Lá Bealtaine was designed for Wooly Wonka Fibers’ Celtic Year club, inspired by the Gaelic May Day festival Beltane – one of the four Gaelic seasonal festivals at which special bonfires were kindled. Lá Bealtaine is the Irish Gaelic name for Beltane.
The pattern includes three sizes for this design: a shoulder wrap with buttons, a scarf and a rectangular stole.
The Wriggle Mitts were designed for Shall We Knit’s retreat in January 2019, using the featured yarn that attendees received in their goodie bag. Another local designer (Lynne Sosnowski) and I were challenged to each design a new pattern using Shibui Knits yarns. I created these mittens and Lynne designed a cowl called Portable Hole.
The mittens are knit with two fingering weight yarns held together to create a marled effect. The sample was knit using a chainette yarn (Shibui Knits Maai) and a beautiful hand painted silk mohair yarn (Riverside Studios Kidsilk).
If you don’t want to knit with two yarns held together, you will need 160 metres of a yarn that knits up to 7 stitches to 2.5 cm on 3.5 mm needles.
I’ve neglected this blog since my mother passed away. Enough time has passed and I feel the designing bug returning so it is time to get back to posting about here about designing, knitting and books. With that in mind, I present the S Curve Cowl, a design that was designed for Shall We Knit?’s retreat in November 2017, using the featured yarn that attendees received in their goodie bag.
Lynne Sosnowski and I were challenged to each design new pattern using the same yarn. I created this buttoned cowl and Lynne designed Benmiller Rendezvous Mitts.
This cowl is knit with two fingering weight yarns held together to create a marled effect. The sample was knit using a hand painted, speckled yarn (Koigu Painter’s Palette Premium Merino KPPPM) and the luscious and decadent Filatura Di Crosa Superior.
The contrasting trim at the end of the cowl is achieved by knitting with the hand painted yarn only. The length of the cowl can easily be adjusted by knitting additional repeats of the main stitch pattern.
Wishes for a peaceful and joyous holiday season to you and your loved ones. May this time of celebration refresh your heart and spirit.
On November 26 I posted my stranded colourwork picks for this year’s Indie Designer Gift-A-Long but I had so many selections I decided to break it into two posts. Here’s part 2.
The Kentigern Blanket by K.M. Bedigan
Clouds of Luxury Fingerless Gloves by Tabi Ferguson
Stairsteps Tam by Stephannie Tallent
Dark Passage Socks by Beverly S.
Tourbillon by Kris Carlson
Hyde Park Hat & Mittens by Becky Herrick
Sirona by Emmy Petersson
Modern Tartan by Elizabeth Green Musselman
Elektrocute by Emma Welford
Cats in the Garden Socks
by Sonja Launspach Kunstwerk Designs
Estri Cardigan by Meiju K-P
Tiled In Cowl by Sarah Jordan
What is the Gift-A-Long? The GAL is a big knitting and crochet designer promotion with prizes and more than 5,000 people participating in a giant KAL/CAL. Come join the GAL group on Ravelry!
I find literature a great inspiration when designing. In fact, I’ve designed several pieces based on works of fiction: Sargaço Shawl, Whitman Cowl, Taming of the Fox, and Stacks Socks.
Here are my picks of some other #giftalong2016 designs inspired by works of fiction.
Eyre by Renée Kies
Shirley Keeldar shawl by Elizabeth Felgate
Georgiana Newbury by Teresa Morey
Petit Prince and Little Star by Aurélie Colas
The Tale of Little Rabbit by Olga Beckmann
Persuasion by Christal LK Designs
Interview with the Vampire by Lily Go
Ranganathan’s Mitts by Sharon Fuller
Scheherazade’s Tale by Nim Teasdale
The Yellow-Gartered Dude Abides by Elizabeth Green Musselman
What is the Gift-A-Long? The GAL is a big knitting and crochet designer promotion with prizes and more than 5,000 people participating in a giant KAL/CAL. Come join the GAL group on Ravelry!
As we get further into December, there are some very grey and dreary days. Gift-A-Long has some fantastically cute and funny patterns, the perfect thing to combat an overcast day. The challenge here was paring the list down to these selections.
One Fish, Two Fish, Three Fish by Stana D. Sortor
Celtic Cabled Mandala by Tatsiana Kupryianchyk
Meow-Meow Hat by Mjuk
Lady of the Lake by Lotta Groeger
My Little Slug by Selina S.
a tapir for you, a tapir for me by bunnymuff
Venn by Ella Austin
Woolbringer: A knitted sword by Emily Ringelman
Zombie Knitster by Julia Swart
Karen by Tanja Osswald
Mullioned Hat by Katy H. Carroll
Flidais Stole by Stephannie Tallent
What is the Gift-A-Long? The GAL is a big knitting and crochet designer promotion with prizes and more than 5,000 people participating in a giant KAL/CAL. Come join the GAL group on Ravelry!
Whether you’re a fan of Harry Potter, Doctor Who or Firefly, the Indie Gift-A-Long has something for everyone. Here are some of my pattern picks that celebrate various fandoms.
Venomous Tentacula by Jennifer Dassau
Space Cadet Sweater Vest by Nicole Montgomery
Doctored by Gabriella Henry
Shoggoth by Lee Meredith
No Mr. Bond, I expect you to die. by Barbara Benson
It’s Them Aliens! Socks (Doctor Who Inspired)
by C.C. Almon
Jayne Cupcake by Kathleen Sperling
The One Ring by Renée Kies
Guinan by Akua Lezli Hope AkuaDesigns
Mithrandir by Amy van de Laar
Calluna Brae by Sally Oakley
Omar Alien by cheezombie
What is the Gift-A-Long? The GAL is a big knitting and crochet designer promotion with prizes and more than 5,000 people participating in a giant KAL/CAL. Come join the GAL group on Ravelry!
I love period dramas and will happily watch a marathon of Downton Abbey, Pride and Prejudice, The Miss Fisher Mysteries or The Paradise. Many of these feature fantastic knit or crochet garments and all have inspired designers with their aesthetic. Here are some of my picks for those who desire a bit of vintage style with their knitting/crochet.
Flapper Cloche by Megan Nodecker
Pride and Prejudice Mittens by Christelle Nihoul
Sanguinaria yarn bag by Naomi Parkhurst
Paris 1925 by Marie Greene
Parisian Delight by Andrea Rangel
Ninetta Neckwarmer by Nina Machlin Dayton
Phryne Fisher’s cat’s whiskers cape by bunnymuff
The Dauphine’s Stockings by Emma Welford
In Case of Draughts by Hunter Hammersen
Nola Cloche by Hilary Smith Callis
Bellocq by Marnie MacLean
Lady Sybil’s Crescent by Michele DuNaier
What is the Gift-A-Long? The GAL is a big knitting and crochet designer promotion with prizes and more than 5,000 people participating in a giant KAL/CAL. Come join the GAL group on Ravelry!
The worlds converged – Gift-A-Long2016 and Black Friday/Small Business Saturday/Cyber Monday are all happening at once this year. Want to find the best deal on my designs? All the details on my sale, which coupon to use and links to the designs are here.
Thank you for all your support of my designs and small business.
