Jane Richmond Blog

Canadian Living KAL

noreply@blogger.com (Jane Richmond) — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 20:32:00 +0000

The lovely ladies of Canadian Living were planning a behind the scenes knit-along using my Classic Raglan Pullover pattern and decided it might be fun to include their readers! What fun!!!

I have been dying to knit up another since I cast off my first. I knit a size 34 with zero ease (meaning the sweater has the same measurements as my body measurements), it's perfectly cozy and just what I wanted! I wear it daily. Now I'm dying to knit one with negative ease because I think this would make a lovely fitted sweater. So hop on over to their blog and check out all of the details! I really hope you join in! I just might have to too!

Swatching in the Round

noreply@blogger.com (Jane Richmond) — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 22:20:00 +0000

If you ask anyone at Knit Night they'll tell you I am pretty unforgiving about swatching, ask me a question about knitting and I'll ask you if you've done a gauge swatch. I know it can be annoying (sorry ladies!) but if you've knit as many garments from scratch as I have you get up close and personal with the gauge swatch and you tend to want everyone to understand it like you do.

I'm doing some pretty funny looking swatching for the cardigan that I posted about yesterday. Today I'm swatching in the round. If you've never heard of it or practiced it yourself I'll break it down for you and tell you why it's so important.

My cardigan is seamless and knit from the top down. This means that the body will be knit flat (even though I am working on a circular needle) but the sleeves will be worked in the round. If you're like me you might get a different gauge when you knit in the round than when you are knitting flat, this usually means that you have a different tension when you purl as opposed to when you knit. So in order to get an accurate gauge swatch you will need to work in the round when you are swatching.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Swatching Flat

Because the body of my work will be knit flat I want to swatch flat as well as in the round. I've cast on 16 stitches with size 10mm needles and knit for 5 inches (the tiny purple marker on the right marks my 5 inches).

A few pointers for a regular old swatch:

Try to swatch with the needles you will be using for the actual project. What your needles are made of (metal, bamboo, wood, plastic) can change your tension.
You'll want a swatch that is wider and longer than 4 inches because you do not want to measure stitches that are on the edge or along the cast on or bound off rows, these stitches are uneven and not true to your natural tension, if you measure them you won't get an accurate reading.
Stitch gauge is normally more important than row gauge so if you can achieve the appropriate number of stitches per inch but can't seem to get gauge with your rows, carry on (paying special attention if instructions are written by number of rows rather than inches).
If you are knitting a garment that requires negative ease (the finished measurements are smaller than your actual body measurements) make sure that you are achieving a fabric that is loose enough to stretch. If you are substituting yarns, you may be able to "get gauge" with a different weight of yarn but if the fabric is dense or tight you'll end up with a coat of armor that won't fit well because of the lack of stretch.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Swatching in the Round

Because the sleeves of my cardigan are knit in the round, I also want to swatch in the round and make sure that they turn out the circumference that I plan. Without casting on again, and just using my flat swatch and same needle, I begin "working in the round". Because I don't want to knit more than I have to for this swatch, and knowing that I have to knit every round, I carry my yarn behind my work so that I am starting my row at the same end every time without ever turning my work. I end up with something that looks like this:

Here's a little trick I use...

I find it difficult to get even loops across the back of my knitting because I work on circular needles. When I swatch in the round my loops get tighter and tighter pulling the swatch in on the wrong side, this is fine if you want to cut the loops when you're done to properly measure your swatch but since I often unravel my swatches I started placing something behind my work to keep the loops consistent...

{ A sleeve from my cardigan is just the right bulk and width and it worked beautifully }

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

The Results

{ Flat : 9 stitches = 4 inches}

{ In the Round : 10 stitches = 4 inches }

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Why It's Important

Now in my case (working the body flat and the sleeves in the round) a fluctuation in gauge isn't that big of a deal (if you're just knitting for fun and not designing that is), because the worst that can happen is I swatch flat, get perfect gauge resulting in a body that fits exactly as it should with sleeves that are a little tighter than they should be. But take for example my Oatmeal Pullover design. This sweater is super fitted and knit entirely in the round, imagine if you swatched flat and got the same results as I did above (an entire stitch off over 4 inches)...

