Yarn Along ~It's Autumn!

In honor of Autumn I couldn't resist taking a picture of the poncho I am working on. I really hope I'll have it done for Rhinebeck. I am using Briar Rose yarn that I purchased at Rhinebeck last Fall. When I finish it I'll publish the pattern for free on Ravelry. If anyone is daring enough to use lace weight yarn and tiny needles to make a poncho I can't dare to charge for the pattern, nor can I make additional samples! This is a one time project for me.

On the other hand I am almost done with a new pullover pattern collection. I am also using Briar Rose yarn. This time in Sea Pearl. I purchased that yarn at the Maryland Sheep & Wool Festival last May. I am LOVING the yarn and how the pattern is coming together.  I will be getting newest patterns off to test knitters very soon.  The pullover uses fingering weight yarn and I love how practical of a knit it is. I am sure I will live in it when it is done. I have plans to make several more of them. Each will have a little variation from each other.

In other exciting news Alpaca Culture Magazine did a four page spread on me! They also included my Oultander Pattern in their Innovations section. I was honored to be included in this edition of Alpaca Culture. It focuses on the cottage industry of the alpaca world and I feel like I fit right in!  It is so exciting to see my patterns in print and also I am honored with the write by Meyla Bianco Johnston.

In spinning news I have signed up for Spinzilla!!!! It is the first time I have ever participated and it runs from October 5th - October 11th. I am on Team Yarnology's Twisted Sisters. I don't know anyone on this team and I hope I don't let the team down! I have two of my alpaca Blue's fleeces to spin and 16 oz of Cormo. That is the fiber stash I am fessing up to, but do have a lot more..... so this is going to be a great excuse to get a lot of it spun up!  I have been clearing off my bobbins and drop spindles. I have a bunch of fun yarn to share next week that I have hand spun.

Have a wonderful day and happy knitting & spinning!

Joining Ginny's Yarn Along

Briar Rose Penny Infinity Scarf Winter KAL

 

 

 

 

Briar Rose is using my Penny Infinity Scarf pattern for their Winter KAL on Raverly.

I really loved working with Briar Rose's Sea Pearl yarn and I'm excited to see all the different versions of my pattern with their yarns.

 

I have been wearing my Penny Infinity Scarf so much and I am very impressed with how well the yarn is holding up.  It honestly looks like I've never worn it (but I can assure you I have worn it tons).

 

Here are links to-

Briar Rose's Winter KAL

Penny Infinity Scarf- made with Briar Rose's Sea Pearl

Penny Infinity Scarf Pattern

 

 

 

Yarn Along Again

Is it okay to make two entries in the Yarn Along? I hope so. I am doing it today.  I had my post from last week ready, but we didn't have the yarn along. Instead we celebrated Ginny's new baby and so many of us yarn alongers were scrambling to find each others posts on our own. It was like a fun scavenger hunt. But this week we are back on track. I also wasn't sure if I was going to get my knits together in time to post them, but I did so here we go with Yarn Along Post 2 this week.

I designed an infinity scarf! I am calling it Penny. When we got Rudee I wanted to call her Penny. Freddy wasn't on board with that name. Tiny suggested Nickel as a good name for a puppy instead. He is a funny kid. I had an order from the farm for an infinity scarf.  I haven't been taking custom orders this year, but I've been keeping notes and I really wanted to get this pattern put together.  So I took the order and I went up to Chelsea Yarns and I found this Fable Fibers Novel Yarn.  The colorway is Lucky Penny. It was just the yarn I wanted for my pattern.  The reason I didn't use our farm yarn is because we are just about sold out!

 

I wanted lots of eyelets, but I wanted beefed up eyelets. So I came up with the mesh pattern. Then I used a pattern for the body that I just love.

 

I am really thrilled with how the pattern turned out.

 

I was overwhelmed with the response I got on Ravelry when I posted this project. There were many people asking to buy the pattern and I also got many offers to test knit it.

 

So I am happy to say the pattern is in the works and being tested and hopefully I'll have it published and available soon.  If you have left a comment or made it a favorite on Ravelry I'll be sure to let you know when the pattern is ready.

 

In other knitting. I made up some ear warmers. A gray one with Sweet Fiber Yarn and a brown one with yarn from my parents alpaca Squany. I wrote this pattern for these as well and I'll get them and the pattern on Raverly soon. They will make great Christmas gifts. I also plan on making them with my handspun yarn. I think the pattern is perfect for handspun yarn since it will show off the colors and doesn't take much yardage. I have a pair of Climb socks by Jane Richmond on my needles too. When I saw these socks in the new book Journey I knew I had to make them. I have a copy of all the patterns from this book and I couldn't resist getting them on my needles.  I also have another Penny Infinity Scarf going. This time I am using my Briar Rose yarn I got at Rhinebeck. The colorway is so close to the Fable Fiber's Lucky Penny. I didn't realize that until I got home and put the skeins next to each other.

 

 

I finished reading The Dirty Life.  I really enjoyed it.

 

I haven't pick up anything else to read since I've been working on patterns. But I did drool over Brooklyn Tweed's new look book Wool People 6.  I have been searching for a fair isle sweater pattern for quite a long time. I had a few I thought I was going to settle on and then when I saw Skydottir I actually said outloud "That is the pattern!"  I think I might add a turtle neck to it, but that is the sweater I have to make. I think I'll wear it all Winter. So next week for my birthday I'm off to Chelsea Yarns for yarn for this sweater. Happy times.

 

Happy Knitting!

 

joining with Ginny's Yarn Along

 

Oh and inspired by a conversation I had with my husband this morning.

 

 

Yarn Along

Above is the beautiful yarn I came home with from Rhinebeck. You read about our trip here.

I know next year Briar Rose Fibers will be my first stop. This yarn is dreamy. It was one of the last skeins left of Sea Pearl. It looked like it had a rough weekend. The skein was so mangled when I got it. I am so glad I brought it home with me. I think I am going to knit up one of my custom patterns I made for an infinity scarf.  I think it is going to drape like a dream.

 

In huge and exciting news. Well at least to me... my Celes is finished, blocked and drying by the fire!!!!

 

This might be one of my all time favorite patterns I have ever done by Brooklyn Tweed. I wanted a scarf for myself. Since I wear scarves much more than I wear my shawls. I wanted a scarf that had character, but was pretty and fun to knit. The yarn I used was Isager Strik Alpaca 2. I will write more about the yarn and pattern when I post the finished pictures. But in the mean time you can buy the yarn from Chelsea Yarns.  I currently have another project on my needles with this yarn and I love it! It reminds me a lot of Beaverslide yarn. But I love that it is 50% Merino & 50% Alpaca.

Another one of the hats I test knitted for Sweet Fiber Yarns was just released. It is a Rift hat. It is a great hat for stash busting. It knits up very quickly and I just love how it turned out.  I used Malabrigo Twist and yarn from my parents alpaca Spicy.

If you missed any of the other test knit hats I posted over the week here is a quick recap.

 

Temperate Hat & Greystone Hat

 

 

 

 

 

Joining with Ginny's Yarn Along

 

Have a Great Week!