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.

Sale!

For Knitters...(my fiber tribe!):
There's a great knit-along/crochet-along, once a year, to celebrate knitwear designers in Canada.  I'm thrilled to be a small part of it.  I've donated a few patterns as prizes--to be given away to lucky winners!  Also...
In celebration of the CANADA KAL/CAL 2017, It's 20% off on all my Ravelry patterns from now until June 1st.  (Ending at midnight, CT, US & Canada)  Please use the coupon code:
Cankal2017
to get 20% off.
This event offered me the chance to see what I've done, designing-wise, in the past year on Ravelry.
Here are some photos and links to what's new this time around:

 Undertow came out a year ago, and I wore it a lot this winter.  Soft, stretchy, and definitely warm...mine just got a wash so I could tuck it away.  Here's hoping I won't need it til October!

Gigadistal is a super bulky, fast knit, great for combining a couple (or three) strands of yarn.  It is a fun accessory for cooler spring/summer/fall days.  I've worn my sample quite a bit.

 Nanodistal, knit from laceweight linen, is Gigadistal's cousin.  Same rough shape and construction--very different effect!  I wore this even on the hottest day.  It really dresses up loose summer clothing, and I love the drape of linen.

 Plum Ribbed Cardigan is a new release of an older favorite--formerly a Knit Picks exclusive.  This cardigan took me a while to reknit, but once done?  It was so cozy I even wore it to sleep!

Last but not least, the Thump Thump Mittens--textured, stranded knitting with a little red, released in time for Valentine's Day, 2017.

I hope you find something special to enjoy and get 20% off during this sale.  

Thanks, as always, for checking out my designs!

Undertow: a hat for strong currents

You may have guessed that I went on a little trip with my family.  My kids had a (long) school vacation for Passover, so we went to see relatives in Virginia.  It was a big adventure, complete with lots of time with grandparents, family, and friends, and many wonderful excitements:

-Metro rides (DC subway)
-a couple of trips to Ayers Variety & Hardware, an old-fashioned store where you can buy real toys for $5 and under that make for ecstatic little boys.  (a slinky, a toy goat, a plastic box turtle, a toy train...and stickers)
-a trip to West Virginia, to my parents' vacation place, to see real animals like deer, a box turtle, a huge wild turkey....and lots of bugs
-A trip to the farm where I used to volunteer and work: (to see turkeys, geese, sheep, a cow, pigs...etc.) 
-The Smithsonian Natural History Museum
-a carousel
and more.

All on the positive side of the list, including my twins, who wowed all the grown ups at two Passover seders with their firm grasp on what was going on, how it should be done, and why.  (they were astounding.  They have good preschool teachers, that is for sure!)

You may be wondering why I have all these photos here of me wearing a woolly hat.  On the "not so positive" side of the list...it rained nearly the entire time we were in Virginia.  This was good, in a way, to show two little prairie boys what a good spring soaking rain can do.  It was green, it was lush, and there were loads of flowers.  It was also cold and wet.  We had our rain coats, but I longed for a hat. (not packed, alas)

We also had the opportunity to pass along world's longest and crummiest head cold.  It laid the Professor low for 2-3 days at the start of the trip, and I am still trying to get over it.  We also had one unfortunate incident on an airplane due to preschooler motion sickness that required a full change of clothing, right down to the underwear...but these things happen... I digress. Now that I am back home...it's sunny and dry here in Winnipeg, with a high of 31C (high 80sF and beyond) today.

Most people don't launch a woolly hat knitting pattern in springtime, I know.  What can I say?  I like to beat the rush?!  Actually though, if you live in a cooler climate, early mornings and late nights can still be nippy, particularly if you are by the water, or at a sports event, or, like me, just walking the dogs.  Here is a quick to knit burst of lush Merino sweetness (or not Merino, if you choose something else!) and it is sized to fit everybody from preschoolers to an XL Men's size.  Good for a whole crowd of chilly folk.

Undertow: a hat for strong currents

Or, maybe it is good in the not-so-cold climates too.  Next time I go way South, on two airplanes, with a passel of kids and a Professor?  I might just find space for this hat.