I don't know what happened... but my knitting mojo came back full force. It just hit me one day when I was least expecting it and now I want to knit all the things. 

I have two great projects on the needles at the moment.

Mindless hat knitting using this gorgeous Storyteller yarn that I picked up during a recent trip to Lake Tahoe. I am making up Hannah Fettig's Simple Hat and it is a great project for this yarn. Simple stockinette really shows off the beautiful colors. I love picking up yarn on vacation to have that physical memory of that experience whenever I knit with or wear the finished item!

I am using our new Strawberry Stitch Markers on this project... aren't they adorable? You can find those available HERE.

Up next is... another design project! :) I am sooooo excited about this one. I have had an idea floating around in my brain for the past few years about designing with multiple yarn weights and I am bursting with inspiration and new design ideas.

I'm hoping I can squeeze a collection based on this idea in 2019. 

On one last note... I started this blog in 2007 and have enjoyed it immensely. But over the years I have noticed that social media has taken the forefront in online sharing. Sometimes I wonder if blogs still are read and if they have a place in our fast-paced online community. Would you take a moment to leave a comment and let me know how you feel about blogs in 2018? Do you still take the time to read blogs or do you prefer consuming content from other sources like Instagram or Facebook? Would you like to see me share on my blog more? Your input would be very much appreciated!

A few months back, I really needed a selfish knitting project to enjoy. Something with just the right amount of interest, but nothing that would be too taxing on my brain. After going through the plethora of patterns and yarns stocked in my little shop, I settled on Adelaide by Quince and Co. using Quince and Co. Kestrel linen in the color I'm currently obsessed with "Sand".

Can you tell?

Kestrel has always been on my "must knit with" list but I've never gotten around to it. This particular linen has especially appealed to me because of its construction. The worsted weight ribbon structure has a very soft hand and lovely drape. Not like other linens I've tried. I have a few sample garments in the shop already made from this yarn and I am amazed by how well they have held up. The fabric just seems to get softer and better with age and handling.

Also for the climate I live in, where wool can only be worn for a short amount of time.. this is just perfect. 

I am happy to have a sweater I can wear in the spring and summer. Something that can be dressed up or down. Great for cool evenings.

Adelaide was a simple pattern to follow. Pretty straightforward raglan sweater construction worked in the round with this gorgeous lace panel in the front.

Easy, beautiful and just what I needed.

The past year has been a bit of a blur honestly. A lot of change for our family since my Dad passed away last May. I've taken a bit of a breather in many ways, but in some ways I'm working as hard as ever. 

I ordered a skein of Barrett Wool Co. Wisconsin Woolen Spun several months back. This type of yarn really speaks to me lately. I am falling more and more for the rustic wools. Appreciating the beauty in their rawness and simplicity. And they seem to wear so much better than their soft and smooth counterparts. Much less pilling has been my personal experience. 

So I designed this little hat. With petite little leaves in a repeating pattern. Full of texture, just how I like it!

As I was finishing this knit, we went to Yosemite as a family on the anniversary of my Dad's death. Yosemite was his favorite place in the world and it only made sense for me to go there to remember him. So many memories. 

As I was there taking in the scenery and looking at my hat, the stitch pattern reminded me of the huge mountains in front of me peppered with trees that looked miniature in the distance.

So this hat pattern will be named Mountainside. A remembrance of my Dad and his favorite place. 

Coming soon...

I have the privilege of sharing a booth space this year with one of my all time

favorite knitters and designers Susan B. Anderson!

If you will be at Stitches West this year, please stop by and say hello!

We will be featuring Susan's new yarn line Barrett Wool Co, notions from my shop, and kits, patterns and books from both Susan and myself.

I am really looking forward to the show this year and seeing all of you! :)

My Vindaloo shawl is done and it was such a wonderfully satisfying knit! Although I didn't get it done in time for the SLO Yarn Crawl this year, it proved to be a nice warm companion on my lap that kept me busy while waiting on customers during the crawl.

I absolutely love the texture of this shawl. I was sold on the combination of cables, eyelets and ribbing immediately. The pattern appears difficult at first, but I was able to memorize it after the first few repeats and work it without referencing the pattern.

You ease into the shawl by enjoying a simple stockinette start with all of the complicated parts in the edging. This uses an applied edging technique where it is actually attached as you go along which is so nice.

I am already getting use from my finished Vindaloo and I think it makes a beautiful and cozy Fall accessory!

Pattern and yarn are both available in my little store or online at quinceandco.com

When I saw the new Vindaloo shawl pattern by Quince and Co. it was love at first sight!

The mixture of cables, lace and ribbing... that texture!

So naturally I decided to cast on and see if I could complete the shawl in a one week time frame before our local yarn crawl this weekend. 

