Hecate

Thank you for all of your sweet comments and birthday wishes for S&I. Yesterday was a busy day for both girls, so most of the celebrations will take place this weekend.

Speaking of this weekend, are you going to VK Live? I'll be there on Sunday. I've been asked to join a panel discussion, "When Knitting Becomes a Career" moderated by Melanie Falick . The group of participants has me awe: Norah Gaughan, Betsy Perry, Debbie Stoller (um, hello, she has a wikipedia entry), Trisha Malcolm, Laura Zander, Kristy McGowan, Erin Slonaker and me. Me? Seriously? Among that list? Yipes! If you're around on Sunday afternoon, stop by at the upstairs fashion show stage area at 3:00. It will be helpful to see friendly faces in the crowd.

Today I'm releasing another pattern that was exclusive to a yarn club until now. I originally designed Hecate for the Shakespeare in Lace October shipment. This is the second time I've designed for this Wooly Wonka club, and I like working with Anne and her yarns so much I've signed on for a third year - I'll be creating a sock design this time. I'm also collaborating with Anne on a special project for April, which happens to coincide with a certain birthday-ending-in-zero of mine.

Now let's get back to Hecate. This two color triangular shawl is worked from the center back down. A simple, single color lace pattern gives way to gently curving, lacy stripes then onto a solid color openwork lace pattern and finally ending with a picot bind-off. This is one of those patterns that works well in all sorts of combinations. Two of my test knitters, Karen and Raquel made Hecate in other yarns & colors to make this point.

Karen's green version:

Raquel's brown and aqua:

Hecate

Size: One Size

Finished Measurements: 60” across top edge, 30” from top edge to bottom point

Yarn: Wooly Wonka Fibers Brigit Sock, 100% Australian Merino, 435 yards/398m per 100 g skein,
MC: Cauldron, 1 skein (the sample project used about 375 yards)
CC: Scale of Dragon, 1 skein (the sample project used about 240 yards)

Needles: US 7 (4.5mm) 32” circular needle or size to obtain gauge

Gauge: 17 sts & 30 rows in simple lace pattern (see notes) - blocked, always take the time to check gauge

Other Materials: Scrap Yarn, Place Markers (PM), tapestry needle

Price: $6.50

Indulge Me

Today is the first day that I am the mother of three adults.

My. Babies. Are. Eighteen. EIGHTEEN!

Not possible.

They were just. . .

and

But there you have it. What mothers and fathers and grandmothers and grandfathers and aunts and uncles will tell you is true. It goes by in the blink of an eye.

And they grow into beautiful, strong, smart, creative young women who challenge you and surprise you and make you laugh and make you want to scream. But mostly they make you so very, very proud that they are yours and ready to take on the world.

And as much fun as it is to look back at just how young we all once were. . .

. . . it is just as much fun to dream about the future and where they will go next.

 

Asteroidea

Happy New Year and thank you for all of your kindness & support in 2011! It was a pleasure to meet some of my readers this year at teaching events. I look forward to lots more designing and teaching in 2012.

It has been a busy month here at Through the Loops, along with the usual holiday craziness we've had IJK's college applications to finish (she's done, now the waiting begins), Sofie's college acceptance (she applied early decision and was admitted to her first choice school), along with lots of new design work. On New Year's Day the first clue for the 2012 Mystery Sock was sent out. I'm excited to release the second clue on Sunday. The leg is where the sock really starts to come together.

While we're waiting for the next clue, I want to show you a new pattern I've just released. I designed the Asteroidea hat last summer for the 2011 Tanis Fiber Arts yarn club. (Check out that link, it's to the 2012 club and the list of designers is amazing. I'm humbled that Tanis asked me to design again.) Since Asteroidea is no longer exclusive to the club, it is now available to everyone.

If you’re looking for something to do while waiting for the next Mystery Sock clue, give this sweet fingering weight hat a try! The six row stitch pattern in a combination of cables and lace ensures that the knitting never gets boring. The patterns come together at the top to create a six pointed star – or is it a six petaled flower? You decide.

Tanis's yarns are a designers dream to work with. She is a master of the sort of rich saturated color that I adore and her base yarns are so lovely to knit with that the projects are always hard to put down. The cranberry yarn that she sent for this design is a gorgeously complex color. Go check out all of her spectacular colors on her website.

Asteroidea (Rav Link)

Size: Adult S[Adult L] Shown in size S

Measurements: 17[18.5]” At brim relaxed (will stretch to fit 21.5[23]”), 9.75[11]” from cast on edge to top

Yarn: Tanis Fiber Arts Blue Label Fingering Weight; 80 % Superwash Merino/20% Nylon; 420 yards/385m per 4oz/115g skein, color: Cranberry 1[1] skein

Needles: One set of 5 US 5/3.75mm DPN’s
One 16” US 7/4.5mm circular needle or size to obtain gauge
One Set of 5 US 7/4.5mm DPN’s or size to obtain gauge

Gauge: 28 sts and 36 rows = 4”/10 cm in lace pattern on larger needles, blocked Always take the time to check gauge!

