knitters – Page 2 – knit equals joy

knit equals joy, Knit Equals Joy Designs, knitters, knitting

Moderation

Posted on July 13, 2019January 5, 2020 by Carol

Hi everyone:

If you know me, you probably know that I am moderate in all things. Drama does not become me. In my politics as well, I am moderate. I prefer to keep my political opinions to myself.

I believe in treating everyone with respect. This does not depend upon anything they do, say, believe, or are. Human beings deserve to be treated with respect because they are human beings. People deserve to be treated with kindness – because we are all in this together.

I believe we can discuss even difficult things if we are kind, if we are open to the other’s point of view, and if we allow for the foibles in us all.

The things that make me shine are those things that are beautiful, pure, kind.

So my heart sank when Ravelry made their anti-Trump proclamation. Not because of what I think or don’t think about Trump, but because of the blanket statement that anyone who supports the Trump administration “undeniably supports white supremacy.”

Racism is wrong, and there is no place for it. Prejudice (“pre judging”) is wrong, and there is no place for it. But the Ravelry statement is guilty of that which they are purporting to fight. My dismay was with the prejudicial nature of their statement, prejudice being “…feelings, opinions, or attitudes, especially of a hostile nature, regarding an ethnic, racial, social, or religious group” (Dictionary.com) [emphasis mine]. My disquietude was at their stating that everyone in a certain group (supporters of the Trump administration) is a certain way (undeniably supports white supremacy).

This makes me so very sad, because I have loved Ravelry over the years. Casey is a coding genius. There’s nothing like Ravelry in ease of use. The many, many functionalities are amazing. The site has made it possible for me to meet knitters from around the world. It’s where I got my start in pattern publishing.

Anyway, all of this to let you know that I am in the process of closing my Ravelry storefront. You will still be able to find my patterns here on knitequalsjoy.com. They are also available on the LoveCrafts website. I’m not sure what the Ravelry Knit Equals Joy group will look like or even if it will continue to exist.

Other places to find me and to check out what’s happening in my design and knitting world are the Knit Equals Joy Facebook Page and the Knit Equals Joy Facebook Group. I’m also investigating other avenues and will keep you posted.

This post was not intended to change anyone’s mind, but to give everyone a heads up. If you must leave, please accept my heartfelt thanks for the years that you have supported my design work and my blog. If you are staying, thank you so much – you will never know how much your support and friendship mean to me.

All my best, and hoping that knitting continues to bring you joy,

Carol

xoxo

cable knitting, Knit Equals Joy Designs, knitters, knitting, lovecrafts

Summer Musings

Posted on July 2, 2019July 1, 2019 by Carol

Hello dear friends,

Can you believe it is July already? I guess we never cease to be amazed at how quickly time seems to pass. I’m listening to a great novel on Audible, A Town Like Alice, by Nevil Shute. My hubby and I first saw it many years ago on PBS. The show was terrific; the book is even better. What an amazing story!

If you have seen my Instagram feed, you’ll know that I battled migraines in June. I’m hopeful that they’ve run their course for the time being and that it will be some time before they come back.

About a month and a half ago, I thought that it would be a good idea for me to extend the outlets at which my patterns may be purchased. As a first step, I added my patterns to the existing two or three I had available on the Lovecrafts site. This is a different market for me, and folks who shop there don’t really know me yet. The more favorites that my patterns receive, the more likely they will come to the attention of knitters who visit Lovecrafts. If any of you feel so inclined to “follow” me there and/or to like any of my patterns, I would be ever so grateful. Projects can also be linked to the patterns. My Lovecrafts designer link is here: Knit Equals Joy on Lovecrafts. Thank you, if this is something you’d like to do.

We are wrapping up the test knit of Bold. It will be released by mid-August – possibly sooner!

I’m working on some more goodies for you! Be on the lookout for a Bold KAL and the Second Annual Pumpkin-A-Long within the next few months. I hope you all have a fabulous July and I can’t wait until I can share some of these fun things with you!

xoxo

Carol

cable knitting, design, fashion, Knit Equals Joy Designs, knitters, knitting, knitting pattern

Cabled Poncho Pattern Now Available

Posted on March 18, 2019September 13, 2020 by Carol

Hello dear knitters,

I am so pleased to introduce my newest design, Willow. I designed this poncho as a sort of “shoulder hug” to keep my shoulders and upper arms warm but leave my hands and arms free. I also wanted dramatic cables and a pretty edging.

