Author: tabitha

Back to School

I added a new book to my collection recently. The Knitgrrl Guide to Professional Knitwear Design by Shannon Oakey. The book wasn’t entirely what I was expecting but that is a good thing. I was expecting another book that dealt mainly with designing patterns but this book deals largely with the business end of designing. This is fantastic as I don’t know of another book on the market that handles these subjects.

There is a chapter on the technical aspects of writing pattern but Shannon also discusses things like social media, lawyers, advertising, publishing and the business side of things. There are also a collection of interview with some of the best known designers in the business. I think Elizabeth Zimmermann may be the only designer missing and she wasn’t available to be interviewed.

One of the coolest things is that the book is available in print and electronic formats. Want a copy for your Kindle? Shannon has you covered. Prefer the sound of rustling pages? Shannon can do that too. Can’t decide between print and PDF? You can buy the bundle with both. This book is available in every format you could possibly want. Me, I went for the Print and PDF option so I could enjoy the instant gratification of the PDF file but still relish the smell of paper.

This book is going to be something that refer to again and again. I liked it so much I even signed up for Shannon’s Designer 101 class in her virtual studio. Which remind me, I have homework to do so I probably need to quit blogging and get to it. So if you are thinking about selling patterns or even hand-dyed yarns or finished knitting pieces, check the book out. There is probably something there to help you. It is available from Amazon.com or the Knitgrrl website. Your local library may even have it.

Before I go, I do have one little business matter to handle. I need to announce the contest winners for my Vacation Contest.
First, the correct answers.

The trolley in downtown Memphis, TN

Pyramid Arena in Memphis, TN
The building is really cool with its golden pharaoh statue but the mirrored surface will blind you certain times of the day. It has not been the financial success that the city had hoped.

Bridge over the Mississippi River from Memphis side. The bridge is M-shaped and was one of my favorite things about Memphis.

My lovely feet showing off my black hi-tops and my ankle brace from the Spring Sprain incident. And one of the socks I knitted while traveling. The highway behind my feet is Interstate 40 somewhere in central Arkansas. Couldn’t tell you exactly where because it all looks alike – flat and boring – until you get to Little Rock.

Old Mill in North Little Rock, Arkansas.
This is one of the prettiest parks I have visited. The mill is the last remaining structure from the movie Gone with the Wind (it supposedly appears in the opening scenes though I don’t remember seeing it). It made a great photo location for the wedding shawl.

Museum of Discovery in Little Rock, AR.
This museum was a fun little discovery. We had a reciprocal membership so we got in for free. Made a nice break from the boring drive.

Rock Island Bridge over the Arkansas River near downtown Little Rock. This is an abandoned rail bridge that is really cool because it has a drawbridge (though that might not be the correct term since the entire span lifts). The arched span on the right raises to allow boating traffic to pass underneath and then lowers for rail traffic. Too bad it is no longer in use.

Another sock posing in front of a plaque at the Arkansas Welcome Center in West Memphis, AR.

Titanic Museum in Branson, MO
This was the coolest part of the trip. The museum was shaped like a scale model of the bow of the Titanic complete with iceberg. You received a boarding pass bearing the name of an actual passenger or crew member from the Titanic. As you went through you could look for information about your person and at then end you found out if your person survived or not.

A lovely butterfly from the Butterfly Palace in Branson, MO.
I have never seen such huge butterflies in my life. It was funny to watch everyone staring at the ceiling with their mouths open. If you were still enough, the butterflies would land on you. It was really a lovely place. My son got me lost in the mirror maze though.

The sock monkey, Donnie and Marie and Mr Spock were all from the World’s Largest Toy Museum in Branson, MO.
I decided to spare you have to look at the sock monkey and Donnie and Marie again. Every inch of that place was jam packed with every imaginable kind of toy. It was an interesting walk down memory lane. Until I got to the kewpie dolls, that is. Bleck!

The McDonald’s Party Caboose in Harrison, AR.
Who knew McDonald’s actually has lots of these. I never did understand the connection between McDonald’s and the caboose but if it makes them happy…

And yet another sock on yet another unknown stretch of highway in Arkansas. I-40 is really a boring highway.

The lucky winner is Mary. We were close to you. Next time we pass through that part of the world we will be sure to wave. Email me or PM me through Ravelry so I can make arrangements to send your patterns.

