Patterns For Sale

 With some help from my friends, I've been able to publish patterns on Ravelry, these four just now.  Reminds me of the Beatles' song, "I get by with a little help from my friends"...

These first two scarves were designed to be featured at next weekends Black Sheep Gathering in Eugene, Oregon, by Art by Eve.  She creates this wonderful, drapey fiber of baby Alpaca and Silk, that is meant to be cherished by it's wearer.  The purple one is listed in my designs on Ravelry as Luxury Scarf and the pink is Circular scarf.     Just for your knowledge, the pink one is easier as the pattern is only worked every fourth row.  The purple is knitted ends first then the center from one end to the other.

These last two designs were done for Wynona Studios, in Oregon City, Oregon, with their participation in the Rose City Yarn Crawl. This years them was the areas bridges.  The  Blushing Bride Fingerless Mitts were part of four items that were designed this year based on the wedding that took place at the opening of the local bridge, the bride from one side and the groom from the other.

The bag is from last years Yarn Crawl, the theme of which was the local flora.  The Dahlia bag is inspired of the local Dahlia Festival that takes place at the end of August each year. If you can find this on Ravelry you'll be able to find it as well.

I'm considering also adding the first project I designed for the yarn crawl and a hat for another shop of this years crawl.  Meantime, back to work designing for Oregon Flock and Fiber festival.  Thank you to JJ at Wynona Studios for encouraging me to be an official designer, and Delia for her help creating the beautiful files people will be able to download.  To both of you I know I cannot say 'thank you' enough, but let's pretend it is anyway. For now.

Happy Knitting!

Fiber Train 2014, Nampa, Idaho

How can you not love this greeting?

These seemed to be the babies, very new and maybe yearlings.

 

The older alpacas were participants in the shearing demonstrations later on. 

 

 The market place:  a couple more venors to meet from last year, three of them inside.   When we were there, the weather was nice. It didn't stay that way, there were some high winds and downpours that weekend.  

The demonstrations of the sheering:  I've watched this activity before. Unlike the timed contests on TV, this one was a quite a bit gentler.  In fact, it seemed to me that this one was smiling throughout, although I don't think that was conveyed in these shots.  They walked her toward me when she was done, and I was tempted to give her a scratching, but I felt I hadn't been given permission.  

 

Vendors included: 

Knit Girl in Idaho, http://www.etsy.com/shop/knitgirlinidaho

Pepperberry Knits, http://pepperberryknits.com/

Sage Flower Gardens, http://www.sageflowergardens.com/

Fiber Addict, http://thefiberaddict.com/

Spin Dance Acres, http://www.spindancechurros.com/

Sassy Sheep Yarns,  http://www.thesassysheep.com/

(I will add more as I can find the links...)

Two local shops particitpated:

Knit Wits, http://boiseknitwits.com/

Puffy Mondaes (the event coordinator),

http://puffymondaes.enstore.com/browse/7

Skirting issues

 A few years ago, I created a skirt of my own guessing, for my daughter.  She, being a teenager rejected it, so I put it away.

Recently, Knitter's Magazine did a special Skirt issue, which I thought feature some unique techniques, but I've heard different people say "why would you knit a skirt, who would wear a knitted skirt...?"

So, I got this out, it had been years since I looked at it and it being made of cotton had yellowed, so I bleached it, put a grosgrain ribbon in the waistband and took a picture.

I have not decided if I will post a pattern, not sure I can remember what I did to write one, but let me tell you what I like about it:  Being created with a bias has a different kind of drape, sort of clingy.  The ruffle is right at my knee and has a pretty fun bounce to it.  Perhaps because it's a net/lace fabric it's lighter weight than I thought it would be.  Awfully fun to sit in, because it just tucks itself around me in it's own modest way.  I don't have a slip this length, so I've been wearing it with some of my chiffon skirts, which also ruffle at the knee and feels companionable together.  I feel very happy it's summer!

So, my question is:  Why NOT a skirt?  