To put it in perspective, if you were to "get gauge" on your flat swatch and start knitting a size 36 you would lose 3 whole inches by knitting in the round! On a pullover that is already smaller than your body size, this could mean that your finished garment won't fit! And the more stitches you have the bigger the discrepancy, if you were knitting the largest size you would lose 4 inches! Can you afford to have a sweater end up 4 inches smaller than intended when it's supposed to be tight fitting already?

Level 3

noreply@blogger.com (Jane Richmond) — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 23:47:00 +0000

In the spirit of sneak peaks I wanted to share what's on my needles.

I've just finished a heap of deadline knitting and pattern writing that will not be published by me (something I've never done before!). I was hungry to knit something fun, mindless, and most importantly, quick!

Recently I shared with you my urge to dive into my WIP bags rather than start something brand new. Now I told you about my system, and the two main catagories I have for Works-In-Progress:

Level 1 | Brown Bags: Recent projects kept at eye level and within arms reach, with the intention of working on them in the near future.

Level 2 | Top Shelf: Projects in long-term hibernation with no deadline. This is where WIPs go when they need a "Time-Out".

But I forgot to mention category number 3...

Level 3 | Boxes: These WIPs don't even live on the shelf anymore, their home is in one of two boxes kept in the closet of my office, they rarely see the light of day.

This yarn came from a level 3 project that I decided to frog...

This yarn is special to me because at a time when my yarn budget was almost zero a good friend of mine bought it for me because she knew how much I liked it (Thank you Zo).

The yarn is Rondo by Sandnes Garn and it's morphed into a lot of different design ideas since it was gifted to me. It also happens to be discontinued which means after this sample is complete I'll be on the hunt for a good substitute.

...so far I'm really pleased with the outcome. I cast on for this cardigan on Friday afternoon and it's just flying off my needles. It's also incredibly cozy so I'm highly motivated to finish!

Hand Knits at Hodgepodge Arty

noreply@blogger.com (Jane Richmond) — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 18:09:00 +0000

Karen Blackburn is the shop owner and talent behind Hodgepodge Arty. She is also one of my favorite knitters so when she asked if she could sell hand knit pieces made from my patterns I said Of Course! The best part? Karen has actually devoted a section of her shop these pieces!

Karen is absolutely adorable and her other crafty endeavors are totally worth checking out!

Interview: A Playful Day

noreply@blogger.com (Jane Richmond) — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 18:34:00 +0000

I was recently asked to contribute to a Valentine's segment over on A Playful Day so hop on over to read the interview and be sure to have a listen to this delightful podcast!

Off My Needles: Saltwater Rae

noreply@blogger.com (Jane Richmond) — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 20:01:00 +0000

I finished my Saltwater Rae!

As you may recall I did make one very large mistake in making this project and had to take a little break from working on it. It's been an excellent in-between project and I will miss having it on the needles because it was portable, easily memorized, and perfect if you only had time for a row or two.

...and Saltwater by Sweet Georgia Yarns is an extremely powerful colour. So powerful in fact that when our friend Grace brought her skein to knit night Shannon and I both went home and had vivid dreams of the colour at which point we caved and purchased our own skeins that following week.

Be warned, if you encounter this colour in person, it is undeniably irresistable.

...and also nearly impossible to photograph.

On and Off the Needles...

noreply@blogger.com (Jane Richmond) — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 22:46:00 +0000

An "On the Needles" post is long overdue, the trouble is I've had a ton of secret knitting on my needles and haven't been able to share.

In my down time, instead of casting on something new, I have chosen to raid my Work-In-Progress stash. See all those bags to the left? Each one contains a project that has yet to be completed. These projects range from elaborate swatches to almost finished garments... The top row is for projects that are in long-term hibernation, the lower level (brown bags) are more recent projects, shelved because they are lower in priority than deadline knitting.

And for the record, as sad as this may seem, that one shelf + that box of odds and ends = my entire yarn stash.

