ADORABLE!

While coming up with class ideas for my LYS, I suggested a seamless knit stuffed animal.  We came across Susan B. Anderson's Bunny Love.  I had so much fun knitting this guy!

Isn't he just adorable?  I can imagine knitting up a bunch of different sweaters...don't know why I call it a him - I think the red sweater makes him look like a boy.

Noseman

One of the projects I finished for Knit 123 that will never make it to the magazine pages was a snowman decoration.  You've probably seen the mini-snowmen I've made as Christmas tree ornaments.  I had the idea to upsize the pattern (he stands about 9" tall) and convert it to flat knitting.

Presenting Noseman the Snowman...why "Noseman"?  Well when our son was little (he is off to college in a week), he couldn't say "sn" or "sm" together.  He would put the "n" or "m" first and move the "s" in the word...so "snowman" was "noseman" and "smokestack" was "mokes stack".

The pattern is live on Ravelry - why not start your holiday knitting now?

Greater Boston Yarn Crawl

Today at my LYS, we started selling passports to the Greater Boston Yarn Crawl...it is a short month away and it's time to put it on my calendar and plan what stores to visit.  Each LYS will have a grand door prize drawing, events around the crawl and free patterns for all passport holders.

A while back I offered to design a new hat pattern for Iron Horse for the yarn crawl.  We chose Cascade 220 Superwash as it comes in a bunch of colors and is washable.  I knit the hat while at the beach for a week and my friend, Peggy, came up with a great addition of a tassel on the top. So, I named it Bay Head Hat as that is where I knit it.

So, just to give you a small taste of what it looks like, here's a snippet of the textured stitches.  I will share more as the yarn crawl gets closer.

Be sure to buy a passport so you can get your free pattern at Iron Horse.  Not a local to the area?  No worries as after the yarn crawl you will be able to buy it on Ravelry...I'll keep you posted.

Absolutely Adorable

The yarn store where I work has a section for selling gifts - it is a Co-op arrangement where the vendors get a percentage and so does the store.  I've sold quite a few knit items including my own designs.  It usually is very busy around the holidays as people are looking for gifts.

The other day the owner mentioned that the vendor who made a lot of hand knit baby items was leaving the store in the winter.  So, I took it as an opportunity to whip up some baby hats to put in the store for sale.

I had some Sublime Merino Cashmere Silk Aran floating around and found this wonderful pattern for only $1 - Greenleaf Baby Hat.

Aren't they absolutely adorable???

On the second one I added a slipped stitch in the center of the leaf to give it the line of a "spine" like real leaves have.

Then I got a bit creative and added stripes and used the top of the Cute Noggin Baby Hat (free pattern) to make this hat a little different.

So much fun - have another one on the needles already.  Hopefully they will sell quickly...

Bummed beyond words...

So I took a week off and went to the beach (the LYS was closed for a week so this made it very easy to do).  I brought lots of knitting including my deadline knitting for Knit 123.  When I cranked through and finished the last project (table runners - what was I thinking?) and had written a kick ass article opening, I contacted my friend who is the editor and asked if she wanted me to mail them to her or give them to her when she too was at the beach.  A cryptic message from her said don't mail them and that she would call me.

She called the next day to inform me she had resigned and the owner of the magazine had decided to fold the publication.  So that means, not one but two issues worth of work will never be published and I doubt seriously I will ever get reimbursed for my labors.

Bummed?  Absolutely yes, as I enjoyed this venture.  I learned a lot about myself, how to write three levels of projects, how to convey techniques, etc.  Even more bummed as I had a beyond adorable Christmas decoration for the holiday issue.

So, what will I do?  I considered publishing the technique article and patterns as a mini e-book.  I just don't know if there is a market for that.  The decoration will definitely be self published.   The pattern is written...I just have to photograph and publish it.

So watch this space.

NOTE: For the person who asked me where to get their copy of issue 12 as it had not arrived in the mail, I don't know the answer to this.  I'd go to the Knit 123 website and if you need to order a back copy.  I just got my copy of the magazine - rather late at that.