Clearprint Drafting and Design Fade-Out Vellum

Available in 8½” × 11″ and 11″ x 17″ pads, as well as 24″ × 5 yd and 36″ × 5 yd ROLLS. For those of you who enjoy* charting complex lace and Fair Isle projects, the rolls make great sense. Especially because the rolls can come in 10 x 10 grid. Neat, right?

I think I need to stock up!

A real blog post is overdue, I know, but will have to wait until later.  If you’re waiting on a response from me, I promise I’ll get to you in the next 24 hours, honest!  It’s been a little crazy ’round here.

*Using the word “enjoy” in a loosely defined way.

Blogging from the iPad in the Cafe Yumm downtown. Weird day and weird week, altogether.

Stuff to mention:

• Mom can lift her right arm again above her shoulder
• Caulking is almost done, I swear
• Other patterns are in progress as well (see photo)
• The mini-quilt (yet unshown) is… Well, also still in progress.
• I have gone insane and am knitting… wait for it… a Poncho. Yeah. The madness has set in. It’s official.
• This game is THE crack.
• Did you know that there are two Shawn the Sheep games? It’s true. I’ve beaten them both.
• My iPad is also THE crack
• Muppets in t-minus 45 minutes

Cheers.

Thank You, everyone, who prayed for Mom or sent positive thoughts our way. Your concern was truly uplifting (I’m sorry, I haven’t responded to everyone’s emails, comments, and texts yet) and I really feel like it made a difference. I cannot thank you enough.

She’s been home since last Wednesday(?). I don’t know anymore, the days all blurred together into some kind of horrific nightmare, to be honest. The past week and a half has been a trying time and altogether too surreal for my taste and most of the time I felt like I was trapped in a dream I couldn’t wake up from. This feeling was probably further exacerbated by the fact that I was getting, on average, 5 hours of sleep per night and spending 18 – 20 hours a day in the hospital.

Anyway. Mom is home, but she’s definitely not even remotely recovered. The pulmonary embolism caused a cascading effect in terms of damage and deterioration. She cannot, as yet, lift her arms above her chest (her right arm is the worst), the pneumonia caused some sort of problem with her lungs, and she suffered some sort of condition that I cannot pronounce or spell – muscle death, so she is also weak and quite unsteady. I’m also concerned about minor brain damage, but testing for that will have to wait another week, apparently.

Not to say we’re not grateful. We are extremely, almost painfully, glad she’s back. 10 days ago I began the heart-rending process of beginning to plan for her funeral, which was not at all unreasonable for the time. We, including her doctors, were not sure Mom would ever wake (one of the longest waits of my life), and we weren’t sure she would be able to survive a combined attack on her heart, lungs, kidneys, liver, and muscles. It seemed almost impossible that anyone could recover from all that – AND wake up from a coma.

Miracles obviously do happen, but it was not an experience I would ever care to repeat. And I do mean ‘ever’.

Now, of course, are more endless doctor’s visits, tests, and physical therapy. It’s going to be a long road, and I really, really hope Mom has the patience for it – something she’s not exactly known for :)

But, for now, she’s in her bed and we even bought her new books last week (The Son Of Neptune and Snuff), which means she’s relatively happy and comfortable – though annoyed as hell she can’t get up and down the stairs without help and sleeps for 12 hours a day.

The next 12 months are going to be interesting, to say the least.

For tonight, though, I’m going to call it a night and get (hopefully) enough sleep. Until the next post (which I fervently hope is not health or family related at all), I want to thank you again for your concern and patience.

Sweet dreams!

The Update:
It’s bad. Sometime yesterday, Mom had a heart attack. We didn’t know (and don’t know when) because she was asleep. Later, in the evening, we found her aspirating vomit and called the paramedics. She was rushed to the ER, where eventually they managed to stabilize her.

Today, they discovered damage to her heart, kidneys, and liver. She won’t respond to outside stimuli and toxins from her medications are building up in her kidneys and liver. She also has pneumonia from inhaling vomit and a high fever.

The ICU doctors keep stressing that things can change rapidly and she might make a full recovery. A this point, we don’t know what’s going to happen and will just have to wait and then wait some more.

If you can keep praying and sending positive thoughts her way, I’d very much appreciate it, and thank you very much for your concern.

For now, we’re going to try and get some rest because between us we got six hours of sleep last night.

