THREE new designs posted today!

I love Easter ... not just cuz now I can eat candy or because Jesus rose to conquer sin and death ... or even because dh has Easter week for Spring Break. I love Easter because I usually get lots of projects done.  This week has been no exception .... here are THREE new designs I just posted in my Ravelry store:

Lapis Lazuli Lace Scarf (approx. 5" x 54") -- pdf download is $4.00

Royal Red Butterfly Shawl (approx. 33" x 15") -- pdf download is $5.00
NOTE: you must be able to knit from a chart for this design!

The Long and Winding Road Scarf (approx. 5" x 40") -- pdf download is $4.00

AND, I'm about two-thirds done with a cable sampler jacket!  Cool, huh?


All three items above were knit with Spring Gate Farm's Cashmere(50%)/Silk(25%)/Merino(25%) blend in jewel tones.  BTW, for those in the area ... I'll be at Graves Mountain Lodge's Fiber Festival on Saturday (9-4, free) with the lovely lady who breeds the cashmere goats that give us this beautiful yarn!  Please stop by and say howdy ... these and other designs I've done for Spring Gate will be available as well as skeins and skeins of her lovely fiber!

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

Spring Gate Farm Hand-knits: Snow on the Mountains Scarf

Snow drifting gently down on the mountain peaks ... mimicked here in a lace-eyelet design that is as fun to knit as it's beautiful to wear.  Snow on the Mountains is knit in 100% cashmere; this scarf is flowy and floaty and luscious ... seriously!  This design is a great one for practicing knitting lace ... and a wonderful gift for loved ones.

Snow on the Mountains Scarf is available for immediate download from my Ravelry site for $5.00.  If you'd like to knit this up in the gorgeous cashmere from Jane McKinney's Spring Gate Farm (and get this design free with yarn purchase), check out her site and contact her for current cashmere fiber pricing.

Psssst:  I'm currently working on a coordinating fingerless mitts design with plans for a snood and vest using this same eyelet lace pattern.

Happy knittin'

Mary C. Gildersleeve

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

Spring Gate Farm Hand-knits: Wall Street Scarf

 

The "Wall Street Scarf" ... as sophisticated as New York City … as up and down as the Stock Market … as classically conservative as the investment banking industry … made in 100% cashmere … you'll love knitting this one!  The stitch-pattern is a two-row, easy-to-memorize garter-stitch pattern that knits up into a lovely, sophisticated, classic scarf for the men (or women ... up to you!).

The pattenr for Wall Street Scarf is available for immediate download on my Ravelry site for $5.00.  If you'd like to buy the cashmere fiber shown, head to Jane McKinney's Spring Gate Farm site and order the fiber directly from her ... the pattern is free with yarn purchase.

Happy knittin'

Mary C. Gildersleeve

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

Spring Gate Farm Hand-knits: Grand Central Station Cap

 

Grand Central Station, NYC ... where all train tracks originate! As do the ribs in this cap made in pure cashmere ... knit from the center top out. This pattern is given in two sizes: medium adult and large adult. This was designed for men (there are so FEW hand-knit designs for men ... that a man would actually wear!) but there's certainly no reason why a woman couldn't wear this hat. [And for those women in the crowd with large heads ... this fits me and will look lovely on you, too!]

Grand Central Station Cap is available on Ravelry for immediate download for $4.00. If you buy the cashmere fiber directly from Jane McKinney at Spring Gate Farms (which I highly recommend), the pattern is free!

Happy knittin'

Mary C. Gildersleeve

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

Another KP IDP ....

Wow!  Looking back at my records, it's been almost TWO MONTHS since I've had a design up on Knit Picks ... you all must have been wondering!  Well, all is well .... I was in the midst of working on some big projects for a couple of books that will be published this next year as well as working on projects to donate for a charity fund-raiser next weekend.

That all said, I have a new pattern up in KP's IDP -- Fun Felted Saddlebag.  This is a quick knit in bulky yarn on #10s, knit in the round for the body and then switching to flat knitting for the slip-stitch flap.  The strap is knit right in and I even designed a mini-bag that coordinates (and hooks to the strap to avoid losing it!)  Here are some pictures to whet your knitting-appetite:  

 I'm using mine as a knitting bag!  A place for everything and everything in its place!

