creative process

Vacillate and the Phoenix Cosy, the final patterns in the Rise Up Collection

Posted on February 9, 2021February 28, 2021 by Carol

Hello, dear friends! The final two patterns are now available in this year’s fabulous Rise Up Collection! The patterns are Ruth Brasch’s Vacillate Socks and Jill Wolcott’s Phoenix Cosy.

Ruth Brasch’s Vacillate Socks especially feature a Fleegle Heel, which does not require picking up any stitches in making the heel flap. They also feature traveling cables and alternating textures. Very fun!!! Ruth designs lots of socks, so you will be in good hands when making these socks!

Jill Wolcott designed this shoulder cozy, also known as the Phoenix Cosy. The design is created using slipped stitches and German short rows. Jill writes her patterns in a different and interesting style. Take a look and enjoy! I love this watercolor rendering she made of the cosy. The final photographs will be added to the Collection soon, as will the Spanish translation of this pattern.

The Rise Up Collection is available as an e-book on Ravelry and as an all-in-one collection on Payhip. The whole collection is published in both English and Spanish.

January 5

Mountain View from Knit Eco Chic

Alcyone from Christine Guest Designs

January 12

Emergence from Fiber Dreams

January 19

Shooting Star on Ravelry from Marcela Chang Knits on Ravelry

January 26

Garden Cowl

February 2
Vacillate from Ruth Brasch Design
Phoenix Cosy from Jill Wolcott Knits

Soon, the individual patterns may be purchased from the independent designers a week or two after the entire collection has been released. The Garden Cowl’s individual price will be $6.50.

I wanted to share this gorgeous version of the Garden Cowl knit by Bridget, who graciously tested the pattern for me. Bridget used just two colors of yarn: Erika Knight British Blue Yarn in the colorway Clarissa (about 380 yards) and Malabrigo Rios in the colorway Liquidambar (about 460 yards). Her knitting is just beautiful, and the colorways are perfect. You can really see the use of positive/ negative space in this photo.

For all the details, like the yarn and needle sizes called for in the pattern, please see The Garden Cowl.

Thank you for your support in this fun and collaborative venture with me and with the other six independent designers. In the next post, I will post photos of the entire collection.

Have a great week!!

xoxo

Carol

designer collaboration, knitting patterns, Rise Up 2021 Collection

The Garden Cowl

Posted on January 26, 2021February 28, 2021 by Carol

Hello, dear friends! I’m so excited to share that my newest pattern, The Garden Cowl, is now available as one of the seven patterns in the Rise Up Collection. The Garden Cowl is a big bold colorful cowl featuring abstract diamonds, an original colorwork flower, stripes, and colorblocking. Using positive/negative space, each side of the fabric is the reverse of the other. It’s a fun piece to knit and to wear.

The cowl is knit as a tube in the round and sewn together at the end. It is long enough to wrap around twice in really cold weather. This can be a great stash-buster; approximately 75 yards each is all that is needed for four of the six colors, along with a few skeins each of the background color and the flower/colorblock color. For all the details, like yarn and needle sizes, please see The Garden Cowl.

The Garden Cowl is available now as part of the Rise Up Collection. Rise Up is sold as an e-book on Ravelry and as an all-in-one collection on Payhip. The whole collection is published in both English and Spanish.

From January 26th through February 1, the entire collection is $24. On February 2, the last two patterns will be added and the collection will be its final price, $28. No matter when you purchase the collection, you will own the whole thing as each new pattern is added.

Here are the other designs in the collection:

January 5

Mountain View from Knit Eco Chic

Alcyone from Christine Guest Designs

January 12

Emergence from Fiber Dreams

January 19

Shooting Star on Ravelry from Marcela Chang Knits on Ravelry

January 26

Garden Cowl

February 2 – Next Week!
Ruth Brasch Design
Jill Wolcott Knits

Individual patterns may be purchased from the independent designers a week or two after the entire collection has been released. The Garden Cowl’s individual price will be $6.

