My newest pattern – Joe’s Sweater – was designed with men’s standard measurements. I knit the sample as a gift for my son, Joe. His much smaller wife surprised me by wanting to wear the sweater too. She styled it with a french tuck and rolled sleeves and I think she looks great in it too!

Joe in his sweater – a size Men’s Large.

Katie in the same sweater.

Of course you can always adjust a men’s size pattern to fit standard women’s proportions by shortening the body and arm lengths for a given chest size. In a raglan sweater, like this one, you can get away with the deeper armhole, but if you want a less casual fit you can remove some of the plain  (non-decreasing) rounds in the yoke to shorten that too.

Here’s an example one of my testers knit in a men’s size small with shortened lengths.

I think Joe’s Sweater is a classic, timeless sweater for both men and women! Read more about it on the pattern page HERE.

I designed my new cowl pattern for a very personal reason. I try to walk outside everyday during the winter weather, but my face does not respond well to the biting wind (thank you rosacia). I wanted a sturdy cowl that I could pull up around my face and it would stay there to protect my sensitive skin. (Though now I have no excuse for staying cozy inside!)

And I just had to share one of my tester’s projects here too – I love how she folded here cowl for a double layer around her neck when the wind is not blowing. And she switched yarn color at the midpoint of the cowl which gives her two options when wearing!

Love the idea but don’t have any super bulky yarn in your stash? Try knitting with yarn doubled – two strands of worsted weight should give you the same thickness.

This is a super fun, super fast, and easy project to knit up. See more about the pattern on its pattern page HERE.

My newest pattern is especially for gecko lovers, but also for anyone who loves a touch of whimsey. I am so delighted with this design! The 4 little critters are worked in stranded knitting technique in super-soft Malabrigo Rios.

 I’ve included 3 sizes in the pattern so you can knit a unique gift for both adults and kids. I’ve charted the pattern separately for each size so it is easy to follow. This is really a fun one to knit. It does involve trapping floats on the back, and in the pattern I give you a link to a video I made for you to show how easily that is done – a technique worth knowing! 

If salamanders are more your thing, then a simple change in color is all you need with this hat! There are so many amazing colors to choose from in Malabrigo Rios.

Working out an elegant crown is one of the most creative challenges of hat design. It must incorporate the required decreases and still make sense with the overall design. For this hat design I especially love how I connected the 4 little critters at the top of the crown by their tails. I added one braid to the top – as if I braided their tails together! Of course the braid is optional, what kind of topper would you add to this hat?

See more about this pattern HERE.

What a windy day for a photoshoot for my newest pattern – Diamond Days Hat. My friend, Jenn of the fabulous hair, was the model. It proved to be a great hat for the day’s weather!

The clear cut design of these diamonds is due to the pattern of course, but I also used Valley Yarns Northampton for the yarn and it really made those stitches pop! One skein will do any of the three sizes in the pattern. Any basic worsted weight yarn will work well – Ella Rae Classic, Malabrigo Rios, Plymouth Galaway , Cascade 220, Briggs  and Little Regal, Knit Picks Wool of the Andes – you know the type (and probably have some in your stash!)

Check out more about the pattern HERE.

My newest pattern is Thumbs Up Mittens!

Stranded knitting technique and aran weight yarn (a bit heavier than a standard worsted weight)  combine to make some seriously warm mittens – perfect in the snow! And they have an unusal gusset – the gusset stitches grow out of the hand stitches on both sides of the thumb, making a very comfortable and ambidextrous pair. The simple stranded pattern highlights the unusual gusset and reverses to showcase the thumb. Check out the full details on the pattern page HERE.

I have been wearing my Léttlopi pair daily this Winter – they are keep my hands nicely warm and dry – I recommend highly! But I also wanted to share some of the great mittens that my testers knit up for this pattern in some different yarns that you could choose.

  Briggs and Little Heritage works perfectly for this pattern – I know it is a favorite yarn for many of you!  KnitMomWI used light Maroon and Dark Green to knit her mittens.

  Niddyn also used Heritage – in Navy and Quoddy Blue. (She also went on to knit two more pairs in Heritage!)

  ImmaKnitter used Garnstudio Drops Alaska for these striking mittens – one of  two pairs she knit.

  SandyVar combined Knit Pick’s Simply Wool Aran and Plymouth Yarn Homestead Tweed for her mittens.

lhensley made her cute little XS size pair in Mission Falls 1824 Wool (discountinued).

 Alaskanhoosier also made a size XS – using Cascade 220 Sport doubled for one color and Wisdom Yarns Poems for the other.

Finally, I know some of you love to spin, and lucias used her beautiful handspun with great success in this pattern to knit up a pair in size XL for her husband.

I so LOVE and appreciate my test knitters! If you are interested in occasionally testing a pattern for me let me know by posting in my Ravelry thread HERE. I identified all my testers above with their Ravelry names if you want to check out their projects pages on Ravelry.

My newest sweater pattern, Cable Collar Cardigan, is full of visual interest – those cables! That collar! What feature draws you in first to this sweater?

I was inspired by vintage collared cardigans, but apparently collars are having a moment again. I’ve designed this version of a collared cardigan to be knit in a worsted weight yarn and added cables that flow down the front and back panels, as well as circle the cuffs and of course highlight the fabulous collar! Whether you consider it vintage or modern, this design will be a fun and different addition to your sweater wardrobe.

You can check out more photos and all the details on the pattern page HERE.

My newest hat pattern is Hyalite Hat – named after a popular climbing place in Bozeman Montana. The image of thick ropes lying against the rough cliff walls inspired this design. It took me a bit of experimenting to get the right stitch for those ropes, but this variation of twisted stitch proved perfect. You can read all about the pattern HERE. A couple inspiration photos below – including my same model for the hat (daughter Melissa) in her preferred activity!

Does the design of my newest sock pattern look familiar to you? I designed Country Waffles Socks to go with two of my other designs – Country Waffles Hat, and Transition Zone Cardigan. They are all knit in aran weight yarn and based on two different textural stitch patterns that are combined with a transition zone in between. Knit up all three to outfitted head to toe in woolly warmth!

See more about Country Waffles Socks.

See more about Country Waffles Hat.

See more about Transition Zone Cardigan.

I have a new pattern!  Restless Cables Cardigan is an open cardigan that is both classy and classic.  The simple cables effect the fabric around them, resulting in a restless bend and flow to the overall pattern. I designed this sweater to be worked almost seamlessly – the shoulders are the only seams. The body is knit bottom up, splitting for fronts and backs at the armholes. The sleeves are knit top-down with short row caps and end in a gentle blousing at the snug welted cuffs.

Restless Cables Cardigan

 I knit my size medium sweater in Berroco’s Ultra Alpaca Natural in color “Jasmine Rice” and not only is it warm, it feels amazing! Ravelry knitter Deturner also used  Ultra Alpaca Natural for her size 1x  version – in the color “Rye”. Doesn’t it look amazing with her gorgeous hair?

If you are a Ravelry member you can check out the other Restless Cables Cardigan projects on Ravelry to see some more yarn choices for this design.

You can find out more particulars about the pattern by going to the pattern page HERE.

My newest hat pattern is here! Cobscook Bay Hat is a warm and woolly hat that knits up super quickly and has a size for everyone in the family. Perfect for those single skeins of aran weight yarn in your stash –  like Peace Fleece Worsted, Briggs and Little Heritage, Bartlett Yarns 2 ply, Brown Sheep’s Lambs’ Pride Worsted. You could knit up a whole stack of these for the holiday gift season!

The unusual cables in Cobscook Bay Hat are fun to work – and just four cable rounds transform the classic stretchy rib hat into something that’s still easy, but much more interesting to knit – and to wear! Match each hat with a coordinating faux fur pom-pom for perfect gifts! Or leave off the pom-pom and you’ll find that the other side of the hat is a nice design too, making the hat reversible. 

I have to say that this hat is a bit addictive to knit – I have knit four already and have yarn for a fifth. One of my testers confessed that she has now knit eight hats, and her family has placed orders for more! So you have been warned!

See more about the pattern on the pattern page HERE.

So happy to share that my Katahdin Cowl Design is now out in the world! I was inspired by a gorgeous skein of Maine Yarn and Fiber Supply’s sport weight yarn called Katahdin, which I came across in a little gift store near the base of Maine’s highest mountain – Katahdin. I don’t design a lot with variegated yarns so I wasn’t sure how to best show off the yarn at first. When I did get my idea it took me a long time (and a few time-outs) to figure out how to make the construction work out to my vision. But I did! This bandana shape cowl begins with the connected mitered squares and moves inward from there. You can find out more about the pattern on the pattern page.

Here are some cute behind-the-scenes shots from the photo shoot we did:

I’m multi-tasking – adjusting the cowl on my daughter and hanging onto her dog!

Here is the finished photo…….

and here is what’s behind-the-scenes!

My favorite  stranded knitting project is socks. Not only do you get a striking design, but you get that extra warmth too! My new Shadow Box Socks pattern  has some fun design details too. The overall color work design is based on a weaving draft. I manipulated the design to have a large diamond grow out of the overall pattern on one side of each leg.

You can use that diamond as a clue when putting on the socks because I also designed the right and left toes differently, to fit each foot better.

The overall pattern is able to wrap right around the foot because of the unusual gusset construction that also gives an opportunity for another design to emerge under the back of the foot.

This is a super fun project for the experienced sock knitter!

To see more details about the Shadow Box Socks pattern, check out the pattern page.

And check out some tester’s versions below:

IG user @lynn.m.Hensley knit up a pair in size Large using #KnitPicks Stroll Fingering Bare and Knit Picks Glimmer in Peacock.

IG user @stitchknitquiltsewlittletime knit up a striking size small pair in elann.com A-Series S01 Superwash Wool cream and black.

Ravelry knitter Dturner, and her cat, love the look of her size Large socks in #Malabrigo colors natural and Impressionist Sky.

A cape has all the advantages of a shawl – it keeps your upper body warm, it doesn’t have sleeves to fuss with and can be knit much more easily than a sweater. But capes have one major advantage over shawls – they stay on! No fiddling to keep it on your shoulders. “Down East Cape” is my newest pattern and is quick to knit in worsted weight yarn like this Plymouth Encore Colorspun. It is a natural design for variegated yarn, and it is really fun to knit those mitered squares. Oh – and totally seamless too!

You can read more about it on the pattern page HERE.

Here are a few Testers’ projects:

While this design is just perfect for a variegated yarn, it also looks terrific in a solid yarn. This is Ravelry knitter Dturner’s first Cape in size M/L with Yarn ID from YarnBeeYarn (color Blue Stone).

And she enjoyed knitting it so much that she immediately cast on another! Here is her second in the 1X/2X  size using Caron Cakes color “Sugared Blueberries.

Ravelry knitter LHensley knit the largest size for her  DownEastCape to wear as a wrap around her winter coat. Isn’t that a cute look? She used Lion Brand Mandala in colorway “Genie”. Yarns with long color variations work especially well with this pattern!

Ravelry knitter YawnOver made this elegant version of Down East Cape by combining 2 yarns – BerrocoYarn Sesame and SublimeYarns Extra Fine Merino Lace to get the worsted gauge.