Other Materials: Tapestry Needle, Cable Needle(CN), Stitch Markers

Price: $6.00 US

Thank you to test knitters Amy, Ana, Fiona, Kelly & Karen!!

Mystery Sock 2012!!

Thank you to all of those who have asked about this KAL, for your encouragement and patience. I am very happy to announce the TTL Mystery Sock KAL. I am really excited about this year’s design. It is my favorite to date!!

KAL Details:
The clues for this KAL will be sent to you by mid-day (probably earlier) on the 1st, 8th, 15th, 22nd, & 29th of January.

Please join the Through the Loops group on Ravelry and participate in the discussion here. Questions are most easily addressed in this group forum. Always ask your questions in the group forum first, PM’s and emails will take longer to answer.

There will be separate threads for each week of the KAL. Only post spoiler photos in the appropriate spoiler thread.

When adding your project to Raverly be courteous to other participants in the KAL and make your first photo a “Spoiler Alert”.

Choosing a Size & Gauge:
Gauge: 39 sts & 48 rows = 4”/10cm in (k1 tbl, p1) rib, relaxed

Please take the time to check your gauge and adjust the needle size as necessary. Gauge varies widely from knitter to knitter.

This pattern is offered in two sizes which, when worked at the gauge given in this pattern will fit the sizes indicated. To make the sock larger or smaller adjust the needle size and/or yarn to achieve a larger or smaller gauge.

If you would like to swatch before the KAL begins, cast on 64(72) sts and work (k1 tbl, p1) ribbing in the round for a few inches. Measure your gauge over this swatch or simply try the cuff on to see if the fit works.

Think of the cuff as your gauge swatch and try it on once it is complete. If the gauge needs to be adjusted, rip back and try again.

Choosing Yarn:
A solid or semi solid color is best. This sock has patterning that will be lost with most variegated or striped yarns.

Since fingering weight yarns range from quite thin to almost sport weight your yarn choice will affect the finished size of your sock. If you have a narrow foot/ankle choose a finer yarn, if you have a wider foot/ankle choose a heavier yarn.

A Bit About the Design:
This sock will be worked from the cuff down with a heel flap. The design and sizing are intended for women.

Skills Needed:
Knitting in the round on double pointed needles, two circulars or magic loop. Instructions will be given for DPN’s
Grafting (Kitchener Stitch)
Twisted sts (k tbl)
Bobbles
Cables

You will find the TTL Mystery Sock 2012 pattern page here.

We will start the KAL on January 1st. You will be sent a new clue once a week through out the month of January. To join simply purchase the pattern with the button below.

Price $6.00.

Shameless

I don't have time for a long post but I wanted to tell you about a test knit I recently worked on for my friend Stacey.

Check out Stacey's lovely Shameless mitts pattern over on Ravelry. They'd make a great last minute gift!

I interrupted Izzy's baking (she bakes non-stop these days) to take a few photos:

Making Adjustments

Thank you to everyone who entered the Coastal Knits contest. We had 501 entries! I think that might be a record number of comments for a single post on Through the Loops. I used a random number generator to select our winner, Carol P! Carol has been notified and Hannah will send the book to her shortly.

In other news I decided to do a modification to a sweater I knit three years ago. I made the sweater below for Izzy for Christmas of '08, but she never wore it much.

It seems my girls are more of the cardigan wearing sort. Luckily we knitters have in our arsenal a wonderful little technique. The steek. Steeking is not nearly as scary as those who have never tied it think. There are many excellent tutorials to be found online. Eunny's is a classic.

All it took was a quick crochet reenforcement:

Then a pair of scissors to give it the snip, snip:

Front bands were added, a trip to M&J trimming yielded just the right buttons, and we've got a newly revised sweater. One that they will hopefully wear.

Win a Copy of Coastal Knits

Coastal Knits by Alana Dakos and Hannah Fettig is a beautiful collection of ten sweater and accessory patterns created by two friends on opposite coasts.

Alana and Hannah each have their own point of veiw, but share a talent for creating flattering designs with the kinds of details that make them fun to knit and wear.

The projects in the book are all beautifully photograhphed in locations around Alana's west coast or Hannah's east coast homes. Sweet illustrations and essays on the individual locations compliment the photographs to make the book a pleasure to page through.

With a range of techniques and difficulty levels there is something for everyone in this book. I'm particularly taken with the lovely way the decreases on the crown of the Rustling Leaves Beret come together to create an orderly swirl of leaves.

Hannah and Alana have offered to send a free copy of Coastal Knits to one of my readers. Simply comment on this post by Monday, December 5th and I will draw one winner at random.

All images are copyright 2011 by Coastal Knits.

Asteroidea, Brueghel, Tanis Fiber Arts Club, a Yarn App and Pies. Oh My

I hope everyone in the US had a wonderful Thanksgiving. I'm preparing the full turkey dinner today. For yesterday's meal we were a large group and since no one in the family has the space for such a crowd, we opted to have Thanksgiving in a restaurant. The meal and company were wonderful, but there is nothing like a Thanksgiving meal cooked at home. Anders will be coming to join us along with one of his roommates.

Before I start baking pies I thought I'd write a quick post. I've had several things that I've been wanting to post about so I thought I would combine them here.

