A Tale of Two Socks

Last post, I told you about my making list and the projects on it. Here's to my first FO from that list, the Saturday Matinee Socks!

I started these last summer and was about halfway through the first sock...so while it obviously took me a long time to get BACK to this project, once I buckled down I was able to crank them out pretty quickly. I don't consider myself a huge sock knitter, though I like all the pairs I've made so far. Mostly I have other things I want to make more! But I'm totally a convert to shortie ankle-style socks now, getting rid of the leg made such a difference in being able to finish these before I got bored.

I was still in the sock groove once I finished these, so I picked up the other pair of socks on my making list, Leyburn. Spoiler alert: They are no longer Leyburns!

I really love how the slipped stitch design on the Leyburns works with yarns like this--which, by the way, I dyed myself during a dying session with the Kangaroo Dyer once! I just could. not. stand. the Leyburn stitch pattern, and as pretty as it looks, I'm no longer interested in making things when the process is unbearable. Partly for practical reasons (if I hate making it, I'm not going to make it and it will never get finished) and partly because I'm learning more and more that I need to enjoy the act of making as much as I enjoy the having of the finished object. 

Instead of continuing with a sock I didn't enjoy making, I ripped back to the toe and did a simple, toe-up vanilla stockinette sock. The pooling is kind of meh (I wasn't interested in playing around with my gauge a whole bunch to fix that) but they're cheerful and I'm happy to have settled on a pattern I can actually finish. Hopefully I can do something fun with the leftovers, like stripe it with white in a different pair to avoid the pooling. KNIT ALL THE SOCKS!

Two Unexpected FOs

In the midst of my crazy work schedule, I somehow managed to carve out the time to finish two entirely selfish projects!

First up is Laurus by Dianna Walla, a most excellent colorwork hat. I was tapped to do a Valley Yarns Colrain review video at work (well, I was asked what yarn I would want to review and I chose Colrain) and needed to have a Colrain project on the needles for it. I wanted something simple that I could bang out fast and that used 2 or more colors to show off a fun color pairing. I'm obsessed with this sienna, clay, orangey-red color. It's the same I used in my Kitsunetsuki Cardigan sample! A pop of blue gave it just the right contrast. I'm getting a New England collegiate preppy vibe from this, though don't ask me why! These colors will be right at home in my fall wardrobe though, and Colrain is always a pleasure to work with.

And I finally finished a stagnant spinning project! Two events dovetailed to inspire me to get back to my wheel. The first was that while shooting the Colrain video at my house, Lindsey was looking at my stash and well, made me feel a little bashful about all that I have, especially the often-forgotten fiber. The second was that last weekend was the annual Webs Tent Sale. Saturday is the one day everyone is required to work, and it's also the day that local farmers and artists sell their wares in the parking lot as part of the Fleece Market. Did I want to buy fiber at the Fleece Market? Yes. Have I spun the fleece or the batt I bought at last year's Fleece Market? .....No! Before I can start spinning that fleece, I needed to clear my bobbin and this was half-spun.

It's a Frabjous Fibers Three Feet of Sheep pack, 70% BFL/30% Tussah Silk in the limited edition colorway Autumn Leaves. Originally I split all the bumps in half planning to do a 2-ply gradient spin, but a) got lazy when I finished the first half and b) forgot what order I had spun them in. Oops. So I called it as-is, and I have about 732 yards of a fingering to laceweight yarn here (mostly thinner, but some parts are fingering weight thickness.) I've been enjoying knitting with singles yarn lately anyway, and I think I'll experiment with the second half the fiber. Maybe learn to Navajo ply or something! I'm really excited to see how this knits up, but I'm forcing myself to finish some existing projects first before I can cast on...

Hat Addict

Did you ever read this book as a kid, Caps for Sale?

Hats are like potato chips...or M&Ms...or other easily poppable snack foods. They're quick to knit, low-commitment, and a satisfying way to try a technique, style or color you don't want to commit to in a sweater. My coworkers and I were talking recently about how many hats we have. No matter how many we knit, there are still more hat patterns in our queue! I decided to photograph my hat collection today and I felt like the man in the illustration above when I pulled them out of their drawer.

