Tricksy Knitter Blog

Yarn, lunch, birthdays

Thu, 17 May 2012 10:40:00 -0700

It's fine. No reason to panic. I'm 40 today. Yesterday, I was in my 30s. Today, 40s. Feeling a little... cranky? Maybe just, ambivalent? Sleepy? Sedated? Hungry? I hope they still give you a free slice of cheesecake at Michaels off Main on your birthday. However, enough of that, this is a Knitting Blog, not the Agony Aunt. And what is more knitterly and life-embracing than pictures of yarn? The Arimono Shawl/Sweatermaker Kits have had such a great response, we're going to try some single skein kits, in a fingering weight merino/silk. Here are a few pics of Sweatermaker Yarns Marjorie, 50% merino, 50% silk, 350 meters/100 g. One skein of this will make a long skinny scarf or a smal shawl. It is wonderful to work with. And I have a gorgeous pile of it, with fantastic colors. More on Marjorie soon.

Sweatermaker Yarns

Tue, 01 May 2012 10:41:00 -0700

Cashmere. Camel down. Tussah silk. Blue faced Leicester. Glass beads. Just a few of the tools in the yarn artist's palette. And then there's the colour. Since 1986, Vancouver Island based Sweatermaker Yarns has been producing custom yarns, weaving and knitting designs. Judy Maclean, artisan and founder of Sweatermaker Yarns, pushes the potential of artisan yarn with dynamic color-play and exotic fibers. And now you can find some of these gorgeous yarns right here on Tricksy Knitter.

Crossed Jacket pattern now available for download at Interweave

Fri, 27 Apr 2012 13:34:00 -0700

You can now buy the patterns from Interweave knit.wear as individual downloads! Here's the link to the Crossed Jacket.

New Cardigan Pattern in KNIT

Thu, 26 Apr 2012 09:39:00 -0700

All that winter knitting is coming to fruition. Kind of like planting tulip bulbs (which I never do in time) and then forgetting about them. And then spring, and Oh yeah, I remember now. Ladysmith is out in Knit Magazine, May 2012. Where can you get this magazine? Well, the UK on stands... Online at yudu, but I don't know if it's available yet. The Ladysmith is a sweet little cardigan in Louisa Harding Ondine. Seamless, bottom-up, knit-in edging, raglan yoke, wrap front. I love wrap cardigans; they’re so versatile. I originally imagined this worn with a narrow, buckled, velvet belt. But made a matching yarn belt for the sample. You can wear it with a pin too.

Paravel Wrap is in the Pattern Shop

Mon, 23 Apr 2012 10:32:00 -0700

If you saw our kitchen reno, you'll know I have a small obsession with this colour of green. Saturated, bright, with a touch of ochre to it. (I have since repainted that kitchen wall to a more soothing avocado green so you can't see it from space any more). The new Paravel Wrap (which at different times was the Paravel Shawl, Paravel Scarf and Paravel Stole, but I liked the sound of Wrap best) is such a treat in CashLuxe fine. The yarn is a fingering weight, with a little nylon, so I suppose it's intended for socks. But I like trying out fingering weight on big needles (4.0mm) for a lightweight drape. And CashLuxe wet blocks beautifully.

Sweatermaker Yarns: new precious stones

Thu, 19 Apr 2012 15:35:00 -0700

Isn't this quite fabulous? New skein of Marjorie from Sweatermaker Yarns in a new colour. Marjorie is the yarn you see in the Oaklet Shawl. Fingering weight, 50% merino 50% silk, it's gorgeous to work with. Just fine enough to show off lace stitches, substantial enough to be a forgiving knit. What am I up to with this skein? Well.... It's a surprise. Exciting little plan in the works, hope to reveal soon.

Twist Collective Spring/Summer 2012 is here!

Sun, 15 Apr 2012 19:17:00 -0700

This new edition of Twist is gorgeous! So many textures and romantic knits... I'm so pleased to be included in such a talented group. Harrow is a smart little tank, with buttons at the hip and neck line, a little subdued lace, side shaping, a wide scoop neck, simple garter stitch edging, hmmm, what else? Wear it as a tank, as photographed, or wear it as a vest. You know how I feel about sweater vests!

