Mari Knits

Website moved!

2013-01-26T17:03:00.004-08:00

My website has moved to mariknits.com! Please come and visit me there!

WIP Wednesday

2013-01-23T10:27:00.000-08:00

It's been a while since I posted about my WIPs, so I thought today was a good day to get back into the habit!

I'm knitting the Gemini top by Jane Richmond. I admire her aesthetic and I think she also does a great job styling her photos. This is a shop sample for Warm 'n Fuzzy, and I'll also be teaching a class on the pattern. I'm customizing the pattern to have lace on all the sides, and I'm going to do elbow length sleeves since I don't think cap sleeves are very flattering on me. Of course in the class I'll talk about other ways to customize! I haven't decided yet if I'm going to add short rows in the bust. I'm knitting this one out of Classic Elite Wool Bam Boo. It's very soft, easy to work with, and I think it'll make a great top!

My other WIP is this poor shawl. I posted about it here. Since the last time I posted I started the lace, then I made a mistake, and the pattern is worked on both sides, and despite over an hour of trying to fix the mistake I couldn't get it to look perfect. After that it sat in time out until after Christmas, then I frogged back and did it again (this time with a lifeline!). The rows are very long, and I'm rather sick of the shawl. I will have to remember this post the next time I contemplate knitting a shawl in laceweight yarn! It is quite beautiful, I still love the pattern and the yarn, I'm just ready for it to be finished!

Ansel

2013-01-17T05:18:00.000-08:00

I had another pattern published last week, two in one week! It was so exciting that I didn't have time to write about both of them!

I'd like to introduce Ansel, published in Clotheshorse Winter 2012/2013. Photos are curtsey of Clotheshorse.

Sometimes the design process can take a really long time. I finished knitting the original sample for this in December 2011, just before leaving China. The last two weeks we lived in China we lived in a hotel, and I remember blocking this on the spare bed in our hotel room. My husband wasn't overly amused that I was using the limited space we had to block a sweater. Here are some photos of the original, and my former assistant Jasmine is modeling. These first two photos of Jasmine are taken before the button was sewn on or before the sweater was blocked! Knit in amazingly soft Lotus Yarn Tibetan Yak Sportweight.

Here's another photo of the sweater after blocking (and button sewn on) by Katy Doyle.

So I sent photos of this original bolero to Clotheshorse, and I'm impressed at their vision to transform my idea into a bright and colorful piece to fit into their Graphic theme. I honestly can't say I quite understood the look they were going for when I originally saw the bright blue and green Blue Sky Alpacas yarn in the box before knitting the sample. I also learned that I'm slightly allergic to alpaca. Now that all is said and done I'm just so excited to see the wonderful styling of the team at Clotheshorse and to finally see my pattern out in the world!

Rockfall Sweater

2013-01-08T05:37:00.002-08:00

I really can't relay just how excited I am to have a pattern published in Knitscene! It is my favorite knitting magazine. I love their modern knitting patterns and the beautiful styling. One thing that is crazy about the knitting design industry (and probably all clothing design) is that it's such a long time from when you first get the idea, submit the idea, knit the idea, and then the idea comes to life and sees the light of day. I can't remember when I submitted, but I remember knitting the sample sweater on the drive to DC to visit friends back in July.

Anyways, here are some amazing photos of my Rockfall Sweater, the photos are from Knitscene.

I get a lot of inspiration for my knitting patterns from magazines and ready-to-wear clothing. These two images were my inspiration for the Rockfall Sweater. I found them while prowling the internet. I use Pinterest to organize my knitting inspiration.

