Tag: knitequalsjoy

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

Hollywood and Vine Ready for Testing!

Posted on 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

Posted in giftalong2018, Knit Equals Joy Designs, knitting pattern, Ravelry

Whimsy Tree with Buttons from Mom’s and Grandma’s Button Tins

Posted on by Carol

I know that some of you share with me an affection for the button tins that our mothers or grandmothers created over time, clipping serviceable buttons from garments that had reached the end of their usable life and saving those buttons for future use.  Some of you may have been fortunate, as was I, to inherit these tins.  I have memories of sorting through Mom’s button tins, and Grandma’s before her, as a child.  These days, I use the buttons to decorate some of my hand-knits.

After releasing the Whimsy Tree pattern, I had the idea of making a second tree using natural, undyed yarn, and decorating it with white, silver, and gold buttons from Mom’s and Grandma’s button tins.  I am so happy with the result.

I’m going to offer the 25% off introductory discount through the end of 2018, no coupon code necessary.  You can find the pattern here: Whimsy Tree.

The Indie Design Gift-a-Long on Ravelry is nearing the last week of this year’s GAL.  I was fortunate to have been interviewed by Stana D. Sortor (Fifinka on Ravelry).  Her website is Stana’s Critters, Etc.  Here’s one of her adorable designs, Chameleon Leon:

Chameleon Leon, design and photo by Stana D. Sortor 

If you’d like to read the interview, here it is: Interview with Designer Knit Equals Joy.

Wishing you all a joyous Christmas and a very Happy New Year.

xoxo

Carol

Posted in Knit Equals Joy Designs, Knit-a-Long, knitting, knitting patterns, Pumpkin-a-Long, Ravelry

Pumpkin Party

Posted on by Carol

The Fall colors have been great, the pumpkin spice lattes have been tasty, and the knit pumpkins have been a blast! I couldn’t wait any longer to share these beautiful pictures with you.

The Knit Equals Joy Pumpkin-a-Long goes through Halloween – which means it’s still possible to knit a Wee Pumpkin before the end of the PAL – you can make one while handing out treats Halloween night!  The Wee Pumpkin pattern is just $1.25 or is free through November 10th if you have purchased any of my other pumpkin patterns.  Look for the “free” promotion to return again in early 2019.

Three Wee Pumpkins by Carla, knit in different yarn weights
Wee pumpkin knit by and jumbo pumpkin grown by Elaine
Jen has a sweet pumpkin patch. I spy Large Colorwork Pumpkins, a Colorwork Pumpkin, Mini Colorwork Pumpkins, and an Autumn Spice Pumpkin
Large Colorwork Pumpkin by Carla
Large Colorwork Pumpkin by Jen
Back of Large Colorwork Pumpkin by Jen
Large Colorwork Pumpkin by Carla
Autumn Spice Pumpkin by Kathy

Autumn Spice Pumpkin by Elaine:

Wee Pumpkin by Ginny

I hope you enjoyed the Pumpkin Party!

Many thanks to these knitters for letting me share their photos with you.

Knit Equals Joy

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

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

Posted on 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

Fun with editing software
This bowl and pitcher set was a prized possession of my mother’s

xoxo

knit equals joy

 

Posted in Knit Equals Joy Designs, knitting, Ravellenic Games, Ravelry

Team Knit equals Joy – The Ravellenic Games 2018

Posted on by Carol

Cover photo by Jörg Angeli on Unsplash

Team Knit Equals Joy is joining the Ravellenic Games! The Ravellenic Games – a fun way to connect with other knitters and to challenge your own skills. They take place during the Olympic Games but, of course, are not affiliated with those games.  The goal is to challenge yourself to begin and complete at least one project between Friday, February 9 and Sunday, February 25 – and to have fun doing it.

15 events cover just about any type of project you want to make:  Alpine Afghan Combined, Bag Biathlon, Cowl Curling, Aerial Unwind, Super G(arment), Hat Halfpipe, Cross Country Living, Mitten Moguls, Short Track Scarf, Shawl Skating, Sock Hockey, Sweater Skeleton, Freestyle Spinning, Toy Bobsleigh, and WIPs Dancing. Curious? More info about the events here: 2018 Medal Categories.

The Ravelry-wide event awards virtual prizes. Generally these are a graphic you can post on your Ravelry profile page and on your project page. Pretty fun to post those prizes proudly!