Tip for using your iPad as a knitting tool

Sun, 15 Apr 2012 10:41:00 -0700

I love my iPad. But I've been an Apple girl long before I could afford my first Mac (an LG475, had to use 3 different credit cards, see if you can figure out my age from these clues) so I'm a little biased. Here's a good trick for using your iPad as a knitting companion: get a decent PDF reader. I use GoodReader. GoodReader lets you view PDFs and make notes and marks right on the PDFs. It also makes it pretty easy to move files around. You can use GoodReaderUSB on your computer, and copy files back and forth from iPad to computer. Or (this is the one I prefer) you can use the free Dropbox system. Drop your PDF into your Dropbox, and pick it up from within GoodReader. Or you can Download from Web.

Unwrapping the surprise! Needle gauges!

Tue, 10 Apr 2012 10:09:00 -0700

How nerdy is it to get excited about rulers? I have a bit of a fetish for rulers. I even have a dedicated spot on my studio wall to hang them all: traditional wood yard stick, t-square, french curve, 48-inch ruler with built-in level, mini aluminum square, 18 inch alumicutter, to name a few. And of course, the knitting basket always has a couple of needle gauges and measuring tapes. But I always wanted a little more out of my needle gauge, and daydreamed of designing my own. And thanks to the internet, I found a ruler specialist in Washington, that would make ruler gauge to my specifications! After a couple of prototypes, and lots of testing, they're here. Quite a thrill to see my little logo on a needle gauge. These are in the store and ready to ship: click here for details!

A spicy glimpse

Mon, 09 Apr 2012 11:54:00 -0700

A couple of little snapshots of another project, blocking as we speak. A little vest with knit-in bands and a touch of lace. In SweetGeorgia CashLuxe Fine Cayenne. I love the wrong side of lace. Sometimes more than the right side. But I don't want to be sidist.

Easter mischief

Sun, 08 Apr 2012 12:57:00 -0700

The Easter Bunny left a lot of chocolate. Which means we didn't have to make breakfast this morning. And he left something else. A little secret project. Circle labels are so much fun...

A little sneak peek

Thu, 05 Apr 2012 14:52:00 -0700

For those of us who love Twist Collective, there's a sense of anticipation before each new edition. I can't wait to see what they've come up with for Spring/Summer. Even though I have a design in there, I haven't seen any photos yet. But there are a few clues: the patterns have been put into Ravelry, without photos, so you can see who's involved, and a hint of what's coming. I loved the Harrow sample so much, I made one for me. And I finally found the perfect place for those vintage glass buttons. Here's a tiny glimpse, without giving anything away.

Sunny Day Means go play outside so mommy can blog

Sun, 25 Mar 2012 12:14:00 -0700

A little chevron chart and a chevron swatch to go with a chevron notebook. If my notebooks were people, they would always be posing with yarn, saying, Don't I look fabulous in this? More SweetGeorgia CashLuxe Fine. The game's afoot.

First new pattern for spring: Paravel Hat

Tue, 20 Mar 2012 10:06:00 -0700

Happy first day of spring! And the sun just came out here, through the clouds and the sleet. The new Paravel Hat pattern is available today! This is a cozy hat in fingering weight, with some simple but satisfying stitch textures. A little traditional Totem Pole lace, and some dense broken rib. And everything comes together at the crown in a tidy quatrefoil shape. I tested this in two very different yarns: Quince & Co Finch (shown at the right) and SweetGeorgia CashLuxe Fine. Finch is firm and elastic, 100% wool, tightly plied. CashLuxe is lighter, with 70% superwash merino and 20% cashmere. The superwash mean it gains quite a bit of drape after wet blocking. The hat works nicely in both yarns.

Picture Day

Mon, 19 Mar 2012 16:59:00 -0700

Picture day with low light? Thank goodness for photoshop.

