Yarn Love Sale!

It’s Cyber Monday, and since everything else is on sale, I’ve decided to offer an additional 20% discount on our overstock yarn. Now you might now realize that last week I put up an overstock/seconds/one of a kind store on Etsy. My studio storage space is way overcrowded. Most of what’s there is beautiful yarn leftover from a canceled wholesale order more than a year ago. The yarn is perfect and lovely, but I can’t use 30 lbs of yarn for my own knitting, and I’d much rather you gave it a good home. The “overstock” discount runs about $3-5 per skein off retail.

Today, November 29th until midnight use the code CYBERCRAFT for an additional 20% off.

Why? Because getting a good deal on a quality, handmade item makes me feel good…and I want to pass that onto you. I’m not going to offer this price on an ongoing basis, because a lot of discounting undervalues my work. But a special sale every once in a while – that’s a good thing.

I hope you find something you love in the etsy overstock shop!

Yarn Love shawlette just off my needles!

I’m so excited! I just cast off a beautiful shawlette last night. It’s my first shawl ever, and even though it’s small, I love it. I wasn’t aiming for a full sized shawl – more of a shoulder and neck wrap for the cold drafts of fall & winter. (Which is really ironic considering we have heat alerts in our area today for heat index above 105 degrees.)

The main color is Solstice – and the contrasting colors, in order from left to right are Art Deco, Pizzaz, Stallion, and Martini.

I still need to finish weaving in the ends, and then get to go on my first ever lace blocking expedition. I hope it’s as fun as most lace knitters claim.

Specs: triangle shaped shawl with a simple 8 stitch central lace pattern ending in a modified feather and fan garter st border.

Yarn: 90 grams of MC used, plus about 20 grams of each CC color. Shown on Juliet. Easy to incorporate sock leftovers in a beautiful new garment.

New, exciting! Interesting tidbits for knitters

Fit to Flatter – a series of tutorials for knitters

If you haven’t already run across this series, go check it out now! Currently it’s on installment 4 of 10 and already has the makings of a well put together and extremely informative tutorial. It begins by showing you different body types and how clothes flatter (or don’t) based on body type and the construction of the garment. The second installment starts with more information on basic shapes and finishes up with many details specific to each body type mentioned. The third installment builds on the information by moving from general principals into how to make good project choices based on your body type. Now, the fourth installment is the most thorough tutorial on taking measurements to ensure perfect garment fit.

This series is the most detailed information I’ve found on fit, which is quite remarkable as I’ve spent quite a bit of time looking in order to enhance my knitwear designs. Today is a sick day for me, and I’m going to run myself through the fourth installment pictorial and measurements guide despite being 23 weeks pregnant, just for the experience.

Interweave Press Spring 2011 Moodboards are out

There’s been quite a bit of discussion on the Designers board over at Ravelry on when Interweave would be publishing their new knitting moodboards. If you’ve been waiting, head on over there and check them out. You could be the next great Kate Gilbert or Ysolda.

I am undecided if I’m going to submit for the Knits spring issue. I have several submissions out currently (for winter 2010) and am in the midst of putting together another, also for winter 2010. Plus, rumors are that I will have to have the pattern & project completed around the end of September – which is when I’m due to have #4. It’s probably smartest to hold off….at least that’s what I keep telling myself.

That’s it for today. I’m off for another cup of Throat Coat while I attempt to recover from a nasty cold I came down with yesterday!

Miss Margaret Socks – newly released!

Introducing:

little Miss Margaret!

Miss Margaret is my latest pattern. She was released yesterday for Three Irish Girls’ Sock Yarnista club. She’ll be available for purchase for non-club members shortly at Three Irish Girls.

She is a cuff down sock with an easy to remember spiral stitch pattern. I’ve added beads for a little “bling” but she’s just as pretty without. The spiral pattern melts into a cabled heel flap and is framed by prettily cabled gussets for a great fit.

The pink sample is shown in Scarlett O’Hara by Yarn Love, colorway: Petal.

Intermediate difficulty: pattern assumes familiarity with cables and charts. Bead work is done using a small crochet hook, so you don’t have to pre-string the beads.

Materials:
• 4 oz/410 yards fingering weight yarn. Shown in Yarn Love’s Scarlett O’ Hara. Color – Petal.
• US size1 or 2.25 mm needles (2 circulars, 5 DPNS or 1 long circular for magic loop.)
• Taspestry needle
• Stitch markers (optional)

Extra notions:
• Small gauge steel crochet hook – size 14
• Seed beads size 6 or 8 (You will need 60-80 per sock depending upon how long you knit the cuff.)
• 2 small cable needles (You may cable without cable needles if you prefer.)

Techniques:
• Beading (explained in the pattern)
• Cables
• Short rows

Notes:
• The heel flap, gusset, and instep st patterns are given as charts only for clarity.
• You may pre-string the beads if you prefer.

Where are they now?

KnitCroBlo Day 6: Document the current state and use of an object you have knitted or crocheted.

Fiddlehead Mittens

I actually don’t know exactly what these mittens are up to now. They were for a swap partner, and I hope she is getting lots of use out of them!

I knit them from the Fiddlehead Mitten pattern. The yarn is Andee dk from Henry’s Attic, that I hand dyed for this project.

They were so much fun to make, and are super dense. I had to go down to a 000/1.25mm needle to get gauge, so I opted not to line this pair. I need to make some for myself but like most things, I haven’t gotten around to it yet.