I love the asymmetrical line of the sweater in the first photo, but I wanted my sweater to be wearable like the second top. Something that you could just throw on without having to think about which undergarments to wear with it. Then I saw that Knitscene was looking for asymmetrical knits for Spring, and I submitted this sketch:

Because I hate seaming the Rockfall Sweater is knit seamlessly, in the round, from the bottom up. The sleeves are knit separately in the round, and then the sleeves and body are joined and knit in one piece to the top of the neck. Let me tell you, this sweater did give me some trouble. Getting the lace yoke decreases to look just right took quite a bit of trial and error. This sweater as shown in Knitscene is worn with negative ease, to give it a modern and fitted look. I really adore this sweater, and I hope that eventually I will knit one for myself.

I can't wait until this issue is in stores! I'm definitely going to have to go visit it in at least one LYS.

New Pattern: Two Hands Make A Heart

2013-01-02T10:48:00.003-08:00

It's here! The second pattern in my Two Hands series: Two Hands Make A Snowflake. The first in the series was Two Hands Make A Heart. I really love this pattern. I think that snowflakes are much more gender neutral, and I love the fingerless gloves with the flip top because they are great for when you are out and about and need your fingers to use your phone (or pick your nose?). Once again I am indebted to Katy & Kevin Doyle for their photography. I especially like Katy's expression in the first photo.

These convertible gloves are available in two sizes, just like the heart ones. Do you want to knit the hearts onto these convertible mittens? You can, because the charts are the same size! Just knit the pattern for the base glove of your choice, and insert the chart you'd like! I'm working on additional charts for this series, as well as one more base glove. Now through Friday 23:59 EST enter the code BOGO, and you'll get both patterns for the price of one!

Goodbye 2012, Hello 2013!

2012-12-28T08:42:00.001-08:00

Well, since the world didn't end I guess it's time to start planning for 2013. But first I have to say goodbye to 2012!

Lots of exciting things have happened this year!
I started this website! Here's my first post ever. I owe many thanks to Justin Barnes for creating my logo, and to Katy and Kevin Doyle for their photography skills. Without the help of my friends I don't know where this website would be!

Another exciting thing happened this year, the Anime Infinity Cowl was in the AllFreeKnitting.com top 100 list!

And now, the year in review through patterns:
January
Broken Rib Hat, Miya Shawl, Business Card Case

February
Falling Leaves scarf & shawl, Bunny puppet, Yak Hands

March
Bamboo Baby Dress, Anime Infinity

April
Cash Baby Hat & Shoes

May
Pine Cone Shawl, Holey Hug Shrug

June
Mama Miya, Spring Wolle

July
Cable Doodle Doo

August
Katy & Kevin Cowl, Mimi Shawl

September
Lovely Lady Arms

October
Lola's Lace Shawl, Two Hands Make A Heart

November
Barnsley, Anteros Shawl

December
Eros Cowl, Heartigan

In 2012 I published 23 patterns!

Fuzzbee Yarns

2012-12-18T07:00:00.000-08:00

I just got a box full of amazing things from my friend Cassie. I met Cassie while serving in the Peace Corps, and she is one of the people that helped me to learn how to knit while living in Armenia. She came to Armenia already a skilled spinner and knitter, and she has continued to hone her skills and is now selling amazing hand spun and organically hand dyed yarn! It's all pretty amazing, and I can say this because I just got a box of her yarn! You can buy your own at the Fuzzbee Etsy shop, and check out her website fuzzbeeyarns.com to learn more about her spinning and dying process.

Here are some photos of the yarn I just received!

Ok, one by one, because you know you want to know more!

100% BFL handspun, undyed 109 yds

100% BFL, 150 yds

100% Shetland Wool, handspun, red caggabe dyed, 470 yds

100% Shetland Wool, 216 yds, turmeric/indigo dyed

yarn ball and knitting needle ornament!

I'm going to start designing a few things specifically for the subtle beauty of handspun. I'm really excited about this, because I've very rarely had the opportunity to knit with handspun yarn before, and have yet to design with it! Stay tuned!

In print!

2012-12-17T06:09:00.001-08:00

HOLY COW! I knew this was going to happen one day, but I am so super duper excited to see my name in print, next to photos of my pattern! Seriously! I began knitting in 2008, and designing in 2011, and it was January 2012 after TNNA that I decided I was going to make a go of becoming a knitwear designer, and here I am, less than a year later, with a book in hand that has my name in it! I can't tell you how excited I am!