Because the sample cape I knit for the pattern I gave to my mother, I had to jump right in and make another for myself! I used a different colorway of Plymouth Encore Colorspun and knit the XS/S size. I love that this cape can be dressed up or down. And falling just above the elbows, I am finding it very practical to wear around the house – even washing up!

A Hat For Everyone!

As I promised – a hat to match my Transition Zone Cardigan! I have called this hat “Country Waffles Hat”  and written up the pattern in sizes to fit everyone in the family – Toddler to Adult Large. It is such a quick and easy project to knit up in aran weight wool (slightly heavier than worsted weight) that I bet you will make at least a couple (I did!)  Like the cardigan, this design incorporates a mix of garter rib and waffle stitch with a bit of stockinette. The opportunities for using different colors in the different sections makes this a creative use for small amounts of leftovers in your stash.

In a break from tradition, this hat is worked flat with a mattress stitch seam up the back that allows you to match up the stitch pattern in a way that avoids the jog to pattern lines if worked in the round. I think it is a nice change of pace to knit a hat back and forth, and perfect for a first time hat knitter wary of circular knitting. I have included a link to a video that shows me doing the mattress stitch on the hat – it is really quite easy and a good skill to have!

Check out more about the pattern on the pattern page!

“Transition Zone Cardigan” is now available! I just love my newest sweater design – especially the fact that it has pockets! The pockets flow naturally from the transition between the two different stitch patterns. This is the perfect sweater jacket! I have been wearing mine (and using those pockets!) every morning the past week or two as Maine begins to experience those cool and frosty Fall mornings.

I chose Bartlett Fisherman 2-ply for this design – a warm and woolly aran weight yarn that has been a favorite of mine for over 30 years. I love the heathered colors, the sheepy smell, and the cozy feel of this authentic wool. I knit so many sweaters, hats and mittens for my kids from this yarn over the years – it feels very nostalgic for me. Other  yarns that would work really well for this design include Briggs and Little Heritage, Brown Sheep Lamb’s Pride Worsted, Peace Fleece Worsted  , Lion Brand Fisherman Wool  and any of the other wonderful real wool aran weight yarns out there.  

You can read more about this pattern on the pattern page.

My newest sock pattern is now available! “Mossy Trail Socks” were inspired by the many mossy trails in the woods near my home in Maine. The moss in the photo above however is in Montana and not quite the lush green of our Maine Moss! Head over to the pattern page to see more photos of this easy to knit sock with just the right amount of texture, and to get all the pattern specifics.

In this blog post I wanted to show you some inspiration from my wonderful test knitters.

Lynn used Knit Pick’s Stroll to make a shortie version – perfect for hotter weather. It works so well with the shortened cuff too. I am definitely making myself a pair in this version!

Jackie made a lovely non-superwash pair in The Fiber Company’s  Cumbria Fingering yarn.

Lucia used Garn Studio Drops Alpaca for a warm and fuzzy sock that her cat quite approves of!

Sharon used another Drops yarn – Fabel – in a gorgeous blue color.

Dottie knit super happy socks in Yarn Bee Yarn’s Color Idyll . The lovely heel of this design is really highlighted in her photo. “L is for Lemon” is this vibrant yellow color.

Slips and Tricks Hat  is a design that took a bit of figuring out on my part! I wanted to show off the slipped checked pattern on the brim with concentric garter stripes on the body of the hat. But those stripes! I really didn’t like the very obvious line up the back where the garter stripes switched colors. The fact that it was garter stitch made that even more complicated. But I did come up with a “trick” that works quite well to disguise that line. Take a close look at the back views – subtle enough to not be noticed except by a very nosey expert knitter!

Malabrigo Worsted or Malabrigo Rios both work just perfectly in this design, and it is an especially good way to use a highly variegated yarn. The knitting is very approachable for anyone comfortable knitting hats in the round.

Read more about this new pattern on the pattern page.

Thank goodness one of my favorite events of the year has always been virtual! The Indie Design Gift-A-Long! If you are not familiar with the Gift-A-Long, GAL for short, then you are in for a treat!

8 years ago, a discussion about cooperation and non-competition was going on in the Ravelry designers’ forum. From that discussion came the idea to have an event that would celebrate that very spirit.  There were several weeks of coordinated knit-a-longs and crochet-a-longs too, with games and prizes, and a big sale to start things off. It was a huge success! So much fun for the designers and all the many knitters who participated.

2020 is the 8th annual event and it is bigger and better than ever! There are just over 250 designers, each with 10 -20 of their patterns discounted by 25% for the first week! The same sales code applies to all: giftalong2020 . The code becomes active at 8pm EST  Tues Nov 24th and will work until 11:59pm on Mon Nov 30th. To see my 20 patterns eligible for the discount you can go to my Ravelry bundle. The sale is a big draw of course, but head over to the Ravelry Group to read about the whole 5 weeks of fun! Hope to see you in one of the Knit-a-longs!

Agate Cove Pullover

So excited to share my newest sweater pattern: Agate Cove Pullover!  The traditional yoke color-work sweater is given a twist by using a three color slip stitch pattern. This requires only one color per round, yet looks much more complicated. I used some of my favorite colors of Briggs and Little Regal – a warm worsted weight yarn from nearby New Brunswick Canada.

You can read all about this pattern on the pattern page.

I had a lot of fun knitting this sweater – and so did my testers. I want to share some of their beautiful sweaters with you. All names are their Ravelry names.

GrankaG’s first Agate Cove Pullover

GrankaG’s second Agate Cove Pullover

GrankaG enjoyed the knitting of this pattern so much that she jumped right in and knit a second sweater when she finished. She used the most beautiful yarn, hand dyed with Japanese local herbs from Indie Dyer Chihiro Nojima in Nasu north of Tokyo, and she decided to use more than three colors in the yoke pattern – striking!

Ulaninen’s Agate Cove Pullover

From a different part of the world (this was a real international test knit!) is this beautiful sweater knit up by Swedish knitter Ulaninen. She used Ístex Plötulopi – Unspun Icelandic wool for her light but warm version.

ByeBrookFarm’s Agate Cove Pullover

ByeBrookFarm used her  handspun from her own Icelandic sheep that she raises on her farm in Northern Maine. The brown and cream are the natural colors of the sheep (named snowcap and Heather) and the other color is the brown over dyed with Cushing’s “mulberry.

This sweater seemed to inspire hand dyed yarn color combinations! Deturner from Texas used natural plus two rich colors from The Louisiana Yarn Guys who dye to order so you can get just the amount you need!

Autumn colors were the inspiration for Quey’s project. She used three shades of Malabrigo Rios to make her sweater for Fall in the North Carolina mountains .

Lucias in Norway chose to make her sweater with a cream color yarn for the body and put all her color in the yoke. She used fingering weight Sandness Garn Alpakka Silke and doubled it to get the gauge and make a drapey and elegant oversized sweater.

See even more versions of this versatile sweater by checking out the projects linked to the pattern on Ravelry.

 Introducing “Square Deal Scarf”! 

I am so pleased with this design because it ticks off all my must-have boxes for a scarf:

• It’s unisex, looking just as good on men as on women (as my handsome model demonstrates).
• It’s reversible, wrap it any way you choose and it still looks good.
• It is sized to look good hanging down for Fall style, or wrapped around your neck and face for Winter warmth.
• It’s easy to knit, but still engaging enough not to be boring.

As scarves go, this is the real deal – a square deal! 

This is also the first time my grandson has modeled for me – he did a great job as you can see by the photo above and the others on the pattern page and on the Ravelry page.

I made the sample for this scarf out of Juniper Moon Farm “Moonshine” (40% alpaca, 40% wool, 20% silk). But this scarf works well is all sorts of yarns, so I want to show off some of the terrific projects that my Ravelry test knitters made. Interestingly, everybody finished their scarf quite quickly. It is one of those designs that engages you and makes you want to keep going to finish another square.

My newest design, “Button Lover’s Easy Mitts” was designed for 2 purposes: to have fun showing off buttons, and to have a pattern that was accessible for even beginning knitters to knit something special. As a designer, I often run into knitters that are just starting out and want to know if I have any easy designs for them to try. I tend to specialize in designs that are geared toward experienced or adventurous knitters, but in this case if you know how to knit, purl, and do a backward loop over the needle, then you can make these mitts! Of course you should be able to sew on a button too, but there are no buttonholes and no seaming required.

This is also a great one skein project for those special variegated skeins which work really well with lots of different color buttons.

My son, Joe, was my trusty photographer again on this one, and I made some of his favorite cookies for the photoshoot. Fingerless mitts work really well for so many activities – including baking!

You can see more about this pattern on the pattern page HERE, or on Ravelry.

Mitts work great in a chilly kitchen while baking.

Who doesn’t eat the dough while making cookies? Luckily, fingerless mitts still allow this bakers’ prerogative.

My son, Joe, snuck a bite while doing the photo shoot.

Joe’s photography skills rewarded!

Simple thumb openings, no seaming, and back and forth knitting make these a project that even a beginning knitter can be successful with.

These mitts were knit with Malabrigo Rios that I purchased while visiting Joe in Montana where he lives. I had a lot of fun matching buttons to this variegated yarn.

If you don’t like to sew buttons, here is a creative option. These yarn bows are super quick to do and look adorable.

I am excited to introduce my first pattern of the year: Agate Cove Hat. Of course most of the work on this pattern was done in 2019 because it is such a long process to bring a design idea all the way to the point of launching the written pattern! That should be the subject of its own blog post!

Agate cove hat was inspired by the variety of beautiful agates that can be found in some of the pebbly coves here in downeast Maine. The textural pattern is made up of three colors, but you use only one color at a time with slip and purl stitches. It was a difficult task to decide on the three colors for the pattern sample – so many beautiful color combinations could be found in my yarn stash alone. I chose a combination of maroon and purples – all in worsted weight Canadian  Briggs and Little Regal yarn for wooly warmth. (US knitters can find this yarn on-line at Maritime Family Fiber – based not far from me in here in Washington County Maine.)

Familiarity with knitting a hat in the round is all you need to be able to knit up this colorful design – no stranded knitting skills required! The pattern also is written in three sizes – child thru adult – so you can knit one for everyone in the family!

My son, Joe, was my talented photographer and my daughter, Melissa, my beautiful model. A few canine friends wanted in on the photo shoot too!

To find out more about this pattern you can check out the pattern page here, or go directly to my Ravelry pattern page. And there is a discount of 15% on Ravelry if you use the code: COVE through January 31st, 2020.

Wow! It’s here again! Don’t forget to get in on the sale while it lasts through December 2nd, but then join in with all the fun in the knit alongs! Check out the information in the poster and for more check the official gift-a-long forum on Ravelry.

I recently released my newest pattern: Venturer’s Vest . It looks just amazing on my lovely model, Katie, who wore it over just a tank top during a hot August day photo shoot – proving you can wear a vest four seasons of the year!

I recently decided to play with my own wardrobe to find a few outfits to wear with my vest during the Maine Fall months. Here is a week’s worth of vest outfit selfies:

#1: Highlight the vest by wearing matching top and bottom colors under it. I wore my navy turtleneck, dark “dress” jeans, and navy shoes to feel comfortable but put together for a day of fiber fun and meeting other knitters at Knit East in St Andrew’s Canada.

#2: Over a nicer tee with a skirt, tights, boots and a little necklace this vest can go out on the town for a dinner date with my sweetie.