I hope that you’ve enjoyed the Rise Up Collection so far and that you will enjoy the Garden Cowl.

xoxo

Carol

designer collaboration, knitting patterns, Rise Up 2021 Collection

The Rise Up Collection, Fourth Release: Shooting Star

Posted on January 22, 2021February 28, 2021 by Carol

The fourth pattern in the Rise Up Collection, Shooting Star, is now available. Shooting Star is a top-down seamless steeked colorwork sweater designed by Marcela Chang. This is a great stash-buster and a great opportunity to learn steeking or to exercise your steeking skills.

Rise Up is sold as an e-book on Ravelry and as an all-in-one collection on Payhip. The whole collection is published in both English and Spanish.

From January 19 through the 25th, the entire collection is $21. The price increases as patterns are added, ending with a selling price of $28. No matter when you purchase the collection, you will own the whole thing as each new pattern is added. Release dates (and price increase dates) are listed below. The collection will be a great deal all the way through (even at the final price of $28, it’s just $4 per pattern) – but it’s a super deal right now!

January 5
Mountain View from Knit Eco Chic
Alcyone from Christine Guest Designs

January 12
Emergence from Fiber Dreams

January 19
Shooting Star from Marcela Chang Knits (these links lead to Ravelry)

January 26
Garden Cowl from Knit Equals Joy

February 2
Ruth Brasch Design
Jill Wolcott Knits

Individual patterns may be purchased from the independent designers on February 9, 2021.

Jill Wolcott (Jill Wolcott Knits) has interviewed each designer, and the interviews go up on her website the same week as each designer’s pattern is added to the collection. I’ve really loved learning about these designers and what drives their inspiration.

Marcela hails from Chile. She is a trained fashion designer, and she is not afraid to use color! Here, Jill interviews Marcela. I like that Marcela’s designs are fun, just like she is!

My Rise Up pattern, the Garden Cowl, will be released next Tuesday the 26th. I can’t wait to share it with you!

Have a great weekend!!

xoxo

Carol

designer collaboration, knitting patterns, Rise Up 2021 Collection

Rise Up Collection, Third Release: Emergence

Posted on January 13, 2021February 28, 2021 by Carol

And now for the third pattern release of the Rise Up Collection, Emergence! Emergence is designed by Laura Patterson of Fiber Dreams. I love that she started with the same colorwork stitch pattern (called Abstract Diamonds) I used in my design, but she morphed it into a lace stitch. How creative is that? Here it is knit in a lovely gradient.

Rise Up is sold as an e-book on Ravelry and as an all-in-one collection on Payhip. The whole collection is published in both English and Spanish.

From January 12 through the 18th, the entire collection is $18. The price increases as patterns are added, ending with a selling price of $28. No matter when you purchase the collection, you will own the whole thing as each new pattern is added. Release dates (and price increase dates) are listed below. The collection will be a great deal all the way through (even at the final price of $28, it’s just $4 per pattern) – but it’s a super deal right now!

January 5
Mountain View from Knit Eco Chic
Alcyone from Christine Guest Designs

January 12
Emergence from Fiber Dreams

January 19
Marcela Chang Knits

January 26
Garden Cowl from Knit Equals Joy

February 2
Ruth Brasch Design
Jill Wolcott Knits

Individual patterns may be purchased from the independent designers on February 9, 2021.

I love that yarn talks to Laura, just as it does to me. It absolutely lets us know what it wants to be – or when it doesn’t comply, what it doesn’t want to be. And like me, she loves color. I think her lace designs are just lovely! You can find her website here: Fiber Dreams and here, Laura writes about Emergence.

I hope you are enjoying this collection as much as I am. This staggered release is a boon, allowing me to have time each week to really savor each pattern and to learn more about each designer.

