With the Shawl Pin Shawl MKAL coming to an end, it’s time for the final blog in the event series, the style blog. The versatility of the design results both from the unique shape as well as the simplicity of the stitch work. Intended as an artistic canvas to highlight your favorite shawl pin accessories, there are several ways to wear this design. Here are just a few of my favorites. Scarf Meets Pin StylesWrapped around your neck like a scarf, the “Scarf Meets Pin” style highlights the pin while the shawl keeps your neck warm! Whether a long stick pin, like Bonnie Bishoff’s Dash pin, on an equilateral or perpendicular angle or a broche style pin, like JUL Designs’ …
With Ruffle Bumpkin Knit Eco Chic Baby Is Born
It all started in February 2014 with a designer’s call and subsequent stash diving. With a history of designing and hand knitting baby items for finished item sale, I had yet to publish a pattern in the “baby” category. But then I saw Storey’s call for 101 One Skein Wonders for Babies and couldn’t resist any longer. A gem of a discovery awaiting in my stash – a single unused skein of Classic Elite Yarns Seedling that I’d picked up at Mary’s Yarn (sadly now closed) in my home town of Unionville, Ontario. What could be more appropriate than designing my first “for sale” baby pattern than designing it with yarn purchased from my own birthplace! For design inspiration, the little …
Tinking to Perfection
I’ve played with knitting on the bias a lot over the years and was excited to team up with Three Irish Girls Yarn for my first published pattern designed entirely on the 45. This four month long design project covered multiple variations (I lost count after 9), three knitted prototypes, and a leftovers cowl design, to boot, which comes out spring 2016 – keep an eye open, this one’s too good to miss. Prototype 1 – a bias tank:When Erin asked which color of their Bamboo Cotton I’d like for the design, I was determined to break out of my blue shell. She was quite happy to oblige and surprised me with 3 skeins of “In the Buff,” a lovely …
U-turns and Roundabouts
…the Road to the Design of Essential Tank, erg, I mean Everyday Tank, erg, actually this is it – Sarsaparilla Tank. 2013-2014: I fell in love with Quince n Co’s Sparrow at Warm ‘n Fuzzy. It was my first experience with organic linen and I was eager to dive in. Who’d of thought there was an organic yarn that wasn’t cotton that I wasn’t allergic to! After swatching, I began to design a tank for summer featuring sassafras and Japanese feather lace patterns. However, I quickly discovered the pattern would be too complex for grading, so decided instead on a St st top down tank with the sassafras lace inlaid on the front. This was perfect as I was looking …
Drawing Lines in the Sand
…the Winding Path Behind the Tidal Breeze DesignMy first treatment center was located just north of Charleston, SC. The blessings of beach trips were welcomed reprieves. Even though I wasn’t a knitter at the time, the images of the wet sand and the receding waves stuck in my memory as did my goofy Great Dane, Cheeky, whom my dad brought down to visit me. Years later, I discovered Americo Original yarn & more specifically, their DK weight Linen Tanguis yarn. The novel texture of the blended cellulous fibers made it leap into my purchase basket. The natural color and weight instantly recalled those memories of wet sand and I knew I’d be cabling this yarn into sand… somehow. Time passed …
The Road to Solar Flare
Solar Flare MKAL: The HistoryAside: This blog featuring a non-Pi circular shawl is intentionally brought to you on this day 3.14.15 9:26:53 (the Pi Day of the 21st century – yep, it only happens once every 100 years) A long time ago in a galaxy far, far, away (okay actually August, 2011 just outside Toronto, Ontario)… I attended a lecture at the David Dunlap Observatory on Solar Flares. It was fascinating & I was enchanted. Little did I know that this would be an impetus behind the Solar Flare Circular Shawl. I was just beginning my knitting career – in fact working on writing my first pattern, Black Willow Cowl & Scarf. But the images from the enthralling lecture continued …
Photoshop Removing Stray Hairs
For Valentine’s Day this year I decided to update “Tugging My Heart Strings” with the modeled photos from last summer. After the photo shoot I did a quick glance through to make sure I got a “hero” and several close up shots, got busy with current projects, and put them in a drawer (okay a folder on my computer) until my calendar dinged, Update Tugging My Heart String photos. Working on the project this week my heart sank. Could it be? I called dad in to see if a man’s eye could see the issue. “Looks like a great close up… too bad you have those hairs distracting you from seeing the knitting.” ::head desk:: To Google I went looking …
Puffed Sleeves, Modernizing Traditional Christmas Styling
When I thought of traditional Christmas in the creation of Cassandra Christmas Sweater, an essential element that came to mind was puffed sleeves. In Anne of Green Gables (the movie), Anne is invited to a Christmas party by Diana’s family. She desires more than anything to have a dress with puffed sleeves. Her beloved Matthew surprised her with a dress he picked out precisely according to her wishes. Anne replied, “The puffiest!” So for those romantics like Matthew & Anne, here’s how to adjust the sleeves to achieve “the puffiest.” I knit the original sample for my mom, who, like Matthew & Anne, wanted this classical elegance. Note: includes the puffiest puffs & pleats in those puffs.Work the BO section …
Making Fall
Intersection Cowl, original designed over 2 years ago and photographed last fall for the right feel, is now ready for publishing. At long last, the planning is over and I can share the pattern with all of you, my fellow yarnies! Until… my heart dropped as I looked over the pictures for the pattern cover. In the final photo selection, I discovered the fall leaves appeared only in one background. Apparently last year when I reviewed the photos, I had a fall filter streaming through my window providing the impression of much more color than actually was. Since the time is right for knitters who’d want to knit this piece to wear during the autumn color and the leaves haven’t …
Sheer Illusion Tank Photography Tips
How to Fix Blowout Spots on Knitwear in Photoshop After bribing my photographer (aka mom) with tapioca pudding & equal time teaching her how to use Adobe PDF, I secured not one, but two 6am wake ups in an effort to beat the sun for the Sheer Illusion tank photo shoots. However, the summer mountain weather was being particularly uncooperative. Even though some shots displayed the fog I stood in, the ambient light continued to cause blow out upon the ice blue tank… right where all my “curves” are, so most inappropriate spots! Knowing I had pushed my photographer’s back to back early rising limits, I was running out of options as the last day of July and my publication …