Iridill

It's finally here!  This afternoon I released Iridill.  I'm really excited about this pattern and hope that you will find it to be a fun knit.  I think that knitting should be fun which is why I strive to have my patterns be clear and easy to follow. My test knitters all loved knitting this one and I think you will too!  A huge thank you to Lydia, Aparna, Debbi, Debby and Michelle who all did a fantastic job test knitting.  A lot of time and effort goes into designing a pattern, and it's not possible to do a good job without fantastic test knitters.

The Iridill pattern includes two sizes: The Shawl in Worsted and Shawlette in Fingering.  

Introductory priced at $4.50 until December 15 in my Ravelry Shop.  

Shawlette shown in Miss Babs Yummy in Maryland 2013

Shawl in Miss Babs Yowza in Perfect Wreckless.

The shawlette would also work up really nicely in Shalimar Yarns Zoe Sock or Indieway Yarns First String Sock. As an alternative worsted weight Shalimar's Honey Worsted or Indieway's Best Worsted would work well.

If you were wondering where the name came from, here is the story from the pattern:

I have to admit that I am a bit of a magpie. I am drawn to things that have a bit of shine to them, and Carnival Glass is no exception. It comes in beautiful colors that shimmer in the light, showing off the lovely patterns that are molded into the glass. When Carnival Glass first came into production it was called Iridill. The Iridill Shawl and Shawlette are inspired by the ever changing colors in Carnival Glass. It’s an easy knit that will really show off in variegated yarns.

2013

It's hard to believe that 2013 is almost over and the start of a new year is right around the corner.  This year has had a lot of wonderful things in it.  Seeing one of my designs on the front page of Ravelrys Hot Right Now list was unbelievable! Last December I set a goal to publish six patterns in 2013. I fond that I love designing and writing patterns and wound up publishing 16 patterns!  This is my first year designing and I'm so excited that I was able to actually do more than I planned for. There is still one more pattern to come this year, Iridill, which will be released later this week. If you are looking for something to take along to holiday gatherings to work on, this is the perfect project.  The pattern includes two sizes, shawl and shawlette, in two weights of yarn, worsted and fingering.

A little later this month the Intersect Mystery KAL with Indieway Yarns will be available for pre-purchase.  The KAL will be held in the Indieway Group on Ravelry and is going to be loads of fun!  I don't want to give away too many details, but I can say that it includes two projects and six clues.  It will be a great way to get through the mid January and February winter blahs.

Look for this placemarker on Ravelry when the pattern is released:

Guess what?!  I am so excited about this!  After a year and a half I am only EIGHT hexipuffs away from finishing!  We had an ice storm yesterday and spent the day inside.  I wound up finishing what I was knitting on and decided to see if I there were enough hexi's to make into a throw.  I should be able to knit eight more hexi's and get them tied on by the end of the year.  Earlier this year Kyle sent me the ones he made which was a huge help or I would be even further away from finishing.  I really enjoyed putting them together.  I could look at each one and remember where the yarn came from.  Most of the yarn was left over from things that I have knitted over the years, a few hexi's were made from mini skeins, and there are some in there that are made out of my handspun yarn. It kind of reminds me of the yo-yo quilts that were popular when I was a kid (back in the dark ages!).  I wound up over stuffing the hexi's and the throw is quite heavy.  Something to keep in mind if you decide to knit one.  I don't mind the weight of it though and it also will be nice to sit on since it's really squishy.

Last December I had a Festivus Airing of Greivences post which was so much fun.  I am planning on having another one later this month.  I'm really hoping that special someone doesn't bring us nut encrusted cookies of death again, but if they do it will be great writing material!  Andy is talking about putting up a Festivus Pole in honor of our new tradition.  It's all in fun of course.  Sometimes things happen and there isn't a good place to vent about them.  The Festivus post will be that place!

Antarctica or it's Time to Turn on the Heat and Start Wearing Handknits

By nature, I am a cold blooded creature.  Most of the time this isn't a problem since I live in Virginia.  It's swealteringly hot here during the summer.  Spring and fall tend to be very mild and there are only a few cold months.  After spending a week in a tropical paradise where it didn't get below 70 degrees, the weather here seems rather chilly.  When I got up this morning it was THIRTY SIX degrees.  Quite frankly, this is unacceptable.  It means that car windshields need to be scraped and it's not even November! I'm sitting here wearing fingerless gloves while trying to type and hoping that the feeling in my cold to the bone fingers returns soon. I have given in and turned the heat on but only to 68.  It is far too early to have to do this.  I think we are going to be in for a very cold winter and I'm hoping it brings lot's of snow.  As soon as I can adjust to the sudden drop in temperature, I will be a much happier camper.

One thing is for sure, hand knits will keep you warm!  I tend to pile them on in layers in the colder months.  Ok, who am I kidding?  I wear my shawls all year long!  Speaking of shawls, Iridill my new design is shawl and shawlette pattern in worsted or fingering weight yarn.  It's currently being test knitted and should be ready for release by the end of November.  I have the worsted weight one (on the right in the photo) on right now and it's really helping to keep the chill off my neck and shoulders.  It's a super simple knit and perfect for that variegated skein of yarn that's been hanging out in your stash!

The shawlette (right) is in Miss Babs Yummy in Maryland 2013 and the shawl (left) is in Miss Babs Yowza in Perfectly Wreckless.

  
I also have a new sock design that will be coming out at the beginning of November, Frost Bite. Shown here in Socks That Rock Lightweight in the Boobie colorway.  I couldn't resist this colorway! Not only is it beautiful, but the name cracked me up.

I just finished reading Doctor Sleep by Stephen King.  If you are looking for a book that will scare the heck out of you, give you nightmares and you still won't be able to put it down - this is it.  I LOVED it!  Now that The Walking Dead is back on tv my week winds up being complete on Sunday nights.