ONE:

Caput Helianthus is done, done, done! It’s up on ravelry and the Rose City Knits website (though the price is mysteriously wrong there… weird).

This design was actually inspired by a vintage doily (circa the 1940s) that I really liked the concept of but hated the execution. So I decided to take the concept and adapt it for a hat. Caput Helianthus (literally “sunflower crown”) is the result. To keep it interesting (okay, I got bored), I created two versions – an 8-petal and a 16-petal version, just because. It’s knit with just 150 – 175 yards of fingering weight yarn (I used one skein each of Staccato for both samples) and is a great stash-buster.

I feel I should warn you, however, because it IS addictive. Opus and I have each knit three of these hats and are both considering a fourth (I’m thinking cashmere for mine!). There’s something magical about how quick it knits up, I guess. Anyway, here are the details:

GAUGE: 28 sts & 32 rnds = 4”/ 10 cm in Stockinette st
MATERIALS:

• Approximately 150 yards/ 135 meters fingering weight yarn. Sample shown: Shibui Knits Staccato (191 y/ 175 m per 1.75 oz/ 50g skein), 1 skein each, shown in “Dijon” and “Redwood”.
• One 16-inch US 2.5/ 3.00mm circular needle
• 8 Stitch markers
• Tapestry needle

SIZING: Adult/ 20 – 22” head circumference & 10” diameter, laid flat after blocking
SKILL LEVEL: Intermediate
$6.00 US PDF DOWNLOAD

The one thing about the pattern that made me sad was that I had so many amazing pictures to use and so little space :( One of my favorites that didn’t make the cut is still a winner to me:

It’s just so quaint.

The SECOND item on my “sew excited” list?  Well, I finally got a sewing machine of my own!

Oh, yes, it’s mine and mine alone.  I’m already plotting.  Look forward to many sewing related posts in the future :)  The first will probably be with a sneak peek at my new studio space (still in the, ah, development stages).  I’m hoping to get a sewing area set up this weekend and break my new toy in a bit.

Should be fun.

Aaand, THREE…

This is my 1,200th post!  Can you believe it?  I certainly didn’t.  When did we get past 1,000?  200 posts ago, I guess.  Of course, the blog will be 6 years old in October (that’s actually older than my niece, T), so I’m not exactly a chatterbox.  Okay, maybe a little, since that averages out to around 200 posts per year.

Who knew?

Well, much has been happening in that time.  I’m trying two new migraine medicines (re: Migrain Brain) with mixed results.  I know it takes time to determine medication efficacy, so I’ll restrain from judgement now.  Keep your fingers crossed.

But, and this is much more interesting, that’s not the only thing that’s happened in the past couple of weeks.  The biggie?  A photoshoot for the Fall RCK pattern collection (if we loosely define the word “collection”).  The first three patterns are in the final stages of technical editing and formatting, with the others following in various stages of development.  To give you a taste of what I’ve been working on, here’s a fun little preview:

I’d also like to give a big ‘THANK YOU!’ to Lindsay and Eva for being my willing and very patient victims models.  Yes, I did the photography myself.  My poor, long-suffering father acted as my assistant during the shoot (i.e. he held lenses and carried props around).  Another big ‘THANK YOU’ to a friend who lent us her farm for the day (the Undisclosed Location).

We had a hoot (which you can probably tell from the photos*) and I really think it turned out well, especially with none of us being what you might term ‘professionals’.  Still, the ladies were great and the light was fantastic, so it wasn’t hard.  All in all, I’m quite pleased :)  I’ve even updated the RCK website to include a couple of shots from the shoot, just as another little tidbit.

Other than that?  I’m working on winter patterns – in fact, I have so many ideas, I’m going to have to be rather selective :(  Sad.  Maybe next winter.  Swatches litter the house and my studio area, plus sketches and charts and notes.  It’s more than a little chaotic.  But that’s my default state.

That’s all the big stuff for now.  Hopefully, I’ll be able to announce the release of Caput Helianthus** this week (or soon, at any rate).  Until then, I had better get back to work.  And my tea :)

*I really should post some of the outtakes.