#3: With jeans, thermal shirt, sneakers and my fun beaded jewelry for a day of computer work, errands and walks.

#4: Layering a long sleeve tee and flannel shirt with the vest, jeans and my new short booties, and I feel country stylish!

#5: When a cotton sweater is proving not quite enough I can pop on the vest for a little more warmth in my chilly house.

#6: Ok – really layering now, with plaid shirt and an outer weight sweatshirt under the vest. Worn with Khakis, because I occasionally need to wash my jeans!

#7: And when it really gets cold I can add a wool sweater over the vest and turtleneck! (Sweater is my Creek Bottom Cardigan).

#8: Bonus day! Wearing the vest over a dress, with a little yarn scarf and I am all set to go to a performance at the Arts Center!

How will you wear YOUR Vest?

I have a new sock pattern! Twisted stitches are just perfect for stretchy, clingy socks, and diamonds are just perfect for socks.  So “Daring Diamonds Socks” is just a perfect sock pattern! Lots of fun to knit if you are a fan of twisted stitches – and if you are not, you should give it a try. Big hint – sharp tip needles make all the difference in ease of working! I have even made a new video for you on Youtube about how to work twisted stitches.

I first designed these based on a request from my husband that he needed more handknit socks. After I knit his up in Paton’s “Kroy Sock” yarn I decided I needed a pair as well and knit myself up a pretty pink pair in Drops “Fabel”. That is the sample used for the pattern, but I’ve included a couple photos of hubbies prototype for you to see here too.

As usual I am offering a release discount of 20% on the pattern through June 29th (2019) – use the code: DARE when you check out in my Ravelry store. And did you know that I always offer a bit better discount to my newsletter subscribers? It’s too late to get in on that for this pattern – but if you sign up now you’ll be all set for the up coming Fall pattern releases.

Read all about this sock pattern HERE, or in my Ravelry Store.

Daring Diamonds Socks

My pretty pink pair in Drops “Fabel”.

A heavy a  more manly version for my husband in Paton’s “Kroy Sock”.

Lots of twisted stitches makes for engaging knitting!

There is a pretty center twist line up the back. The diamonds are arranged differently depending on the size.

Weddings, graduations, concerts – there are so many events in June where it is handy to have a little shawl to throw over your shoulders when the breeze kicks up – or in warmer places when they sit you near the AC vent!

I designed my “Simply Sweet Shawl” pattern back in 2014, but I still use it all the time. It is a very easy knit – appropriate for knitters with only a few projects under their belts. And even though it is knit in fingering weight yarn, it is knit at a looser gauge so it knits up fairly quickly. Of course you could always knit it with a thicker yarn at a different gauge for a larger winter shawl.

While I love the look of scallops for the edges of this shawl, these are formed after the shawl body is finished and can just as easily be left off to give a straight edge to the shawl – an alternate look.

Take a look below at some of the versions Ravelry knitters have done up. And to celebrate Shawls in June – “Simply Sweet Shawl” is 20% off on Ravelry through June 14th (2019) – no code needed!

Sharon used the sweetest colors in her version of the shawl – perfect for a young girl!

Noreen knit her shawl with just 2 colors – but wow what colors! Beautiful!

Knitters have commented on how nicely the shawl drapes well over the shoulders, which Noreen is demonstrating here.

Frances used a variegated yarn for the body of her shawl with two different solids – lovely!

One of the highlights of my recent trip to Asheville North Carolina was a tour of the Echoview Fiber Mill in nearby Weaverville.  Echoview spins domestically sourced natural fibers like wool, alpaca and mohair into beautiful, high quality yarns. They have a strong commitment to the community – sourcing some of their fibers from local farmers and priding themselves on being a living wage certified company. Their philosophy embraces environmental responsibility as well. Their facility is a Gold LEED certified building, they generate 50% of their electricity from solar, and they work to minimize and re-use their waste. That is the kind of company I can get behind! I hope to design with some of their unique yarns soon! (The photos below are curtesy of TripAdvisor.)

One of the cleanest, brightest mills I’ve ever seen!

You can buy some of their beautiful wool products in the mill store.

My newest headband pattern – Rugged Trail Headbands – gives you two different designs in the same pattern! While in the design stage I couldn’t decide which version to settle on for the pattern, so I decided to include both! I love the versatility of headbands and how they make such great gifts for both men and women.  And I also love that each of these headbands only takes 3/4 of a skein of Knit Picks Wool of the Andes Worsted (though I can see them in the tweed also)!

The photo shoot for the pattern was done back in the Fall when I was visiting Bozeman, Montana and it seemed so appropriate to be out in the real West rugged trail country. Most of the photos I chose for the pattern needed to be more close-ups of the actual headbands (be sure to go to the pattern page: HERE or to Ravelry to see those), but do check out the photos below to see how beautiful the landscape was! And don’t worry – that grizzly bear was in a rescue sanctuary and educational center: Montana Grizzly Encounter. Fun place to see some grizzlies up close!

Katie is wearing version “A” of the headband.

Melissa is wearing Version “B”.

The landscape is so different from what I am used to in coastal Maine!

I like doing photo shoots of the photo shoots! My son, Joe, is my awesome photographer.

Can’t resist a little history.

Feeling the spirit of Sacajewea – always one of my favorites from the pages of history.

Learned a lot about Grizzly bears at the sanctuary, but definitely don’t want to be this close to one in the wild!

I’ve released my “Young at Heart Mitts”  just in time for Valentine gift knitting. Ever since I designed Young at Heart Hat, back in 2014, I’ve wanted to do some matching fingerless mitts. This year I managed to think of it just in time to get all the steps finished for a February release. I love fingerless mitts – they allow me to type, knit, and even grab a cookie, plus they are a quick project in worsted weight. These mitts seem to knit up particularly quickly due to that knitterly phenomenon of “just one more row” that happens when you are knitting an image. The cute little heart motif is calculated to center on the back of each hand when worn, and is in the same style as the hearts in the hat pattern, giving you a matching set if you wish.

As in the hat, the heart on the mitts is formed by simple slip stitches while carrying only one color yarn at a time, and it is both charted and written out. You should be comfortable with knitting in the round on double point needles for this pattern. The gusset requires some “at the same time” directions, but I’ve included a round-by-round cheat sheet for that section to make it easier for you if you have less experience with that sort of thing. The three sizes allow you to knit them for the whole family. 

I sent the mitts to Montana to my favorite photographer, my son Joe. His girlfriend, Katie, and my daughter, Melissa, both helped out and modeled for this very tight deadline photo shoot. My daughter even baked a batch of her favorite frosted holiday cookies to use as a prop! And when I opened the return package I was so touched to see some of the cookies tucked in with the mitts! I am a very lucky mom!

You can read all about the pattern details on the pattern page HERE, or on Ravelry.

My newest hat pattern is called Playful Purls Reversible Hat and it is all about options! There are two beautiful and textural sides to this hat – wear it with one side showing for the body and the other folded up for a contrasting brim, or turn it inside out for a different look! I love the bouncy texture of the stitch pattern and the lovely vintage feel to the hat when worn this way.

 My millennial-aged model pointed out to me that you can also look very stylish wearing this hat without the brim folded – like a slouch hat – and there are two different looks for that way as well.

So, lots of choices! 

Which will you choose?

You can find out more about how this hat is knit and how to purchase the pattern on the pattern page HERE.

I have been involved in the Ravelry Independent Designers’ Gift-A-Long (GAL for short) since its inception 6 years ago. I look forward to this every year! What is it? Well, I’ll quote from the official group page on Ravelry:

“The Indie Design Gift-A-Long is a 6 week long KAL/CAL of holiday gifts made from patterns designed by a rather extensive list of independent designers. From November 23rd, 2018 at 8:00 pm US EST to November 29th at 11:59pm US EST tons of indie designers will be discounting between 10 – 20 of their patterns 25% for this event. Use coupon code: giftalong2018. From November 23rd, 2018 at 8:00 pm US EST to December 31, 2018 at midnight US EST there will be fun games, contests, and 8 KAL/CALs that will help you get your holiday knitting and crocheting done with companionship and fun!”

So don’t miss the sale! I have 20 of my patterns included in the sale and you can see those HERE. And please join us in the knit-a-longs for getting all your holiday gifts finished on time!

I am so excited to finally share with you my newest designs! Spiral Style Hat and Spiral Style Mittens. I’ve never released two patterns at the same time before! But these are obviously such a great set that I wanted to be able to offer you the chance to get both patterns right from the start. Spiral Style Hat features an easy slip stitch pattern that mimics cables spiraling down from a jaunty pom-pom. Spiral Style Mittens are a perfect match to the hat – but knit from the cuff up in the traditional way for mittens.

The photographs for these patterns are something special. I had such fun going to Montana to see my kids and to do this photo shoot in the aspen colored hills around Bozeman. The model is my beautiful daughter, Melissa, and the photographer is my son, Joe. I feel so lucky to have such support from my kids! And you will be seeing more of our work from that trip over the next several designs.

Enjoy some more of the great photos, and check out the pattern pages for both Spiral Style Hat and Spiral Style Mittens for more information.

It’s finally here! I am so excited to finally be sharing this design with the world! Winter Woods Pullover will be your warmer alternative to a cozy sweatshirt all winter long. They are predicting a cold one – so start knitting this up now! Designed to be an engaging knit for the more experienced knitter, 1/1 cables form the snowy trees that are scattered across the yoke of this sweater. Worked in one piece from the top down, starting with a provisional cast on, stitches are picked back up to work the short rows that make the neckline fit so nicely. Knit it with plenty of ease in real wool yarn  and wear it for years!

The yarn I used for this sweater is Briggs and Little “Regal”. Canadians have a love affair with this yarn (they know what to wear in the cold!), but until recently it was a little harder to find in the US, outside states like Maine. I’m happy to say that you can now order Briggs and Little yarn on-line from a US distributer: www.MaritimeFamilyFiber.com.

The photo shoot for this pattern took place in the middle of a snow storm last March. This summer has been warm enough that I am looking forward eagerly to when I wear this sweater in the snow again!

You can read all about this design on the pattern page here.

Winter Woods Pullover – let it snow!

Eventually the falling snow turned my hair into a soggy mess – but the wool sweater held up beautifully!

The circular yoke style has lots of ease for comfort – one of my favorite casual styles to wear!

A few increases at the side after the waist gives a slight shaping that keeps the ease at the hips. You can easily add more (or less) for your own fit.

The textural tree design looks great in many colors. One of my testers worked this pattern in “Quoddy Blue”. What color will you choose?

Some designs just pop up in my mind and I have to do them! Card Game Mitts is one of those – I dropped my plans and went right to work on this fun stranded knitting project. Stranded knitting is where you carry more than one color of yarn across the row, or round.  I used to call all stranded knitting “Fair Isle”, though that term should be reserved for the characteristic patterns of the Shetland Islands.

These fingerless mitts are of course perfect for playing games, but also driving, knitting, playing music and more! Not into cards? Well I intentionally designed  each of the four card motifs to be the same number of stitches and rounds so you can substitute them for each other. How about a version with all hearts? Multicolor diamonds? Green clubs as Irish shamrocks? Or any combination! I predict you’ll be able to use this pattern for all sorts of gift knitting! Test Knitter Dottie Turner gave me kind permission to show you her all hearts version  here.

Sample of an all hearts variation by deturner on Ravelry.

