Carol

designer collaboration, knitting pattern, knitting patterns

Technicolor: Movie Night Premieres October 2nd!!

Posted on September 27, 2023 by Carol

Technicolor: Movie Night, a designers’ collection, premieres next week!!

Technicolor: Movie Night is a collection of eight designs being released starting October 2, 2023. Four designers collaborated, choosing several stitch patterns in common, then each going her own way in designing knitwear based on one or more of those stitch patterns. Our inspiration was the movies – so many ways to go, so much to inspire!

Movie Night is being offered in a staggered release, as was last year’s precursor collection, Technicolor: Matinee.

On October 2, the entire collection is $20. The price increases weekly, ending with a final selling price of $40. No matter when you purchase the collection, you will own the whole e-book as each new pattern is added (updates will be sent to you as each new pattern is added). The collection will be available on Payhip and Ravelry.

Individual patterns may be purchased from the independent designers about two weeks after the complete collection has been released.

I do want you to know that three of the patterns were included in the Matinee collection and are already available individually. Those patterns are my Calla Lily Wrap, Knit Eco Chic’s On the Set (which cleverly works with her new design in this collection), and Sue McCain’s Holyrood Hooded Scarf (link goes to Ravelry), which was designed to work with her new design in Movie Night. Both of Christine Guest’s designs are brand new – and they work with each other and last year’s design.

The first pattern in the collection is my Hollywood and Vine Shawl.

The intersection of Hollywood Boulevard and Vine Street in Hollywood first became known in the 1920s for its concentration of radio and movie-related businesses. In fact, the Hollywood Walk of Fame is centered on the intersection. You could say that the inspiration for the Hollywood and Vine Shawl is filmmaking itself, the use of costume and fabric to create beauty, style, and the very look of a film.

Hollywood and Vine is a large structured shawl measuring approximately 65 x 47 x 40 inches. Worked bottom up in DK weight yarn, a cabled panel is decked on each side by a lacy, vining background echoing the leafy central motif. An edging that picks up textural details from the body of the shawl frames and finishes the piece. Complete instructions are provided in both written and charted formats.

The designers participating in this collaboration, besides myself, are Lindsay Lewchuk, Christine Guest, and Sue McCain. Last year’s collection also included designs by Laura Patterson and Jill Wolcott. More details, photos, links, and more will follow in the coming weeks.

I was thrilled to be part of this lovely collection, and I hope you will join me at its premiere!!

xoxo

Carol

Photos by Elizabeth Zimmerman of Western Rose Studios.

Pumpkin-a-Long, yarnpond

Oh My Gourd!

Posted on September 22, 2023July 29, 2025 by Carol

Oh My Gourd has been a long time in the making. In August 2021, a long-standing pumpkin sculpture by Yoyoi Kusama was swept off a pier on the island of Naoshima by a tropical storm (story here). I was struck by the sheer size of the sculpture as well as the use of dots and their repetition to create a stunning piece of art. Pumpkins are a recurring theme of Yoyoi Kusama’s, and hers were an ongoing influence on my knit pumpkin designs. Finally, this year, I realized that I could use beads to emulate, in a small way, her sculptures.

Oh My Gourd can be knit in fingering weight or worsted weight yarn.

I ordered a variety of beads from Amazon. For the white pumpkin: 2 packages of skull beads and a black pearl bead kit with 4-12 mm beads. For the “bling” pumpkin: a 4mm bicone bead set and 2 packages of Rired 27 glass beads, one in purple and one in grey.

The “bling” pumpkin, made in fingering weight

I loaded the multi-colored bicone beads randomly and tried to coordiate the 8mm beads with the yarn color. I truly enjoyed working with the beads.

Beading was very zen and sort of addicting, so I’m happy that I now have a variety of beads on hand for future OMGs.

I’ve created three short videos (two of them under 4 minutes and one under 6 minutes) demonstrating the beading techniques I used for Oh My Gourd. They are Loading Beads onto Working Yarn, Knitting Beads into Fabric, and Placing a Bead Using a Crochet Hook. You can also find them on the new Tutorials tab at the top of the website.

I am looking for a few beta testers for Oh My Gourd on Yarnpond. We have a quick turnaround for the beta testing, since it’s already fall. Experience with beads is also a bonus. If you are a Yarnpond member, this link will take you to the test: Oh My Gourd. If you are not yet a member, there is no charge to become one. Please apply soon, as there are only three spots available.

For those of you who’d like to go ahead and get started on your beautiful beaded pumpkin, the pattern is available here on Payhip and here on Etsy. You may find that you’ll fall down the rabbit hole of beaded knitting like I did!

I hope that you will enjoy the 2023 pumpkin! As always, please tag me on Instagram (@knitequalsjoy) with your finished pumpkins to participate in the Pumpkin Along or just to share your work with me!

xoxo

Carol

Knit Equals Joy Designs, knitters, knitting, test knitters, test knitting

Hollywood and Vine Ready for Testing!

