Spring Ahead

I'm working on a design.  I don't think I've shown a work in progress on the blog before, but since this will be a self published piece, why not?

It's in my favorite shades of orange.  It just screams spring to me.  I'm really ready for spring this year.  This fall and winter my mom was diagnosed and began her battle with breast cancer.  She's finished with chemotherapy and, at the beginning of next month, she'll have her surgery.  Her doctors are giving her a good prognosis, but this has been a very scary time for all of us.  Spring is the new beginning we desperately need right now.

Knitting on this has helped. Can you see the little diamonds?  I'm sending this off for tech editing next week, so I have a lot of knitting to do still.  And I still need to name it, always one of the hardest parts!

Color Affection

This past August I went to Stitches Midwest with my friends.  I didn't have much of a yarn budget, so the plan was to only buy yarn that I could not easily buy elsewhere.  For me that meant hand-dyed yarn.  While I can, and have, purchased hand-dyed yarn online, I vastly prefer to purchase it in person.  So, off to the Miss Babs booth we went.

Unless you've been living in a cave, you've probably seen the Color Affection Shawl. For a while it seemed that absolutely everyone was knitting one.  I wanted to knit, but I've been busy working on lots of super secret projects.  I had absolutely no business even thinking about knitting a Color Affection Shawl.  But then that sneaky Miss Babs put together a wall of Color Affection yarn kits.  Curses!  I tried to convince my friends to knit one.  I picked out about 5 colors combos, but decided that I would order them online when I had the time.  Then I saw it.  It was loud, bright, and fabulous!  AND THE ONLY ONE!  I grabbed it and paid before I could even think it through.

I've worked on it slowly since that night.  A row or two here and there in between work knitting and finally, it's done.

Even Sock likes it.  I had to chase him to get it back!

A little romance

It's live!  Quince and Co has just released the Scarves, Etc 2013 collection.  It's available as an ebook, or as individual pattern.  All are available for immediate download.

Previews

I'm delighted to show a preview of "A Little Romance".  It is part of the Quince and Co Scarves 2013 Collection.   It is a 17 piece collection, with all piece available for individual purchase and download on March 5.  More information coming soon!

Baby Knitting

I love knitting for babies. My cousin just had a new little sweetie, Niko.  Neekers.  Isn't he adorable?

I wanted something quick, easy to dress him in, and adorable.  I think this works.  Puerperium Cardigan

I think it up in just a day or 2, out of less .than 1 skein (200 yds) of Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sport that came in the Soakbox I got for Christmas.  The color is Cuff au lait.

I also made Neekers a blankie.  A blanket I have been coveting for some time.  Norma from Knitty.  I changed it up and made it smaller by using 2 skeins of Miss Bab's Yummy Sock in Spring Lettuce and US #5 needles.  I think I stopped around row 80-ish of the second set of charts.  I was running low on yarn (and not paying attention very well!), so I kind of did my own thing on the eyelet boarder as well.  Overall, I'm super happy with it.  It blocked to be about 33.5" square.  Plenty large for a baby blanket and a wubbie later on.

Making Waves

I released a new pattern today. The Making Waves Cowl.

It's knit from 2 skeins of Malabrigo Silky Merino on US 6 (4 mm) needles in the round.  It's completely seamless and adjustable.  The layers are in knit together as you go, allowing you to choose the amount of ruffles you prefer.  Information on adjusting for a tighter or looser fit is also provided.

Bitten

I'm not much for jumping on the knitting bandwagon when a pattern goes viral.  Not because I don't want to, but because I'm working on other things, or I don't have the right yarn.  Then by the time I get to it, there's a new hot pattern.

But not this time.  I've admired the Color Affection Shawl.  I love the concept, the short rows, the color possibilites, but I wasn't drawn to knitting it.  Then I went to Stitches Midwest and fell down in the Miss Babs booth.

For background, I always fall down in the Miss Babs booth.  In fact, many years it is the only booth I buy from and always where I spent the bulk of my money.  What can I say, I like what I like.  Look at my Ravelry projects.  I like Babs.

This year, Miss Babs made Color Affection Kits.  Crazy beautiful kits.  3 skeins of Yummy (my all time favorite yarn) wrapped together to look like one big luscious skein.  I stopped.  I petted.  I oohed and aahed over the various color combinations.  But there was this one...lime green, coral, sunshine yellow.  I don't know if all the other packs of this combo were sold out of if this was a one of a kind.  I just know there was one and only one and I could not walk away.  I talked about walking away.  I told my friend that I was too busy and I don't wear that much color.  She pointed out that I was clutching the yarn to my chest lest anyone try to touch it. Ummm...she had a point.  I bought it.  I started knitting and only stopped because I had work knitting to do. Hmrph.

Tell me though, is this not the most gorgeous, loud color combo ever?