We got some great photographs while hunkering down inside during a March Nor’easter – perfect day for games! Check out the photos below, and more on the pattern HERE.

Card Game Mitts

Did you know that Knitwise Design has a newsletter? And that new subscribers receive a code to use for 50% off a pattern of their choice in my Ravelry Store when they sign up?
Well, I am currently trying to grow the newsletter by having a challenge to reach 100 subscribers this year. Once that goal is reached ALL of the subscribers will get a celebration present! Want to know more? You can read about it in my newest issue (#9). I think this is a fun way to grow my subscriber list and will likely think of some more goals to celebrate once this one is reached.

It’s March again! Some may think March is all about college basketball, but knitters know it as Malabrigo March!  As usual, the Ravelry group “Malabrigo Junkies” is hosting an event with knit-alongs, prizes (many donated by Malabrigo!) and lots of fun. To join in the spirit of the event, my Ravelry Store patterns are 20% off with code MM18 from now through March 15th (2018) and there is a thread for other pattern sale promotions. The group also hosts a good buy/trade thread for Malabrigo yarns.  If you love Malabrigo yarn then you would enjoy this group all year long.

Warm Weave Cowl

This year I have four designs that were created specifically for Malabrigo yarns, including my newest release: “Warm Weave Cowl”. It uses just one skein of luscious Malabrigo Merino Worsted – an aran weight yarn that makes for a quick knit. The sculptural texture pattern is quite easy to work with just knits, purls, and slip stitches. You can read more about it HERE.

Other designs highlighted in the collage are “Perfect Pitch Scarf”, in Silky Merino, “Shapely Legs Legwarmers” and “Winding Trail Headband”, both in Worsted.

This design deserves a catchy name!

You are getting a sneak peak at my upcoming cowl pattern! It is warm and squishy in Malabrigo Merino Worsted and it has, obviously, a very intriguing structure. But I am completely stuck on naming it! So I decided to have a contest from now until February 2 (2018) and let Ravelry members decide. All the details about the contest, prizes, and where to vote are in this post on Ravelry.

Because it is a forum on Ravelry, only Ravelry members have access to the post, so if you are not already a member (it’s free!) you really should be! So head on over to the contest and share your creative ideas!

Thanks!

Triple Crowner Headband

Yes, my models for this design are good looking and fit, but can you believe they have both hiked over 7,900 miles? My most recent headband design – Triple Crowner Headband is named after their accomplishment. The Triple Crown of hiking is awarded to those who have hiked all three of America’s major long distance trails – The Appalachian Trail, The Pacific Crest Trail, and The Continental Divide Trail. My son and his girlfriend are two members of this elite group and my other son (also a big hiker) photographed them for this design.

Whether or not you like to hike at all, this headband is a quick knit and a great gift for both the men and women in your life. It involves a nifty three branch cable (for the three trails!) that requires two cable needles on the two rows where they intersect. If you enjoy working cables you will have fun with this design!

Learn more about this pattern HERE, or on Ravelry.

You may have noticed a theme in my designing – I am obsessed with being warm! I suspect that comes from living in Maine, where the wind and temperature can combine to make you seriously miserable. This new design – Family Whirlwind Hat – gets top ratings for keeping ears warm. The secret is the double layer brim to add both coziness and wind blocking. Another advantage of this feature is that it makes it possible to use the warmest wool possible for the exterior – no matter how rustic – and then knit the brim lining in a softer, next to the skin type of wool, or even cotton for the extra sensitive.

I wanted this to be a pattern to be used over and over – knit a warm hat for everyone in the family with the 5 sizes included. My son, Joe, was my photographer again on this design and got adorable photos despite the kids having to be bundled up in heavy winter coats on the hot Summer day of the photo shoot.

But the weather has changed! Right as I released this pattern our temperatures plummeted from above average for November to below average – down to the teens at night. Today I grabbed the adult sample hat for my morning walk and it really did the job!

Do you know someone that wants warm ears? You can check out more about Family Whirlwind Hat, and see some more photos, here or in my Ravelry Store.

The beautiful Algonquin Hotel in St Andrews

October 20th through the 22nd I was able to spend in  New Brunswick, Canada at “Knit East”. This is a semi-annual event put on by Cricket Cove (yarn stores in Canada) that draws fiber enthusiasts from all over Canada to the the Algonquin Hotel in the beautiful and charming town of “St Andrews by the Sea”. This is a must see destination if you ever visit Atlantic Canada! And the weather could not have been more perfect! Blue skies, warm breezes, gorgeous Fall foliage – and of course the sparkling sea!

The Yarn Harlot gives a great class!

I was attending as a student and was lucky enough to get into one of Stephanie Pearl McPhee’s classes. You may know her as “The Yarn Harlot”. She writes one of the most popular blogs in Canada – about knitting!  The class was a lecture class called “Knit Smart” and was three hours of hints, tips, and best practices from one who knows. Stephanie is seriously smart, and seriously funny! The three hours just flew by! I would highly recommend this class if she is teaching in your neighborhood any time.

I’m wearing my Camp Cardigan in the Briggs and Little marketplace booth with Heather McFadyen

Most exciting for me was the Saturday night fashion show. Briggs and Little had asked if they could enter my “Camp Cardigan” in the show and I was excited to see it get some recognition! Unfortunately I didn’t get any photos during the show. I did wear my own Camp Cardigan sweater that I recently finished knitting up in “Regal” for a lighter weight version and was able to show it off in the Briggs and Little booth at the marketplace.

I don’t come out with a sweater pattern all that often, so it feels especially exciting to announce the release of my newest design: Camp Cardigan! This is the perfect Maine woods sweater!  Briggs and Little Heritage – one of my favorite earthy, aran weight wools was perfect for knitting this design meant for outdoor wear. You could also use Briggs and Little Regal (a worsted weight) with one size larger needles- or what ever size you need to get the same gauge, and make a lighter weight version. And with the seven sizes included in the pattern, this sweater looks good on women large and small.

Does the motif I’ve used here look familiar? It is an original motif that I came up with first for my design Cam’s Camping Socks. In that case I used it vertically. I also used it in my Hunting Season Hat design – horizontally like it is here in the cardigan. I love this mix of garter stitch, 1/1 cables and ribbing. It not only looks wonderful, but it is a lot of fun to knit! And I have several more design ideas I plan to use it for in the future. Mittens? An outdoor vest? A raglan pullover? I plan to outfit myself nicely (and warmly) for enjoying my life in Maine!

You can read all about this design HERE, or in my Ravelry or Etsy Stores.

Knitwise Design’s Summer KAL on Ravelry has come to a close and it was really fun! There were 11 participants, including myself. (That’s one of my projects in the photo – “Earbuds” in Valley Yarn’s Berkshire Bulky.)  We filled 11 pages with conversation and were inspired by everyone’s finished projects – 19 total – including a sweater! There were three winners for the random free pattern drawings, and Dottie Turner (deturner on Ravelry), from Marshall Texas, won the grand prize drawing! She has chosen her Milla Mia Naturally Soft Cotton yarn package in a lovely “Sweet Pea” color to make a baby blanket for her great grandson. dottie was also the most prolific knitter in the KAL finishing 7 projects – including that sweater!

This was a great way to get to know other knitters from around the globe – I just love Ravelry for that! Through Ravelry I feel like I have a real community of friends – even though we have never met in person (yet – I have hopes!) The KAL was a way to gather together a virtual knitting circle and watch the progress of everyone’s projects, and to get to know each other a little better. I will definitely do this again!

I am having fun in my KAL in the Fans of Knitwise Design group on Ravelry. We are knitting any Knitwise Design patterns we choose. I just finished knitting myself yet another Earbuds. I love this pattern! It is the quickest pattern ever and perfect for gifts. But it is also very practical and I wear mine all the time – even on windy Summer days here on the Maine coast. I had a bit of this beautiful Periwinkle color Berkshire Bulky (from Valley Yarns, aka WEBS) and decided it would be perfect. I love how well the pattern shows in this yarn!

While I did include line-by-line written out directions in this pattern, it is much quicker and easier to work from the chart. For that reason I have decided to use this design as the project for my “Conquer Your Fear of Knitting Charts” class that I will be teaching on September 8 at the Maine Fiber College. (You can see a description of it if you scroll down the page HERE.) If you are one of those knitters that is just getting introduced to knitting charts, or have been nervous about working from them, I suggest you check out my class. And if you are already a pro at chart reading there are many, many more wonderful fiber classes being taught at Fiber College this year. Everything from painting silk scarves to double knitting, spinning techniques, quilting, and even woodworking! Treat yourself to looking at their offerings HERE.

You can buy the Earbuds pattern on Ravlery.

I just came across this article and found it fascinating.The article was written by Nancy Zarrelli in Atlasobscura.com, and the photo above is from that article.  Did you know that during World War II knitters served as spies, encrypting information about the enemy into their knitting, using knits and purls and dropped stitches as code?  The resistance would hire old ladies to sit and knit at train stations to track the logistics of the enemy trains. At some points in time there were actually bans on written knitting patterns in case they contained coded messages. And of course just sitting and knitting was a good way to be inconspicuous while you observed what was going on around you – and reported it!

Of course a knitting pattern really is written in code that has to be deciphered in order to unlock the information required to knit the item, but how easy to add a little extra information! There was a link in the article to a fascinating collection of posts from Gannetdesigns.com about encoding meaning in your knitting. What a great idea! Instead of information on enemy trains, you could use code to make a personalized wedding shawl with the date of the wedding encrypted in the lace pattern, or the name of a baby in their crib blanket. Such a fun way to design! Of course you would have to clue in the recipient to the significance because it is, after all, a code.

I encourage you to read the full article, which can be found HERE.

Exciting news! LoveKnitting.com is offering a great grand prize for my KAL this summer! The KAL will start on June 3rd and end on August 13th. ANY of my Knitwise Design patterns are eligible to be knit in the KAL and I will have a special code for 20% off the pattern price for those who wish to buy a new pattern for the KAL.

For the grand prize at the end of the KAL LoveKnitting.com has generously offered a 5 ball pack of their Naturally Soft Cotton yarn – with the opportunity for the winner to choose their own colors! There will also be random drawings during the KAL for free Knitwise Design patterns.

This is a great way to have a fun time chatting and sharing our project progress with other Knitwise Design knitters during the traditionally slower knitting season. Though as for that, I was a teacher for a while, and summer always seems to me like the very best time to get knitting projects accomplished!

The KAL will be happening over in my Fans of Knitwise Design Ravelry group. So please come on over to join us – and invite a friend too! Let the summer knitting (and weather) be fine this year!

My cozy knitting corner in my tiny studio.

I am thrilled with the most recent addition to my studio! Did you ever hear of a knitting cage? I hadn’t either until yesterday when my husband and I struck up a conversation with a lovely older gentleman at the table next to us in a restaurant. When I mentioned I was a knitter and designer he promptly gave us directions to his house and told us to stop by after our meal, he had something to give me. (Oh how I love living in the friendly state of Maine!)

We took a short drive up to his beautiful hilltop home and he presented me with what he called a “knitting cage”. He had made one of these for his wife back in the day, and all her knitting friends had requested one. He made a dozen and still many years later had just one left he’d been saving. I feel honored he decided I was the one to receive it! And it is just perfect in my tiny studio! It fits right next to my knitting chair where there wasn’t enough space for a table. It gives me a spot to set things down, and it holds the ball of yarn safely in the cage so it doesn’t roll around on the floor while using it. What a great invention! Now I know why all the knitters wanted one! He says he won’t be making any more, but I just thought his fine idea should be shared and celebrated!