Posted on July 16, 2023 by Carol

July greetings! Hollywood and Vine is ready for testing! Hollywood and Vine is created through cables, twisted stitches, leaves, and a lifted yarnover knot stitch. It is elegant, light, and warm, and it is large enough to use as a wrap or even as a lap blanket. I would say that it is likely my most advanced pattern to date. The knitted-on border is what bumps it up to advanced, and it definitely can be made without that border.

Ha! If you are still interested in testing it, please go to the Hollywood and Vine test on Yarnpond to learn more or to sign up. Thank you!!

Hollywood and Vine will be available as part of the Technicolor: Main Event indie designer collection later this year. As with our other collaborations, individual patterns will be available sometime after the entire collection has been published.

Shearwater Sweater will be finished with test knitting soon. I can’t wait to announce its publishing!

This hem makes me very happy.

While I have been struggling with the 2023 pumpkin design, although I think I’m gaining on it, I found this gorgeous yarn yesterday at our local yarn shop, Wild Knits Salem. I believe it wants to become a cowl that can be made in either of these weights of yarn – using some of the stitches from Hollywood and Vine.

The super bulky is Malabrigo Noventa in Flor de Jade and the DK/Sport is their Susurro in Cian. I’m very tempted to cast on even though I know I should be working on the pumpkin that is eluding me!!

If you are interested in test knitting Hollywood and Vine, please do let me know or please sign up for the Hollywood and Vine Test on Yarnpond. Thank you for reading, for encouraging me on my designing journey, and for spending part of your day with me here.

xoxo

Carol

knitters, knitting, test knitters, test knitting

Shearwater Sweater Ready for Testing!

Posted on June 17, 2023July 29, 2025 by Carol

The design I have been working on since February has been tech edited and it now has a name: Shearwater. A shearwater is a seabird; it is also the name of a lake and a resort. It makes me think of the sea – the smell of saltwater and the sound of seagulls. Who knows, perhaps even a selkie is sunning in a cove nearby.

I mentioned before the similarites to the Ethereal Sweater, with the major difference being that it has no stranded colorwork. Only one color is ever worked at a time, and the colorwork is created through the use of slipped stitches.

The sweater uses a main color (Dragonfly Fibers Pixie in Captain Nemo) and 10 solid/ semi-solid contrasting colors, along with one variegated colorway. The variegated colorway magically ties the rest of the colors together and adds an extra something special. It really makes the sweater sing!

Fading is the technique used to blend the colors one into another. It’s really quite fun to do, and instructions are included, of course.

The hem and sleeve cuff are worked in another slipped stitch pattern that almost looks woven. This hem makes me very happy.

If you are interested in testing, please go to Shearwater Test on Yarnpond to get the details and to sign up if you wish.

A very different type of test knit will be coming soon, the Hollywood and Vine Shawl. This design is part of a designer collaboration, so it will be top secret until the collection is published. We will test it over on Yarnpond as well. It has cables and some wonderful Japanese stitches, as well as a picked-up border. I can share a glimpse of it here.

And finally, the 2023 pumpkin design has revealed itself to me. (It really is a thing…it’s like with authors whose characters have conversations with them….)

…Anyway, the yarn is purchased, and as soon as Hollywood and Vine is sent for tech editing, it will be on the needles. It will have two or three colors, but they’ll be treated more like color blocks than any kind of colorwork, and this will be the color at the base – I really can’t wait to get started!:

Ahh, happy to be dreaming of pumpkins! I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

xoxo
Carol

Uncategorized

May Greetings

Posted on May 29, 2023July 29, 2025 by Carol

It’s not everyday I get to photograph my designs with color-coordinating rhododendrons and peonies, so when the opportunity presented itself today, I had to take advantage. The peonies are especially vibrant this year, so I spent some extra time trying to capture their beauty.

It’s Memorial Day here; moments ago there was a jet fly-by in memory of those who fell in military service. While my dad served in WWII, he returned home. I take a moment to think of those who didn’t, and those who loved them.

The day off from work allows me some time to work on design-related things, like writing a blog post and taking pictures of flowers + knits.

This is the design I have been working on since February, still unnamed. It has been sent for tech-editing, and I expect it to be ready for test knitting mid- to late-June. If you are interested in testing, please let me know. I am planning to run the test on Yarn Pond. I will likely announce the test on Instagram and Facebook, so please follow me there to get the earliest information.

You may notice it has similarities to the Ethereal Sweater, but a major difference is that it has no stranded colorwork. Only one color is ever worked at a time. All of the colorwork is created with slipped stitches. Note: that also makes the knitting go faster, in my opinion!