I'm knitting this in Quince and Co. Osprey yarn on size 10.5 needles so it's oh so squishy and going pretty quickly thankfully!

And yes... I'm using this color "Honey" again.

I am halfway through the applied lace trim with 2 knitting days remaining. Can I complete it? What do you think?

Come visit us during the SLO Yarn Crawl this weekend to find out! :)

You may have thought I forgot about this blog altogether or maybe I dropped off the face of the planet.. but I assure you. I am still here! Still knitting! :)

My silence has been partly due to the fact that I am dealing with quite a bit these days after losing one of my best friends very unexpectedly two months ago. My Dad.

If you've followed this blog or listened to my podcast for a long time, you may already know that my Dad was a huge supporter of mine.  He had a huge impact in my life and on the person I am today. He cheered me on during every stage of my life and over the past decade offered a tremendous amount of support and involvement in my knitting career. 

My first book, Coastal Knits (co-authored with Hannah Fettig) was dedicated to my Dad. He collaborated with me on many projects and was there to offer support and help me make decisions in life big and small. 

To say that he will be missed is a gigantic understatement. 

I'm still here. But just now figuring out my new normal and what my life even means.

Besides the obvious things like faith, family and friends, the thing that I always turn to for help coping with life's difficulties is my knitting. I find a sense of peace and comfort in the repetition of stitching. I process my thoughts and emotions and work through them as my project grows.

I have a lot of emotions and thus I am working on several things right now, but I finished silly little project last week that I had to share.

It may seem odd to share photos of a tiny knitted pirate in a post about my Dad's death.. but this little guy just makes me smile. And I figure that being forced to smile might be a good thing for me right now. 

Note that the pirate not only has a wooden leg but also a teeny tiny eye-patch. :)

But a tiny pirate wasn't enough.. he needed a friend.

A tiny walrus friend.. with tiny whiskers.. that likes sailing as much as he does. 

My son named him "Wally Whiskers the Walrus"

These are patterns from the genius designer behind MochiMochiLand and I have kits for both the pirate and walrus as part of the Summer Collection in my online shop.  These both take less than an hour to complete and they really brightened my day. 

So if you need an instant gratification project or a day brightener.. consider knitting up a tiny pirate or walrus or both. It really helps!

What do you do when you fear that the sweater you are knitting is turning out too small?

Knit faster, of course.. and make repeated stops to stretch out your fabric as you go. By doing this you may convince yourself that all will be ok... even though you KNOW in your heart of hearts that it really is not.

Early in the Summer I had such an experience as I started a special sweater for my daughter. As you may already know, she had a difficult year with her health and multiple heart surgeries, so I felt strongly about making her as many things as I could.

Immediately the Saffran Cardigan pattern caught my eye. I had always intended to knit a stranded colorwork sweater for her but never had and this one was perfect in every way!

All was well until I... cast on.

I was simply too impatient at the time to do a gauge swatch in the round and in the colorwork pattern as the instructions called for.  So I casted on with the recommended needle size and hoped for the best.

About 4" in with significant stretching on my part after every row, I finally came to the realization that things weren't going to plan. I slipped the stitches onto scrap yarn and slid it over my daughters head to confirm my suspicion... It was skin tight. Not exactly the look either of us were hoping for in wool snowflake sweater.

It was at this point that I should have ripped out and started over. And I almost did until I didn't.

I will do anything to avoid ripping out my work. Good thing I have another smaller child in my life. The sweater quickly found a new intended recipient.

So now, I had the task of knitting the stitches of a larger sweater size knit at the wrong gauge but to the proportions of a much smaller sweater. So I was working in between two sizes on a pattern written in metric measurements using entirely new techniques.

Have I mentioned how absolutely horrifying it is to knit a colorwork sleeve on dpns? Especially when you lose one and have to use a circular needle too?

Kill me. 

Then I tried the finished sleeves on my crying, squirming 5 year old son to check the length. He informed me that the sweater was itchy and that he will never ever wear this sweater.. to which I replied... " YOU WILL WEAR THIS SNOWFLAKE SWEATER AND YOU WILL LOVE EVERY SECOND OF IT, SO HELP ME GOD"

Then I joined the sleeves to the body.

Then I followed the directions for my first steek, mercilessly sewing then cutting my sweater completely in half. I posted videos of the process HERE and HERE that you can watch if you feel like dying a little inside.

And just to make this project even more complicated for myself, I changed up the collar and added a shawl collar with short rows for a more boyish look. I also added an extra wide buttonband because yes.. the sweater was even a little tight on him!

Then toggle buttons to finish it off!

Then with the protection of long sleeves underneath and the promise of hot chocolate afterwards, I bribed my reluctant son into his new sweater and...

It needs one more toggle button added at the top.. but I think it turned out really cute. 

Pattern found HERE. Yarn found HERE. 

Don't forget to swatch!

