Quick Update

So, it's been a couple of weeks and I haven't sold a pattern. The good news is that a donation still made it's way to Oregon Youth Connection and my hope is that with my next pattern, I'll have more luck. I'm planning to pitch a pattern idea to Interweave. Wish me luck and happy crafting.

A Week of Self Discovery and Challenges

The joys of pattern releases and the completion of a challenge! I'm more than half way through my last test knit before I take a break from testing.

Please check out the Roebling Shawl. It's still being sold at a discount this weekend. The design was easy to follow and it knitted up quickly. The mosaic knitting is a great technique and not as complicated as it looks. The shawl blocked beautifully.

My older son tried on the left yoga sock for me on Friday. He doesn't have little feet so they are definitely stretched. I've started the second sock...oh, how 2nd sock syndrome can be the worst! Thankfully, the drive to complete the test will get me through the difficulty of knitting the pair. I've completed the cuff already. Also, the left and right are different, which should keep me focused. This is a lovely Naas Knits Design.

The Mystic Issue of Fiber Muse Quarterly was released on Friday. It's lovely and there are several patterns that I'm interested in. Oh...what to make? There is a knit along upon the release of the issue which is fun.  I'm considering the cowl first and then maybe the socks or the top. Shawls are nice, but I don't have the same level of devotion to them as other knitters.

Lastly, I'm working on the start of a fun crochet along from Cypress Textiles the Vibrant Vintage Crochet Along. It's a lovely idea to have lots of sample squares. The designer has so many lovely crocheted blanket patterns (some of which are free!!!). I have the first three squares completed and I might make a few more before next week's release.

Ok, I've vowed to not buy any yarn or new patterns (accept for the next Fiber Muse subscription) through the end of the year. I made my last yarn order earlier in the month and it won't arrive until the end of June...it is quite the treat. Also, I'm barred from clothing purchases unless something wears out. I'll continue to reward myself with knitting/crochet time allocations and the joy of working through my stash :).

Have a great week! Happy crafting.

Looking forward to a fun week

While I've been busily working through some patterns, I've been looking forward to an exciting week. Two patterns that I've been testing are set to be released. The one I wrapped up at the end of April will be in a lovely quarterly magazine (Fibre Muse Quarterly (Mystic Issue)). The best part of testing can be seeing how everything is taking shape in the pattern you're working on and in this situation, a complete collection. Seeing the modeled pictures...I'm just so thrilled to start working on the other patterns I didn't test.

I'll also start a new test that should be nice and quick. A pair of  beautiful yoga socks sized for 6-8 years old (too small for me). My son has now agreed to be a foot model for the test. He likes the colors in the yarn :). I ordered the beautiful pattern yarn from an indie dyer who grew up in Portland, but lives in Norway. The package arrived this week, and the skein is gorgeous. I hope there is enough to make a second pair of yoga socks in my size. It's such a lovely treat.

Karen, the dyer, will be in Portland in June, so I might get the chance to meet her in person. There was a lovely little personal note with my skein. Those little touches mean a great deal to me. I will be buying a few more skeins from her shop Enchanted Forest Fiber.

The Roebling Shawl by Knit3Together that I'm trying to wrap up this weekend is set to release on May 24. That will be the 135th anniversary of the Brooklyn Bridge, the inspiration for the shawl. The idea for the Brooklyn Bridge came from the late Mr. Roebling.

I want to finish this test so quickly, so that I can have a day or two before the next test begins. How late should I stay up tonight? I plan to take a little break from testing to focus on my other projects once the yoga socks have been completed.

Thank you to all of the designers who let me test their patterns and thank you to the testers who have or will help me with mine.

Happy crafting!

Quick update (5/20/18): The Roebling Shawl is complete with blocking!!!

First Pattern Release

Happy Mother's Day! It's a day that I just hope my kids are nice to me... I hope you all had a nice day if you're any kind of mother...furry baby mamas and awesome aunts...etc count too!!!

Ok, the day has finally come and I'm going to post my first paid for pattern. If you're on Ravelry, please give me a heart :).

Arrows of Hope and Love Scarf

Sorry, Gilly...you're just so cute!!!

It's a simple design that I hope someone will love and make. For the first week I'm offering $1, which won't go from the allocated proceeds to go to charity.  The knit version is intended to be different and more complex...keep a lookout for it in a couple of months. I'm looking for testers too!

There isn't much time for posting. I need to get back to a test knit and ready for another wild and crazy week. Hope everyone has a great week and that you're enjoying the warmer weather.

More patterns to test with such little time...

It's been another busy week and I found a new pattern to test. Less than three weeks to do a mosaic shawl. I always love a challenge. I've made decent progress, but the next few weeks will likely make things more difficult.

This lovely pattern is from Knit3Together and she's planning to have it out by May 24. I'm using the lovely yarn from my LYS purchase. The contrast is lovely and I like the subtle shifts between green and blue. It's also awesome that my colors are very different from the others in the group. I'm also signed up for pattern that will launch for testing with this test needs to be completed. I can't wait to knit with that yarn...it looks so lovely. The size I will be testing will be 6-8 and I've asked my 8 year old to mode them. I'm hoping there will be enough yarn left from the same skein for a pair for me :).

