If you are interested in helping me work through the pattern, test knit, or joining in as a KAL, let me know in the comments. I’ll be running the test knit through this site.
Category Archives: design inspiration
Kaibab Hat and Mitts
This hat pattern is now available through my Ravelry design site. I wanted to design a pattern that incorporated some visible floats as part of the design. The photo below shows the swatch design I finally ended up with. It reminds me of southwestern woven blankets, so I named it Kaibab, after the Kaibab National …
Free Style Knitting–The Pahoehoe Wrap
This wrap has lots of short rows, forming its shapes and angles, and giving it an asymmetry, with few straight edges. The alternating rows of stockinette and reverse stockinette stitches give an undulating texture to the overlapping shapes.
Mobile Stitching
In April and May, I was fully expecting my plans for June and July to completely disappear, and I was mentally preparing myself for that disappointment. I purchased yarn and made project lists to last me well into 2021, as I anticipated hanging out on my patio, in my home office, and in the family …
Embracing The Gauge Swatch
I wasn’t always a fan of the gauge swatch, but by necessity, when I began designing stuff, I had to swatch. At first I used my swatches for the obvious reasons (determining how many stitches to cast on, increase, decrease, etc.), but after a few designs, I realized the additional value of my swatches. Not …
Provisional Cast On
Provisional Cast On The Chocolate Cascade Cowl pattern begins with a provisional cast on, which is also known as a crochet cast on. For the provisional cast on you will need: contrasting color waste yarn, preferably a light color to make it easy to see. knitting needle similarly-sized crochet hook (similar in size to the …
Chocolate Cascade Cowl Pattern Test
I’m looking for test knitters for this new chocolate-inspired pattern. If you are interested in helping me fine tune and proof-read the pattern and charts, I will send you the final version of the pattern (free), a coupon code for another free pattern (from my self-published patterns), and chocolate truffles (if you want them). My …
The United Colors of Alpaca
I never expected that this would be the first pattern about which I would write, but here we are… Even though it was an afterthought and last minute addition to the display pieces in our Stitches Midwest booth this past weekend, the United Colors scarf was the best-selling pattern and kit at our booth. As …
Design Inspiration
I can’t always remember the exact moment I get inspired for a new design, but for one of my new designs, I know exactly when it happened. Last year, I traveled to two gems in the National Park system: Hawaii Volcanoes National Park and Denali National Park. Well, I didn’t actually get into Volcanoes National …
Yarn and Chocolate 