**Sunflower crown (or head, if we’re being extremely literal).

Though I did finish one thing – the prototype of a new design:

From the front (modelled by Gertrude)

From the back (modelled by Gertrude)

Caulking, so-called by Opus and her Mum because it fills in the gap where your coat leaves off :)

I literally could not make these things up.  (See more photos here)

Sample #2 is currently underway – both knit with Tactile Fiber Arts Sierra Sport.  I quite like this yarn (possibly too much), which is probably going to become ridiculously obvious this Fall.

But that will have to wait as I need to get back to charting.  Knitting will be my reward in a little bit… hopefully.

Who is Gertrude?, you ask?

Well… Gertrude is my new live-in model:

Or, rather, a vintage Royal Form dress form. Size 10, I think. I found her on Craig’s List a few weeks ago and fell in love.

Especially since everything looks good on her :)  She’ll be my impromptu model from now on, so look for more Gertrude sightings.

Next, we have another model who ought to be familiar to you by now – Opus, who is also my faithful test knitter:

Wearing her styling new Helianthus hat, knit with Kauni Effektgarn in the colorway WEU.  After blocking it, she got her brother Daniel to take some pix, including this fun one:

Which might just have to go into the pattern itself.  ’Cause that’s just awesome.

Between Opus (who is now knitting her Heianthus 2) and my beloved tech editor, there shouldn’t be any errors in this pattern.

Keep weather eye out, the pattern should be available soon!

Helianthus (sunflower) hat

to my tech editor today.

…

Aaand that’s all I’ve got.

It’s the sticky part of a Post-it note, only in a roll that’s 700 inches long on a dispenser.  It’s ideal for charts (especially big ones) that are hard to follow, because strips can be wound off at whatever length you need and then repositioned over and over and over and over (seriously, I’ve tested this).

Perfect for knitters, amirite?

I love this little dohicky and you can bet I’ve stocked up on every available color (all three of them) – and I even managed to convert Opus to the magic of the Label Roll :)

No mean feat, that.

Coming soon?  New patterns!

I just wish I had a Time Turner to get more things done.

Super fun.  I’ve seen the insides of way too many doctor’s offices lately.  But, as of yesterday, we have a diagnosis (of sorts – more tests to run!) and are working our way forward.

So, what has the blog missed in the past 4 weeks?  (Apart from the doctor’s offices?)  Here’s a quick run-down, in chronological order…

Sock Summit 2011:

Rumpled fyberduck & the newly releases Shibui Texture (hey, it was after an all-day class!)

Switching to the new (sweeeeeet) Signature Needles

Houndstooth Socks – the beginning (the afore-mentioned all-day class)

Oak’s Bottom Park, Portland:

Helianthus (hat), pattern coming soon (no, really)

Oregon Zoo, Portland:

Asian Elephant

Meloncholy Lemur  (oh, how I know how this poor gal feels)

Crystal Springs Rhododendron Garden, Portland:

Young male Wood Duck (highly endangered and oh-so-pretty)

Caged Maidenhair ferns (okay, not really)

And that’s the quick and dirty.

The next few weeks are going to involve fun medical experiments* and some adjusting.  During all of this, I’ve been trying desperately (and failing) to get some Rose City Knits patterns completed.  They’re close (so close!), and the next one, Helianthus, should be out in a couple of weeks.  But, I’m behind schedule and not too pleased about.

C’est la vie, I suppose.

Doesn’t mean I have to like it.  And I won’t.  I’m angry with my body (and mind) and really annoyed at how they’re both being so difficult.  If it were possible, I’d put them in time out.  Since it’s not, I’ll just have to content myself with ranting on the Interwebs and sulking.

It’s a good thing I knit, or we’d be in a world of trouble right now :)

Until next time, where I will DEFINTELY finally post about the cool gizmo I found, they better play nice.

*Well, more like experiments in medication tolerance.

Since I work full-time, I’ll only be available to help her unload on Wednesday.  Maia’s looking for 1 – 3 volunteers (who will be rewarded with lovely fibery goodness).  Unloading will begin at approximately 5pm on Wednesday night (I’ll be there), and then set-up will be from 10am – 3 or 4pm, depending on how long it takes to set up the booth.

Anyone interested in helping, please let me know (comments on the blog or through facebook go straight to my email!) and I’ll forward you Maia’s cell phone number.  Thank you, anyone, who can lend a hand!

On the next post, I can’t wait to share the coolest little doo-hickey I found that made even Opus give up her beloved Post-Its.