Here is what I've dug up...

These kids mitts are a brown bag project although they were clearly misfiled because they have been years in the making. I've found very little standard sizing information for hands (especially children's) and so each size is a result of Elsie's need for a new pair of mittens as she grows. I really like the pattern, it's quick and easy to follow. I really should get around to releasing it, I just need to knock a few other priority knits off the list first :)

Next...

This top shelf project has been in the works since Victoria Fibre Fest 2009. This is when I discovered local indie dyer Indigo Moon. Trish was offering a free skein with every 4 purchased, and since I had my eye on a silk/wool blend the savings were too huge to pass up! To date, this is the most I've ever spent on a sweaters worth of yarn.

The yarn is Silken Pleasures in Teal. It's really luxurious yet hard wearing and the colour has that special quality similar to blue jeans, it's almost like a neutral the way it goes with everything. It was a challenge to design with because the silk made the yarn look a bit krimpy. I decided on the trinity stitch and because this stitch is a little more difficult than some of my other favorites, I decided to use alternative construction methods to make this design more enjoyable to knit. This lead to many, many different prototypes, a ton of knitting and ripping, and massive amounts of pattern writing and rewriting.

The funny thing is, it's taken me so long to wrap up this project that to my knowledge, this particular yarn is no longer available. Which means I will have to find a substitute, ironic seeing as the entire concept was to design around this gorgeous yarn. I don't see this project wrapping up any time soon.

This is SweetGeorgia Yarns Superwash Worsted in Tumbled Stone. Felicia does carry a silk/wool blend as well, I just don't have any in my stash that I can swatch with.

Of course I had to swatch in Cascade 220... force of habit I guess.

And lastly, my Saltwater Rae and I have finally made ammends, it's well on it's way to completion. It's actually been a perfect in-between project that I can pick up any old time and bring with me anywhere... it's the most relaxing project I have on my needles, and I'm thankful for that.

What's on your needles?

In the Garden // Seeds

noreply@blogger.com (Jane Richmond) — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 21:50:00 +0000

Can you believe my seeds are already here? Now I really can't wait to start digging in the garden!

West Coast Seeds is speedy! They even send Thank You seeds! My order felt enormous when I was placing it, as if they would need a giant box to hold it all, and now that it's here it's really not much to look at! But I know better.. The last few years I've planted hundreds of tomato seeds but you know what? You only need to plant a few per variety, you would think that was just common sense... apparently not!

Now to come up with a planting chart so that I can visualize when things need to go in the ground.

In the Garden // planning ahead

noreply@blogger.com (Jane Richmond) — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 19:07:00 +0000

I was amazed to read that Teresa had already done a gardening post this year AND had even placed her seed order! ...the very next day my West Coast Seeds catalogue arrived in the mail, how is that for timing!

I took an entire evening (distracted of course by my motherly duties) to slowly flip through and hone in on varieties of plants that I wanted to grow. Last year I was not organized enough to place a seed order and had to choose from seed racks at local nurseries. I've narrowed down my list, this year I'm being very selective about what I grow, and I am very excited to be able to choose varieties of plants that are proven winners in our coastal climate.

...has anyone else started planning their 2012 vegetable garden?

And the Winner is...

noreply@blogger.com (Jane Richmond) — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 19:17:00 +0000

Peaknitty!

Thank you so much for all of the lovely comments about the new look and congratulations to our winner!

Unplugged...

noreply@blogger.com (Jane Richmond) — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 18:26:00 +0000

Belated Holiday Wishes to Everyone!

I decided to unplug over the holidays. My daughter was home from school for two weeks (one week due to a cold and the other for Christmas break) so working over the holiday season wasn't even an option. So for those of you who have emailed me, sent me a message on Ravelry, Facebook or Etsy, I apologize for the delay and I am slowly getting caught up on my responses.

One thing I didn't get to do before going on holidays is blog about an early Christmas gift that was sent my way. About midway through December I received an unexpected package in the mail from the seriously

talented knitter/blogger/crafter extraordinaire MisoCrafty...

