knitting – Page 13 – Cowtown Knits

Feeling Supported

May 8, 20135 Comments

I received my very first yarn support today!
I found out last week that my next pattern has been accepted by Knit Picks for their Independent Designer Partnership (IDP) Program. What that means is that they send me yarn, I write the pattern, knit and photograph the sample and send them the pattern and photos. They sell the pattern on their website and I get 100% of the proceeds. I get great exposure for my pattern and another venue for selling it, they get a good opportunity to sell more yarn. Great deal all around.
So in the mail today I received 5 balls of Knit Picks Stroll Sport, 4 in the whisker colourway, 1 in peapod. The yarn is lovely and soft, I can’t wait to get started knitting.
I have been on a bit of a knitting hiatus for the last few weeks. I have submitted some design ideas to a couple of magazines and am pondering a couple of others. After the flurry of activity to get the submissions together I’ve taken a bit of a breather in the hopes that there will be another, bigger flurry of activity if some of my ideas get accepted.
In the meantime, I’ve got a sample to knit with some pretty (and free) yarn!

I’ve Got a Group… Wanna Be a Groupie?

April 3, 2013Leave a comment

I finally took the plunge and started my own group on Ravelry, Cowtownknitters. I still only have 5 designs but I’ve really been kicking it into high gear lately and should have lots more coming out soon. I also thought it would be a good place for conducting my testing knitting and for promoting new designs.

I am aware that it will likely be a little lonely there for a little while, but hopefully it will pick up some steam and soon become a lively place to be. Please, come and join me!

Booties Again!

March 10, 20132 Comments

I know, I’ve done a lot of these booties. But people keep having babies, and these continue to be the cutest booties and most well-received gift. So here is my fifth pair of Spring Breath Baby Booties, designed by Julia Noskova.

This is also a bit of a sneak preview for my next design as both projects use the same yarn, Cascade 220 Superwash Sport in grey and pink. The yarn is so soft and very suitable for baby knits. My new design is currently knit up (and gifted) but I need to put the finishing touches on the pattern, have it edited and tested. I’m also planning on submitting it to a yarn company for possible publication so please keep your fingers crossed for me! I’ve been very timid about submitting my ideas for publication by magazines, etc. but I think it’s time I put myself out there.

The James Cowl

February 25, 20131 Comment

I know it’s been quiet around here lately, but that’s because I’ve been a busy beaver. I have just released my newest pattern, the James Cowl.

The James Cowl is a cozy neck warmer featuring stranded colourwork, knit in the round. It is suitable for boys and girls, men or women, young or old. While this is a great project for first time steekers, instructions are also given for an unsteeked version that is simply knit in the round.

This cowl was originally designed to keep small kids’ necks warm while avoiding the risk of them being strangled accidentally. The magnetic closures are strong enough to keep the cowl closed for normal use, but will open if for some reason it gets caught on something. The construction of the button band ensures that the magnetic snaps are safe and secure while also concealing their backings.

Thanks yet again to Ryan Barr for the photography. Every time we do these photo shoots I get great pictures and a chance to hang out with an old friend!

I also couldn’t do this without the great tech editing from Eleanor Dixon.

Longest Project Ever Giveaway

January 6, 20137 Comments

I just finished a project I started 8 (yes, EIGHT) years ago. I’m not sure exactly when I started it, but I know where I was living when I was blocking it originally, and I haven’t lived there in a very long time. I also know I got the yarn from a store that doesn’t exist anymore.

The project is the Perfect Turtleneck, from Patons Design Series. It’s a chunky cabled sweater with lots of ribbing and a giant turtleneck. The cables are quite pretty, and I recall it being a very straight-forward pattern. I’ve been looking for mistakes, but apparently my knitting was better back then than I thought it was.

The reason it had hibernated for so long is that when I tried seaming all the pieces together the yarn would untwist and pull apart. I got so frustrated with it that I put it away and forgot about it. I mentioned this to someone in passing recently and they suggested using a different yarn in a matching colour.

After finishing all my Christmas knitting and not knowing what to start next, I resurrected this beast and got down to business. It took 3 evenings of work, but it’s finally done. Unfortunately, I have aged 8 years and gestated 2 children since I began this sweater and it just doesn’t work for me anymore.

So, if you’d like to receive this sweater for free, leave a comment telling me about your Longest Project Ever (knitting or otherwise) and I’ll do a draw on January 11th (my birthday!). The sweater is a size small (fits a 34″ bust).