I used baa ram ewe Dovestone Natural Chunky, a light and lofty single ply yarn, which showed the cables amazingly. The cables truly popped using the Dovestone.

This poncho is pretty easy to knit if you have done cabling before. If you haven’t done cables, this is a good one to learn them on.

Probably the most daunting part is constructing the poncho, but I made a little conceptual model that you can actually cut out and tape together to see where to make the two short seams. It’s sort of like paper dolls! I don’t know whether anyone will want to use the model, but I found myself referring to it when seaming my own poncho.

Sometimes seams can be scary, so I put together a tutorial (some written instructions and a 3-minute video just with music, no speaking) here: Cabled Poncho Seam. There’s also a link to the tutorial in the pattern.

Finally, the pattern is 20% off through this Friday, March 22, 11:59 pm (PST), no coupon code needed.

I hope you will check out this pattern!

xoxo

Carol

Photos by Lindsay Newton Photography.

cable knitting, Knit Equals Joy Designs, knitters, knitting, knitting pattern, knitting patterns

Passport Mitts

Posted on February 1, 2019February 1, 2019 by Carol

The Passport Mitts are a fun, quick knit, perfect for your February knitting!

Find the pattern here: Passport Mitts

Happy knitting!

xoxo
Carol

photo by
Element5 Digital

Light pink mitts and photo by Ravelry user cascott. White mitts and photo by Ravelry user maashrink. Used by permission.

Christmas, Indie Design Gift-a-Long, Knit Equals Joy Designs, Knit-a-Long, knitters, knitting, knitting pattern

The Fable of the Whimsy Tree, a New Pattern & Discount, and a Gaggle of Crochet Patterns

Posted on December 14, 2018November 6, 2020 by Carol

Hello, dear knitters! I hope that you are having a lovely holiday season. Christmas will be here before we know it, and I wish you a Christmas Day filled with love, warmth, joy…and maybe even a little knitting time.

I’m so thrilled to announce the publication of the latest Knit Equals Joy pattern, Whimsy Tree. All the details are further down the page.

But first, my friend Jen has created an adorable Far Northern Woods, populated by elves, snowmen, and a variety of knit trees. Here’s what happened when a new species of tree was discovered in the Northern Woods:

The Fable of the Whimsy Tree

Tooty elf (the one in yellow behind Joyful elf), fancies himself a dendrologist (when he is not making toys) and was therefore thrilled to discover a new tree species in the far Northern woods 😍. Being the first to see it, he named it after himself…Pinus tooty tooty😁. The other elves who are not serious biologists, found the name quite whimsical 🤣😂 and just refer to it as the Whimsy tree. (copyright Jennifer Wiatrowski)

Pattern Details:

Use self-striping or speckled yarn, or go with a single color and decorate with buttons, baubles, mini-ornaments and lights. This tree is posable so that you can express your whimsical style.

Diameter: 2.25 in. 5.7 cm at base.
Height: 11 in. 27.9 cm before bending or curling.

Yarn: About 100 yds sock yarn.

Other Materials: 1 stitch marker for beginning of round, tapestry needle, ruler, 12-inch pipe cleaner in coordinating color, small amount of polyester fiberfill. Optional: wooden base, buttons, ornaments, battery-operated lights, and other decorations for your tree; as needed: glue gun or sewing needle and embroidery floss/scrap yarn to attach decorations to your tree.

About the Indie Design GAL

I’m still participating in the Indie Design GAL #giftalong2018. The pattern I’m working on is the Adult Modular Cardigan by Loraine Birchall (Woolly Madly Deeply Designs). I’m using my all-time favorite colorway EVER, Malabrigo’s Frank Ochre. It’s a fun knit and it’s working up into a beautifully squishy fabric.

Gaggle of Crochet Patterns:

One of the fun things we as designers got to do was to look through all of the patterns by the other craft. In my case, the other craft is crochet. I browsed through many crochet patterns by Participating Designers, and created a group of my favorites. If you crochet, here are some patterns you might enjoy: Carol’s Fave #giftalong2018 Crochet Patterns.

