A couple of months ago we spent a weekend in Whistler. I was working against pattern deadlines and brought my computer, yarn and needles with me. I spent most of my time writing patterns, charting stitch patterns and swatching new ideas for upcoming submissions. It was actually a very enjoyable weekend!

The weather was really mild and we went for a walk on one of the walking paths through the woods.

I was so immersed in my charts that when I saw these road signs, I read them as left and right-slanting decreases. You can see that Devan wasn’t particularly thrilled to be asked to stand beside the sign. That’s what life is like with a knitting absorbed mother!

I’ve been working on back to back submissions that had to be knit and written up for magazines later this year. For a while there I had lovely piles of fibre-liscious garments lying around. I’m astounded with how much I can produce in a relatively short period of time.

The sad part about these submissions is that I don’t get to keep the garments.

I’ll be able to tell you more about three of them in June. They’ll be in the same publication.

I’ve discovered that I just don’t blog well (or, at all) when I’m working on big projects with deadlines. The challenge with design submissions is that I don’t always know when I’ll be busy.

This last project I was working on was a scheduling surprise for me. I had submitted the design last summer for a 2011 winter issue and I heard from the publisher in March of this year. The project will hit the newsstands this coming Fall. It’s nice to know they hang on to good designs and will put them in subsequent issues.

Photography © Paul Amato for lvarepresents.com © 2011 SoHo Publishing Company

My ribbed cardigan design is in the Winter issue of Knit Simple which is on the newsstands now. I’m so excited that it’s the first featured pattern in the magazine.

The publishers sent me some decadent, Baby Alpaca Chunky (by Cascade Yarns) for the project. I loved it which is why I’m so disappointed that I don’t get to keep the sweater. I wonder what the Vogue Knitting people do with all of the designs from the past issues of all of their magazines and books. Hmmm, makes you wonder …

Highlights of this cardigan include the varying ribs starting with a deep hem of 1 x 1 rib, followed by a 1 x 3 rib through the waist and finally a 1 x 7 rib across the bodice. Waist shaping is achieved not with the ribbing—because the alpaca doesn’t have enough elasticity and memory—but by using progressively smaller and then larger needles. A set of interchangeable needles really comes in handy.

Originally I designed the sweater to have a standing high collar. Because I was given the alpaca I knew it wouldn’t have the strength to stay up so I adapted the front bands so the collar could flop open and the selvage would be enclosed. It looks great both buttoned up and open which makes the sweater all the more versatile. I love this technique and I’m sure I’ll use it again.

When knitting with alpaca it’s important to knit a sizable gauge swatch and then hang it to dry after soaking and squeezing out the water in a towel. Alpaca’s a dense fibre and it will stretch while you wear it. By blocking your swatch in this manner you’ll get a good sense of how much it will stretch. Don’t forget to measure it before and after blocking!

If you’re not using alpaca you might need to add a little length to the body and sleeves. Check out this design on Ravelry to add it to your “faves” or “queue.”

Photography © Rose Callahan © 2012 Sixth&Spring Books/Knitting Fever, Inc

I’m so excited to finally be able to share with you one of my new designs. These entrelac mittens are included in a new Vogue Knitting publication called Knit Noro: Accessories that was released last week.

Photography © Rose Callahan © 2012 Sixth&Spring Books/Knitting Fever, Inc

I’m so pleased with how these mittens turned out. As you can see, they are comprised of giant entrelac blocks of colour. The thumb and gusset grow naturally out of the centre of one of the diamonds. There are only eight entrelac diamond shapes and two triangles in one mitten. They knit up in no time.

Photography © Rose Callahan © 2012 Sixth&Spring Books/Knitting Fever, Inc

The Kureyon is always a pleasure to knit with as each colour slowly evolves into another colour. It’s hard to put the needles down. Be sure to soak your mittens before blocking them. The yarn blooms and softens and is ever so much more beautiful.