I am very excited to have been accepted to teach a class in September at this year’s Fiber College of Maine! This event is one of the most popular fiber arts educational events of the year. Held at the Searsport Shores Ocean Park and Campground, Searsport, Maine it is the largest Fiber Arts education gathering on the East Coast. Classes on everything fiber: knitting, crocheting, weaving, spinning, fiber preparation, rug hooking, quilting, lace making, wood working and more. You can check out their excellent website to explore all their offerings and logistical details for this year.

One of their traditions is to profile some of their instructors on their blog and I have been lucky enough to be featured first! They sent me a thoughtful set of interview questions and I must admit it was a bit like sitting for an essay exam to answer them all! But I am very happy with the final profile. Check it out HERE.

The class I will be teaching is called “Conquer Your Fear of Knitting Charts”. I am amazed at how many knitters are intimidated by working from charts. In today’s knitting world charts are almost the given for many types of knitting including stranded color work, cabled patterns, and certainly lace. Hopefully this class will give participants the skills and confidence to knit from charted patterns.

Remember, if you are intrigued by the offerings at Fiber College this year, don’t wait too long to sign up. This is a popular event! Registration is open now. See you there!

March 14th is Pi Day! 3.14 – get it? It is also Einsteins’ birthday just to make it better for math geeks! I love the mathematical aspects of knitting! I guess that is why designing and writing knitting patterns is such a passion of mine! I have actually designed three different hat patterns that are obviously based on geometry – though sadly not on pi (I’ll have to design something based on circles someday). So how about a flash sale? 30% off any of my three geometrical hat patterns: Fun With Triangles Hat, Baby Triangles Hat, and Garter Geometry Hat in my Ravelry Store only. Use coupon code: pi to get the discount. In consideration of other time zones this promotion will run from 3pm Monday, March 13, through noon on Wednesday March 15th, 2017 – times being Eastern US time zone.

What a fun way to celebrate Pi Day! Start a geometric knitting project! Of course baking an actual pie would be good too.

Garter Geometry Hat

Baby Triangles Hat

Fun With Triangles Hat (Child and Adult Sizes)

Winding Trail Headband is my newest design – released just in time for a windy March in Maine! Even with the snow and cold you can feel Spring in the air. All my adult children are active outdoor types, and headbands fit the bill for keeping their ears protected from the wind. My son, Joe, served as photographer for this design with his lovely Katie as his model. You can see more of his close-up photos on the pattern page, but I just love this photo of Katie playing in the snow with the dog and wanted to feature it here. It sums up how I imagined this headband being worn when I designed it. But I admit, I’ve been wearing mine around in the house! In the soft, cozy Malabrigo Merino Worsted it just feels so good!

You can find out more about this design HERE or on Ravelry.

My Young at Heart Hat Pattern is the perfect Valentine’s gift – either the knitted up hat, or the pattern for a valentine that knits! I recently re-knit the pattern myself, choosing colors that highlighted the design better than the originals did. My son, Joe, got some great photos of his girlfriend modeling the finished hat. So I decided to offer a 15% off sale on this pattern to celebrate! The sale is taking place only at my Ravelry Store – HERE . Use the coupon code heart though the end of day (Eastern US time) February 14, 2017. Happy Valentine’s Day!

I actually have a lot of trouble with spacial relationships, so it is surprising to me that I keep being fascinated with knitting geometric forms. (Fun With Triangles Hat and Baby Triangles Hat involved this geometry also.) Here is my newest design that required quite a bit of spacial thinking (and re-thinking when I got it backwards!) Garter Geometry Hat plays with diamonds and two different ways of forming triangles between them. I had the image in my mind of how I wanted the central decrease diamonds to just fit right into a field of garter stitch – as if they had been inserted. Easier imagined than done! And I wanted it straight forward to knit – no intarsia, no sewing, no stranding, and not a million ends to weave in. A tall order! Be prepared for some scrutiny from your knitting friends!

Two different Berroco Ultra Alpaca greens were in my stash and a trip to Webs while visiting in Massachusetts provided the perfect blue to complement them. I think Ultra Alpaca knit up in garter stitch has got to be one of my favorite knitted fabrics ever! But this hat would look great in any standard worsted weight yarn – Cascade 220, Wool of the Andes etc.

Knitting this hat really is fun – though it is not a beginner’s project. The skill level is considered “experienced” due to the techniques used, but everything is clearly explained in the pattern directions, and I think an adventurous intermediate knitter would enjoy knitting this.

Check out the details HERE or on Ravery.

My newest design, “Cable and Flare Scarf”,  incorporates little cables that are identical on the front and the back of the scarf. In fact, the whole scarf is perfectly reversible! A very simple 2 stitch lace separates the cables that unwind into graceful flares at each end. The pattern is easily memorized and makes for some very satisfying knitting when you need a project that doesn’t require a lot of attention, yet isn’t boring. I knit most of this scarf either in the car (in the passenger’s seat of course!) or during my weekly knitting group meetings.

One of the best things that happened with this project is that I found a wonderful local photographer willing to work with me on making the best possible photos of my designs. Melissa Newcomb captured the spirit of the design in the photo above – and still was able to show the reversibility aspect and the detail of the cables and lace. Photographing knitting takes special considerations. I am so excited to work with Melissa again! In fact, we’ve already done a photo shoot for an upcoming sweater design. More on that in 2017!

See more about “Cable and Flare Scarf” HERE, or on Ravelry

This adorable little dog was my mom’s dog. A year ago, when mom moved in with us, I took over Daisy’s care. Now mom is living in a nearby assisted living facility and we find ourselves real dog owners for the first time. I’m a total newbie at this dog stuff – I actually called the vet one morning when she slept a little late. Turns out she was tired! Who knew?

When Daisy first arrived and I started walking her I would always forget the little baggies (necessary here in the village), and I frequently would end up with cold ears because Miss Daisy can decide to be mighty particular sometimes. So my newest design, “Walking Miss Daisy”,  was born of shear practical necessity with big roomy pockets and a nicely fitted cozy hood. And it works up fairly quickly in bulky yarn.  I had fun with playful i-cord designs on the pockets, but my testers all preferred their pockets plain – knitters choice!

My friend Mary Ann, who helped out with my mom and often walked Daisy, is my model for this pattern. I think Daisy approves!

See more about this pattern HERE ,  or on Ravelry,  or Patternfish.

My latest pattern has been so much fun to design! I was lucky enough to meet Stephanie Griego last Fall at Knit East in St. Andrews, New Brunswick. Stephanie is the talented dyer behind Dirty Water DyeWorks and dyes incredibly beautiful yarn! I came home with a skein of “Bertha” – a fingering weight merino, cashmere, nylon blend in a yummy, subtly variegated “Chocolate Raspberry” color and immediately started playing. I knew I wanted socks with texture – something ribbed to fit nicely, but not boring to knit. I came up with just the thing in my newest design: Two-Block Socks.

I have a background in weaving and spent many years working with weaving drafts, which can often be broken into “blocks” to design with. As I played with a stitch pattern from an old Mon-Tricot stitch dictionary I realized that it could be broken down into two design blocks and that those blocks could then be rearranged in many different ways. Not being able to make up my mind which arrangement I liked best, I decided to present the pattern in such a way that a knitter could knit socks in one of two block arrangements I detail, or they could play with the blocks to make their own arrangement. So many possibilities from one pattern!

Check out more about Two-Block Socks on the pattern page HERE, or in my Ravelry , Etsy, or Patternfish stores.

There is no end to the fun things going on in the Ravelry community! In March the group Malabrigo Junkies is hosting a month long event with KALs and contests and great promotions on patterns! Check out all the happenings for “Malabrigo March”. I was thrilled to be asked to participate as a designer who has been part of the Malabrigo Quickies program. I am offering 25% off each of my patterns that I designed for that program – Shapely Legs Legwarmers and Perfect Pitch Scarf. The coupon code for my promotion is Malmarch .There are many more designers participating and lots of great deals! What a lovely way to pass the often cold, dreary month of March – with a cup of tea and a yummy Malabrigo project on the needles!

I’m so excited to once again be a participating designer in the Indie Design Gift-A-Long on Ravelry – GAL for short! If you haven’t experienced the fun of the GAL before, be sure to join us this year. What is it? It is 6 weeks of fun activities, contests, prizes and knit-a-longs hosted on Ravelry and featuring patterns by independent designers. The whole thing starts off with an incredible sale!  From Thursday, November 19th at 8:00 pm US EST to Friday, November 27, 2015 at 11:59 pm US EST over 300 indie designers will be discounting between 5 – 20 of their patterns 25% for this event. That is thousands of patterns! Use coupon code: giftalong2015 when you check out. For the first time I actually had to choose some patterns to exclude from the sale since I now have 24 patterns for sale in my Ravelry store! But 20 of my patterns that would make great gifts are included. The link for the participating designers’ patterns goes live on the 19th and I will be sure to post it here. Each designer is represented by a collage with a link to their patterns. You can see my collage for the event at the top of this post. Here a link to the thread with ALL participating designer’s collages, which link to their Ravelry stores.

This year I am again part of the behind the scenes “Pinning Team” for the event. We pin every pattern that is included in the sale part of the GAL to appropriate boards on Pinterest. That makes a great way to browse designs by category. Search for “GAL 2015” on Pinterest to find the boards for hats, shawls, sweaters, etc. (They will be live at 8 pm on Nov 19th.) We have a crochet board as well. Doing this job puts me up close and personal with many designs and I am just so impressed by the creativity and talent among my fellow independent designers!

And don’t forget about the GAL once the sale period is over! Join one of the forums on Ravelry (links to come) to knit your gifts and see others. Those participating in the forums will get chances to win free patterns and a range of donated knitterly gifts. Oh, and you are not limited to the sale patterns for this part of the GAL – you can knit any paid pattern by any of the participating designers. I had fun knitting some other people’s designs last year and seeing other’s finished projects. For me the GAL has become an eagerly anticipated part of the holiday season – come join us!

To see more about the gift-a-long visit the Indie Design Gift-A-Long forum on Ravelry.

Here in Eastport, Maine we have the candy store of your dreams – “Sweeties Down East” is set in an eighteen hundred’s store front across from the water and is a kaleidoscope of colorful jars filled with old fashioned candy you buy by weight. What a perfect spot for the photo shoot of my newest design – “Candy Store Hat”, that takes its inspiration from those very same old fashioned candies. In the design I wanted to see if I could come up with a way to use multiple colors for the swirled stripes, rather than using stranded knitting. What I came up with is a combination of slipping stitches and one stitch intarsia and is a lot of fun to knit! The pattern explains the technique thoroughly, so if you are comfortable knitting in the round you can whip up this hat in no time.

I made a two color sample in the child’s size that looks just like peppermint candy!

I had an excellent time at the photo shoot! The store is a must see when you visit Eastport in the Summer!

You can see more about this design Here or on Ravelry.

The name for my newest design is “Perfect Pitch Scarf” because the design allows you to fine tune the relative lengths of the loop and tail to get just the perfect look – at least for that moment; there are so many ways to wear this scarf! My friend, Alice, a fine musician, agreed to model for the pattern and I love the way she is wearing her scarf, but also take a look at a few of the other ways testers came up with at the end of this post.