Please check out this and my other designs on Knit Picks or directly from my Ravelry Shop!

 Happy knittin'

Mary C. Gildersleeve

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

Accessories: Norwegian Mail Bag

Hey y'all -- it's been a while since I posted a FO (finished object), but here is one upon which I just put the finishing touches and submitted for potential publication.

This WAS going to be a Norwegian sweater for KAL over at Ethnic Knitting -- but as I knit, the yarn told me to make it into a "mail bag" ... so I did.

This is actually knit upside-down -- the CO edge is the bag opening while the bottom is mitered to give a 4x10 square base (I cut a piece of cardboard to give it shape).I really like the way it turned out! It's a solid bit of knitting -- so won't stretch out of shape as it's used and the whole thing just looks way cool.

The strap is done like a really wide i-cord -- which I do by using three dpns and working round and round as if I were using 4 or 5 needles, on the 16 sts for the strap ... this makes a flat, double-faced strap without ever having to turn it. To keep the strap from stretching, I did a running stitch in the green to either side of the strap .... easy to keep the running stitches even by going thru every 3rd st! So, what do YOU think?

BTW, the yarn is my favorite -- Dale of Norway's Heilo in a dark charcoal grey, dark olive green, and a really nice cream. I used #3s for the knitting, which gave quite a nice fabric!

So simple, and yet so elegant

This is just a simple, K1-P1 rib scarf -- yet it is reversible (as the purl stitches "hide" and allow the knit stitches to appear as if it's knit stitched on both sides) and so soft using Lion Brand's Cotton Ease. This one is for Lego-Maniac and took just over a skein each of "snow" and "charcoal" making this scarf approx. 45". For an adult version, I'd add 2 more repeats of the 15-row stripes and end with the snow, to make it about 60". No fringe so this can stay nice and elegant!

Just in time for next Fall ...

... or our next snow here in Denver! These were done using TLC's Heathers and Foxy (both from Coats and Clarks). Kinda cool for my first gloves,huh?

How do you get a 4 year-old boy to dance at 7 in the morning?

Custom-designed, custom-sized, custom-knit cozy hiking socks worked for BamBam! These are the socks I posted about last night and BamBam had to try them on as soon as he came down this morning, "just to make sure they work, Mommy". He is one happy camper today and -- with the cozy thickness of Lion Brand's Wool-ease Chunky -- he'll be a happy hiker and camper all summer with these great socks!

And here's BamBam's socks

As promised, here are BamBam's sox just off the needles -- I'm thinking I'll make the same sox for dh and then reverse the colors for a new pair of hiking sox for MOI!

Thick Mittens and Socks

There is something absolutely amazing about knitting with thick wool -- everything goes together so quickly!



Here are two pairs of mittens knitted with Dale of Norway's Hubro and size 10.5 needles ... they went together in a weekend and will be ready for dh and I when next Denver has a snow-storm (which around here, could be any day between now and June!).

And here are two pairs of socks -- the "orchid" ones for String Bean and the "charcoal" ones for Lego-Maniac. Since I can never make the same socks twice, each of these are slightly different -- note the 3x3 rib all the way to the heel flap on the orchid socks and (which is harded to see) the difference in heel flap patterns. Designing socks is fun because you can experiment on a small portion and have fun with it. And it's not a big deal to visit the "frog pond" with these socks as there are only 24 total stitches cast on. These will make great hiking/camping socks for this summer as they're very thick but tightly knit on size 8s using Lion Brand's Wool-ease Chunky (a wool/acrylic blend which is machine washable).

Bam-bam, of course, now wants a pair -- with orchid heel and toe but charcoal elsewhere. I'll post a picture when I finish the second of the pair of those. Socks are so fun to knit and with this thick yarn, I'm able to make a pair in 4 hours or so!

Latest Felted Project

Here's the latest thing off the needles: a felted backpack in olive/dusty brown made from Dale of Norway's Heilo.

