Tag Archives: knit picks

An epiphany!

I was looking at a Knit Picks call for design submissions, and it said that the designer needs to have a USA, Canada, UK, or Australia shipping address. I knew they shipped to USA and Canada, but the rest was news to me. Hello!

Knit Picks is carrying my book, Brioche Knit Love, and where it would cost me $80 to ship to Australia via the post office, their rates are much better. So if you’re in the UK or Australia and want my book; check it out. My publisher doesn’t have distributors there, so this is a great way to get access. And it works for Canada, too. We do have a Canadian distributor (Julie Asselin), but I don’t know if books are in Canadian LYSes yet.

Currently sold out, but they’ve ordered more!

Knit Picks featured me in their email newsletter last month; that was thrilling.

It’s supposed to go on their blog this month; I’ll post a link if/when that happens. For now, I’m chuffed that my book can get to some other countries! It can travel internationally, even if I can’t, yet.

Free pattern: Impressionist Kaleidescope Blanket

I had the joy of designing this blanket last spring; it’s the Impressionist Kaleidescope Blanket. The blanket is a celebration of garter stitch, and so much fun to knit!

Impressionist Kaleidescope Blanket in Knit Picks Chroma Twist

The blanket is made up of 9 (or more) units that are all knit the same. The fun is in letting the color shading yarn work its magic. We start with a mitered square, and then add three more mitered squares, to finish the center. A log cabin style frame is worked after that. Mitered squares and log cabin work so well together; it’s a symphony in garter stitch!

The pattern is free from Knit Picks as part of their Twelve Weeks of Gifting, which they do as a run up to the holidays. (I was paid for this design, never fear. It’s free to YOU, though.) Here’s the link: Impressionist Kaleidescope Blanket. I had mentioned this to my Log Cabin Knitting class at the virtual Knit Camp at the Coast last month, and now you can download the pattern!

I have one more pattern coming in the Twelve Weeks of Gifting series; I’ll let you know when it goes live. Have fun!

If you haven’t already, check the previous post to enter to win a copy of my new book, Brioche Knit Love: 21 Skill Building Projects from Simple to Sublime. I’ll be back to showing you more designs from the book soon.

Fun with Knit Picks

First off, my Holiday Stockings pattern from Knit Picks has been free for one week (I think through Monday, tomorrow), during their 12 weeks of gifting event. You can find the pattern here. (Sorry for the late notice; I was waiting for one more Knit Picks related thing to include in this post, but it hasn’t happened yet. Rather than have you miss the pattern, I’m posting without it.) Sixty-eight days ‘til Christmas!

I designed this pattern for them a few years ago, and it has done so well for them that they bought it from me outright, rather than returning it to me at the end of its exclusivity period. Win-win!

These are knit with bulky yarn, so they’re big and they’re quick. Lots of room in there. They’re very similar to my Snowflake Christmas Stocking, which is knit with worsted, and has many more motif options for the cuff.

(there’s a bird motif, too, not shown here)

Also fun, here’s a YouTube link to the Facebook Live Zoom interview I did with Knit Picks this summer! It feels like a very long time ago.

Introducing: Half the Knit Sky

Half the Knit Sky is a half pi shawlette, based on a time lapse photo of the night sky. Shown above in Knit Circus Sparkle Gradient, The Knit Sky, and Knit Circus Trampoline, Mistress of Myself.

Photo by Nikita Maykov

This easy knit uses only one color per row. Slip stitches create the colorwork star trail stripes, and the Star Stitch rows are a pop of fun. A bit of lace near the end sends you into orbit! The half-pi construction keeps your patterning simple with only occasional changes in stitch count.

Shown here in Knit Picks Hawthorne Kettle Dye, Delphinium, and Knit Picks Hawthorne Speckle, Blueberry Speckle.

The pattern is easily adjustable to the yardage you have. It requires two 100g skeins of fingering weight yarn.

Half the Knit Sky pattern is available through Ravelry, and it’s 10% off through July 14, no coupon code needed. If you’re a newsletter subscriber, check your email for your special offer. If Ravelry’s recent website renovation renders the site unusable for you, please email me or leave a comment here, and I can send you an invoice through PayPal instead. It’s a little slower, but it works.