This was another design for the Malabrigo Quickies project – great designs in just one or two skeins of fabulous Malabrigo yarn. Not only is the yarn SOFT, but it is wonderful to work with. The particular yarn I chose for this design is dk weight  Silky Merino – a 50/50 blend of silk and merino wool. It’s light and smooth, but still warm and cozy on bare skin.

Learn more about Perfect Pitch Scarf here or on Ravelry.

Sometimes a design idea comes to me with an obvious name, but often I think about several different names as I work on writing the pattern and knitting the sample. Sometimes the name I like best is already in use on Ravelry so I have to think again. That’s what happened with my newest sock design, so I decided to see what my fellow knitters could come up with by having a name contest in my Ravelry group. I also did this with my Flora and Stella sock pattern and was amazed at the creative ideas that were suggested. I was not disappointed this time either! “Swirling Star Socks” was my choice and the winner got a free pattern of her choice from my Ravelry Store.

These socks were the result of trying to translate one of my favorite weaving designs from when I was designing and selling handwoven textiles for the home. What I learned was that a weaving draft will not translate exactly into a chart for knitting! But after some trial and error I came up with a design that showed the movement I was trying to capture.

I can see both men and women wearing these socks – and indeed, my test knitters knit for both. To learn more about this design see the pattern page here, or visit Ravelry.

One of my favorite yarn companies is Malabrigo Yarn. Their yarns are hand dyed in Uruguay in some of the most beautiful colorways you can imagine! And soft – oh my!! The Malabrigo Junkies Ravelry group puts it bluntly: “Yes, Malabrigo IS like sex in a skein…” So needless to say, I was thrilled to have one of my designs chosen for their “Malabrigo Quickies” program! Here is how they describe “Quickies”:

“Quickies are small, fast projects which require only one or two skeins of yarn. Approximately every two weeks we’re teaming up with a talented independent designer to present an exciting new accessory (or other “small object”) pattern, showcasing one of our many yarns and colorways.”

I was chosen months ago for this February release time slot. I felt like quite the important designer when I received the yarn delivered straight from Uruguay! I have needed to keep my design under wraps through the whole process. I even needed a test knitter who would keep it secret! But today it is live, and will be promoted with other “Quickies” on Malabrigo’s website!

Shapely Legs Legwarmers grew out of a desire to wear legwarmers that didn’t bag and make my legs look chunky! The increases from ankle to calf grow organically out of the ribs and twisted stitch diamonds that hug the leg. The Malabrigo Merino Worsted feels incredible on bare legs!  You can see more photos HERE.

Alex, at Malabrigo, has been wonderful to work with, and didn’t mind answering some of my newbie questions.  I keep control of all aspects of the pattern and publishing – which is important to me, but they provide the yarn and give the pattern a boost with publicity on their blog, website, and other social media. I just recently sent in a proposal for the coming year’s “Quickies” program and am so excited to announce that I have also had a design accepted for a spot this October! But until then – it’s a secret!

You can take a look at other Malabrigo “Quickies” HERE. “Shapely Legs Legwarmers” can be purchased in my Ravelry Store, or Etsy.

A herpetologist is someone who studies reptiles and amphibians – including frogs. If you know one, then I’ve got the perfect hat for you to knit him or her! But of course this cutie is a big hit with kids as well. I designed it in 3 sizes to fit toddlers to adults. Because the rest of the hat is in ribbing, I couldn’t resist naming this design “Rib-It Frog Hat” (You may groan now.)

This is definitely one of those designs where inspiration seems to have hit in a flash from an unknown muse – I’m not particularly fond of frogs myself! But this little guy really appeals to me (being so nice and non-slimy!) How can you not smile wearing him on your head? My adorable model feel in love with the hat and we had to sneak it away at the end of the photo shoot. I felt just terrible as we left and she was looking all over for the hat! I usually like to keep a sample of my designs when I can, so I may just have to knit this little girl another frog hat of her own!

See more about Rib-It Frog Hat here on the website , or on Raverly or Etsy.

Patchwork Mittens

My newest pattern is just released! “Patchwork Mittens” is a great introduction to intarsia since there is just one join and 2 colors used throughout. I designed these mittens with Green Mountain Spinnery Mountain Mohair. I love this yarn! The 30% mohair content gives it both a  lovely sheen and a warm, cozy fuzziness. I also decided to make a pair for my own chilly hands with some of my beautifully colored balls of Brown Sheep Lamb’s Pride Worsted. It also has some mohair – I really want mittens to be warm! It was fun to use 6 different colors – some from very small balls of leftovers that had been around my stash for years. I was also excited to see the color combinations my test knitters chose. This is a mitten I can see making again and again – and it’s quick too! You can read more about it here on my website, in my Ravelry Store, or on Etsy.

Patchwork Mittens in Six Different Colors.

One of the best things about the Ravelry Gift-a-Long (GAL) for me, as an independent designer, is the opportunity to meet and work with other independent designers all over the world!  Almost 300 designers participated this year and for weeks the planning forums were hopping, with threads being updated faster than you could keep up! As part of the “Pinning Team” team for the event, I helped pin thousands of images of beautiful designs. The eight Pinterest boards separate designs by category to make it easy to browse. Each pin links back to the Ravelry pattern page to learn more about the design and to purchase the pattern. The boards themselves are incredible eye candy for anyone who knits or crochets! Check out the links below and be prepared to drool! And remember, the GAL event is in full swing until December 31st, with games, contests, prizes and knit-a-longs (KALs) and crochet-a-longs (CALs) for all eight categories. Join the fun HERE.

Hats & Head  

Cowls, Scarves, and Neck

Shawls & Stoles

Sweaters and Other Garments

Hand & Arm

Feet & Legs

Baby & Kid

Toys, Home & Miscellaneous

I just had to share this find – Marley Bird’s blog has an extensive list of fiber related deals, sales, and special offers for the “Black Friday” and “Cyber Monday” days coming up. This includes yarn, patterns and more! And Knitwise Design is on the list! I am offering 25% off all my patterns from Nov 28th through December 2nd with the coupon code “thankful”.

It’s here! Last year’s event was a huge success – and lots of fun! Don’t miss out on this year’s! Here’s all the information in a neat graphic made by participating designer “80skeins”.  And in conjunction with the gift-a-long I am running a little contest over in the “Fans of Knitwise Design” Group. Check that out here. 

Fall is hunting season in Maine and needs to be noted for all of us non-hunters as well! Two articles of fluorescent orange are the best way to dress out in the woods this time of year. For years we have had those stretchy acrylic one size fits all hats. This year I decided we needed nice hand-knit hats instead. Something more interesting than plain ribbing, but still stretchy – and in nice warm wool! Thus my newest design – “Hunting Season Hat”! See more about it HERE, or in my Ravelry Store.

Briggs and Little, being based in near-by New Brunswick, Canada, makes a special “Hunter Orange” wool yarn just for this purpose. I finished the sample just in time to take with us on our September vacation to Spencer Pond Camps, on Big Spencer Lake, near Greenville Maine. The real North Woods of Henry David Thoreau! What a wonderful location for a photo shoot! My handsome husband kindly consented to model the hat that he has claimed for his own. And we had an amazing several days in a rustic but cozy off the grid cabin right on the shores of a remote wilderness lake. We even saw a couple moose! We will definitely be going back!

Knitting by the shore of beautiful Spencer Pond.

This is “Little” Spencer Mountain as seen from Spencer Pond Camps.

One of the things I have been learning as a designer is that when you release a pattern has an effect on how well it sells. The greatest exposure a pattern gets on Ravelry (my main selling platform) is the day it is first released. Traditionally fewer patterns are sold on Ravelry in the late Spring and in the Summer than in the Fall or especially pre-holiday season. But another thing I have learned is that it is helpful to have fairly regular releases of new designs. Something new every month would be ideal! (I’m not quite that productive myself!) So lately I am trying to release my patterns with a little more thought.

Welted Waves Hat

Case in point – My newest design, “Welted Waves Hat”. I designed this hat at the same time as my “Welted Waves Cowl”. I have been holding onto this design for months, waiting for the weather to get that little nip in the air that gets people thinking about knitting a warm hat for themselves. In the meantime I released patterns I thought people might knit on their Summer vacation – “Simply Sweet Shawl” in June, and “Flora and Stella Socks” in July. A couple weeks before the end of August, when families are planning their back-to-school wardrobe, I released “Young at Heart Hat” – perfect for a special school hat for a little girl!

My garden in early September

So it is almost time for my next release – it’s September, the pattern as been tech edited, test knit, the webpage is written, the Ravelry pattern page is drafted, and I am itching to press the “publish” button! But not quite yet. Patience. I am waiting for that day that every knitter has experienced – that subtle change in the quality of the air, or the wind, or the light, that urges you to get ready for the coming change. That makes you run inside to take up some good warm wool and get knitting! It’s almost here – patience, patience.

Update: Patience rewarded! You can now see more about this pattern HERE on the website, and purchase it on both Ravelry and Etsy.

Ever since designing my “Flora and Stella Socks” I have been thinking of designs that use the same fun technique of forming a picture with alternating colors and slip stitches. A heart hat for little girls was one of the ideas that grabbed me and I just had to do it right away! Since not just little girls love hearts, I graded the pattern for sizes from a toddler up to a large adult size. A hat like this needs a special topper. I played around with various ideas but finally decided a little heart loop not only looked perfect, but gave you a way to hang up your hat too!

You can get more information, and see more photos, on the website page here, or in my Ravelry store or Etsy store.

Flora and Stella

I love the stretchy coziness of garter stitch shawls! And I love scalloped edges. And I really wanted to work with String Theory’s gorgeous “Caper” sock yarn. Plus I wanted to work on this shawl during a vacation we took in the spring. Lots of time in airports, on planes, and driving around in rental cars – so something uncomplicated was called for. This design met all my desires! It is worked from the top down, gradually giving you more and more lovely uninterrupted knitting. Markers alert you to increases on alternate rows and a little welt marks the transition between colors. Little i-cord ties form the scallops after the knitting is completed – no short rows needed!

My son, Jeff,  took some amazing photos with his girl friend as model. I cannot guarantee you will look as gorgeous as she does in this shawl, but I can guarantee you will love the feel of it on your shoulders!

See more photos on the website pattern page.

You can purchase this pattern through my Ravelry Store.

My first design using the new Briggs and Little “Lite ‘N Fancy” Softspun (see earlier post) is now available! This design is a stylish and versatile accessory – wear it long, or loop it double, as seen above. (You can see photos of it worn long and more specifics about the pattern on the pattern page here.) But what to call it? Scarf? Infinity scarf? Loop scarf? Cowl? There doesn’t seem to be much of a consensus among knitters on the exact definitions for these items! Ravelry seems to categorize scarves formed into a loop as a cowl, so here it is: “Welted Waves Cowl”! (But you can call it a whatever you want!)

The “Lite ‘N Fancy” yarn is so soft, and the colorway that I used, Rainforest, is just a gorgeous, softly variegated mix of blues and greens – happens to look great with my eyes, so I am going to love wearing this! I also really love how light the finished cowl feels – practically weightless! I like it so much that I am currently designing a matching hat. So look for that in the near future!