Now, I really enjoy felting -- because you can have such fun with it. If you'll notice, I have a felted I-cord drawstring to close the bag. Once I felted everything and put it together, I needed to trim the cord as I'd made it too long. I took that cord, made a loop, sewed it to the inside of the bag and now I have somewhere to clip my keys! I also added a small, button-flapped coin pocket on the outside and a long, multi-pocket piece on the inside.

The straps are doubled, 10-stitch wide (like a really wide I-cord) and knit right onto the backpack (from the base to just under the flap at the top). Knitting them on (altho a bit more cumbersome than knitting them separate and sewing later), ensures a good strong bond to the backpack. The "X"s at the top are more decoration than for utility.

Here's the bag with one strap done and the pickup for the second strap. Here you can also see the pre-felted size. It was HUGE! The felting will shrink the knitting (so you can't see stitch-definition) about 40% (with more shrinkage in the length than the width). The final product -- as you can see above -- is a nice, wide bag that will be used by me ALOT!

New FO's to come off the needles ...

this week include:

• A carpet-bag style felted bag that's big enough to carry your knitting, library books or shopping! Done in Dale of Norway's "Heilo" -- with two strands held double throughout -- the bag goes together quickly on size 10s and felts wonderfully. A small pocket is hidden inside and the bottom has a knit-covered cardboard to keep the bottom shaping and allow the bag to "stand up". Really not too hard a project, even beginner knitters could do this one.
• A cozy lap blanket (38x38) and coordinating throw pillow in Coats and Clark's "Red Heart Grande" knits up quickly on 13s and is done in all garter stitch, so even a neophyte could handle this project. The blanket is knit in one piece (I HATE seaming) and the pillow front is knit on the bias with the solid navy blue back knit on as you go. A great first-time project for the daring.

Wish me luck ...

... I've just packaged up two submissions for inclusion in an upcoming knitting book. I made a Heart Cable Toque with Tassel

and anAran Pocket Purse with Cell Phone "sweater" attached.

St. Rafqa, pray for us!

How to Stay Warm and Cozy this winter

I mentioned this in an earier post -- the one suggesting using a bobby pin as a "needle" -- but never got back to posting about it.

Based on a pattern from Amy Singer's book, Knit Wit -- a collection of sometimes goofy, sometimes groovy knitted objects -- these slippers are a dream to knit and really are cozy (trust me, on the hardwood floors in early Fall mornings, they are GREAT!).

I made mine toe-up, two-socks on two-circs, using Lion Brand's Wool , using Ocean Blue Prints. Here's the before felting picture: note that the slippers are more than 12 inches long. The patterning is pretty cool, but does "puddle" a bit.


The felted version is now my foot size (9.5 inches, roughly) and the patterning is much more muted. My slippers are reverse stocking stitch with short row toe and heel.

These slippers took two skeins of the LB Wool, with just a bit left-over yarn. When doing two socks on circs, I always use two skeins -- that way if I have left over I can either make a matching hat or use the yarn as a detail in another pair! I also love to do toe-up socks so that I can make sure the sock will cover my foot and then I just keep knitting until the yarn is almost gone.

Latest Project ... or... at least I'm able to knit!

As I mentioned yesterday, we are in a major, life-changing sort of relocation with many things being trusted to God's divine mercy. But, at least I'm knitting things again....

My latest project? Hiking socks for dh. Now, my dh is a very conservative kind of guy -- from his philosophy on life to his clothing selections. What to do when all those cool sock yarns sing their Siren song?

I opted to make his socks out of Lion Brand's "Wool-ease". I chose a color called "denim twist" -- two shades of blue twisted together to give a marled look. Now, this isn't the snazzy patterning sock yarn I love to knit with, but the marled look gives the socks a bit of panache while answering the need for conservative socks.

I'm making them from the toe-up -- both socks on two circulars to make the knitting seem to go faster. Having done the toe, I now am doing a k1p1 rib for the foot (he's got a "duck shaped" foot -- his words not mine) so that the sock will cling in all the right places. I'll then do a short-row heel (ala Priscilla Gibson-Roberts) and finish the sock with a 3x3 rib to make a comfortable top for these hiking socks.

My goal is to leave enough yarn left over to eke out a matching pair for Bam-bam.