First on the list is Tanis Fiber Arts Year in Colour Yarn Club. Tanis's yarns are a dream to design with. I adore both her colors and the base yarns that she uses. For 2011 Tanis offered club subscriptions for the first time and I happily agreed when she asked me to create a design.

If you missed this year's club, there's still time to join for next year. I'll be creating a design again for her 2012 club and I am humbled to be among the group of designers she's chosen; Julie Crawford of Knitted Bliss, Hannah Fettig of Knitbot, Alana Dakos of Never Not Knitting, Hilary Smith Callis of The Yarniad and Jared Flood of Brooklyn Tweed!   Head over to Tanis's website to sign up.

For Tanis's 2011 club I created a slouchy hat, Asteroidea in Blue Label Fingering Weight. The top of the hat reminds me of a starfish, so I named it Asteroidea which is the class that starfish belong to. For now Asteroidea is exclusive to club members. It will be available to everyone else in January.

Speaking of yarn clubs, a pattern that I created for the Loopy Ewe 2010 club is now available to everyone.

Brueghel is a cuff down sock worked in twisted stitches and lace. The stitch pattern reminds me of little spades so I named it Brueghel for the the sixteenth century Dutch painter Pieter Brueghel who is best known for his paintings of peasants. It was his painting “The Hay Harvest”, that inspired me to name the pattern after him.

BRUEGHEL

Sizes: M[L] (shown in size M)

Measurements: 7[8]” circumference at foot and leg, the foot length is customizable.
 
Gauge: 34 sts and 50 rows = 4” in “Harvest” stitch pattern

Yarn: Fingering weight, approx. 400 yards. Shown in Madelinetosh Tosh Sock, 100% superwash merino wool, 395 yards/361 m per 114 g skein, 1 skein

Needles: US 1 (2.25mm) DPN’s or size to obtain gauge

Additional Materials: Stitch Markers, Tapestry Needle, Cable Needle

Price: $6.00 US

Now before I go bake those pies, I have one final item. I was recently sent a promotional copy of Yarn U to try out on my phone. This handy little app has a database of yarns with details on fiber content, price, distributors and mini reviews of the yarns along with finished project photos for inspiration. For someone like me who spends a lot of time knitting away from home this is a great resource to help you choose the right yarn for your next project.

Thanks for reading. It's time for me to go peel some apples. Have a great weekend.

Granary

Another of my patterns from The Charles Collection, Granary is a triangular shawl bordered in lace. I originally designed it to be worked in a solid color, but given my natural inclination to tinker with color had to give it a try using multiple yarns as well. The stockinette body and arrangement of the lace make this a perfect pattern to experiment with color. I was able to dig through my stash and use several of the half balls of fingering weight yarn that have been piling up. You can see leftovers from my original Cladonia and Cerasifera in this shawl.

Granary is available, along with 9 other patterns, as part of the Charles Collection. The smallest size uses a single 100 gram skein of fingering weight yarn. For my solid Granary I used Plucky Knitter Primo. In the multi colored Granary you will find bits of Tosh Merino Light, Squoosh Fiberarts Glow and String Theory Caper Sock.

For more details on how I worked the multi colored version see the project page on Ravelry.
To see this and all of the designs in the Charles Collection go to the BHK Cooperative website. You may also purchase the collection with the button below.

The Charles Collection - 10 original designs by Elinor Brown, Amy Herzog & Kirsten Kapur

$21.95

Ziggity

The two color Ziggity shawl is shaped with 2 increases on every row. The top edge curves slightly up at the center back to give added protection to the neck on cold days. The bottom edge has a gentle curve which may be blocked to soft points as shown or with a straight edge.

Simple garter stitch gives way to a lively zig-zag lace pattern. Experiment with color - try working each section of the zig-zag in a different yarn, or work the garter stitch in a variegated yarn and the lace in a solid. The more adventuresome may even want to try two different colorways of self striping yarn. For a more understated look a single solid color will make an elegant shawl for a more formal occasion.

Ziggity may be worn tossed casually around the neck like a scarf, draped over the shoulders as  a shawl or even wrapped multiple times around the neck with the ends tied and tucked under as a cowl. Have fun experimenting with multiple ways to style this shape.

Ziggity

Size: One Size

Finished Measurements: 66” wide by 19” Deep

Yarn: String Theory Hand Dyed Yarn Blue Stocking, 80% Blue Face Leicester/20% nylon, 420 yards(384m) per 113g(3.99 oz) skein
MC: Didgeridoo - 1 skein the shawl shown took 1/2 of the skein or about 210 yards
CC: Vert - 1 skein The shawl shown took 65% of the skein or about 275 yards
It is always advisable to have extra yardage to allow for differences from knitter to knitter and skein to skein.

Needles: US 7 (4.5mm) 32” circular needle or size to obtain gauge

Gauge: 17 sts & 40 rows = 4” in garter stitch- blocked, always take the time to check gauge

Other Materials: Scrap Yarn, Crochet Hook, Place Markers (PM), tapestry needle

Price: $6.50 US

Thank you to my wonderful test knitters Cara, Mary, Katie, Linda, Vera, Amy & Daphne!