A lot of our mail goes to our in-laws house, so when I heard that there was a flat envelope with my name on it from F+W Media I just assumed it was another rejection letter (it comes with the territory, unfortunately) but imagine my joy when I opened the package and found this book!

This book is sold at Joann Fabrics, and also on Amazon!

Quick & Simple Knits for Babies & Children

My pattern is on page 26!

I am still also selling this pattern online through Ravelry: Cash Baby! Hat & Shoes

So of course on my agenda for this week is to visit the Joann Fabrics near my house to see if I can visit the book in person in the store!

New Pattern: Eros Cowl

2012-12-15T06:00:00.000-08:00

I published my Eros Cowl yesterday! Eros is the brother of Anteros and is the greek god of love. Eros is also known as cupid. The myth goes that Anteros, the god of requited love, was created as a companion for Eros, because in order for love to be complete it must be reciprocated. This cowl, much like the Anteros Shawl, is a cowl that you will love to knit and wear. The simple lovely cowl will love you back as much as you love knitting it! It features a beautiful and simple diagonal eyelet pattern that exemplifies the silky beauty of Bergère de France Origin’ Soie.

This pattern was actually inspired by the yarn. When I first saw this yarn at Warm 'N Fuzzy I knew that I wanted to make something with the beautiful silk. I wanted something that would show off the beautiful sheen and drape of 100% silk. Of course you could easily substitute a different fiber and weight yarn, because this cowl is super customizable. (And instructions for customizing are included in the pattern!)

Now through Christmas Day you can get $1 off this pattern by entering the code EROS at checkout.

FO Friday: Randomness

2012-12-14T09:27:00.002-08:00

Ok, so only one of these images is of an FO, and I actually finished them a few weeks ago, but the rest are things I've actually worked on this week...so it all counts right? It's Friday, I feel like the rules don't apply quite as strictly today anyways, and it's been forever since I've posted for FO Friday, so here goes!

Recycled Bag Wrapping Paper

Christmas presents wrapped in recycled bags! I try to be eco-conscious, but I don't think I succeed most of the time. There are a few reasons why I decided to cut up paper bags and use them as wrapping paper.

1. Traditional wrapping paper can't be recycled

2. Brian got really excited and really enjoyed drawing pictures all over them. The one standing on the right is a pirate santa. I think that's the only one that is holiday themed

3. I could use little pieces of yarn instead of ribbon, and using yarn is always a good thing!

4. By not buying wrapping paper we also didn't buy ribbon or tags for our gifts. We just wrote everyone's names right on the paper, but we wrote all the names in Armenian, so that way nobody can snoop to see which gifts belong to who! (this is more theoretical than practical, because we don't open gifts at our apartment anyways, and the gifts are currently in our closet). So, if you want a way to code all of your gifts spend 2 years learning a language that is only spoken by 4 million people in the whole world, and you'll essentially have a secret language!

Not So Tiny Slippers

I posted these on WIP Wednesday over a month ago, and I actually finished them just a week or two after that. The timeline is hazy now. Of course I knit them because it got cold here, and then as soon as they were finished it warmed up to 70. Now that it's been cold again I've been wearing them non-stop! I love them!

Felt Christmas Tree
I saw this idea on Pinterest, and it was meant as a toy for kids. But since we don't know our future plans, and don't have anywhere to store a bunch of holiday decorations (since we have a tendency to move every 12 months! ) we decided to make a felt tree for ourselves! I bought the materials at Joann's for less than $15, and the felt ornaments stick to the felt tree all by themselves, so it was fun and easy to put together.

Holiday Knitting

I didn't do very much holiday knitting this year, but I did knit a few things. I think it's a great idea to include mini packets of wool wash with your hand knit gifts and directions for proper care. You've put all the time into picking the yarn, finding the pattern, and knitting the item, so you might as well include care directions to give the gift the best chance for longevity right?

