A little behind....

... but I've been busy!

Newest release - Sleepy Hollow. Since it's lucky number 13 I am having a BOGO - details are on the pattern page.

I also released a shawl - Dunbar

and some mitts - Spiced Cocoa

It looks the the holiday craziness has worn off and I am back to my old boring neutrals :)

A special place

I released my latest sweater pattern last night - Brier Island.

It's named after a very special place where the four of us have spent many happy summer days - Brier Island Nova Scotia.

This sweater will be in my suitcase next time we visit!

Presents!

I have 3 free patterns for you all as a gift from me to you on my birthday :)

The first is a new pattern that will (probably) remain free - Rhinecliff Cowl

It's a cowl inspired by the cables in my Rhinecliff sweater. The sample shown is knit in Dragonfly Fibers Super Traveller in Mermaid. This is such a nice yarn to work with and being bulky, it knits up in no time!

The second is a new hat pattern based on my Glühwein cowl - Spiced Wine

This was also knit in Super Traveller in Red Maple - I love this colorway! After my birthday is over, Spiced Wine will be $5.

The third is my revamped Hot Tea pattern -

I thought it would be so nice in the Swans Island Natural Colors Worsted I've been playing with so I updated the pattern to include directions for a worsted weight version. Once my birthday is over, it will go back to being $3.

Thanks for celebrating with me!

Birthday Eve

Before I start talking about how old I'm getting, here are my latest two patterns - both hats! These were obviously inspired by the bulky cowls I put out last month.

Applesauce -

and Eiskappe - 

Now about that birthday. I am working on my gifts to you all (remember last year I said that I didn't need anything and that I'd rather give presents to celebrate than get them? Still feel that way.) I only have until midnight to get my ducks all in a row, and I still have quite a bit of work to get done,. Check back here or in my Ravelry group around then to see what I've come up with!

Hello 2014!

I have to start with a picture. This is the sweater I just sent to my test knitters - I am ridiculously happy with it, although I am re-knitting it to get a better fit in the upper arms. I love love love this yarn - Miss Babs Heartland which I also used for Rhinecliff. So cozy!

Okay, now down to business - what do I want to accomplish this year?

Well, I've wanted to make St. Brigid forever. I finally got the book when it was re-released a couple of years ago. I've known ever since seeing some of the versions on Ravelry that I wanted to make some changes to it - more fitted, some shaping, lighter weight yarn - and after spending a couple of years exploring Barbara Walker's top-down, seamless method with simultaneously knit set-in sleeves, I am going to attempt a mash up of that technique with this pattern. It's going to be about a 9 month project. I have to fit it in around the edges of my design work. This month my goals are to swatch and come up with a plan of attack.

Other goals:
- as always, reduce stash. Really. This time I mean it. :P  I get great yarn support from some of my favorite dyers, I DO NOT NEED TO BUY SO MUCH YARN.
- release at least 1 design a month and at least 24 for the whole year.
- try to rein in my workaholicism a bit. Who knew? I've never had this problem before!
- start doing yoga again - and yes, this is knitting related! Yoga is so good for overworked knitting muscles :)
- walk at least 5 days a week (also knitting related - I have some of my best ideas when I'm walking! Plus it will help with the whole workaholic thing).
- lose 10 pounds (again, knitting related - having to model my own sweaters is great incentive!)

I will try to revisit these goals each month to see how I'm doing. Right now I'm going to go have dinner (low carb!) and a glass of wine :)

2013 in review

My backyard right now - (just because a post with no photos is lame)

Everyone probably knows this, but January is named for the Roman god Janus, who was in charge of beginnings and endings, transitions and time. His two faces look back to the past and forward to the future. (Guess it was tough for him to live in the present!)

Today I'm looking back over 2013 to see how I did with the goals I put out there a year ago.

I said I wanted to publish 18 patterns - I actually published 25! Somewhere along the way I got it in my head that I was supposed to do two a month, so I am really happy to be able to put this in the 'accomplished' column. My only other stated goal was to reduce stash - I have no idea if that happened. I've been using stash as KAL and test knit gifts but have also added quite a bit and really don't want to take the time to do the math. Let's just say I didn't reach this one.

I didn't actually SAY that I wanted to finish outstanding WIPs, but I did list them - all 11. One got frogged so I could use the yarn for something else, one got worked on a bit. The others? Untouched.

As far as what I DID knit:
16 sweaters
7 shawls
16 cowls/scarves
3 hats/headbands
that's 41 things and all of them were my designs! I used to like to pile them all up and take a photo, but that also sounds like too much work :P

Tomorrow I will look forward into 2014!

Happy New Year everyone! Have a safe and wonderful New Year's Eve!

Forgot one!

This is the last my German wine series - Apfelwein

After I had chosen the name, a German knitting friend showed me a picture of traditional German Apfelwein glasses -

It actually went up before Antidote but I forgot to blog about it. If you bought/buy the first two (Glühwein and Eiswein), this one is free!

My box of yarn that needs to be turned into Christmas presents turned up today -

If I can knock out one a day I'll make it! First one is half done :)