A book, an article and flowers, too

  I am excited to say that Three Ply is now live and available for sale on Amazon! 

An article has also gone live on the Jewish Independent's website:
Managing Theft and Loss

The good news, if you read that article, is that we have since gotten the second planter back.  It was taken by someone who is the "gardener" for a rental property a block away.  He put it firmly into the flower bed at a neighbour's house.  When we managed to talk to the neighbour, she gave it back to us right away.  We're still puzzled as to how someone decided to take it in the first place, but at least it's home (and inside our fenced yard) now.

Three Ply...on Amazon!

A while back, I published an eBook on Ravelry called Three Ply.  It's a sweet combo for summer: three smaller knitting patterns, plus short stories that link up with all three.  The patterns are also all for sale separately: The Hole Inside Mitts, Riverbend Garden Hat, and Knitting for Mother Earth Cowl.  However, I didn't really have the time or wherewithal to launch the eBook more widely...until I read, recently, that some designers were selling their work on Amazon.

Summer's both crazy busy with activities and also?  A little bit quiet at work some days.  So, I went to Amazon to try it out, and suddenly....Three Ply was available for pre-order!

I'm excited!  The launch date is Friday, July 19th. If you order now, it will show up on your Kindle then, just in time for summer weekend reading.  I hope you're sitting outside in the shade with a tall cool drink....knitting away...and maybe, just maybe, reading your new copy of Three Ply.

Snow time is here

Everything takes twice as long when it gets cold out. (Think 0F or -20C.  Nippy.)
Car has to be scrapped off or snow removed. (no garage)  Kids need parkas and boots, etc.  Dog walks become opportunities to bundle up.  However, we also have opportunities to just hang out together inside. 

One of my twins feels that "playing quietly" is an important Canadian cultural activity and he featured it in his recent school presentation.  (I tend to agree...which is why I knit and spin. Hint: I love playing quietly!)

We recently had a cold go around the household and plenty of time to sit on the couch and sniffle. I broke out (wild mom that I am) and insisted we go to Canadian Tire yesterday to buy a new non-skid bath mat.  We could not all agree on the frog and snail one, so we got a plain one too.  Twins got so out of hand debating which one went best in our claw foot tub that we had to leave.

Later, I returned with only one twin to purchase a $10 non-skid rug for the front hall. (Everything takes twice as long this time of year, with twins, and winter, and holiday shopping crowds.  Yup. Deep breath, anyone?!) 
I love our hard woods but cannot keep up with the paw prints and boot melt every time we step inside.  I came down the stairs and found this. Sadie, our new dog, is very active, but apparently this boot mat absolutely meets with her approval!

She did eventually move.  You can see a pile of quick to knit woollies on the side table there, including a Riverbend Garden Hat or two.

Kid sweaters have been in heavy rotation here.  On Track is particularly popular and has been a big seller on Ravelry so far as well...you could definitely knit one as a present pretty quickly, too.

I haven't made any big plans for pattern sales yet.  Is anyone waiting for one? (Do tell me, so I take time to set one up?!)

However, if you're looking to support women entrepreneurs, I know of a really special holiday shopping guide.  In fact, I chose to include my downloadable design pattern sales in it. 

I generally believe in making, not buying, but...we don't make everything.  So, please check this out!:
 I'm proud to be part of the 2nd Annual #ShopWithHer Holiday Shopping Guide produced by Spotlight: Girls.  Get your copy and support women-owned businesses this holiday season. 
Available Black Friday - http://go.spotlightgirls.com/shopwithher-holiday-shopping-women-entrepreneurs-artists-2018

Yak down and Dog training

 I've finished the tunic I was making for myself and am on to using some delicious Reywa Fibers Embrace yak down dk weight yarn that my brother-in-law and sister-in-law got me...a long time ago.  It will likely become a textured wrap design...and if you are at all interested in test knitting it and posting a project on Ravelry, do let me know! 

Knitting (and anything else that requires sitting down) has taken a back seat to some intense amounts of dog training.  Sadie is bright, eager, and active...and young.  She's also still forced to be on a leash for perhaps another week because she just got spayed.  She needs lots of exercise (we're doing three walks a day) and practice at following obedience commands, not tugging on her leash, not jumping--and being by herself.  If we do it right, she is happy to rest quietly indoors when we're done.

We've also had a big spate of "lost and found" problems here.  The blue Riverbend Garden Hat got left at school until I insisted on going through the very stinky lost and found bin by myself one last time.  HURRAY! We found it--but boy did it need a wash!

Then, it got warm out yesterday and this sweater did not make it home...we're still looking for that, we think maybe it got left on the school bus.

Finally, my professor headed out the door to administer a final exam (it's called "invigilate" an exam in Canada, as compared to "proctor" in the US) and discovered he'd lost his car keys.  He had them last night.  I have walked the neighborhood looking for them, and now I'm going to do more intensive searching in the house.  We seem to be losing things at an alarming rate here.

