms awesome? I want to put them on everything now.
Heading into the holidays it seems a little odd to be releasing spring patterns…but here they are anyway! Earlier this year Universal Yarn put out a call for designs for their designer collaboration program. Luckily my patterns were selected and will be available in pamphlet form from them. If your LYS carries Fibra Natura yarns, look for my little booklet. The collaboration part of this deal allows me to also sell these patterns directly! Check them out below:
The Collection
The whole collection is available via Ravelry as an e-book for $17 or as individual patterns. This collection includes Circuitous, a lacy shrug, Sweet Retreat, a ruffle edged shawl, Suburbanite, a slouch hat, and Wave Runner, a lace edged tank top. Each pattern uses the 100% linen yarn called Flax by Fibra Natura.
Circuitous
Sweet Retreat
Suburbanite
Wave Runner
These patterns and e-book are now available in my Ravelry store as well as here on my blog (click SHOP).
Lately the internet has been buzzing about the Beekeepers Quilt by Tiny Owl Knits. Hexipuffs are popping up everywhere.
I will never knit a hexipuff.
There are several reasons, some justified and some are me just being snarky. Mostly, I don’t think I would ever finish the thing. Too many stupid puffs to make. I would get a basket of 20 or maybe even as many as 100, but this would not be enough, and I would just get bored and never finish.
Instead I found this gem: Juggling Hexes by Wendy Harbaugh
Reasons why I love this:
And so I’ve started. And I’m in love.
The Start
So far I have completed 17 hexagons in 2 days. I’m using left over sock yarn scraps as well as handspun yarn scraps. Every hexagon has a memory of a project.
Glamour Shot
Each hex takes about 20 minutes and uses a very small amount of yarn. I mean to make one, rip it out and see just how much yarn…but I haven’t been able to bring myself to that yet.
No Sewing!
And while there is no sewing or joining, there are ends to weave in. I have been very good about stopping after every 5 or so and weaving in the ends quick. Another nice thing about crochet is that its basically self finishing, and so weaving in the ends is super simple.
Ugh. Well, as you can see, I have not kept up with NaBloPoMo…I was doing so well. Once I skipped a day, I knew I was doomed.
Ah well. Part of me is sad that I couldn’t keep this commitment, and part of me is not upset about it at all. I really had simply run out of interesting things to post about. And so, I started inventing things to blog, and it just wasn’t working out the way I had hoped. I would rather delivery quality over quantity; thus, I stopped posting.
The truth of the matter is, I don’t have much to share in a large format such as a blog. I plurk and tweet throughout the day about the small things, but a blog feels bigger somehow. Most of the knitting I work on anymore is contract work that I’m not allowed to show you until publication. I share those things when they come out, but in between…I guess I’m just boring!
The most interesting thing I have to show you is something I just started working on last night and cannot put down.
awesome sauce
I will leave this bad phone picture up as a teaser and post more about it tomorrow when I can take better pictures in daylight.
Today I drew winners for the Jane Austen Knits giveaway!
Two lucky winners each get a copy of this awesome magazine. I drew random numbers from the comments and the winners are…
winners
Mar and Tandy! If you are Mar or Tandy, I will be sending you an e-mail to gather details on where to send the prizes. Thank you all for responding! It was fun learning which of Ms. Austen’s stories you’ve liked best. If you did not win this time, I encourage you to seek out this magazine at your local yarn store, online, or from your favorite book store. It’s filled with beautiful patterns and intriguing articles.
Currently I am working on six designs, four of which have hard deadlines. How do I keep all these things straight? How do I do what I do? Good software! I’m a nerd at heart, and if I can use technology or software to help me out…I do. I thought I would take some time and explain some of my favorite tools for designing.
The first step for me is the sketch. I have so many ideas bouncing around, it helps to get them out onto paper (or screen). Depending on where I am, I either sketch in a notebook or on my laptop. My notebooks of choice are the Maruman Mnemosyne A4 5mm square ruled. As suggested by the name, these are filled with graph paper. The sheets are perforated and the paper is very smooth. The paper is actually gridded on one side (great for charts) and plain on the other (perfect for sketches). I love this A4 size, but I also have some A5′s which are more portable.
When I sketch on the computer I prefer to use SketchBookPro. This software works well with my Wacom Graphire, is lightweight, and quite affordable. I find it easy to sketch with natural looking tools (pencil, pen, watercolor, etc.) without having to play with a bunch of settings like in Photoshop.
The next phase of my design process is usually charting. I like to layout my stitches with charts whenever possible. As a visual learner, I like being able to see what a stitch pattern looks like as it helps me plan for shaping and grading. For charts I love Illustrator. I use this exclusively for all my charting needs. I have most all of my commonly used symbols created and saved for easy reusability. The program makes it easy to shift whole groups of symbols around, duplicate, reflect, etc. It took a little time to get used to, but now it’s truly a time saver.
