Earth Day: Honeycomb Wrap

Happy Earth Day to all!  I'm sure we all to do our best to reduce, reuse and recycle in our everyday lives and for me, I carry this into my knitting as well!  I'm excited to announce my new Honeycomb Wrap pattern!  It can be purchased here on Ravelry.

This wrap has been made with 100% recycled cashmere/merino yarn.  I do love to knit with recycled yarn but cashmere is such a treat!

It's a lightweight wrap perfect for cooler Spring & Summer nights.  

I love the simple & elegant design of this stitch.  It reminds me of a bee hive hence the Honeycomb name. It can be dressed it up or down use it as a wrap or a scarf.  Very versatile piece to add to you wardrobe!

The wrap looks more daunting than it is to knit.  If you are comfortable with Kf&b of the same stitch and basic increases and decreases you are good to go!  As always, I am here for pattern support and I do respond very quickly most days.  I know what it's like...to be stuck...

What have you made with recycled yarn?  I'd love to see them.

You can do this!  Have a great Earth Day my knitting friends!

Allium Fingerless Gloves Pattern

I have a few new patterns that I will be releasing this year and I'm really excited to share my new Allium Fingerless Gloves pattern with you.  It has just emerged from the testing process and it's ready to go.  So without further adeu, drum roll please lol

 What do you think?  

I just love them!  I know I'm biased but they are too cute!  How did I come up with this design, you ask?  During a particularly long and brutally cold winter, I needed something to remind me that it's almost over.  These gloves were inspired by ont of my favorite flowers - Allium.

They are from the onion family and the garlic family.   They bloom in late Spring and each bloom lasts for weeks.  Easy to care for and very undemanding what's not to love?  They are the perfect shade of purple and round in shape.  Adorable and beautiful and I cant get enough.  Okay back to the pattern

I tried a new yarn for me, Spud & Chole Fine.  I have been drooling over their yarns for quite some time but it's spendy, at least for me.  However, my good friends at Jimmy Beans wool added this yarn to their Wool Watcher which allowed me to try a skein or 2.  Loving the copper color and the stitch definition of this yarn.  The gloves are long and the Allium design carries from cuff to cuff with a plain stockinette stitch on the bottom.   The pattern is written and contains helpful links to stretchy BO's and CO's.  I think an advanced beginner could conquer these in no time.  The pattern is easy to memorize and once you get going they are quite fast to knit.  Only requiring 200 yards of fingering weight yarn and who doesn't have that lying around.  Here is the link to the pattern just in case you want to knit yourself a pair Allium Link

Thanks Rebecca

I want to thank Rebecca for sharing this picture of her newly knit Chain Link pillow sham. She knit it with Debbie Bliss Cashmerino wool. Is't it gorgeous?   Way to go!

Do you have pictures of your completed sham?  Send them my way.  I'd love to see your finished work.


Thanks again, Rebecca

Cobblestone Pillow Sham Pattern

Last week I launched another pattern design on Ravelry - Concentric Circles.   I have to say a huge THANK YOU to all the wonderful testers on Ravlery who donated their time, materials and knowledge to test knit this pattern.  It would not have been possible without you!

This was my first experience using this testing forum and I highly recommend to any new designer to try them out.  This forum is made up of knitters and crocheters who love what they do.  There are beginners as well as experienced knitters which is quite helpful because you can really see where the problems lie, if any.

Although there were no errors in my pattern the testers were able to provide valuable feedback on how the pattern is worded.  I was able to see where it needed to be tweeked so it was easily read by every level of knitter.

There are strict guidlines for those testers to follow.  It is really built on the honor system and I have to say, for me, it worked.  (We all know that most crafters are honest good people.)   The testers incentive is to recieve a pattern for free in exchanged they offer their services for free.  You, the designer, set the parameters.  Such as:

• How many testers
• Who will be testing
• Levels of experience
• What sizes will be knit
• Deadline for completion
• Are pictures required
• Where feedback sould be written - in the thread or via email

It's safe to say that I will be using this wonderful group of knitters from here on out.  My new pattern can be found here