An update

Greetings!  It's been too long since I updated this blog...I've had a hard time keeping up.  Here are some details about things that I've done, umm, in the last few months!  The Manitoba Craft Museum and Library has put the Accessibility for Pattern Makers and Users event online for anyone who might be interested in viewing it. (Bonus, you can knit or spin or whatever while watching the talk!)  I've been doing some occasional blog posts for Winnipeg Sews, too.  This is a great local sewing studio where both my kids have had successful sewing lessons...culminating in making pj bottoms. I'm continuing to write for the Vancouver Jewish Independent as well as doing occasional pieces elsewhere.  I wrote a piece on dyslexia, Fight for the Right to Read, for the Winnipeg Free Press in October.

I'm participating, again, the Fasten Off Yarn Along this year.  This is a great opportunity to get knitting and crochet patterns at a discount, as well as to socialize and knit/crochet along with others in an accessible environment.  All my patterns on Payhip and Ravelry are on sale for 25% off through December 8th at midnight with this coupon code: FO2023

(This is a pretty darn good deal and a fun event.)

What am I making/knitting/spinning these days?  Well, I've finally admitted to myself that I was just too overwhelmed with the household renovation and other obligations to turn out patterns this past year.  I decided 'sabbatical' might be the best term for what I've been on.  I've been at this for about 20 years, more or less, in terms of writing fiber publications and designs, it is ok to take breaks.  So I am knitting but using up stash and turning out things like this funny Snail Hat (A classic Elizabeth Zimmerman design) instead.

We've also finished up the renovations 'to paste our house back together' for now.  Does this mean it is all fixed?  Not really...but things are finally stable, the plumbing and electricity work, the holes are plugged up.  It means we'll save up and take time off for now. 

It may seem small, but part of 'getting back to normal' means emptying more boxes. Some of our moving boxes have not been emptied due to all the construction, some furniture needs to be moved.. and after a year, it's time.  I do a little every day, when I can manage, and twins and the Professor help on weekends.  Last weekend, I put our nice dishes away in our breakfront for the third time. (Yes, I tried twice before, but had to move them each time due to construction.)  I also managed to unpack some family china.  This box had been packed for our move from Kentucky to Canada in 2009 and now, it has a safe place and it's all finally out of the box...and the enormous china box is no longer in the living room. This is both a frivolous thing and also, well, a reassuring step towards making order in our house again.  

 

Remember the sale! Please check it out if you're interested.  There's still time to download a pattern.  Join in and make something with your hands during a stressful time.

Wishing you everything good.

Accessibility for Pattern Makers and Users

 On Wednesday, August 23rd, at 6pm at the Manitoba Craft Museum and Library in Winnipeg, I am teaching about low vision accessible patterns, accessibility and how to make patterns more accessible.  This workshop is for knitting and crochet designers (and anyone who writes instructions for makers) as well as for those who are seeking more accessible and inclusive patterns.  There is no “one size fits all” but there are so many ways to be more inclusive.  Come explore this topic with me! 

No more bandwidth?

You may wonder where I've been.  The answer would be, umm, completely overwhelmed with moving and all it entails!  Also, the “new” house needs quite a bit more work, so we are living in a construction zone.  Not a noisy "disrupt the neighbours" or 24 hour highway construction zone, but the kind that slowly and steadily has now lasted a year and now, in this phase, involves a lot of demolition.  Here is a shot of our kitchen, halfway through being gutted, a couple days ago.  Note the ugly ancient carpet that was found under the island, (why?!) and our dog in the shot, she sticks close by all the time right now.  This stuff is nerve-wracking at times.

Also anxiety producing?  Having freezing pipes, a half demolished kitchen, and a wall without a proper support beam in place.  So, yeah, we're getting a new kitchen that we hadn't bargained for...one without an enormous island.  (Yes, I want a kitchen table in the kitchen.  I'm so retro.)  In the end though, it will be warmer and safer too, so that's a bonus!

Our temporary kitchen is inside of a first floor powder room, which will eventually be a half-bath again.  It was originally part of a servants' staircase and was seriously under-insulated.  This meant the pipes froze there too with some frequency.  We're revisiting that lack of insulation now while we wash dishes.  Glad it is only November and not too cold yet.  It's really good news that this old house was built in a sturdy way in the beginning, it's lived through some badly done renovations in the past, and now we get to help fix it all.