Have a great rest of the week!

xoxo

Carol

colorwork, design, The Creative Process, The Design Process

The Creative Project from H-E-Double Toothpicks

Posted on September 26, 2016September 25, 2016 by Carol

Over a year ago, I was struck – “hit up ‘side the head” one might say – with the inspiration and desire to design a colorwork sweater. Nevermind that I had never designed a sweater. I was confident about the colorwork; not as confident about the construction of the sweater – but I had my reference books, so I was ready to go.

I started by building a secret Pinterest board – a mood board, so to speak. It is now a public board, if you want to check it out, here: Tee Inspiration. Using it as a springboard, I began choosing colors for the tee, charted out a flower, and began swatching.

Sand, Espresso, Pickle, Black, Lagoon, Melon, Earth, Carrot, Moss, Bronze, Rose, Mist

I know that many of you have followed me through the process of working on this design. I’ve written about it often over the past year: What I Learned from the Swatch, What’s in the Hopper, 2016 – Possibilities, …and we have color!, Winter Ramblings, Sweater Surgery, or How I Cut Into my Sweater and Lived to Tell About It, Just a Little Sketch, Yes, I am still working on the Colorwork Tee!, and Colorwork Tee Update.

This blog examines the design process. When I am designing, I’m not only designing and coming up with something that is (hopefully) pretty, but I am also thinking about how my mind is processing information in order to come up with that design. Basically, I’m thinking about how I think while I’m thinking. I believe this caused me some anxiety when the design wasn’t coming together like I thought it should. I was experiencing roadblocks, and I didn’t know why. I do know enough from experience to know that when this happens, I should stop whatever I am doing and let my thoughts go work on some other problem for awhile.

However, at this point, probably 9 months after the initial inspiration, I had too much invested in the design. I felt driven to finish it. Even if it didn’t come out exactly as I had hoped, I just wanted it DONE.

So, I finished it. I finished the knitting, I finished the writing, and sent the pattern for tech editing. Whew, such a relief!

I think it’s telling that what I love most about the pattern are the photos. That photo shoot was great fun and practically all of the pictures turned out well. I also loved being able to use the Kitchener Stitch with this sweater and working with the fabulous yarn.

In grasses, shading eyes (683x1024) — Love this photo from the photo shoot

Still, I don’t feel confident in this pattern. I don’t think it is ready to go out into the world yet. A friend is testing it, and I worry that it’s not going to fit correctly. I know that sometimes those worries are completely unfounded; yet, there it is.

What this tells me is that the pattern needs to go into time-out for awhile. Perhaps I won’t ever publish it. Perhaps more time needs to go by and I need to work on other projects. Then suddenly one day, something will click, and I will know what this pattern needs. In the meantime, I may make my sweater into a dress (with a feather and fan skirt) and add long sleeves in teal. –Perhaps that’s what the pattern needs. Maybe I stopped too soon by making it a tee instead of a dress.

I’ll conclude by saying that now that I have finished writing the pattern, I feel incredible lightness. My brain cells are freed to think in other directions and about other designs. I had felt as if the life had been sucked out of me – and now it is back.

…more to think about in the design process…when something takes over like that and becomes nearly an obsession, perhaps that is the time to drop it and turn in another direction. Or perhaps one must pursue it to its conclusion to learn whatever lessons there are to be learned.

Note: This post was written a couple of months ago, in July. The pattern is still in time-out. Other patterns have been written. Is it time to move on? We’ll see…I’m still considering other methods of construction and other variations for the colorwork sections – kicking those ideas around to see if they will coalesce into something new.

Thanks for taking the time to stop by and to read about my experience with the project from H-E-Double Toothpicks!

colorwork, Knitting Technique, Knitting Tutorial, The Creative Process, The Design Process

Sweater Surgery, or How I Cut Into my Sweater and Lived to Tell About It

Posted on May 5, 2016May 6, 2016 by Carol

Last week I girded up my loins, picked up my scissors, and cut my sweater in half. Done with careful preparation, I survived, the sweater survived – and in fact it was much improved by the process.