Hot, Hot, Hot

Yep, that about sums up my life right now. It is too hot to do anything but sit near the air conditioner and knit. So naturally I have been buying yarn. Here are the latest acquisitions.

Vacation Souvenirs

Manos del Uraguay Serena
60% Baby alpaca/40% Pima cotton in one of a kind colorway with no name

I cannot begin to tell you how soft it is. I cannot wait to get it on the needles so it can tell me what it wants to be. The skeins don’t have a lot of yardage but is was so wonderfully soft that I couldn’t resist it.

Colinette Jitterbug
100% Merino wool in Salty Dog (165)

Who knew they had added semi-solids to their line. This color is going to make some really fun socks

Panda Silk
52% bamboo, 43% machine washable merino wool, 5% combed silk in Sangria (3011)

This is the yarn featured in my latest sock pattern Owen. I love the softness and the sheen. It isn’t quite as suited to cables as 100% wool would be but I think the results are still nice.

Gift Yarn

Colinette Jitterbug
100% Merino wool in Venezia (90)

I received this as a gift from a dear friend who thought I needed some yarn from England. She also sent me chocolate. She is a very good friend.

Yarn I am knitting now.

Dodge Creations Dye Works
100% Merino wool in Plum Blossom

This is going to be a shawl but that is all I will say about that now.

Fiber Optics Foot Notes
80% Merino wool/20% Nylon in Afternoon in Paris

Another shawl but I will have more to say about that later.

Knit Picks Telemark
100% Washable Wool in 7 very Who colors

This is the humble beginning of my Doctor Who scarf as worn by Tom Baker, the fourth Doctor and the one with the most special place in my heart since he was my first Doctor. They say you always love your first Doctor.

You will be seeing a lot of this scarf as it will end up ridiculously long by the time it is ready to cast off. Might not work as well on me as I am significantly shorter than 6’4″ but I will have a ridiculously long scarf nonetheless.

Two, Two, Two Socks in One

Much of my recent quietness on the blog has been due to a mad flurry of designing lately. Between pattern writing, managing test knits, knitting, editing and all the million other little things that go along with designing, I simple haven’t had time to write. The good news is that there will be a number of new patterns appearing on these pages in the coming weeks.

I will introduce you to the most recent additions to my pattern catalog now.

Aragorn Sock

This sock is the final piece in the Aragorn collection that I have been working on for several months. This deceptively easy but bold lace and cable pattern is masculine enough for the Aragorn in your life, without being dull to knit. It looks great knit in a more feminine color too. It’s a perfect match for the Aragorn Scarf, Aragorn Fingerless Gloves and Aragorn Hat.

The sock is knit from the toe up utilizing an increased toe and a clever reversed gusset heel. Suitable for intermediate knitters, the pattern uses simple lace techniques and basic twisted stitches. You will need to know basic toe up sock techniques, in particular a toe up cast on. The heel instructions are included in the pattern. There is a accompanying tutorial on my blog that explains working the twisted stitches without a cable needle. Pattern instructions are written. No charts included at this time.

Special thanks to Colin Andersson for allowing me to modify his Andersson heel for this pattern. Thank you also to Tammy, of Photography by TK Eastburn, for the lovely photos, to Christa Keltner for the knitting the sample and to Ashley, the wonder editor, for her amazing tech editing skills.

$5.00

add to cart

Next, I’d like to introduce you to the first in a collection of accessories for children and adults.

Owen Sock

Owen is a simple sock adorned with two wide cables running from the toe to the cuff and up the back of the leg. The pattern is bold enough to stand up to most variegated yarns but also looks fabulous in solid colors.

The sock is knitted toe up and features a clever reverse gusset heel that doesn’t require short row wraps or picking up stitches. Pattern is suitable for advanced beginner and intermediate knitters. Knitter will need to know basic toe-up sock construction including a toe-up cast on. The heel will be explained in the pattern. Knitter will also need a knowledge of basic knowledge of cables. As there are few cable twists in the pattern and the stitches are well explained, this pattern could be suitable as a first cable pattern for the fearless knitter. The pattern contains fully written instructions with a supplementary chart for the cable pattern. The pattern is quick to knit and would make an excellent gift sock as it looks much more difficult than it really is. The matching Owen hat, as well as Evan, the infant/child version of this pattern, will both be available soon.

