2015 Indie Gift A Long

I’m so exciting to be participating as a designer in this year’s Indie GAL! What is the Indie GAL? Here is a quote from the front page:

The Indie Design Gift-A-Long is a 6 week long KAL/CAL of holiday gifts made from patterns designed by a rather extensive list of independent designers. From Thursday, November 19th at 8:00 pm US EST - Friday, November 27, 2015 at 11:59 pm US EST tons of indie designers will be discounting between 5 - 20 of their patterns 25% for this event.Use coupon code: giftalong2015.

There are KAL’s and CAL’s in the Indie GAL group that include lot’s of great prizes. I hope that you have a chance to check it out and participate. There are over 300 designers that are in the GAL this year so there are lot’s of fab patterns to choose from.

If you would like to knit one of my patterns for the GAL, here is a list of the one’s that are included in the 25% off sale using coupon code giftalong2015 beginning on November 19 and running through November 27.  If you would prefer to see them all at one time, click on this link to go to the bundle on Ravelry: GAL Patterns

Shark Bite

Stash Bash

Intersect

Sundance

Sugardance

Mother of Dragons

Spark

Eclipse

Frost Bite

Catching Katniss

Heat Lightning

The Outer Limits

Babalicious

The Lakes Cowl Collection

Lartha

Iridill

Untangling

Also included is my latest release Illumination

Babalicious

I first discovered the wonderful yarns of  Miss Babs at Maryland Sheep & Wool a few years ago.  I couldn't believe all of the stunning colors her yarns come in and was even more impressed with the ladies that were working in the booth.  Since that first visit to her booth, every time I have been back no matter how crowded it is, or if it's at the end of the day, the ladies are always so nice and super helpful.  I've followed along on some of the podcasts and interviews that featured Babs and was very impressed with her business sense and the way that she explained how everyone sees colors differently.  Last year I was fortunate to get to meet Babs while we were at MDSW.  Babs is a lady who is as vibrant as the yarn that she dyes and was an absolute pleasure to talk to.  She is one of those people that make you feel warm and welcome the moment you meet them. 

I really enjoy knitting with the yarns that I have gotten from Miss Babs.  Each one is a work of art and when I knit with them, it's like getting to paint a watercolor picture without the trouble of having to use paint (I'm a bit challenged with actual paints). 

I thought it was very appropriate to name this pattern set after Babs and her wonderful yarns! 

Babalicious is a three piece set that includes mitts, a cowl and boot toppers that can all be made from just one skein of Miss Babs Yowza! This fun set was inspired by Miss Babs herself; her likableness and charm come out in the beautiful yarns that she dyes. I thought it was very fitting to name this pattern after her.  The three piece set is introductory priced at $5.99 on Ravelry.

Sugarplum

I know it's been a few weeks since I've posted, it just couldn't be helped.  I've been a bit under the weather since just after Thanksgiving.  I finally went to the doctor and he gave me on an inhaler and steroids.  the inhaler works great and I'm hardly coughing anymore.  I had a fantastic allergic reaction to the steroids on the first dose, which means I won't take those again!

I'm feeling a bit perkier and wanted to share my latest design release with you. It's called Sugarplum and is a super fun knit.  I knit it the sample up in Countess Ablaze Viscount of Spark in the Fake Your Death colorway.  The yarn was divine to knit with and the colorway is amazing. This cute infinity scarf can be doubled and worn as a cowl on the super cold days of winter.  When spring comes along, wear it with your favorite top as a cute little accessory.

Sugarplum is available on Ravelry for just $2.99 until January 20th.  If you are located in the EU, Sugarplum is available on Love Knitting for the same price later this week.  I apologize for any inconvenience, it takes approximately 24 hours for patterns from Ravelry to make their way over to Love Knitting.

Spring Might Actually Be Here!

