The past few months I’ve pretty much just working on projects for other people & last week I decided I needed to do something quick for myself…which turned into 2 quick projects, which turned into 3! All were slouchy hats – I think I may need an intervention! 🙂
First was Ysolda Teague’s Ripley pattern (Ravelry link)

Took just a little bit over one hank of Swish Bulky in Garnet Heather. Man, this yarn is so soft & fun to knit with. I changed up the pattern a bit – I did just a regular 2×2 rib band instead of the band called for in the pattern…mostly out of laziness. I went down to a size 8 needle & I’m very pleased with the fit…not to mention the warmth!
Then I had some leftover Gloss HW in Jade from a scarf for my guy’s mom & decided I needed another …

I must admit, there’s something about foxes that I think is totally adorable. I think of them as ‘puppy kittens’. Just too cute! So, when we were all throwing ideas back and forth about what would make a cute stuffed animal, it just had to be a fox! When I went to swatch to get gauge for Roxy Fox, I couldn’t stop. I ended up with most of Roxy and both her pups.

What I love about these little guys is how they showcase a really cool quality of Suri Dream – its fluffiness. What’s interesting about Suri Dream, though, is that when knit at a tighter gauge, it doesn’t look that fuzzy at all. The stitch definition is pretty remarkable, considering what it looks like in the ball!

Even though that’s the right gauge to keep the stuffing in, it wasn’t ‘foxy’ enough. …

This was just way too much fun to design!

Kerin and I collaborated on the Land and Sea Playset kit, and it was a realy treat, since this is exactly the kind of toy my brother and I loved as children! I wrote the patterns for the pickup truck and taxi cab (brought it back to my New York routes with a real yellow checkered cab!) and Kerin did a great job on the sailboat and happy choo choo train! These are all knit out of soft, washable shine sport.
I wish we had a recording of the squeals of delight when these samples came back into the office–I think everyone reverted to childhood for a minute as we all got down on the floor and pushed the little toys along the roads and tracks on the playmat:

The playmat is a downloadable pattern I …

As the coordinator for the Independent Designer Partnership program, I’ve seen so many fantastic patterns & met so many wonderful people that I’m so happy to share with the knitting world! As an ongoing series, I’m going to be posting interviews with many of the designers, to get to know them & see what motivates them in their designing.

First up is Talitha Kuomi. You’ve probably seen her adorable patterns already – Loved, the super cute crown; Shines, the cheery City Tweed pillow; and her new pattern released this week, the ultra soft & cuddly Line Upon Line. To me, her designs are so whimsical & unique and I am so happy to have her be part of the program

How long have you been knitting?
Since I was 12. I sat down one afternoon and taught myself to knit from my ‘Pioneer Girl’s Manual’. I learned to crochet …

I launched my Mitten Tutorial KAL last week and, after reading the posts, I realized that it is a perfect forum for any knitter who has been hesitant to join a KAL before. Number OneThe lesson and project is small and simple. It’s all about learning as opposed to finishing a project. You can participate without knitting at all! Just follow the lessons, maybe write down a few notes and then chat with all of the members.
Number TwoI am thrilled to see that a couple of our most engaging members, like Cheryl and KnitterGirl39 have joined the group. Lots of encouragement and knowledge to share.
Number ThreeWe just started last week and the accompanying video was a simple review of mitten basics. You can join right now and not feel like you have to do a whole bunch of catching up.
No matter how busy …

If you want flowers that won’t wilt, leaves that won’t turn brown, and bugs that won’t eat your veggie plants, then the Backyard Garden Kit is just the thing!

There are 15 patterns for small accessories in this kit, and plenty of Palette to knit all of them and then some. You could easily knit a whole bouquet of Calla Lilies, or make a swarm of Monarch Butterflies. They’re small enough that you could easily make even the most complicated pieces in an afternoon or two, so they’re great for last-minute gifts, decorations, or stash-busting.

The kit does use a few interesting techniques. There is stranded knitting:

Short Rows:

Little bits of Intarsia (or duplicate stitch):

And lots of neat shaping:

With all those techniques, this can be a fun learning …