Thursday, October 31, 2013

Happy Halloween!

I had my annual Halloween party on Saturday. It was a blast! Everyone put a lot of effort into their costumes, which I very much appreciated.
And, as it's also my way to forget to take pics, my photographic evidence is limited. I do have a few here to offer.






What are you doing this Halloween?

Wednesday, October 30, 2013

Knight Service SALE: Style Me for Holidays



It's just about that time of year when our knitterly minds are turning to holiday knitting. Knight Service makes for a very quick and fun gift. Or maybe even a gift to yourself :)

It's also quite pertinent to add that here's a sale happening on my wee pattern Knight Service; it's 50% off! Only $2! Today!
Click to Buy Now.

To add a bit of extra enticement, here's a styling idea for your holidays with Knight Service!

 

You can pair this cute shrug, with its seasonally-appropriate glittery bling, with fun pieces like this dress and these adorable flats. It makes any outfit an immediate statement!

Monday, October 28, 2013

35% off all Ghosts Patterns

It's my favourite time of year! That spooooky time when the temperatures drop, you get your knitting out, and enjoy the great times of Halloween!

I'd like to celebrate: this week only, save 35% off all patterns from my Ghosts ebook! This includes any individual pattern, or the entire ebook itself.
There's more information about the ebook on my blog here.
Just use the code ghostssale13 on checkout.

Buy Now

Patterns include:
Ghosts ebook
Calavera Catrina
Galoshans
Aberrant
Athenodorus
Ectoplasm
Feathers
Rites
Hitodama
Progression
Utukku
The Uncanny

Sale ends Saturday November 2nd. Get your Ghosty knitting on now!

Have a happy Halloween!

Friday, October 25, 2013

Indie Designer Revisit

Designer: Thea Eschliman
Blog: Thea Eschliman's Designs
Rav ID: wonderfallz
Some Great Designs: wonderfallz 's Rav Designer Page
Original Indie Designer Post: October 29, 2010

So much colourful pretty!

This month's revisited indie designer is wonderfallz, and she has a great array of colourwork glory.

I've chosen to feature her recently-released ebook Darling Mermaids, wherein you can find the lovely hat pictured here (Darling Mermaids Hat), as well as a blanket, pair of mittens, and a cowl. These beautiful pieces let you take that bit of whimsical summer with you into the cooler months.

She has great understanding of knitting structure, texture, and shape as well. One of my favourites is her Pretty Handsome hat. It's got a giant pom pom, which always wins my heart, and looks like a good, relaxing knit. Something great for gifting (and something you're likely going to want to keep for yourself. So yeah, make a few!)

And you know it couldn't be this close to The Greatest of All Holidays without my weaving it in to the post somehow: Halloween!
She has an array of Halloween patterns, a couple of which I featured in her original profile.
So I thought I'd add to them here by pointing out to you all the very pretty (and warm!) Pumpkins on a Vine cowl and super cute Hocus Pocus Mittens.

Tuesday, October 22, 2013

Rhinebeck Recap Video Post 2013

After about eight attempts to record this, four and a half minutes is the best I could do to condense the awesomeness of this weekend!


Friday, October 18, 2013

Indie Designer Day

Designer: Isabelle Demarchais
Rav ID: knitthings
Some Great Designs: knitthings' Rav Designer Page

This German designer has a lovely, classic sense of style.

Her Fluffy Cardigan (pictured) is a great example of this. It's also got a cool construction: seamless set-in sleeves. How, you may ask?
The sleeve is set into a finished armhole of a sleeveless sweater. The stitches for the sleeve are picked up along the armhole edge and worked with short rows with the center at the tip of the shoulder to shape a cap. Then the stitches are joined for working in rounds.
 Lily of the Valley is a solid sweater. Seriously, those cables! Crewneck! This is a knit you can knit for yourself to wear now and for the next 50 years. 

And I don't usually feature kids' patterns here, but you need to click this because this Cable Cardigan, Orange Caprice sweater, and baby/toddler Pullover & Pants will make your kid the best-dressed kid on the block. It also helps me to disprove the myth that you can't/shouldn't knit pants. Those pants would win any argument. Really, wouldn't that baby be freaking adorable?!

Thursday, October 17, 2013

IDD Pattern Giveaway Winner

Thanks to everyone for participating in last week's Indie Designer Day pattern giveaway.
The random number generator has spoken, and picked #5 as the winner. That's Evelyn!
Congratulations! Your copy of Whirlwind will be on its way shortly.

Tuesday, October 15, 2013

Go Rhinebeck!


I think my google knows me: when I search "rhinebeck", this link comes up first. It's a link to the New York State Sheep and Wool festival, and I can't wait to go!

I've been once, two years ago, with a few friends. We packed up into my car and came home two days later, having filled it to the brim with yarn and fibre and sheepskin rugs (that was me. The rug. I love it so). Here's my recap post/video from 2011.

This year, Rhinebeck falls on October 19th and 20th. My friends and I are being all badass and driving down in one go. The interwebs tells me it's about a seven hour drive.  Boo yah! Road trip!

