ravelry – Page 4 – Cowtown Knits

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.

Mariette Scarf

December 28, 2012Leave a comment

Time for a new pattern!

I can’t help but think that cashmere feels the need to be touched just as much as we feel the need to touch it. What better place to have it rest than around your neck, giving you a warm hug on blustery days. This beautiful variegated yarn calls for a simple stitch pattern so the colours can be the star of the show. Add a couple of chunky buttons for a little extra interest and you’ve got a soft, stylish accessory to show off all winter long.

Mariette is worked flat in seed stitch – TV knitting at its best! Buttons are sewn on near the cast-on edge. The scarf is intended to be wrapped around the neck two times and then buttoned closed, echoing the infinity-scarf style without having to cast on 300 stitches.

As usual, you can buy my pattern here on the blog or through my Ravelry store. Thanks to Elenor Dixon for technical editing and Ryan Barr for the lovely photos.

Merry Giftmas

December 19, 20121 Comment

I decided to knit something for A’s preschool teachers for Christmas this year. I had the same thought last year, but in typical Kate fashion, my thoughtfulness came far too late to actually act upon. But this year I was on it! And to make sure I hadn’t bitten off more than I could chew, I chose a pair of mittens with bulky yarn that would knit up very quickly. Bella’s Mittens, by Marielle Henault, is a ridiculously popular pattern that has been on my radar for a while. I happened to have some beautiful bulky alpaca that C’s coworker (an alpaca farmer) gave me that I’d been saving for the right project. Here are the results…

These soft, lovely yarns are really special. The alpacas live just north of the city on C’s co-worker’s farm. She takes the fiber to be spun at Custom Woolen Mills, where they use antique machines to spin the yarn. I just think this is so cool, and particularly environmentally friendly considering that there is essentially zero shipping involved. I am going to try and get more yarn from her in the future!

Anywho… I printed up a tag for the mitts as I couldn’t bear the thought of them getting accidentally felted. I attached them with a little bow, wrapped them up and put them in a gift bag along with some Two-Tone Peppermint Bark. And now I’m off now to deliver them!

I Really Get Around

November 7, 20121 Comment

I just want to say a big thank-you to everyone for all the support I’ve been getting. I started this blog, and the designing thing, on a bit of a whim. Now, just a short time later, it has really started to take off. My patterns are becoming quite popular on Ravelry, and sales have been nice and steady. My KAL has more than one participant (a whopping 5 so far!), and the blog is starting to get attention from Pinterest and Tumblr. I have now started a Facebook page, so you can now check me out there… although I have no idea what I’m doing when it comes to that stuff.

The big woohoo for today, though, is that my Jennifer Boot Cuffs pattern was featured on the Berroco blog. I must say, it felt pretty cool to see my work there. I’m starting to feel like I’m spamming the internet, which is weird, but I like it. I guess it’s payback for all those years that the internet has been spamming me.