Is this bag awesome or what!? It's the larger size project bag so it can accomodate a huge amount of yarn, knitting, notions, you name it.

This gift could not have come at a better time. Incidentally my Jordanna Paige bag broke, the strap gave out rendering it totally unusable. In all fairness the bag was getting used on a daily basis and I'm sure I exceeded it's load carrying capabilities by lugging my camera around in it on occasion. It was my only winter bag (yes, I retire my bright orange canvas bag at the end of summer... because it's my summer bag!). So I litterally used this project bag as a knitting bag & purse over the holidays. It carried a pullover project, my wallet and all of my little essentials from my old purse... with room to spare! Thank you Melissa for saving the day!

I know from reading her blog that Melissa is a serious perfectionist and now I can vouch for that, this bag is really, really well made. You can find her bags in her Etsy Shop, I didn't see any of the larger bags in stock but the smaller ones are a heck of a deal right now, she's having an extended boxing day sale.

. . .

And as you may have noticed, the comments are still open on my launch party post. Today will be the last day to enter to win my entire collection of patterns. The winner will be announced tomorrow!

A Whole New Look ::

noreply@blogger.com (Jane Richmond) — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 14:00:00 +0000

I've been pretty quiet lately. We've been working behind the scenes to revamp the blog and add functionality to this space. Shannon Cook is the designer behind this gorgeous new layout. She has brought colour and personality to the site while maintaining the white space and minimalism that I feel is so important. She has also created new features and functions to transform a static blog into a dynamic website. I love it! I think she's done an amazing job and the space reflects me so well...

My patterns are neatly organized into catagories that are consistent with my Etsy Shop...

Not only can you browse my pattern catalogue you can also buy all of my patterns directly from this site. We've added a convenient shopping cart so that you can buy multiple patterns in one simple transaction. You can even use coupon codes to cash in on sales and special promotions!

And my absolute favourite addition to the site is this lovely home page...

These are just some of the highlights. If you are following along through a reader please come and visit the new site and take a full tour, I'd love to hear your feedback!

janerichmond.com

I am so excited to launch this new site I thought we could have a little launch party! Come join the celebration, take a tour and leave a comment. By doing so you will be entered to win...

My Entire Pattern Collection

I hope you enjoy the new look as much as I do!

Be sure to leave contact information along with your comment (...email address or Ravelry ID)

...and with Christmas coming up and a busy schedule ahead, I've decided to leave this one open ended, so if you stop by and the comments are still open there's still a chance to win :)

The comments for this giveaway are now closed.

Off the Needles: Annie

noreply@blogger.com (Jane Richmond) — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 18:16:00 +0000

I have an early Christmas present for you.

Do you remember this yarn? It was the giant hank I came home with from the Cowichan Fleece and Fibre Fair back in October.

{ Annie }

I love this yarn. I love this cowl. It was perfect selfish knitting.

Would you like to make one too? The pattern is FREE!

Merry Christmas :)

Shop Locally...

noreply@blogger.com (Jane Richmond) — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 06:35:00 +0000

I never know how many readers are local.

If you are, I'm excited to announce that you can now buy hard copies of my patterns at two awesome local shops!

downtown...

Knotty by Nature

If you've never been into Knotty by Nature I highly recommend visiting. This LYS is so much more than a yarn store, you'll see what I mean after visiting the shop!

The biggest appeal for me is the commitment of the owners, Stephanie and Ryan, to enriching the local fibre community. They've created an inviting space with comfy seating and offer things like the Knitting Needle Exchange where you can cast off old needles you don't use and maybe pick up a pair that you will! They are also responsible for launching Fibrations, a new local fibre festival that made it's successful debut back in August.

{ Ryan's hand dyed yarn }

Doesn't Rae look amazingly luxurious knit up in this silk/wool blend?

and Langford...

The Cloth Castle

Everyone knows that The Cloth Castle carries a huge selection of fabrics but did you know they also have a knitting nook!

Not only will you find hard copies of my patterns you'll also find a ton of great samples of my designs knit up by the uber talented Rebecca of Nook.