After charting, designing becomes a numbers game. What better way to keep track of numbers than with a spreadsheet? I use Excel for everything from keeping track of grading, stitch counts, and gauge calculations. I also use it for making lists – so many many lists. I make lists to :
Once I have my pattern worked out I move it to InDesign (for self-published works) or to Word (for contract works). InDesign is one of those programs that I find incredibly useful even though I only know how to use 5% of the features. I use it to layout my pattern in multiple pages to be exported to PDF.
Other than that, my most valuable knitwear design tool is my computer, which obviously is needed to run all of the helpful software discussed above. I love my MacBookPro and carry it with me almost everywhere.
Tonight’s post is just going to be quickie. I went to the gym for the first time in weeks (yay me!)…and now I just feel old and broken (wah). I need to cuddle up with my heating pad, my kindle, and a cup of tea.
I probably should not have started back with the class I chose to start back with for two reasons. One, because I hurt my back moving the couch a few weeks ago and it hasn’t fully healed yet. My back killed me tonight, hence the heating pad. Two, I forgot a water bottle. BodyJam is a very aerobic medium-high impact dance class. I sweat quite a bit, and not having water to rehydrate during and right after class was a big mistake. I knew it going in, and yet, took the class anyway. Now I have a headache and feel pretty bad, hence the tea.
Blah.
As you know, Jane Austen Knits hit the newsstands and local yarn shops earlier this month. It has taken the knitting world by storm…going back to press after only a few days because it sold out almost immediately! I have two patterns in this issue and could not wait to get my hands on it. I always buy newsstand copies of the issues I have patterns in for my mom and mother-in-law. This time, I bought a copy for both moms, myself, and a dear friend. Four copies even though I knew I would be getting a copy for myself in the mail, I just had to have it immediately.
(c) Interweave Press
This time when my contributor copies arrived I found that Interweave had generously sent not one but two copies for me. And so…a giveaway for you! Leave a comment on this post for a chance to win. Please tell me why you want this issue and what is your favorite Jane Austen book. Post by midnight Friday, November 18th. I will draw two winners on Saturday.
Tonight I told my bff Jeri that, “I think I will take all of 2013 and just knit for myself.”
She replied, “2013? What about 2012?”
To which I said, “Oh no, I have too much already lined up for 2012.”
Seriously, I already have 2012 packed with planned designs. It’s crazy, but oh so fun! Sometimes I do wish I had more time to knit for myself. So many beautiful patterns and projects I would like to work on. Although I’m always knitting, I usually send my projects away, never to be seen again. My knits drawer is woefully light on knitted objects. Will I keep my word and spend all of 2013 on personal knitting? Probably not. I just have too many ideas waiting to become new patterns!
Samples Returned
Heel Knitted
Snacks Burnt
Wall Climbed
Design Started
Fiber Spun
Just a quick post today. I wanted to show you my new balls…of yarn. *snicker snicker* I’m working on a new project with the silky, smooshy, and always beautiful Madelinetosh DK.
my new balls
My favorite thing this week is my local yarn store: Flying Fibers! Flying Fibers is the kind of store that you enter and then never want to leave. In addition to luscious yarn, they have spinning fiber, spinning equipment, classes, patterns, and gift-y items.
yummy fibers
Now, you may say that I’m biased, you know, since I work there. But, really, even before I became an employee I was in love. I would hang out in the shop whenever I had free time. The awesome owner, Jeri, introduced me to Universal Yarn, ChiaoGoo needles, and Frabjous Fibers. She lets me teach knitting and crochet classes, sell handmade goodies and patterns, and puts up with my many moods and quirks.
yummy yarns
I’m so happy to have become one of the Flying Fibers family! This month we are celebrating our 2nd anniversary! Follow Us on Facebook to hear about special offers and new products.
If you know me in real life, you know that I have been on a 6 month quest to get back into shape. I used to be a ballet dancer, and I knew that body was in me somewhere…I just needed to find it again. I had increased to a size that was uncomfortable and simply unhealthy. Back in March I decided a change was needed. I started running using the c25k program.
C25k stands for couch to 5k. Its a gradual running program that is supposed to take you from being a couch potato to running a 5k race. It’s a nine week program with running 3 days a week. Each day is a combination of running and walking at intervals for approximately 30 minutes. I have an iPhone app that helps by telling me when to run or walk without having to look at the clock.
I kept with this plan until summer and then it became unbearably hot. I couldn’t walk outside let alone run. I needed to stay active, so I decided to join a gym. This was a huge decision for me. Choosing a gym was a several week research project. I didn’t want to simply run on a treadmill, and I wasn’t keen on weight lifting. I settled on the Universal Athletic Club. It’s expensive and on the other side of town, but they have the most impressive list of group fitness classes.
