Spring is blooming ... and so is this baby blanket!

Just finished this beautiful baby blanket for a dear friend who just gave birth last week to a gorgeous baby girl.  

Spring is Blooming is knit with Dale of Norway's Falk (a washable, sport-weight wool) but could also be done in a sport weight cotton!  The design starts in the center with eight stitches and you keep working in circles, increasing as you go (and some of those increases are cleverly hidden within the lace panels) until you end up with 280sts and a 30" diamater baby blanket.


Spring is indeed Blooming!  


NOTE:  You must be able to knit from charts for this bounteous bloom.  


If you'd like to download the pdf of this design, here's the link:

Spring is Blooming ($7.50) 

or check out all my designs at my Ravelry store ....

Enjoy the journey

Mary C. Gildersleeve

By Hand, With Heart -- hand-knit designs

bhwh.mary@gmail.com

New Design and review of the knitting retreat yesterday ....

Here's a design that has just come off the blocking board, photographed and posted in my Ravelry store:

Spring Garden Wrap, done in a cashmere/bamboo blend, and a fun lace pattern.  This design was so reminscent of a freshly planted garden, with it's furrows, that I just had to photograph it in front of our just-blooming dogwood!

The design, knit with Spring Gate Farm's medium weight cashmere (80%)/bamboo (20%) in a gorgeous springy sage green is perfect for all-year wear:  it's got the warmth of wool with the cooling/evaporative properties of bamboo so it will be comfortable all year-round.  The ends are tied and then buttoned (don't you love that button?) for keeping it closed.  The construction keeps the shawlette on your shoulders, too!

$6.00 for immediate download.

Yesterday's knitting retreat hosted by Dog House Yarns out at Graves Mountain was glorious!  I drove out with a dear knitting friend, chatting the whole way (which was excellent as by the time I got there, I wasn't nervous or anxious at'all!), and although the day was overcast and a bit misty, it was gorgeous!  This was the first time I'd been to Graves Mountain, but it definitely won't be my last ... especially since they are having their 1st Annual "Let's Get Naked: From Toes to Clothes" fiber festival on Saturday, April 30th.


The retreat itself was well attended -- almost 50 ladies of all ages knitting away while listening to me tell them all the wonderful facts about fiber (and NOT the breakfast kind).  We then had an all-you-can-eat, traditional family-food lunch (meatloaf, mashed potatoes, mixed vegetables au gratin, spinach salad with fresh strawberries, homemade apple cake with ice cream, etc) .... what a feast!  The afternoon sessions included a few break-out/small group sessions:  I facilitated a "tips and tricks" session where ladies asked me how to fix this or that which of course led to more questions and more answers; I then did an overview of short-rows:  when to use them and how to do them!  It was great fun.


The best part:  after spending a day with wonderful folks talking about one of my most favorite subjects .... I came home to a ready dinner, a clean house and a family who missed me!  What more could I want?


Next weekend, it's off to the Olde Liberty Fibre Faire in Bedford!

Enjoy the journey

Mary C. Gildersleeve

By Hand, With Heart -- hand-knit designs

bhwh.mary@gmail.com

New "old" design ... September in Colorado

Here's a design that was published in the online magazine, KnitCircus (Fall 2010).  After six months, the design reverted to me, so I've posted it for sale in my Ravelry store.

 The artist modeling September in Colorado!

 Close-up of the yoke design

the full sweater

September in Colorado (sizes XS-XL) is a great exercise in colorwork/stranded knitting.  An original charted yoke design contains all the colors of Colorado in September -- the green on some trees, the yellow aspen leaves, the shades of brown, and of course, the white of the "surprise" snow falls!

This design is available for immediate download for $4.99 from my Ravelry store (the link below works whether or not you're a member of Ravelry)

Enjoy the journey

Mary C. Gildersleeve

By Hand, With Heart -- hand-knit designs

bhwh.mary@gmail.com

KP IDP: my tenth design just went up!

