Author Archives: pdxknitterati

Assigned pooling mania

Posted on February 5, 2023 | 7 comments

Help! I’ve fallen down the pooling rabbit hole, and I’m not sure when I’m coming up for air. The ideas are flying.

I had so much fun with the yarn for Pooling is a Cinch (publishing tomorrow), I had to play with one more design. This cowl doesn’t have a name yet, but I think it will be out later this month.

Dream in Color has pooling yarns in worsted weight, too! We’ll be using this yarn (choice of colors) for an assigned pooling Zoom class via For Yarn’s Sake in April. I’m working on this pattern right now; it will also be out later this month. I love this stitch, and it’s very adaptable for the length of your colorburst.

If you have an idea for naming either of these, let me know. If I use the name you suggest, I’ll send you a copy of the pattern.

Have any new-to-you techniques caught your fancy lately? Do tell!

7 Comments

Posted in classes, Knit, pattern design

Planning ahead to September

Posted on February 4, 2023 | 3 comments

I worked summers at a cannery on Kodiak Island, Alaska to pay for college, way back when. I worked in the egg house, sorting and packing salmon roe to send to Japan.

That’s me, with a handful of salmon roe. I’ve always wanted to re-visit Alaska, without the fish eggs.

Guess who’s going to Alaska? This cruise with Vogue Knitting is going to be spectacular. I’m not sure what I’m teaching yet, but I think brioche and Whale Watch Cap and Cowl would be perfectly appropriate.

We shall see! Come knit with me!

3 Comments

Posted in classes, Knit, travel

Tagged alaska knitting cruise, Vogue Knitting Cruise

Brioche Knit Love update

Posted on February 2, 2023 | 6 comments

Good news, bad news, stuff to chew on?

Good news: Brioche Knit Love is nearly sold out. I’d consider that to be a successful project!

Bad news: There are no more books with the distributor. I was sad to learn that Library House Press, my publisher, has closed its doors. It was so exciting to work with them to bring this book to life.

Good news: I’ve obtained the remaining copies from Library House Press, and you can purchase a copy through For Yarn’s Sake in Beaverton, Oregon (yes they sell online) or Twisted Yarn Shop in Portland, Oregon (online only).

I’ll also have books at Red Alder Fiber Arts Retreat this month in Tacoma, Washington, in the Northwest Yarns booth. We’re having a book signing that Saturday, February 18, noon to 1:30. If you’re at Red Alder, pop by and say howdy!

And I’ll be signing books at For Yarn’s Sake on Thursday February 23, the first day of the Rose City Yarn Crawl. We’re having our traditional trunk show yarn crawl kick off featuring Lorajean Kelley (Knitted Wit), Shannon Squire, Debbie Stone, and me.

I’m looking at options to see if I can make another printing happen. Wish me luck!

6 Comments

Posted in my book project

Tagged brioche knit love book

Happy Fiberuary!

Posted on February 1, 2023 | 1 comment

Or February, if you’re traditional. This is a jam packed month for me. Who knew you could have this much fun knitting? I have three in-person weekends coming up. I hope to see you at one of these events!

At Vogue Knitting Live NYC Feb. 10-12 I’ll be teaching Petite Brioche (beginning brioche), Deep End (brioche increases and decreases), Syncopation (syncopated brioche), Sheepy Steeky Coasters (steeks!), and my new Embellishment Cowl (elongated stitches, slip stitch quilted lattice, and beads).

At Red Alder Fiber Arts Retreat Feb. 16-19 I’ll be teaching Petite Brioche (beginning brioche), Whale Watch Cap and Cowl (brioche increases and decreases), Sheepy Steeky Coasters (steeks!) and Assigned and Planned Pooling.

Rose City Yarn Crawl is Feb. 23-26. I’ll have a trunk show and book signing at For Yarn’s Sake on Thursday Feb. 23, along with Lorajean Kelley (Knitted Wit), Shannon Squire, and Debbie Stone.

Oh, and Bruce Springsteen is coming to town! Should I go see him? He held my sock, you know…

How is your February shaping up?

1 Comment

Posted in classes, events, Knit

Tagged Red Alder Fiber Arts, rose city yarn crawl, VKLive NYC

Introducing Ebb and Flow

Posted on January 31, 2023 | 1 comment

Ebb and Flow is a bandanna cowl, a scarf-ish cowl, a cowlish scarf, but definitely not a scowl. Waves of lace and stockinette alternate from the neck down to a triangular point. You can knit the cowl to be taller and the triangle shorter, as in this version.

Or you can knit the cowl to be shorter and the triangle longer, as in this pink version. As one ebbs, the other flows, keeping it within the limits of a single skein of fingering weight yarn. If you have extra yardage, you can have both the taller cowl and the longer triangle. I suppose if you’re impatient or short on yarn, you could also knit a shorter cowl and a shorter triangle. You do you!

This design was inspired by a glorious weekend teaching at Haystack School of Arts and Crafts for Knit Maine last September. Gabriela of Moss Fibers made this beautiful souvenir yarn for us in The Maine Event colorway. I knew it would be a water-inspired design of some sort!

The pattern is now available through Ravelry here, and also through Payhip here. It’s 15% off through February 6, no coupon code needed.

