Yarn Intercept

Heladas Hat

I released my latest pattern a few weeks ago. I am just now getting around to blogging about it! It’s a two color hat with an interesting brim. By lifting a stitch in the contrasting color, a lattice reminiscent of frost on a window is created. Heladas means “frost” in Spanish. It’s pronounced [ay-lah-dus] beginning with “hay” without the “h”.

 

The hat starts out with a garter-striped edge. The brim continues with the elongated stitch worked in the contrasting color, which is carried across the front instead of the back. The brim is finished with a repeat of the garter stripes and then the main body and the crown of the hat are worked in a pinstripe, slipped stitch pattern. If you don’t care for the pinstripes, work the top in your main color only.

It’s a quick, interesting knit that gives you a warm and cozy hat!

Specs:

Yarn: Knit Picks Wool of the Andes Sport in Sapphire Heather (MC) and Wonderland Heather (CC). I used 1 ball of the main color to knit the medium size, but I had very little left. I suggest buying a second ball for insurance.

Needles: US size 3, 3.25mm 16 inch circulars and DPNs

Gauge: 24 sts/32 rows = 4 inches in stockinette stitch

Sizes available: Adult Small [Medium, Large]

Measurements: 18[20, 22] inch circumference

 

                                                 

                                                 for $4.50

 

 

Tiger says, “Okay, fine…I like the hat because it has stripes…now, would you please get that thing out of my face?”

Back From an Unplanned Hiatus

I really didn’t intend to wait almost 3 months between blog posts! I’ve finished one thing and started a few others. First, I took part in Through The Loops Summer Shawl challenge this summer and finished Curatio. Many people knit multiple shawls, but I was glad to get one finished! I was excited to finally find the perfect project for my Glam Grrl sock yarn by Tempted yarns. I love the way it turned out!

Pattern: Curatio Shawl by Kirsten Kapur
Yarn: Glam Grrl by Tempted Yarns – Bruized colorway. 63% Superwash Merino, 20% Silk, 15% Nylon, and 2% (real) Silver. I love the sparkle from the silver!
Cast On: June 28, 2011
Finished: July 1, 2011
Modifications: None. I knit this exactly as written.
Thoughts: It’s a terrific pattern…easy, but interesting and perfect for variegated fingering weight yarns.

Next, I started the Green Autumn mittens by Jared Flood that were on the cover of Vogue Knitting Winter 2008. I have wanted to knit them for 3 years and finally cast on! I’ve been ignoring them a bit lately, but I’ll get them finished to wear this summer. Here’s my progress so far:

 

 

I’m using Dragonfly Yarns in the Rusted Root colorway. I bought the yarn from The Loopy Ewe for one of the summer challenges, but didn’t come close to finishing!

I also cast on this cute little sweater for my principal’s new baby. It’s called Sweet Pea Cardigan and is in the book, 60 Quick Baby Knits.

 

I’m a little further along now. I’ve joined the shoulders and have started on the hood. The peapods continue along the edges of the hood! All I’ll have left when the hood is done, is to knit the sleeves and button bands. It’s a cute pattern and as the title suggest, it’s quick!

I feel like I’m switching subjects rather abruptly, but that’s the way it is sometimes. I was very excited to get the latest Knit Picks catalog in the mail this week. Why, you ask? Well, one of my patterns with their Independent Designers’ Program was included in the catalog!

This isn’t the best picture in the world, but on the page for Stroll Sock Yarn, my sock pattern Candy Shop Socks, is featured in the lower left! Right there…in print. With my name. Very exciting!

Meanwhile, Tiger was working on his fractions and decimals and is too exhausted to comment.

Inspiration

I’ve had these two skeins of Blue Heron Rayon Metallic in my stash for a few years now. I always planned to make a Clapotis with it, but I just couldn’t bring myself to cast on. I was afraid it would languish and this yarn is too beautiful to land in the lost world of UFO’s.  (Sadly, it would have had plenty of company.)