The Problem

Here’s how knitwear design works for me: I try something. I like it. Well, except for just one thing. I rip back. I re-knit, and now it’s much better. But it’s not quite right, let me try this other color. At some point, I will determine to knit on no matter what. In the case of the Colorwork Tee, I knit the entire sweater before determining that, although I loved the torso of the sweater, I wasn’t happy with the fit of the yoke and sleeves.

So, I began again, armed with better numbers. This time, things were much better! The fit was much more flattering.

I’m not even going to show you the old yoke and sleeves, but here’s the section of the first sweater that I loved and kept. I could have continued knitting from the new yoke and sleeves and have knit all those rounds again, but…I thought that I had a better idea…grafting!

The Plan

The plan was that, using Kitchener stitch, I would graft the top and bottom sections together. It would be an elegant solution that would save both time and yarn.

Careful preparation was key to a successful operation. My motto, to misquote Bob Vila, was “Measure twice, stitch once!”

The Procedure

A Lifeline
~I learned this technique from a sock pattern, Basic Sock by Churchmouse Yarns and Teas. Insert the needle into the first leg of each stitch. After the needle has been inserted into every stitch, the yarn can be unraveled down to the needle and the live stitches will remain on the needle.

Helpful hint for seeing the “first leg” of each stitch: use finger to push out the fabric. You can see the separate legs more easily. I also find color changes to be helpful in seeing the separate legs.

After all of the stitches are on the needles…

…the fabric is ready to cut:

There was some weird problem unraveling, so I put in a new lifeline a few rounds further down.

Now I was ready to begin stitching. For instructions and a cheat sheet on how to work the Kitchener Stitch, read here.

Here, about 3 inches of grafting is completed (to the right of the needles):

After grafting, there was a bit of a ridge, noticeable to the touch but not visible. Once blocked, though, it was practically imperceptible.

The Finished Product

I’m excited to share some much more professional looking photos soon, but here’s the sweater right after blocking.

And that’s how I grafted 312 stitches and lived to tell about it!

colorwork, Oregon, Oregon Coast, photography, The Coast, The Creative Process

Winter Ramblings

Posted on February 19, 2016February 19, 2016 by Carol

I’ve just finished up a few days at the Oregon Coast. I come here every February, as a quiet, restful retreat by myself. I will often take long rambles, beachcombing, looking for the beautiful, the interesting or the odd to capture my attention. City-combing, too, looking for interesting architecture, sculpture, artistic endeavors; flora, fauna, food; less often, because they move and you have to get their permission, people.

A huge chunk of the time here is spent knitting, of course. Or, now, designing. This trip, there was a lot of knitting, ripping out, and re-knitting. I’m pretty sure this sweater now has its course planned out pretty well and all I have to do is just keep knitting…

Colorwork sweater, a previous version which included light blue and melon colorways:

Even though all of the inspirational palettes I was drawing from included the melon (and orange), I finally concluded that they were not going to work in this sweater because I hadn’t introduced them sooner. They are in time out and are not even in the tub with the rest of the yarn. Now I have a plan and will be working the greens, blues and browns back in throughout the rest of the fabric:

There’s much more to be said about knitting on this trip, including the lovely Open Knit time at In The Wind Yarns and some new yarn (!), but that’s subject matter for another post.

Now, back from that little aside.

Within the last year, I started writing this blog, and I set up a Facebook page and Twitter account so that I could let you know when a new post was written. In the blogging, I rediscovered my love for writing. For many years, it’s been put aside. I thought that since I write correspondence and I’m the Grammar/Comma Queen at work – I thought that because of these things, I was using my love for the language, I was writing. But then I started writing the blog, and I recollected that, at age 8 or 10 or whatever, I wrote an essay on the results of tobacco use for our little neighborhood club. I wrote an essay for fun, for goodness’ sake! What kid does that?? I’ve loved writing all my life, and it’s been very rewarding to pick up the pen, so to speak, again.