May 18th, Snake River Fiber Fair, Idaho Falls, Idaho

One of the things that have been the hardest about living in a mostly rural state for me is missing the eclectic artsiness of the big city.  

Recently, we were magically given unusual days off.  This blessing happened to coincide with the occurrence of the Snake River Fiber Fair, happening in Idaho Falls, Idaho.  So, not having a clue what to expect (except for a VERY few details on their website ~ no exaggeration as it didn't even list the times the doors would open), we gassed up the car, put the dogs in the backseat and set off.

Now, a few miles South, just a couple of exits prior to where we were bound, is Dear Superman's birthplace.  This restaurant used to be owned by his grandfather.  The last time we were through this area, I couldn't get a shot of it.  So...

 The day opened with a bit of rain. No worries, we were in the right place.  Vendors included folks from Idaho, Utah and Montana.  The sign over the door welcomes the public to this event.  The licence plate on the SUV from Utah says 'Got Yarn'. Oh, I hope so.

The event was held on a college campus.  Rather than being in one large room, vendors were set up along the hallways.  This particular college's hallway wound round like a rabbit warren or a hobbit hole.  So at every turn was a new rainbow of colors to match the mists outside.

This event was sponsored by a spinners guild.  The desire to learn how to drop spindle at the very least was difficult to ignore with all the lusciousness of alpaca, silk, MILK silk, merino....  Still, I'm determined that, like our hero Elizabeth Zimmerman, I will wait till I'm in my seventies, and I left without buying any batts or fleeces.  The whole event was about the size of the events held at the granges back in Portland.  I'm so glad that I went.

I did meet a couple of very nice ladies I'm hoping to see at the next fiber event in just a few days.  And that will be all the Yarn events until next year in this area.  So, back to searching for reasonable airline prices to take me to the events of nearly international fame, known for their sheer immense size.  I will continue to strive not to whine.

Back to Superman:  

After we'd been on the road a few minutes was a sign for the largest Army/Navy surplus store in the state.  Which meant "Must Stop Here".  

I looked at every back pack in the place, because I've been thinking for a couple of years that I need one and I'm going to be choosy and get the right one.  They had HUNDREDS.  I didn't get one.  You know sometimes too many choices is harder than not enough. 

Superman found this hat:


It brought tears to his eyes, right there in the store.  His father was a soldier in the 101st Screaming Eagles.  Holding the hat in his hands standing in the old family's neighborhood was a bit overwhelming for a man of good heart.  I never doubt his authentic supreme Superman self.

The only other pictures I took were purely to show that sometimes the view is infinite.

Like the song that never ends, it goes on and on, my friends.

Rose City Yarn Crawl 2013

This year I have two patterns being featured in the Yarn Crawl, happening in Portland beginning February 28th and lasting until March 3rd or until all participants fall down.  Knowing the fiber craftiness of that community, they will have to kick everyone out of the shops at the end because they have more go-get-'em-ness there than the Energizer Bunny.  

The theme of this year's event are the many bridges in the area.  The two patterns are featured by two different shops, that are across the Oregon City Bridge from each other.  The bridge has just reopened after extensive repair work, but the story with these patterns was to focus on the original opening of the bridge which featured a wedding of the groom from one side and the bride from the other, which occured in the 1920's.

Wool-N-Wares asked for vintage hat ware.  The Oregon City Arch Cloche starts with the hatband braid, then worked in a texture for crown, then brim which was edged in i-chord for a finished tailored look.      

 

The Blushing Bride Fingerless Mitts being offered by Wynona Studios features the same braid band around the wrist with a faux Lily-of-the-Valley lace for the back of the hand and Diamond lace cuffs.

Both of these patterns, and crochet patterns for a gentlemanly Fedora (but who doesn't look stunning in a Fedora?) and spats to dance in the Oregon rain with stylish grace, are available at these shops during the event.  Later on, they will be available in a book with all the patterns from the shops participating.  Watch their website for that, or get the book for the 2012 pattern collection: www.rosecityyarncrawl.com

That 2012 book includes my Dalia Bag.  

