Winter Berries Scarf

This is the prototype of my lastest scarf design, intended to be a gift for my grandmother for this upcoming Christmas. I used the Valley Yarns Northamptons in the color Natural to do it and I am very pleased with the results!

The pattern in itself is relatively easy and since it is worked up in worsted weight wool, it is both warm and quick to make! I find it elegant and feminine, and I like how the ruffles complement the crescent shape of the scarf. More pictures?

Test begins today, 12/15/2011... until 01/15/2012. Pattern to be release right after the end of test.

After some deliberation, I decided to knit a second sample of this scarf, to validate the test and to make one for myself, as the original sample is a gift for this coming Christmas.

The pattern is now available trough Ravelry: Winter Berries

Asymmetrical studies

Hi again!

We planned a nice trip in the Adirondack park for the Veteran's Day weekend and this leaved me with a 3.5 hours drive of knitting time, back and forth! I had a lot of enthusiasm after the first prototype of Dichotomy, and I thought a variation on this theme may be a very good way to show off the nice colors of my two balls of Chroma in the Mesa colorway.

Here is a picture of the yarn in question:

I like asymmetrical pieces and I wanted to bring the best of the self striping yarn, so I decided to try a very asymmetrical triangular scarf. I used both the variation in gauge and different rate of increases to create the strong asymmetry of the scarf.

The project was fast and rewarding and the yarn is so soft I can't wait to wear it around my neck!

As of 12/12/2011, I am knitting the second sample of this design, along with the test, in another Knitpicks Chroma worsted colorway: midwinter.

today, 12/18/2011, I finished the second sample of Asymmetry, to be sent to Knitpicks for their IDP. Here are some pictures I took on my dress form:

Pattern now published on Ravelry here: Asymmetry

Dichotomy

Hi all!

I was a bit tired of the long run projects I was working on: a women's cardigan in a DK weight (that I kept secret in order to present it for Knitty) and a large throw for my grandparents, called Les Epinettes. Altough both large projects are in good heatlh, my motivation was starting to get low and I was hungry for a smaller, instant gratification project.

So I started swatching and head scratching in the car this weekend, while my husband was driving in our way to Bear Mountaint state park. I wanted to use some worsted weight yarn, and I have plenty in my rater large stash.

I finally picked both the pattern and the yarn from my stash and here is what I came up with, in about 2-3 hours!

The yarn I used was Thaki Yarns New Tweed, but I had to grab two label-less balls from a lot I purchased long ago, so I have no idea of the colors! I even think the yarn may be discontinued, but I am not sure.

Anyway, this was both fast and rewardingly fun, and this will be a very soon to be released pattern!

Edited on 11/18/2011

I finished the second prototype of this shawl with 3 other odd balls from my old Thaki Yarns New Tweed stash. This time, I made it a little bigger and I do love this size better. The pattern is under construction...

Ouff... I decided to knit this design a third time, to show it off in a more easily available yarn and a solid color. Surprisingle, I did not mind knitting this for a third time, so it must be a fun and fast project, because I hate knitting twice the same thing! Here it is, in Cascade Yarns Alpaca Lana D'Oro, in a bright lime color:

Edited on 11/21/2011: Testing begins today in the Ravelry Free pattern testers group!

Edited on 11/25/2011 to add the solid colored sample! 

Annette

After some time off blogging, it is time I present my newer pattern even if it does not insert in the stash war. It is indeed an excellent stash buster and I may use it to use up some odd fingering weight yarns that I have somewhere in the older boxes.

Here are some pictures of the design:

Link to the pattern: Annette

 

This is a pattern published in the Knitpicks IDP, which I enjoy thoroughly because it is both fair to the designer and advantageous to the yarn company. And I like their yarns a lot, particularly Gloss Fingering.

The pattern is very easy and there are three sizes to choose from, and off course you can just use up all your yarn for a true stash busting! I made both the small size and the large myself, and I wear the small everyday as a scarf and will give up the large one as a Christmas gift.

A story about a conquering stash

So, to start my brand new blog I will tell you a story. A very personal and sad story: the story of my stash. It grows and grows, taking now almost all the space in my office's closet. And the worst thing is that is seems to be growing against my better judgement, as I always come up with another brilliant idea and never seem to have the right yarn on hand for it. Well, ladies (and gentlemen!), now is the time for me to fight back!

So I came up with a project for this upcoming year - 2012- starting right now (to be honest, I still wait for a yarn package that's currently on the way, but I promise it won't happen again!). Why start right now? Because I fully intent to use my monstrous stash to fill up my loved one's Christmas socks with handmade goodies.

So, what are the rules of this challenge I gave myself? To design one pattern (yes, I totally intent on including free patterns, but not all will be free!) from all my stash yarn and commit not to -NOT TO- buy any more yarns until ALL my stash has been used. Soooo, let's have a look at my first box.... and try to set the designing machine on a set mode!

• 2 skeins of Aslan Trend Santa Fe (fingering weight) - Something I bought to make for my grandmother, so I'll stick with the idea
• 3 balls of Berroco Comfort Chunky - Maybe a hooded vest for my boy?
• 6 balls of Knitpicks Swish worsted- Definitely a pullover for my son
• 6 balls of Lana Grossa Lord (worsted) - Maybe a vest for me?
• 9 skeins of Auracania Ulmo (DK) -Updated on 11/15/2011, I have only 4 skeins left and a women's size cardigan ready to present for Knitty consideration!
• 5 balls of Valley Yarns Northampton (worsted) in Lake Heather - I finally made Adagio out of it, check it out!
• 3 1.5 balls of Valley Yarns Northampton (worsted) in Natural - 1.5 ball has been used to make Winter Berries, yay!
•  2 balls of Knitpicks Chroma worsted color Mesa - Updated on 11/15/2011, made in Asymmetry, a triangular scarf.
• 9 balls of Knitpicks Simply Cotton Sport in color Haze Heather - A swing lace cardigan
• 7 balls of Thaki yarns new tweed with no labels... - Updated on 11/15/2011, I used it for Dichotomy
• 4 skeins of Malabrigo Rios in color ''Sunset''
• 3 1.5skeins of Cascade Yarns Alpaca Lana D'Oro color green (1046) - I used about 1.5 skeins for the solid colored sample of Dichotomy
• 2 balls of Berroco comfort worsted color grey (9713)
• 6 balls of Knitpicks City Tweed HW, color ''Orca'' - I made my next design, Allegro, out of it. Come check it later!
• 6 balls of Berroco Pure Merino in a grey color

Ok, I'll return to my knitting (a Knitscene submission) and I will keep you posted on my next design using this stashed yarn! What will I bring down next?

edited 10/16/2011 to add yarn to the list... but from my stash, I promess
edited 11/15/2011 to add yarn to the list... but from my stash, I promess, again