And this is why one occasionally needs exotic, sustainably raised yak down to knit, and enthusiastic young dogs--it keeps me from feeling discouraged!!

Some updated listings

It's so dark this time of year!  I try to spend a lot of time enjoying the bright mid-day light (when it happens) and seeking out lots of color, images, and ideas.  I have just been notified that Loveknitting.com has updated the listings of a few of my patterns there.  Here are some pictures and links.  The Hole Inside Mitts come in nearly every size one might need and has a short story included!  Available here on Loveknitting.com or on Ravelry. 

Another story + pattern is Riverbend Garden Hat, and this one is also sized for everybody.  Hat and mitt patterns are still well within reach for holiday gift giving, particularly if you have a chunk of time for knitting. You can check out this pattern here at Loveknitting and also, on Ravelry.

Some people love a textured mitt, and last year for Valentine's, I released the Thump Thump Mitts.  The striated texture reminded me of heart muscle. Here's a link to more info on Rav about these mitts--they too are available in lots of sizes.

Last but not least in my "flood a cloudy snowy day with happy knitting pictures" is the Undertow Hat.  This is very quick indeed and also available in lots of sizes.  Read more on Ravelry here.
This time of year, I am very grateful for wool and its warming qualities --and lots of it! 
More than once recently, I've been asked about why I pair writing articles with knitwear design.  The short answer is that knitwear design is creative, but also very stimulating detailed math and technical writing.  It serves an important function, too.  It keeps people warm and comfortable, as it has done for hundreds of years, as well as allowing smart people the opportunity to create their own clothing.  It's clothing that fits properly, exactly sized rather than mass-produced...and tailored to our tastes and needs. 

Often, this comment (about why I do this kind of design) is paired with some sort of belittling statement. I am lucky though--I had a strong liberal arts education.  Good education and flexibility allow us to do different kinds of work, and I'm grateful I have this opportunity to diversify my work life.  Also, as the person belittles me, I sometimes look at his/her clothing. I rarely see something handmade at that moment.  In our busy society, handmade often means one is wealthy, or that someone really loves you.  I focus on the latter.  It allows me to move along quickly, think of that love I've given and received, and I try not to say anything I'll regret later--because I know that a handknit item from someone you love is a precious thing.

in process

 The last few weeks have been a blur.  We've had an amazing, sunshine-filled three day weekend, which was such a crazy comparison to last year's Victoria Day.  Last year, it rained, sleeted and snowed--I remember clearly because we shot the photos for the Riverbend Garden Hat  during a cloudy moment without rain and both my twins were freezing!

We've been busy with grilling and eating outside, tricycle riding, a trip to the zoo to see the dinosaur exhibit (very fun, but also a little scary) and other good weather excitements.

I'm slowly working on another design--here are some blurry, 'in process' shots.  Stay tuned!

I've also been writing regularly for the local Jewish Post & News, but have found it hard to post those articles here.  Here's one of my recent columns--but you have to scroll down to page 21 to find it!

The other thing is a bit more daunting and less sunny, as we are dealing with a whole new round of medical appointments and check-ups.  Nobody is dying, nothing life-threatening, but I have been spending a lot of time trying to figure out "the system" to address everybody in the family's needs lately.  Whole days seem to drift by and I haven't even gotten to my computer to write, or to knit at all, or...much of anything.  It's hard to be zen about this time sink but I know that these issues are important.  (and twins are much more likely to have health or developmental concerns, it's par for the course.)

In order to cheer myself along, I'm running a sale.  I love it when I know my sale has allowed someone else to afford a pattern, jump into knitting or learning a new thing --all for the price of a cup of fancy coffee... and of course, the small amount I earn allows for extras at our house.  (Extras might include...a gift for the Professor's birthday in June, a chance to have take-out for dinner, or even an extra sack of beans for the Winnipeg Harvest bin... all things that make me feel better about spending my time on the phone dealing with referrals..)

So, I'll let you in on the sale:
I have a 20% off sale going on for all my Ravelry patterns, including my eBook: Three Ply, until June 1st. (ends at midnight, CT)  The coupon code is:

Cankal2016

This sale is to support the Canada KAL, which features Canadian designs and designers.  Learn more here, in the designed in Canada forum on Rav.

Thanks so much for visiting the blog and checking out my work!
 (and stay tuned for a new design--a quick project on the needles never hurts morale either!)

Cold Snap-a sale!

It's been genuinely chilly here the last few days.  (-40 windchills) Plus, we've been fighting a cold virus in the family; it's slowly making the rounds. One or two of us are sick at a time, which means that I've had several quality days at home with somebody sitting on the couch, watching kids' programming on PBS and CBC... but that's not all bad.

First, both twins suddenly made this huge connection... their Daddy (aka the Professor on this blog) is a scientist, and on an episode of Sid the Science Kid, they learned about how scientists use computers to do science and send emails reporting on their findings.  Whew, that suddenly explained why Daddy uses his computer all the time!  Pretty cool stuff to ponder when you are four and sick on the couch with a cold.  We experimented with an iPad later; we sent an email and watched it arrive, imagining it flying invisibly through the air.  Wow. Magic.

