Puddles in Rian

Personal Recommendations

Lindsay LewchukAnnouncements, Designers, Gift-a-long, Indie Design Gift-A-Long 2016 4 Comments

…Or What Puddles Would Knit If He Had Opposable Thumbs With over 300 indie designers participating in the 4th annual Indie Design Gift-a-long it may seem overwhelming with all the pattern choices. Any pattern by any of the participating designers is eligible to knit/ crochet in the KAL/ CAL threads. Any paid-for (non-free) pattern is eligible to win prizes in the FO thread! So what is a knitter to do? Puddles to the rescue! Here is a list of patterns I recommend that I’ve personally knit (in GALs-by-gone, but also eligible this year) and were exciting on the needles and loved by the recipients off the needles! Garments: Elia – by Julia TriceMy first ever GAL project!!! I absolutely LOVED …

The Voyages of Vivian

Lindsay LewchukAnnouncements, Designers, Gift-a-long, Pattern Related Leave a Comment

Do you remember Talitha Kuomi from the Indie Design Gift-a-long? She’s just published her first independent knitting book, “The Voyages of Vivian,” and gave me a sneak peek! Traveling the world with Vivian through the pages of the book, I was enthralled with the pictures, knitting designs, and story. So I asked if she’d grace us with an interview during her virtual release tour. And she said “yes”… so please join me in welcoming, Tal! As a seasoned designer with over 150 publications, what inspired you to branch out into book publishing? I love to tell a story, and so to be allowed to put together a collection of patterns that help to farther a story is right up my …

Mod Squad Favorites

Lindsay LewchukAnnouncements, Designers, Gift-a-long, Indie Design Gift-a-Long 2015 Leave a Comment

As we prepare to hand out the physical prizes drawing the Indie Design Gift-a-long to a close, I wanted to take a moment to highlight my favorite patterns from the Mod Squad. Without these volunteers the event would not be the fun, engaging, face-paced, adrenaline pumping, crafting event to end all gifting events that it is. In considering how best to thank them for all the hours they put in over the six weeks, I thought what better way than a mod squad pattern round-up. So get your queue buttons ready, you won’t want to miss these gems!!! Not to mention it gives you plenty to craft while you wait for GAL2016. From our fearless leaders – the admins. (Okay …

Squib Hill Hat Pattern Review Indie Design Gift-a-long

Lindsay LewchukAnnouncements, Designers, Gift-a-long, Indie Design Gift-a-Long 2015 Leave a Comment

So great I knit it thrice! The giftee’s prompt, find a hat that completely covers my ear lobes. So I searched and searched and searched. I sent out inquiries on carrier pigeons, looking high and low for a hat that completely covered his earlobes. I was DESPESARTE to find a hat that suited this prompt or be in for another year of humiliation as he wore his fake bear Russian style hat with hidden ear muffs that came down when needed. Thanks to the FO thread in the gift-a-long I happened upon a project where the giftee’s earlobes seemed to be completely covered & I inquired of the knitter about the point exactly. I showed dad (aka giftee) the results …

Twas the Knit Night Before Christmas

Lindsay LewchukAnnouncements, Designers, Gift-a-long, Indie Design Gift-a-Long 2015 9 Comments

An Indie Design Gift-a-long adaptation on the classic Christmas eve story by Clement Clarke Moore (1823). Read it here or in full illustrated form on the Pinterest board here. ‘Twas the knit night before Christmas… and all through my LYS,All the crafters were stitching Indie Design Gift-a-long patterns like Cookie the Mouse…;The Fair Isle Christmas Stockings were hung by the chimney with care,In hopes that St. John’s Wood Nicke’s Hat soon would be there;The children were nestled all Snug in their beds;While visions of Sugar Plum… danced in their heads;And Puddles in his Rian Cowl, and dad in his Squib Hill hat,We’d just settled our Brains for a long Winter Haven nap,When out on the Morning Mist lawn there arose …