A little March Montage

Thu, 15 Mar 2012 16:03:00 -0700

Between the teachers' strike, power outages, daylight-savings-fatigue, and the common cold, there has been a lot of knitting-time around here, but not a lot of desk-time. Which is fine, since Maclean's magazine says Sitting Down All Day Will Kill You (I'm paraphrasing, but I believe the word "kill" is actually in the title of the piece). Oh, wait a minute, knitting is sitting too. Okay, new goal: knit while standing. Actually that reminds me that my mom told me of some Olde Timey folk who used to knit socks as they walked... I tried to knit on the elliptical trainer once, it was not good for my gauge.

New hat pattern on the way

Thu, 08 Mar 2012 16:27:00 -0700

Lots of plans in the works, and pending publications for bigger things; in the meantime, a little hat pattern. The Paravel. (We have been listening to a lot of Narnia audiobooks). Fingering weight hat, with broken rib, and a little bit of simple lace. Will be ready soon! This one is in SweetGeorgia CashLuxe Fine color Mist.

hmm, what next?

Tue, 28 Feb 2012 12:08:00 -0700

Just finished blocking this. All along, it was a cowl in my mind. So luxurious (wool, but with a smack of cashmere). And you know how you drape things lovingly on your lap as you knit them? And I was so impressed by my Kitchener stitch (which I fear), and was almost able to perform without referring to my Kitchener Stitch Cheat Card. But as soon as I tried it on, it didn't want to be a cowl. It wants to be a scarf, the tricksy thing. As a cowl, it feels beautiful, but the lace gets lost. Arg. Am turning my back on it to teach it a lesson. Will clean office now.

Sweetgeorgia Yarns

Wed, 22 Feb 2012 10:10:00 -0700

I have a problem resisting fingering weight yarn. Treated myself to some (more) Sweetgeorgia CashLuxe Fine in Pistachio and Cayenne. Then noticed that my Cash Luxe Fine, even the pink tag, perfectly matches the pillow I made (years ago) with fabric from Tonic Living. Can't remember the fabric's designer, I'm guessing Micheal Miller. You can see a clearer picture of CashLuxe in Mist here. It was on the needles, but I realized I didn't have enough for the project I was attempting. Ha, there's another point for Knitting Mistakes and How to Avoid Them : don't pretend you have enough yarn when you know you don't. It will only end in heartbreak.

What's in my knitter's notebook? well...

Tue, 21 Feb 2012 11:58:00 -0700

Little C is moving on from finger knitting to actual knitting. And it's going quite well. His goal? Ear warmers for his stuffie, Sylvester the cat. Will add photos as we go. Teaching Kids to Knit

New scarf pattern for Quince & Co

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 10:18:00 -0700

It's great to see all that secret knitting come to fruition! Check out Quince & Co's new pattern collection, Scarves etc. Some gorgeous, gorgeous scarves and cowls in there. And I'm so pleased to have my Hamilton Scarf included. Hamilton Duck's Springtime Story is out of print now, but of course, with the internet being what it is, you can probably find a copy of it. Hamilton Duck falls asleep under a fruit tree, wakes up covered in snow. He freaks out a little bit, then realizes that the snow is actually petals from the fruit tree, and that it is spring.

Knitting a Sweater in 5 days: Good idea?

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 09:41:00 -0700

Here are a couple of instagram snapshots of something I'm working on. I get to work with Rowan Yarns Savannah, a cotton/silk tape yarn. It has a lovely finished texture, quite pebbly. It makes you want to stand around like a fabulous windswept model on a rocky English beach. (Unlike Rowan's wool blends, which make you want to stand in misty heather). I've set myself the goal of knitting it in a few days. No problem, no problem. That will be, could be, just fine, as long as I don't make mistakes. But I'm prone to mistakes. Terrible ones. We'll see how it goes. In honour of common mistakes, I've added an article: Knitting Mistakes and How to Avoid Them . I hope that I can follow my own advice. Oh and that's a crocheted provisional cast on, my favourite kind of provisional cast on. The only one I can remember how to do when I'm in front of the tv and too lazy to google provisonal cast on.