I now have a total of 10 designs available on Knit Picks' website, the latest being the Cabled Cottage Cozies.  Here are quick links to these designs (both available on the KP site and in my Ravelry store) for immediate download:

 Cabled Cottage Cozies (KP - $3.99) or Ravelry  $4.00

 Celtic Closure in sizes XS-4X (KP - $4.99) or Ravelry $5.00

 Completely Cozy & Reversible Scarf for Him - (KP - $2.99) or Ravelry $3.00

Elegant Eliza Ballerina Bunny - (KP - $2.99) or Ravelry  -$5.00 (the Ravelry design has Exquisite Edgar Bunny included)

Season-Spanning Cardi in sizes XS-1X - (KP $4.99) or Ravelry $5.00

Fun Felted Saddlebag with matching accessories case - (KP $2.99) or Ravelry  $3.00

Memories of Eire vest in sizes XS - 1X - (KP $4.99) or Ravelry  $5.00

 My Favorite Sweatshirt and Mitts in sizes XS-5X (KP - $4.99) or Ravelry  $5.00

 Patrick: An Irish Lad's Jacket in sizes 2T to 10 - (KP $4.99) or Ravelry   $5.00

 Rib Tickler Hoodie in sizes XS-1X - (KP $4.99) or Ravelry  $5.00

My Ravelry store has lots of other patterns for immediate download ....
check it out and let me know what you think!

Enjoy the journey

Mary C. Gildersleeve

By Hand, With Heart -- hand-knit designs
bhwh.mary@gmail.com

More Easter knitting ... Eliza and Edgar Bunnies!

Here's a great addition to the Fabric Baskets I posted on Sunday ... Elegant Eliza and Exquisite Edgar! 

These knitted bunnies are 13" and 15" inches in height and are easy for little hands to hold.  Since they're made in one-piece with removable clothes, little ones can pull and play and chew and play and not tear these dolls.  Knit in worsted-weight, washable cotton (the samples shown were knit using KP's Comfy Worsted),  the dolls are easy-care, too!

Wouldn't your little ones love these in their Easter baskets?  For $5.00 you can download this lovely pattern for both bunnies ... just click the button! 

You can check out this and my other knitting designs on my Ravelry site ...

Enjoy the journey

Mary C. Gildersleeve
By Hand, With Heart -- hand-knit designs
bhwh.mary@gmail.com

Easter knitting .... a fun set of nested baskets

... that are "green", too!

 

 

I just finished writing the handcrafts column for the Spring issue 2001 of mater et magistra, an issue with lots of editorial space dedicated to celebrating Easter.  And what better way to celebrate than to make a set of nested basket knitted using a re-purposed sheet?

If you don't want to wait for the Spring issue (altho, if you are Catholic and have kids -- even if you DON'T homeschool them -- you probably WANT to subscribe) ... this pattern is available for immediate download from my Ravelry store
($4.00 for the pattern which includes tips on working with fabric "yarn" and other info).

Enjoy the journey

Mary C. Gildersleeve

By Hand, With Heart -- hand-knit designs
bhwh.mary@gmail.com

Birds in Flight ... a cowl ... a headband ... a classic!

 

Birds in Flight cowl/headband knit in Spring Gate Farm's Lace-Fingering Weight Cashmere .... available for instant download for $5.00.  This 27-stitch lace pattern is easy to memorize ... making the knitting a joy to do, especially since the yarn is 2-ply 100% cashmere ...

When only the best will do .... CASHMERE!

Enjoy the journey

Mary C. Gildersleeve

By Hand, With Heart -- hand-knit designs
bhwh.mary@gmail.com

Latest Design: I "heart" Austria .... a vest and matching cap

I "heart" Austria vest and cap is a labor of love: ten years ago, we were blessed to move to a small village an hour south of Vienna, Austria.  My husband was earning a Masters degree and we lived in the shadow of an ancient Carthusian monastery, homeschooling our (then) four children.  We were only able to stay two years but Austria got into our hearts, and remains there to this day.

We took home a lifetime of memories and our yougest son, born during our sojourn in Niederoesterich.  Now, almost eight years later, I have finally created a design worthy of our memories.

