Celebration of Minis Cowl

Do you have a favorite gradient set of mini skeins?  Maybe a gorgeous set of mini skeins in coordinating colors?  Even yarn leftovers will be celebrated in this simple cowl pattern. This pattern is available on Ravelry or you can buy a copy at the Fiber Expo next weekend in Ann Arbor, MI.  I will have the turquoise gradient set shown in the photo as well as a peach gradient set.

This cowl is long enough to wear doubled up or down to showcase the stripes.  You can also modify it by casting on fewer stitches and then you can knit more stripes as your cowl grows taller.

Yardage: one full skein of contrasting fingering yarn (about 400 yds) and a set of five mini skeins of fingering yarn. Pattern will use about 51 yds/11 grams from each mini skein.

Size: 53” (135cm) x 10.5” (27cm) unblocked

Needles: Size 4 US (3.5 mm) one 40” (102 cm) circular; size 5 US (3.75 mm) 40” (102 cm) for a loose bind off edge

Let’s go on an Expedition!

Last August, I started design my first asymetrical shawl on our expedition to Stitches Midwest 2016. It’s a fairly large shape sized about 59 by 42 inches. It has very easy garter stitch sections alternating with a lace section based on the Elfin lace stitch in Barbara Walker’s stitch dictionaries. 

The pattern has been test knit and is available for purchase here on Ravelry.  The colors, Sugar Plum and Gray, used are my own dyed yarn available in my Etsy store. 

The pattern is named Expedition for a few reasons.  First, I was in a car riding to a great destitute and second, when it was done and blocked,  the stripes looked like roads or highways.  The pattern is easy to customize by stopping short or continuing on.  Solids or tonal yarns work best to let the lace design show through. 

I can’t wait to see what colorways folks use in their shawls. 

Fenceline Cowl

It’s been a busy few months as I have been dyeing yarn for my Etsy shop as well as preparing for last week’s Fiber Expo in Ann Arbor, MI.  It was my first fiber fest, which I shared with my friend Jean, the brains and creator behind MidMittenDesigns.  She makes wonderful project bags and her attention to detail is amazing.  She’s updated her shop inventory this week so go check it out!

I’ve just launched my latest design, Fenceline Cowl, on Ravelry.com.  It was created using a single skein of my fingering weight yarn that 463 yds per 100 grams.  It’s a smooth yarn base that is 75% super wash merino yarn and 25% nylon.

The pattern is perfect for what I call “social knitting”.  It’s very simple and produces a cowl that has a lot of drape and is easy to customize.  I can’t wait to see what people make with the pattern!

To celebrate spring here in the northern hemisphere and the launch of my cowl, I’m offering a 20% discount on the pattern with the coupon code of HAPPYSPRING now through April 17th, 23:59pm EDT.  Click here to buy the pattern.

I’m finished!

After ten months of designing and getting my latest sock pattern test knitted on Ravelry, I’m pleased to announce my “Finish Line” socks are available on Ravelry.  These are ones that I had kept secret for so long in hopes of sending them to Knitty.com as a design submission but I’m not very happy with the yarn, which I can explain below.  Let’s get to the pictures!

Pair of Finish Line Socks

Top view of sock

I used Plymouth’s Happy Feet yarn.  I love the color but the yarn had a light twist and after getting done with one of the socks, it had already started to “fuzz” up, which I didn’t like and didn’t feel it would be the best yarn to showcase the socks.

I continued on with the second sock and had to play yarn chicken as I wound up with a very tiny ball of yarn leftover.  Image the size of a U.S. quarter.  Or a ball slightly smaller than a ping pong ball.  I don’t like the yarn chicken game but I won!

These twisted rib socks are based on the drag racing venue at Summit Motorsports Dragway in Norwalk, OH. Various features of the drag strip are included in the stitch pattern.

Starting at the base (ankle) of the sock, you’ll see diamonds representing the starting lights. Traveling up the side of the sock, in between the “lights”, you’ll see the staging lanes where the cars line up to race. On the outermost sides of the sock, you have the service drive down to the end of the dragstrip and the middle cable design and columns form the actual racing surface. At the top of the sock, you have the finish line. I’ve utilized beads to signify the timing tower, which lights up with the winner and their elapsed time.