Using Hand Dyed Yarns: New Project

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 10:29:00 -0700

There seems to be an explosion, nay, a veritable panoply, of hand dyed yarns available. Etsy is chock full of them, and most local yarn stores carry a little bit of artisan yarn. It's a lovely luxury purchase, and it's great to support a fiber artisan. And some of these artisans dye in smallish lots which sell out really fast, so that skein feels even more precious. Some of them sell so quickly that it's almost impossible to find the yarn in stock; instead, you commit to a yarn club and you get a new yarn every month or two. I have a hard time resisting hand dyed skeins, (check out my Yarn Inspiration pinterest board for some that I've been coveting) especially in lace and fingering weights.

Home-Loving Hobbits

Sat, 04 Feb 2012 11:32:00 -0700

Quick post today, but not really about knitting. Many knitting projects to share, but can't yet, too many secrets, shhhhh... So I thought I'd tackle the name "Tricksy Knitter". Why "tricksy" I'm often asked? Actually, that's not true. I'm rarely asked. I usually get a bemused look and then I watch as the person writes down t-r-i-x-i-e-k-n-i-t-t-e-r. Maybe I should buy that domain too.

What's in your notebook?

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 14:48:00 -0700

I'll tell you what's in my notebook: Tiny Pants. Yup, another pair. Free pattern coming soon.

New Download for Free Fitzgerald Scarf Pattern

Sun, 29 Jan 2012 16:43:00 -0700

The Fitzgerald Scarf has been really popular, and it's a great pattern for the ambitious beginner. It has an easily memorized pattern with a small repeat. But the crossed slipped stitches can be a bit tricky; it's hard to visualize them when you read the pattern, and if you have tight tension, you might need to use a cable needle to hold them instead of dropping them to the front of your work. For anyone wanting to try the Fitzgerald Scarf, I've uploaded a new version with charts. Happy knitting!

Matching Knitting Patterns to Yarn

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 12:00:00 -0700

Speaking of tweed, isn't this a beautiful sweater? This is my mom's Kendrick in Debbie Bliss Donegal Luxury Tweed Aran, 85% wool 15% angora. Kendrick is a design by Ann McCauley, published in Brooklyn Tweed's Wool People 2. Kendrick has lovely detailing: columns of coin cables on the body that merge gracefully with the front neck shaping, and single coins at the cuff and waist that gather the fabric gently.

Tweed Run

Thu, 26 Jan 2012 10:42:00 -0700

Oh culture, what a funny and charming thing. I've just been perusing images of "Tweed Runs," and had to share. For a little history, check out the official site. I was looking at the images of the New York City Tweed Run, and thought, "Wow, these people look like models. And where did they get all these great clothes?" Ah, some of them are models, for Ralph Lauren Rugby Tweed. But it's all still pretty fabulous. There are also some great shots of Ewan McGregor in the tweed run, with a pipe and a stuffed bear. The bear makes me think of Sebastian's bear, Aloysius, in Brideshead Revisited.

Happy Year of the Dragon!

Mon, 23 Jan 2012 10:30:00 -0700

Hey everyone, Happy Year of the Dragon! May your coming year be full of yarn and auspicious knitting. Last time it was Year of the Dragon (2000), our first son was born, so hurrah for dragons! Yes we are a family of one dragon, one rat, one monkey, and one sheep. There, enough clues for you to figure out my exact age.

Women And Men Who Knit For Men and Men Who Might Care

Sun, 22 Jan 2012 13:35:00 -0700

Warning: this post may contain wild generalizations about men and women. I was updating the site with the Trestle Hoodie that just came out in Knit Issue 45, and it got me thinking about men. Or rather, knitting for them. Oh men. We are drawn to knitting sweaters for them, despite the fact that they are sometimes ambivalent about it. It's such a puzzle that Bruce Weinstein has made a book titled Knits Men Want: The 10 Rules Every Woman Should Know Before Knitting for a Man. And you've heard of the curse of the Boyfriend Sweater. The Mythbusters should do an episode on Knitting for Men, its mystique has reached such notoriety.

