New designs!

Okay, so what's new? Lots!

The Winter issue of Interweave Knits comes out later this month. I did two designs for it, Ginevra's Pullover in Malabrigo Twist and Malabrigo Lace, and the Kinetic Cowl, in Zitron Opus 1. Both were a lot of fun to knit! The sweater is worked top down in one piece with waist shaping, and the cowl starts out as a bias strip, showing off the self-striping yarn in a different way.

Also, there's the new Holiday issue of Vogue Knitting! The yarns I used for this one, Kid Seta Luxe and Cashmere Fino from Skacel, were so yummy that even the sweaty summer weather I endured while knitting didn't take away from the fun. I love the hint of sparkle and the dramatic cowl neck knit in glorious cashmere!

That's not all (I was REALLY busy this summer, let's leave it at that!) I also did 2 designs for the Holiday Knit Simple, both for girls. The jumper is in Stitch Nation Full o' Sheep and the cardigan is Claudia Worsted. Both use different sized (but very similar) cables, so you could knit them both as a set if you like.




For the November issue of Creative Knitting, I did a neck gaiter and hat set in a cozy yarn from Cascade called Baby Alpaca Chunky. Simple stripes, quick and easy to knit. My mom made off with the samples, saying they'll be perfect for supervising recess this winter.



Not to be outdone, I also designed a pair of cowls for the Interweave Holiday Gifts issue in more yummy yarns from Skacel, including Mosco (one of my all time favorites!) The two versions use the same stitch pattern to different effect. The cowl in Mosco is larger, drapier, and more dramatic while the tweed version is smaller and more rustic.




And last, but not least, crocheted Christmas stockings for the November/December issue of Crochet Today! in Red Heart Spark a Doodle and Holiday. These are a quick project-- I crocheted both in a day or so. The pom poms on the Spark a Doodle made a perfect "furry" top for the stockings.



Right now I'm catching my breath a bit and getting ready for the next round! Spring and Summer things are (mostly) behind me at this point, and thinking about next Fall is what is mainly on my mind, design-wise.

Blog Tour Begins!

The blog tour for my book, Knit a Dozen Plus Slippers, begins tomorrow morning. The first stop (also a friend of mine who owns the best spinning shop ever) has kindly gotten started a little bit early. Check it out here.

Knit a Dozen Plus Slippers

My book, Knit a Dozen Plus Slippers is out! It features 13 slipper patterns, with a variety of heel/toe treatments and in sizes for the whole family. Here's a few:

What's new?

I've been getting a lot of new designs together lately-- all for winter. I'm so glad I have air conditioning, because I don't know how I could stand knitting mohair in the summer otherwise! :)

Previews for the Fall issues of Knit Simple and Knitscene are up, and I have 2 designs in each.

First, Knit Simple:

(photo by Paul Amato)
This one is in Blue Sky Alpacas Sport Weight, and sized to 3X!

(photo by Rose Callahan)
This one is in Classic Elite Montera and is knit top down in one piece.


And Knitscene:

In Mission Falls 1824 Wool.



In Stacy Charles Tivoli. The collar has some fancy short rows that create angles in the ribbing.

The sweater I'm working on now, for Interweave Knits, should be done in a matter of hours! I've got knitters working on some other projects, so the next few days are going to be filled with finishing (I always do that part myself-- actually I knit most of my samples too).

Retreating, retreating, and Interweave Knits

(Yes, it's true! I finally got something in Interweave Knits- the Marigold Sweater in the Summer issue).

As a rather sharp departure from my usual mode of self-employed solitude, I spent most of the past week and a half at two different (and very enjoyable) retreats. I neglected to bring my camera to either, so here's a couple of pictures borrowed from friends who did (thanks ladies!).


That's me in the back corner looking studious.

First I attended the Spinning Loft's retreat in Pennsylvania, held at a stunningly gorgeous B&B. The focus was breed studies, and I enjoyed it more than I can say. Suffice to say I am now in possession of two items I swore I'd never buy: wool combs and dirty fleece. Thanks to Beth for getting me over my fear of both.

What a view, right? (p.s. Great picture Sonya!)

I was home a grand total of 2 days, then I was off again, this time to a knitting retreat organized by my friend Tina on the shores of Lake Huron, just north of Port Huron. I spent the next few days knitting (yes, on work projects mostly) and spinning a bit too (since the previous weekend had gotten me in the mood). It was so relaxing.

So now I'm back, scrambling to get my ducks back in a row where they belong. Wish me luck!

Happy Belated Birthday

Okay, as evidenced by my not-so-frequent posting these days, apparently I missed my blog's 5th birthday (it was Sunday). Or possibly I missed it because of all the ham and jellybeans, being Easter and all.

Anyway, New Stuff is out!

Little crocheted booties in the May/June Crochet Today!

and

Multiple things in the Knitscene Easy special issue (officially comes out next week).

Also-- yesterday marked 5 years since I published my first design (awwww...)

New Stuff!

I've had several new patterns come out in the past few days-- in the June issue of Knit n' Style, Spring/Summer issue of Knit Simple, and a couple of yarn companies too. Take a look!


photo from Spring/Summer 2010 Knit Simple. Knit in Cascade Fixation.