So, instead, the yarn languished in the stash….until a few weeks ago. I was browsing the blogs in my feed reader and came across Turtlegirl’s Abalone knit with the very same yarn (different colorway). I had NEVER considered knitting a cardigan/sweater/top-of-any-kind out of this yarn and I was truly inspired by her fabulous top! I wanted a top that would have a little more coverage in the front so I wrote to her asking how easy it would be to modify it. Since Abalone is a free pattern, I downloaded it and realized that the whole thing is a percentage based pattern – easy to figure out (which is what Cristi said), but I decided that if I was going to do math to knit something, it was going to be a pattern of my own!

So I sketched…and no, you don’t get to see the sketch. (It’s rough….really rough.) I wanted a waterfall type cardigan – one of those tops that has excess fabric hanging down. I wanted easy lace as well. See? Left and right fronts of my cardigan:

(I guess should have ironed that pillowcase before taking this picture.) While it may seem I’m knitting a cardigan for Olive Oyl, it’s just curling due to the stockinette edges. Here, this is better:

I started with a cast on along the bottom edge and then began working on the bias. Once I finished the last of the eyelet sections, I used short rows to straighten them up. You can really tell by the direction of the colors. I will add bands to each later and it should almost close in the front. For now, I’m in the dead zone – the endless stockinette that makes up most of the back. Ugh.

Will it ever end? When I have 15 inches knit, I get to bind off for the armholes! I can’t wait. I was noticing a smidge of pooling with the darker colors in the center and the gold colors at the edge, so I started knitting from each end of my yarn ball. You can definitely tell where I began as it looks a bit stripy. I think it’s fairly subtle though and doesn’t bother me a bit.

Tiger says, “It doesn’t bother me either! Stripes are always good.”

Candy Shop Socks

My latest sock pattern was just released through Knit Picks Independent Designer Program today!

When I first sketched the sock, I pictured little oranges, lemons, and limes, but the orange available in Knit Picks Stroll was more of an autumny-rusty orange and not a bright, summery orange. They suggested the red and once I started knitting the socks, it was obvious they were NOT fruits, but candies. My husband said immediately, “they look like gum drops” and he gave the pattern its name. (Thanks, Mike!) Of course at that point, I knew the photo shoot would have to include gumballs! 

 

 

Choose three contrasting colors and a main, background color. You could also choose to use one variegated yarn as your gumballs as one of my testers did. (This might be a good use of the “clown barf” yarn that you keep asking yourself, “What was I thinking when I bought this?!”)

 

 

The pattern is available from Knit Picks here for $1.99 or through Ravelry at the following link where you can use Paypal (also $1.99).

The socks are written for three sizes – S[M, L] with leg circumferences of 7.75[8.25, 9] inches and a gauge of 9 sts/10 rows = 1 inch in stranded pattern using size 1 – 2.25mm DPNs. The pattern is mostly written with a color chart for the main pattern.

As always, I am happy to answer any questions about the pattern!

 

 

Tiger says, “I had fun during the photo shoot…I got to bat around these shiny, colorful balls!”

(I wish I had a picture of it…he was so cute playing with the gumballs!)

Summertime Knitting

It’s so nice to be able to relax for awhile and just knit! Now that school is out and I have no more school related obligations until August, I can focus on knitting and pattern writing. I have finished up two patterns that are in the submission process now. One should be coming out in the next 2-3 weeks, but I’ll have to wait a bit to hear on the other. I also just submitted a proposal to Interweave Knits! It’s the first time I’ve submitted to them and I was a bit nervous. I feel pretty good about the idea though, so if it isn’t accepted, I’m going to submit elsewhere or publish myself. In between secret projects, I have been working on a summer top in a very cheery color!

This is the start of Tappan Zee from Spring+Summer 2010 Knitty. I’m using Brown Sheep Cotton Fleece in the Perry’s Primrose colorway. I’m following the pattern to a tee except that I’m adding buttonholes all the way down the buttonband. I will then add corresponding buttons, even though they may not ever be buttoned. I am much further along now than in the pic. I’m into the boring stockinette body. The only thing interesting is the garter stitch buttonbands and button holes every 12th garter ridge. Oh boy! Easy knitting though.