$5.00

add to cart

I’ve been having fun reading all the comments on my vacation post. I did want to clarify one little detail for the contest. You don’t have to have seen these places in person to enter the contest. If you get your answers from Google, that is fine too. Happy searching.

AWOL

Boy, has the time slipped away from me. Summer is fully upon us and I haven’t had time to blog since that “knitting injury” I told you about in my previous post. My ankle is greatly improved though still not 100%. But I am being much more careful with my photography shoots now.

It has been an eventful spring and summer. We took a lovely vacation, I have been designing like mad and I survived another Week of the Screaming Hordes (aka Vacation Bible School). So where to begin?

I suppose I should begin with the vacation. You didn’t think you could escape without seeing the vacation photos, did you?.

What I Did on my Vacation
A Photo essay by tabitha

I saw trolley cars

and pyramids

and really cool bridges

and I knit socks.

I saw Old Mills

and museums

and more cool bridges

and knit more socks

I saw the Titanic

and butterflies

and Sock monkeys (scary)

and Donnie and Marie (even scarier)

and Mr Spock (live long and prosper)

and even a McDonald’s with a caboose (though I’m not exactly sure why a McDonald’s needs a caboose)

and knit still more socks.

And then I came home.

The End

I actually finished some socks but that is a story for another day.

To make up for the long absence, how about a blog contest?
See how many of the places pictured you can identify. Include the name of the attraction and the city and state, if possible (the entry with the most specific information will be chosen in the event of a tie). Just ignore the photos that are the interior of the car on some highway since I am not sure I can tell the highways apart. The person who can identify the most locations will get a copy of my two soon-to-be-released sock patterns (unless you don’t like knitting socks, in which case, I will offer a substitute prize). There are a total of 10 locations pictured because a couple of the photos were taken at the same place.

To enter, just comment with a photo number and your guess for the name of the attraction (if applicable) plus the city and state of its location. As a hint, all of these locations are within about 500 miles driving distance of one another. Those of you who I met in person along the way are not eligible since it gives you an outrageously unfair advantage. In the event of a tie, the entry with the most specific information will be chosen. If there are loads of people who have identical entries, winners will be chosen at random from among the correct entries. If no one guesses anything correctly, a winner will be chosen at random from all of the entries. Contest ends at midnight PDT on 4th July, 2010. Winner will be announced on the blog some time after 5 July 2010.

Spring Sprain

We have had a beautiful spring so far. My azaleas have been simply gorgeous this year so they have been posing with some of my recent knitting projects.

Two of my patterns have gotten a face lift to be a part of the Knit Picks IDP program.

Amber Waves Slipper Socks

and Purple Mountains Slipper Socks.

These two are both looking great in the Knit Picks Swish Superwash yarn. I especially like the Clematis Heather that is featured in Purple Mountains.

The subtle little color changes really catch the light and set of the design. Both patterns should be available on Knit Picks soon. If you can’t wait, they are available through my Ravelry pattern store.

Another of my designs wanted to pose with the azaleas.

Naughty Sock

Naughty sock got its name as a sort of joke while I was swatching and ripping and swatching and ripping swatching and ripping stitch patterns trying to find something that would work with a variegated yarn. Somewhere along the way I got frustrated and put the sock in time out. It was jokingly referred to as the naughty sock afterward and the name sort of stuck.

So after weeks of frogging, I “unvented” this fun-to-knit lace stitch pattern. The resulting sock is light, lacy sock and just right for spring and summer wear. Easy enough to make it an excellent traveling sock but interesting enough to prevent boredom.

I have discovered however, that giving something a name like Naughty is a dangerous thing. Sometimes it makes the knitting life up to its name. While taking photos of the socks I managed to fall and sprain my ankle. I think the next sock is going to be named Good Health.

Knit it in a colorful wool blend or a cool cotton blend. The lace pattern is stretchy and accommodates a variety of calf widths. You can easily customize the leg and foot length for your own size. This sock utilizes cuff down construction with eye of partridge heel flap and standard toe. Suitable for the Advanced Beginner to Intermediate knitter.

$5.00

add to cart

In the coming weeks, expect to see more socks and some shawls.
Happy knitting.