Episode 100

 

 

Shownotes:

Thank you so much for your support of the Never Not Knitting podcast!

Catch up on all the back episodes HERE.

Episode 99

Shownotes:

The Tree Sweater!

Saffran Cardigan

My Last Mystery KAL

SLO County Fall Open House

Becoming Art

Woodland Care Packages

Woodland Care Package Sneak Peek!

Black Wolf Fiber

Distinctly Alpaca Yarn

Knitmore Girls Podcast

Join the Never Not Knitting Ravelry Group!

Like us on Facebook!

Follow me on Instagram!

Enter to win a skein of Distinctly Alpaca Yarn from Black Wolf Fiber by leaving a comment below with your contact information by September 15th. Only one comment per person please. The winner will be announced in Episode 100.

Thank you for listening!

Remember... next episode is my 100th! I would love to celebrate with you listeners! Please send me a short recording about you and your knitting to nevernotknitting@gmail.com. Thank you!

Episode 98

 

 

Shownotes:

My Ashburn Shawl

Hazel Knits

Three Fates Yarn

Henry's Hat

Malabrigo Merino Worsted

Saffran Cardigan

Quince and Co. Owl

Baby Botanicals

Botanical Gift Set

Slo County Fall Open House

The Central Coast of California-- Come Visit!

Silver Spun Yarn

Feel Good Yarn Company

Join the Never Not Knitting Ravelry Group!

Like us on Facebook!

Follow me on Instagram!

Enter to win a skein of Silver Spun Sock from Feel Good Yarn Company by leaving a comment below with your contact information by August 15th. Only one comment per person please. The winner will be announced in Episode 99.

Thank you for listening!

A few months ago I was in need of a project. A selfish one. One just for me to knit and enjoy and not think. This year was a tough one for us with our daughter's health. A year of traveling, waiting in hospital rooms, through endless doctor visits and nights spent in the ICU. 

I needed something simple. Something big. Something in Garter Stitch!

The Ashburn Shawl fit the bill and was the perfect distraction for me during this time. Ashburn is a loooong wrap made up of endless rows of garter stitch broken up with a little slipped stitch pattern every so often. The slipped stitch rows slowly blend the 3 colors into one another so it isn't as harsh of a line between the color blocks.

For my Ashburn, I used 3 skeins of hand-dyed sock yarn that I have been hoarding for many years waiting for the perfect project. The dark teal yarn is from Hazel Knits, the orange from Three Fates Yarn, the middle variegated is a mystery skein as I lost the ball band. :) Oops.

My finished shawl is long and dramatic and will be a great warm wrap this coming Fall and Winter. But I appreciate it most because it helped me through a difficult time. It was my constant companion and comfort. 

Thank you Ashburn.

By the way.. my daughter is doing very well now and is home recovering from a successful open heart surgery. I am so relieved.

Recently I came across the Mug Sweater pattern and had to make one of my very own. Who can resist that tiny pocket and little mitten hands!?

 I especially love that you sew tiny hooks to the mittens so that the hands can be "posed" on the sweater. 

This little sweater only took me an evening to make up and just a small amount of yarn. I used Cascade 220 Superwash Sport. I think that Superwash is a good call for a project like this. Since it will be used around coffee or tea, spills are inevitable and it needs to be able to be washed. 

All I can think about now are all of the people in my life that I need to make one of these for...Mug Sweaters for everyone!

If you would like to make a Mug Sweater for yourself or for a friend, I have the pattern for sale in my online shop HERE and adorable little Kits HERE.

Along with the release of Baby Botanicals, we have an accompanying Botanical Collection available full of all sorts of botanical accessories you will use in creating your sweater.

Each item is available individually or part of our Botanical Gift Set. My favorite item in the collection has to be our new drawstring project totes!

They are perfect for not only carrying your project around, but can convert into a gift bag when your sweater is complete!

It's here and finally available to order!

Baby Botanicals is not just for babies! Each of the 5 patterns included in this collection is sized to fit girls of all ages, 6 months-12 years, and are inspired from the adult sweater patterns from my Botanical Knits series. Now you can make a sweater for you and your little one to match!

Inside you will find a pattern for...

Twiggy

This is the cover sweater and my favorite in the collection! You may recognize it from the adult version, Twigs and Willows, included in Botanical Knits. Twiggy features set-in sleeve construction and two stunning branches that frame the neckline. The branches are created simply with the use of cables and are less complicated to knit than you may think.

---

Early Autumn

A tiny version of Autumn's End from Botanical Knits! Early Autumn is knit in one piece from the bottom up and features a panel of lace on the sleeves and sweater front to keep your interest on the needles. This is a perfect beginning lace project!

---

Tiny Vines

Just like the adult version, Entangled Vines from Botanical Knits, Tiny Vines features an embossed twined leaf detail cascading down the elbow-length sleeves. This charming cardigan is worked from the top down in one piece and you will be instantly mesmerized watching the vines grow as you knit!