Rian Cowl Pattern Review Indie Design Gift-a-long

Lindsay LewchukAnnouncements, Designers, Gift-a-long, Indie Design Gift-a-Long 2015 Leave a Comment

One of the pleasures of the Indie Design Gift-a-long is taking time off from “work” knitting to knit other designers’ creations for my Christmas gifting. My first FO for GAL2015 is Rian Cowl by Loraine Birchall. This super quick knit has an easy to memorize lace pattern, which is worked every other round. Loraine did a great creating the pattern and included both charted and written instructions for your knitting pleasure. Mom selected 100% organic cotton with eco dyes Inca Eco in Sage for her Christmas present after she saw I started to wind some stash organic white :-). The st gauge was off, but it was easy enough to compensate – I just cast on fewer stitches (20 fewer …

#GAL2015 Tour: KAL/ CAL Threads

Lindsay LewchukAnnouncements, Designers, Gift-a-long, Indie Design Gift-a-Long 2015 1 Comment

Welcome back to the Indie Design Gift-a-long virtual tour! Today we’re exploring the KAL/ CAL Threads. We have 8 KAL/CAL Threads this year: GAL2015 KAL/ CAL Cowls, Scarves, & Other Neck ThingsGAL2015 KAL/ CAL Foot & Leg ThingsGAL2015 KAL/ CAL Hat & Other Head ThingsGAL2015 KAL/ CAL Hand & Arm ThingsGAL2015 KAL/ CAL Kids & Baby Things (except toys)GAL2015 KAL/ CAL Shawls & StolesGAL2015 KAL/ CAL Sweaters & Other GarmentsGAL2015 KAL/ CAL Toys, Home, & Other Miscellaneous Things What happens in the KAL/ CAL Threads:The KAL/ CAL Threads are where the crafting fun happens! Once you’ve picked a category, jump in and say what you are planning on making. For instance, I jumped into the GAL2015 KAL/CAL Cowls, Scarves, & …

#GAL2015 Tour: The Designers

Lindsay LewchukAnnouncements, Designers, Gift-a-long, Indie Design Gift-a-Long 2015 1 Comment

Over the next few days I’ll be taking you on a virtual tour of #giftalong2015!  To begin, let’s start with the incredible 335 independent designers who signed up for the event this year. The Participating Designer ThreadGrab a peppermint mocha latte, sit back and enjoy scrolling through the 14 pages of stunning beauty.  Each designer created a stunning collage highlighting some of their favorite gift-able patterns, so it is a fiber feast for the eyes to be sure!  When you happen upon one that makes your heart sign, simply click on the hyperlinked designer name in the post to be redirected to their shop page.  So let’s breakdown one that I caught my eye, the homey warmth pictured in post number …

Hunter Game Review

Lindsay LewchukAnnouncements, Designers, Shawl Pin Shawl MKAL Leave a Comment

Curious about the clues from the Shawl Pin Shawl MKAL hunter game?  Here’s your chance to take a stab at them and get a sneak peek preview of the Shawl Pin Shawl MKAL’s exclusive FO prize! We had 3 amazing prize donors for the Hunter Game for this MKAL: Black Mountain Yarn Shop JUL Designs Bonnie Bishoff Shawl Pins Each donor became a clue in the game as well as participated in an interview!  The rules were simple: clues (some visual and some textual) will be posted at random during the duration of the MKAL. After the clue is posted you have 48 hours to post the correct answer. All correct posts will be entered into a random draw for …

Eek! Happy Dance

Lindsay LewchukAnnouncements, Designers, Pattern Related, Solar Flare MKAL Leave a Comment

Just a quickie today to share Kristen Hanley Cardozo’s Craftsy’s blog post: They Knit That?! 13 Unusual Knitting Patterns You Never Saw Coming Because, eek, a Knit Eco Chic pattern made the list!!!!! I’m more than thrilled :-). Check out number 4 on the blog to see which one Kristen selected and see the other 12 outrageous designs, too. Then spread the word on these knittable patterns “you never saw coming.” Happy knitting!