Holiday Pattern fun with Signature Needle Arts and Miss Babs!

I’ve teamed up with Signature Needle Arts for their annual holiday free with purchase pattern!

Introducing Signature Chevron, an easy to knit and perfect to gift, infinity scarf. It works up perfectly inMiss Babs Yummy 2-ply shown in the Canis Major colorway. The Signature Chevron pattern is free from Signature Needle Arts with any purchase.  Signature offers free shipping with a $50 purchase so it’s a win/win!  If you haven't had a chance to try Signature Needles yet, this is a great opportunity.  I have a full set of their interchangeable needles and they are really the Cadillac of knitting needles.  Smooth, precise, and flexible cords make them a joy to knit with.  I also love their double pointed needles and use them for the majority of my sock knitting.  

Untangling - a Knitting Adventure

Untangling is a kit collaboration between myself,  Michelle of Berry Colorful Yarnings, Vicki of That Clever Clementine and Lisa of Indie Untangled.  

I absolutely love kit’s and I think you will really enjoy this one.  It has three fabulous elements: a skein of Michelle’s incredible self-striping sock yarn in one of three available colorways, an infinity scarf pattern that was designed specifically for Michelle’s awesome self striping yarn and a loop-handled Lulu bag handcrafted by Vicki.  

The Untangling infinity scarf is worked in a manner so that there are only the cast on and bind off ends to weave in while still having a fantastic striping effect.  How awesome is that?!

A limited number of dyed- and sewn-to-order kits will go on sale at Indie Untangled on June 15. 

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.

Blocking With Noodles

Blocking with noodles she says.  Interesting concept, but sounds like it could be a bit messy.  I always have a bit of a quandary when blocking a large object that has been knit in the round like an infinity scarf.  Anne Hanson who has been a wonderful mentor and who I have test knit for recommends rotating the knitted object as it drys to prevent creasing.  This works really well and will guarantee that there will not be any creases.  Sometimes though, I forget that I put something out to dry or I'm limited on time that day and worry that my nice infinity scarf won't block well.  Connie came up with a very easy way to Block It and Forget It (like the infomercial - Set It and Forget It).  She used paper towel tubes at each end with a towel wrapped around them and said it worked like a charm.  Andy and I were walking around a sporting goods store and I spotted some pool noodles and the light bulb went off.  I picked one up and walked around with it while we shopped.  I have to give Andy a lot of credit, he never asked why I wanted a pool noodle even though we don't have a pool!  When it was time to block the new infinity scarf I took a good chopping knife and cut the size I needed.  The cut noodles worked like a charm:

And we have a name for the new pattern: Kracken.  While it wasn't one of the ones that were posted in the comments, it's gone over really well with everyone we told.  I used the random number generator to choose the pattern winner.  Congratulations to: JudyH. Please PM me on Ravelry (SpinningLara) with your information and when the pattern is published I will send you a copy.  We are hoping to do a photo shoot for for it this weekend.  Test knitter's Liz and Shannon have been knitting away on theirs.  Liz has been working on two Kracken's and Shannon is doing one in two colors that is really amazing.

Here is the new sock design that I've been working on:

It's a really fun and quick knit.  I'm casting on for it's mate over the long weekend and should have the pattern ready for test knitting sometime next week.  If you are interested in test knitting please let me know.

I hope everyone has a safe and enjoyable Memorial Day Weekend.  Please take a moment to remember our fallen hero's.  They gave the ultimate sacrifice so that we can enjoy the freedom's that we are fortunate enough to have.

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.

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!