It’s true that I don’t have the time to devote to writing that I would wish, and so I decided to post Wordless Wednesday once a week, to keep the blog active when I don’t have the time or energy to write something engaging. I love photography, and now I want a new camera!

Thank you for taking the time to read this blog. I appreciate your spending some of your time with me. Wishing you a wonderful day. Now, I’ve gotta pack and head back home!

~Carol

art, design, knitting, knitting patterns, The Creative Process, The Design Process, Wordless Wednesday

Wordless Wednesday: Sketches

Posted on February 10, 2016February 9, 2016 by Carol

Sketches. Used to capture and make more concrete the wispy impressions of design ideas. Or used to convey them to others in a third-party submission. Some of these morphed into something else, perhaps recognizable to you. Others, well, they were just thoughts. A look into a sketchbook.

design, inspiration, Oregon, photography, Salishan, The Coast, The Creative Process, The Design Process, Wordless Wednesday

Beach. Texture. Love.

Posted on February 1, 2016February 1, 2016 by Carol

If you have followed my blog for long – or read my “about me” page – you know that I LOVE the beach. Part of what draws me to the beach is the endless variety of texture to be found there. Especially here on the rugged Oregon Coast, the objects to be found on the beach are richly varied, always interesting. I’m always looking for something unusual, something new, something lovely or striking.

Texture strikes me. It draws my attention. It is beautiful in its order and in its variety. Visually, as light moves over the surface of an object or vista and the eye detects changes in line and shape, this is texture. As light plays over differences in density within an object, and we see these differences, we see texture. And when the eye travels over a surface and, along the way, discovers changes in the nature of that surface, we recognize this as texture.

The pictures in this post were originally published in a Wordless Wednesday in August 2015. There were reasons for choosing these specific photos, so I wanted to revisit them – and to think about the nature of texture.

During a ridiculously long walk along this section of the beach in Newport, which I paid for later with complaining, swollen ankles and aching muscles (note to self: no more beach hikes wearing flip flops!) I was the winner in finding amazing textures, such as those in the barnacles and driftwood above.

And what about these wind shadows? I found them enchanting – sand protected from the wind by small items on the sand blocking the movement of air. This interesting textural phenomenon was all around that day.

Fascinating: an object masquerading as something quite different in nature from its own nature.

And finally, when I was heading back on that Newport hike, I came upon this impromptu sand and driftwood sculpture. Well worth the price of admission!

I finally explored the Salishan Spit in August 2014, after having been curious about it for years. It can be seen across the Siletz Bay from the highway, but I had never been there – I couldn’t even figure out how to get there! Finally I did my research, took the eight mile hike, and was mesmerized the entire time. There was something new to discover every bit of the way, from the dark sand (called “tar sand” by some locals) to a desolate “tree graveyard” filled with sunbleached, craggy remnants of an ancient forest.

Lovely, delicious, intriguing, ubiquitous texture:

When I returned to Gleneden Beach the following February to photograph the Salishan Cowl for the completed pattern, I was reminded again why this place had inspired this design. The organic, curved shapes were everywhere, from the clouds in the sky to the patterns in the sand.

As my eye finds textured nuances like these, they are filed away in my brain under “inspiration.” And some day, hopefully, bits and pieces of them will reconnect and reemerge – as a new and pleasing design.

Ira Glass on the Creative Process

Video• Posted on January 31, 2016April 24, 2016 by Carol

Tag: creative process

Vacillate and the Phoenix Cosy, the final patterns in the Rise Up Collection

Like this:

The Garden Cowl

Like this:

The Rise Up Collection, Fourth Release: Shooting Star

Like this:

Rise Up Collection, Third Release: Emergence

Like this:

The Creative Project from H-E-Double Toothpicks

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