We happened to be very lucky and it was 65 here on the first day of spring!  The song birds are back and late last night I heard a flock of geese that were heading north for the summer.  While winters here aren't as harsh as many other areas, this one seemed to drag on a bit longer than normal.  The first spring flowers are making an appearance and can be spotted almost everywhere.  I really enjoy seeing them bloom!  This daffodil is in our garden.

 

I spotted this crocus while I was out running errands today.  It was peeking up through the grass next to the sidewalk. 

Ever since I was a little girl one of my favorite things is to get the mail.  You never know what might arrive that day, and even if it is bills it was still fun wondering what was going to be in the box before you got there.

Earlier this week I revived a package full of squishy goodness from Knitspot's Bare Naked Wools.  Erica aka majordomo contacted me about having a sample of Spark knitted for their Look Book in three colors of their wonderful Confection yarn and a second sample in Confection with hand dyed yarn as the accents.  Beth is knitting the sample that is all in BNW's and I am working on the one that has the hand dyed accents.  I'm using Confection Worsted in Cookies and Cream with Indieway's Best Worsted in Black Currant and Periwinkle. I love knitting with both of the yarns and putting them together is extra special!  Confection is lofty and soft and just glides through your fingers while you knit.  Best Worsted is soft and smooth and in Black Currant and Periwinkle really stands out with the Cookies and Cream.  Spark is one of those patterns that is fun to knit and doesn't require a large amount of yarn - just 70 yards for each contrasting color and 200 yards for the main color.  Choose a  neutral for the main color like Cookies and Cream and pair it with some brighter left overs that you have saved in your stash.  I think it would look great with a variegated colorway for the contrast too.  The possibilities are endless.

I've just gotten started on mine so you can't really see much yet.

 

A peek in my project bag shows how pretty the yarns look together:

 

I love the pictures of Confection that Anne has on Raverly.  It must have been a fun photo shoot!

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. 

Camberwell

Butterflies have been a source of enjoyment for me since I was a child.  I loved to see them flying around my Grandmothers rock garden in the summer time.  Many species of butterflies migrate to warmer climates in the fall.  Their flight path is incredibly long and I find it amazing that a creature so small can travel so far.  Last fall when Andy and I were fishing we got to experience seeing Monarch Butterflies on their path to Mexico. It was incredible to see the huge number of them all flying in the same direction. I've kept an eye out this fall, but so far haven't spotted any.

When I started the design for the Camberwell Collection, my inspiration was the Camberwell Beauty.

I love the brown, blue and golden color of it's wings and almost chevron like edging. The contrast between the colors is so striking.

I think I've come pretty close with the design and colors.  The yarn is Shalimar Breathless in Butterscotch, Neptune and Bark.  The cowl is long enough so that you could wrap it twice around your neck on those really chilly winter days that are right around the corner.  The mitts come in two sizes and knit up in no time.  This is a really fantastic stash busting project.  My test knitters all did stash diving to make theirs!  I have a few friends who live in colder climates who tease me about my fingerless mitts. While they may not be the ideal thing for subzero weather, they are perfect for keeping the chill out here in Virginia and work great layered over full fingered gloves on cold days.  If you work in a chilly office or live with someone who tends to be more conservative with the heat than you would like, fingerless gloves are great to wear inside as well.

The Camberwell Collection includes the cowl and mitt pattern on Ravelry for $8.50.  They can also be purchased separately in my Raverly Pattern Shop.

A HUGE thank you goes to the best group of test knitters: Beth, Margi, Tina, Sherry,  Pam, and Isabelle.  They knitted like the wind to get their projects done on time and had great feedback for me as well.  Tina blogged about the Camberwell Collection and has a pattern giveaway there.  The drawing for a copy of the Camberwell Collection is on October 11, so be sure to leave a comment on Tina's blog before then!

A couple of months ago, I had mentioned the KAL that Wendi from Indieway Yarns was hosting with my Ferry Beach and Wandering Wildflower patterns.  The KAL has wound down and it was so much fun!  I had a great time getting to know all the fun gals in the group and had a chance to knit another pair of Ferry Beach socks in Wendi's First String Sock Yarn.  My all time favorite thing from the KAL is this picture!