This & successive photos taken with my Nikon D3200

I decided to take things one step further and lay them out in order from oldest to newest, starting at the top row and moving from left to right. Let's meet the gang!

Top Row, L to R

• Gretel by Ysolda Teague in Malabrigo Worsted: Ysolda was one of the first designers I found online once I learned how to knit, and Malabrigo was the first 'cult' yarn I'd ever read about. I hadn't discovered any local yarn stores at that point, so I ordered it from the internet not realizing how the hand-dyed color would look knit up. I was also too lazy to block it over a plate for a beret shape like Ysolda suggests, so it's a sad, awkward beanie instead.
• Grace Lace Beret by Loop Knits in Adrienne Vittadini Martina (I think): I found this yarn in the warehouse at Webs. Like Gretel, I failed to block it properly so it's a weird and unflattering shape.
• Acorns by Melissa LaBarre in Madelinetosh Vintage: I made this right after I started working at Webs. Melissa worked there at the time and I remember being awestruck that I knew a famous designer! She gifted me this pattern which I thought was so cool of her. This was at the beginning of my Madelinetosh craze. I had just bought enough Tosh DK & Tosh Vintage for two sweater projects but wanted a smaller Tosh project right away. I purposely didn't block it because I love the nubbly texture.
• Brambles Beret by Amanda Muscha in Berroco Ultra Alpaca held with Rowan Kidsilk Haze: I started noticing my coworkers knitting 'normal' yarns held together with Kidsilk Haze and I loved the soft halo effect. I chose my favorite shade of pea green!

First Middle Row, L to R

• Ida's Kitchen by Kirsten Kapur in Madelinetosh Sport: I had started to get really into Ravelry at this point, and joined a Madelinetosh group. We wound up doing a swap for this hat where each person bought a skein of sport, broke it up into mini skeins and sent it to other people in the group. I got to try all kinds of colors I had never seen in person before!
• Little Whiskers Hat by Kirsten Hipsky in Valley Yarns Greenwich: My very first pompom :) This hat got famous in the Sh*t Knitters Say video!
• Free Cecily Hat by Emma Welford in Cascade 220 Sport: Ah, the beginnings of my design career. I was so proud of myself for making up my own cable panel for that hat.
• Striated by Emma Welford in Malabrigo Chunky: Another early design. This was the first pattern that I worked with Lindsey on (my current & forever, ride or die photographer), and the first time I did my own pattern layout. I've tweaked my layout style a little since then but it's still the same basic format!

Second Middle Row, L to R

• Wolfbait by Alex Tinsley in Schachenmayr Bravo Big Color: Free yarn, free pattern, enough said. Alex looked SO COOL in her hat photos but I looked SO DUMB wearing this myself, so I don't actually wear it.
• Rhinebeck Bus Hat in Berroco Lodge: I knit this on the bus to Rhinebeck one year and made the pattern up as I went. I wear this one a ton, even though it's plain. The color goes with a lot of my wardrobe and the amount of slouch is perfect.
• Goshen by Amanda Keep Williams in Berroco Brio: Technically I did not knit this exact hat. My best friend Kerry and I did a hat swap. She knit this Goshen for me, and I knit her Goshen in the colorway of choice, then we swapped! But since I don't have a photo of her hat, this is the closest we're going to get.
• Tamborim by Emma Welford in Gynx Merino DK: From my yarn & pattern club collaboration with Gynx Yarns. I love Laura's yarns, they're so great to work with. My only regret on this one is that I didn't do a bigger pompom. Maybe some day I will make a new one for it!

