Silence...with Minnie Mouse yelling in my ear

And so, that was Christmas

Such a lot of activity, although not much blogging,  in these parts from the end of November to now the end of December!

The Indie Gift Along has become a staple of that whirlwind the past few years, and this year has been no different!

So far, and there are still a few days left to sneak in some extra projects, I have completed 8 projects by other designers for the GAL and snuck in one of my own as part of the After Party Gals Advent Mystery Sock Along.

These were completed before Christmas, and given to the people they were meant for.

Ballan Hat by Tracey Lee.

Oberon Socks by Kate Poe.

Fafnir Hat by Karen Robinson

Bias Drop Scarf by Dragon Wing Arts.

Wedded Bliss Socks by Tanja Leuscher

Two Versions of Focalise by Kirsten McTeer

The Mystery Advent Socks, you can find the clues on Instagram.

And then finally my "I am all through knitting presents and it is only just Christmas Eve project..."

Here We Gnome Again by Sarah Schira.

The discerning among you will notice that the gnome is made from leftover bits from all of the hats, and will be my gift to myself! I didn't have any of the suggested poly pellets to stuff him with, so instead he is stuffed with a combination of wool roving and navy beans.  (I might have to cast on another one using the leftovers from the sock weight projects!)

Now that the Christmas rush is over, it is time for me to organize my projects for next year.    I put my things on hold during the holiday season, so there are lots of test knits to set up, patterns to finalize and photo shoots to get done.

If you are interested in test knitting for me...drop a post here and I can add you to the list!  I'll give you a sneak peak of some of the items that coming up another day!

Until then...I hope you had the Merriest of Christmases and are looking forward to the Happiest of a New Year!

~M

Christmas Adam

Panic...Don't Panic...A Silent Sunday Post

Noisy

The Indie Gift Along is in full swing and...well that has kept my fingers occupied with knitting and chatting the chat threads, but didn't stop me from releasing a new pattern!

Presenting Norma Jeanne!

Yes...I know for me it is approaching the coldest days of the year, but, when it gets cold my thoughts turn to summer when I need a cotton tank top!  (And for my own personal use I might have a merino version too!)  Plus, in half the world it is approaching the hottest days of summer!

Knit in fingering weight, this oh-so-prim and proper top (from the front anyway!) goes from sedately being office ware under a jacket to full on "out partying at the beach bar" from the back!

You can get the pattern now on Ravelry!

As I said I have been knitting up a storm for the GAL...so far four projects are complete and the fifth is well on its way on my needles.

First up :  Ballan Hat

TDQ loves sunflowers so when I saw this pattern released earlier this year I knew I had to make it for her.  Tracey Lee (who hails from where it is summer now) does a wonderful job on what I consider the most important aspect of a hat...the crown!

Second up:  Oberon Socks

TOB loves green and it is traditional that he gets socks in his stocking and this pattern has all the things that make it the perfect pair of socks for someone who is about to have his internet name changed to Big Foot...(US Size 13 and growing!)  Lots of easy to do rows with just a few where you pay attention.  (I will be making this pattern again, you can count on that!)

Third up: Fafnir Hat

This one is for the bus driver that used to drive TOB to preschool, many years and most of the country away.  The most notable thing about this particular finished object is that yarn has traveled with me for something like 35 years!  (I got it when I worked at a yarn store in my teens!)

Next was a super quick Scarf: Bias Dropped Stitch Scarf for my "Other Daughter"...and yes she calls me her Other Mother!

And on that note...I have two more pairs of socks and at least two more hats to knit in the next 15 days!

Wish me luck!

~M

Silent Night

~M

A Little Christmas Special for You

A little while ago, another designer I know wondered what would happen if three very different designers decide to collaborate on a sock design?

Magic!  And a lot of fun!

Annina from Artesanitarium Designs, myself and Tanja of Knitted in Switzerland have put together a little Christmas treat for you. 

A Mystery Knit Along for a pair of socks.

Each day from December 1st to December 24th we will be posting small clues on Instagram on one of our accounts.

Want to play along?

You will need:

100 g of fingering weight sock yarn.
US size 1 - 2.5 needles (2.0 - 3mm) to obtain a gauge of  32 sts and 36 rows to 4 inches (10cm)
A cable needle (optional, you can totally knit these without it if you prefer to cable without a cable needle)
Large eyed tapestry needle.

A knowledge of working in the round, basic cables, increases and decreases...but there is nothing too hard, I promise!

How to participate :

Follow each of us on Instagram.

Me
Knitted in Switzerland
Artesanitarium

The clues will be posted alternately from each of our accounts so it is crucial that you follow all three of us...but don't worry we will all post which account has the clue on it each day.

(To complete a full pair of socks, work two at a time using your preferred TAAT method.)

The fun starts tomorrow!

~M

Too Busy to Knit To Talk....

Won't you join us?

~M

So Much to tell you about

It's been a busy week!

First up, the beta knitting for a cowl was just about finished so I decided to go ahead and hit publish for a new cowl pattern. 

People sometimes ask what inspires someone to design a particular piece and for me, very often the answer is that I have a "pain point" to solve.

This time around the pain point was I want to knit myself a color block, fully reversible wrap that is seamless.  (And of course being me, I also wanted it in lace weight yarn with reversible lace patterns too!)

Changing colors in knitting usually leads to a row of unslightly bumps in the "old" color. So I spent a bit of time trying to figure out how to get rid of that on the "wrong" side of the work.

But, who wants to figure that out on a 45 by 65 inch wrap, in laceweight?  (Spoiler, not me!)

So I grabbed two contrasting aran weight yarns and starting playing!

And thus was born  Cowl Trick!

You can purchase that pattern in my Ravelry Store by clicking here.

But wait, that's not all!

I am again thrilled to be included in a "special" issue of Knotions! The Sock Issue!  My contribution  is based on a houseplant!

Schlumbergera is probably the only houseplant that I have that I managed, somehow, to not kill!  In fact I have several because they seem to thrive on the balance of neglect and overwatering I give them!

Schlumbergera is a small genus of cacti with 6-9 species found in the coastal mountains of south-eastern Brazil.  But you probably know them as a Thanksgiving, Easter or Christmas Cactus!  With flowers in red, orange, pink and white, this easy-to-grow and -propagate plant is found in many homes, including mine!

Worked in three (or more!) colors, these top-down socks morph from slipped-stitch colorwork to comfy ribbing. Only one color is used at a time. The flowers take very little yarn, so dig out those little 15 gm scraps and put them to good use.

 

You can get your copy of these socks and some other truly lovely designs on Knotions


But wait...there's more!

Coming soon to Ravelry....The sixth annual Indie Designer Gift Along!  But I will tell you more about that this coming week!

~M

A Moment of Silence