The sweater uses a main color (I used Dragonfly Fibers Pixie in Captain Nemo) and 10 contrasting colors. The contrasting colors were pulled from my stash – all purple tones except for the aqua. When I had knit all of the colors into the sweater, I was teaching a class at Wild Knits Salem, and brought this sweater with me. A skein of Manos del Uruguay Alegria in Malvin snagged me as I walked by (they do that, you know). This colorway magically tied all the colors in the sweater together and added an extra something special. It really made the sweater sing!

Fading is the technique used to blend the colors one into another. It’s really quite fun to do, and instructions are included, of course.

The hem and sleeve cuff are worked in another slipped stitch pattern that almost looks woven. This hem makes me very happy.

Finally, two separate people have detected very strong mermaid vibes upon viewing the sweater in person. Based on that, I found buttons that remind me of sand dollars. I’m also trying to come up with a name that might convey the mermaid / ocean / seaside / seawater impression, and would welcome any ideas you might have.

In other news, here is the Calla Lily Wrap in Malabrigo Yarn Rios in Sabiduria. It is the first yarn I knit the wrap in and it works up amazingly!

Thank you for joining me today, and I hope the rest of your week is delightful.
xoxo
Carol

cable knitting, knitting pattern, shawl knitting

Calla Lily Wrap Now Available for Individual Purchase

Posted on January 1, 2023July 29, 2025 by Carol

Calla Lily Wrap, which was designed as part of the Technicolor: Matinee collection, is now available for individual purchase on Etsy, payhip, LoveCrafts, and here on knitequalsjoy.com. The whole collection is also available on payhip and ravelry.

About Calla Lily:
Inspiration – 1930s & ‘40s Romantic Comedies

My husband is a film buff. He follows the work of a director or an actor from earliest to latest work, then moves on to another. Through his influence (and because I’m often knitting while he’s watching a film), I’ve enjoyed many movies I would never have seen otherwise.

Calla Lily Wrap is inspired by Art Deco fashion, which flourished in the 1930s and earlier. In madcap comedies like Bringing Up Baby, elegant accessories reigned, whether the characters were larking it up on the golf course or traipsing around the countryside. No matter what my daily life looks like, I can imagine myself wearing those beautiful silks and organdies and handling obstacles with panache. Wear Calla Lily draped over one shoulder Katharine Hepburn-style or clasped around the neck.

Calla Lily is knit flat in worsted weight yarn, bottom-up and sideways, with increases along one edge only. The cabled panel is an engaging motif, and garter stitch comprises the rest of the wrap. The finished piece measures 32x42x53 inches.

LL Yarn Co. provided the yarn for my Technicolor designs, both of them in the colorway Golden Hour. Even the name of the colorway is fitting for the theme, as the golden hour is a favorite time for filming for many a photographer and cinematographer. The play of light in this colorway, along with the fabulous hand of the LL Yarn Co. Worsted, provided for a delightful experience in designing this wrap. My second Technicolor design will follow in the Technicolor: Movie Night collection, being published sometime this year.

My movie playlist to accompany knitting Calla Lily:

Bringing Up Baby, 1938. Featuring Cary Grant searching for an Intercostal clavicle, aided and interfered with by Katharine Hepburn.

The Philadelphia Story, 1940. Cary Grant, Katharine Hepburn, Jimmy Stewart. Need I say more?

It Happened One Night, 1934. An early – and classic – romantic comedy, known for “the walls of Jericho.”

May you have a happy and healthy 2023. I wish you time with friends and family. I wish you time to spend in creative pursuits and with everything that brings you joy.

xoxo

Carol

designer collaboration, knitting patterns

Technicolor: Matinee, an Indie Designer Collection, Now Complete

Posted on December 26, 2022 by Carol

Technicolor: Matinee is a collection of accessories designed by six collaborating designers. The designers participating in this collaboration, besides myself, are Lindsay Lewchuk, Christine Guest, Sue McCain, Laura Patterson and Jill Wolcott.

Technicolor: Matinee

The Collection:

On the Set by Lindsay Lewchuk (Knit Eco Chic)

Steam Heat by Laura Patterson (Fiber Dreams)

The collection is available on Payhip and Ravelry.

Individual patterns may be purchased from the independent designers beginning New Year’s Day.

Enjoy co-designer Christine Guest’s blogpost about the collaboration here: Matinee.
And Christine writes about her design, Silvia Needs a Bag.

And Lindsay Lewchuk (Knit Eco Chic) writes about the collaboration here: Matinee.
Lindsay writes about her design, On the Set.
Lindsay interviews Christine.
Lindsay interviews Laura.
Lindsay interviews me.
Lindsay interviews Sue.
Lindsay interviews Jill.

Enjoy Jill’s musings about the collaboration and her design, Tulle Collar, here: Jill Wolcott.