The pattern for this design is available in my Ravelry Store or in my Etsy Store.

In February I released my newest pattern: “Sock Lover’s Socks”, and was amazed at the reaction it received! For the first time, one of my designs made the first page of Ravelry’s “Hot Right Now” patterns! A real “designer moment” for me! It has become my most favorited, most queued, and most purchased pattern so far. It also received quite a few comments. While the most frequently used adjective was “so cute!”, one Raveler commented that it was “so meta”. I had to ask for a definition for that one! Ends up “meta” means “self-referential”. Take a look and see why!

Sock Lover’s Socks

You can see more about this pattern in my pattern pages here, or on the pattern page on Ravelry or on Etsy.

I’m trying out this new sport weight yarn from one of my favorite companies. It is so soft! I chose the color “Rainforest” (third from right above) and am loving how it looks with my newest design! It will be a while before the design is ready, so you’ll have to wait. One hint though – there are actually 2 related designs! I’m not sure where this yarn is available in stores yet. I got it from the Briggs and Little mill in New Brunswick. They’ll ship you some if you call!

I have just opened an Etsy store for selling my patterns! This is in addition to my Ravelry store. You can purchase patterns from either place. I am hoping to branch out to several different selling platforms now that I have 11 patterns for sale. As with Raverly, patterns are sold as instant digital downloads so you can get knitting right away! To visit my Etsy store you can click here: Knitwise Design’s Etsy Store, or click on one of the thumbnails over in the sidebar of the main blog page.

My first pattern for the year is a great pair of heavy wool socks! My teenage grandson, Cameron, requested a pair for Christmas and I designed these in response. My two sons came up to Maine on New Years and did the photo shoot for me. That’s why the photos are so good! I had been imagining photographing the socks outside in a camping kind of atmosphere, but the weather was so amazingly cold – not getting above zero degrees fahrenheit all day -and windy – that we had to come up with something else out of fear of frostbite! I love the photo by the wood stove – we were all huddled next to it for the whole visit anyway!

 I  knit the blue pair specifically for the official pattern photos. Here is the brown pair I knit for my grandson – they are huge! He wears a size 12 1/2 wide men’s shoe, and I added an extra repeat of the leg pattern to make them tall enough to come up over his tall boots.  Needless to say, the pattern covers sizes from small (to fit foot circumferences of 8 inches) to extra large (to fit foot circumferences of 11 inches). The length of the foot can be as long as the shoe size requires, no matter the circumference size. Hopefully this range of sizing covers most teens and adults!

Cam’s Camping Socks

This pattern represent a big milestone for Knitwise Design. I received yarn support from Briggs and Little to knit the sample pair! This is really huge, as paying for yarn, on top of professional tech editing for each pattern, is a very large expense. I am hoping to continue my relationship with Briggs and Little as I enjoy their yarn line. I am also hoping to develop relationships with some other yarn companies as I continue to have a larger category of published designs.

Check out more photos and information about Cam’s Camping Socks on the pattern page HERE, or in my Ravelry Store.

KALs – short for knit-a-longs – are a fun way to undertake a knitting project. Several knitters decide to all work on the same pattern and keep in touch with each other’s progress via an on-line forum. It is a great way to motivate yourself to really get a project done or to tackle a design you felt you might need some help with. On Ravelry, the designer of the pattern will often keep up with the group, answering questions and giving advice. I really have been wanting to take the time to make a “Jo-Jo’s Vest” for my own wardrobe and thought I would start a KAL and invite others to make theirs with me!

Jo Jo’s vest is a very flattering design that is easy to wear in three seasons – or four here in Maine! The pattern has 7 sizes from a finished bust of 34 inches up to 58 inches. It can be worn with up to 4 inches of ease for an easy fit over a winter top, or with zero to  negative ease for a closer fit. It is knit in one piece with a seam at the back neck. Waist shaping, contiguous front and armhole bands and in-line buttonholes all add to the interest while knitting.  We will start knitting on February 15th, but I have already started the official KAL thread in my Fans of Knitwise Design Ravelry Group. We can discuss yarn choices, gauge swatches and modifications before we start knitting.  You need to be a member of Ravelry – which is free to sign up for, and of course purchase a copy of the Jo-Jo’s Vest Pattern, sold through my Ravelry store. I hope you can join us!

Jo-Jo’s Vest

I am have been lucky enough to be one of the independent designers involved in the Indie Design Gift-a-Long on Ravelry that began in November and is still running until the end of December. What an amazing event this has been! Certainly a great boost in visibility for my designs. Not only have more knitters been introduced to Knitwise Design, but I have been introduced to more independent designers as well. The quality of the designs available from this group is so inspiring!

I am currently working on a couple of sock designs (coming up this winter!) so have especially been noticing great sock patterns lately. I was struck by Maureen Fould’s amazing series of socks all inspired by Agatha Christie novels. So I thought I would do something new on the blog and interview her here to find out a little about her design process. She kindly offered to give one of my reader’s a free pattern too! Comment on this post, with which individual pattern you would like (no e-books), and I will randomly draw a winner on December 14th (2013). Update: Winner is drawn! Frances (who happens to be a Vicar’s wife!) has won a copy of the pattern “Vicar’s Wife”!

I am fascinated by your Agatha Christie inspired sock series. Can you tell me how you translated the themes of these books into knitted design?

“The Vicar’s Wife”

It’s funny, except for “And Then There Were None” and “The Vicar’s Wife”, I didn’t really start off with a theme. I found the design first. As I knit up the samples and prepare the pattern, I listen to audiobooks. For the past 9 months it’s been Agatha Christie novels. Something about the design inevitably evokes a connection to a particular story, theme or character and the name of the pattern evolves from there.

“And Then There Were None”

“And Then There Were None” was directly inspired by the novel of the same name. I was drifting off to sleep trying to imagine a design that explicitly reflected an Agatha Christie novel. I’ve always been fascinated by the plot of ATTWN and suddenly the idea of cables getting cut off as each character’s life ended (sort of like the Three Fates in literature), leapt to mind. I couldn’t fall asleep until I’d fleshed out the design idea!

Will there be more Agatha Christie socks to come?
Absolutely. One of my dear Ravelry friends has been requesting a Hercules Poirot series. So that’s up next. Each design will reflect a character or novel involving the brilliant Belgian detective.

What else inspires your designing?
Inspiration comes from various directions. Like most designers I have several stitch dictionaries which I leaf through frequently for ideas. Sometimes I’m in the mood for cables, sometimes for something a bit simpler.

Sometimes I have a theme in mind, like “nature”, “leaves”, or “water”. Or I’ll want to use a particular colorway which seems to want turn into something specific.

Then there’s the unromantic, but practical approach. If I have a collection of patterns, I make a determined effort to include a range of difficulty levels for broad appeal. I want something easy for beginners, or for experienced knitters looking for an easy knit. Then I like to build on that so beginners can grow their skills and the more experienced knitters have something they can sink their teeth into.

What has your experience been being part of the Indie Design Gift-a-Long?
It’s been incredible! I love the idea of “Abundance” that got this whole thing started. We can do so much better promoting each other and working together rather than seeing other designers as the competition.

I’ve drawn so much inspiration seeing everyone’s designs and how people are knitting them up. The color combinations! So much more than I can imagine on my own.

From a business perspective, I’ve learned a lot from working behind the scenes with the other designers. It’s helped my confidence and given me concrete ways to grow in the coming years.

What are you working on design-wise for 2014?
2014 is going to be BUSY! The Hercules Poirot collection will kick off in January with a KAL hosted in my Ravelry group. I’m also designing 2 exclusive patterns for the Sheepy Time Knits 2014 yarn club.

I also plan on expanding my repertoire to include accessories like mitts, hats, cowls and scarfs. I’d planned on introducing a few accessories this year, but the timing wasn’t right.

And finally, where can we find your patterns?
My patterns are always released first in my Ravelry shop. I also have a presence on Patternfish and to a lesser extent, Craftsy.
I also blog about new patterns, provide sneak peeks and talk about all things knitting on my blog: Hanging on by a String.

“Bumpa” is my dad’s grandpa name. As with most of my designs, “Bumpa’s Vest” came about because I needed something! My dad was turning 80 years old this year – a very young 80 I might add, and I wanted a special vest designed just for him. Because he still works full time in an executive environment I wanted the design to be classy enough to wear to work, yet still look great when worn for coziness around the house. My test knitters posted finished photos ranging from wearing the vest with shirt and tie to modeling it with a flannel shirt and it looks great both ways! It looks great on women too! The pockets were important for my dad, but of course are optional.

I was thrilled to be able to give “Bumpa” his vest at his big birthday bash and I think he looks pretty happy to model it for the official pattern photos. It really does not take that long to knit  – in aran weight yarn. I used Jamieson’s Shetland Heather Aran – so light and airy for a heavier weight yarn.  I am including this design in Ravelry’s Indie Design Gift-a-Long that is running until the end of December – there is still time to make one for your dad (or yourself!) and be part of the fun, contests, and prizes over at the Gift-a-Long!

You can learn more about “Bumpa’s Vest” on the pattern page, or in my Ravelry Store.

My newest pattern was released just in time to be part of a great event on Ravelry! “Earbuds” is a super-quick knit that will keep your ears warm without mussing up ALL your hair. I’m afraid my curly hair always has a bad case of hat-hair after wearing most head coverings. I designed this because as a knitter I could not possibly wear those earwarmers with the horrible metal band between the ears! And it ends up “Earbuds” is a great gift too! It takes very little yarn – you’ve probably got some bulky yarn in your stash right now that you could use to whip one up tonight – seriously – one night! You can see more about it on the pattern page here, and in my Ravelry pattern store.

So, what’s with the gold giftalong tag? Well, that is really exciting! There are 170 independent designers who have banded together in a spirit of cooperation to put together this fun event. There will be a fabulous discount on participating patterns – which includes ALL of Knitwise Design patterns – 25% off from midnight Nov 1 through the end of the day Nov 15th (times are in GMT). You will need a coupon code for the discount and it is the SAME code for all the participating patterns. The code is: giftalong. You will see patterns all over Ravelry tagged with the gift-a-long tag, and loads of special ads encouraging people to participate.

Even after the sale period is over there are going to be knit-a-longs and crochet-a-longs (or as we have been calling them – “gift-a-longs”) until the end of December. And did I mention prizes? Lots of terrific prizes that participating GAL members will be eligible for.
Make sure and go to the gift-a-long group and find out all about it!!!!

I started working on Jo-Jo’s vest back in the very beginning of the year, thinking of it as an April birthday gift. Well that didn’t happen! I had a concept of a basic wardrobe staple: a wool vest to wear 3 seasons of the year – actually 4 seasons here in Maine. It would be seamless, and with integrated bands so there would be no picking up all those stitches around the front and the armholes. I also wanted it to have some shaping, but not the severe shaping so many designs have today. I wanted it to be flattering for women of all ages and shapes, so decided on subtle waist shaping  (for those of us with subtle waists) and a size range of seven sizes – up to a 58 inch finished bust. I chose one of my favorite basic yarns, Briggs and Little Heritage, and started swatching. Seeing as this is September, you probably guessed that it didn’t go easily! I never made so many swatches for a design; testing out every detail multiple times. I had purchased an extra skein just for swatching, and ending up frogging swatches to get more yarn for swatching.