We will have prizes in our Knit Equals Joy team, too…real prizes like yarn, bags, patterns… Prizewinners will be chosen randomly from those posting pictures in our finished objects thread. Projects may be made from any patterns, not just mine.  However, we will again have a special event (outside of the official events) called Event Knit Equals Joy (tag = eventkej). Anyone completing any of my patterns will be entered for a prize package, drawn by random number generator from all the completed (and tagged) eventkej projects.

As it gets closer to the actual event, I will be posting more information , both here and in our Team Knit Equals Joy thread.

We would love to have you join our team!  It’s like a giant KAL, and so much fun. Come join Team Knit Equals Joy here!

Photo by Toa Heftiba on Unsplash

 

xoxo

knit equals joy

 

Posted in Christmas, knit equals joy, knitters, knitting, knitting swaps, Ravelry

Advent Mini Swap Sign-Ups

Posted on by Carol

Dear knitters,

It’s time to sign up for the second annual advent mini swap in the Knit Equals Joy group on Ravelry. Sign-ups end September 20th.

This awesome swap takes place during advent, with one gift to be opened on each Sunday in advent and the final gift on Christmas Day.  Here’s what our awesome swap organizer, Katherine, says to describe the swap:

This swap will require 5 presents total. One for each of the Sundays during Advent + one for Christmas. Only one of the days will require a handcrafted item although you are welcome to craft as many of them as you wish.

Dec 3 – Theme 1: Tree(s)
Dec 10 – Theme 2: Something with a pointy red hat (Santa, elves, gnomes….)
Dec 17 – Theme 3: Something red OR green
Dec 24 – Theme 4: Something inspired by a favorite Christmas Song
Dec 25 – Theme 5: Something special for your SP….a Notion/yarn/fabric (something for knitting, sewing, quilting…etc) based on your SP’s likes and hobbies.

A small food treat (or other non-edible treat) will be considered “bonus”… and could be opened when the package arrives.

Your one handcrafted item can be for any of the above days. If you want to craft more than one day (or all 5… that is fine too!).

Again, our swaps are “secret” swaps, so you don’t know who your swap partner is until you receive your package in the mail.

If you’d like to join in, come on over and sign up here by September 20th.  Hope to see you there!!!

Memories from the 2016 Advent Mini-Swap

 

Posted in knit equals joy, Knit Equals Joy Designs, knitters, knitting, knitting swaps, Spa Cloth

Reminder: Final Day for Summer Spa Swap Sign-Ups!

Posted on by Carol

TODAY is the last day to sign up for the summer spa swap in the Knit Equals Joy Ravelry Group! This is our third annual summer swap – Summer Spa Swap III – Les Jardins. Our swaps are a great way to connect with other knitters – chatting, making and sending a small gift, receiving a fun package in the mail that another knitter made for you with care…come on over and sign up! The original post about this swap is here.

This mini swap is all about sending your secret swap partner a mini “pampering kit”. This year we will use the summer garden as our inspiration. Your package will include a hand knit or crocheted wash cloth that has a Les Jardins (garden) theme or is inspired by the garden, a pretty and preferably a handcrafted bar of soap and one other fun little item that you think your swap partner would like (perhaps a pretty bookmark, some bath salts or a special lip balm…) (Max Value = $10.00).

Part of the joy of the swap is in chatting with the other swap participants, and we post our thanks and photos as soon as we can after we’ve received our swap packages. It’s how we roll in Knit Equals Joy.

That’s it! I hope you will check it out and come sign up TODAY. If you’re not yet a member of the group, please join. If you haven’t posted in the group yet, please introduce yourself and let the group know how you found the swap.

You can read about some of our other swaps here.

See you there!

Posted in Knit Equals Joy Designs, knitting, knitting patterns, sweater pattern

Color Bliss Sweater – Pattern Now Available!

Posted on by Carol

Dear knitters, I’m thrilled to introduce the Color Bliss Sweater! The pattern is on special for my blog readers and Facebook, Twitter and Instagram followers through the end of June:  25% off the regular price of $5.50. Follow this link; no coupon code is necessary:  Color Bliss Introductory Sale.

This pattern was a joy to write – because it’s all about color!

Scott Webb – Waterloo Region Museum, Kitchener, Canada, via Unsplash

Color is its defining element: beautiful, happy, joyful color. You can go bright, muted, multi-color, monochromatic, just a few colors or lots of colors! The pattern includes suggestions and worksheets for creating your own palette and stripe sequence.  Here you will find a Pinterest board with lots of different palettes I’ve collected over the years. Use them as a springboard for your own imagination.