 

Photo by: Keith Spiro

Ferry Beach socks AT FERRY BEACH!  How cool is that?  Adrienne, aka killerb on Ravlery, and her husband Keith were on vacation and just happened to stop and take a picture of Adrienne and her socks at Ferry Beach State Park.

I won't be blogging next week because Andy and I are taking a much needed vacation.  The biggest worry is what to bring to knit on.  My current WIP is a shawl design that should be coming off the needles tonight.  I may make another Frost in Bloom.  It's a super easy to knit pattern and makes a great gift.  The holiday gift giving season is nearly here and that might put me ahead for once. 

Oktoberfest

First, I have to say how very wonderful my husband is.  The day I wrote the Dance of Spider Lunacy post he came home, donned a hat and went on a spider hunt.  I followed him around (he is much taller than me and I figured if he went first he had more of a chance of the spider jumping on him) while he searched under the eaves on top of the pergola and through the bushes.  I knew the chance of finding the offending spider was very slim and we were just about to give up when we came across him.  He was curled up on the side of one of the beams that goes across the top of the pergola.  Let's just say that he had an untimely demise and will no longer be scaring the crap out of me building his gigantic webs of horror on our deck.  The patio is now safe and hopefully spider free!

We were happy as clams (are they really happy?) and thought we were spider free.  Then we went to Busch Gardens for Hallowscream.  We love to go through the haunted houses, they really are so much fun.  What was not as much fun was having to walk through the spider bridge of horror.  I kept wondering if the was some sort of bad karma that comes along with eradicating a spider from you patio.  As large as these were, at least they didn't move.  They were creepy non the less.

Oktoberfest is now available in my Ravelry Pattern Shop.  It's a fun and very easy knit.  The stitch pattern is easy to remember which makes it a great take a long project. 

"Cool crisp days, falling leaves, fresh apples, and heading out to our local Oktoberfest are just a few things that make Fall my favorite time of year.

The Oktoberfest Cowl is the perfect accessory to wear to while apple picking and at fall festivals like Oktoberfest.  When the sun goes down and the air cools off, wrap it twice around your neck for extra warmth.  A luxury yarn like Shalimar Breathless DK will be extra soft around your neck and feel like a cozy hug!"

Margie, Diane, Holly, Robyn, Peggy and Linda did a fantastic job test knitting.  They had wonderful feedback which I really appreciate.  Be sure to check out their Oktoberfest projects on Ravelry.

The End is in Sight!

There is nothing like having house guests coming for a long weekend to inspire us into getting things done.  Andy and I worked all day last Saturday filling in the new patio with dirt.

We are so close to being done and I think tonight will be the night.  Last night we added landscaping fabric to prevent weeds from growing and started adding the gravel.  We are estimating that two more trips to the landscape supply store for gravel should do it.

The Adirondack Chairs give a good perspective on how large the patio really is.  I think we could put up a volley ball net if we ever decided to get up out of the chairs when we are finished!

Kristi and Paul are coming down for the long weekend.  The den/spare room is just about finished, the patio hopefully will be done tonight and all that is left to do is to make the Bolonese Sauce so we have something easy to eat.  I can't wait for them to get here!

I promised a sneak peek of Oktoberfest in my last post.  Here is a quick shot that Andy took.  I haven't had a chance to run it through photoshop yet.  Ive gotten really good feedback from the test knitters and should have the pattern ready to release in a couple of weeks. 

I had a wonderful message on Facebook last week from Kyle William who is coordinating a hat pattern e-book to benefit the Living Beyond Breast Cancer organization.  The book will be sold on Ravelry and will be released later this fall.  Kyle asked me if I would be interested in designing a hat pattern for the book.  Of course I said yes and have been working on something a little unique.  It's a layered hat done in Shalimar Yarns Breathless  Black Truffle and Blue Raspberry. I thought the super soft hand of this yarn would feel nice and the two layers would be warm without being overly hot.  The pattern is going to be called "The Outer Limits".   I'll keep you posted on when the e-book is coming out.  100% of the proceeds will be going to LBBC. 