I started the backs of the log cabin cardigans last week and here is my progress. The test for both my pattern and the shawl above are definitely going to slow me down on these lovelies, but it was nice to get things moving and formulate my overall idea for color. These could be great for  my meetings and continuing education. The shaping is none existent, so I just need to have the yarn on hand for the next section.

I'm making another revision to my pattern and I wanted to thank my testers. I have a fantastic picture of Cathie who finished a version in yellow. She had the idea to use a reverse single crochet for the border and I must say that it looks great.

I'm working on a coral version (the color is called "Conch" by the yarn company) of my simple scarf design and I was so happy to find out that I could get 46 inches out of one skein using a 5.0 mm hook. In less than 200 g of worsted weight yarn you can get a nice warm scarf/hug with edging. I'm planning to have the pattern posted by May 15. That will give me another weekend to work and hopefully track down my model. Worst case scenario...I'll have my kids as models. They're not always the best at taking my direction.

We're getting ever closer to mother's day and I was excited to find something to send my mom. I bought her tulip bulbs from the Wooden Shoe Tulip Farm a few years ago and now that there is a new house it seems like a nice gift again. My mom is a big fan of black flowers. That might sound strange, but they are breathtaking and unique. This is one of the tulips I've chosen. It's a double tulip, which means it is fuller. This is one of the farm's images of Black Hero. I want a garden too!

Tomorrow is the last day of the local annual Tulip Festival. Where did the time go? A mother's day brunch is being hosted next weekend at the tulip farm. It's not part of my plans, but might be nice for the other moms out there.

Happy happy crafting and best wishes for a great week.

Ready for the End of April

It's been a tough week...let's say month overall. Bye bye to April! Instead of focusing on all the rough stuff, here are some of my recent happy news items (with several pictures).

Frenchie of Aroha Knits was looking for testers and I just couldn't say no. I really love her team's designs and picked one that didn't have as many takers. The pattern was perfect for me. I don't get a lot of downtime during busy season and I needed something that I could quickly start and didn't need to give tons of focus. The effect is lovely and I'm so pleased with the results. The Aroha Knits next quarterly magazine will feature this pattern and several others in May and I'm happy to be part of the process. I'm already a subscriber.

What made the pattern very special was the luxurious pattern yarn. My kids really want to claim the shawl for themselves because it has such a lovely feel. The tonal look to the yarn is beautiful. Not only did I get to test the pattern, I also had the chance to experiment with yarn that I would have otherwise never found. Check out Harnie Hoolie's Designs.

The first pattern aka scarf I'm designing is in testing and thank you so much to my crochet buddies who are helping me out. I'm working on a sample as well and plan to include a larger size with one more repeat so it's wider included with the instructions. 

Today I've started the log cabin cardigan that my sister-in-law noted as her fave from the three projects I listed several posts ago. I'm starting two: one with hot pink as the contrast with grays and coral as the main colors and another with a sky blue as the contrast and dark earthy greens and browns for the main colors. I'll share some pictures as I make progress. The first block for the back has been completed and I hope to get 1 - 2 blocks done per day with the weekend to catch up. If I'm lucky enough to get both finished, Gilly can pick the one she likes best.

Back to my sample :)...I have almost 30 inches and I'm excited to see how many pattern repeats I can get out of one ball.

Have a great week and happy crafting.

One more busy season down...let the crafting begin!!!

After the flurry of work and last minute juggling it feels good to take a breather before hitting all of the open projects next week.

Last year I took a breather on the coast for quick weekend getaway. We planned to have a similar set up this weekend, but things didn't quite go to plan. Cleaning and crafting have been the big focus of this weekend.

Here is my progress on the test knit for Aroha Knits. The yellow edging is such a pretty addition to the basic light grey body of the shawl. I was so pleased to be off on my stitch count by only 1 before starting the edging.

Jeffrey stayed home with me Friday night because he had acted out a bunch at home this week. We had a fun evening just the two of us. He started learning to crochet and seemed pretty positive about the experience. He made such a goofy smile when I wanted to get a picture of him. I'm trying to get him to try new things on a regular basis.

After dropping Jeffrey off with family Saturday morning I decided to celebrate Local Yarn Store (LYS) Day.  I chose to walk to the nearest yarn shop NW Wools. This is a lovely shop in Multnomah Village that is larger on the inside than it appears on the outside. I enjoyed looking and squeezing some yarn :). 

I bought a couple of  new pretty skeins of Tosh Merino Light. From the festivities I received a Berroco shawl book designed specifically for the event. There were hand massages too, but I didn't plan to stay for long.  The neutral light grey and the jewel tone in the blue green will be great inspiration for maybe a cowl or mitts.

Today is time for me to show up to my knitting group again :). Some of my crafting buddies will be testing my first pattern that I intend to self publish and sell online. I'll make a big to do when it's ready. The plan is to have it ready and online in May for National Foster Care Month. Half of the proceeds after fees will go to the Oregon advocacy group Oregon Foster Youth Connection.

I'm working on a knit version from the same inspiration I had for the crochet pattern. It's a bit more complicated than the simple crochet version. Swatching today would be great :).

Knitpicks had a call for pattern proposals, but I just don't think there is enough time to devise one or two. I'm hoping to spend a little time this week on a proposal because sending in a proposal would be a big step forward for me.  Having a pattern picked would be incredible unlikely, but taking the time to go through the proposal process is a great practice run for me.

Happy crafting :)