Three patterns released in one month, I’m on a roll! I’m pleased to introduce the Valencia Scarf, a pattern that can be knit in fingering weight linen for summer or using the linen held together with a merino sock yarn for fall and worn as a wrap.

I originally called this the “zig zag scarf” because of the geometric nature of the lace pattern. Then I saw a photo of some roofs from the corner of Valencia Street and 24th Street in the Mission District of San Francisco and changed the name of the pattern to Valencia.

Read all about it here or head on over to Ravelry to buy it now.

Today is the last full day I’ll spend in Maine and there is only one yarn shop on the agenda today. I traveled to Blue Hill, ME to visit String Theory Hand Dyed Yarn. Knit and chats are held on Saturday mornings and I timed my visit to be able to join them to work on my unfinished Rhinebeck sweater. Tanis Williams and the Saturday morning knitters were very welcoming and I ended up joining them for their regular sandwich lunch and part of the afternoon.

If you’re ever in the area you should definitely visit the shop. Not only is it housed in a beautiful, historic house (Eben Mayo House) with many fabulous hardware details, but it may be the only opportunity you have to see some of the yarns in person. String Theory only wholesales a few of their lines to other yarn shops. Some, like Caper Lace, are only available online or at their shop in Blue Hill – and this is one yarn that has to be touched to truly be appreciated.

The other reason to visit is their sale section in the seating area and the “fusion” colourways. Fusions are one of a kind colourways that won’t be repeated or are test dyes. Some of them are absolutely stunning. I picked up an Autumn Fusion in the Bluefaced Leicester wool base that is absolutely stunning.

I forgot to pull out my camera to take shots of the shop so instead I’ve included a photo of my Flower Bell Stole, size large, knit in Caper Sock in the Cactus colourway.

My day started with a visit to One Lupine Fiber Arts, a gallery featuring local artisans’ work on the main floor and with a yarn shop on the lower level. While they carry a few commercial yarns, the main feature is their line of hand-dyed yarns and fibers.

I headed south out of Bangor to my next stop, a visit to Swans Island Company’s showroom and weaving studios. Swans Island’s yarns are dyed with all natural dyes resulting in soft, variegated hues. Visitors to their heritage farmhouse (c. 1780) have the option to rummage through the yarns on the sun porch. These treasures are experimental dye batches or colours that didn’t end up exactly right, and are available at a reduced price. I was lucky enough to grab some of a blue batch that turned out a bit too purple, along with several other treasures. While tempted by the entire shelf of Bittersweet, I managed to walk away with only a few skeins in fingering weight.

One of the weavers kindly provided information on the weaving processes used in their blankets and I got to experience one of the looms up close. Their exquisite summer and winter weight blankets have been added to my wish list.

A number of knitters had told me that I had to pay The Cashmere Goat in Camden, ME a visit. The large shop is in one of the few wooden buildings in downtown that survived the Great Fire in November 1892. Barbara (owner) and Misty were both in the shop when I arrived and were very welcoming and responded warmly to my designs. Misty eagerly introduced me to one of their favourite fastenings – the Jul leather closures that screw into place. I was immediately drawn to the French Curve Leather Closure. It attaches to your garment with 2 pedestals on either side and closes your garment with a button like movement in the leather. No marring your garment, no need to make buttonholes. It’s a fantastic afterthought closure.

The Cashmere Goat has a variety of buttons but I was drawn to Laura Pierce’s Sea Buttons, made from items found on the beach. I was torn between these stone ones and some made from white china with green patterns but in the end decided on the stone ones.

After I tore myself away from the friendly atmosphere of The Cashmere Goat, I moved on to Over the Rainbow Yarn in Rockland, ME. This is a bright, welcoming shop just off the main street; however, what impressed me the most was the display of local yarns just steps inside the front door. By the way, if you’re in the area on November 2, my fellow Ontarian, Stephanie Pearl-McPhee will be at shop. She’s a great speaker!

The last stop of the day was in Belfast, ME at Heavenly Socks Yarn. Tucked away in a basement on Main Street, this store stocks more than just sock yarn – despite the name. Their shelf of Peace Fleece had been just been restocked the day before I visited. Is it just me or has this yarn become softer than it was 10 years ago or so? After seeing the beautiful sweater worn by the staff person on duty, some Wild Mustard ended up in my knitting bag.

Before heading out to Maine, I had one final shop to visit in Newburyport, MA. A Loom with a View is a small yarn shop with a big presence. I arrived at opening time on Thursday morning and enjoyed a few minutes with Elaine and Betsy before their morning class arrived.

In addition to a diverse collection of yarn, they also offer a selection of vintage buttons. One of their customers shops estate and antique sales hunting for unusual buttons and provides them to the store. I ended up buying this gorgeous button with red glass.

After leaving A Loom with a View, I drove to Kennebunk, ME for a quick stop at The Ball and Skein. I arrived just as the morning UFO / Pick-Your-Own-Project class finished. I was impressed with the bright, natural light in the class area and selection of local yarns.

My next stop was Portland, ME and Knitwit Yarn Shop. This unique shop reminds me of an old general store. The long, narrow shop is lined with tall, wood shelving and at the back is a knitting bar with stools (love!). Knitwit, as the original flagship store for Quince & Co. yarns, carries the full range of yarns and colours. It was a delight to meet Suzie who was so enthusiastic about the Flower Bell Stole that she wore it around the store for a while. I left with a skein of Swans Island fingering and a commemorative Knitwit project bag printed with their “yarn on the brain” artwork.

A few blocks away is Portland Fiber Gallery, a spinning and weaving studio and gallery space. If you can’t make it in person, you can purchase their hand-dyed fibers and yarn through their etsy shop.

