Enchanted Garden

Over the past months I've been giving you a few insider shots into the design process of my newest patterns. Talk about a huge weight off my shoulders, because at long last it is time to show off the Enchanted Garden.

The ebook contains 6 patterns that are all inspired by an Irish garden with a Gaelic theme. This enchanted garden entices you to enter where soft clovers dapple the diamond-shaped walkway. An elaborately curled wrought iron gate is left exposed by the climbing ivy that ascends an ancient stone wall. Time-honored memories seem to resonate here among the flowers.

Cosan is the Gaelic word for path. The diamond clover stranded colorwork pattern evokes a feeling of walking through a garden path surrounded by wild flowers..

Trean is the Gaelic word for strong. The wrought iron gate stranded colorwork pattern gives a sense of majestic strength and yet has a classic beauty all it’s own.

Dreap is the Gaelic word for climb. The ivy trellis stranded colorwork pattern is fun and playful. As the ivy climbs along one side, the trellis climbs the other.

And if your interested, but don't want to splurge for the whole ebook? You can buy each pattern separately. I would pay special attention to the pattern notes that talks about yardage, because if you want to make the matching piece you might not need to buy more of the secondary colors.

Intro: Trean

Here is the last pair of designs for the Enchanted Garden ebook.

Trean (Gaelic meaning: strong)

The wrought iron gate stranded colorwork pattern gives a sense of majestic strength and yet has a classic beauty all it’s own.

The Tam starts with an simple one-by-one rib then transition quickly into the colorwork sections which expands for a traditional slouch effect. The matching cowl would also start off the same way allowing for a cohesive look.

This is the last sketch for the ebook and now to search for the right model and perfect location.

Thank you for coming on this journey with me. I look forward to when I can launch the ebook and share it with all of you.

Intro: Dreap

Another inside look at the second pair of designs of the Enchanted Garden ebook:

Dreap  (Gaelic meaning: climb)

The ivy trellis stranded colorwork pattern is fun and playful. As the ivy climbs along one side, the trellis climbs the other. The infinity scarf starts with a provisional cast-on. The stranded color is worked in the round with purl edge to allow the scarf tube to lay flat. Ivy shows on one side and trellis on the other. The mittens fall in line with the same theme. The cuff is a simple one-by-one rib, but the yellow is introduced to give a little pop of color and for the budding flowers that grow. These buds are applied to both pieces after completion with modified embroidery technique called the French knot.

Sketching for my patterns has become a true passion for me. My ideal photo shoot will be to mimic this pose. Although It wont happen because while in the middle designing this pattern I came to harsh reality that a double thick color work infinity scarf would set the wearer on fire and also make it too bulky to actually wear comfortably. So, ultimately the pattern became a cowl instead. Yes, the knitter can customize the pattern by adding more length, if they so choose.

Arlen

Super excited to announce a new design just released in Knitty's First Fall 2014 issue. There are two version available in this pattern: Cowl or Snood.

The inspiration for this design came from a gorgeous Fiber Optic gradient in the Copper-Verdigris colorway. I knew I wanted to retain the colors, so I plyed my singles using a Navajo technique. The act of Navajo playing (or chain plying) has you creating loops, which in turn generates a 3ply. These loops can be large or small and depending on the color breaks; this can also help create a smooth color change.

There is a second option to work the pattern as a Snood.

After I had designed the cowl version, I had this overwhelming feeling to lift it over my head. It then seemed second nature to have an alternate that would allow you to gently cover your head and neck in luxurious warmth. The snood version is worked up in Fyberspates Scrumptious 4ply, which is super wonderful to knit with and makes a very light weight, but warm piece.

Gannon Pattern & Contest

I hold a special place in my heart for my Grandma Pat. A teacher of Irish decent who loved a Manhattan and a Kit-Kat for happy hour. Gotta love that!

I bear the middle name Patricia, which comes from her. Yet everyone called her Pat. She was kind and always had a smile. I think happy hour had a lot to do with it.



While in the design process of making these cables pieces, I thought to myself, she would have really like these. It then seemed a perfect fit to make them blue, in her favorite color of course.



I'm really excited to launch this pattern set and just in time for my Grandma's birthday Month. So in honor of her and the month of May, I'm running a contest and a discount on the pattern. You can purchase the pattern for just a buck by clicking the link which will take you to Ravelry.

I'm also giving away two skeins of the Simpliworsted yarn to a random commenter on this post. You have until May 17th at midnight to enter to win. I'll pick a name by the random number generator and post the winner that Friday (May 18th).



The yarn is super fabulous to work with and you can get any one of the pieces completed with these two skeins.

Cheers Grandma! Here's to you!!

Brookstone

I'm proud to announce that Kollage Yarns has just released one of my new designs for their spring collection. Say hello to Brookstone.

I was really inspired by the colors of Kollages Sock-a-licious yarn. The variegated yarn has so much depth and it married beautifully with the solids. The window pane design allows the colors to fade and transition giving it a delicate touch.

The yarn was an absolute dream to work with... Sock-a-licious is a fingering weight merino, silk and nylon blend. Seriously? You can't go wrong with merino and silk!!

