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

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:

• I finished the Crafty Detour CSI: Most Wanted collection of patterns
• I started a new job for The Alpaca Yarn Company
• I was published in Interweave Knits Fall 2011, Jane Austen Knits, Knit Magazine Issues 38 and 41, Universal Yarns’s Designer Collaboration Program, and the Woolgirl Sock Club
• I taught at the annual Knitters Day Out event
• I started wholesaling patterns to yarn shops
• I joined TNNA as a designer

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.

• Self-publish a collection for fall
• Exercise more – We just ordered an elliptical for our home and I plan on using it at least 3 times a week
• Stop taking everything so personally
• Eat better – Both hubby and I are committed to trying to eat healthier meals this year

What are your goals for the new year?

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.

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).

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:

1. Crochet is fast
2. Even with sock yarn these babies are almost 3″ in diameter making finishing much more of a possibility
3. No stuffing
4. No seaming/sewing/tying, these are join as you go – I understand that the hexipuffs don’t need to be sewn, however, you still have to go back and join them in the end
5. No annoying video associated with it (ok this is just me being snarky)

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.

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.

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.

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 :

• organize outstanding submissions
• maintain business expenses
• track sales
• (see what I did there? made a list about making lists)

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.

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.

(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.