Twin Studies

Doppelgangers have enormous appeal for me in all forms: professional celebrity impersonators, Dostoyevsky’s The Double, Nabokov’s Despair, houses with miniature/to-scale versions that serve as mailboxes—the list goes on and on! But my current Top-of-the-Heap favorite is crocheted toy twins.

To begin, a question: What makes a good doppelganger? Ideally, it should be both precious and eerie in its sameness—but with most small toys, you’re also painting with a broad brush. Therefore cats (and the like) are a terrific subject, because very simple changes can be made to a pattern to mimic their varying fur and markings.

Recently, I found Claudia van K.’s joyful “Mr. Tibbles the Cat” free pattern on Ravelry and I knew exactly who to model it after…

Meet Harvey, my boyfriend’s cat. He enjoys dirt, moths, making Snoopy noises and sleeping on his very own military cot:

harvey

Now, meet Mr. Harvey the Cat. He enjoys eating polyfill and being very quiet:

Read more »


Raiding Sock Summit Stash For Travel Knitting

Timpani Project Photo Sample
Image from Timpani Ravelry pattern page.

Hah! You thought it was going to be a pair of socks!! I recently spoke with Jen Lucas about her new book Sock-Yarn Shawls for an upcoming podcast. I loved the book and Jen’s enthusiasm got me excited to decide on one of her shawls for our trip to the east coast this weekend.

Read more »


Sweater Finishing Series: How to Whipstitch a Hemmed Cuff

A hemmed edge is one of the more subtle finishing details that can really add a polished look to your sweater or cardigan. Whether you add a hemmed edge to your cuffs, collar, or along the lower edges of your pullover – there are several advantages to using this simple, yet effective technique that leaves a very neat and clean edge.

If you don’t want your fabric to pull in as a ribbed hem would and you want to avoid the bulk of a rolled edge – a hemmed edge just might be the perfect solution! Not only does a hem prevent your edges from curling, it also adds stability and keeps edges like cuffs and colors from stretching out over time. It is also a simple and classic design detail that won’t distract or compete with any other patterning that you might have worked into your pullover, making this a versatile skill to have in your mental library of knitting techniques.

Read more »


New socks for my mom

Our new colors of Imagination are now available! We have four new shades: Galactic, Treasure, Magic Wand, and Atlantis. Atlantis is definitely my favorite with its rich blue-greens and the bright shot of red as an accent. When the samples arrived at our office, I grabbed two skeins and got to work on a Mother’s Day present for my mom, Marilyn. I can finally show you pictures without ruining the surprise!

Imagination socks in Atlantis

Read more »


Podcast Episode 214: Windswept Pattern Collection Interview with Kerin

On this week’s episode, Jenny gets a chance to talk with Kerin about her latest pattern collection, Windswept. Inspired by the scenic mid-Atlantic beaches, this collection shows off a versatile set of patterns that are easy-to-wear and take you from warm sunny days to cool evening walks along the boardwalk. Learn more about Kerin’s inspiration and design process, in addition to getting a behind-the-scenes look into this stunning 6-pattern collection.

The Windswept pattern collection is available as an eBook and as a printed book here:
Windswept eBook
Windswept printed book

And don’t forget – you can also purchase single pattern downloads from this stunning pattern collection!

3 easy ways to listen…

Subscribe in iTunes Episode 214: Windswept Pattern Collection Interview with Kerin RSS feed

Read more »


Imagining the Future: A little chunk of the creative process

When you consider the time involved in writing a pattern, knitting the item, photographing it and getting a pattern ready for publication, it’s no wonder we work months and months ahead.
It tends to create a strange creative dissonance for me; right now I’m finishing up some patterns for November, yet it’s 75 degrees out today and I’m wearing a tank top. It’s really hard to get in the right frame of mind for what would be cozy in winter when all I can think about are flip flops!
appleblossom
But, working in advance can have some really great advantages: lots of time to dream and mess up before you have to get it right.
I’ve recently laid out my plan for 2014, and have started dreaming up all of the concepts  for …

Read more »