Indieway KAL

I'm so honored that Wendi from Indiway Yarns is hosting a KAL on Ravely with two of my patterns!  It's beginning on August 9th and running until midnight on September 30.  Choose between Ferry Beach, a cuff down sock and Wandering Wildflower, an infinity cowl.  Use any of Wendi's fab yarns to participate.

 
Wendi has generously offered free shipping for yarn for this KAL using coupon code: shipfree in her Etsy Shop.  If you would like to purchase Ferry Beach or Wandering Wildflower for the KAL I have a coupon code for 15% off until August 4th.  Use coupon code: Indie in my Ravelry Pattern Shop. Wendi will be having a drawing for a prize at the end of the KAL too! 

I  hope to see you in the KAL!  It's going to be a lot of fun.  I'm enjoying getting to know everyone in Wendi's friendly group.  My long time Ravelry pal Tess is taking part in the KAL and I'm really excited that she is going to be knitting one of my patterns!

A couple of weeks ago I posted about the lovely Frost in Bloom that Wendi made using her Delicate Pastels Colorway.  It's a really beautiful colorway and would also look great as a Wandering Wildflower Cowl or Ferry Beach Socks!

Wandering Wildflower

Introducing Wandering Wildflower

Introductory price of $3.50 until July 1 on Ravelry

Wandering Wildflower is a very versatile pattern and can be worn as a scarf or a cowl.  If you make the version in the pattern it will use close to 450 yards of fingering weight yarn.  The pattern can easily be modified to accommodate a skein with less yardage by casting on fewer stitches.  Shannon who test knit for me used an alternating color for the eyelet section. It's really quite striking.  Just waiting for her to upload pictures.  We are giving her slack though. I think she is still unpacking boxes from her move last weekend.  If that won't put a delay into things, I don't know what will!

Yes, the pattern name was changed :)  A friend suggested that Kracken might not be the best choice for something that is wrapped around ones neck.  Lindr came up with the name and will receive a copy of the pattern (Lindr please contact me via Ravelry and I will send you a copy right away).  JudyH also will be receiving a copy from our random drawing.  Thank you to everyone who participated!

I'm packing today to leave for TNNA tomorrow.  It's exciting to go and get to see friends that we don't see that often.  I can't believe it's been over a year since Ive seen Anne and Erica!  Im really ecstatic about getting to meet Carrie aka IrishGirlieKnits this year!  Ive always loved knitting her patterns and have done some test knitting for her in the past.  

If you are going to TNNA this weekend, please stop by the Shalimar Yarns booth and say hi.  I will be working all day on Saturday and Sunday morning.  Ive finished my Tempest sweater and will be wearing it.  It's hot pink - Love Potion and gray - Ore so I should be easy to spot. 

Festival Fun

Last Saturday Andy, Shannon, Beth and her husband Andrew and I went to the Powhatan's Festival of Fiber.  Tera told me about the festival last fall and we have all been looking forward to since then.  We were all wondering what it was going to be like since it was the first year.  We arrived to a friendly parking attendant who guided us to where we should go.  There was a short line to get in that moved very quickly.  If you look very closely, I'm the one in the salmon colored jacket.

We walked out into a picturesque scene of sheep in a meadow and vendors with tents set up all through the field.  The sun was shining, the sky was a beautiful azure blue and a breeze was blowing.  We really couldn't have asked for better weather! 

The Festival Committee did an outstanding job organizing everything.  There was plenty of parking, demonstrations throughout the day, things for kid's to do, fantastic food vendors, lot's of sheep and other fiber animals, clean portable rest rooms and everyone was very friendly.  We all had a great time and are looking forward to making this an annual trip.

This is Beth and I at the first booth we stopped at. Check out her sweater!  It's really fantastic, she is an amazing knitter.