The pattern is written for 10 sizes: 36 (38, 40, 42, 44, 46, 48, 50, 52, 54) in. /91.4, (96.5, 101.6, 106.7, 111.8, 116.8, 121.9, 127, 132.1, 137.2) cm Bust. Sample shown in the pattern has zero ease at bust and 4 1/2 inches positive ease at waist.

It’s worked in the round, top-down and seamless.

When my youngest son was in high school, I found a sweater for him that I absolutely loved. It was your basic seamed, striped sweater, but the colors and order of the stripes made me happy every time I saw that sweater. I mimicked that stripe sequence in the gray/orange/blue/red version of this sweater.

I like to design things that I want to wear myself, so this sweater was designed with a round yoke. I like the way that the round yoke hangs on my frame and I feel like a million bucks every time I wear either of my Color Bliss Sweaters.

Here are a few of the finished sweaters. You can see all of the Color Bliss Sweaters, finished or in progress, here.

WillowandTwist made this lovely for her daughter. Beautifully made, and a wonderfully cool palette!

I love the modification MsMEdge made to her sweater, which was to make the striped section mimic short sleeves rather than 3/4 sleeves. It’s perfect on her!

Melanie modified her sweater by lengthening it. This is easy to do if you get some extra yarn. Just keep on knitting until you reach the length you like. I am thinking of doing this with one of own my Color Bliss Sweaters. If I do, I’ll add an addendum to the pattern, and if you have purchased the pattern through Ravelry or through the links on the blog, you’ll receive an update at that time. Here’s Melanie’s gorgeous sweater!

I think Patricia may have lengthened her sweater as well. But, these colors! This sweater makes me smile every time I see it. Must be the happiest color palette ever!

The pattern also includes a hand-drawn schematic (the measurements are computer-typed, however, for easier reading). This is just a little gift from me to you.

I hope you’ll come join the fun and make your own Color Bliss Sweater. Playing with color really is tremendous fun and is another way that Knit Equals Joy!

And just for fun, a couple of photo shoot outtakes…

Typical Herman Photography
Superhero Pose

 

Posted in knit equals joy, Knit Equals Joy Designs, knitters, knitting, knitting swaps, Spa Cloth

It’s Time for Another Summer Spa Swap!

Posted on by Carol

It was June, and the world smelled of roses. The sunshine was like powdered gold over the grassy hillside.  ~ Maud Hart Lovelace, Betsy-Tacy and Tib

Yes! Hurray! It’s time for another summer spa swap in the Knit Equals Joy Ravelry Group! In fact, this is our third annual summer swap – Summer Spa Swap III – Les Jardins. Our swaps are a great way to connect with other knitters – chatting, making and sending a small gift, receiving a fun package in the mail that another knitter made for you with care…come on over and sign up! Read more about this swap below.

Our wonderful swap organizer extraordinaire, jenb69, wrote this lovely piece about summer:

Summer. That one word can conjure up so many memories. When I think of summer, I think freedom (s.c.h.o.o.l is now a dirty word). Bare feet. Shady trees. Watermelon. Watermelon covered faces. Big floppy hats. Grills and backyard barbecues. Lazy days in the garden. Roses. Heat, humidity and thunderstorms and little boys with dirty feet and fishing poles.

I think I would love to live in Mayberry.

And she says this about the swap:

Regardless of where we live though, summer is the perfect opportunity to find some selfish time. This mini swap is all about sending your secret swap partner a mini “pampering kit”. This year we will use the summer garden as our inspiration. Your package will include a hand knit or crocheted wash cloth (maybe you have some extra special cotton or linen in your stash?) that has a Les Jardins (garden) theme or is inspired by the garden, a pretty and preferably a handcrafted bar of soap and one other fun little item that you think your swap partner would like (perhaps a pretty bookmark, some bath salts or a special lip balm….be as creative here as you like) (Max Value = $10.00).

 

Sign-ups end June 9th.

Mailing deadline is July 7th.

Part of the joy of the swap is in chatting with the other swap participants, and we post our thanks and photos as soon as we can after we’ve received our swap packages. It’s how we roll in Knit Equals Joy.

That’s it! I hope you will check it out and come sign up. If you’re not yet a member of the group, please join. If you haven’t posted in the group yet, please introduce yourself and let the group know how you found the swap.

You can read about some of our other swaps here.

See you there!