Bowl Full of Cherries Socks

I designed these socks for the Sock Knitter’s Anonymous July 2009 challenge. Right now the original pattern (released in 4 parts for the challenge) is available for free.

I loved designing these socks, but they were a challenge. I had a total of 3 weeks to design and publish the pattern. (The designer they had lined up had to decline unexpectedly.) They were my first colorwork design. There are two versions – a 2 strand and a 3 strand – and they’re available in two sizes.

By the time I got done knitting both socks, I was pretty much (happily!) exhausted. It was a whirlwind tour and I had a million ends to weave in. My mom fell in love with the socks and offered a trade. She would weave in all the ends if she could have the socks. Done! I love seeing the fraternal twin socks on her feet. It’s as satisfying as completing the pattern and finishing the knitting.

Where do you indulge?

KnitCroBlo Day 5: Where do you like to indulge in your craft?

Since I am generally designing while I knit, I must have at least a piece of paper and pencil handy….but often times my laptop, too. I’m hugely into charting when designing for visual simplicity and ease of error checking (via KnitVisualizer) so it’s nice to have the computer around for quick changes. Practically speaking, I always knit at home and I’m either sitting at my kitchen table or on my couch. I try to save the majority of my design time for when my kiddos are in bed. Theoretically this allows me to concentrate and make fewer mistakes. But it didn’t stop me from ripping out the instep of my newest (and still TOP SECRET) sock design 5 times last week.

I have knitting/designing/dyeing stuff in various places throughout the house, so you’ll find me doing yarn related things in the kitchen, spare bedroom/storage space and basement. These yarn related activities are usually not knitting, but generally dyeing, packaging, yarn prep, yarn washing, and business related etc.

It’s a good thing we have a pretty big house.

What would you like to learn: knitcroblo 4

KnitCroBlo Day Four: Is there a skill related to your hobby that you hope to learn one day?

I want to learn how to chart crochet! I’m fairly proficient with knit charting. I even have a really nifty program that helps me out. (KnitVisualizer is what I’m running. There’s a new program, much less expensive from Intwined Studio that’s getting rave reviews. It checks in at $44, instead of $185 for KnitVisualizer.) Since I love charts for knitting as I can see immediately how stitches line up with each other, I’d like to be able to do the same thing with crochet.

When I learned to crochet charts were not commonly available in crochet patterns. Which meant that you crocheted along, checking the picture and sometimes you could be rows past a mistake before you realized it. With charting, it’s harder to do that because stitches are lined up and you can look down a column and see the previous stitches which are the foundation for your current work.

I recently found the StichinCrochet font by the talented Adriprint. If you download the True Type font (TT font) and own KnitVisualizer, you can import the Stitchin Crochet font into Knit Visualizer & use the crochet symbols within the charting software. All you need to do is use the Create Custom Stitch function, select the symbol you want to use, enter in directions for completing the stitch, save and you’re ready to go.

I’m so excited about the possibilities. I have a lot to learn about charting crochet, but I’m chomping at the bit to chart out a lovely crocheted edging along the cuff of a sock….or the edge of a sleeve.

An Influential Knitter – Norah Gaughan

KnitCroBlo – Day 3: Write about a knitter whose work you enjoy.

I have to say Norah Gaughan is amazing. Her designs are both stylish and unique. By unique I mean off-beat and slightly quirky but loveable *not* weird. It’s as if Norah designs for a world that’s so pretty, I’d like to live there. She now works for Berroco, and every time they release a new Norah pattern collection I’m consistently drawn to the patterns. Her asymmetrical motifs and unique construction never fail to draw me in. One day when I grow up, I hope to make patterns as pretty as Norah.

Find more Norah Gaughan’s designs at www.Berroco.com.

Norah blogs at: http://blog.berroco.com/

Go check out her work. It’s beautiful & worth your time. Ideally, I’d post pictures of her designs here, but I don’t want to infringe upon Berroco’s rights by using their photos on my blog……

Knitting Needle Conversion Chart

Let’s be frank. I like to knit socks on tiny needles. And I like to know both the US size (000) and the metric (1.75mm) but most knitting needle conversion charts don’t list these sizes. So I’ve made one for myself & decided to post it here in case you could use it, too.

Knitting Needle Conversion Chart  000-000 – 50 or .7mm – 25mm

How did you get started?

It’s the first day of Knit/Crochet Blog week! (And I’m a day behind already, but shhh! it’s still early in the morning so it almost counts as yesterday.

I started knitting and crocheting when my mom taught me. I was pretty young – 7 or 8. I strongly preferred crochet and for many years only crocheted. This may have had something to do with the fact that my mom knits very oddly. She was taught by a woman who was about 9 months pregnant and consequently, my mom holds her needles like T not an X. Her right arm is held up horizontally, while her left arm is relaxed and parallel to her side.

I didn’t start knitting in earnest until many years later. I was expecting the twins and wanted to make them soakers (knitted wool cloth diaper covers) and there just weren’t many crochet patterns out there. So I started knitting again.

Soon, I was getting many requests to knit other people soakers, which got me started designing. I needed to design a soaker pattern for my own use, so I could sell the finished pieces. Soaker knitting also got me started dyeing yarn. I got many very specific color requests that could only be filled by dyeing the yarn to order. It took a while to get both sides of the business up and running as Yarn Love today, but that’s how I got my start!

That’s it for knitcroblo1 – day one. I’ll see you tomorrow! (or hopefully later today)

~katie