Helper Kitten Helps
So there I was, sock and notes and computer all at the ready. It was time to sit down and make the charts and type up the pattern. All I was lacking was a cup of tea. I stepped out to remedy that situation, and upon my return...Levon. I did not have the fortitude to say no to a face like that. Not even a little. So that particular pattern writing session was rather dramatically abbreviated, and kitten belly petting ensued. I think it was by far the best available course of action, don't you?
New Pattern, Ameliorate (Plus Coupon)
ameliorate: verb -to make better or more tolerable Every now and then, I hear from someone who says they like my designs...they just wish I put them out more frequently. Now my first response is to be flattered. That's actually a lovely thing to say. My second response is a tiny bit less charming. As of today, I've got 93 designs listed over on Ravelry. The first one came out in March of 2009. That's 93 designs in 44 months, or a bit over 2 a month. That's an average of one every other week, for more than three and [...]
The Sock Report
Do you remember the other day when I said I was feeling bad it had been a while since I released a pattern? I don't feel all that bad anymore. The always charming Janel Laidman (author of The Enchanted Sole) has a wonderful new project. It's a magazine with a focus on sock yarn. It's called The Sock Report, and it's marvelous. I'm so pleased to have a pattern in it! My pattern is but one of the yummy things you'll find in The Sock Report. There are 15 other patterns to keep it company, and each uses a different [...]
Chamfer
As promised, the orange(ish) spiky socks (they look a bit too pink in these shots, which is totally my fault, but it's snowy out there now and I don't feel like braving the elements to try again). These have been named Chamfer, and I'm quite taken with them. I'm actually wearing them today as I type this. Life's a wee bit busy here at the moment, so I'll have to leave you with just a link to the ravelry page, and a few pictures.
Festoon
So...you guys like the tiny hats. First, I feel it necessary to tell you that you can totally make these up on your own. Really you can, I have total confidence in you. But lots of folks sent me messages asking how to do it, so I went ahead and wrote up the pattern. Well, first I made three more hats, and then I wrote up the pattern giving instructions for all seven variations. But, I'd feel a little bit shady taking money for something so tiny, so I've decided that all the proceeds from the sale of this pattern [...]
Whippersnapper
This was supposed to happen Tuesday, but it's ready now and I'm not the patient type, so I've jumped the gun and done it today. Both the weather and The Boy proved exceptionally agreeable, and many photos were taken. While the sorry state of our yard is usually something of a shame to me, this time it turned out to be quite convenient. There were plenty of piles of leaves to serve as handy backdrops. And our decrepit and alarmingly mossy fence cheerfully lent its services as well (I'm really not sure how it's still standing, but I'm not going [...]
Warm Up
You remember the (ever so slightly crazy making) reign of painterly doom. They did lovely work, but while they were here, I just could not pay attention to one thing for more than an hour or so at a time. It just wasn't happening. So in celebration of a short attention span, I made this set of mitts. At least that's the excuse I'm using for the otherwise pitiful amount of stuff I got done while they were here. The mitts are an excellent consolation though! Each one takes only minimal mental effort (hey, we all have those days, I [...]
Gripping
I've got a quick little treat for you. We all know I'm shamefully easily amused. I have a suspicion one or two of you may suffer from this condition too. So I've written up some quick instructions for making your own squirm of tentacles. You can use more or less any yarn (each only takes a few yards), and you can bang several of them out in a night. They make excellent desk pets, they are highly entertaining when tucked around your house in unexpected places, and they are fearsome yarn guardians.
Rampant
Back in the early part of July, when I was up to my neck in a giant school project and starting to go a bit crazy around the edges, I cast on these socks. They helped me avoid chewing my fingernails off. A few days later, the neighbor's son rang the doorbell and handed us a sick kitten. The socks kept me from crying at the vet's office (Douglas is fine, I'm just a total softie about kittens). Then we went to the woods for a family event and off to Portland for Sock Summit and up to Buffalo for [...]
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