The Brookstone pattern set is consisted of a tam, cowl and mitts which is perfect for those cool spring mornings. What is even better is that all you need to complete the full set is one skein in each colorway.

I couldn't have done this project with out the my crew. Huge thanks goes out to Knitterary and Amy at Writing Weaver for their fantastic efforts and tight deadlines. You guys are the best!

If you're interested in purchasing the Brookstone pattern you can find it for pdf download on Patternfish.

FO: Tapestry Cowl

Pattern: Tapestry Cowl by Pepperknit Patterns

Yarn: 2 skeins Malabrigo Yarn Sock (Terracotta and Cordovan)

Needles: US 5 circular

Started: May 20, 2009

Finished: Aug 14, 2009



Comments: I love patterns where I get to try out new techniques. Your basically knitting both inside and outside of the cowl simultaneously. It becomes tricky with handling the two yarns at the same time, so while I was learning double knitting I was also learning to knit continental. I highly recommend knitting with both hands in a project like this. It makes the project go by very quickly.



You'll notice that the double knitting technique gives you a mirror image of the pattern, so there is no correct side. In order to achieve this your cast-on method must be very invisible along with your bind-off.



The cast-on is fiddly, but not terribly hard. It was the bind-off that I still quiver from. Lets just take a moment to understand what I'm about to tell you. The pattern it's self calls for 110 stitches in each color. That means you have 220 stitches that you'll have to bind-off with KITCHENER. [faint]



I don't do cuff down socks just to avoid kitchener on the toe and that's only 10 stitches, maybe 16 at most. Hey... kitchener on 220 stitches Takes.For.Ever.



So, even with that being said, I would totally do it again. I would however change my needle size to perhaps a US3. The finished project is a bit slouchy and I think my gauge and tension relaxed a bit much.

For the Love of Summer

I can hardly believe that it's August already. With August comes school registration but before that comes the doctor visit. Miss Mac will be turning 5 at the end of the month and I can't tell you how excited I am for her to start a new phase in her life, but also scared that SHE'S STARTING A NEW PHASE IN HER LIFE.



Miss Mac is now my hero. She took 3 shots and didn't shed a tear. We were walking out the doctors office and we heard a little boy screaming at the top of his lungs and without skipping a beat Miss Mac said "Such a baby".



As for my knitting this week, I started on the bodice for my Feary Ring. It's coming along great. I did some minor tweaks, but nothing to dramatic. The cables in this pattern are all twisting in the same direction. I figured I'd change it up a bit so that when the fronts come together they'll be symmetrical.



The Tapestry Cowl is coming along great. I love seeing the double image from the inside and outside. I'm about halfway through the pattern and with each stitch becoming a little more concerned about doing the kitchener stitch bind-off.

Time Keeps On Slippin'

Slippin', Slippin'... Into the futurrrrre....

Okay, now that I've got that lodged into your brain. I can give a quick update on my crazy life. Knitting? Well there is not much to show. Honestly the damn house has me loosing out on my precious knitting time. Train/work knitting is about all I get done and that is a damn shame, because I use to relax with 2 or 3 movies over the weekends and just knit. Goodbye good ol' days... say hello to Homeowner Hell.

What little has been worked on in my knitting bag is the Tapestry Cowl, which I'm really loving right now. It's my mind escape because the pattern is a little tricky, but not to the point where I'm lost.



One of the major things I've been practicing in this project is purling continental style. How do you knitters do that? It is the most pain in the ass thing to purl holding your yarn in the left hand. I've even tried the combined purling method but I'm not sure that helps, as when I come back to that stitch it's been twisted and I have to untwist it.



One other pain the ass thing this weekend was I swatched for the Faery Ring in the lovely Ginger color and I'm not making gauge. sigh. The pattern calls for 18 stitches over 4 inches and I'm getting 20.5 on 7's and 20 on 8's. I rather work with a smaller needle to get a denser fabric. I love this color, but I'm wondering if it's really worth adjusting the pattern or perhaps I should just look for a different yarn.

Friday Update

My life has been such a whirl wind that I wanted to give a quick little update on both knitting and bathroom fronts:

What used to be here...



Is now here...



Yes... I have a toilet in my bedroom. Not exactly where I'd like it right now, especially when little 4 year olds don't know how to "hold it" for very long. sigh.

The last little bit of old wallpaper was captured once toilet was removed. How did these people function with black paisley wallpaper? That can't be a flattering color to put makeup on.



We've been dry-fitting the floor tile all week and we're planning on setting that this weekend. Hopefully along with the counter-top for the cabinet.

In the knitting department I've started two new projects.



The Absinthe socks from Knitty Spring 2009. The pattern just pulled at my cable heart strings and couldn't help but cast on.

Next is the Tapestry Cowl by Pepperknit.



I was just awestruck by the reversible cowl so much that I had to cast on immediately especially when I saw other examples made with the Malabrigo Sock yarn.

The other big news is the Nubby Cardigan has been seamed together and needs button bands and collar to be considered finished. I hope everyone enjoys the long weekend even while I slave away doing manual labor.