In the midst of all this, I'm juggling some new part-time work, some older freelance commitments, and of course, the care and feeding of my twins, who are very busy being in grade 6. Just today, I started volunteering at my kids'  elementary school with grade 1 kids in the bilingual program, too. It was a fun afternoon. 

So of course, I wasn't busy enough? ...so I signed up for an event!  I am participating again as a designer in the Fasten Off Yarn-a-long.  What's this?  Well, it's a way to buy lots of knitting patterns, on sale, from November 25th until December 8th.  It's also a way to participate in a yarn-along (knitting and crochet) event, even if you can't participate on Ravelry.  My patterns on Payhip and my Ravelry patterns are all on sale for 25% off with the coupon code: FO2022.

There are also games to participate in, a Discord channel, and more.  The good news is that it's a sale with over 100 designers participating!  Lots of exciting designs to explore and enjoy.  Learn more at www.fastenoffyal.com and have fun!

New Pattern! Veecardi McStrippit

 

After a long incubation period, I introduce you to...Veecardi McStrippit, my new design! This textured cardigan pattern is knit in seven pieces and is available in 7 sizes, from 33-53". There is also a Low Vision Accessible version available.  Check it out on Ravelry, Payhip (both of these sites have a Low Vision option) and coming soon...on Lovecrafts (no Low Vision option there, the platform doesn't support it).

To celebrate this new design and the start of school summer vacation here, I'm also having a sale.  Get 20% off all my designs on Ravelry or Payhip  until July 5th, (ends midnight, CT) with the coupon code:

SUMMER

And now...I'm going to photo bomb the blog just the way Sadie the dog did during this cardigan's photo shoot!  Enjoy!

Housekeeping and hibernation

It seems a little like we've been in an endless loop of very cold days (Think: -30C/-25F, for many days in a row) and then there is a little warm up and a big snowfall.  It's great for the drought Manitoba has had, but it's also been somewhat hard to get through.  I find it hard to exercise when the air is so cold and the sidewalks aren't plowed...and both have been a recurring theme this year.

Some of my hibernation time has been spent on housekeeping.  I realized that some of my older knitting patterns, available for download on Lovecrafts.com, Ravelry and Payhip...were still priced at US$4.  Alas, prices for everything in life have gone up.  So, I spent some time raising those to an even $5.  While the price increase seems small, it may mean the difference between buying a fancy coffee...or not.  When I get back to going out and buying those coffees?  Yes, I think my work is worth that.  So, you can find the Molly Baby Socks, the I'll Pack a Hat (links to Ravelry) and others still around for sale on Payhip and Lovecrafts if you want a quick knit this winter.

The sunlight has been bright and cheering though, which is helpful.  The light in my office has been sort of blinding.  Here's a shot of me, wearing the Lattice Embrace

 sweater as I leaned over my computer.  I've been trying to get back into my work routine...delayed for weeks after a longer than usual school winter break, but I have fewer gigs right now, too. (Thanks Pandemic)  If you've been looking to work with me for writing, editing or design...or even teaching a workshop - don't hesitate to let me know!

I've been doing some spinning (this is Clun Forest wool on the left and Polwarth on the right, waiting for its bath to set the twist...) and taking time to be with my family.  At these very cold temperatures, we're not doing a lot of playing outdoors, so we've come up with some fun new projects inside.

There's been a lot of playing with stuffies and legos and playmobil, listening to audio books, and dreaming of warmer weather and picnics to come.  We've also had the opportunity to buy a Spinolution wheel--the Echo-- second hand, and it's just the right size for a kid to learn to spin on a wheel. I've been doing some lowkey coaching, he already knows how to spin on a spindle, but the hands and feet coordination takes time to learn. It reminded me of how much I loved to teach beginners, pre-pandemic! 

This is most of the February news from here.  Sending you this bit of peaceful domesticity...I can't lie.  I've thought a lot about what peaceful protest looks like-not what we've seen (or the honking heard) in Canada of late- and worrying about the safety of Ukrainians and their democracy.  There is not a lot I can do from here...but we continue to celebrate science, try to take care of each other, and continue making and doing until things finally warm up. We're staying hopeful and looking forward to spring, summer, and those hot weather days outdoors. 

Sale!!

 Big sale!  All my patterns on  Ravelry and on Payhip are on sale!