I’m planning a KAL for this design, to be through this blog, Instagram, and Ravelry. Whatever works best for you! Please use #halftheknitsky to participate on Instagram, or this thread on Ravelry to participate there. Comment on this post, or any later posts about Half the Knit Sky, to participate through the blog.

I’m very pleased with this design, and hope you love it, too. Come knit with me!

Facebook Live with Knit Picks

I’m having a chat with Hannah from Knit Picks on Thursday morning at 8:30 am PDT. Late notice, but here we go! Here’s a link if you want to chime in. We’ll talk about design and more! I’ll bring my current shawl knitting; I’m knitting another Half the Knit Sky with Knit Picks Hawthorne.

Hope to see you in the morning!

Virtual Vogue Knitting Live, right now

It’s on! Round 2 of Virtual Knitting Live from Vogue Knitting. I’m teaching or lecturing every day from Wednesday (today) through Sunday. There’s still room in my Friday class, Intro to Lace and Beads: Fern Shawlette, and there is always room in lectures. My lecture on Thursday is Blocking: It’s Magic!

You can still register for classses, or you can just register for the virtual marketplace ($4.99) which gets you access to the market and other marketplace extras like virtual knit nights, trivia, meditation, and most fun: At the Drawing Table with Franklin Habit. Well worth the price of admission.

In light of recent events, Vogue has issued this statement:

We at Vogue Knitting stand in solidarity with Black communities and the Black Lives Matter protests happening around the world, and with everyone who is fighting for justice and equality in this country. In support of this, we will be donating a percent of net proceeds from this show—those already collected and yet to be collected from this show—to Color of Change, which is the nation’s largest online racial justice organization. “Color of Change helps people respond effectively to injustice in the world around us. As a national online force driven by 1.7 million members, we move decision-makers in corporations and government to create a more human and less hostile world for Black people in America.” For more information about Color of Change, please click here.

I’ll be donating 20% of my Ravelry pattern sales during Virtual VKLive to Color of Change. Change is slow, and change can be hard, but every small step helps.

And as part of the whirlwind week, I’m part of a Facebook Live Zoom with Wool and Fiber Arts and Bead Biz. Come talk about design and beads with 2 knit designers and 2 crochet designers. That’s today, this afternoon, 3 pm Pacific/6 pm Eastern. Link here.

My Facebook Live Zoom with Knit Picks has been postponed from June 11 to June 18. That’s next Thursday, 8:30 am Pacific (I’ll let you do all the figuring for your various time zones). There isn’t a specific event listed; they usually do these on their page every Thursday morning. Link to the Knit Picks Facebook page here.

OK, deep breath, and off to prep for the day’s events. Brioche class tonight!

Both Sides Now, and Window Pane

Have I set an earworm for you? Joni Mitchell or Judy Collins? Read to the bottom for a giveaway opportunity!

My Both Sides Now shawl pattern is on the cover of the new book, Yarn Over: Brioche Knits from Knit Picks! I’m really pleased.

Both Sides Now is a brioche half pi shawl. Both the “right side” and “wrong side” look good. The cover photo is what I think of as the wrong side. The second photo above is what I consider the right side.

My blue version has contrastier colors, so the lower section really pops, and looks like veined leaves. On this side, my right side, the twigs point downward.

But the back side of it is pretty awesome, too. The twigs point upwards on this side, just like on the book cover. The upper section doesn’t show as leaves quite as much, though. I love that you can wear it either way, according to your mood.

Oh! I have TWO patterns in this book; the other is my Window Pane Scarf. It was my first foray into syncopated brioche; I was going to use it as a teaching piece but then I had the opportunity to use it here. So I designed Hopscotch for my teaching piece, and Syncopation after that.

But I love this, too, and it would be a great learning piece for syncopated brioche!

The Yarn Over: Brioche Knits ebook has simple and complex projects in a variety of yarn weights. There’s something for everyone, from beginner to expert.

To celebrate these new designs, I’m giving away two copies of the Yarn Over: Brioche Knits ebook. One will go to a commenter on this post, and the other will go to a PDXKnitterati newsletter subscriber. I’ll be drawing a name on or around January 12. Good luck!

WWKIP Day is this Saturday, June 8

Worldwide Knit in Public Day is this Saturday, June 8. As knitters, we knit in public all the time. But it’s fun to make a special party of it!