              Tiger says, “Who cares about your knitting! Where’s dinner?”

Knit Circus Giveaway Winners

I know it’s been awhile since I posted about the giveaway (May 4th), but I did draw the winners on May 7th, the following Sunday, and notified the winners. They are:

Pattern Collection Winners:

Maria M.

Robin

Jill R.

And the lucky winner of the subscription to Knit Circus is:

Krysta H.

Congratulations! If you think you may have won, but didn’t get an email from me, be sure to write again. I’ve sent your names and emails to Jaala at Knit Circus and you should be hearing from her, if you haven’t already!

 

Tiger says, “Congratulations! Did anyone see my mouse?”

Lonely Planet Socks and a Giveaway!

 
Today, the summer issue of Knit Circus goes live and I’m so happy to have a pattern in the issue!

 
Photo courtesy of Knit Circus.

This pattern came about by accident. I won the pattern collection out of the Spring issue from another blogger and when I wrote Jaala, the editor, about receiving the patterns, I told her I’d get around to submitting a proposal to Knit Circus someday. She asked me to pitch a sock design to her for Summer, so I did and she loved it! Knit Circus is really a wonderful magazine and if you haven’t stumbled on to it yet, be sure to check it out. It is very similar to a print magazine except online. You pay for either an issue individually, or buy a subscription. Even if you don’t buy the issue, you can read the articles and get a preview of the patterns. It’s a wonderful concept!

Here’s a close-up of the socks:

  Photo courtesy of Knit Circus.

That panel on the side is created with an elongated twisted stitch that is fun to do! It’s a little something different and helps break up colors in hand painted yarn. There are also slipped stitches and seed stitch for texture as well as a patterned heel to keep things interesting.

 
Photo courtesy of Knit Circus.

 I chose the name because the colors reminded me of those pictures of Earth from space!

 Now for the giveaway:

Jaala has graciously given me permission to give out 3 pattern collections from the Summer issue and one subscription! To enter, browse the issue and tell me what looks most interesting to you – whether it’s an article, a pattern, or something in an ad. I’ll chose 4 entrants at random Sunday evening!

Tiger says, “While we wait for the winners, I’m going to try to fit in this box.”

 (Shhh….don’t tell him he’s too big. He won’t believe you!)

Sneak Peak

This Wednesday, the summer issue of Knit Circus will be out and I have a pattern in it! I can’t give you any details, but here’s a sneak peak of it.

                                       Photo courtesy of Knit Circus.

I’m very excited about the pattern! Knit Circus and the editor, Jaala, have been fabulous to work with and I can’t wait for the release. As a bonus, they have given me permission to have a pattern collection giveaway. That will be coming sometime in the next week so keep your eye out for it!

                               Tiger says, “I love a good mystery!”

Contest Winner!

I just wanted to say thanks to everyone who entered the contest on my last blog post! I DID pick a winner when I said I was going to and emailed her. The random number generator choose #4 and that was Diana! After emailing Diana, she choose Mythica as the pattern to receive. Good choice. It's my favorite pattern I've designed. 

You can also purchase Mythica for $6.00 here:   

 

 

                         Tiger says, “It’s a great top. Matches my eyes.”

Yarn Equation + Contest = FUN

Did you faint? Two days in a row! Well, I guess it is April 1st, huh? Isn’t this the traditional day to show off the stash? I’ve only seen one other blogger do this so far! Weird. Anyway, I had a little fun with mine. I DO have more, but it’s in storage. This is what’s accessible at the moment. I also didn’t include any yarns attached to a project, whether it’s a current WIP, an old WIP, or something that needed to be frogged.

What can I say, I’m a math teacher and my blog IS Yarn Intercept! I was going to do an equation with both x and y variables and make you graph the line, but I didn’t have enough floor space. Instead, solve the equation (it’s pretty simple!) and post the answer. I’ll pick a random winner from those who got it right and he or she will get to choose one of my patterns to receive for free! You’ve got until Sunday to post your answer.

        Tiger says, “Wake me up when you’ve picked a winner.”