...and for those of you who need a little help getting started or want to take your skills to the next level Rebecca teaches a wide range of classes, many of which feature patterns of mine!

...oh, and did I mention they now carry SweetGeorgia Yarns!

Off the Needles: Classic Raglan Pullover for Ladies

noreply@blogger.com (Jane Richmond) — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 23:10:00 +0000

This project has been on my mind since I published the Classic Raglan Pullover for children back in March of 2010. I loved Elsie's little pullover so much and have wanted to make one for myself ever since. This fall has been the season of powering through my To-Do list and it feels so good to mark this one done.

I've also been craving a comfy pullover with a bit of room since the temperature has dipped, so I was really pushing to get this off the needles and into my wardrobe. With my favorite scarf, it's the perfect outer layer on those fall days that are mild enough to go without a coat.

Because the size range is so huge I've tried something brand new. The pattern is written with Fill-in-the-Blanks so that you only have to follow your size as you work. I really enjoyed working from the pattern. It was much easier to follow without a list of 11 different sizes at every turn, and because measurements are given for metric and standard... that's 22 numbers for every set of instructions!

If you would like more detailed information about the pattern you can visit the pattern page, or...

BUY NOW | RAVELRY | ETSY

New Hair

noreply@blogger.com (Jane Richmond) — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 05:27:00 +0000

Today I had all of my hair cut off...

I have a ponytail 16 inches long to donate...

(My hair is in the bag, it was too creepy to photograph)

The last time my hair was this short was 15 years ago :)

It was time for a change. It's a huge load off and I am so excited about the donation.

Black Friday

noreply@blogger.com (Jane Richmond) — Fri, 25 Nov 2011 17:12:00 +0000

In honour of Black Friday and the beginning of holiday madness I thought I would host a holiday sale! From now until December 31st, choose 3 patterns from my Ravelry Pattern Store or Etsy Shop and only pay for 2! Here's how it works...

Ravelry

Visit my Ravelry Pattern Store.
Add 3 of my patterns to your cart
In the shopping cart window enter this coupon code : 3for2

How to enter your coupon code...

Next to the "checkout now" button in your shopping cart window, click on "use a coupon code" and enter "3for2", once you hit "apply" you will immediately see your discount for the additional pattern.

Etsy

Visit my Etsy Shop.
Add any 2 patterns to your cart
During checkout, enter 3for2 into the "Note to janerichmond" field found underneath your items, also let me know which pattern you would like to receive as your free pattern.

Rules about your coupon code for Etsy...

Your free pattern selection must be of equal or lesser value than the patterns you've purchased, if not, your coupon code will be null and void. Coupon code must be entered during Etsy checkout not Paypal.

Happy Shopping!

Off the Needles: Kathleen

noreply@blogger.com (Jane Richmond) — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 19:36:00 +0000

As I mentioned before, everyone in my family seems to be in need of new woollies this winter. I've knit two new hats for Elsie plus a pair mitts, a hat for Chris and one for his mother.

My sister has also requested a new hat. Kathleen was designed, and named, for her (Kathleen is her middle name). I like to wear my hats slouchy, B wears hers with the brim folded up. When I'm designing for her I tend to use deep ribbing so that the brim can be worn up without showing the wrong side of the cables. Once it was finished and photographed I had to wear it out just once before giving it away, and that's when I fell in love and decided I couldn't part with it.

It's a fun knit and really comfortable to wear. The gauge of the fabric is perfect for a nice springy slouch that isn't too droopy in the back. It took me a while to find a yarn that I liked for the stitch pattern I had swatched. I am very happy with the way that Cascade 220 performs in this project, it's the perfect yarn for cable work.

If you would like more detailed information about the pattern you can visit the pattern page, or...

BUY NOW | RAVELRY | ETSY

...and don't worry, B understands. I've promised to make her another hat, she'll just have to wear her Elizabeth in the meantime.

Random Pic of the Day...

noreply@blogger.com (Jane Richmond) — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 22:42:00 +0000

{ Tea Party }

This photo was taken back in February. I finally bought an external hard drive and for the last few months I've been slowly making space on my computer (hoping that it will run faster). I've dug up so many gems that I forgot ever taking.

