Category Archives: Knitting Sites

G-Class Star Sun Hat

20 Monday Jun 2011

Posted by in Knitting, Knitting Sites, Ravelry

≈ 6 Comments

A crown is merely a hat that lets the rain in.
[Frederick The Great]

Knitting, for me, usually involves a marathon effort to check the accuracy of one of my patterns and to finish a sample for a photo shoot. For the past few days, I knit for fun and pleasure. This hat was designed by the author of the blog, Golden Apples. She shared her pattern with me preliminary to putting it on Ravelry to sell. It is knit using a DK weight cotton. My daughter, Rachel (upper left), wants a pink one so I have a good excuse to knit another one. By the way, Rachel’s birthday is tomorrow and she will be old enough that she wouldn’t want me telling her age but I will say she was born in 1975. Since she is my youngest child, that gives away my age too.

Hearts & Flowers Sock Pattern

07 Tuesday Jun 2011

Posted by in Knitting, Knitting Sites, Ravelry

≈ 4 Comments

Let us dance in the sun,
wearing wild flowers in our hair… 
[Susan Polis Shutz]



This is the second pattern I have put in the Ravelry pattern store. Here is the description for these stockings that I designed for a Valentine sock class:

The stranded color design for these stockings was inspired by a stitch pattern in Alice Starmore’s book, Charts for Colour Knitting (1992). This pattern is charted and offers subtle variations from which the knitter may choose depending upon the knitter’s taste and skill level. The green sock is an improvised variation of the pattern to show the stranded design reversed. The heel is shaped with a pre-heel-turn gusset and short rows (non-stop heel).

The pattern sells for $6.00 at this link: PayPal checkout and download

Ravelry Group: a time to knit

06 Monday Jun 2011

Posted by in Knitting, Knitting Sites

≈ 4 Comments

Don’t walk in front of me;
I may not follow.
Don’t walk behind me;
I may not lead.
Just walk beside me and
be my friend.
[Albert Camus]

Thanks for the encouragement to start the Ravelry group. It is up and running. I am looking forward to learning a lot from the group members. I’d love to have input for improving my patterns so that they are usable for all skill levels. My next step is to gather all my free patterns that are wondering around in what my sister calls “the black hole of the world wide web.” I’ll put them on Ravelry so folks can download them to try out. That way they won’t be buying a pig in a poke if they purchase one of my PDFs.

Ravelry group or not?

03 Friday Jun 2011

Posted by in Knitting, Knitting Sites, teaching classes, Thoughts

≈ 7 Comments

The best kind of friend is
the kind you can sit on a porch swing with,
never say a word,
then walk away feeling like
it was the best conversation that you ever had.

A friend suggested that I start a group on Ravelry since I’m formatting patterns to sell online as PDF files. Apparently a number of designers have groups. The idea was that I could answer questions, clarify instructions, gather suggestions and share the tidbits that I share when I’m teaching a class. When I investigated the process of setting up a Ravelry group, I discovered that I need to list three people to invite to join the group. Therein lies my first quandary. What if I listed someone who didn’t want to join the group but didn’t want to hurt my feelings by saying, “No”?

Bottom line, I’m exploding with ideas and would love to share them with someone. What do you think about the group idea?

Mouse Tracks Shawl Pattern

26 Tuesday Apr 2011

Posted by in Knitting, Knitting Sites, Ongoing Projects, Writing

≈ 2 Comments

Alexandra drew her shawl closer about her
and stood leaning against the frame of the mill,
looking at the stars which glittered so keenly
through the frosty autumn air.
[Willa Cather—O Pioneers]

See it on the public side of Ravelry

Finally, I have a pattern for sale online as a printable, electronic file (PDF). I have about ten more almost ready to sell, and many more designs lined up behind those. Here is a brief description:

This variation of the vintage neck scarf pattern that crosses in the front through a channel to hold it closed includes strategically placed increases/decreases to lengthen the shawl in the back, and intermittent short rows to provide flare. The lace patterns (the diamond edge and the mouse prints neckline) are inspired by patterns in Gossamer Webs by Galina Khmeleva and Carol Noble, Interweave Press, 1998. This pattern includes instructions for altering the length of the shawl.