Book Sneak Peek: Knit Your Own Cat

Fri, 20 Jan 2012 16:42:00 -0700

Did you see Knit Your Own Dog: Easy-to-Follow Patterns for 25 Pedigree Pooches, when it came out? Lovely book on how to, well, knit your own dog. Charming, and somehow quite dignified photographs of knitted dogs throughout. The Jack Russell is my favourite. I blogged about it in March, take a look at the gorgeous photography. And now the same authors have written a sequel: Knit Your Own Cat: Easy-to-Follow Patterns for 16 Frisky Felines. The paperback will be available in February, I can't wait, because (don't tell anyone) I'm more of a cat person than a dog person. It's their unapologetic hedonism and quiet disdain that I admire.

Warm thoughts of yarn

Thu, 19 Jan 2012 20:30:00 -0700

Do you like to think about yarn? Me too. What I have, what I'd like to have, how much I have. Oh dear, I just realized I'm Winnie the Pooh. Counting pots of honey. Bother. Well never mind that. Thought about yarn a lot today. So much so that I had to start another Pinterest board, Yarn inspiration. So if you're into yarn, or trying to get someone else hooked on yarn, or trying to buy a gift for a yarn lover, you might find these new articles handy:

Hey girl, I hope you signed up for the Tricksy Knitter newsletter

Wed, 18 Jan 2012 11:42:00 -0700

The internet has brought us so many things. Real time updates on significant world events. Re-connect with friends and family. Political awareness. How to do a provisional cast on. And the Ryan Gosling "Hey girl" meme phenomenon. The weirdness of popular culture eh? The Hey girl Ryan Gosling meme trend has taken off into all sorts of crazy subsets: feminist versions, handmade versions. I don't know what it is about this guy, maybe it's his earnest face, or the fact that he's Canadian, but man, these are funny. I started a Hey Girl Pinterest board to keep track of some of my favourites. Mostly craft related, but not all.

Change is good

Tue, 17 Jan 2012 09:38:00 -0700

Something's afoot at Tricksy Knitter. The logo is different, the store has changed, there are knitting robots, I got up before 7 this morning to go swimming... What in the name of everything is happening? It's okay, change is good. Except when it's bad. But this time, it's good. And the swimming is Teresa's fault.

Best Borsato Bot

Thu, 05 Jan 2012 12:26:00 -0700

Happy New Year everyone! How great is this guy? A pen and ink Bot by the wonderful and talented Elizabeth Borsato; she dropped him off when she came by for tea. How lucky am I? Thank you Beth. Keep an eye on Borsato, there will be more bots coming, I'll post a link to her Etsy shop when it's up.

New pattern format for a New Year

Thu, 29 Dec 2011 13:59:00 -0700

The minions have been busy over the last few months, working on some changes for Tricksy Knitter. A new logo, a new look for the site, and new products. It's all coming very soon. In the meantime, I'm going through my older patterns and giving them a facelift and a thorough edit, starting with the oldest pattern, the free Toddler Raglan Hoodie and the most popular adult pattern, the Fifth Street Jacket. (If you have already purchased Fifth Street, you should have received an email notification for Ravelry). 2011 was like an intense crash-course on pattern writing, and I've learned a lot. I looked through the project comments for the Toddler Hoodie, corrected some areas, and made the instructions more consistent.

New pattern in Knit magazine: Trestle Hoodie

Thu, 22 Dec 2011 12:05:00 -0700

Lovely sunshine here today, frost on the ground, perfect. Several pounds of cookies exchanged (thanks T!) this morning, just in time for my second coffee. New business cards came today, can't wait to show off the new Tricksy Knitter logo in 2012. Last quick post before the Christmas weekend and a few days off work. And the Men's Trestle Hoodie pattern, published in Issue 45 of Knit Magazine, is on Ravelry. Knit is available on British newsstands, and should be available soon digitally at Yudu.