Hair

noreply@blogger.com (Jane Richmond) — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 22:30:00 +0000

I'm doing something I've never done before, I'm donating my hair. I'm pretty lazy about cutting it. I normally go a year without a cut, if not longer. When it gets long enough that only elaborate braids will keep it contained, I know it's time to chop some off. My sister recently took the plunge and had her gorgeous hair cut short. She was planning to donate it but realized after the fact that it might not be long enough to donate. It got me thinking, why had I never thought to donate my hair? I was overdue for a cut and stretched it out a little longer so that I would have more to donate. I now have 28 inches of hair and an appointment on November 28th to have it loped off, I'm really excited to put it to good use. I wanted to blog about it because if it weren't for my sister mentioning it in passing, it may never have crossed my mind. I have a ton of hair and it's easy for me to cut off a bit more than I normally would, I'm putting this out here in case you have the same and like me, hadn't realized there was a need.

. . .

I am sending my hair to the hair donation program listed on the BC Cancer website,

these are their guidelines:

Hair must be in a ponytail with elastics or ties at both ends (not loose or braided)
Hair must be a minimum of 8 inches in length
Hair must be untreated (no colour or perms)

The requirements for hair donation (length, treated vs. untreated hair, etc.) vary depending on where you donate so I would highly recommend doing your research FIRST before getting your hair cut. In my searching I found this page listing many of the big donation programs complete with requirements for each (some of these programs will accept treated hair so take a look if you're worried you don't qualify!).

Wish me luck!

Rae KAL : Winners!

noreply@blogger.com (Jane Richmond) — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 17:08:00 +0000

So we've wrapped up our Rae KAL and last night was the last opportunity to get your entries in for the prizes we're giving away. Without further ado, let me announce the winners...

Our first place winner is ZombieQueenie!

Congratulations, you've won a luxurious skein of SweetGeorgia Cashluxe Fine in the colour of your choice!

Our Second place winner is Gawna83!

Congratulations, you've won one of my screen printed yarn ball bags + your choice of any three of my patterns!

Our Third place winner is Susanlbridges!

Congratulations, you've won any three of my patterns!

. . .

Thanks again to all who participated, this knit along has been a blast! I hope to do another in the future!

Rae KAL : Ending

noreply@blogger.com (Jane Richmond) — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 21:45:00 +0000

The Rae Knit Along has been loads of fun. I can't say that I will have my Saltwater Rae complete by tomorrows deadline, and if you are in the same boat, that's a-okay because you don't need to complete your Rae in order to enter the giveaway. So snap a pic and get your entry in here...

Rae KAL Contest Entry!

Please be sure to read the rules at the top of the thread before entering. Jump back and read THIS post for a full list of prizes to be won!

Rae KAL : Stalled

noreply@blogger.com (Jane Richmond) — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 17:39:00 +0000

I have some bad news.

I ran out of yarn for my Saltwater Rae.

You see Shannon and I both bought one gorgeous skein of Tough Love Sock in Saltwater and because the yardage is greater than the pattern called for we decided to use a scale and get the most out of our skein.

I cast on at a coffee shop as soon as I had purchased the yarn, normally I would have weighed it first and then begun the project. I was so eager to wear this that I was knitting like crazy and taking my Rae everywhere just to get a few stitches behind me. I knew that I could go past the recommended number of center stitches because I had more yardage so I kept knitting away until our weigh in night.

I brought my scale to Knit Night and kept weighing my ball until I reached the halfway weight (the tag said the full skein weighed 4oz). We determined our magic number was 78 stitches so Shannon and I kept knitting away under these instructions. Shannon ran out of yarn not long after she reached her center. Her gauge was way looser than mine and her Rae was a good inch or two longer at the center point.

