New Patttern: The SABLE Scowl!

New pattern guys! I'm really in love with this one. The samples were a pleasure to design and knit, and they came from an idea I've been mulling over for a long time. I wanted a shawl-cowl (Scowl - get it?) that would work up in any weight of yarn, show off all the cool striping things that handspun has to offer, and be a relatively quick knit in heavier weights. Also important: a simple, non fussy lace edging that can pass as feminine, or not so feminine, depending on your styling, enough texture and detail to look fab in a solid colourway, and the ability to use the entire single skein of yarn. I can't be the only one drowning in leftovers, can I?

From the pattern:

Do you have a large yarn stash? I do. An appropriate knitterly acronym has been coined, I believe, by the incomparable Stephanie Pearl-McPhee. SABLE: Stash Acquisition Beyond Life Expectancy. Pretty grim, eh? My real stash weakness is single skeins of handspun. I love spinning beautiful colours and fibres, but it can be tricky to find a single skein project that shows off my yarny handiwork. Enter the SABLE Scowl - a single skein project featuring the wearability of a cowl and the styling of a shawl. It uses 100g (3.5oz) of any yarn weight, uses every last yard of your precious skein, and shows off gradients, stripes, and texture. It's everything you need to avoid SABLE! Not a spinner? Imagine the possibilities in variegated, hand dyed, or
striping yarn!

Size: 
61cm (24in) at neck opening. Bottom varies depending on yarn weight and gauge.

Gauge: 
Depends on your yarn choice. Choose a dense enough gauge that the cowl will stand up a bit at the neck.

Materials Required: 
Yarn: 100 grams of anything! The pattern allows for any weight of yarn. The samples are worked in handspun super bulky and heavy worsted weight.

6 stitch markers.

Needles: 
Depends on your chosen gauge.

Difficulty: 
Novice - intermediate. Requires the ability to cast on, bind off, knit, purl, work flat and in the round, and work simple lace. It helps if you are confident enough to chose your own gauge and read your knitting.

So many thanks to Amanda and Hayley for bringing the "lesbian heat" (ask Amanda, I don't know) to our impromptu knit night photoshoot, and to Kathryn and Rebekkah for test knitting! My knitting ladies are the bomb.

The Possessed Printer Mitts!

I released a pattern today! The Possessed Printer Mitts are inspired by my crazy colourway of the same name. I wanted a pattern that would show off the yarn, but had enough interest to carry a simple colourway just as beautifully. I couldn't find anything so I created something! I'm particularly in love with the stitch pattern I made up - I haven't seen anything quite like it before, and now I want to use it on all the things.

Kudos to my sister for looking like a rock star all the time so I can spring surprise photoshoots on her.

New Pattern: The Cat's Paw Cowl!

At long last, and just in time for Fibres West, the Cat's Paw Cowl is available for purchase in both my Ravelry and Etsy stores!



I've always called it a "cat's paw" when a small patch of smooth water is roughened by an errant breeze. The diagonal mesh and symmetry of this cowl, combined with a soft blue yarn, reminds me of ocean ripples and spring sailing.

This cowl is a pleasant, simple knit and would be a great first lace project if you haven't taken that dive yet!

It's designed to use my Paragon 100% Merino sock yarn (which I adore working with), but any fingering weight, or lace weight doubled, would work! The large size uses an entire 400yd skein, so you have to make sure your gauge is accurate if you don't want it to run out early.

I was hoping to get a picture of a nice cat's paw at the beach yesterday, but the weather wasn't cooperating. Frankly I'm lucky it wasn't raining. WHERE ARE YOU SPRING?!?!

New Pattern: Angelus

I am so excited to finally have my Angelus shawl pattern available for purchase! It's a labour of love - for gorgeous hand dyed yarn, for structural design elements and cables, and for cozy fall accessories! I designed it because I had two beautiful skeins of Malabrigo Arroyo that needed to be something special, and I wanted a crescent shawl big enough to wrap around my wide shoulders.

