Spark

Andy and I had such a great time taking pictures of Spark last weekend!  We went for a walk downtown scouting out the perfect place and wound up finding this great looking stone wall.  A lot of the foundations and buildings in Lynchburg are older and have really interesting stone and brickwork.  We were lucky to find a spot with good lighting as the winter sun was extremely bright.

Spark is a fun to knit cute little cowl that is perfect to wear with everything from jeans to your favorite cashmere sweater. Pair your favorite worsted weight yarn in a nice neutral with two bright colors (you know you have some left overs that would be perfect for this in your stash) and you will be finished knitting in just a evening or two!

 

Spark is specially priced at $2.99 until March 17, St Paddys Day. 

Frostwork

I'm so pleased to announce the release of Frostwork, my latest sock pattern.  Frostwork is knit up in Peppino from The Yarns of Rhichard Devrieze which is now being carried at The Loopy Ewe!

I had so much fun designing this sock and watching the lace pattern take shape.  It reminds me of diamond window panes from an English cottage that have been gracefully decorated in the night with Jack Frosts artwork. Use Coupon Code: JackFrost2014 for 20% off of Frostwork in my Ravelry Shop through 2/25.

A New Beginning

Sometimes in life we have to make some tough decisions that we really don't want to.  Working for Shalimar Yarns for the past three years was truly a wonderful experience.  I enjoyed helping the company grow and expand, getting to meet many wonderful people, and making new friends along the way.  It was a really hard decision to leave, but one that is the best for me and for my family.

Last week was my last week with Shalimar and it was bittersweet.  I have received so many emails, phone calls and messages wishing me the best and thanking me for my help.  It's been overwhelming and very emotional.  I really didn't expect anything like this and feel very honored.  I have also received a few questions on why I chose to leave. It was a very hard choice to make because not only did I leave my position, but left a friendship as well.  The reasons for leaving are nothing that needs to be addressed  publicly and I hope that is something that people can relate to and understand.

So what will I be doing now?  This was something that I asked myself before making my final decision.  As my husband says, this is an opportunity for a new beginning and my choices are unlimited.  For now, I will be concentrating on designing while I look for a new position.  I am hoping to stay in the yarn industry since that is where my skills can be used to their fullest potential.

I am really excited to have a new design coming out this Friday, Frostwork in Peppino.  The colorway is Frosted Windows and I really love the way it worked up in the pattern!  I will be giving away a copy of the Frostwork on my Facebook Page this Friday.  So be sure to "like" Lara Smoot Designs on Facebook for details on how to win!

Happy Valentines Day

Happy Valentines Day to my one and only!

A Piece of Olympic Knitting History

Long before Ravelry and the Revellenic Games were even an idea, my Great Grandmother Sophie traveled from Maine to her home country of Russia for the 1980 Summer Olympics.  I was a gawky twelve at the time and I remember clearly when she came back and the stories of her adventure that she shared with us.   She had brought rolls of toilet paper and American jeans to trade for things and to give to her distant family members.  The things she brought back with her were priceless to us.  Among them was a stunning Orenburg Lace shawl depicting the Olympic Rings, the Emblem of the Games, 1980 and Moscow clearly written out in several languages, along with a boarder of stars.

 I thought of this shawl many times over the years, even before I was a knitter.  A couple of years ago my Grandmother (Sophie's daughter) asked if there was anything that I would like to have that belonged to her.  On the off chance that the shawl had survived and that my Grandmother had it, I asked for that.  Now, my family, particularly my mother,  is not the best at saving things so I didn't expect that it would even be in existence.  One example of this is a Civil War era quilt that my mother was going to cut up and make stuffed animals out of before I rescued it.  I was completely surprised when my Grandmother not only knew where the shawl was but offered to send it with a few other things she thought I might enjoy.

I hope you enjoy the pictures of this treasure.  The entire shawl is in garter stitch.  I'm not sure what type of yarn it's made from, but it's soft and fine and seems to be fairly sturdy while still being soft.  I would guess the weight to be cobweb lace.

I will be wearing this on Friday as I cast on for the Ravellenic Games.  I'm on Team Shalimar Yarns and will be competing in Sock Hockey.  The pattern is Hearts in Owlantis, and is a new colorwork sock design I have been working on.