Thank you to tech editor Jen Lucas, model Sharon Hsu, and test knitters Ann Berg, Debbie Braden, Jody Brostrom, Rowan Frost, Iris Mondri-Kish, Melissa A. Rowe, and Nan Wagner. It was a fun and lively test knit group!

1 Comment

Posted in Knit, pattern design, yarn

Tagged Ebb and Flow, ebb and flow cowl, Moss Fibers yarn

Everybody into the pool!

Posted on January 30, 2023 | 5 comments

What’s in a name? You may recall that I asked for help naming this pattern. There were a lot of suggestions on the blog and Facebook and Instagram! I didn’t want the name to be color specific, because the piece is meant to work with many color pooling yarns. And the color may or may not spiral, depending on the individual knitter’s stitch count and gauge.

Sue suggested Pooling’s a Cinch, which honored both the pooling and the cinch detail from cowl to hat. Winner! I ultimately decided that “Pooling Is A Cinch” would work better on the internet, and here we are. Congratulations to Sue; I’m sending her a pattern when it’s published next week.

I had so much fun with this yarn from Yarn Snob/Knits All Done. I wasn’t ready to stop, so I’m designing one more piece with it. I absconded with one of the skeins meant for my pooling class at Red Alder, which means there are only 2 spots left. Come knit with me and this amazing yarn! Register here, class is Friday February 15.

You’ll note from the yarn wrapped around the yarn in the yarn bra (do you use these? I love them) that there has been some frogging and re-knitting as I decide how I want this to look. I think I’m on track now, but I thought that the first three times, too. That’s how I design…try it, frog it, try it, frog it, BINGO!

Have you played with color pooling yarn?

5 Comments

Posted in Knit, pattern design, yarn

Tagged color pooling, Pooling is a Cinch, Yarn Snob

Introducing Aspen Leaf Coasters

Posted on January 23, 2023 | 1 comment

I love a small project for teaching new techniques. These Aspen Leaf Coasters are a perfect lesson in brioche increases and decreases.

They even include an optional syncopated edge for a pop of accent color. They’re knit in worsted weight wool, so they’re quick, too. These were knit with Malabrigo Worsted in Sunset and Malambo.

And these were knit with Anzula For Better or Worsted in Herb and Blueberry.

I’m looking forward to teaching increases and decreases with these. (Pint tumblers by JaMPDX)

The pattern is available through Ravelry and also through Payhip. The pattern is 15% off through January 30, no coupon code needed.

1 Comment

Posted in classes, Knit, pattern design, yarn

Tagged anzula for better or worsted, aspen leaf coasters, Brioche knitting, malabrigo worsted

Name this cowl hat!

Posted on January 20, 2023 | 12 comments

Remember this yarn?

It’s now a cowl.

Or a hat. It’s both! I’ve designed this for my assigned/planned pooling class at Red Alder Fiber Arts Retreat next month. There are a couple spots left in class. Yarn is included in the materials fee. It’s A Wondrous Worsted from Yarn Snob, in the Times Square colorway. I’m in LOVE. Better pictures on a human soon; it’s finally stopped raining here.

In the meantime, please help me name this cowl/hat! I’ve been calling it Bossy Cowl Hat, in a nod to the yarn telling you when it’s time to do the exciting stitch, and the idea of Bossy the Cow(l). Ha! But it doesn’t sound very inviting, or very pretty. What should I call it?

If I pick the name you suggest, you’ll get a free copy of the pattern, which should work with any worsted weight color pooling yarn. Fire away!

Have you tried planned pooling or assigned pooling? What did you think of it?

Unrelated PS: The Nautical Knitting cruise on the schooner Zodiac is sold out! But if you’re interested, sign up for the waiting list; there can be changes between now and the end of July. Ahoy!

12 Comments

Posted in Knit, pattern design, yarn

Tagged A Wondrous Worsted, assigned pooling, Red Alder Fiber Arts, Yarn Snob

Ahoy, knitters!

Posted on January 10, 2023 | 9 comments

I’ve just signed on to teach aboard the Zodiac, a schooner that sails out of Bellingham, Washington. This is in conjunction with Northwest Yarns of Bellingham. The 3 day cruise is July 31-August 2. It’s a nautical knitting cruise! And you get to learn to help sail the ship, too.

(photo from the Zodiac website, used with permission, copyright Taylor Hodges)

The trip includes 4 knitting classes. Two of them will be brioche! We’ll use my Whale Watch Cap and Cowl pattern to introduce brioche and then learn increases and decreases.

Our other two classes will explore fancy stitches and herringbone braids (and simple stranded colorwork).

Are you game? Register here!

9 Comments

Posted in classes, events, travel

Tagged nautical knitting cruise, northwest yarns, zodiac schooner

Lazy Sunday? Learning Sunday!

Posted on January 8, 2023 | 5 comments

I love that our (grown) kids love to cook. Their Christmas gift for us was eggs Benedict with smoked salmon, and of course mimosas. We moved it to this weekend so it wasn’t squished between Hanukkah brisket and Christmas prime rib. Ryan brought J. Kenji Lopez-Alt’s book over; he likes his science-based approach to cooking and wanted to try emulsifying!