patterns

Ravelry Roundup

So here's something I've been wanting to put in play for a while now.  I spend ample a good amount of time looking at new patterns on Ravelry.  The are are so many creative designers out there and it's just fun to see what people come up with.

I want to be able to highlight new patterns, maybe even discover the next big Ravelry hit before it happens :)  Because of this, the patterns will all be recently published- and they won't all just be from the top 20 New and Popular list.

So, without further adieu, I present to you my first ever Ravelry Roundup!


1. Stripe Study Shawl:
Ok, ok... so I know I said I wouldn't just take a bunch of patterns off the New and Popular list, but this shawl  is amazing (along with everything else by Veera Valamaki).   This Shawl is part of the reason I decided to get the Ravelry Roundup going.  As soon as I saw it a few weeks ago I knew it would be an instant hit- what a statement piece.

2. The Signiture Pixiebell Pixie Hat

Not only is this hat cool, it will also be in a movie- now how cool is that?!  You can watch the movie trailer for Theo and see it in action.  If one of my creations were to be featured in a movie, I wouldn't care what it was about- me and everybody I knew would be going to see it.  How exciting for Diane Serviss (See all her stuff here in her Etsy shop)!

3. Arrow Cowl by Madelinetosh
What can I say?  Madelinetosh knows gorgeous.

You may have recently seen her Larch Cardigan (which I will knit someday, when I have the time) all over Ravelry, now Amy offers up this simple but beautiful cowl done up in Madelinetosh Pashmina- yum!

5.  The Birds and The Bees headbands by Alana Dakos


  What mother of a new baby girl wouldn't be in love with these?  They're really quite perfect.  If a super cute pattern weren't enough, Alana also made the pattern extra interesting for not only the knitter- but also the knitter's kids- read more about it here.



Just don't ask me to spell it... or read the pattern.  Although it's not in English, there is a chart.  Double knit...two colors...knit in the round... you can figure it out!

Yes, you probably all know that Jill is a good friend of mine... you may think this is a shameless plug for her first-ever design...but you know it's one of the best new designs on Ravelry- I love it (I also got to test knit it and will post pictures soon).  If you happen to be coming to the Plucky Open House Saturday, her pattern will be available for purchase, along with the yarn. 

8.  Chubby Chirps by Rebecca Danger
Remind you of something?  We all knew these wouldn't stand a chance against my love for fat little birdies- they must be knit... maybe in mobile form?


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And that concludes my roundup for today.  Hope you found a new pattern or two to add to your queue.  Anything else tickling your knitting fancy these days?  I'd love to see your roundup!

Yarn Harlot Day at the Detroit Public Library!


As promised- an update on the wonderful day the Yarn Harlot came to visit!

This is a quick recap of a *very* exciting day:



Jill (Knitterella) drove out to my house Saturday morning. Because we had never met (and really only started talking via Ravelry on Wednesday), we were a little worried that the other might be a little crazy. Turns out we are both crazy (ok... not really) and really enjoyed each other's company!



Navigating the library was a little trickier than we thought it would be. Our instrustions were as follows:

Take the elevator down to floor A. Turn right, turn right again and proceed through double doors... turn left, go down a long hall, turn right take the elevator back to the first floor. Turn left(?!?!?)We eventually made it (we had to ask for help quite a few times along the way) and set up shop in a crowd of knitters. Thanks to Alice (who came all the way from Iowa), I was very flattered in being asked to sign a copy of my French Press Felted Slipper pattern. There were a few more of these throughout the day...to all of you, thanks for making me feel so special!



And then there was Beth (it is Beth.... right? Beth, are you out there?) who wanted to get a picture of me. I'm not so big on posing alone- so I wanted her in the picture as well. It was so nice meeting you- I'm glad we got a little chance to talk!


*As a side note- a special thanks to my Mom who came along and helped Jill and I navigate the library halls, carry our mechandise, and take pictures- Love you, Mom!




The market place was an absolute whirlwind. We met so many wonderful knitters and saw such spectacular handknits. We closed up shop, headed to the auditorium, and eagerly waited for the Yarn Harlot to come out.

And finally, the moment we were all waiting for! Stephanie came out and delivered an amazing speech... all about knitting! There were many times that Jill and I would look at each other and nod in complete agreeance to the words Stephanie spoke.





Although Stephanie did come and introduce herself during the market- there were many people around and I did not get a chance to get a picture. I was pretty bummed that I wouldn't have a picture of us to put on my blog- but my Mom came to the rescue once again. After we loaded up the car, my Mom volunteered to circle around so we could snap a quick shot.



I love this picture- despite the fact that I look a little too excited to be there. But I was, so I suppose it captures the true essence!


***If you were at this event and have posted any pictures or perhaps a blog post, throw the link up in the comments. I'll add all the links to the bottom of this post so everyone who was at the Detroit Public Library on Saturday can see everyone else's pictures. ***

Other Links:



http://yetanotherslippedstitch.blogspot.com/2010/03/detroit-in-which-library-lady-goes-on.html





Version 2.1 for Haiti

For the past few weeks, I have been working closely with my graphic designer (who happens to be my good friend Kelly) in preparation of launching an updated version of my French Press Felted Slipper Pattern.

Version 2.1 has a few differences when compared to the original version. First of all, it looks way prettier! Kelly did a great job of making the pattern clean, cohesive, and aesthetically pleasing- it sure beats my Microsoft Word graphics(can we even call them graphics?).

I have been listening to customers to find out what you all would like to see in the pattern and what areas have been unclear. Much time was spent on the forums at the new French Press Knits group on Ravelry and I got to work. Although, due to space constraints, I couldn't include every suggestion given, I did my best to clarify and add helpful information.

I posted the new pattern on Ravelry today, and when I did, I checked the box to notify past customers of the update. Because I have not been on Ravelry that long, I am not quite sure how this works. I'm hoping that past customers will automatically be able to download the updated version. If this is not the case, please let me know.

Also, if you have bought the pattern on Etsy and would like the updated version, just shoot me an email with the last name on the Paypal account and the approximate date of sale.

Finally, from now until the end of the month, half of all proceeds from pattern sales will go to World Vision's Haiti Earthquake Relief Fund. World Vision has worked in Haiti for 30 years and has more than 800 staff on the ground. Your gift will help them meet the immediate, urgent needs of earthquake survivors, and also enable World Vision to help the people of Haiti in the weeks and months to come. Please join us in praying for the children and families devastated by the earthquake in Haiti. Read more at http://www.worldvision.org

You can also learn more about organizations to donate to at http://www.charitynavigator.org

If you haven't had a chance to buy the French Press Felted Slipper Pattern or Breckenridge Cowl Pattern, there has never been a better time to buy!