A huge thank you to Jen for allowing me to share her whimsical story here. It’s so perfect for her Northern Woods that she’s created, and perfect for the Whimsy Tree. I love it.

Here are a few more Whimsy Trees for you to enjoy. Thanks for spending a few minutes of your day here with me.

Indie Design Gift-a-Long, KAL, Knit-a-Long, knitters, knitting, Ravelry

The Indie Design Gift-a-Long (AKA GAL)!

Posted on November 23, 2018May 8, 2020 by Carol

The Indie Design Gift-a-Long (GAL) starts at 8:00 pm Eastern Time tonight (11/23/18). The Indie GAL is a Ravelry-wide knit-a-long and crochet-a-long that starts this evening and runs through 11:59 pm (Eastern Time) New Year’s Eve. This year, nearly 350 designers are participating, which means that they contribute coupon codes for pattern prizes as well as offering 10-20 patterns each at 25% off for the first week of the GAL.

There are TONS of prizes (both electronic prizes and prizes like YARN), games, chat…it’s an all-around fun time and a great inspiration for starting (and maybe completing) holiday gifts (for others, or possibly for yourself).

Designer and podcaster Sarah Schira (AKA Imagined Landscapes, designer of the adorable gnomes that took over the GAL last year) has put together a great video describing the GAL and how it works. With permission given to all of us to share, I’m sharing it with you. It’s a very clear and engaging explanation of the GAL.

To Recap:

Sale Dates: Friday, November 23 at 8:00 pm Eastern Time to Thursday, November 29 at 11:59 pm Eastern Time. The coupon code is giftalong2018. Look for the GAL sales bundle on each designer’s page or view and/or search the giant sale bundle in the GAL group.

Find my sale bundle on my designer page, here: Knit Equals Joy Designs. Bundles are found on the page above the single patterns.

GAL Dates: Friday, November 23 at 8:00 pm Eastern Time to Monday, December 31 at 11:59 pm Eastern Time.

The GAL group is super-well organized, and has answers to any questions you might have. I hope you will come check it out!

Knit Equals Joy Designs, knitters, knitting, knitting pattern, pattern, Pumpkin-a-Long, Ravelry

Wee Pumpkin – Pattern Now Available

Posted on October 23, 2018October 22, 2018 by Carol

Hello, dear knitters! Wee Pumpkin is here!

I wanted to write a pattern that would not only be cute, but would also be easy and quick to make. This pattern is all three. This diminutive pumpkin measures about 1 inch tall and about 1.5 inches in diameter.

It is knit flat, seamed using mattress stitch, then shaped, basically by cinching up the top and bottom. Add a little fiberfill (I used cotton balls for the prototype, since I was on vacation when the inspiration hit), add a little stem, and you have a wee pumpkin.

They’re just the right size to make an adorable little gift. Very quick to knit, too. Mine was done, beginning to end, in under an hour. My friend Missy knit two in about 40 minutes.

The pattern for this little cutie is for sale in my Ravelry store for $1.25. It is available for free with the purchase of any of my other pumpkin patterns (past purchases also count). No coupon code is necessary. This promotion will run through November 10th, then look for it to return again early next year.

This wee little pumpkin also qualifies as an eligible pattern in the Knit Equals Joy Pumpkin-a-Long (PAL), which continues through October 31.

Get your Wee Pumpkin pattern today!

Wee Pumpkin photo at top of page, knit by and photo credit Carla Scott, used by permission.

Torunn's Wee Pumpkin — Tiny pumpkin by Torunn Borgen, used by permission

Val's Wee Pumpkin — Wee pumpkin by vmquint, used by permission

Continue reading “Wee Pumpkin – Pattern Now Available” →

colorwork, colorwork knitting, Knit-a-Long, knitters, knitting, knitting pattern, Pumpkin-a-Long

First Annual Pumpkin-a-Long (PAL) and a New Pattern!

Posted on September 15, 2018July 29, 2025 by Carol

Pumpkin-a-Long (PAL)

Hello, dear knitters! I am so thrilled to announce our first annual Pumpkin-a-Long ! Fall is my favorite time of the year, and apparently I am also pumpkin-obsessed, so the idea of the PAL was hatched.

