Gift-a-Long 2017

The 5th annual Gift-a-Long is underway! I can’t believe we’ve been doing this for 5 years already! I’ve been a participating designer and knitter all 5 years, and it’s an absolute blast every time.

New to the GAL? It’s a great event originally created to boost awareness of Indie designers and to help fiber crafters get those holiday projects done on time. For one week each November (this year it’s from the 21st to the 28th) all participating designs are 25% off with that year’s code. This year we have over 300 designers enrolling 10-20 designs each in the sale. You can catch a quick idea of what I personally have on sale below, or click the link to see all 20 discounted patterns.

The sale only lasts a week, but the Gift-a-Long lasts all the way until New Year’s Eve. There is an -along thread for each category of pattern (sweaters, baby knits, hands, etc) with random prizes awarded periodically in each. There are also threads for various contests that run throughout the GAL, and on New Year’s there’s a prize giveaway extravaganza! It’s a fun way to motivate each other to get through your holiday gift-knitting and get yourself some fun gifts too.

Interested? Join in!

I’m Back!

So it’s been a long while since I put out a new pattern. I thought you might like an explanation for why I’ve been so busy elsewhere:

Understand now why I’ve been a little preoccupied? 😉 Rest assured I’ve not given up knitting nor designing entirely though. I had a pair of sweater patterns mostly done before my son was born, and they are just waiting for photography and tech editing now. I hope to publish both this winter.

I also have a fun winter accessory set that will be ready for test knitting shortly. You can see a preview of the scarf above, and there are coordinating gloves and a hat as well. If test knitting goes well, and nothing crazy happens with my Smiley Guy, those should be published by mid-fall. Feel free to drop me a line if you want in on the test knit!

Quiet Signs of Spring

My house smells like spring.

I’ve never tried forcing bulbs indoors before, but it was a really good idea. This hyacinth smells so good, and it really is wonderful to see something blooming this early in March.

There are also some tantalizing hints of spring outside. All of my spring bulbs have sprouted, and the overwintered alliums (garlic, chives, etc) are beginning to look happy and energetic again. We had 3 days in a row where the high was over 60 this week.

And a sure sign of spring in the knitting world? Lace knitting has returned! I’m seeing more and more Ravelry and Instagram friends casting on lace projects, and my own lace shawlette test knit is underway in my Rav group! If you’d like to join in, be sure to check out the link!

Some Hints

So you’ve already seen hints of the fabulously green sweater design currently on the needles.

But I’ve got some other goodies in progress too. Here’s a pair of hints for an upcoming e-book full of patterns that double as tutorials:

And then there’s the design that’s ready for test knitting! I’ll be posting a call for testers in my Ravelry group next week, but if you’d like to get in early on a little springtime lace knitting, please let me know in the comments!

Feeling Accomplished

I know I usually post on Wednesdays, but I put this post off for an extra day so I could show you my little bit of alpaca heaven:

It really does feel like wearing a cloud. I love it.

It’s also FANTASTICALLY warm, which will be great with as cold as it’s been the last few days, and as cold as the forecast is. My only problem is…what would you call it. I plan to wear it both ways. Is it a cowl? An infinity scarf? A capelet? Some other new fashion word I’m not aware of? Help me, blogosphere!

As an aside, I’m not sure what’s happened to inspire so many purchases of my Swept Away in the last week, but thank you all! My sad, broken garage door is very happy you’re helping me replace it!

Yarn Heaven

I’m making great progress on the cowl-thingy I finally decided on for that chunky alpaca. Chunky yarn knits up so fast, and this particular yarn really makes it feel like I’m knitting a cloud. Heaven might be made of alpaca.

But even more enticing, this came in the mail this week:

I know that craving green in February is an established and slightly trite thing from me, but ohhh does this color make me happy right now.

Satisfaction

Remember that design that I had to cast-on 3 times? The one we weren’t talking about?

We seem to have surmounted our difficulties. The piece is behaving itself thus far (guess the 3rd time is a charm), and we got some real quality time together during the drive for last week’s field trip.

I am in love and totally addicted. I can’t put it down, and I’m okay with that. I mean, I didn’t really need food or a clean house anyway. Right?

P.S. Just over a week until the GAL sale starts! If you have any requests for what gets included, make them now!

Distract Me

As I’ve just cast-on 200+ stitches for the third time with this new design, I’m not particularly interested in talking about my knitting at the moment. Let’s talk about the weather…or hockey…or yummy harvest foods…or pretty much anything else but what I’m knitting right now.

What are you knitting right now? Distract me, please!

Cotton Queen

I am slowly slogging through the rewriting of my design for the dratted multi-yarn,

but my heart just isn’t in it at the moment. The project is working up nicely; I’m just tired of working on it. Luckily, the yarn support I mentioned in previous posts has arrived! Turns out it had an excellent reason for being delayed, but now it is here and smooshy and lovely and a perfectly timed dose of “new” to consume all of my attention.

It occurs to me that both of these projects are made of cotton yarns, and thank goodness for that because there are no days in the local forecast with highs below 90. I love summer anyway, but it’s a little easier to love with weather-appropriate yarns.

Vacation Knitting

Last week I promised a post on the project I took along to Montreal, so here goes. Since the yarn support I’m waiting on didn’t make it here before I left town, I started a new, somewhat experimental design with some variegated cotton I had laying around. Variegated yarns are always a little dicey to play around with – so many things can wind up looking wonky.

But, I had hopes! So I brought along the full pack of yarn and a couple different needles and other supplies to allow for mind changing as I worked. Then I spent about half of the drive up and back (about 11 hours each way) and lots of time in Montreal, plus all of last week, working on…this:

Sometimes designing hurts.