Holla Knits Summer 2015 Blog Tour

Hello Holla Knitters and welcome to today's stop on the Summer 2015 issue blog tour! My contribution is a tutorial article 'Deconstructing the Knot Stitch' where I guide you through decreasing in pattern while knitting the knot stitch, seen in Annapolis by Kristen Jancuk.

In the article, I break down the specifics of staying in pattern while working the Knot Stitch and include some helpful tips you can apply to future lace and texture patterns. I know I'm guilty of writing "decrease while continuing to stay in pattern when possible" (ahem, Holla Back Tank!) so it's a great skill to be able to master.

If my exclusive article doesn't sell you on purchasing the issue, what about the designs? As usual, our fearless editor Allyson has selected a group of fresh and innovative pieces that take warm weather knitting to a whole new level. My two favorites are Beach House by Teresa Gregorio and Backbone by Kirsten Singer.

I'm dreaming of a Beach House in HiKoo Rylie, a super gorgeous alpaca/silk/linen blend that I pet almost everytime I'm at work. I love the bright citrusy colors and this would be perfect in a pop of coral.

beach house

The two color option of Backbone is GENIUS. I would use two coordinating colors of Manos del Uruguay Serena for an ombre effect. The only problem is choosing which color to be the main color!

backbone

Which design from the Summer 2015 issue is your favorite? Comment before end of day (EST) Friday, July 3 and I'll pick one winner on July 4 to receive a copy of the pattern of their choice!

Check out the rest of the Holla Knits blog tour for styling tips, behind the scenes info on the designers and more giveaways!

June 15: Holla Knits Summer 2015 Launch June 16:The Sweatshop of Love – pattern giveaway June 17:Klever Knits – pattern giveaway June 18: Canary Knits – Travel knitting & mag giveaway

June 22:MediaPeruana – pattern giveaway June 24:YarnGasm – Knitting with Voolenvine Podcast – magazine giveaway June 25:Cosmos and Cashmere – pattern giveaway June 26:Midwest Yarn – pattern giveaway

June 29:Emma Welford – pattern giveaway July 2:Canary Knits – Beach House styling & giveaway

On the Topic of Stash

Remember my big 'stash stats' post, when I cleared out my stash and sorted it all? Of course I wasn't entirely motivated by the need to clean--I was doing research for my article in the Holla Knits Warm Weather Accessories issue!

Remember this?

I feel like my relationship with Holla Knits has truly come full circle. I contributed my Holla Back Tank to the first issue ever, Spring/Summer 2012, and here I am with an article in the first issue of the new Holla Knits now featuring articles! I love seeing what Allyson has built and I'm so happy to be involved, no matter what form it takes. In this case, it's my article titled Conquering Your Stash: Musings on Yarn, Organization and Letting Go. The article is exclusive to the magazine, so here's a short excerpt from it to wet your whistle.

Having a stash is a fantastic tool to have at your disposal as a knitter, especially if you don’t have a LYS within easy distance or prefer to buy most of your yarn online. Stash is great for last-minute gift knits, swatching stitch patterns before committing to knitting a whole sweater in a p5tog pattern, and for queuing up your next project without having to shop for more yarn. As time went on though, I found my stash had become a proverbial ball and chain. My stash yarn guilt-tripped me from its storage bins and my tastes evolved, making a portion of it no longer appealing or useable. In becoming a designer, I now viewed my stash in new light; thus, the Great Stash Clean-Out was born.

The piece is personally introspective but offers some of my advice on how to manage your stash (and in a way, the emotions tied to it!) I'm really happy with it because I feel like it perfectly encapsulates my writing voice to an extent that I don't think I've achieved with any of my previous articles. I love all my written children equally of course though!

Check out the issue to read my article, see the lovely accessory designs and take the fun Knitting Spirit Animal quiz. Here's to the new incarnation of Holla Knits!