Anyone else going? Anyone else ever been?

If you're going, and wanna meet up, just tweet me (and here's to hoping the cell reception's good out there!) I'm @canarysanctuary.

Friday, October 11, 2013

Indie Designer Day

Designer: Dawn Hansen
Rav ID: nesnahnwad
Some Great Designs: nesnahnwad's Rav Designer Page

This week's profile will have less of me chatting and more of the giveaways!

So here's a quick intro and pattern rundown:

This week's designer has a few patterns, all of which showcase a great talent for colourwork, and many of which are hats! So, I'll show you three of her hats to prove the pretty.

1) Purple Rain Hat
This cool colourwork of fading one into the other is used on this great hat (which, btw, I think is great for guys AND gals. Seasonal gift-knitting season is getting close!). She's also used it on a pair of mitts and a pair of socks.

2) Joule Hat
This one, too, could be a man OR lady hat. Just depends on the man or the lady! The colour/yarn choice on the photographed sample uses self-striping yarns, so turns out beautifully with less muss and ends to weave in. Don't you love fewer ends to weave in?

3) Whirlwind
A simple, texture hat that's (yet again!) great for your woman or man-knitting needs. I'm gonna keep pushing this seasonal-gift-knitting thing on you guys. Tis the knitting season!

Ok, and now for the supercool part:

Dawn has very generously offered a giveaway! Just comment on this post and let me know which of her patterns is your fave, and you'll have it sent to you! Please do remember to include a way for me to contact you.
The giveaway will remain open until Wednesday October 16. I'll announce the winner on Thursday.
Good luck!

Thursday, October 10, 2013

Ravelry; An Ode on the Sixth


I really can't believe it, but I've been a Ravelry member for six years today.

Chances are very good that you, dear reader, are also a Ravelry member.  We're part of a fantastic community, one that is wide and welcoming and supportive and foundational. It's fundamentally changed the way we interact with our craft, and it's enabled so many knitterly people to do so very many new and exciting things.

The centrality of the information, the ease of search, the beautiful layout, and the sense of fun make it the most vibrant, educational, inspirational, and safe place that I've been a part of online.

And to be most specific, it's the reason why I do so many of the things I do on this blog.

Indie Designer Days would not exist if not for Ravelry. I would be much the poorer for the vital communication link it provides me to knitters around the world. And it's essentially the reason I'm a knitwear designer.

It's so mufti-faceted that I'm likely only using a very small percent of the site.

And that's where you come in!

Tell me, what's your favourite thing about Ravelry?

Tuesday, October 08, 2013

My Friends are Knitters

And aren't I lucky!
This is a bit of a hold-over post. My birthday was way back in September! I've been showered with gifts, and am certainly dern pleased about it!

Birdwing, by Stephen West. Knit by the fantastic Sarah!


Owlie Socks by Julie Elswick Suchomel. Knit by the ever-generous sock gifter, Val.

Beauteous hand-spun in MY COLOURS! By the ever-inspiring Roberta.

And that fab project bag I gave you a peek at a few weeks ago by the multi-talented Debie.

You ladies rawk my socks (and Val, you have a nearly literal sock-rocking ability, there!)

Friday, October 04, 2013

Indie Designer Day

Designer: Maude L. Baril
Blog: Flowers and Stems
Rav ID: maudelb
Some Great Designs: maudelb's Rav Designer Page

While colourwork isn't all that maudelb designs, it's certainly quite a strength!

I'll point out three to you:

Roussillon. That's the beautiful pom-pomed toque in the pic. Really, how eye-catching and wearable does that look!? It's the sort of thing that you could have a lot of fun with. Pick different colours, make it more feminine, more masculine. I think it's a great one to keep in mind for any, ahem, seasonal knitting, that might be coming up in the next few months!

Branka is an awesome colourwork skirt. Yes, colourwork skirt. Check it out. You might wonder about a knitted skirt's structural integrity. In this case, maudelb's included an elastic waistband. Smart!

And Fléchée is a colourwork scarf that's quite a stunner. I love what she's written about it, here:
You want to learn to do steeks and you hate to weave ends in? This scarf is perfect for you!
This steek is easy to do because you don’t need to sew, only make knots!
The Ceinture Fléchée (Arrowed belt) was first used by french canadian to close their coats, a long time ago. But I don’t know how to weave, so I knitted one.
The scarf is worked in the round, then cut. The colorwork is more easy this way.
Instruction to make a shorter scarf and a cowl are also included.

Thursday, October 03, 2013

YAY for Halloween

I think it's been well established on this blog how much I love Halloween.
and again
2011
and again!
2010
and even 2006

My plans for this year are, in a manner, scaled down.
I usually make my own costumes (links above!) but this year I've embraced the realities of time and space and the fact that there are still no Multiplicity-esque clones of me running around to do my less-that-favourable duties.

So yeah, this year I'm going to try and make myself into a calavera catrina!/sugar skull/day of the dead/whatever name you wish.



I'm pinning my heart away on pinterest.