---

Baby Branches

I love this sweet tiny version of the Bare Branches coat from Botanical Knits 2! Baby Branches features a secret bare tree motif on the back only visible when the hood is worn. This coat includes a dramatic hood and set-in sleeve construction. It is knit in pieces from the bottom up and seamed together at the end.

---

Little Buds

Little Buds is named after the budding plant motif featured on the circular pockets and back of this sweet little cardigan. This design is knit in pieces from the bottom up and features set-in sleeve construction along with a large collar which is worked at the end. This is the child-size version of Buds and Blooms from Botanical Knits.

---

Baby Botanicals is a high quality 44 page, 8 1/2 x 11", soft-cover book full of beautiful photos, original illustrations, comprehensive schematics and both charted and written pattern instructions. Each garment is available in 9 different sizes with both metric and imperial measurements. 

Additionally each printed copy of Baby Botanicals will include a scratch-off sticker code for you to download a complimentary, digital e-book version that will store in your Ravelry library!

For the Ebook only click HERE.

To purchase the print / Ebook combo online click HERE.

Or look for Baby Botanicals in your local yarn shop!

That is not all! There are lots of fun accessories to go along with the book that I will be sharing more about in a future blog post. Check out our Botanical Collection of notions HERE.

I hope you enjoy knitting from Baby Botanicals and that the sweaters you produce are a favorite for the little ones in your life. Don't forget to tag your photos with #babybotanicals and share your project photos in the Never Not Knitting Ravelry Group as well!

I have had a new project in the works for quite some time now and I am so pleased to say that it is FINALLY at it's end! I'm excited to introduce a new little collection of sweaters for girls of all ages, Baby Botanicals.

These are the pint-sized versions of some of my favorite adult sweaters from my Botanical Knits and Botanical Knits 2 books. Just like their adult counterparts, each design captures the beauty of plant life in eye-catching, fun-to-knit details. 

Look for the release of my new book soon! I have some fun surprises in store in the coming week.

This year so far has brought our family some unexpected challenges with health and the accompanying worry and stress that tags along like an unwanted guest.

But we are getting by with the support of our family, friends, and lots of food.

And I am personally getting through it one project at a time. Quick, fun-to-knit, happy little projects for myself and for my kids. I seem to get more and more productive the more stress I am under. The act of making new things is very calming.

My latest finished knit was this sweet little hat for my son. 

This is the pattern Henry's Hat, from the story by Joanna Johnson featured in Episode 97 of my podcast.

We have enjoyed this story over and over again, and having a hat to match Henry's in the story makes it even more fun to read.  

I wrapped up this hat to give as a gift to my son, and when he first saw it, he immediately recognized it from the book. 

 I knit this hat from a stashed skein of Malabrigo Merino Worsted in the most fitting color of green. I love how it turned out and how well it fits!

The pattern is available HERE. The book is available HERE.

Now I'm off to continue knitting my worries away...

More project updates coming soon!

Ever since I made these slippers a few months back, my daughter has been begging for a pair of her own. 

In order to make a pair to fit her 10 year old feet, I knit the pattern as written using a needle a few sizes smaller. Knitting the fabric so tightly was hard on my hands but the finished slippers stretch over her feet tightly and will wear well.

These slippers were knit from the Lily Slipper Flats pattern from the book Home by Pam Allen. I used Quince and Co. Osprey yarn in the Honey colorway along with two adorable stitchable Owl buttons from my online shop.

She loves them so much that she wears them constantly around the house and even to bed at night! As a knitter... I couldn't ask for more. 

Episode 97

Shownotes:

Lily Slipper Flats

Stitchable Owl Buttons

Ashburn Shawl

Crazy Magic Boomerang

Mrs. Watson

Little BigWrap

Splash Pad Party KAL

Down Cellar Studios Podcast Episode 87

Knitting's Early History

Slate Falls Press

Joanna on Ravelry

Join the Never Not Knitting Ravelry Group!

Like us on Facebook! 

Enter to win a signed copy of Henry's Hat from Eric & Joanna Johnson by leaving a comment below with your contact information by May 15th. Only one comment per person please. The winner will be contacted directly.

Thank you for listening!

Episode 96

Shownotes:

Tiny Shoes

Lily Slipper Flats

Four Seasons

Taking Root

Trailing Ivy

Carrie on Ravelry

Madder Anthology 1

Madder Anthology 2

Swoon Maine

Carrie's Website

Join the Never Not Knitting Ravelry Group!

Like us on Facebook!

Enter to win a signed copy of Swoon Maine by leaving a comment below with your contact information by April 15th. Only one comment per person please. The winner will be announced in Episode 97.

Thank you for listening!