The sock can be modified for larger feet by simply adding some stitches at the sides of the sock. Placing the stitches on the sides will leave the main design undisturbed.

Note that the twisted stitches the fabric is less stretchy, so this sock was designed with more stitches and worked with a US1/2.5mm needle. However, this made the foot of the sock too big for me given that only half the sock at that point has twisted stitches. Therefore, you may want to drop down a needle size to 2.25mm for the heel turn, gusset and foot. This was confirmed by some of my testers.

I published this last night and see that it’s made it into the Top 20 favorited patterns this morning on Ravelry!  It’s rank is #10 right now.  I was very proud of this design as it definitely stretched my skills.

Latest sock pattern – Split Butterflies

It’s been a busy month at home with a son having tonsil surgery, him and I having respiratory infections, work, regular home stuff and me designing this latest sock pattern. Whew…..

These socks make me think of spring, which is on it’s way, but not getting here soon enough! I’m eager for fresh air, walks in the warm sun and time outside.

This sock pattern features a non-standard heel flap pattern. It’s basically a ribbing with the center stitches from the design carried down into the heel flap. I love the k2tog and ssk lines that form the “wings” and carefully placed yo’s make the body of the butterfly.

This pattern was test knit by fellow Ravelers and is free on Ravelry for all to enjoy!

Split Butterflies – top view

Split Butterflies – side

Are you frozen yet?

I wanted to share with you my newest design, called Frozen Flakes, to celebrate winter. Hmmm.. there are a lot of us lately who’ve been dealing with sub-zero temperatures lately. Brrrrr……

Use coupon code FROZEN for 50% off until midnight on Sunday, Feb 22nd EST.

Frozen Flakes – side view

Frozen Flakes – top view of crown

Thanks to my Ravelry test knitters for testing this pattern.  You can see their projects here.

Video Resources:

Old Norwegian Cast on from Joan Laws

Latvian Braid

I made it!

I’ve been working on a new design since the fall. I’m proud of it and it’s recently gone through a pattern test on Ravelry so I’m very confident in the pattern’s technical details. I published it last night and it’s free until February 1st. The pattern is called Hexylic Socks because there are six columns of cables on the leg of the sock. It was neat to watch the number of downloads increase through the night and I was secretly hoping to make it into the Top 20 Hot Designs in Ravelry.

When I woke up this morning, my pattern had been “favorited” by 106 people and made the Top 20 list! Happy dancing ensued and I’m smiling! It’s not the first pattern I’ve released, but it’s the first sock pattern so there were many more details in the pattern to get accurate. I included two different sizes as well.

Lace design on top

Side view of sock

There is a Ravelry thread about designer moments, which I can’t find right now, but seeing my pattern in the Top 20 is such a good feeling.

Hexylic sock pattern listed in Top 20

Another Botanical Scarf

One of my pattern testers posted their gorgeous blocked scarf they made for the pattern test I ran on Ravelry.

Here it is.

One of the neat things about designing patterns is seeing how people use different types of yarn and how the projects turn out.

New designs published!

I wanted to share that I’ve just recently published two new designs at Ravelry.

The first one took a few months of design work using Intwined Pattern Studio and then I moved onto swatching the design with old sock yarn in case I had to do some frogging. So, here it is – Botanical Scarf. There are actually flower motifs in the chart repeat and then of course the leaf edging helped me name the design.

I used Opulence from the Woolen Rabbit and the yarn is so yummy being that it’s 50% wool and 50% silk.
Buy now from Ravelry

My other design was a “spur of the moment” hat. I really like the way the blue fair isle design coordinates with the gray background. I was not sure what the call the hat and I went for a walk and all of the sudden, the name, “Winter’s Morn” popped into my head. I used two skeins of KnitPicks yarn, Wool of the Andes Superwash.

Buy now from Ravelry

Back to knitting!

I know it’s been awhile since I’ve posted but it’s been longer recuperating than I expected. We also have been dealing with some family health issues.

I’ve finished my Amie sweater and a pair of socks using the Crosshatch stitch pattern. Today, I finished another one of my Spotted Diamonds hat for my husband. I’m so excited about this hat because it’s the best fair isle project I’ve made. There is NO puckering and it fits him perfect.