Bottom Row, L to R

• Random made-up hat in handspun from Etsy: I bought this handspun before I learned how to spin. I tried making legwarmers from it and that didn't work out. I frogged and made this hat, but I was so impatient I didn't really do a proper gauge swatch and the hat got super big when I blocked it. I need to rip this out, un-kink the yarn and give it the respect it deserves!
• Shock Star Slouch by Emma Welford in Spun Right Round Squish DK: I love this hat. One of my current favorites.
• Equal Measure (hat only) by Emma Welford in Anzula For Better or Worsted: Sensing a trend in my hat making as of late? All designs!
• Fidra by Gudrun Johnston in Valley Yarns Valley Superwash Bulky: So this was a not-on-purpose knit. We were doing a Superwash Bulky review video at work and wanted a hat to be worn in it, but there weren't any existing store samples. I volunteered to make Fidra since I secretly wanted to make it, but needed an excuse! I know, boo hoo hoo, life is hard. Forced to knit ;)

Of course, there are more hats I've knit over the years that aren't pictured. My first ever hats, hats I've given as gifts, or hats I've lost in some box somewhere and forgot about. And I know my little hat family will get bigger...there are always more hats to knit!

Armored

Now that the Winter issue of Knitscene is hitting newstands and mailboxes, let's take a look at my featured designer collection! Because oh yeah....if you didn't notice, I'm the featured designer of this issue. :) Yay! From the beginning I decided I wanted to design thematically as opposed to separate pieces--partially for that Project Runway, fashion designer type experience but also because it excited me to create a body of work meant to be shown together. I really like thinking thematically, it turns out, so I have several collections in the works for the future (aka, stay tuned!) The inspiration for this collection is medieval armor and the story of its inception is interesting. Last year I spent a lot of time online dating and as it was the first time in my life I was actively dating and not relationshipping, I purposely set the bar low in terms of who I would accept dates from in order to expose myself to as many different types of people and experiences as possible. I had my general standards, for sure, but I wanted to avoid falling into the trap of only dating my 'type' (men similar to those I had previous relationships with.) Anyways, I wound up accepting a date with a guy and we went to the Higgins Armory Museum, which is now closed so I'm glad I had a chance to see it then! We took a swordfighting workshop and looked at the collection, wherein I got really excited about all the details on the armor and took a bunch of pictures with the express purpose of turning them into designs and he probably thought I was a freak. (But that's okay because for reasons that had everything to do with him and nothing to do with my knitting freakiness, there was no second date.)

All fancy photos by Knitscene/Harper Point Photography, armory photos by me

The Haubergeon Sweater is most directly inspired by a specific piece I saw at the Higgins Armory, this suit of armor featuring a lattice-like pauldron (shoulder armor). I instantly saw a lattice cable pattern! I played with different shoulder placements of a cable design but threw some of them out the window for being too bulky, or for encroaching too much on the chest which I knew had the possibility of looking weird on someone with a larger bust than I. Ultimately I mashed up the idea of cabled arms/shoulders with the silhouette of a haubergeon (or hauberk), which is a chain mail shirt, giving this sweater its longer tunic length and the cropped sleeves.

I played more fast and loose with the Gothic Gloves, historically speaking. They aren't directly linked to a specific style of armor, though I drew inspiration from more decorative, mixed-metal pieces and jousting gloves. The cuff shape is very recognizable as being medieval-ish and I approached the mixed metal aspect with two different colors, some stripes and a small colorwork motif. I want to thank Carina Spencer for her Sugar Maple pattern--knitting that piece, with its paired increases and decreases to form the pointed hem without increasing the overall number of stitches, helped me figure out how to shape the point of the cuffs and keep the stitch count consistent.

The Cuirassier's Cardigan is another more artistic rendition, if you will. I saw several lovely cable-like details on suits of armor at the Higgins Armory and sought to create a simple, everyday cardigan with a few special touches. Something that was less Ren Faire than perhaps the gloves! As such, the only tie this piece has to armor are the flowing lines and small cables which grow out of an otherwise plain background. I-cord edgings are among my favorite because of how clean they are, and I felt that paired with a zipper closure instead of buttons, they helped keep this from looking too knitting-y (where a ribbed buttonband would have taken it away from the original intent.) I like the jacket/blazer feel of this piece, which was entirely unintentional!

And now, my absolute favorite piece of the collection: Ornate Greaves! Greaves (leg armor) could be quite plain but I followed in the footsteps of more decorative pairs with the kneecap cable design and purl ridges along the calves. This was extra special because I used my friend Laura's yarn, Gynx Yarns Merino DK. I love the above-the-knee length for these, partially because of my love for thigh high socks and stockings! Practically speaking though, it's a great choice for extra warmth and it gave me more space to play with the cable design.