No, really ;)

$6.00 (PDF download)

Designed as a special release for the Knit Purl Month of Lace, Barnes is inspired by a friend and former coworker – who is also the store manager of Knit Purl. The central design is a lace motif flanked by knit-and-purl teardrops, all surrounded by a neat garter stitch edge – for an elegant and modern lace design.

Sample shown was knit using two skeins of The Sanguine Gryphon Gaia in the color “Sea Glass” . Pattern includes both charts and written line-by-line instructions, as well as U.S. standard and metric measurements.

Specs:

• Yarn: The Sanguine Gryphon Gaia Lace, shown in the color “Gaia”
• Gauge: 28 stitches and 36 rows = 4 inches in Lace patt
• Needles: US 3/ 3.25 mm
• Yardage: 800 yards/ 732 m
• Sizing: Approx. 12”/ 30.5 cm wide x 48”/ 122 cm tall

Credits:

• Photographer: Sara Morris
• Graphic Design: Sonia Jones Design
• Tech Editor: Katherine Vaughan
• Location: Woodstock Neighborhood, Portland, Oregon

Portlanders (and, hey, non-Portlanders), you can also pick up a copy of the pattern in person – as well as the yarn used – at my old haunt, Knit Purl.  The best part is that the yarn is only sale through the end of July as part of their annual Month of Lace.

Lastly, since I know I keep promising to post things other than pattern updates (in fact, I have a list of topics I want to cover!), have you ever visited the blog Sri Threads?  If not, you really need to.  I’m mad obsessed with them and their beautiful photographs of vintage and antique Asian textiles (particularly Japanese pieces), such as this lovely Sakiori Sodenashi:

Well, lovely to me, anyway.  Especially since it was the Sodenashi silhouette that inspired my Alsea vest from Shibui Texture.  In fact, when I saw this on Google Reader, I totally squealed with excitement.  It’s a geeky obsession, to be sure, but I’m going to stick with it.

Next time, I’m going to show off some cool new tools I found that knitters everywhere should stock up on!

To distract us all from that, though, I come bearing pretty.  First, the upcoming new release for Rose City Knits:

(Get more.)

Aaand, another peak at the next pattern in the works:

Not to mention the 20+ swatches and other projects in the works.  Oh, yes.  The problem this year is not going to be coming up with any new designs, it’s going to be pruning them down to a manageable endeavor.

Anyway.  Thank you for your patience (I know the blog has been sparce on content lately), but more good things are to come – including a selection of neat finds I’m just dying to share :)

My pattern, the Courant Baby Blanket, is intended to highlight those sudden colour changes one finds in a variegate:

Knit with two colours – a solid and a variegate – in a chevron garter stitch pattern I made up while swatching with the yarn.  The stitch pattern is as simple as it gets, there’s no stranding or intarsia.  Rather, each colour is worked in two row increments, then held at one side while the other color is ‘working’.  Quite frankly, I’m a little too lazy to take on a stranded colourwork baby blanket…

The result is a striking baby blanket design that is fun and super easy to knit (perfect for summer travel!) and simply stunning once blocked (the drape and gloss of the suggested yarn, Staccato, is delicious).

Lastly, the design includes an optional lace border (for those who like their eyelets) and two sizes. Knit with 6 skeins of Staccato (approx. 575 yards of each colour), it’s also a quick last-minute gift for that baby shower you forgot about ;)

For more information about the pattern, please see the Shibui Knits website or check it out on ravelry!  And while you’re at it, be sure to admire Kristin F.’s design, the Road Rage Scarf, another great pattern for implementing those beautiful variegates that tend to pool in traditional patterns.

My blogging habits are a work in progress, unfortunately.

Until I get some solid (post) writing time, I leave you with two sneak peaks:

My Courant Baby Blanket, designed for Shibui Knits (see even better photos here… note to self: post pattern on ravelry!  ack). I even made up the stitch pattern one evening while playing with some Staccato they’d given to me for experimentation.  My original idea was to find an attractive way of combining a solid color and a hand-painted colorway without it becoming overwhelming or garish.  Apparently, that was a success.

Then, two, what might be the next Rose City Knits pattern (maybe, there’s another two in the pipeline, and it’s all about which sample+pattern gets finished first!):

First person to guess what those squares will be is going to officially be Very Clever.  Incidentally, yarn is from Tactile Fiber Studio in the color “Dogwood”.  Not that will help you guess in any way :)

Until next time (which shall hopefully be quite soon), I hope you’re enjoying your summer!

