New YouTube Show: YarnTalk!

We love yarn!

I'm so excited to share this with you!

Allyson, Heidi and I are now producing a bi-weekly show on knitting/crochet/yarn trends! YarnTalk will feature our favorite designers, knitting news, and the projects we want to cast on this week. Check out episode 1 here, and subscribe to our channel!

Talk yarn with us by using the hashtag #yarntalk, or email us at yarntalkshow@gmail.com to suggest a segment or designer interview for a future episode.

See you in two weeks with Episode 2-- our TNNA show! I bet I'll be less awkward in front of the camera...

Taken by the Wind -- New Fringe Shawl pattern!

It's finally here! I have been so excited to share this one with you. My new shawl pattern is inspired by springtime magic and... Stevie Nicks!

Taken by the Wind is a lightweight shawl knit in a loose gauge (for the body) with a lovely lace border and miles of loooong fringe. The fringe part is optional, but really, why wouldn't you want to fringe the heck out of it?

(By the way, don't miss my upcoming post on fringe techniques on Wednesday, part of the Holla Knits Blog Tour!)

No fringe... still adorable!

Feelin' like a superhero

A little short-row shaping, a little lace, a lot of fringe... this one is a lot of fun! Perfect for throwing around your shoulders on a blustery spring day or chilly evening. Witchy magic for any time, any place.

About to jump on my broomstick in 3... 2... 1...

I hope you enjoy this flight of fancy!

The pattern can be found here, click the pic and then scroll down to purchase for $4:

 

Seraphim Cardigan knitting pattern

Heavenly and light, with the softness of angora. Seraphim has three-quarter sleeves, elegant pleated details... it's the perfect layer for spring!

Seraphim is worked top-down with raglan shaping, with stitches picked up around neckline to work large, soft pleated collar. Collar is shaped with short rows and pleated at intervals for a lovely, increasingly rippled texture. Slightly fitted waist, long tunic length, cozy yet refined.

I am absolutely in love with this one. The yarn was pure joy to work with and I am wild about how the design came together!

Seraphim Cardigan knitting pattern PDF

$7

In the works

Got some fun fun fiber creations happening over here... can't wait to share these with you!

Hat patterns on sale!

Hey fiber friends, don't miss my 30% off pattern sale on all the hats in my Ravelry shop!

Use coupon code HATSHATSHATS at checkout to apply the discount, or click here to start shopping.

Get your holiday gifts done with these sweet, quick hat and headband patterns. Pictured L to R, top to bottom: Stegosaurus Cap (baby version), Melt Slouch, Gitana, Quick Fancy Headbands, Urchin Shell, and Pincushion.

Finishing up the KAL

My Knit Along with Ewe Ewe (and you?) is wrapping up! Today is the final official day of the Double Deco KAL and I posted about it over here.

I am in love with my new Double Deco wrap!

I knit really loose and it is HUGE.

It's officially cold in Chicago, so I have been using it constantly. Stay warm, fiber friends!

Great TV Knitting

I don't think it's a secret that many designers watch things while knitting. I can only do this when the work is not very "think-y" and doesn't require many visual check-ins... so, garter stitch is the absolute perfect thing to knit knit knit while my attention is elsewhere.

Before you get too jealous of all the lazy, wonderful times I am having watching television, I'd estimate this is probably 10-15% of my worktime... and I usually do it at night after dinner.

While knitting my new Double Deco for the Knit-Along, I have been watching Hannibal and just started Outlander. These are verrry different shows (note to self/everyone: don't watch Hannibal before bed!) and shouldn't be watched back-to-back or whiplash may occur. I MEAN:

"I have feelings for you maybe" 

"I consider you my only friend and maybe also want to kill you and maybe you also want to kill me and maybe we just ate someone together and hey are you hungry cuz I got some nice flank steak in the freezer..."

So.

But hey! Back to the knitting. This is the tops when it comes to letting those stitches fly.

If you still want to join the Double Deco KAL, it's not too late! Check out the Ravelry thread, pick out your colors, download the pattern, and get started. 

If you're already knitting along (or crafting something else) while you watch something, leave a comment and let me know what you consider the perfect TV/movie/knitting combination!

Steeking Cape Vertigo and Holla Knits Giveaway!

Steeking! It scares the *&!$ out of most knitters. The mere thought of cutting a knitting project sends shivers down the spines of even the boldest, bad-assiest crafters among us.

