Knit Along Time!

It's been a really exciting week here!  Erica asked me to hoast the first Knit Aong in the new Bare Naked Wools group on Ravelry.  We will be using my brand new Ribbon Street Cowl pattern along with Anne's new Breakfast Blend DK yarn.  It's really quite an honor to be be asked to do this and Ive been over the moon about it!  Erica, Barb, Anne Marie and myself will all be there if anyone has questions or needs help.  It's fun and easy pattern, perfect for knitting in the evening while relaxing or to take with you to knit group.


The Ribbon Street Cowl pattern is just $3.50 until the end of the month in my Ravelry shop. 

Ive already knit one up in Breakfast Blend DK.  It's in the Morning Smoke colorway.  Don't you just love this color?  Grays are my favorite!  Not to mention the fantastic blend of Merino and Alpaca that gives this yarn softness and fantastic squish factor!

 For an idea of what it would look like in other colorways, please see the pattern page on Ravelry.

The other thing that has made this a great week is that I finally got around to painting the shelves that Andy made for the dining room.  I honestly had gotten so burned out from our kitchen remodel that I just couldn't bring myself to paint these three simple shelves.  In all fairness, it did take most of a day to get them painted.  Now all that is left to do is to paint the bottom of the wall.  The current color really doesn't go well with the new cabinet color.  We are changing it to a warm shade of brown.  Oh and then Andy is buiding a new and larger pantry.  But, that's a story for another day!

 

Hope to see you in the Bare Naked Wools Ribbon Street Cowl KAL!

Speachless

"Liebster" is German, with the approximate translation of "favorite" or "dearest". The Liebster Award is a fun and friendly way to pay it forward to up and coming bloggers with less than 300 followers. There's no voting or judging; only appreciation and kindness. These bloggers deserve recognition for their wonderful blogs.  I was stunned and overwhelmed when my friend Tierney nominated me! I still don't have the words to fully express the emotion that I experienced when she emailed me. 

Since part of the rules on this are you can't tag the person who nominated you back, I would like to share a link to Tierney's fantasic blog: Silver Trumpet Style  Not only is she a dear friend, but she is a talented artist as well. Making everything from quilts for Project Linus, bags and mug matt's in her etsy shop, to wonderful hand knits for her family.  Not to mention she has been doing a wonderful job test knitting for me!  And is the reason that I started this bl

**Here are the details on receiving this award**

1. When you receive the award, and choose to accept it, you post 11 random facts about yourself and answer the 11 questions from the person who nominated you.
2. Pass the award on to 3-5 other bloggers (who have less than 300 followers) and let them know they've been nominated.
3. Create 11 questions for these 3-5 bloggers to answer.
4. Link them in your post.
No tag backs!

11 Random Things about myself:

1. My husband is my very best friend in the world.
2. Sometimes I tend to be a little too outspoken.
3. I will always stand up for a friend and am very loyal.
4. I can back up a trailer better than a lot of guys can! 
5. I love to paint, and enjoy changing the color of a room. 
6. I am a very fussy eater and turn my nose up at a lot of foods. 
7. I must have at least one cup of coffee in the morning to get the day started. 
8. Im not saying Im OCD with cleaning, but Im not saying Im not either...
9. I love horror movies, not the slasher type, but the really creepy ones. 
10. I am afraid of spiders, monkeys and clowns                  

11 questions my Liebster Nominator Tierney wants me to answer:

11 Questions for my three Award Nominees:

1. What are you too chicken to try?  I think that would be #2, no worms for me thank you.
2. Have you ever eaten a worm? No.
3. What's your preference: a real book or an e-book?  e-book, I don't like the feel of printed paper.
4. As a child, what was your favorite story? The Princess and the Pea
5. What's the last song you listened to? Not sure, I tend to tune things out.
6. If you could only eat one food for ever and ever, what would it be? Fried Scallops from the Yorktown Pub.
7. Where is your Mother's Mother originally from, and have you been there? Brooklyn, yes many years ago.
8. What's the best and worst thing about blogging? Best is getting to meet so many wonderful people.  There is a worst thing?  I haven't found anything yet!
9. What ritual do you turn to when you want to feel all cozy and relaxed? Cocoa, knitting, and cuddling under a blanket with Andy.
10. What 3 words best describe you? Loyal, friendly, creative.

Tierney forgot question 11 ;) 

11 Questions for my three Award Nominees:

1. What inspires you?
2. What is your favorite book?
3. Red or white wine?
4. Cake or pie? 
5. If you could go anywhere, where would that be? 
6. Do you like scary movies? 
7. What is the best advice someone has ever given you? 
8. What inspired you to start blogging?
9. Salty or sweet snacks?
10. What 3 words best describe you?

The Big Finale...I'm nominating these 3 extraordinary Blogs:

A Cultivated Nest I love her decorating ideas and money saving tips!

Doodles in String Beautiful patterns and knits.

Multiple Food Allergy Help My dear friend Jenny started this site to help parents of children with multiple food allergies.  There is a lot of information and great advice here.

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?

Nikomedes

I'm so excited to announce the release of my new sock pattern, Nikomedes.  I really enjoyed designing these pretty socks and hope that knitters will adore knitting them as much as my test knitters and I did!

I used Shalimar Zoe Sock in Driftwood for the design.  The color and yarn really show off the columns of lace cascading down the leg and instep and on the heel flap. 

 

 

Beth used Zoe Sock in Silver Sage for her's. 