I'll post pictures as the project progresses!

Designing Cuddle Animals - part 1

If you have children, grandchildren or just love to knit fun things, eventually you will be asked (or will want) to knit an animal. I have five children and at one time or another I have designed a lamb complete with lederhosen, a bunny wearing a sweater, a bear, a cow, a T-rex, a penguin and a chick. I currently have requests for a polar bear and a Dalmatian puppy waiting for my needles to free-up.

I have designed these each myself – not resorting to someone else’s idea of what my children wanted. I have sold some of these designs for publication and some we’ve kept in the family. I just did a cow (with matching blanket) for a friend who wanted a unique baby present for a family that owns a dairy farm. Each time, I have made these designs slightly different, imbuing each with its own personality and that of the one I was making it for. I also design them to be extremely huggable and long-lasting.

So, enough about me. How can you do something similar? In this article, I’ll explain my design process and give you tips on how to create any animal (or stuffed “thing”) you can think of. For this article, we’ll use the penguin that I made for my son. We’d just read Mr. Popper’s Penguins and my youngest was penguin-crazy!

The first thing you must do is really look at what a penguin looks like – there are different breeds of penguins so you need to decide which one you want to emulate. Check you local library – particularly in the kids’ section – for books about penguins. Many children’s books have excellent illustrations, fine details, and interesting information in an easy- and quick-to-read format. If you have Internet access, do a “Google Image” search on penguins. You’ll get many more pictures than you can use!

We chose the Emperor penguin because it’s the largest breed and the egg is kept in the dad’s egg-pouch during incubation – an interesting design detail that I wanted to include for my son’s penguin. It also has the simplest coloring – black and off-white with just a flash of yellow at the throat. Reading about the Emperor penguin helped me understand how he can live in the Earth’s harshest climate – short-stubby clawed feet for crawling up the icy rocks, a tail for balancing, flippers for swimming and a sharp, long beak for pecking at the krill it eats.

Now that I had a general idea of the penguin I wanted to make and the basic body parts necessary, I then went to sketching what I wanted the penguin to look like. Don’t let this step throw you if you’re not an artist – I’m not either. Which probably ends up being better for the end result. I sketch the basic shape that I want and mark in color changes or body parts. I look at the images from the Google search – usually a few cartoon or line-drawn pictures come up on the search that can help give me an idea of the basic shape.

For a penguin, its shape is basically a rounded triangle with feet, a short tail, and a knobby head with a pointy beak. I wanted it to be highly cuddle-able, so I made him wide at the bottom and tapered him into the neck area. I decided to stick to just a black-and-white penguin and ignore the bit of yellow at the neck.

I had my basic shape, my colors and approximate dimensions. Off to the yarn store to find just the right yarn for my penguin. I knew I wanted to add an egg pouch – one of the most unique things about the Emperor – and a baby penguin inside the egg. So I would need black, off-white, and a fuzzy novelty yarn for the baby penguin (who comes out of the egg just a ball of feathers!).

Because this toy is for playing, cuddling, sleeping and using as a football, I knew I needed to use a yarn that would be soft but sturdy, washable but wouldn’t be plastic-y. I found the perfect yarn: Coats and Clarks has come out with a cotton/acrylic blend that is soft and works up nicely – TLC Cotton Plus. This is a worsted weight yarn so a US-size 8 needle would give a gauge of about 20sts x 25rows over a four-inch swatch. For a stuffed toy, you want the knitting firm but flexible. With a worsted weight yarn, I use a US-size 4 needle and get just the “hand” (or feel) that I want. Because I wasn’t sure of how much yarn I would need, I overbought, knowing that I could return the yarn if I needed to (or slip it into my stash -- which I usually do!).

Check you stash before yarn hunting – with some toys you might need just a bit of yarn – for instance with the baby penguin to go in the brood pouch, I founda novelty, fluffy acrylic that had flakes of black, white and grey – and I only needed a partial ball.

I purchased four balls of black and four of off-white and actually used two skeins of black and one off-white skein.

end Part 1

Tomorrow I'll post Part 2 -- the actual "pattern drafting" (which sounds daunting, but it's not at all!)