I had something similar to Strep (probably caught on the flight back from Columbus) and have been laid out for the past week with a sore throat, low-grade fever, and cough.

Only it escalated last night and I’ve developed an all-over rash (TMI, I know) that has been diagnosed as viral exanthem.  So, in lieu of any of the promised content listed above, I leave you with kitty photos until I’m feeling a little better.

I’ve been working from home the past two days and Mo has been keeping me company and inspecting my work thoroughly quite frequently.  He would make an excellent supervisor.

Anyway.  I’m going to keep my fingers crossed that this super antihistemine works and gets rid of my itchies over night.  Keep your fingers crossed!  It’d be fantastic if the blog could catch up :)

P.S.  Mo, the kitty above, recently weighed in at THIRTEEN pounds!  Can you believe that little scrap of a kitten I adopted last September (who was a featherweight 2.5 lbs when I took him home) has grown so much?!

The Fleece & Fiber Sourcebook

…[An unbelievable 400+ page guide to any and all animal-produced fibers coming from sheep, goats, camelids, and more!  I spent quite some time pouring over it before I remembered my duty as a blogger.]…

…PLUS the Fleece & Fiber Sourcebook Sampler kit available through the Spinning Loft (my new favorite web store to stalk), including (but not limited to) 1 oz samples of Qiviut, Cashmere, Black Welsh, Clun Forest, Southdown, and soooo many more (19 in total).  Opening this box was such a refreshing change after the past two months of tech-centric madness:

Mmm.  Lanolin.  Of course, I can’t start in on these gems until I return from TNNA, where I shall be releasing some other gems:

(just in from the printer!)

Which, while lovely, don’t have much of a lanolin scent or woolly feel.  But they are so neat and shiny.

Even though I can’t play with my sampler kit now, at least I have something to look forward to after the show.  Maybe I should do a blog series about each fiber.  Would anyone be interested?  I could cover the process of cleaning it, carding or combing it, and then spinning it.  Thoughts?  Yay, nay?  Don’t care?

Lastly, in other news (before I collapse), I just created a page for my new line Rose City Knits on facebook:

As part of a collaborative effort between myself and my poor overworked coder to get the Rose City Knits website up and running before the Show (we’re getting close, honest!).  If you feel so inclined, I’d be ever so appreciative if you’d Like it – if only to get rid of the set-up message ;P

Tomorrow I get to pack and then I fly out Thursday morning at 6 am (not much looking forward to that!).  I’ve just cast on a new traveling sock (my Flocked Sock pattern, in fact*) that I might just geek out with and try and get as many people to hold as possible.  I’m going to be such an obvious rookie.  Keep your fingers crossed that I don’t come across as a total dork!

*What?  I want a pair for me.

I was so excited this afternoon, once I received news from Sonia that the patterns for the Rose City Knits launch were ready for print and for ravelry.  But I’ve been up since 5 am and only got about 5 hours sleep last night.  So… another time.  Maybe I’ll have the energy tomorrow.

And David’s even started on the website, too. I have previews and everything. I leave for TNNA in a little over a week (next Thursday, my flight’s at 6 am, urk).  Oh well.  To keep from being totally mean, here’s a sneak peek (if you’re reading this in an RSS reader, not on my blog – which is a preview on it’s own!) of what’s coming:

Until next time, let’s hope I can get some sleep.  Unlikely, though, as the Central Air people are coming tomorrow to mess around in our vents.  Which reminds me, I need to clean :P

Orford, Shibui Texture

Orford, a modern scarf with traditional roots.

I love the concept of traditional fisherman’s scarves, with their narrow necks (for easy layering), flared ‘bodies’ (for easier tucking and tying), and creative use of texture. To me, they are as inherent to fisherman’s knits as Guernseys. The design has the same classic shaping and sizing of a fisherman’s scarf of yore… with some updates.  Instead of traditional knit and purl stitch patterns, I wanted to create the illusion of water rippling.

Orford, Shibui Texture

After spending several hours sketching and swatching, I’m quite pleased with the result.  If you like it as well, please add it to your queue (or fave it!) on Ravelry.  To learn more about the upcoming publication, Shibui Texture, see the Shibui Knits website.

