Category: WiP Posts

Designing, Patterns Released, WiP Posts

WiP Wednesday 11/21/18, G.A.L., and Happy Thanksgiving!

Heather

Hi!
I have a couple of WiPs I’m working on – I’m working up a set of watch cap hats for a Brioche class I’m teaching in March. I have the adult and the infant done so far – I’ll cast on for the child size in the next day or two. I think I’ll add an adult large as well, although the adult size is nice and stretchy so I might not. We’ll see!

And I have a pair of socks on the needles as well, although these are slow going since they are my ‘waiting room’ and ‘need some knitting handy’ knitting. 🙂 I started these on dpns and just never switched them over to two circs. I don’t mind using dpns – although I do prefer two circulars for knitting socks. I used a german short row heel on these. I’m loving the yarn! (Twisted Owl 2-ply Sock.)

I’m also knitting up swatches for an article I’m writing for the next issue of Cast On magazine. There’s nothing exciting there yet. I’ll be writing two patterns to go along with that article as well.

Speaking of Cast On, did you see the most recent issue? My cabled sweater was published in it! ‘Harmonious Echo Pullover‘.
I’m super happy with how it turned out. I got the sample back a week or two ago and I’ve already worn it twice. 🙂 This was worked in super yummy Miss Babs Yowza in the color Sycamore. I hope you enjoy! It was a labor of love and I put a TON of work into it. 🙂

I recently self-published a few things that had rights reverting back to me: my Quatrefoil Shawl, my Zick Zack Fingerless mitts, and my Wheat Chain socks. I did that because something fun is coming up in a few days and I wanted a few more patterns available …. the Indie Design Gift-A-Long 2018!

This will be my 3rd year as a participating designer in the GAL fun! For the first 7 days there is a sale, but the real fun lasts for all 6 weeks with people knitting and crocheting gifts for prizes. There are all kinds of fun and games going on! You should check it out and join in the fun – I know I will!

That’s it from me for now – I’m finishing up my Thanksgiving cooking (we’re having our big dinner tonight) and I’m ready to eat and watch some holiday movies with my clan. I hope you and yours have a very Happy Thanksgiving!!
Until next time, Happy Knitting! (And don’t eat too much turkey!)

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Teaching, WiP Posts

WiP Wednesday 10/24/18

Heather

Hi all!

I have a few WiPs on the needles this week! I’m still knitting on my Vitamin D cardigan – *almost* done! I need to wind up my last skein in order to finish it, and I just haven’t done that yet. But I have about 4 more rows of the hem to work, and then the neckline pickup and I’ll be done. Of course, I may not feel like wearing a lightweight linen cardigan in the chilly weather we have lately, but at least it’ll be ready for me to wear next spring, right?

(Did I mention how much I love these little buttons??)

I started on another plain vanilla pair of socks to have some ‘on the go’ knitting with me. I started these at the Billy Joel concert we went to a couple of weeks ago (amazing concert!!) and have been working on them here and there when I get a chance. I decided to do a German Short row heel on these. I’m loving the yarn – it’s the special ‘Happy Birthday to Ewe!’ colorway by Twisted Owl – such a happy color!

I have a brioche hat on the needles too, my own design. A brioche class was requested, so I figured I need to polish up my brioche knitting skills and prep a hat pattern to teach during class. I keep ripping it back to the band because I can’t decide on a set of increases/decreases that I like – and that would be easy to teach to beginners. So, it’s a work in progress still. 🙂

So, that’s what I have on the needles this week! The newest issue of Cast On magazine will be coming out very soon, so stay tuned for that (you can finally see my sweater!)

If you’re local and in town this weekend I have a couple of classes on offer at Cheers to Ewe on Saturday – ‘Learn to Fix Your Knitting Mistakes’ and ‘Gauge and Blocking Workshop’ – both are excellent for helping you to be a more confident knitter! Come join me if you can, I’d love to see you there!

Until next time, Happy Knitting!

Designing, Teaching, WiP Posts

WiP Wednesday 9/19/18

Heather

Hi again! Sorry it’s been so long, I’ve been swamped lately!

We survived Hurricane Florence here with no lasting damage – we got about 8″ of rain all told, and some debris in our yard from the wind, and we lost power for about 4 or 5 hours, but that’s about it. Several local roads flooded, but we stayed put until yesterday and most of the flooding has receded. We’re thankful it wasn’t worse for us, and feel badly for the folks at the coast that are still recovering.