The sale starts today, November 30th, at 9pm ET and ends at midnight ET on December 6th.  Use this coupon code to get 25% off!

FO2021

Also, please feel free to join in with the Fasten Off YAL to chat on discord, earn prizes, and more!  This is an accessible event, which is why you can gain access to the whole sale and event without using Ravelry, it offers lots of accessible patterns and web options, too.

Enjoy! (And I would be so grateful if you wanted to check out my designs, we just replaced our boiler cause uhh, the old one died, we needed heat and winter is here!  Every download counts!)

Lattice Embrace

I'm excited to report -- I'm finally getting back to publishing knitting designs.  Or maybe, to be clear, two designs. The first has been launched today and is an asymmetrical cardigan called “Lattice Embrace.” It's a bulky, easy knit, and yes, it's a way for me to send 'a hug' to knitters!  That's how this sweater feels to me. I knit it and took notes while remote schooling twins last year, and now that they are back in school in person, I've been able to focus on writing it up.

This design’s now available for download on Ravelry, Payhip and Lovecrafts.com.  

Note: If you’re looking for a Low Vision Accessible version of the pattern, that's available on Payhip and Ravelry.

Just making this leap back into focused work has been exciting. I found I lost concentration when it came to helping 4th graders and couldn't do the math needed to grade sizes while juggling everything during the pandemic. This sweater includes sizing from 36-64” and that is a lot of spreadsheet work!  I'm looking forward to seeing how this design makes its way into the world. I love seeing knitters’ work and interpretations of these designs.

I'll also be participating again in the Fasten Off Yarn-Along this year.  This event starts at the end of November and includes a hefty discount for the first week for those buying patterns.  I will pass along the secret code closer to the time.  

If you happen to worry about wool moths, my article on that appears in the Winter 21/22 issue of Vogue Knitting! (I was pretty stoked to be included in an issue with such a famous knitter on the cover.) I also continue to write a column here for the Vancouver Jewish Independent as well…but it’s not always on knitting or fibre arts topics… That’s most of the news for now!  

 

Esme McStrippit and other news

We've been busy indoors this winter.  First off, kids have been growing so I knit a new kid sweater.  He then posed, with great joy, and I had to pass it along to everyone else to enjoy.  He's sporting a one-of-a-kind handknit by Mommy striped sweater made of plotulopi (Icelandic, unspun yarn) and seems delighted by it. This twin is particular about his sweaters so I'm relieved that this seems to have been a home run!

The kids have been learning at home, doing remote school since the end of October.  This involves a lot of reading time, and we seem to have also trained Sadie the dog into enjoying reading time as well.
While I'm helping kids learn through a pandemic, I've had a slow down in terms of articles coming out... but this piece ran in the Jewish Independent on January 15th: 

Kindness a blessing to share

During the first few days of January, I managed to make this wool tweed vest using a fabric remnant from Fabcycle in Vancouver.  I was thrilled to use up deadstock fabric and this has been a great additional winter layer so far.  (plus, it has a pocket, and I can never have enough of those!)

The kids added to their 'learn to sew' samplers with a 'here's how to do a running stitch' lesson.  I hadn't been pushing these lessons until one day, one of my boys started to cry because we weren't having enough sewing and art lessons.  Well, OK then!  Happy to oblige...!

Last, but certainly not least, I have finally (FINALLY!) released a new knitting pattern.  Hallelujah.  It took me long enough!

This is called Esme McStrippit and when I uploaded it onto Ravelry, I discovered it was my 80th pattern there.  In honour of this new pattern, I'm celebrating with a sale.  Get 20% off all my patterns!  This sale is happening on Ravelry  and on Payhip and ends on Tuesday, January 26th, at midnight, Central Time, US&Canada.

Use the coupon code:

Esme

For the 20% off discount!

Here are some of the shots of the sweater--the one shot with me in it was taken by a kid, too!
 

Fasten Off Yarn Along!

It's been a while since I participated in a knitting pattern event or sale of any kind.  I'm busy helping kids learn at home, fitting in work when I can, and dealing with the noise and disruption of an infill construction project near my house and well, all the pandemic stuff.  Heck, I haven't even published much in the way of new patterns this year, although I now have 65 patterns newly available on Payhip!