In my next post I am determined to recap the class I took with Nancy Bush (!) on triangular lace shawls from Estonia.  Super-exciting.  Until then, I hope you’re having better weather than we are right now!

Yep, that’s right! That design so many of my friends and colleagues asked for? We-ell…

Here it is!!!

$6.00 (pdf download)

Tech edited twice (no joke), photographed twice, and formatted especially for web download. A lot of people are responsible for this little pattern*. Bless ‘em. They are getting some major props when my new website goes live (seriously, we’re working on it, I swear!). Until then, I need to go and crash.  Sweet dreams, y’all :)

*Credits:
Photographers: Sara Morris, Jenny Trygg
Models: Lindsay Lantz, Alexa Morris, Tegan Parkett Morris
Graphic Design: Sonia Jones Design
Tech Editor: Katherine Vaughan
Location: Picchetti Winery

4 Hours pdf preview

$4.50 USD (pdf download)

4 Hours.  While visiting my sister in Februrary, I saw the yarn at ImagiKnit and just knew what I had to make with it. That night, while I watched two movies with my sister (Easy A and The Social Network… don’t ask, weird night), I swatched, cast on and completed this cowl. The next morning everyone was so in love with it, I decided to write up the pattern.  The model, my SIL Karen, was very accomodating about modeling it for me…

Even though I’m sure she thought I was nuts.

Which is probably true.

The end result is an oversized comfy and cozy cowl that is easily adjustable by means of the drawstring.  Knit with just 135 yards of bulky yarn, it’s super quick to make and fun to wear (trust me, I’ve been wearing it a lot lately with our bizarre wintery weather).  For more information about the pattern, like gauge and stuff, check it out on ravelry.

Later this week, I’m hoping to be able to release these four patterns:

La Fontaine pdf preview

Flocked Sock pdf preview

Captain Nemo pdf preview

Puzzlebox Socks pdf preview

But only when they’re ready. After them is another round of 5 or 6 patterns that I can’t even bear to think about. It’s seeming increasingly unlikely that I’ll have all this ready for TNNA in a month.

I’m going to keep my fingers crossed, nonetheless.

The name of the line, Rose City Knits may raise a few brows.  I’ve had a long love affair with roses, particularly tea roses, and was enchanted with the fact that Portland was called the “Rose City” when we first moved to Oregon.  This affection was increased after moving to Portland, my new adopted home (I truly can’t imagine living anywhere else), where roses do indeed flourish rather spectacularly.  In retrospect, it seemed fateful that I would end up here after everything.

Long-time blog readers will understand what I mean when I say that – I started out as a Classical Archaeology student and then changed focus to Classical Civilization with a focus on Textiles.  It’s been a weird journey with quite a few misturns and a lot of doubling back.  Still, I’m very glad to be here and probably wouldn’t change a thing, given the chance.

So, there we have it.  One tiny step, but it’s still important.  Keep your fingers crossed this week, I’m going to need all the luck I can get!

Obviously, it had to be patterned (cables!), but it also had to be both architectural and flexible – not an easy task.  After some extensive brainstorming, I decided to fallback on my love of rib-to-cable-to-rib patterns.  The transition between 4×4 and 2×2 ribbing and back gives fabric natural places to fold comfortably and drape, while ensuring elasticity.  The end result was Astoria, a cowl worthy of the Oregon Coast and the next pattern preview from the upcoming booklet Shibui Texture:

Astoria, from Shibui Texture

To keep things interesting, though, I decided to stagger the transitions from the two ribs, giving the final design a little more visual oomph.  The staggered transitions also mean knitters won’t have to knit 2×2 rib forever, which is something I’m sure knitters will appreciate :)

All in all, I’m pleased with the design, which is important.  Hopefully, you like it, too.  If so, please feel free to fave it on ravelry or even add it to your queue!  Until the next Texture preview, keep it cowl*.

*Sorry, couldn’t resist.

**No, that’s probably not a word recognized by the Oxford English Dictionary.

Aside from the tragically awful weather we’re having in Oregon right now (ooh, a high of 61F tomorrow!*), things are getting a bit hazy in terms of forecasting my pattern line launch.  One of my team members just got selected for jury duty (lucky ducky her), several samples are not finished, TNNA is a month away, and… I’m find of freaking out a bit.

But only a bit.  Because, even though things aren’t as sunny as I’d like (literally and figuratively), one cannot but take comfort in the fact that we finally have wildflowers blooming:

Forget-me-nots.