I’ve set aside my Vitamin D cardigan, because my design yarn (Miss Babs Yowza – scrumptious!) arrived and I have been hard at work knitting up my cabled cardigan for the next issue of Cast On. I only have about 2 weeks to finish it – I must admit, it’s going to be a tight deadline! I have the back done, and I’m almost done with the front. I’m sure I’ll make the deadline, but it will likely require some late nights!! I don’t want to spoil it too much – but here is a close up of some of the cables:

I had a needle cable break while knitting the back! Thankfully it broke at the end of a row and not in the middle! I contacted ChiaoGoo about it, and they kindly sent me a replacement cable quite quickly. I didn’t lose any knitting time due to the break, since I had extra cables available. (It’s always a good idea to have lots of extra cables! I need to order a few more actually…)

I have some exciting news to share! I’ll be a teacher at the Dallas Fort Worth Fiber Festival this next year! They’re selected two of my classes to offer in the class lineup. (You’ll find out which classes when they announce the class list in October.) I couldn’t be happier! I will be a teacher during the TKGA Master’s Day as well there (of course!)

If you’re a local, I have a great Workshop class coming up at Cheers to Ewe – Estonian Decorative Stitches. It’ll be on 9/29 from 1-4. It’s a great class for folks getting into lace knitting – we cover nupps, star stitches, clusters, and Estonian lace in general. Come join me!

That’s it from me for today! I’ll be posting a new cast on technique tutorial soon, and I have some new tutorial videos and posts in the works – but all that has to wait until my cabled sweater is done first! 😀

Until next time, Happy Knitting!!

WiP Posts

WiP Wednesday 8/22/18

Heather

I am plugging away on my Vitamin D Cardigan – I am now at the bottom sets of radial increases.

I most likely won’t get a chance to finish it before my current design-in-progress yarn arrives. But I’ll knit on it here and there I’m sure. Maybe, just maybe, I’ll have it done in time to wear it for those cooler temps (that hopefully arrive soon!) in early Fall.

I’m super excited about my new design and can’t wait to get my yarn so I can start knitting on it! It’ll be a cabled Aran pullover, and I have it pretty much all designed, except for the sleeves – I still have to get those figured out. Sweater designing like this really satisfies my ‘math’ itch – I have a whole spreadsheet set up to figure out the stitch counts for the different sizes and etc. You really have to like math, or at least tolerate it well, to be a designer!

In other, sad, news – we lost one of our beloved kitty cats last week. Minnie was 18 years old and was the first cat my husband and I adopted together after we were married. She was a wonderful kitty, and a loved member of our family. We are going to miss her terribly. 😦

Designing, WiP Posts

WiP Wednesday 6/20/18

Heather

Hi all!

I haven’t touched my Vitamin D cardigan since last week – so no change there. I’m trying to get my socks done for the next Cast On issue – I’m almost to the toe on the first sock! I need to get to knitting faster because I am behind my self-imposed deadline for it (I still have a good amount of time before the actual deadline, but not with what else I have going on!)

The pattern is pretty much written at this point, I just need to tweak it to 1. come up with a name for these socks, and 2. proof read it and test knit it while I knit the second sock. I’ll be making a couple of videos to go along with these socks, so look for those in my YouTube channel soon: Italian Tubular Cast On, and Threaded Cables.

Another deadline I have approaching is the re-knit and re-photographing of my ‘Playbook Sweater Vest’. I have the front done, now I just need to knit the back and do the finishing. That’s running up against another self-imposed deadline of the end of the month. I could push that out if I wanted to, but we’ll be at a photo-shoot perfect location the first week of July and I really want to be ready and able to take photos then! We’ll see if that works out. Fingers crossed!

I’m teaching Entrelac this Saturday at Cheers to Ewe – it should be a fun class! We’ll be knitting my ‘Tisket Tasket Entrelac Baskets’ and then felting them in the shop. I’m looking forward to teaching that class!

Then later in July I’ll be teaching a three session sock class on my Graphite Socks. That should be a fun class too! They are toe up socks with an afterthought heel, worked in a neat slipped stitch pattern. There are still spaces open, so come join me! See info here.

This Friday will be the next Friday Finishing post – this time on Mattress Stitch seams in garter fabric. So check that out here on Friday!

Until next time, Happy Knitting!!