In the meantime, I wish to thank all those who have been supportive of my little designs.  The cloche was promoted on Facebook last week and the fingerless gloves just a couple of days ago as previews for the event ~ and I've been overwhelmed with the positive feedback.  I've also watched my other patterns grow in appreciation, which makes me think of many projects I would like to share.  Which reminds me to get busy, and back to work.

Happy Knitting!

Hip to be a Square RECTANGLE

This is along the same idea as that last post.  My pattern is as follows (approximately 40" X 50" after washing):

With acrylic worsted weight (for donation purposes, or just generally preferred for afghans) size 8 needles.

Cast on 1 stitch, turn.
In that 1 stitch, knit front and back, 2 stitches.  Turn.
Knit the first stitch, Knit front and back of next stitch, 3 stitches. Turn.
Knit the first stitch, Make 1 right, knit the rest of row, turn.  Repeat this row, until 200 stitches. 

Continue increasing at the beginning of each row on one side.  Perhaps place a marker on the side you wish to designate as the different side ~  That side should be worked even once.  Then begin decreasing by Knit 1, k2tog every row.

Increasing on one side, decreasing on the other, maintaining the 200 stitch count.  When you have 10 inches on the decreasing side, begin decreasing the same one on the other side.  Continue decreasing at the beginning of each row, until 1 stitch remains and bind off. 

I did not edge this one at all, intended to i-chord edge it, but completely ran out of the yarn I was using.  Still it has a nice look to it.

Hip to be square Pattern

This is a pattern for a garter stitch square.

The square is knit diagonally, from a corner.  

With your choice of yarn and knitting needle:  cast on 1 stitch.  Turn.  

Row 1:  In that one stitch, knit in the front and back.  (2 stitches)

Row 2:  Knit the first stitch, knit in the front and back of the next stitch. (3 stitches)

Row 3:  Knit 1, Make 1 right (pick up the stitch below the next stitch, knit it, then knit the stitch on the needle = M1r) knit the last stitch.  (4 stitches.)

Row 4: Knit 1, M1r, knit to end of row.  Repeat this row until square edge is desired width or length.

Knit 2 rows even.  Then begin decreases.

Row 1: Knit 1, k2tog, knit to end of row.  Repeat this row until only 1 stitch remains.  Bind off.

NOW, here comes the fun part. 

Option #1 ~ This baby blanket was knit of acrylic sport weight, of one square.  I worked it until it was about 40", then found a lace garter edging that I like and trimmed it using more of the same acrylic.

Option #2: Shawl/lap robe, pretty much the same as the baby blanket, except worsted weight yarn was used.  I really liked this one because the variegated looks very nice as a garter (hides the pooling) was super soft.

Option #3: Stash busting! ~  Adventure Afghan

I like this option a lot.  Sometimes you just end up with bits of things that don't necessarily make enough of anything.  In this case, had a lots of bits of never been used acrylic, worsted weight yarn, of different brands.  I made these squares following that same pattern at the top of this post, until I had 80 stitches, then decreased.  As each square was finished, I put them in a pile, which eventually filed a milk crate in my stash.  The squares I carried with me to work on every time I left the house, riding along while my husband drove us to the store, went to the movies, went camping.  They became my adventure squares, I knew when the blanket was done which one I'd been working on when I saw the last of the 'Harry Potter' movies, the last trip we took our dog on before she died...  When I assembled the blanket, I did the last bit where our grandson was watching my work and told him about the squares, enough for everyone to pick a favorite, which was mine, which was Grandpa's....  about the adventures I worked on while I knitted the squares, my hopes for it with him, that it would keep him warm in winter, that he would take it on his adventures, that he would still be using it when he went to college. 

I am working on another square now.  I think I will do a variation on it, make a rectangle.  One edge will go until it is 48" the other will continue until 60", then decrease.  I'm planning to donate it to the local Linus Blanket project.  It's one of those Pounder skeins from the craft store, in a dark sage.  Hoping some foster boy will know it was made just for him to grow strong and free as the forests.  Stay tuned, I hope to post the finished picture of it here.