A Giveaway, Vogue Knitting Live, and Sweaters!

                 My Bohus Inspired Cardigan from Vogue Knitting Winter 2016            Cascade Venezia Yarn       (photo copyright @Soho Publishing )

Yes, I know the title sounds like something from a random word generator! But, less blogging means more knitting : )

VKLIVE 2016

I am so honored to have been chosen to teach at Vogue Knitting Live in NYC in January 2016. VKLIVE is the premier knitting event in the country, with attendees, vendors and teachers from all over the world.  Teachers and authors who I have admired for years will be in attendance and I can hardly wait.  I will be teaching 3 classes- Stitch Gymnastics ( which is sold out), Irish Crochet Today, and Join the Club- a lively, interactive class about how to join various types, and twists of yarn, for fast and fabulous finishing. And, that brings me to the giveaway!!!

STITCH GYMNASTICS-TEXTURED , DROPPED, AND TWISTED STITCHES

IRISH CROCHET NOW

I have been given a ticket  from the event coordinators for 3 free days entrance to the incomparable VKLIVE MARKETPLACE! ( VKLIVE Facebook and Instagram )

To enter, just write your e-mail address in the space to the right for e-mails, or write your e-mail in the comment section below. And, if you want to become a follower on this site, that would be awesome, too! You will only receive an e-mail from me if you are the lucky winner. I will be picking the winner at random on December 26th.  Good luck!

Beaded pullover VK HOLIDAY 2016

 And now, to squeeze in some other pieces...
Above is my beaded pullover (#03 Fair Isle Yoke Pullover) from VK Holiday 2016.

VK HOLIDAY 2015

 The pullover is knit in the round in  Plymouth Yarn Arequipa Worsted.  The yarn was soft and pretty and I sewed the beads on later, so that they would not interfere with the stretch of the sweater.

 Details Bohus Cardigan VK WINTER 2016

 The Bohus style is one I have always admired.  My modern interpretation has elements of the Bohus cardigans of the past, but I chose to concentrate the color-work on the sleeves.  The color-work has the textured purl stitches of the original beautiful Swedish sweaters, interspersed among the stockinette rounds.  The yarn (Cascade Yarns Venezia/ 70%Merino Wool-30% Silk) was scrumptious to work with- smooth and slightly glossy because of the silk, and perfectly elastic because of the merino. It is one of my very favorite yarns and my goal is to try to complete an iteration of my Bohus cardigan in Venezia to wear to teach at VKLIVE in January. Yes, I will be knitting, not blogging for the next few weeks : )

And lastly,
 2 great gift ideas- simple afghans in very current squares- one knitted, one crocheted.

KNITTED SQUARES

CROCHETED SQUARES

  I honestly think I made each afghan in less than a week.  I deliberately designed them so that the edges would be perfect for  simple and smooth seaming together.

HOLIDAY 2016

Even I was surprised at how quickly the afghans came together.  Naturally, because they  are constructed from half square triangles, the squares could be rearranged in any fashion to create a variety of patterns.
I hope you are all enjoying the warmer than usual temperatures, and finding the holiday season relaxing and joyous.
Happy Knitting!

My First Book!

I am so very excited to announce the arrival of my first book- Month by Month Dishcloths!

Mixed Media Resources/Soho Publishing

 I am equally embarrassed to confess that it was published last August(2014), and that it has taken me this long to post its arrival on my blog, and on Ravelry ...

BRIDE

 These are 2 of my favorites.  I think they would make a great wedding shower gift, or great wedding favors!

GROOM

But, happily, the delay is not because I have a  been world class procrastinator, but more because I have been so busy with other book and magazine projects.

BIRCH TREE

When I was approached with the request to design a  booklet of 24 crocheted dishcloths,  I was  both thrilled- and surprised.  Up until  to that point in my design career, I had mostly submitted complex and difficult patterns- usually knit with relatively fine needles.

FLIP FLOP

 Designing with bulkier yarn, and in crochet was a new venture for me, and I am delighted to say it was wonderful.  I loved the instant gratification of a small project, and the relaxing process of working a simpler design.

MOTHER"S DAY FLOWER POT

It was quite a shock to walk into my local Joann Fabric and Craft  store and see my booklet on the shelves! I was also really excited to see that it is now for sale on a number of great yarn and craft websites.

CHICK

It is such relief to have had the time today to blog about this book! Next post,  I hope to catch up to some of the other fun projects that have kept me away from the computer: )
And I would like to express my most sincere gratitude to Trisha Malcolm, Alexandra Joinnides and Vanessa Putt, for giving me this opportunity, and for being understanding when I kept calling asking for "just a little more time, please"... and to Jack Deutsch whose great photos made the simple, sublime.

FALL TREE

But, of course, I am  most grateful for the readers who have made it down to the end of this post. Yes, it is now fall, and my last post was in February.  Thank you!

Sweater Weather or 3 things to make on a cold evening....

Snow days and knitting projects are a perfect combination! This has a been the perfect winter to hunker down where it is warm and dry, and to make serious headway on a variety of projects.

The KNIT. Sweater above is a sweater I designed and knit for the incomparable VOGUE Knitting Live Show which was held in NYC in January, and will be in Pasadena, Ca. soon. It is a simple knit and a snuggly sweater.  The pattern is available for FREE on the Vogue Knitting website. This is the link- KNIT.SWEATER.  Let me know if you make one- I love pictures.  I have already seen some wonderfully creative variations, including one on Ravelry by Peg Starbuck.

And, if the idea of a knitting a big winter sweater seems daunting, then I have another great option for the timid or time challenged!
 I was also asked to design mini sweaters for a garland to raise awareness for SAVE THE CHILDREN.  December 2014 was designated as "Make the World Better with a Sweater" month, and December 12th was "Sweater" day.  The pattern for these addicting little sweaters is also free on the VK website! I have been amazed by the cute sweaters I have seen on Ravelry pages.  I have a feeling that there will be a number of homes decorated with knit garlands next year!

Finally, if you are not motivated to make a big sweater, or  even many little sweaters,  a phone sweater may be your perfect option! This pattern is also part of the Save the Children Campaign, and once again, the pattern is free.
 I was very happy to have been asked to be part of something so exciting.  I have been so busy recently with so many projects, that I have been unable to post as regularly as I would like.  In fact, when I looked at the designs I planned to write about, I came across these patterns and decided to post these instead. 
These cold winter nights are made for relaxing projects, and hopefully someone will enjoy making one of these!