Yarn:
• Sport weight, sock weight, jumper weight, or fingering weight
• 11 oz (312gm) or
850 – 900 yds (780m – 820m)

Needles:
• Straight or circular (the shawl is knit back and forth)
• U.S. Size 2 or 3 (2.75mm or 3.25mm)

Every row of this shawl is charted. Garter stitch and a small amount of 1×1 ribbing are the basic techniques used throughout. 10-page PDF pattern

To order the pattern, select this button:

Knitting Rainbows

17 Thursday Mar 2011

Posted by in Knitting, Knitting Sites, Ongoing Projects

≈ 8 Comments

Properly practiced, knitting soothes the troubled spirit,
and it doesn’t hurt the untroubled spirit either.
[Elizabeth Zimmermann]

Kim Kulasa, member of the Dayton Knitting Guild, emailed a photo (upper left) to me of the shawl she’d finished using a pattern I designed. She showed the shawl at the guild meeting and inspired Mary Habeeb to knit one. Mary is proprietor of A Good Yarn in Greenwood, Indiana and produces dyed yarn, fibers, handspun and knitted items.

The original Mouse Tracks Shawl is shown below as I blocked it. It features Russian-style lace at the neck and lower edges, a neck scarf closure, and shaping. The neck edge curves gently to lie flat. The depth widens so that the shawl extends down the back to the waist. I plan to sell this pattern online as soon as I finish another shawl using red alpaca. It will photograph with more definition than this black one. The black yarn was handspun by my daughter Ellen, Shepherd’s Moon.

Jacobsburg Mittens

21 Tuesday Sep 2010

Posted by in Knitting, Knitting Sites, Other Favorite Sites

≈ 3 Comments

We are what we repeatedly do.
Excellence, then, is not an act
but a habit.
[Aristotle]

Last weekend, I led a one-day knitting workshop in the lovely hills of eastern Ohio. I designed mittens for the occasion. Eleven knitters worked from the eight-page pattern leaflet.

The child-size pair (left in photo) were knitted using Plymouth Encore worsted weight yarn and US #2 needles. The adult-size pair (right) were knitted using Brown Sheep Lamb’s Pride yarn and US #3 needles.

This pattern was designed for beginning through intermediate level knitters. Knitters could choose to knit a ribbed cuff in one color and focus upon the basic texture-stitch techniques, or knit a two-color, stranded cuff with a one color, textured hand.

Connie King of the Pleasant Home Woolen Company organized the event with a delicious carry-in lunch. She also shared her home with me for the weekend—a delightful farm home with breath-taking views of the Ohio hill country.  Thank you Connie.

Generational Sandwich

03 Friday Sep 2010

Posted by in Knitting, Knitting Sites, My Client's Sites, Thoughts

≈ 3 Comments

Sometimes I feel like a generational sandwich.
I’m an often-exhausted knitter positioned
in between two energetic, prolific, talented fiber artists—
my mother and my daughter.
Wonder if that makes me bologna or peanut butter?
[KMM]

Ellen's photos

My daughter, Ellen Roberts (Shepherd’s Moon), emailed me photos of her latest projects. She spun tie-dyed (grape and cherry kool aid) merino plied with tussah silk then knit the pinkish lace shawl. The pattern is based on Marianne Kinzel’s Azeala pattern, but Ellen took out one repeat, and knitted back and forth so it is a broken pentagon. She writes that she has now started on a scarf that is Bluefaced Leicester, tie-dyed green, plied with tussah silk. The pattern is Mosaic in the Marianne Kinzel book. I am tired just thinking about her flurry of work.

(The new masthead is cropped from another Jim Miller (Willowgreen Publishing) photograph. When I install a new masthead photo, I retire the old ones to the Masthead Page—see the tab above.)

Fall Knitting Classes

24 Thursday Jun 2010

Posted by in Knitting, Knitting Sites, teaching classes

≈ 1 Comment

Mentor: Someone whose hindsight can become your foresight
[Author Unknown]

If raveling out almost as much as I knit qualifies me to facilitate knitting classes, then I’m over qualified. Sometimes I think I ravel more than I knit. You should see my box of learned-the-hard-way projects.