 

Shannon used Three Irish Girls Springvale Sock in Driftwood.  It's so much fun to see my patterns come to life!

 

 

The three of us got together for lunch and a photo shoot last week.  I had visions of us going out into the garden and maybe sitting on a bench for the pictures.  The rustic background of a winter garden would have been the perfect backdrop.  It wound up being only 20 degrees outside, with a wind chill of what felt like -100.  We opted to stay inside, have hot cocoa and take pictures by the fire.  We stayed warm and had a blast!  There was a lot more giggling going on than actual picture taking. 

 

 

I think we are all hoping that Punxsutawney Phill is going to tell us that spring is just around the corner.  With that in mind, Ive created a coupon for my Ravely pattern shop.  Use coupon code: Groundhog for 15% off of any of my patterns from now until February 7.  You can click on the link above, or by copying and pasting this address into your browser: http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/sources/lara-smoots-ravelry-store

 



Bare Naked Knits

A couple of months ago, I received an email from Erica asking me to write a blog post at the end of January about Anne Hanson's Bare Naked Knit's Club.  I was so excited and honored that Erica and Anne would think of me! 

Ive been in Anne's clubs since their inception and have loved every moment!  Each month I stalk the postman wait patiently for a club package to arrive at my door.  I take it inside, and slowly open it, savoring the first moment that I see the yarn.  I fondle the yarn for a bit and then go download the chapter that goes along with that months shipment.  Chapter, you ask?  Yes, Anne writes an entire chapter for each shipment.  It includes information about where the yarn came from, what type of animal or plants were used to make it as well as patterns to go with the yarn.  And you know, Anne's patterns are absolutely fantastic! 

The Bare Naked Knits Club is really unique in that the total focus is on undyed yarn.  It's fiber in it's natural state.  My favorite shipment from last year was Eco Butterfly Lace.  It's naturally green cotton.  I had no idea that cotton could grow in more colors than white! 

 

Another shipment included a beautiful brown yarn made from Yak.  The pattern that came with that shipment is Peu Bourgeons Mitts and Hat. 

 

 

 

Not only is there a fun shipment each month, but there is a Club House on Ravelry as well!  It's a great place to hang out, swap stories and share what you are knitting from the club. 

 

 

 

 

 



Is that snow on your garden gnome, or did he get into the cupcakes?

It's my favorite day of the year. It snowed last night and I woke while it was still dark. Andy brought me a cup of coffee in bed and Roper hung out with me while I relaxed into the morning. I snuck outside while still in my pajama's to take a few pictures. The sun was just starting to come up and the sky was a beautiful whitish blue. The only sound was the ice cracking on the trees as the breeze blew through them.

After living in Maine for so many years, I stopped enjoying snow. The last winter I lived there we had 99" of snow accumulation over the winter. There was so much snow and it was so incredibly heavy that the roof of the barn needed to be shoveled. By the end of the winter I could stand on the huge snowbank next to the barn to reach up and shovel more snow off. The first winter that I lived in Virginia was like being on vacation! It didn't snow at all and I don't remember it being colder than mid 40's. Since then, I've found that it does snow here on occasion, but it's never very much. It melts within a few days and looks pretty while it's here. There never seems to be that gray sludge on top of the snow from the street that happens further north. It's just pretty and pristine and reminds me of a frosted cake.

The Nikomedes pattern is nearly finished.  Im putting the final touches on it now.  Shannon and Beth have been really wonderful test knitters. The pattern should be ready to be released by the end of next week.  I've really enjoyed writing and designing this pattern   It's fun knit with a very easy to remember stitch pattern.  The lace  continues down the heel which is perfect for showing off with clogs!

Nikomedes shown in Shalimar Yarns Zoe Sock Driftwood

Here is a little teaser for Mirrored Step, which will be coming out at the end of February.  It's a great pattern for semi-solid as well as variegated yarns.  Knitted cuff down and will come in three sizes.  The Mirrored Step stitch pattern really helps to break up any pooling and will work well with a variety of yarns.

Cindy and Tierney have just gotten the test pattern for this fun knit.  Im anxious to hear how they are doing and see progress pictures.  It's so exciting when I get to see my patterns come to life in the knitting of others!  

  Check out Tierney's blog if you have a chance.  She has some really fun things on there and is very talented!

Frost in Bloom

Im so excited to announce the release of Frost in Bloom!  It's my first published pattern, and I hope that knitters will enjoy knitting this infinity scarf as much as I have enjoyed designing it.  Ive knitted two of them and am getting ready to cast on for my third one.  Frost in Bloom is a quick fun project perfect for working on at knit group or while watching tv.  It's a one skein project, so you can go stash diving for the yarn.  Shown here in Shalimar Breathless Sonoma.

Over the past several years Ive been testing knitting for several designers.  Going through the test knitting process has taught me a lot about what elements need to be in a pattern, and the importance of clear concise instructions.   Ive included both written and charted directions so whatever your preference is, it should be covered.  Of course if you have questions, Im available via email to answer them and help out if you need it.

The day Andy and I decided to do the photo shoot, it was freezing cold and the wind was blowing like crazy!  We wound up driving around downtown to find a spot with good lighting with shelter from the wind.  This is a stone foundation of the basement of one our favorite antique shops.  It worked out really well.

 

Thank you so much to Shannon and Laura for test knitting, and to Kristi for the final proof read and encouragement, and to Anne for the kind words of wisdom on copyrighting.

Congratulations to Helen who is the winner of the handspun yarn and pattern from the Grievence post!