A different color from dreary, drizzly grey is simply divine to me right now.  In fact, I want to knit something in that exact shade of blue…

Oh, spring startitis, I know thee well.

Anyway.  If my little project doesn’t launch on the 15th, don’t be too surprised.  We’re trying, we really are, but life has other plans.

*EUGH.  Give me some SUN, darnit!

I felt the need to celebrate the return of the sun on May Day by playing with my camera and spiffy lenses. Here are my favorite photos from a trip up Historic Route 30.

I promise a better update later this week. Have been slaving away on writing up more patterns for the release. My poor tech editor must just hate me right now. That, or love me for sending her so much business. I’m really hoping for the latter.

Less than two weeks to go… Let’s see how far we get!

And all-over cable design with dropped stitches to keep it from getting bulky.  The end result is a rippling fabric that handles beautifully…

The design itself was inspired by Japanese fisherman’s vests, which the final result bears little resemblance to.  But the cropped body and double-breast do reference mensware slightly.

Anyway, the other ‘draw’ of this pattern is that it can be knit with as few as 3 skeins of Staccato (if you’re svelt like Jenny, the model) or 6 skeins, if you’re more Reubenesque like myself :)

All in all, I’m quite pleased with the design and am thinking about making one for myself… As soon as I finish the other vest I have on the needles.

To learn more about this pattern (or the booklet itself!), visit the Shibui Knits website or check it out on ravelry.

*Fun fact for non-Oregonians, Alsea is a river port.  The name ‘Alsea’ actually is derived from ‘Alsi’, the name of the Native American tribe that lived there.

Which almost makes up for the lack of sass and snark I traded with the team at KP.  Almost.  I’m still texting quite a few of them, though, so I don’t go into total withdrawal.

The New Job is fun (two conference calls today, one with Australia) and is surprisingly not as different as I expected it would be.

On top of the obvious Big Change, the launch of my new pattern line is officially imminent.  The date is set for May 15, 2011 – less than a month away.  I should have at least 6 patterns ready by then – two more are through tech editing – plus maybe some previews of more to come.  It’s all a little overwhelming and kind of scary.

I, quite frankly, don’t know how professional designers do this on a regular basis.

But that’s enough News for tonight.  Time for bed!

TAMI!!!

You are the winner of a couple of super-cool knitting-themed treats I found at the San Fransisco Japantown Kinokuniya :)  Send me your mailing address [fyberduck(at)gmail(dot)com] and I’ll pop them into the mail with all haste ^_^

Thank you, everyone, who commented or mailed me.  It’s nice to know you appreciate the quirkiness here!

Next, we have a design that I am inordinately proud of, Bandon:

Back view

The concept of the booklet, Textures, is taken from traditional fisherman’s sweaters like Ganseys/ Guernseys and Arans.  Bandon, my baby, was inspired by Gansey patterns from Northern England.

And, while the stitch patterns may be entirely traditional, the silhouette and construction is thoroughly modern.

Front view

The design starts with the bottom hem and is worked first vertical, then on the bias, and finally ends horizontal.  The body is then picked up from the peplum and is constructed as a standard ribbed raglan.  A square sailor’s collar & rope cable finish off the details, making it one seriously eye-catching piece.  In fact, I believe there was a fight over which model got to wear it at the photoshoot.

The drape and shaping of the peplum draw the eyes to the hips and waist, emphasizing curves delightfully.  And by using traditional Gansey textured stitch patterns, the peplum has visual interest without being bulky.  All in all, it’s flattering as hell to wear and I won’t deny it.

I am just pleased as punch with how this came out and am seriously considering knitting one for myself.  Very seriously.

But that’s only the first of four patterns I designed for the booklet, three of which I even designed the stitch patterns for!  I can’t wait to show them to you, but I have to be good and stick to the preview schedule.  So, with that, I’ll leave you with one more tidbit of good news…

I just received the final pattern template for my new indie pattern line and will be able to start formating patterns very, very soon!   Talk about too much good news at once :)

Laurelhurst Park, Portland, OR (2011)

Feeling like one of my silly contests today. The first person to correctly identify this flower will get a (very cool) prize from the Fyberduck Prize Vault.  Submit your entry by leaving a comment on this post…

Went to Laurelhurst Park today.  More tomorrow :)