Color at Stitches West

While I'm working at the Handwerks booth I'm knitting up this sock. 

Canyon River was originally designed from a bargello stitch in 2 colors of yarn we no longer have.  I wanted to reknit it in a yarn we have for sale in the booth, and decided to use a single multi-colored yarn.  The stitch is a slip stitch and just a little textured.  The yarn is Super Twist in Haypress Meadow and mostly purple with a bit of yellow, orange and green.  It's completely different from the original pattern design, right?  But it works!  It follows principals outlined in a book called The Knitter's Guide to Hand-Dyed and Variegated Yarn: Techniques and Projects for Handpainted and Multicolored Yarn by Lorna Miser, and guess what?  We have the book for sale in our booth and Lorna will be there to sign it!  It's a great book from a very knowledgable knitter.  Who but the founder of Lorna's Laces would know what works with hand-dyed yarns best?  I was so surprised that a two color (striping stitch) could be so interesting in hand-dyed yarn.  It makes you look at stitch patterns in a different way.  I used to avoid textured stitches for variegated yarn, but I won't anymore.  Come by booth #1336 at Stitches West from 12-2 both Friday and Saturday.  Talk to Lorna in person, get your books signed and check out the yarn!

 Happy Fiber Arts Friday and I hope you have a colorful weekend!

Stitches West Countdown Cont

Less than a week to go for Stitches West and I have a few FOs!
First up is a version of my Giant Kelp Scarf, originally designed in a Handwerks Club Yarn exclusive, I've reworked it in Cabled 8.  It turned out great in this springy merino.
Next is a Drunken Path scarf in Handwerks So Soft Sock combined with Cascade's Kid Seta Noir.  It's knit up on 9's and goes fast!  You actually only need half a skein of the Handwerks.

Both of these and many other samples will be displayed at Stitches West in the Handwerks booth #1336
along with these cozy samples so you can see how the colors work up -- there'll be 25 different colorways on display available in 5 yarn bases, So Soft a cashmere blend, Silky Sock a silk blend, Cabled 8 a sport weight superwash merino, Lace  a laceweight superwash merino  and Super Twist a fingering superwash merino.

Happy Fiber Arts Friday and FO Friday.  Leave a comment and I hope to see you at Stitches West.

Cozy Cranking

What do we have here?

Lovely colors going round and round.

Coming out like little yarn sausages.

It's a circular sock machine!

This is how I'm making samples for the Handwerks booth at Stitches West.  I'm about 1/2 way done.  We'll have them displayed at booth #1336 so you can get an idea of how each color knits up!  But that's not all this machine can do.  Come by the booth Saturday, Feb 23 from 2-4 and watch me make a sock on it!

This is a Work In Progress, check out other WiPs at Tami's Amis.  Happy Wednesday!

WiPs

I'm feverishly getting ready for Stitches West.  Handwerks, the yarn I design for has a booth and I've got tons of samples going.  This is mainly why I'm not casting on anything new.  We'll have samples of all the 2012 club patterns plus those from previous years. We'll also have samples of other patterns. Laura,  chief yarn dyer will bring all her current stock. I hope to have the following done, I'm including my Ravelry links so you can check my progress. Not on Ravelry?  Not to worry all projects are public.  Check back and leave a comment.

Giant Kelp Scarf in Handwerks Cabled 8

Drunken Path in Handwerks So Soft Sock

Yarn Cozy samples in So Soft Sock

If you're coming to Stitches stop by booth #1336 and see the yarn, patterns and say hi. We're both participating in the stitch marker swap, so bring your markers.  You can even sign up for our 2013 yarn club.

Happy WiP Wednesday, join the party at Tami's Amis.

Manic Monday: Goals for 2013

In 2009 I over committed myself with 2 conventions in 2010 and burnt myself out.  Ever since I've taken things one thing at a time.  So while everyone was making up their goals in January, I spent the month reflecting over the past year.  Last year I tried to do 12in2012, only projects completed with yarn purchase prior to 2012 counted.  My official count? 6.  This year I've set my sights lower and opted for the Underachievers goal of 6.5 things for 2013.  At least I know it's doable.  I did get other stuff done, but they were done with yarn purchased in 2012.

Now that 2013 is well underway, all the yarn that I bought in 2012 is now fair game!  I've started to mark my new purchases with the red badge of shame:

A 2013 branding on the bag with a red sharpie.  This yarn is verboten, but I doubt that will stop me, it just won't count towards the 6.5 things.
 

Projects I want to start so bad I've added them to my Ravelry projects as wips even though I've yet to cast them on.

1) Celestarium, in Handwerks So-Soft-Sock, it'll be a great project to have at Stitches West.
2) Lucy Hat
3) Downton Abbey KAL for gauntlets -- never did get started.
4) Infinity Twist scarf
 

Samples I have to knit by Stitches West to have at the Handwerk's booth #1336:

1) Giant Kelp scarf in Cabled 8
2) Drunken Path scarf in So Soft Sock
3) Canyon River sock in Super Twist
4) Mesquite Flat in Super Twist, sock pattern, but I may do a mitt...
5) Start Celestarium to work on while in the booth
 

WiPs 23, 3 of which I have no intention of casting on until the end of Feb (after Stitches).

2013 FO's: 2 ( only 1 counts towards 6.5 in 2013)

1) Color Affection started mid year 2012 (see last post)
2) a headphone cover with leftover sock yarn, while it's a fo, stash wasn't reduced by much.

 

General goal for 2013 is to knit more, spin more, weave more and buy LESS.  We'll see how that goes.

Stitches West Countdown

It's been a long time since I've blogged or even participated in Fiber Arts Friday.  But here I am, with an FO and lots of stuff in progress.  First, I'd like to present the FO, my Color Affection in Handwerks Luxury Sock (sadly no longer available).  It's laceweight, 100% cashmere and luscious, if only you could feel it!

 
If you're on Ravelry you can find details here.

I'm madly knitting in preparation for Stitches West which is February 21-24 at the Santa Clara Convention Center in Northern California.  So, second (third, and possibly fourth),  I've got sample knitting to do.  A Giant Kelp Scarf in Handwerks Cabled 8, pattern by me.

 

 

A Drunken Path scarf in Handwerks So Soft Sock paired with Cascade Kid Seta Noir, pattern by K1C2.

 

And two lovely skeins of Handwerks Super Twist that will be something reminiscent of Mesquite Flat, originally done in Sock Plus 8, but no longer available, and Canyon River revisted, both patterns by me.

Why all the sample knitting? For the past several years I've been designing almost exclusively for Handwerks.  So this time instead of in the classroom, I'll be in the market! Come see owner and chief yarn painter Laura and all her yarns in booth 1336, and me, fledgling designer and all my patterns!  We'll have beautiful handpainted yarn, patterns, lots of samples, chocolate, stitch markers (for the swap!) and a sock machine!  We'll even have designer Lorna Miser, founder of Lorna's Laces (yes, THAT Lorna) signing books!  And to kick it all off, I'm having a 20% off sale on all my patterns available on Ravelry, just enter FNFSALE for the code in your shopping cart, now through February 15th.

Happy Fiber Arts Friday and FO Friday!  Leave me a comment and stop by again to check my progress!