Pattern: Entrelac Mittens
Publication: Knit Noro: Accessories: 30 Colorful Little Knits
Publisher: Sixth&Spring
Yarn: Noro Kureyon (colourway 256)

I’m excited to be participating in the upcoming Indie Night: a Yarn Sale and Swap that is happening this coming Thursday, September 29 from 6 to 11 p.m. at the Vancouver Alpen Club. I’ll have my full line of patterns available as well as a selection of kits.

Hosted by Knit Social, the Indie Night event is a sale especially for fibre enthusiasts where you’ll see favourite local hand dyers, spinners and designers. There will be raffles, a free yarn swap table and the Click for Babies charity will be accepting donations of purple baby hats. Admission is $5 which includes $2 off of a beer at the Alpen Club.

Full details available on the Knit Social website.

Indie Night: a Yarn Sale and Swap
September 29, 6 to 11 p.m.
at the Vancouver Alpen Club
4875 Victoria Dr just north of 33rd Ave
Admission $5

I’ve been putting my purchase to good use on a new glove design I’m getting ready to release. I usually don’t look forward to the fingers when I’m knitting gloves but with these needles it’s been a pleasure.

Just look at how pretty my needles are—lovely, colourful stripes of laminated birch wood. The tips have a gradual taper into a sharp point which is particularly handy when picking up stitches between fingers and working decreases. Even though the tips are sharp and made of wood, they are also sturdy—I don’t feel like I’m going to snap them off.

I usually recommend going up a needle size when working the fingers or thumb on gloves and mittens because our tendency is to tension the yarn a little tighter when there are fewer sts on the needles. I found with these needles I’m going up two sizes.

My only criticism is that the needle doesn’t taste good. Now it’s not like I chew away on my needles, but I have been know to pop the empty needle in my mouth to hold it as I’m counting or adjusting sts.

I don’t know if it’s appropriate to be so vocal about loving one of your own designs or not. I’ve designed very few adult-sized sweaters and this one has taken my breath away.

It’s a must have. Since the magazine keeps the sweater that means I need to lay my hands on some affordable chunky alpaca. For the sample, I used Cascade Baby Alpaca Chunky which performed admirably. I’m curious to knit it out of the same again to see how it holds up to wear. I’m always cold in the winter, so it would be nice to be cozy in an alpaca sweater.

Keep your eyes on the lookout for the Winter 2011 edition of Knit Simple. I can’t provide any more specific details until it hits the newsstand.

I was so excited when I discovered that Knit Noro Accessories is available for pre-order on Amazon. This was my first submission project of the year that I alluded to earlier. It will be published early in 2012. Although it won’t be ready for Christmas, it would make a great post-Christmas present for yourself. Then treat yourself by working on one of the projects … maybe mine!

My entrelac mittens will make the perfect accessory to knit as we move into the colder winter months. Just in case you want to have the yarn lined up, you’ll need two balls of Kureyon.

When we moved 1 1/2 years ago, you may recall that all of my workshop samples went missing. They never showed up and it breaks my heart every time I think of all the samples, Addi Turbo needles and finished items that are lost. I had everything I needed for each workshop conveniently kitted up together.

For the past couple weeks, I’ve been having fun recreating all of the swatches for Strategies of Knitting with Self-Patterning Sock Yarns. It’s reminded me all over again about what a great workshop this is. I’ve made samples to illustrate what works and what doesn’t work when using these yarns. I leave nothing to the imagination so you can get great results from the yarn. That class is on Monday, August 1st.

I’m teaching many more classes, so check them out on the RCY website. Be sure to look at both the July and August calendars to see them all.

Later in August (Friday, the 12th) I’m also teaching in Gibsons on the Sunshine Coast. There’s a new yarn shop there called Unwind Knit & Fibre Lounge and I’ll be teaching two workshops that day.

Yesterday my husband told me that some bike stands downtown have been yarn bombed. I love that he thought of me when he saw them.

Check it out. They are on Dunsmuir St near Granville.