In terms of yarn choice, I had two purposes. The first was to pick companies that represented something to me as a designer, and the second was to create a cohesive color story.

• The Haubergeon Pullover is knit in The Fibre Company Organik, as I used another of their yarns for my first ever Knitscene pattern (the Mountain Nettle Shawl, in Acadia.)
• The Gothic Gloves are knit in Brooklyn Tweed Loft, a company on my knitting bucket list to design for--maybe this will be the first step towards a future collaboration? ;)
• The Cuirassier's Cardigan is knit in Valley Yarns Colrain, as a thank you to Webs and the Elkins. Without my job there I might not be a designer at all, let alone the one I am today with the friends, fans and industry connections I can directly attribute to Webs.
• And the Ornate Greaves are in Gynx Yarns Merino DK, because Laura deserved to be in Knitscene for taking a chance on me in our multiple collaborations, and I wanted the world to be exposed to her beautiful yarn.

When I first envisioned the collection, grey was the color that popped to mind because duh, metal. While a monochromatic, all-grey collection would be really beautiful, I am first and foremost a person that loves color and I wanted to showcase something more 'me', and an all-grey palette would not be fitting. The gloves use a neutral oatmeal and a gold for a warmer play on the silver and gold of mixed metals, and the copper of the cardigan is to represent a different metal--the warmer half of the collection. On the cooler side, we have grey legwarmers because I HAD to have one grey piece and felt a neutral color was more wearable for an accessory like this. The pullover color is a bit of a reach, but I was looking for a cool, elegant color that fit with the rest of the palette rather than being a bright pop. Purple was a sought-after color in medieval Europe, after all!

My biggest goal for the collection was to draw inspiration from armor while creating modern and wearable pieces as opposed to costume items. Because of that, it's not a 100% historically accurate look at medieval armor but I am beyond pleased with the end result. What do you think--did I pull it off? Can you see yourself or someone you know wearing these pieces?

(Many thanks to Amy Palmer at Knitscene for accepting my proposal, the other folks at Knitscene for the fabulous styling of these garments, the yarn companies listed above for their excellent yarn support, and Robin Shroyer for writing a great article about me and for creating possibly the best interview ever!)

Something Magical

Last year a sub call came out that I instantly squealed over. I was already swimming in work and did not need another project added to my pile--but this was a theme I could not resist. I have always been a big reader with a special attachment to fantasy, mythology and science fiction. One of my favorite books as a child was D'Aulaires' Book of Greek Myths, a book I loved so much that I covered the paper dust-jacket with contact paper so it wouldn't become torn. (I still have that book and it sits on the upstairs hallway bookshelf.) I wasn't limited to Greek mythology though and devoured books based upon legends and fairy tales from all cultures. As an adult, my single favorite book not from a series is Enchantment by Orson Scott Card, which mixes Russian fairy tales with the modern world. So when the call was released for Enchanted Knits...I couldn't help myself. It was my dream call. Kitsunetsuki is a foxy red cardigan inspired by the Japanese mythology of the kitsune. While kitsune is the Japanese word for fox, in this context it refers to the fox spirits who frequently appear in their stories. Kitsune possess the ability to shapeshift between fox and human forms, often taking the form of a beautiful young woman. They can act as a trickster figure (akin to the wily coyote of Native American tales), have romantic dalliances with humans, or offer wisdom. Kitsunetsuki refers to the state of being possessed by a kitsune's spirit.

I wanted to create a garment that was flattering, wearable and inspired by the myth rather than being too obvious. The front features a traveling cable across the chest which imitates the shape of a fox head, and also serves the purpose of demarcation between the reverse stockinette body and the stockinette yoke. The simple front allows the large unique cable on the back to stand out. Each individual cable is meant to represent one of the kitsune's tails, as the stories hold that older and wiser kitsune are capable of earning more tails, and they join together to form a fox tail shape.

I have to admit the extent of my nerdery...my cats are named Kitsune and Tsuki.