When you purchase the e-book, you’ll receive not only each designer’s pattern but also her essay about what inspired her, thoughts about film and knitting, and sometimes, a recommended film playlist.

I hope that you will enjoy the collection!!

Oh, and look for our second ebook in the Technicolor collaboration sometime in 2023! It will feature garments and other larger projects. I’ve seen some of the samples, and I think they will be fabulous!!

xoxo

Carol

Calla Lily photos used under iStock standard license.

designer collaboration, knitting pattern, knitting patterns

Calla Lily Wrap & Technicolor: Matinee

Posted on December 10, 2022December 18, 2022 by Carol

My design, the Calla Lily Wrap [please note, link currently leads to Ravelry], was so much fun to design. Featuring a cable panel on the straight edge, the wrap is then made up of lots of delicious, squishy garter stitch – which is the easiest stitch to work, to boot! I have made four of these wraps – in gold, pink, purple and orange. “Technicolor” is very nearly literally true for me with this wrap – which I suppose means that it’s still figurative…

A huge thank you to LL Yarn Co. for providing the yarn support for Calla Lily. This wrap takes 2 skeins of their Worsted yarn – which is really lovely to work with and creates the aforementioned squishy garter stitch.

This colorway is Golden Hour.

There was snow on the day of the photo shoot, and we used the vintage pin that had belonged to my mom as a shawl pin. I believe that it is from the 1940’s – but I don’t really know its story.

This is Calla in Dusted Pink:

I hope you will enjoy the pattern. It’s designed so that there are two parts that require more focused attention (the cable panel and the increase on each row) and the rest ror smooth sailing in garter stitch!

Technicolor: Matinee (so far)

Matinee is being offered in a staggered release, with the price increasing as each new design is revealed, ending with a final selling price of $30. No matter when you purchase the collection, you will own the whole e-book (updates will be sent to you as each new pattern is added). The collection is available on Payhip and Ravelry.

November 15-21: $16.
November 22-28: $20.
November 29-December 5: $22.
December 6-12: $24.
December 13-19: $26.
December 20-26: $30.

Individual patterns may be purchased from the independent designers beginning New Year’s Day.

Enjoy co-designer Christine Guest’s blogpost about the collaboration here: Matinee.
Christine writes about her design, Silvia Needs a Bag.

One more design remains…see it here and on my Instagram feed.

xoxo

Carol

Calla Lily photos used under iStock standard license.

designer collaboration, knitting pattern, knitting patterns

Technicolor: Matinee – a Designers’ Collection

Posted on November 14, 2022December 3, 2022 by Carol

Technicolor: Matinee is a collection of accessories being released starting November 15, 2022. Six designers collaborated, choosing several stitch patterns in common, then each going her own way in designing knitwear based on one or more of those stitch patterns. Our inspiration was the movies – so many ways to go, so much to inspire!

Matinee is being offered in a staggered release, as was our 2021 collection, Rise Up. On November 15, the entire collection is $16. The price increases weekly, ending with a final selling price of $30. No matter when you purchase the collection, you will own the whole e-book as each new pattern is added (updates will be sent to you as each new pattern is added). The collection is available on Payhip and Ravelry.

November 15-21: $16.
November 22-28: $20.
November 29-December 5: $22.
December 6-12: $24.
December 13-19: $26.
December 20-26: $30.

Individual patterns may be purchased from the independent designers about two weeks after the complete collection has been released.

The first pattern in the collection is On the Set, a scarf designed by Lindsay Lewchuk, Knit Eco Chic.

The second pattern in the collection, Silvia Needs a Bag, is by Christine Guest, and the cover photo of this post is a sneak peek of the design.

The third pattern is my Calla Lily Wrap, a right triangle shawlette featuring garter stitch and more of our favorite collection stitches. Here’s a brief sneak peek of Calla. I’ve knit it in LL Yarn Co’s Worsted in the Golden Hour colorway. This yarn is a delight to work with, and I’m very grateful to LL Yarn for providing the yarn support for this design. It will be added to the collection on November 29th.

The designers participating in this collaboration, besides myself, are Lindsay Lewchuk, Christine Guest, Sue McCain, Laura Patterson and Jill Wolcott. More details, photos, links, and more will follow in the coming weeks.

Enjoy co-designer Christine Guest’s blogpost about the collaboration here: Matinee.
Christine writes about her design, Silvia Needs a Bag.

And Lindsay Lewchuk (Knit Eco Chic) writes about the collaboration here: Matinee.
Lindsay interviews Christine.
Lindsay interviews Laura.

Uncategorized

Pumpkin Palooza Date Correction

Posted on September 4, 2022 by Carol

Hi everyone! I had the date of the Pumpkin Palooza at Wild Knits Salem originally listed incorrectly in my blogpost. The correct date is September 17, 2022. The date has been corrected in the original post. Hey, I got to post more pumpkin pictures!