Posted in Uncategorized

Fasten Off Yarn-a-Long

Happy Wednesday, everyone!

I’m sending a quick note about the Fasten Off Yarn-a-Long (FOYAL). I missed sending the deets before it started, but there is all of this month to join in.

All of my patterns are on sale at 25% off through 12/9/23 (this is one day beyond the event-wide coupon code end-date) with the coupon code FO2023 here on the website, on Payhip, and on Etsy.

You can participate in the FOYAL by making any of my patterns (even if you already own them) and sharing them on various social media platforms. You can jump in and play games and chat with other participants on the event’s Discord channel.  You can check out the patterns from the 96 participating designers – and the FO2023 coupon code works on many of their patterns through 12/8/23. The link tree –> has even more information about the FOYAL.

Please take advantage of this opportunity to find some great patterns from the 96 designers at a great price!

xoxo

Carol

Posted in Uncategorized

May Greetings


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

Posted in Uncategorized

The Blog is Back!

Hi everyone!!!

Boy, it has been a rough and disconcerting beginning to the year.  We don’t know what to expect.  There is fear and uncertainty; there is also hope and kindness.  My hope for all of you is that you and yours will be safe and well.

This is the world as it exists right now.  There are things we can’t control, but we can control our own social distancing, staying home if we are not required to work, letting our loved ones know that they are loved.

I think this is part of what made me realize that blogging is more to me than trying to sell my knitting designs.  Writing has always been part of who I am.  Yes, I love designing and sharing beautiful knitted things, but that is not why I blog.  I blog because I love ideas.  I blog because I love words.  I blog because I love to try to express those ideas in words.  So, the blog is back.

…and next time, I’ll share about the new design and the knit-a-long.

Please stay safe and well.

Much love,

Carol

 

Posted in Nature, Oregon, Oregon Coast, Pacific Northwest, Uncategorized, Weekly Photo Challenge

Weekly Photo Challenge: Evanescent II

This challenge really struck a chord with me. The evanescence – fleeting existence – of the tableaus I find on the beach is part of their charm and attraction for me. Here are a few more Oregon Coast still lifes:

See the rest at Weekly Photo Challenge: Evanescent.

 

 

 

 

 

Posted in Uncategorized

Giveaway Update

PDX Carpet notions bag and Pima Cotton Fine

This giveaway is long past completed.  This is from 3/1/2016:   I’m working on gathering the large prize, but in the meantime, I promised to post a picture of the current smaller giveaway prize.

Sometime this weekend, I will choose a winner via random number generator for this great PDX carpet print notions bag and a skein of Cascade Ultra Pima Cotton Fine in a pretty raspberry color.

A fun tidbit about this iconic design:

The SRG team [designers of the PDX Airport carpet] wanted the carpet to be northwest to the core, so they settled on blues and greens early on in the design phase. The final pattern corresponded to Portland’s intersecting North-South runways, as seen from the control tower.

~ A Brief History of the PDX Airport Carpet, Portland Monthly

I do love the PDX carpet design!!!

Thank you for your support!

Carol

knit equals joy