Kitsune (left) was the first, and I named her as such because she's gingery and has a big fluffy fox tail and as it turned out, is wily, manipulative and kind of a bitch. But I love her with all my heart because she's unabashedly herself, no holding back. As I like to joke, "Like mother like daughter!" Tsuki (right) came second, and I wanted them to have coordinating names because I am a dork. I tossed around a few other ideas based on Japanese words/mythology but none of them sounded pretty.

If you're interested in reading more about kitsune, I recommend the following:

• Foxwife by Hiromo Goto, a short story found in The Fairy Reel
• The Fox Wife by Ellen Steiber, a short story found in Ruby Slippers, Golden Tears
• Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio by Pu Songling - technically this is Chinese, not Japanese, and as such the relevant stories are about huli jing. There are many similarities though, and I studied this particular book as part of my focus in Chinese History when I was in college.

Happy knitting AND happy reading!

Fresh Valley Pattern Goodness!

My oh my, more new patterns?! Welcome my newest contributions to the Valley Yarns pattern line: the Bricklayer Set and the Chandelier Shawl! (Photos thanks to Webs.) Warm yourself with the Bricklayer Set from Valley Yarns. This easy color work set is worked using slipped stitches and only one color per row. Sideways garter stitch bands are a fun change from ribbing and add an extra layer of construction intrigue!

This accessory set works up super fast and (I think) is also super fun. I swapped the colors between the mitts and the hat for that extra special dose of ~why the hell not~ but you could of course match them. And think of how beautiful it would be with a color changing or hand dyed yarn for the background color, like Noro Silk Garden or Madelinetosh anything!

The Chandelier Shawl from Valley Yarns is a sweeping, cozy, cable-and-lace shawl for chilly days.

So this is one of those samples that I wish I could keep. It's gorgeous and SO WARM! But I don't have the time or inclination to re-knit a worsted weight shawl for myself, even if it is on the speedy side compared to a fingering weight shawl. Sheffield has a really nice halo because of the angora content, though I think this would look equally good in a mohair blend, or maybe even something shiny to jazz it up!

Publishing with other people is always kind of a wild card, you never know how they are going to style it and when they are going to release the patterns. Case in point--if I were self-publishing these two, I would have spaced them out and not piggybacked onto the Brooklyn Bridge Mitts release. The upside though is that Webs always does a great job with the photography and location for Valley Yarns pattern shoots and this is no exception. Always a pleasure to see your designs being showcased beautifully!

Gettin' Beachy With It

Ahh, I love the smell of a new pattern release!

Yarn Hollow Gemini

It's been a year since I first contributed to Holla Knits and I'm back again, full circle with a design in the Spring/Summer 2013 issue: Just Beachy!

I love super-fitted, body-conscious knits. But who wants all that cling when it’s hot out? I’m letting go and relaxing with a comfortable colorblocked tee! Just Beachy has identical fron and back pieces, so it’s perfect to throw on over a bikini or when running out the door–no second glance required. Mesh sides let in a cool breeze and show off your perfectly contrasting tank top underneath…or maybe even some bare summer skin!

Valley Yarns Goshen

Check back next Tuesday the 23rd to see my post for the Holla Knits blog tour, with more sweet deets on Just Beachy and the other fabulous summery designs in the collection!

2012 In Review

Top Row, L-R: Holla Back Tank, Little Whiskers, Erquy, Portico, Wavy Gravy Mittens Bottom Row, L-R: Wallpaper Cowl, Holla Back Pullover, Dreamer's Braided Cardigan, Striated, Scallop of the Sea

Goodbye 2012, it's been a blast! Above are my projects finished this year (I technically started my Holla Back Tank in the end of 2011 but finished it in January.) 10 total, 5 of which are my own designs--very cool! I started designing in the fall of 2011 so I really took off this year. I already have designs lined up for 2013 and can't wait until I can share them all with you!