Hearts!

2012-12-07T08:56:00.001-08:00

I'm going through a bit of a heart phase right now. No, I'm not 13, but hearts are just so cute! I've also always loved symmetry, and I figured, why not take advantage of the symmetry of hearts, by cutting it right in half!

Heartigan Girl's Sweater

My most recent interpretation of hearts was first seen in this post: too cute heart sweater. Well, now the pattern has been published, and you can see it here: Heartigan. It's been published as part of KnitPicks IDP. I originally named this sweater Heart Apart, until this happened one night:

Me: "Blah blah blah heart cardigan"
Brian: "Is heartigan the pink one with the red heart?"
Me: "Heartigan? That's a good name!"
Brian: "Isn't that what you named it?"
Me: "No.."
Brian: "Oh, that's what I thought you said"
Me: "Nope, but it's clever, I'm going to re-name it! Maybe the fact that your going deaf isn't so bad..."

Two Hands Make A Heart Mittens

I also recently published the Two Hands Make A Heart mittens, with the hearts wrapping around the edge of the hands, so that when you put them together it makes one complete heart.

This lead me to think about other symmetrical shapes, and now I'm working on a couple other gloves in this series, but more on that later!

WIP Wednesday: Shawls & Secrets

2012-12-05T09:40:00.003-08:00

I made some good progress on my Anteros Shawl these past two weeks, but all the photos I tried to take are really blurry and terrible, so I'll save everyone the pain of looking at them. I did unknit almost the entire thing on my flight to Portland, because the stitch count didn't match on both sides. I got some strange looks on the plane. Brian was very nice and helped me to wind the yarn as I pulled my shawl apart. Over 7 hours of flying I managed to unknit almost the entire shawl, and then knit back to where I was before I got on the plane. It's kind of like I accomplished nothing at all!

I also made some progress on the purple lace weight shawl that I've been working on. I took this to Portland with me, but I didn't touch it. It's just a little too tedious for travel knitting, despite that it's just stockinette. It is taking so long to knit I feel like I've made almost no progress, but now looking at the photos I see I am actually making some progress! Who knew!

Here's also also something new I'm working on. I can't say what it is just yet...

Holiday Wish List

2012-12-04T04:42:00.004-08:00

It's that time of year where everyone is in full holiday season, so incase you need some inspiration for your own wish list, or you are shopping for a quirky knitter, here are some ideas on some great gifts! Oh, and in case you are on a budget, it's broken down by prices!

Under $10
Hiya Hiya Circular Needles - These needles are my absolute favorite! They tips swivel, so that your cord never gets twisted and kinked, and the tips are so sharp that I accidentally drew blood once when I poked myself (so be careful!)

Octopus Earrings by Paperpistolcharms on Etsy - Who can resist? Octopus earrings! I don't think I need to explain why these are so cool.

Yarn Christmas Tree Ornament by Fuzzbee on Etsy - These are a perfect stocking stuffer for any knitter! They are also made by my friend and fellow Recovering Peace Corps Volunteer, Cassie!

Under $20

Daily Dose of Fiber Oat Bag from Ravelry Mini-Mart - Everyone needs their fiber, and I love bags!

Under $25

Yarn Love yarn in Granny Smith - I'm really into green right now, and who could resist this amazingly brilliant bright and cheery green? Personally I like the fingering weight, it's enough for a whole shawl!

The Knitgrrl Guide to Profoessional Knitwear Design by Shannon Okey - Shannon is the mastermind behind Cooperative Press, and a very talented knitwear designer. This book has been on my must-read list for ages, and I've heard great reviews that it has information that is applicable to anyone in the craft/fiber business!

Under $50

Supscription to Knitscene - This is by far my favorite knitting magazine, so I couldn't imagine anything better than opening my mailbox and seeing a brand new issue of Knitscene, without even changing out of my pjs!