Here is the list of classes I’m leading at Sarah Jane’s Yarn Shoppe this fall:

Unfinished Knitting Projects: October 5, 2010 (5:00 – 7:00) 
October 23, 2010 (10:00 – 12:00)

Have you lost your place in a pattern so you can’t go on? Are you frustrated by a difficulty in your knitting? Do you need help with fitting, construction or some other dreaded task? These sessions are planned to help knitters solve challenges that are keeping them from finishing projects.

Bring: A project, pattern, needles, and whatever else you’d need to ask questions and find solutions to specific problems.

Gansey Socks: October 9 & 16 (12:30 – 2:30)

Learn the basics of gansey knitting. In her book, Knitting Ganseys, Beth Brown-Reinsel discusses the details that makes sweater construction identifiably Gansey — welts, plain area, definition ridge, patterning, seam stitches, gusset. This sock pattern includes all those features. The gusset for the heel is even worked like an underarm gusset, then turned with a short-row technique.

Bring: DK-weight yarn (plain color and light enough to see a texture pattern), US Size 1 or 2 needles (5-needle sock set, two circulars or magic loop will all work), tapestry needle, scissors, stitch markers.

Mouse Tracks Shawl: October 9, 16 & November 20, 2010 (10:00 – 12:00)

This garter-stitch shawl features shaping so that it hangs comfortably, simple Russian-style lace accents, and double-ribbed closure. Learn the basics of chart reading, eyelet lace, short rows, increases and decreases.

Bring: 750 yards of sock or sport weight yarn, US size 2 or 3 circular (or pair of long straight) needles, tapestry needle, scissors, stitch markers.

Texture + Color Mitten: October 12 & 19, 2010 (5:00 – 7:00)

This pattern was written in a child’s size so it could be completed in about 4 hours with the intent of providing practice in both texture and two-color (stranded) knitting. An adult size pattern will also be provided. Learn chart reading, two-color knitting, texture knitting, and shaping.

Bring: Two colors of DK-weight yarn (a light color and a dark color), US Size 2 or 3 needles, tapestry needle, scissors, stitch markers. Brown Sheep Lamb’s Pride and US Size 3 needles will work for adult mittens.

Colorful Counterpane: November 2 & 16, 2010 (5:00 – 7:00)

Learn long-tail cast on, increases, decreases, stranded color knitting, selvage preparation for seam, seam sewing, pattern and chart reading. This projects includes most of the basic knitting skills and produces four afghan squares that are sewn together.

Bring: four colors of DK weight wool yarn: 1 ball green, 2 balls light neutral color, 1 ball dark and 1 ball light flower color. 5-needle sock set in size appropriate for yarn weight. 20-inch circular needle at least two sizes smaller than sock set.

TNNA 2010

15 Tuesday Jun 2010

Posted by in Favorite Things, Knitting, Knitting Sites, Other Favorite Sites, teaching classes, Thoughts, Writing

≈ 3 Comments

Don’t waste time learning the tricks of the trade.
Instead, learn the trade.
[Author Unknown]

Remember the story about the blind men and the elephant? Each described only the part they could feel—be it the tail, trunk or leg. Writing about the summer trade show that The National Needlearts Association just hosted in Columbus, OH is like describing only part of an elephant. My highlights would be different than others.

Andrea Wong taught classes and introduced her new book, Portuguese Style Knitting at the show. I helped in Helen Hamann’s booth and spent the day drooling over her colorful design and Alpaca yarns. I also took a couple of quick trips around the floor. Kramer Yarns of Nazareth, Pennsylvania caught my eye since I enjoy using their products. Durango Button Company of Broken Arrow, Oklahoma sparked my imagination as well. I think buttons can make or break a handmade garment. Not only were there endless varieties of yarn and needlework items, but notions, publications, and accessories were bountiful as well.

I usually have little contact with the enterprise end of the needleart industry so this was an end-to-end learning experience for me.