 

This is the wonderful group of ladies who organized the festival.  Thank you so much to them for such a wonderful and much needed local event!  There are more pictures and information about the festival on the Powhatan's Festival of Fiber Facebook Page.  All of the lovely photos on my blog from the fiber festival were taken by Al Sneden and used with permission. 

I was so inspired by all the wonderful things that we saw at Powhatan, that I started a new design on Sunday.  It's an infinity scarf with a bit of texture and short rows.  Shannon saw it at knit group yesterday and immediately jumped on test knitting it.  I should have the pattern written up by the end of next week and am looking for a couple more test knitters.  Please PM me on Ravelry (SpinningLara) if you are interested in test knitting this new infinity scarf. 

It really should have a name, don't you think?  Let's have a naming contest!  Leave a comment on my blog with your name suggestion and the winner will receive a copy of this pattern when it's released. I'm looking for unique and funky!  Please keep in mind that any names that are already in use in the Ravelry Pattern Database won't be able to be used.

Ribbon Street Cowl

Ive been having such fun designing!  I really enjoy seeing my ideas come to life and it pleases me to no end to see someone else knit something that Ive designed.  Back in the late 90's I had a small business designing and sewing custom riding clothes.  It was always a thrill to see someone wearing something I had sewn.  Making the change from designing sewn garments to knitted ones wasn't really that difficult.  There have been a few instances where Ive had to frog something to redesign it, but overall it's been a very smooth transition.

                                          Shown in Malabrigo Silky Wool Cape Cod


I'm so excited to announce the release of my new pattern, The Ribbon Street Cowl.  It's named after the street that my Grandmother lived on in NY when I was growing up.  It seemed like such a magical place when I went to visit her in the summers.  She would take me to Rath Park for swimming lessons.  Sometimes I would get to go to work with her for the day.  Her boss, Mr. Diabler, would always call me into his office to sit and chat for a while.  The best memories of my childhood are from the times I spent with my Grandmother.  She is even the person who taught me to knit.

The introductory price is just $3.50 until the end of February.  No coupon code needed.  You can find the pattern on Ravelry: Ribbon Street Cowl or by copying and pasting this link into your browser: http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/ribbon-street-cowl

I hope that you enjoy knitting this pattern as much as I have enjoyed writing it!

                                                   Shown in Shalimar Yarns Breathless DK Loden

                                    Shown in Knitspots Breakfast Blend DK Morning Smoke


And a big THANK YOU to Beth for test knitting once again!  Daisy makes a wonderful model, don't you think?

Cowltastic

I spin quite a bit, in fact this year I think my yardage is around 7,000 yards.  No kidding and no exaggeration.  A friend of ours  has a llama farm and I do the majority of their spinning.  It's a lot of fun and I really enjoy it.  The downside is that after I get the spinning done for them Im usually too tired of spinning to do any for myself.

 Kristi being the temptress that she is, had given me some of her fantastic super wash merino that she dyed in Zombies Treat the day that I kissed the sheep and caught the plague.  It spun up so nice and lovely, being very soft and light, and just a big knitting tease.  I let it sit on the coffee table for a couple of days so it could be admired by everyone one that came by. 

Today I just couldn't stand having that unknit handspun here a moment longer!  Before I even picked out a pattern, I wound it.  It sat there with me while I searched patterns on Ravelry.  I knew it wanted to be a cowl.  Something with some texture that would show off the colors of the yarn.  I finally came across the Mermaids Tail Cowl.  There was a moment of shear panic when I couldn't find the right needles and then realised that I was looking in the wrong slot in the circular organizer.  Before I knew it, I had cast on and the yarn was flying though my fingers.  Only one pattern repeat left and it will be done.  I think there is more than enough yarn to make another cowl, and possibly some matching mitt's.

Not the best picture, but I was so excited about it I just had to post!

 

Is anyone else counting down the days until The Walking Dead returns?  We can't wait!  Bring on the Zombies!