Several avid spinners were on-site while I visited, including Ray who also makes stunning metal buttons. I couldn’t leave without these gorgeous copper hearts.

My final stop of the day was at Purl Diva in Brunswick, ME. I was welcomed by owner Ellen and Loki (the friendly shop dog). Ellen shared her difficult decision to close her shop after running it for the past seven years. She’s moving on to new adventures and is currently running her closing out sale. You can stay up-to-date on the store’s Facebook page. Wishing you all the best in your next endeavors Ellen!

Today was my day for visiting yarn shops in the Boston area to promote my designs. The first stop of the morning was at Black Sheep Knitting Co. in Needham, MA. This shop was recommended by Pam at Westport Yarns. A smaller shop, Black Sheep was busy when I arrived. They offer classes most days and one was in progress so I didn’t take any photos. Surrounded by historical buildings, Black Sheep Knitting Co. has a fantastic atmosphere.

From there I traveled to Newbury Yarns in the heart of Boston. Nestled below street level in an upscale shopping area, Aldrich Robinson has created an oasis of calm and yarn in the busy city. Newbury Yarns has just moved from the space next door and are still settling in but that hasn’t stopped local knitters from inhabiting the well-lit table in the back of the shop. Most of the samples at the front of the shop are of Aldrich’s designs.

Next stop was at Another Yarn in Winchester, MA. The shop is tucked away in a small plaza, next to Pairings Wine and Food which you can also find on the internet(who have some great cheeses – a few followed me to my hotel). Another Yarn is an open shop with lots of seating and a wide selection of yarns and books. I found a “new to me” lace stitch dictionary that I was happy to pick up to tuck into my knitting bag.

From there it was off to Sit ‘n Knit in Melrose, MA. Tuck into a row of shops across from the commuter train station, this little shop has a vintage feel. The main room contains the commercial yarns and the back room features yarns for baby garments.

The Woolpack in Acton, MA was next on the list and is quite a busy shop. I received a warm welcome from both the staff and customers and managed to knit a few more rows on my Rhinebeck sweater while there. It was difficult to tear myself away from the cozy atmosphere but I still had one more stop for the day.

The final shop was Spotted Sheep Yarn Shoppe in Goffstown, NH where I finally managed to find some lace weight Lobsterpot cashmere. I arrived a few minutes before the shop closed for the day but Margaret (co-owner) was welcoming and I managed a quick browse through the nooks and corners in this split-level shop.

It was a long but very rewarding day.

Today, before heading off to Massachusetts, I fit in visits to two last shops in Connecticut.

The first stop of the day was Creative Fibers in Windsor, CT. Creative Fibers has a great selection of yarns and many lovely samples. I’m wishing I could crochet and make one of the fantastic scarfs out of Koigu KPPPM like they had on display.

From there I moved on to my second stop at Knit & Pearls in Avon, CT.

This little gem of a shop offers a great selection of beads, as well as yarn. While there I was introduced to the beautiful hand dyed yarns of Yarns to Inspire. Janet Deneen, staffing Knit & Pearls when I visited, offers her range of yarns on Etsy as well as in the shop.

The Branching Path Cowl, my newest pattern, is now live.

Wrap your neck in lush alpaca. This cowl, written to be worked on circular needles in the round, can easily be knit using dpns or magic loop. The length of the cowl can be easily customized by adding/removing stitch repeats.

Read all about it here or head on over to Ravelry to buy it now.

When planning my fall vacation for the week after Rhinebeck, I decided to explore some of New England. I’ve always wanted to visit this part of the US and decided to combine fall foliage viewing with yarn shop visits to promote my designs.

Today’s plan was to visit shops in western Connecticut. I knew I had arrived at my first stop of the day when I spotted a yarn-bombed tree.

Nancy O Knitting Studio in Ridgefield, CT is housed on the main floor of a lovely house. When I arrived, a knitting class was in progress in the lounge area of the shop. Nancy O’Connell was most welcoming, happy to discuss her stock and the types of projects her customers like to knit. When I explained my planned “yarn crawl”, she was pleased to provide a flyer from the Western Connecticut Yarn Council Yarn Crawl and suggested my next stop.

Once I stepped through the door at Westport Yarns, I immediately understood Nancy’s recommendation. Pam Grushkin, the manager, made me feel welcome and I found myself enjoying a knit and chat with Pam’s daughter (Happy Birthday!) and her sister Nancy (who makes beautiful glass beads, pins and jewelry). In between helping a steady stream of customers with knitting and crocheting questions, Pam very graciously reviewed my patterns. She also offered some further suggestions of shops to visit as I make my way into Massachusetts. After a pleasant hour knitting, I packed up and got back on the road.

My final stop of the day was at Knit New Haven, a bright, welcoming shop in the heart of New Haven. Julia Bogardus, one of the three women who own the shop, introduced me to the lusciousness of 100% mink combined with the colour artistry of Alchemy Yarns. Absolutely divine!

Tomorrow I’ll be visiting a few more shops in Conneticut before heading onto Massachusetts.

I’m thrilled to announce the release of Flower Bell Stole, my newest pattern.

This stole features several raised Japanese stitch patterns that form a beautiful “flower bell” edging. The stole starts with the edging; the body stitches are picked up off that and worked to the middle. The stitches are put on waste yarn and the second half is worked. Finally, the two pieces are grafted together. The pattern includes instructions for two stole sizes and a scarf.

Read all about it here or head on over to Ravelry to buy it now.

Robin Hunter has posted an interview with me on her fantastic blog. Once a week she posts interviews with interesting people about their insights on their experience of working in the Knitting industry. (That’s from her blog – I’m pretty excited to be counted as an interesting person.)

You can check out the interview here.