There are three WWKIP Day events on my radar, and I’m hoping to make it to two of them. I know for sure that I’ll be at the Knit Picks event at Portland’s Wilshire Park, 4116 NE 33rd Ave. It’s from 11 am to 2 pm. There will be door prizes drawings, and a yarn and book giveaway for everyone. Yay, freebies!

It happens rain or shine; I’m hoping for shine. And there’s a covered picnic area, so we’re covered either way. Bring a chair and your knit or crochet project! I’ll be there along with five other designers, with samples to show.

If I’m up for an earlier start, I’ll make it to IKEA! Puddletown Knitters Guild is hosting an event at the Portland IKEA store from 9:30 to noon! I don’t think I could say it better than their Instagram post, so I’ll just put this right here.

The third WWKIP event that I know about is a joint venture between Brooklyn Tweed and Pedalpalooza. Meet at Brooklyn Tweed headquarters at NE 7th and Davis at 11:30, and join the bike ride to Ladd Circle Park for a crafty time. Or just meet at Ladd Circle Park In SE Portland at noon.

So many choices, and I’m sure there are more! Are you planning to participate in WWKIP Day? What’s going on in your neck of the woods?

Also, just a reminder that I’m picking a winner for a year’s subscription to KnitCompanion’s Setup and Essentials on WWKIP Day. See previous post for review and details.

Happy knitting!

Free Dotty Cowl pattern

Last summer I designed this Dotty Cowl for Knit Picks, for their 12 Weeks of Gifting. I just saw the Knit Picks blog post; it’s up!

I designed it with two shades of Chroma Worsted, one plain and one gradient. Two balls of Chroma is enough for two cowls, one for you and one for a friend. Happy gifting!

The stitch pattern is a simple slip stitch pattern. Only one color is used per row. (Photos above are by Knit Picks.)

The pattern is free. You can download it from Knit Picks here. Enjoy!

Here’s mine. I can see that it still needs to be blocked. It’s not bad, but a little smoother in the stockinette sections would be nice. I know what’s next on my to-do list. Blocking is magic!

Just Enough Lace, and ebook giveaway

Introducing Just Enough Lace, my shawl in the new Delicate Details book from Knit Picks.

Just Enough Lace is an asymmetric bias triangle which begins at the small end and grows to a sweeping finish. It’s knit flat and the body of the shawl and the edging are knit simultaneously. No separately knit on border here! I designed it with four 50g balls of Gloss Fingering (70/30 merino/silk), but really, you can make it as big or as small as you like.

The simple leaf lace edging and eyelet stripe in the stockinette stitch body of the shawl are just enough lace to keep the knitting engaging, but not so much as to overwhelm a new lace knitter or an experienced multi-tasker.

Beads are optional on the leafy lace edging, but I really like them for sparkle and a bit of weight for drape.

I had my beaded purple sample at the Knit Picks Knit Pick-nic on Saturday for a sneak peek. Several people asked about how the beads are added, and I’m happy to say they’re bead as you go. No pre-stringing here! A lovely thing about this shawl is that it’s just enough beads, too. You never have more than two in any given row, so it’s a nice project for a first time beader.

Edge detail and original submission swatch

You can add beads with a very small crochet hook, but I prefer using a Bead Aid. I split the yarn much less often this way. Here’s a blog post from 2014 about putting beads in your knitting.

The Delicate Details book is full of lace accessories that are appropriate for newer lace knitters, or lace knitters that like a relaxed knitting experience. You can purchase the book or e-book from Knit Picks here, and you can also purchase the patterns individually. Here’s a Ravelry link to all the designs.

I’m giving away a copy of the Delicate Details e-book. To enter, leave a comment here on the blog by June 28. If you’d like an extra chance to win, subscribe to my newsletter and reply there, too. (Subscription link here. If you’re already subscribed, you should receive the newsletter today.)

Good luck!

And a reminder that my summer knitting pattern sale runs through June 20; 15% off with coupon code SUMMER. For newsletter subscribers, the discount is 25% off; that code will be in your newsletter. All patterns and ebooks which are available from me through my Ravelry shop are eligible; there is no limit but the code is good for a single use only.

Two more bits of eye candy: First off, finished hats from my Petite Brioche class at Stash in Corvallis. I love it when you send me pictures of your FOs. Thanks to Peggy, Cassandra, and Deb!

Second, some yarn in my stash that is calling my name, rather loudly! I hope what it’s telling me is what it really wants to be.

Happy knitting!