Under $75
2 skeins of Blue Moon Fiber Arts BFL Sport in Stormy Weather & Barnsley pattern from Twist Collective - Even though I've knit two of these sweaters I actually don't have one to wear! I really do think that this is a great everyday cardigan, so I would love to knit one for myself!

+

Photograph property of Twist Collective, photographer: Carrie Bostick Hodge

WIP Wednesday: Shawls

2012-11-21T06:02:00.001-08:00

Shawls are one of my favorite things to knit. I'm flying to Oregon for Thanksgiving tomorrow, so I'm getting ready for the plane ride by casting on a couple projects that I know I'll enjoy knitting on the plane.

I decided to knit the Anteros Shawl for the Mari Knits Knit-A-Long, but when I went to wind the skein I discovered that my yarn was super tangled, and the yarn was broken into over 20 pieces! It was a huge tangle, and a disappointment since I really love the color. I've contacted the company, and hopefully I'll get a replacement skein. I was really looking forward to knitting with it!

So I started with some Blue Moon Fiber Arts BFL Sport that I had sitting in my stash. This time I am working increases on both sides of the edge, to make this shawl wider than the original. This little bit has taken just over an hour.

If you'd like to participate in the KAL, just pick any one of my patterns and post your project page to the KAL thread in the Mari Knits Ravelry Group. I'm going to be offering prizes, and for every 10 participants that join there will be an additional prize added, so no matter how many people join you have a 1 in 10 chance of winning!

My other WIP is a shawl in lace weight yarn. This shawl is only slightly larger than the other one above, but has taken me a LOT longer. There's a big difference between knitting with sport weight yarn and lace! The Anteros shawl I'm knitting on a size 7, and this shawl on a size 2! It's going to take forever...

Barnsley

2012-11-16T05:00:00.000-08:00

This is the super exciting news that I have been DIEING to share! My first pattern published in Twist Collective: Barnsley! The sample shown in Twist Collective's photo below, is knit with Blue Moon Gaea Sport. It is a lovely yarn! Photography by Carrie Bostick Hoge.

The first sweater, however, was knit with Anzula Cricket. This pattern was really inspired by Sabrina's beautiful colors and yarn. I loved the soft comfort of this yarn, and I thought a sweater knit in a lovely sport weight yarn was the kind of sweater you could wear every single day, so I had to design a classic and beautiful sweater that you would want to wear every single day! To me this is the perfect sweater, it's warm and cozy without being too heavy, the style is classic and easy. To me the beauty is in the details. This sweater is knit seamlessly from the bottom up (because I hate to sew!) and features deep ribbing on the sleeves and body so that it hugs your curves without any waist shaping. There are short rows in the bust that are written out for cup sizes, so no matter your proportions you can have a perfectly fitted sweater. And my favorite part: the saddle shoulders. I love the simple geometry of it, and it's quite fun to knit! A little bit of spice after all the ribbing and stockinette! Below are some photos of Katy Doyle in the original Barnsley, knit in Anzula Cricket.

New Pattern: Anteros Shawl

2012-11-15T05:00:00.000-08:00

I'm super excited about another new pattern: the Anteros Shawl! I've blogged about this shawl a few times, last month, and way back in July. This shawl was the sample for my Design Your Own Shawl Class at Warm 'N Fuzzy, which is going on now! It's an awesome class, and I'm super excited to be teaching it, and I really enjoy talking about and explaining lace charting, shawl construction, and the math involved in shawls.

There were a ton of requests for THIS shawl however, so I decided to finally write up the pattern. I had a lot of help along the way from some amazing test knitters who caught a few very silly errors, and they also knit it in all different weights from lace to DK. One of the things I love most about this shawl is how customizable it is! You can start the lace stripes at any point in the pattern, make them as wide or as narrow as you'd like, make the shawl as big as you'd like, and you get the idea.