Cape Vertigo is my first pattern to utilize steeking, and I was a bit nervous about this (understatement of the year), having only ever steeked a tiny sample before this. "Why," you might ask, "would you want to incorporate such a nerve-wracking process into your pattern?" 

Well, that's a great question. 

Firstly, it allows the piece to be worked in the round, which makes stranded colorwork practically a breeze. When you can bring both colors along for the ride on the inside of the fabric, it makes for a much simpler and cleaner process AND finished product. 

Secondly, steeking is... not that bad! Really! It's all in the preparation, and if you've prepped your steek properly and securely, it works out beautifully.

Finally, it's EXCITING. It's like the knitting equivalent of skydiving. You just have to take the plunge! 

WORTH IT.

Because I knit my cape in the luscious Berroco Flicker,  a gorgeous baby alpaca blend with a bit of sparkle, I wanted to make sure its unique, smooth chain-ply texture didn't try to break free and unravel. Steeking is most often done with 100% wool, the fuzzier the better, to bind to itself and hold the steek in place. Wool like this is sometimes referred to as "sticky"... and Flicker is very smooth. Because of this, the pattern walks you through a double-reinforced process to make sure everything stays where it is supposed to.

The gray crochet chain adds stability for the sewn reinforcement

A crochet chain is the first step, looping through each stitch of each row all the way up the steek line. Then, with a sharp needle and strong thread, we sew a careful running stitch and back-stitch along the line, making sure to pierce EACH stitch and strand of each row. 

Then... we pick up some sharp scissors, take a deep breath (and/or swig of liquid courage), and cut, carefully carefully, so as not to snip our reinforced edges.

EEEEEP

It works! It's secure and strong and ready for the next step of the process.

The end... for now

Knit Picks is giving away some of their excellent Wool of the Andes Tweed (seen below in Allyson's gorgeous dark brown and blue Cape Vertigo). To enter this Subscriber Exclusive Giveaway, subscribe if you haven't already and head over to the HK blog for details!

The Holla Knits blog tour continues! Check out all these amazing designers, yarn companies, and crafters extraordinaire:

Sept 8: Launch

Sept 9: The Sweatshop of Love - pattern giveaway, SEG: 6 skeins KP WotA Tweed in Brass Heather

Sept 10: Klever Knits - pattern and skein of Rowan Kid Classic giveaway, SEG: 6 skeins KP City Tweed Aran in Jacquard

Sept 11: Berroco - review and pattern giveaway

Sept 12: Canary Knits - pattern giveaway, SEG: 1 500 yard skein of Mountain Colors 4/8’s Wool in Harmony Ice

Sept 15: Mountain Colors Facebook Page - SEG: Mountain Colors Perspectives Twizzle in Blue/Turq

Sept 16: Life on Laffer - review and pattern giveaway

Sept 17: Knits in Class - SEG: 1 skein of Knit in Class

Sept 18: Makewise Designs - review and pattern giveaway

Sept 19: Anzula - SEG all the Anzula yarn needed for the vest

Sept 22: Ruby Submarine - SEG: 3 skeins KP WofA Tweed in Thirst Heather

Sept 23: BoKnits - SEG: 8 skeins KP Swish DK in Indigo Heather

Sept 24: Under the Red Umbrella - review and pattern giveaway

Sept 25: DoogKnits - review and pattern giveaway

Sept 26: Cosmos and Cashmere - review and pattern giveaway

Hot Time knitting and crochet

Let's face it, the weather affects what you want to work on, right? Here in Chicago it is a humid 83 Fahrenheit and I am avoiding the presence of my woollier, warmer yarns for the time being.

So, what to do? My answer is usually: Cotton or small or quick or all of the above.

Melt Slouch Hat

Realistic Crochet Octopus

crochet headband party!

Some random tips for making yarn-crafting bearable during the warmer months:

• Drink more water! (basically my solution for everything)
• Put your project and/or yarn into a bag so they don't get fuzzies all over you
• invest in a spray bottle from the Dollar Store or something, mist yourself like an orchid when you get hot
• stick to smooth fibers like cotton, linen, hemp, bamboo, viscose 

I'm getting ready to make a few pairs of cotton socks. Keepin' it cool and small.

Has summer crafting season reached you yet? Got any more tips? Because you know we're not just gonna stop just because it's hot!