I’ve released a pumpkin pattern annually, starting in 2015, so there are four pumpkin patterns to choose from: Mini Colorwork Pumpkins, Colorwork Pumpkins, Large Colorwork Pumpkins, and Autumn Spice Pumpkin.

The PAL runs through October 31, 2018, so there is plenty of time to knit a pumpkin (or three). There are two ways to win prizes:

1. Winners of a coupon code good for one of my Knit Equals Joy patterns will be chosen randomly and at random times from among comments in the PAL thread.

2. Winners of yarn and other prizes will be chosen after the PAL ends from among posts in the Finished Objects thread.

Questions? Just come on over to the PAL thread and we will be happy to explain how it all works.

New Pattern:

Autumn Spice Pumpkin. This jumbo pumpkin is a joy to knit. Cables that twine over the surface are reminiscent of garden vines. Knit in the super-bulky yarn called for, your pumpkin will be a statement piece (39 inches around!), but it will be amazing knit in any weight yarn. Use the coupon code pumpkins for 25% off through September 22.

Check out these beautiful Autumn Spice Pumpkins (photos used by permission). Each one is uniquely beautiful and I love them all:

Heathers' (2) — by heatherg7, knit in sock yarn on size 0’s!

Missy's — by MsMEdge (using a button I had given her; how cool is that?!?)

jen's — by jenb69; knit on size 15’s – it’s ginormous!

We would love it if you joined us in our pumpkin madness in the Knit Equals Joy group on Ravelry. Questions? Send me a message here or on Ravelry. Follow the links in the sidebar or find me there as CarolEHerman.

Knit Equals Joy
xoxoxo

Knit Equals Joy Designs, knitters, knitting, knitting patterns, Ravelry, Spa Cloth

Spa Cloth KAL

Posted on May 1, 2018 by Carol

Hello friends!

The Wibbly Wobbly Spa Cloth knit-a-long continues in my Ravelry group through May 15, 2018. Knitters have been creating lovely spa cloths, like these:

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Two weeks are remaining in the KAL, plenty of time to make your own Wibbly Wobbly Spa Cloth! The pattern is available here: Wibbly Wobbly Spa Cloth.

Did I mention that there are prizes? Prizes will be awarded randomly from the completed spa cloths. Here are a few of the great prizes:

Prize 1 — Knitted Wit Victory Aran in Winter’s Night, 100% Merino

Skein of Cascade Ultra Pima Fine (similar to pictured, not caked) & 1 Free Spa Cloth Pattern (any of my spa cloth patterns).

Please come check out the Knit Equals Joy Ravelry group and the knit-a-long. The more the merrier! And happy May Day (what’s left of it)!!

xoxo
Carol

Knit Equals Joy Designs, knitters, knitting, knitting patterns, Spa Cloth

Wibbly Wobbly (Timey Wimey) Spa Cloth Pattern and a Knit-a-Long

Posted on April 12, 2018April 12, 2018 by Carol

Hello, dear knitters! I’m thrilled to introduce a new pattern, the Wibbly Wobbly Spa Cloth.

This is a fun cable-and-lace spa cloth. It knits up quickly and the stitch pattern is engaging. The vintage stitch pattern, Tilting Ladders, looks somewhat like the TARDIS, hence this pattern’s name: Wibbly Wobbly. If you’re not familiar with these allusions, I refer you to Doctor Who. Start with the Ninth Doctor (2005) and work your way through the seasons. Some of you probably grew up on Classic Who; the series has been around for over 50 years.

Close-up of stitch pattern. Spa Cloth made by Janie.

You can purchase this pattern for $1.50 on Ravelry. It will be free through 4/19/18; use the coupon code TimeyWimey at checkout.

I hope you have as much fun knitting this spa cloth pattern as I did. As always, it was test knitted and tech edited.

A Knit-A-Long

I’ll also be hosting a knit-a-long of the Wibbly Wobbly Spa Cloth in my Ravelry Group through May 15th. I’ll be offering some fun yarny prizes and some coupon codes. Come check out the group here for more details.

Thanks for taking the time to stop by, and I hope to see you at the KAL!

All my best,

Carol