I also made the decision to draft and grade this pattern using a spreadsheet for the first time; really the only sane way to approach grading garments. So I began to work with Excel. I have only two words to describe the frustration of the next couple months – learning curve! But the good news is that I did learn it and am now pretty comfortable with a method that should make life easier in the future. I highly recommend Faina Goberstein’s Craftsy course: Sizing Knitwear Patterns. Learning Excel is one thing, but adapting it to pattern drafting and grading is a pretty specialized use.

I am happy to be able to report that the result of all this work is a design and a pattern that I am just thrilled with! In fact, I enjoy wearing it so much that I am a not looking forward to gifting it away at Christmas. I have already bought the yarn to make another one for myself. Three of my testers on Ravelry have also expressed that they are planning a second one. The consensus seems to be that Jo-Jo’s Vest fulfills my original desire for a flattering wardrobe staple that is quick and interesting to knit.

You can see more details about Jo-Jo’s Vest on the pattern page here, or on Ravelry.

Ok – I’m just showing off my beautiful daughter in this photo – but look! she’s wearing my new scarf design! I have had this design finished for a while but was hanging on to it thinking I would submit it to one of the knitting magazines. After some discussion with other designers about the pros and cons of publishing that way, I decided that I really did want to stick to self publishing my designs for the foreseeable future. As Knitwise Design I have complete control over the whole process, from design inspiration to every word in the directions. I really like having this control – especially being able to make the final pattern directions as error free as possible, not something the magazines are known for. Plus, I had these terrific photos!

I had a lot of fun experimenting with the concept of three dimensionality while designing this scarf and am thrilled with the results. There are multiple ways to play with and modify the basic design. I am excited to see the creative variations knitters will come up with!

You can see some more cute photos of my daughter, I mean of the scarf, and get more information about the pattern, on the Tidal Cove Scarf pattern page, and also in my Ravelry Store.

Fall is definitely here! The favorite season for many knitters – myself included. I get so inspired to knit myself some great things to wear in the chilly weather. And the first thoughts of holiday knitting projects start to percolate. Of course, at the speed I knit I should have started these things back when it was eighty degrees! Well, in fact, I did! And now I have two new patterns that will be available this month, and another just off the needles and entering the next stage of the self publishing process.  An exciting Fall for Knitwise Design! I thought I would share some sneak peak photos of one of these new designs: Tidal Cove Scarf.

My beautiful daughter, Melissa, was the model for this photo shoot and was such a good sport working in the drizzly weather. The location is right here in Lubec – the tidal cove across from my house. I am really pleased with the photos we got that day and just disappointed I can’t use more of them in the pattern and the Ravelry pattern page. So here are a couple fun ones I couldn’t include. Watch for this pattern release very soon!

We know two young women who are due to have babies soon and it inspired me to design a baby hat. After all, I am a designer now, so why not give knitted baby gifts of my own design? I actually had this design idea while knitting my Fun With Triangles Hat, but it is different from that hat in several ways. Firstly, it is a dk weight yarn more appropriate for baby items and I wanted to keep this one all in garter stitch since it is so wonderfully stretchy for fitting heads that grow so quickly. I wanted the effect of the zig-zag in the middle, so I chose to use just two colors and to keep the central shaping of the triangles less dominant than in my other design. I lay awake many nights thinking of all the various ways to construct the geometry of a triangle! And then the earflaps. How could I resist adding the little triangular earflaps to keep baby’s ears warm?

Getting photos was a problem since I no longer have any babies of my own. I posted on our local Facebook community page and a lovely young mom of three offered her little one as a model. It was my first time doing a photo shoot with a baby, but she is so cute that it was hard to take a bad shot!

I used Valley Yarns Valley Superwash DK yarn for this design and liked it for a machine washable wool. I plan to knit a few more myself in this yarn to have on hand for future babies. (Not so subtle hint to my grown-up kids!)

You can see more about the hat here and buy the pattern in my Ravelry store.

Castle Hat (Child and Adult Sizes)

Castle’s hat came out so cute! (See story below.) And I just had to write a kids’ version – how could I not? I did my own photo shoot for the pattern with my new manual camera. I got some adorable photos of my friend, Eustacia, and my very willing little model from the local school, Kellee. The pattern has been up on Ravelry for less than a day, but has gotten lots of attention already. There seem to be quite a few castle enthusiasts in the knitting world.

And Castle reports that she loves her new hat! Isn’t she beautiful?

Knitting the Child size Sample for the Castle Hat.

Here is a sneak preview of my next pattern. I have been working on this design since November. It was a special request from my son, Jeff, for his girlfriend. They are both long- distance hikers and have through-hiked both the Appalachian Trail (known as the “AT”) and the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT). Both of these trails are over 2,000 miles long! This Spring they start the Continental Divide Trail (CDT). At over 3,000 miles it is the longest of the three. Hikers who have through-hiked all three are known in the hiker world as “Triple Crowners”. While on the trails, each hiker goes by a trail name. My son’s is “Portrait” and his girlfriend’s is “Castle”. He requested a hat for her with a castle on it. I actually put three castles on the hat – one for each trail. It’s a triple crowner’s castle hat!

This has certainly been a challenge for me, but after several false starts I am really happy with it. This design is the first time I am using my new StitchMastery software for charting also. Doesn’t it make a nice chart? I still need to finish knitting up the child’s size sample, find some models, photograph them, finalize the written pattern and make it a pdf, have the pattern tech edited, have the pattern test knit, make a pattern page on Ravelry for it, and get it on the website here. Almost done!

My newest design is a hat to coordinate with my very first design! As its name implies, Sea Smoke Hat is the perfect mate to Sea Smoke Scarf (my most popular pattern to date). It is also knit in the amazing Berroco Flicker – light, lofty alpaca with a little sparkle. I just love the vintage look of this! And it’s warm too! I feel like I am transported back to a windy Chicago night in the 1920’s, as my beau and I duck into the local speak easy!

The gorgeous model above is my beautiful daughter, Pam. To prove it is appropriate for all ages, here is a picture of it on me. But you can see why I chose her pictures for the pattern!

I’ve been having a lot of fun with triangles in my new design, appropriately named “Fun With Triangles”. This is a great stash buster project using small amounts of light worsted weight wools like Cascade 220, Valley Yarns Northampton, Patons Classic Wool and many more that you probably have in your stash. Playing with designing the different color combinations and knitting the triangles proved to be addictive and I ended up knitting three hats myself! My friend Kathy modeled the adult size for me and sisters from the local school were the models for the children’s hats. Don’t you just love the curly toppers? Test knitters had a ball with this pattern and I am loving seeing all the colorful projects being posted to Ravelry!

Hurray! It’s finally here!  After more than a year of work the pattern for my first cardigan is available on Ravelry. I am super pleased with feedback on the pattern from the test knitters. I worked very hard to make sure it was clear and logical and apparently succeeded.  You can see more about it here on my site or see the full pattern page and purchase here on Ravelry.

My new cardigan pattern is in the final days of being test knit by Ravelry pattern testers. I am so excited to be finally getting close to publication! There are so many steps to bring a creative design idea into the reality of a published pattern. I have extremely high standards as well, so I spend a lot of time and effort making sure my patterns are clearly written, free from any errors,  and that the format is beautiful as well. Like all my patterns, I have had this one professionally tech edited and then had it test knit by the Ravelry Free Pattern Testers group just to make sure nothing is confusing . I will make an announcement as soon as the pattern page is up on Ravelry and it is available for purchase.

This week I finally got back to my cardigan pattern that has been hibernating since we moved a year ago. Hard to believe it’s been a year! I had the number crunching still to do for 3 of the sizes and was able to sit down and do that once I really committed to spending a day on it. The harder thing was the schematic – the diagram of the pieces with blocking measurements nicely added in key places. To be professional the diagram really has to be computer drawn. This was pretty intimidating for me! But I had found a great tutorial by Marnie McClean. She has a wonderful blog with tutorials that are very useful for designers. I followed her directions for drawing a schematic in Word, but having the newest edition of Word on my computer it took some adapting (read as: hair pulling and cursing) since they have changed so much of the tool bar. I then managed to get everything into my pattern format, obsess over it for days, and finally have a pdf to send for tech editing. Hoping to offer it to test knitters before the end of the month. It feels great to be finally making progress on this!

Working on the schematic.

My first “for sale” pattern is now ready to purchase through my Ravelry store! It took me all day to get all my ducks in a row for uploading it and getting it into the store and linked to the appropriate places, then all set up here on the website. Phew! It has been test edited and test knit and gone over with a fine-toothed comb. I am very happy with it! Take a look at it here on the website page, or check out the full pattern page on Ravelry. The first of many Knitwise Design patterns!

My first pattern is up on Ravelry! A one page pattern called “Beginning Knitter Hat”. I am offering it as a free pattern through the Ravelry pattern store. It is a pattern I designed to teach a beginning knitter class here in Lubec last summer. To see the hat and link to the free pattern you can go to the “free patterns” page here on my website – under “Designs” on the menu.

I have finally moved one of my designs to the completed pattern stage! The scarf is called SEA SMOKE SCARF and it is a wonderful project to knit and a great scarf to wear. I used Berocco’s Flicker, soft baby alpaca with a glittery sparkle. Currently the pattern is completely written and is being tech edited. This is something I am going to be sure to do with all my patterns. Although I am a stickler for detail and very thorough, I have learned that it is almost impossible to be your own proof reader. I want to publish patterns that are of the highest quality and a delight to knit. I think it is worth the investment to pay someone for tech editing.

I can’t believe it has been 6 weeks since we moved here to Lubec, Maine. Loving every minute of it! Unfortunately, my whole design initiative has been put on hold during the move and probably until the fall. Eventually things will calm down and I will pick up with this part of my life. The picture at the top of this post was taken from our new home when we were up here last April.

I’ve been trying to get a good design-theme photo to use for the header of this blog – since it is going to be for my pattern design activities. The strange horizontal format is very difficult to work with. Couldn’t get anything to look right. Here is one of my tries – a picture of my work space on a snowy day. The drooping evergreen branches outside the window inspired my current project of traveling-stitch fir trees. Having trouble settling on a variation. Perhaps I have several different projects here!

Designing trees for a yoke

Quincy hats for all for Christmas!

Clever design!

For Christmas I went on a binge – knit a total of 9 Quincy hats. “Quincy” is designer Jared Flood’s brilliant pattern for a garter stitch hat based on a mobius strip. Really cute hat that looks good on anyone – as you can see by the photo, plus it is really fun to knit! Uses a provisional cast on and integrated i-cord. The mobius strip needs to be grafted and I finally got really good at kitchener stitch from this project! If I could figure out how to put a link to his pattern in this text I would. Highly recommended!

Update: Here is the link to the pattern page: Quincy Hat

I wrote that title thinking that you may be wondering about the gorgeous view depicted in my header image – but then realized that it was also appropriate for my wordpress learning experience. I keep trying to find where things are! Finally changed the tag line, and added a calendar! The view is from the bedroom of our new home in Lubec, Maine. We’re not there yet – but can’t wait to be!

Update – I’ve since changed the header image but you can get an idea by looking at the picture in the July 31st post (2011).

Someday this will be a blog – and a website. Ah, but how steep is the learning curve – maybe surpassing the angle of repose? We’ll see. We’ll see.