The original name for this shawl was Background Lace Shawl, because that's the name of the stitch pattern from Barbara Walker's Second Treasury of Knitting. I thought this was kind of a boring name, so then I thought about what other people like to name knitting patterns. It's hard to try to explain my train of thought because it's so jumbled, but I somehow decided that I was sick of all the unrequited love (not in my personal life, but in books and movies), because who doesn't want to be loved back? So I decided to name this shawl Anteros, for the Greek god of requited love.

Now through November 18 (which is the beginning of my KAL on Ravelry) you can get 50% off on this pattern! Enter the code LOVE12 at checkout or follow this link.

A big thanks to Katy and Kevin Doyle for the photography!

Shoot It!

2012-11-14T08:59:00.000-08:00

There has been a lot of evidence of my terrible photography on this blog. I usually try to save your eyes from my lack of talent, and prefer to show Katy Doyle's lovely photos of my knit items. However, Katy lives in Boston, and has a very busy life of her own, so I thought maybe I should learn a few things about photography. I do not have a fancy camera. I have a Cannon Powershot, which is a point and shoot camera.

I've been a member of Craftsy for a while, and you can even find my patterns on Craftsy: Mari Knit's Pattern Store. Craftsy also has online video classes, and they have an awesome platform where you can ask questions to the instructor, watch videos at your own pace, and you can even takes notes in the platform, so if you view the video more than once your notes are with the video! It's pretty nifty if you ask me.

Since I clearly need a little help with photography I decided to take Caro Sheridan's Shoot It! Online Product Photography Class. I met Caro at TNNA in Columbus back in June, and you might also recognize her as the model in some of Ravelry's t-shirt photos (that's where I had seen her before).

I really loved Caro's class. I thought she was pleasant and explained things well. I liked listening to her stories about photography and her personal experiences in the field. I really liked the goofy facial expressions she made, because I totally make goofy faces without knowing it too! I always knew that I should read the manual to my camera, but she gave me that extra shove and motivation to actually do it. I don't know where my manual is, but I googled it and found it online in less than 5 minutes.

So here are a few photos of this beautiful lace weight yarn from Rebel Yarns. You can see that I was playing with the setting on my camera and different backgrounds, and the yarn color looks a little bit different in each color... I'm clearly still figuring things out, and I've only gotten through half the videos. The first photo is the most accurate as far as color.

Caro also advises that you clean the few feet of your home that will be in the photo...I obviously have yet to fully embrace this.

I also really wanted to take photos of Bunny, but Bunny is currently on vacation (AKA I can't find Bunny). Luckily Penelope was available (and she is much better and standing on her own anyways).

In these photos I was experimenting with the rule of thirds.

WIP Wednesday: slippers and comics

2012-11-07T07:49:00.000-08:00

I knit a pair of these adorable Not-So-Tiny Slippers by Ysolda Teague last week for the shop. They are super quick, and super cute!

So I decided I needed my own pair. I started them a couple nights ago, and then I did the bulk of it last night, when I was tired...that was NOT a good idea. You'll see in the photo below that the cute little yarn over holes are not centered... I'm a little bit of a perfectionist, so I will be frogging these later. Oy.

My other, non knitting, crafts have been going better. Home made coasters out of tile and modge-podge have been all over Pinterest, so I had to join the fun and I made these comic book coasters over the weekend. I still need to buy felt to put on the bottom so that they don't scratch up the table, but I think they look pretty cool. Brian's a big fan too.

I was in a bit of a modge-podge comic frenzy, and I was irritated by the pile of mail on our kitchen counter, so I modge-podged myself a solution! There's some cardboard under the comics and glue too. The whole thing took about 20 minutes.

Fall KAL

2012-11-05T17:03:00.000-08:00

It's time to do another knit-a-long!

What's a knit-a-long? It's kind of like when you sit and knit with your friends, except you do it online through pictures. Sometimes everyone follows the same pattern, but sometimes not, there's usually a theme to tie everything together. Doesn't it sound like fun?