You can find more details and buy a copy in my shop, or on Ravelry!

A New Knitting Pattern: the Pevensie Coat for Girls ages 2 - 8

I'm so excited to show you all my newest design - an adorable girls coat meant to be knitted in a cozy bulky weight yarn. It's perfect for keeping your little girl warm through fall and winter, and the sweet vintage style and oversized details look fantastic. I've named it Pevensie, after the children who travel to the wintry land of Narnia in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C. S. Lewis in their oversized fur coats.



It's available in my shop, or as a Ravelry download!

For the last few days of September, remember that 50% of all my pattern sales, including this one, will be going to Doctors Without Borders

You want the pictures right? I am so on that.

More pics after the jump!

Knitting Patterns for Famine Relief

Hi Knitters!

One of my favourite Ravelry groups is tallying members' donations towards famine relief right now. We'll be doing a raffle and everything. I think you'd have to live under a very comfortable, privileged rock these days to be unaware of the horrific suffering and death caused by the Horn of Africa droughts. Violence continues to escalate as Somalian refugees flee their homes and farms, travelling for days in search of food. Livelihoods are lost, possibly forever. Children are dying of hunger. It's something I can't even fathom, having never been faced with famine. There was one short time in my easy life when money and work was short and food was a little scarce and unvaried, but I wasn't ever in any danger. Ever. And now, even though I live like a queen compared to these refugees, these people who are dying for lack of something I've never had to go without, I don't have enough money to save them.

Because even a little bit helps, I'm going to be donating half of my pattern sales to Doctors Without Borders for the rest of the month. It's not much, but it's what I can do right now. Please, if you have $3.50 and you've been looking for your next knitting project, consider making it one of mine. If you have $3.50 but you don't need a new pattern, please just ignore me, haul ass to the Doctors without Borders site, and donate it all. I know we can't save the world with such little donations, but maybe we can ease the pressure a tiny bit.

My Rav group, LSG, has raised over $500 in the past 5 days. I'll be adding my bit to that at the end of September.

So here are my patterns, found in my Ravelry pattern store, and keep an eye out for any new patterns, which will also be included.

 The Stella Cowl - 2 versions of this modern, cozy winter accessory, knit in the round using basic stranded colourwork.

The King's College Cowl - lacy, beaded, and beautiful. My most popular pattern!

Birdie - A cute little jumper in 5 sizes for girls 2 - 6 years old. It's a fun knit, with adorable results!





















Thanks for reading, and for giving even a little bit.

Knitting Pattern Release: The Birdie Jumper

I am so pleased to have finished this pattern in time to take it to Fibrations on Sunday. This little jumper is too cute, and Rei had a fantastic time wearing it for her photo shoot. It's called Birdie, mostly because the lace pattern reminds me of feathers, but also because I think it's the word Rei says more often than any other. She loves pointing to birds and calling "Quack, quack, quack!" to them.

It's available through Ravelry, and my Artfire store now!

Ok, one more picture. It's a little fuzzy, but soooo cute.

New Pattern: King's College Cowl

Introducing the King's College Cowl:

The first time I saw a picture of the spectacular fan vaulted ceiling in the chapel of the University of Cambridge’s King’s College, I was spellbound. If anything first kindled my passion for art history, this was it. It is a breathtaking feat of early 16th century engineering - despite being immensely heavy, the world’s largest fan vault is delicate, airy, and beautifully ornate.

The King’s College Cowl is inspired by the expanding ribbed forms in the vault, the delicate arched support columns, and the expansive stained glass windows that make this building such a stunning work of art.

This cowl is perfect for that small skein of special yarn you never know what to make with - the lace pattern knits up quickly but yields dramatic results while using very little overall yardage. The sample is knitted from my handspun.
The King’s College Cowl pattern is both charted and written, so all knitters can feel in their element, and either version can be printed onto a single, double-sided, page.

The pattern is available through Ravelry:
Or through my Artfire store: Here