 -Like many, I haven't been a fan of Ravelry's revamp -- it has big accessibility issues.  So, when I heard that there was an event with many off-Ravelry, accessible options for knitters/crocheters/yarnies to enjoy, I decided to join in...so here's more information! 

Note: Even the coupon code alludes to this crazy year we've been having...let's open up that window and say goodbye to 2020!

I am honoured to be participating this year in the FastenOff YAL!

This is inclusive stitch-a-long event to showcase independent crochet and knitting designers.

It starts tomorrow and it comes with a big sale!

Get 25% off all my indie patterns from November 25 through December 5th! This sale includes all of my patterns and my ebook on both Ravelry and Payhip with the coupon code:

FO2020

You can learn more about participating in lots of ways!

Note: Even if you don’t feel like participating, please feel free to enjoy the sale and share the discount code!
Thanks for checking this out!!
On Twitter
On Instagram
On a discussion forum on Discord--information here on how to join

and on this super helpful website.

As always, thanks for checking out my designs.  Please enjoy the sale!

Behind the scenes

A while back, my professor husband made a prediction about when things would be shutting down again in Manitoba, and well, he was right.  

I took it to heart and began to rush, and a few days ago, I got a lot more patterns up online on Payhip.  At this point, 57 of my designs are available via Payhip, as well as on Lovecrafts and Ravelry.  This isn't quite all of them, but it's the majority.

It was also a really nice opportunity for me to revisit some of my older designs.  This is the Scarf Cowl-ideal for any weight yarn from lace to DK, and perfect for a beginning knitter or someone who needs some mindless garter stitch.

These are the Knitted Napkins.   In a time when we're all staying home a bit more, it can be nice to make mealtimes look nicer....and cut down on disposable napkin waste.  I was surprised to see this download recently purchased by a knitter, it reminded me about the pattern, which I think may have been first published in 2009.

I also wrote a column for the Jewish Independent, and it went live on Friday here.  It's about the mortality 'wake up call' that the pandemic presents to us...it's both scary, and also a reminder to seize the day. 

We've been outside in the snow...more than once this October.

 

We've eaten more than our share of sweet potato pie, apple crumble with pomegranate seeds (and frozen yogurt!) and more...

We've also returned to remote learning at our house for a bit, so things have been busy.  However, we've had time to play in the snow, make and eat fancy desserts, and create special 'jet packs' for our stay-at-home Halloween superhero.  There's less time for work, but more time for everything else-which makes our pandemic experience much like everybody else's, I suppose.

Mari Mitts- a new pattern!

I am so pleased to announce this new knitting pattern--finally! Yes, this is the first one released since January...there were some delays.  Many thanks to the tech editor and test knitter who pushed me onwards, and all those who encouraged me.

I am so proud of this design.  First, the Mari Mitts were a design collaboration between me and one of my twins this spring...we needed whimsy. We needed cheerful distraction.  AND, apparently, my kid needed a THUMB RING like Mommy or Aunt Jen wears sometimes.  On his mitts.  Of course!

Second, this this my first pattern that I published with a Low Vision Accessible pdf option from the first.  This means that it's accessible to those who are vision-impaired, too. It takes more time to do this but it's the right thing to do when I can...  It's worth it.

Here they are!  Just in time, as we had a dusting of snow last night in Winnipeg.

Here's an antidote to dark days ahead..

Inspired by a Marimekko fabric print, these mittens have polka dot whimsy with a thumb ring flourish. This unisex stranded pattern has two sizes, Child’s Large/Women’s Small and Women’s Medium/Large. This includes both a chart and a written instructions. This warm mitten works up quickly in three colors, with US size 3 (3.25mm) and 6 (4mm) double pointed needles at 5 stitches to the inch. Any worsted or aran weight yarn that works to gauge is a good match; yardage varies according to mitten size chosen. Ideal for an advanced beginner or intermediate knitter, this is simple stranded knitting, with only two colors per round. Mari Mitts are ideal for those new to stranded knitting or for the stranded knitting knitter who is new to mitten patterns. 

I used Aran weight yarns: Briggs & Little Tuffy, Lett-Lopi and my own handspun gray Cotswold (from Manitoba sheep!), red medium wool, and naturally black Manitoba alpaca. 

The pattern costs $6 and is available on Lovecrafts.com, in my Payhip store and on Ravelry.  Please check it out!