What Knit-a-long for any Mari Knits pattern

Why Because it’s peak knitting season, and I always enjoy knitting with friends!

When Begins Sunday November 18, ends Sunday December 16

Prizes Yes! They’ll be announced/decided later on

Where In the Mari Knits Ravelry group here.

I can't decide what I want to knit, but here are the patterns I'm contemplating:

Broken Rib Hat

The cowl version of Mama Miya

Or another pair of Lovely Lady Arms, since mine are living at Warm 'n Fuzzy

Too Cute Heart Sweater

2012-10-30T07:00:00.000-07:00

I know I'm bias, but I think my niece is super duper cute. I also LOVE this sweater. Yes, it's my pattern, but I still think it's one of the cutest things I've ever seen. And in case anyone is wondering I had sketched this idea long before all the heart sweaters started cropping up at department stores.

This is a new pattern I'm working on for Knit Picks IDP. The pattern is now in the testing phase, so if you're interested here's the link.

This past weekend Brian, Suzie and I took our nephews and niece to Hillridge Farms. They have a huge barn full of hay where the boys spent over an hour throwing themselves/each other into the hay. Our niece was so overwhelmed with exciting things to do she struggled to decide which one she wanted to do first. It was a little chilly and overcast, but it was perfect weather for us to try out the new sweater, and for me to get a few pictures.

Display your hand knits!

2012-10-27T06:00:00.000-07:00

Maybe this is just me, but I tend to let most of my knit items sit in a bag in my closet. Some of them don't fit me, because they are sample size 32" bust (which I am not!) and others are just shawls that I don't wear, or only wear very occasionally, and a couple I have never worn for whatever reason. Anyways, with the exception of Brian's bookshelf of comics our 'dining room' is my office. I spend a lot of time sitting on the floor in front of the coffee table even though we have a couch, and I have a desk, I do spend at least half of my work time at my desk. So what better to inspire me than some knitting right? I saw a branch on Pinterest as a clothing rack, and we did it at the yarn shop, and I decided I wanted one at home too!

I found the perfect branch while walking around the lake near our apartment. We were dog sitting for my in-laws and I left the branch there, and well, it got thrown out. I guess it's fair to say that I understand why a random branch on the porch could be seen as trash. So when Brian and I were walking around the lake again a couple weeks ago I was on the search for an even more perfect branch. This time we decided we wanted one so long that you could see it from the front door. Now you can see just the empty half of the branch on one side, and the whole branch with samples from inside the dining room/office. But why all this jabbering, I should just show you a picture!

The first picture is from the dining room, and the second from the kitchen side. The photos are terrible, I know, we don't have great lighting, these were taken and night, and now you know why I don't do my own pattern photography!

But what about hats and mittens? Oh, I made a 'clothesline' out of waste yarn and pushpins, and then got some clothespins at the dollar store. Whabam!

WIP Wednesday: Feather and Fan Scarf

2012-10-24T16:42:00.002-07:00

I actually finished two projects this week, and I'll show pictures of those later. Here's one of my WIPs, a feather and fan scarf made with Louet Gems in sport weight. Did you know that MadelineTosh uses Louet for all of their bases? I heard EllaRae does too. I really like this yarn, and I like the mustard color too. Right now the scarf looks a bit like a wrinkled mess, but I know it's going to be lovely once it's blocked. Now I just have to finish knitting the darn thing.

Fiddle Knits Designs: The Mythos Collection

2012-10-18T04:15:00.000-07:00

I'm really excited today to be talking about The Mythos Collection from Fiddle Knits Designs. The Mythos Collection features 7 shawl patterns that are all inspired by myths and gods. Each shawl has a different construction. The e-book has lots of photos and each pattern has written AND charted direction. My personal favorite is the Allure shawl below.

I also had the chance to ask Erica Jackofsky, the designer of Fiddle Knits Designs, a few questions related and unrelated to knitting.