I figured classes would help keep me motivated. If I know I have to be there at a certain time on a certain day, I will go. If I leave it up to myself to say I think I’ll go to the gym whenever, I won’t. There’s also something about taking a class with other people. Yes, it’s mildly embarrassing, but because of this I end up pushing myself harder than I do when running. While out running by myself, it’s too easy to think “oh, I’m tired, I think I will stop now.” No one is there to see me stop, no one is judging me, watching me. No one has to move out of my way so that I can get my things and leave the room. Probably no one cares if I leave class early, but the fear that they do keeps me there till the end.
Classes have been great. This gym has every Les Mills class (BodyJam, BodyPump, etc.) in addition to Zumba, Yoga, and Jazzercise. My favorites are definitely the Les Mills classes. I regularly attend BodyJam (high energy dance), BodyPump (weight lifting), and CXWORX (core strengthening). I have tried some others, but these are the three I return to again and again.
Lately I have been slacking and so this post is making public my intention to return to the gym. If I write it here it will come true, yes? So far I have lost 15 pounds! I would still like to loose another 15 if not 20. I can do it, I know I can, I just need to stay dedicated.
Hmm, I was thinking back to when I did the Design Series which resulted in the Nancy & Judy shawl. It was super fun and I ended up learning a lot about myself and about the way that I design. Hopefully my readers learned some things as well. I’ve always wanted to go back and do something else…maybe a garment…
Would you be interested? Should I pursue this? What type of project would you be most interested in?
…I would like to knit the following other people’s patterns for myself:
Clearly I’m in the mood (mostly) for cardigans. I have several pullover sweaters, and I hardly ever wear them. Mainly because I’m usually hot, and so something that I can easily remove is a must. I’ve been dreaming of cardigans and dreaming of designing cardigans and…well you get the idea – I have cardigans on the brain. Dahlia was a big hit; maybe I should design another cardigan here in the near future…
For me reading is very much like knitting. I cannot just read one book…ever. I’m always reading 2 or 3 or sometimes more books at a time! Maybe I have adult ADD or something? There is something satisfying about returning to a book that you have put down for a while. It’s like visiting with an old friend. You get to know the people again, reminisce about what has been going on, catch up with where things stand. I also have some books that I listen to in the car vs. read on my kindle vs. read in hard copy. There is something magical about all formats of story.
Currently, I am reading:
A Breath of Snow and Ashes by Diana Gabaldon
The Stand (the new expanded edition) by Stephen King
Listening to:
A Dance with Dragons by George R. R. Martin
Book 7 of the Baroque Cycle – Currency by Neal Stephenson
I just finished Alvin Journeyman by Orson Scott Card and The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory. These two were in the list above with the others not too long ago. Once I near the end of a book, I finish it up pretty quickly.
In the queue:
The Magicians and The Magician King both by Lev Grossman
Ready Player One by Ernest Cline
Camouflage by Joe Haldeman
The Windup Girl by Paolo Bacigalupi
Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke
Reamde by Neal Stephenson
The Help by Kathryn Stockett
Vortex by Robert Charles Wilson
What are you reading?
I don’t know about you, but holiday gift giving has gotten harder and harder. It seems like everyone just gets whatever they want whenever they want it, or they just don’t need anything. I know I am also hard to shop for for these same reasons. The best gift for me is probably a gift card to one of the online or retail stores I frequent. I end up going this route, it makes shopping easier…although, I do feel like I’m cheating in some way.
I used to try making gifts for everyone and that just drove me batty. Literally, insane. I couldn’t do it. Too much pressure, too much stress, not enough time. Sometimes that payed off, but mostly, I was disappointed. I wanted people to love the things I made, to understand how much love and time and effort went into each stitch. I think it’s hard for non-knitters to understand.
I still try to make a few gifts. Special little things that I know the recipient will appreciate. But gone are the days of mass producing dishcloths for every sink or hats for every head. This year I have already gotten a start on my holiday crafting which gives me great joy. Step one is complete, and step two is underway. Heck, I might even be able to expand my list of recipients!
What are you crafting for this year’s holiday gift giving season?
I cannot deny it anymore, I’m sick. Laying on the couch, I started thinking about the things I turn to to help me feel better. Comfort food, rice, eggs, broth. Entertainment, a good book, movie, music.
As a kid I remember watching Disney movies on the old floral patterned couch, covered by a crocheted afghan. My mom would bring me apple juice and soft boiled eggs over toast.
Today I was buried under two blankets, watching my husband play Batman, sipping on warm broth and wishing I had Disney movies to watch.