Some other great moments of 2012:

• Started this blog and joined Twitter, both of which have helped me make new awesome online friends and develop my relationship with existing ones. I love knowing that I'm connecting with people all over!
• Continued to grow my animal herd by taking in Tsuki, our second cat, and Josie, a lady bunny friend for Mr T.
• Discovered the paleo/primal food community. I'm not always 100% with it but I'm really happy that it's helped me be more mindful about what I eat and it's increased my creativity in the kitchen.
• Shot the Shit Knitters Say video with work, which was SO MUCH FUN and snowballed into a much bigger hit than I had expected.

See ya next year, world! And watch out, I'm planning to OWN THAT MOTHER.

I

Since Webs is so graciously giving away the yarn to make my Wallpaper Cowl,  I thought I'd post a few other color combos I picked out to give you some ideas! Photos by Lindsey Topham for Webs/Valley Yarns.

Northfield in Camel & Deep Water, Huntington in Arctic

Northfield in Natural & Avocado, Huntington in Harvest Orange

Northfield in Stone Blue & Chestnut, Huntington in Mustard

Northfield in Mauve & Haze, Huntington in Porcelain Blue

For the dreamers

Remember the sneak peek I showed you a few days ago? The Dreamer's Braided Pullover is here!

All photos by Lindsey Topham for Webs/Valley Yarns

I am super excited that this pattern is finally released since as you can see, I was able to do a really gorgeous photoshoot wearing it! All the clothes and styling choices are my own so this is truly how I would wear it--I wanted to show an option aside from jeans which (as we know) go with everything, and I love this look.

I had a dream about this design several months ago (hence the 'dreamer's' part of the name!) My dream was about a pullover sweater with a colorwork yoke flanked by Latvian braid details. Hmm...where have we seen those recently? :P I wrote down the idea when I woke up and filed it away for when the time was right. The yoke pattern in my dream was more geometric, but didn't look right when I swatched it and I really liked the look of this curved stitch pattern. It's actually straight knitting with slipped stitches, so the only time you're knitting with two colors in the same row is when you're working the braids and the corrugated ribbing. The body is worked in one piece to the yoke, then set aside as the sleeves are knit. Once sleeves and body are joined you work the yoke and are done! My favorite element is the few rows of raglan shaping I did in the yoke before the colorwork section is started--it snugs up the underarm area to eliminate too much bunching from extra fabric and gives it a really clean fit.

We also decided to do something different and I hooped for some funky action shots!

Valley Yarns Sheffield is a cozy, snuggly, shut-the-world-out blend of merino, silk and angora with just enough of a halo to soften the edges of the colorwork without completely blurring out the design. I think it's warm enough to warrant the cropped sleeves, especially in transitional fall weather, but it would look super cute layered over a long sleeve shirt in the middle of winter. All you have to do is dream up your favorite color combination and cast on!

Let there be sleeves!

One down, one to go! I'm aiming to have it finished, blocked and dried by next Saturday so I can wear it to Rhinebeck. It's my first time going so OF COURSE I have to have a Rhinebeck sweater. And why not make it one that I designed?

I'm extremely pleased since it's coming out exactly how I pictured it when I first thought of these mods. Obviously I've modded other sweater patterns before when I knit them, but nothing to this extent. I had to:

1. Calculate a new size based on my different gauge with this yarn (6sts/1" instead of 7sts/1") and because I wanted a 34" finished bust size.
2. Adjust the instructions for working in the round (not that hard.)
3. Do fewer decreases at the neck and armhole so I would have wider straps and so the body would be shaped more like a pullover. I kind of winged this part but my instincts turned out to be perfect, no frogging required.
4. Work short row sleeve caps for the first time! My first attempt was too big so I had to rip it out and start again

I've got a week and a few days left, then yarn heaven! I'm also working at the Webs booth at Stitches East this Friday, which is definitely a change of pace from my office. I did a stint there last year and managed to meet a lot of the suppliers I work with, so I'm looking forward to catching up with some of them and maybe finally meeting some others. If you happen to be attending, stop by and look for me!

I also did a photo shoot for work a few weeks ago. Here's a sneak peek...

Photo by Lindsey Topham for Webs/Valley Yarns

I wonder who designed that lovely sweater I'm wearing....? ;)

Quick links

Just a little drive-by linkage here. I have a Tuesday's Tip on the Webs blog about converting flat patterns to knitting in the round, check it out!