MC: This collection is inspired by myths and gods, what made you choose this theme?

EJ: I've been interested in mythology for as long as I can remember. I'm honestly not sure where or why I developed the fascination. Over the years I've studied mythology on my own, taken college courses in it, listened to various lectures via the Great Courses and iTunes U, and watched whatever movies and documentaries I could get my hands on. Every so often I'm struck with the urge to go back and review the myths and legends. One of these times I was knitting as I was listening to a lecture and I decided it would be a fun idea to combine these two of my interests along with a new found love of dyeing yarn.

MC: You use a lot of different construction styles in this collection, top down, bottom up, side to side, do you have a favorite shawl construction?

EJ: My favorite is whatever I happen to be using at the moment. I'm very fickle like that. I'll be working on a sideways shawlette and think, this is awesome! It goes so fast. I'm only working shawls like this." And then when that's over and I move on to the next one it happens again. I guess this is a good thing because I stay happy with whichever project is in the works. From a design standpoint all the construction methods have their perks. It's easier to plan yardage for a top down or sideways shawl than it is for a bottom up. However, bottom up constructions have more possibilities for border patterns (in my opinion).

MC: How did you begin designing? Do you have any words of wisdom, or caution, to others who want to design knitting patterns?

EJ: I started designing because I have this mental block about following patterns myself. Go figure. Any time I followed a pattern I'd alter it so much into what I wanted that I decided it was time to just learn how to build designs myself from the ground up.

Words of caution I'd say if you want to turn designing into a what you do for a living than be careful what you wish for. It becomes really hard sometimes to have your primary source of income also be what you like to do as a hobby. I don't have time to knit anything that's not a pattern I'm working on to publish. Also, you do a lot less actual knitting than you might expect. Knitwear design isn't just sitting around writing down patterns and knitting all day with your favorite podcasts going. Mostly it's website building/maintenance, paperwork for the business end of things (like sales tax, contracts, and such), writing proposals, writing emails to knitters with questions or people you're working with, taking photos and photo editing. If I get to end my knit with an hour or two of knitting I'm thrilled!

If designing is something you want to try, either for yourself or professionally, I'd recommend purchasing lots of stitch dictionaries and books on techniques. The Knitters Book of Finishing Techniques and Cast On, Bind Off. Are both great. Also, join the designers groups on Ravelry.

MC: What's your guilty pleasure?

EJ: I like to watch braincell killing mind candy TV shows/movies when I'm deadline knitting!

MC: Ok, one more, what are your top 3 junk TV shows to watch when you're on a deadline? I personally love to watch marathons, yesterday I watched a LA Ink marathon while panic knitting/frogging a sweater.

EJ: My 3 most favorite series I've ever knit to are all of the Stargate series (aliens and mythology references, what could be better?!), Battlestar Galactica, and Legend of the Seeker. I go back to those every so often. My current true guilty pleasure shows have been back seasons of Project Runway, Ugly Betty, and at the moment, Once Upon a Time

2012-10-12T08:25:00.001-07:00

I posted photos of this shawl back in July. I made it with Swans Island Organic Merino Fingering, an amazingly soft and squishy yarn in lovely colors as a shop sample for Warm 'N Fuzzy for my design your own shawl class. Well, the shawl itself has gotten a lot of interest while hanging in the shop, and so I'm finally going to write and publish the pattern. The shawl is off in the mail to Katy to be properly photographed (you'll see from the evidence below that I'm a terrible photographer) and this pattern is ready to be test knit! If you'd like to test knit this for me, I'm doing it in the Free Pattern Testers Group on Ravelry.

Lola's Lace Shawl

2012-10-11T03:00:00.000-07:00

I posted photos of this shawl a while back. Well, I've finally published the pattern! Lola's Lace Shawl is currently available only to email subscribers. Feel left out? Want to join in on the fun? Well here's what you missed: October Newsletter: Free Exclusive Pattern and New Patterns from Mari Knits.

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