Second, I got to do a lot of productive knitting.  When I might normally have gone out to buy a birthday present for a friend of theirs or rummaged among our special home gift box, instead I stayed home and made a hat.  I used this pattern, but revised it to suit a girl who likes purple and flowers.  The crocheted flower rosettes were actually not made by me, either!  Long ago, I got them in a stash exchange, a half finished project was included.  This was some creative re-use!  Here's the project page on Ravelry.

NOTE: no preschooler noticed the photo shoot, was harmed in any way,  or even asked to move from his comfy spot while modelling any of this. :)

The skein of Quince & Co. Puffin yarn was really lovely stuff to work with, and I thoroughly enjoyed knitting up a second hat to be donated to a newcomer to Canada who might need woollies this winter. Information on creating a liner for the hat are included in these Ravelry project notes , these big stitches will not keep out prairie winds on their own!

Playing with this yarn made me realize that it would also work really well for Over, my new sweater pattern.  (Alas, with the current Canadian dollar exchange rate, I'm probably not going to be able to swing that, but another good Lopi yarn substitute might be  Briggs and Little Super here in Canada.

I also sent out a newsletter this week to my mailing list...(want to sign up?  Check out the sidebar to the right of this text on the blog)
and I included a little sale information.

I'm having a January sale.  Use this coupon code:
Cold Snap

and get 20% off of any of my Rav patterns or my eBook until the end of January.  Happy knitting!  Happy winter!  Now you can enjoy the sale too!

Oh...and don't forget!  Please remember to register if you'd like to learn to spin on Sunday, January 24th, here in Winnipeg.  I can't wait to meet you and spin with you!

Wovember's sale

Well, I think this month deserves celebrating.  Have you heard of Wovember?  Last year, I signed up to get little emails from this site that celebrates wool all throughout November. It sure made my month more fun, and I even managed to contribute a little.   There were fun songs, photos, and ideas that even my preschoolers enjoyed.

 So, this year, I decided to support the effort.  I wanted to have a pattern sale for the month....and I reflected.  What should be in the sale?  How about the things I've designed since last Wovember?
Distal,
The Hole Inside Mitts,
Knitting for Mother Earth Cowl,
Riverbend Garden Hat and Over.

Wow, look at that--I knit every single one of them in 100% wool...and, I've done 5 designs in the last year!  All good.

So, here's the sale information.  Use the coupon code:
Wov2015 on Ravelry to purchase any of these patterns, and you'll receive 20% off in November. If you should want more than one of these?  Feel free to use that coupon more than once.

Happy Wool!  It's coming on towards winter here, and you'll be needing it!

New Pattern and new eBook!

Here's a portion of what's been going on behind the scenes here!  This announcement will hopefully be going out as a press release today...and these have already been (quietly) launched on Ravelry, too!

Introducing a new Yarn Spinner Story + Pattern --Riverbend Garden Hat. The new Yarn Spinner Story + Pattern series allows readers who knit (or knitters who read) two pleasures at once: downloadable short fiction on Ravelry, accompanied by a pattern that stands on its own. This is a sweet combination for thinking knitters, particularly ones using a tablet or smartphone.

An adult learns his mother’s biggest secret.

Riverbend Garden: A Love Story, features a middle-aged man as he rediscovers the familiar is not what it seems. A mid-20^th century teacher, a loving mother, serious gardener and knitter, Dickie’s mom lived an unremarkable, but lonely life. Yet, she has time for one last story; of a dappled river bend garden, an empty marriage, a widowhood, and a student whose love transforms all boundaries.

This story pairs with a hat to fit everyone, from a small child to a grown man. It’s a fast project; knit with super bulky or a doubled worsted yarn. Make an extra to keep others warm; Dickie’s mama would want you to pass one on.

Want more stories?

Three Ply, the first Yarn Spinner Story+ Pattern eBook, is now available for Ravelry download!  It includes three patterns, for a hat, mittens and a cowl, and three stories: Riverbend Garden, as well as The Hole Inside and Knitting for Mother Earth. All three patterns are also available individually for download on Ravelry.

The Hole Inside offers unrequited love from an independent knitter. On a business trip, she’s invited to a knitting group. Settle into a coffee, a college town, and an unsettling surprise from the past.

-Paired with a stranded mitten pattern in 7 sizes, from 2-4 years to XXL

Knitting for Mother Earth catches a young woman on a commuter train. She alerts a fellow passenger to potential danger…and in the aftermath of attempted terrorism, builds a strong bond through knitting.

-Paired with a super bulky cowl pattern, ideal for hand dyed or handspun one-of-a-kind skeins.

If you'd like to check out this new eBook deal right away, click on that "buy now" link, below!  ($15 for three stories + patterns--a discount of more than 25% off the price of the individual patterns.)
As always, thanks for checking out my new design. :) Joanne