And I will be at the Valley Yarns Trunk Show tomorrow night (9/20, 6-8pm at Webs), more details are here. I'll be talking about two of my designs, one of which is a never-before-seen sweater for the upcoming Holiday catalog!

Mysterious

That right there is 9 skeins of a gorgeous grey mystery yarn! We had a staff party in the warehouse after work on Friday and it was tons of fun. Leslie Ann, one of the retail store managers, came up with a scavenger hunt game for us--so picture 30 adults running around a yarn store like little kids! Kids drinking beer. There was also a raffle, where I acquired the above mystery yarn. Anyone have an idea what it could be? It's 6-ply, looks bulky to me and I think it has some alpaca or other fiber content in addition to merino since it's a little hairy, but super soft. The label on the bag is the most helpful clue, assuming someone who works in a yarn store that carries this yarn sees my post! I'm 99.9% sure it's not anything that Webs already carries so that knocks out a bunch of contenders.

I also bought some gorgeous yarn this week: the new Valley Yarns BFL Fingering Hand Dyed.

Gail has done it again! That woman has magic in her dyepot, I swear. ;) I have an idea in mind for that pair but nothing concrete yet--still in the swatching stage, and I'm trying to buckle down and focus on my KAL pullover. Of course, now the design ideas are flowing thick and fast! I even woke up in the middle of the night and thought of a few more touches to add to a concept I had a few months ago. I wrote myself a quick memo on my phone in case I forgot my additions when I woke up this morning!

Old and new

What better way to say goodbye to summer than to finish up a lingering tank top? This is Heather Dixon's Erquy--I started it in May and used my extra knitting time to finish it up a few weeks ago. The pattern calls for knitted straps, but after reading that others found they stretched out over time, I opted to buy ribbon and lingerie strap adjusters to make adjustable straps. I love the fit and the effect of this yarn! Especially now as a designer, I like knitting other people's patterns and seeing how they think. I think it's really clever how a classic chevron stitch pattern is enlarged to create the shaping of the tank.

Does the old-tymey photo effect look familiar? I jumped on the Instagram bandwagon this weekend. I don't completely understand the concept of 'followers' yet, but if you're interested my username is emmawelford. This is my wait-summer-can't-be-over-yet! project and my first crochet garment. I'm loving the colors of Charlemont and the rhythm of crochet is a welcome change to my fiber life.

In the personal department, I'm on Day 8 of my Whole30. I've been primal for a few months but decided I wanted to push myself further for a few reasons. Though I didn't eat a lot of junk food previously, I noticed my sugar cravings more after turning primal and realized that it doesn't matter how much or little you eat--addiction is still addiction, and I felt addicted! I'd like to get to a place where I don't feel like I NEED sugar on a daily basis, and where treating myself to something reasonable doesn't start a landslide effect.  I discovered I like willpower exercises (feels good in a slightly sadistic way!) Not to mention I'm excited to see at the end of it how my attitudes towards food will have changed. I've already tried and liked so many more new foods since becoming primal--sardines, chicken liver, kombucha, goat's milk yogurt--and I know the list can only continue to grow!

Gravy, baby!

Introducing my newest Valley Yarns pattern, with possibly the most ridiculous name ever: Wavy Gravy Mittens!

All photos in this post by Lindsey Topham.

These were the little (okay, bulky) mittens that could! My original plan was to do nautical themed mittens, with an anchor on the back of the hand accented by wave motifs. I ripped out and re-knit three or four variations on that idea, desperately hoping to make it work. Then I remembered KISS: Keep It Simple, Stupid! I realized I needed to pick something that would really suit Northampton Bulky instead of fighting against the nature of the yarn.

I wound up modeling the mittens for the catalog shots which was an added bonus! I get to play model often at work and I enjoy it. Ok, not going to lie--my vanity enjoys seeing beautiful professional quality photos of myself, but it's also fun to live out my America's Next Top Model-fueled fantasies while helping out Webs when they need photos on the fly. Since I'm not video-camera-shy either, Lindsey and I shot this short video about the mittens earlier this week.