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

Support creativity and get some bang for your buck!

Last week, I found out about the coolest thing ... a way to support creative efforts, fledgling artists, published designers do even more.  Shannon Okey (the brains behind the phenomenal publishing house of Cooperative Press, hand-knits designer and all round amazingly creative woman) has started a month-long campaign to do even more for indie knitting designers, using a program called Kickstarter.

Here's a video that shows some of the designs that are going into the new series Shannon is publishing:  

I have some designs in these upcoming books -- a set of knitted dolls for Fresh Designs: Toys and a set of southwest-inspired sofa pillows in Fresh Designs: Home.  


Now, these books will be published this summer regardless of Shannon matching (or even better, beating) her goal of $5000.  The important thing here ... and why I've already pledged a bit ... is that this is a chance to help an indie publisher, indie hand-knits designers, and a host of other folks do something very cool ... very creative.  Any pledge, large or small (even $1) will help.  There are some cool incentives for different pledge points -- including copies of the 10-book Fresh Design books!


So what are you waiting for?  Go make a pledge, would ya?  And thanks .... from one of many independent hand-knits designers!

Enjoy the journey

Mary C. Gildersleeve

By Hand, With Heart -- hand-knit designs

bhwh.mary@gmail.com

KP IDP: another design for your knitting pleasure ....

... and just in time for the warmer weather:

Victoria's Tee (XS - 5X):  Paired with a close-fitting undertop or all by itself, this year-round top is sure to please.  A flattering fit is obtained by the unique construction of this top: the body is knit sideways in a traditional Victorian-era lace-edging pattern and then the bodice is knit in the round, finishing off with the slight capping on the shoulder and a wide, squared-off neckline.  As fun to wear as it is beautiful to look at, this design is knit with an easy care cotton-blend yarn that looks and feels wonderful to wear.  

  

The design is $4.99 for download 

from Knit Picks' site (where you can order the yarn and the design at the same time!)

or

order from my Ravelry store (buy now).

NOTE:  This makes a nice round one-dozen designs for Knit Picks!

Enjoy the journey

Mary C. Gildersleeve

By Hand, With Heart -- hand-knit designs

bhwh.mary@gmail.com

I'm back ...

... after my two-week, self-imposed internet hiatus (did you miss me?)....

I'm not sure about whether I'll get the miracle (I'm just going to leave it in God's hands), but I do know that I had a very productive two weeks -- lots of changes ahead, some book reviews to post and two new designs ready for your knitting pleasure:

"Victoria's Tee" is available for immediate download ($4.99) and is sized from XS-5X.    Knit in a fingering-weight, cotton-acrylic blend, this is a great year-round top -- looks wonderful over something or alone!

Malcolum's Cluthar (very rough Gaelic translation for Malcolm's Cozy) with cap and toy cube is available for immediate download (4.99).  The blanket is knit in worsted weight, organic cotton and the cap will fit a baby 0-6mo.  The cube is a large, 7-inch toy with bells buried deep inside for the baby's amusement.  A lovely set for a dear friend's first baby.

Oh, and for those of you in the area (or want to come visit):  I'll be the morning speaker (as well as doing a couple of afternoon sessions) at Dog House Yarns' knitting retreat on April 9th out at Graves Mountain.  Stop by and say hi if you're able to come out and join us!

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

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

Review: Debbie Bliss' Design It, Knit It: Babies ....

... is definitely getting added to my rather eclectic (and large!) knitting book library.  Definitely!

I love designing for babies ... some of my best-loved, most successful designs are those for babies:

 Exquisite Edgar and Elegant Eliza dolls -- really easy for little hands to hold (and since they're made of washable cotton-blend, they can be wet-loved to death and still wash up well)

 Hearts a Poppin' blanket -- a beautiful blanket with just a bit of lace (so it works nicely for the boys!)

 Me and My Doll -- Irish Sweaters -- matching sweaters for little girls and their 18" dolls

 Patrick: An Irish Lad's Jacket -- want to try an Irish sweater ... this one is down-sized to knit quickly and warm the hearts of all the boys

Jillian's Jacket and Blanket Set -- easy enough for a beginner, this set is all garter!

So I was thrilled to find out that my public library had finally gotten a copy of Debbie Bliss' new baby book.  Today, I picked up Design It, Knit It: Babies from the library and have already ordered my own copy from Amazon.  Yep, it's that good. 

First, a disclaimer: I LOVE Debbie Bliss style -- classic, clean, gorgeous colorways.  Her books are well done and sincere ... it really sounds like she knows what she's writing about (not always true with the plethora of knitting books currently available).  Further, she always has a nice variety of designs -- sweaters, hats, blankets, leggings.  But additionally, her Design It, Knit It books (her first, Design It, Knit It, has been well-used around here!) share her thought processes when she's designing -- and designing for babies is quite different than designing for kids or adults.  As she quickly explains (the first sentence in the first paragraph):  "Babies are basically tube-shaped ..." points out the difference from the get-go.  Babies need comfortable ... non-fussy ... easy-on/easy-off styles that adults don't.  Babies need to have diapers included in measurements as well as chubby legs!

Bliss covers it all in this volume:

• sizes and shapes
• soft and gentle is necessary
• color
• small and perfect (for preemies and newborns)
• rough and tumble (once they're toddlers)
• specialty dressings
• embellishments
• accessories -- heads, hands and toes

She then caps her book with a chapter "design workbook" which suggests options for different necklines and styles, samples of knitters' graph paper (after all sts don't usually equal rows ... thus graphing on square paper doesn't really work, does it?), charts for alphabets and intarsia work. 

This really is a book worth adding to your library -- whether you have babies in the house ... due any day ... or just love to design for these wee ones.  Bliss does it again!

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