My mistake, because I was getting gauge, was long and drawn out. I didn't run out of yarn until the very, very end. I think I may have had 28 stitches when it became very clear that I wasn't going to make it. I tried decreasing faster but quickly came to the end of my ball so I unravelled a bit and tried to decrease faster sooner. I still ran out of yarn and it's a blessing that I did because I would not have been happy with my Rae this way. I bound off the stitches and put my Rae to bed for a while, I didn't want to be mad at it, it hadn't done anything wrong.

. . .

So for those of you who may have run into a similar problem at some point in your knitting life (or for those that we might be able to spare), I will highlight a few crucial points that will make all the difference when weighing your ball to use every last inch.

Weigh your skein first - take off the ball band or remove the tag and weigh your skein before you begin. Often times a skein will weigh a little more than is written on the label. If you have already begun your project you can still weigh it, just be sure to have the entire project and working yarn on the scale for accuracy (not dangling off the edge) and don't forget to remove any extra weight (needles, stitch markers, etc).

If you ignore this step (like me) and carry on by weighing your ball periodically to reach the halfway mark (calculated using the weight on the tag) and your skein happens to weigh more than what the tag says (like mine did) than you will absolutely go past your actual halfway mark and run out of yarn at the very end. Not fun!

If this still isn't making much sense, let me throw in some numbers...

Following the tag only, my skein weighs 4oz which means I've reached halfway when my ball weighs 2oz. If I had weighed my skein I would have know that I had 4.25oz of yarn and that I would have to stop sooner, when my ball weighed 2.125oz.

It's a simple concept, and I somehow messed it up for not just me but for Shannon too! I should know better.

On this one, I blame the designer.

Off the Needles: Shannon

noreply@blogger.com (Jane Richmond) — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 17:42:00 +0000

My friend Shannon leftover Lion Brand Thick & Quick from her and Gap-tastic Cowl

and was having trouble finding another cowl pattern that she liked. I thought it would be fun to design something for her leftovers, the funny thing is, she had the same idea! Check out her Carefree Cowl Tutorial!

And here is what I designed for her...

This was the original because I had the yarn in my stash,

but I knew I wanted a lighter colour to show off the cables.
Shannon loves cables.

For full details on this design visit the Pattern Page.

Hand-Knits

noreply@blogger.com (Jane Richmond) — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 18:32:00 +0000

As you may know, I write knitting patterns. From time to time I am approached about my samples and unfortunately they are not for sale. What you may not know is that there are a few Etsy Shops that have been granted permission to make and sell items made from my patterns.

I wanted to share with you a few of my favorites. First up is Robyn Devine of...

Minimalist Knitter

She carries Nicholas in a variety of colours!

She also stocks a ton of simple knits in many different colours, I think that Robyn's pieces are so wearable. Here is a sample of other items she offers in her shop...

From Top to Bottom:

Simple Slouch | Casey Cowl | Simple Cowl

Robyn is one of the sweetest people you'll ever meet. She cranks out knitting at an alarming rate and her shop is fully stocked, but what you may not know is that of every sale she makes $20 dollars is donated to Charity : Water. On top of this she's set a goal to make and donate 10,000 hand-knits for charity in her lifetime. So if you're thinking of giving the gift of hand made this year and don't know how to knit, think about stopping by the Minimalist Knitter because these hand-knits really are gifts that keep on giving.

Robyn, you make us all want to do more!

. . .

Next up is Shawna Granville of...

Black Haired Broad Designs

Granville Island Beanie

Pattern :: Elizabeth

Vancouver Island Beanie

Pattern :: Autumn

I love that the names of these items were inspired by where they came from.

Here are just a few of the other items she carries in her shop...

Bowmans Bay Cowl | Deception Pass Cowl | San Juan Scarf

It was really hard to choose just three to diplay here, you'll have to stop by her Etsy Shop to see the rest!

Thank you Shawna for being so amazing and considerate, you do such an awesome job with your shop. I love sending people your way!

. . .

...and if you're looking for an Autumn hat Jill Lauren offers so many different colours!

For a complete list of Etsy Shops that sell hand-knits made from my patterns visit my Shop Policies page. If you are a knitter and would like to sell hand-knits made from my patterns please contact me at janerichmonddesigns@gmail.com.