I Heart Austria ... a vest reminiscent of the Austrian knitting -- garter stitch insulation with cable panels of lots of diamonds.  The knit-in pockets and simple collar are pure Austrian.  The cuffed watch cap will keep you warm even in on the Austrian slopes ... the turn-up cuff recreates the six diamond variations with a 3x3rib underneath to hold the cap close to the head and also increase insulation.  The vest is sized for Sm, Med, Large, 1X and 2X; the cap is a one-size fits most adults.

Knit in a washable all wool ... this design is classic with a twist!

Enjoy ... you can purchase this pattern for immediate download from my Ravelry store (even if you're not a Ravelry member ... altho I don't know why you wouldn't be) for $5.00.  You can check out my other designs if you just go ahead and join Ravelry (it's free and a treasure-trove of all things knitterly or even crocheterly)

Enjoy the journey

Mary C. Gildersleeve

By Hand, With Heart -- hand-knit designs
bhwh.mary@gmail.com

Designs: another in cashmere ...

I just finished the fingerless mitts that coordinate with the Snow on the Mountains Scarf ... introducing the Snow on the Mountains Mitts ...

Cool, huh?  You can buy the pattern from my Ravelry store or directly from Spring Gate Farm.  Remember, if you buy the cashmere directly from Spring Gate, you can get the pattern free!

Happy knittin'

Mary C. Gildersleeve

By Hand, With Heart -- hand-knit designs
bhwh.mary@gmail.com

Designs: lots of fun to knit this one!

Thanks to NaKniSweMo, I have another design ready for your knitting pleasure:

Ready to go play!

"Hoods up!"

Back of sweater is 1-1/2" lower than front ... and the cables at the top of the hood match!

My Favorite Sweatshirt and Mitts design is a fun knit ... and a comfy sweater, to boot!  The sweater is knit by first making a cable panel, turning it on its side, knitting in the round and adding a sqaured-neckline, a hood and 3/4 sleeves (knit from the armhole down to mid-arm.  Because so much of the sweater is knit in the round, there is VERY little finishing work (I'm lazy, what can I say?).  I made a pair of matching fingerless mitts -- which are fun to knit and fun to wear!

I've sized this design for XS - 5X, so you can make one for all the ladies you know!  You can purchase this design or others of mine from my Ravelry Store .  Check 'em out and let me know what you think!  And if you have any suggestions for designs you'd like me to do, please let me know!

Happy knittin'

Mary C. Gildersleeve

By Hand, With Heart -- hand-knit designs
bhwh.mary@gmail.com

Ravelry ... I'm a member, are you

Ravelry reached 1,000,000 members on Nov 13, 2010 at 5:39 AM Eastern!  Can you believe it?  Ravelry has been around for a few years now (and I've been on there since 2007)but I have really been active this past year, posting designs for sale and free, and enjoying the comraderie available there (as well as the many professional opportunities and chances to reach an audience willing to buy my ideas)!  It is a wonderful community of fiber-nuts who build each other up, encourage and remonstrate (when needed) and just generally are a great batch of old and young ... male and female ... married ... single ... and just about everyone from all over the world!

It's a blast to be there ... so, have you joined yet?  It's free!  And if you join (or are already a member), please remember to "friend" me so that I know you're out there ....

Happy knittin'

Mary C. Gildersleeve

By Hand, With Heart -- hand-knit designs
bhwh.mary@gmail.com

NaKniSweMo has started!

Gentlefolk, start ... your ... needles: 

NaKniSweMo (a Ravelry KAL) starts today and runs till Nov 30th.

In the spirit of the NaNoWriMo (50,000 words written during the month of November .... a project I participated in a few years ago, resulting in the publication of In His Image: Nurturing Creativity in the Heart of Your Home), you try to finish 50,000 stitches (basically, a sweater's worth) in the month.

I'm in!

Here's the design I'm doing:

This is my own design and I'm knitting it up in KP's Simply Cotton Organic (in Malted Milk)

So, are YOU in?

Happy knittin'

Mary C. Gildersleeve

By Hand, With Heart -- hand-knit designs
bhwh.mary@gmail.com