New pattern! Strathcona Beanie

Wed, 14 Dec 2011 08:53:00 -0700

It's a happy season for hats. Wearing them, making them, giving them. I'm pleased to announce the new Strathcona Beanie. The pattern includes 2 versions: one version is pointy and elfin, the other is slouchy and relaxed. And you can add a pom pom to either if you're feeling extra festive. Now, I should confess, I'm not much of a hat wearer. There's usually some issue; it makes my head look pointy, or crushes my hair, or it's too tight, or it's too hot. (I know, I'm a delight to be around, just ask Charles.) So this lightweight slouchy hat is ideal for me. Long enough so that it settles on my ears and doesn't slide back. Big enough to not give me hat-head. These hats are done in lightweight fingering weight wool; on the left is Zealana's Rimu (60% merino 40% possum), on the right is Brooklyn Tweed Loft (100% wool). Both of these yarns are ideal for our cold dampish air. I'm thinking that this would be lovely in creamy baby alpaca for a baby hat, just work one or two fewer repeats.

Possum Pom Poms

Tue, 13 Dec 2011 12:12:00 -0700

Possum pom pom: try saying that 10 times fast. Or typing it once. A quick little instagram shot of the new Christmas hat with optional pom pom. I love pom poms, they are so fun to make. Last night, tired after a long day of work, using the bottom of my glass full of rum and coke as a pom pom template, I thought: This is not very Martha-Stewart of me, I should make a proper printable template. Okay, I'm kidding. It was rum and rootbeer. Check out How to Make a Pom Pom. I've made it as a printable PDF too, so it's great to use with kids.

Possumilities

Mon, 12 Dec 2011 18:14:00 -0700

A quick post today, just a teaser for a sweet Christmas hat pattern I'm working on. I can't wait to show you. But for now, just a picture of one of the yarns I'm using for it. This is Rimu fingering weight, from Zealana, 50% New Zealand Merino, 40% Possum. Now that I can see it knit up, I can really see that it has a lovely soft grey halo. Really lovely. I wonder if that's the possum, or the sheep? When I said to Charles, "This yarn has possum in it," he looked blankly at me for a second, then said, "Oh! You mean possum hair". The word "possum" conjurs several visual images simultaneously: David Attenborough talking about river possums, which are awesome. Pogo the possum. Dilbert's "with all due respect..." joke: With all due respect, is that your face, or did a possum crawl down your shirt? Playing possum.

New Pattern for sale! Ferguson Beanie

Fri, 09 Dec 2011 15:35:00 -0700

The Ferguson Beanie pattern is ready! Thank you to Charles for being a fabulous model despite the overpowering smell of dead salmon at the river. You can't see, but there's one by his feet in this picture. The Ferguson Beanie is a really good last minute gift; it takes a single skein (the brown one took less than a full skein of Brookly Tweed Shelter), and the mock cables look intricate, but they're quick. And it goes with the Ferguson Cowl.

Very Bad Fairies

Wed, 07 Dec 2011 13:23:00 -0700

The sun is shining, the air is clear and crisp. The kind of weather that fills me with optimism (hey, stop laughing) that I can Get Things Done. This won't last long (find out why at hyperboleandahalf), but this morning I've done two new articles already (Barbara Walker Knitting Treasuries and Knitting Health: Repetitive Stress and You). I've been wanting to post about these fairies for a while. If you've checked out my Knitting Inspiration Pinterest board, you may have noticed that I collect inspiration from an eclectic mix of sources. These little handmade fairies are the creation of my stepsister Makyta. I'm lucky enough to have a couple of my very own. Little hand painted faces, wool roving for hair, embroidered clothes, and flower petals for skirts. They even have flower petal bloomers. If only I could be so whimsical. But the ones I love the most are the Very Bad Fairies. Sweet little winged creatures, but look a little closer. Tee hee.

Sneak Peek: Ferguson Beanie

Tue, 06 Dec 2011 15:50:00 -0700

The infrequency of new blog posts makes it look like I'm not knitting much; au contraire my friend, au contraire. Knitting my arse off, as well as working on some secret knitting-related projects (not to mention some bread-and-butter graphic design work). More on the knitting-related stuff soon. Wink wink say no more.

A little reflection on the creative process

Wed, 23 Nov 2011 20:55:00 -0700

Designing knitting patterns for publication has a strange contradiction; on the one hand, knitting itself is a methodical, labour-intensive, and (if we're lucky) meditative act. Although we might visualize the finished item to keep ourselves motivated, we have to focus on the present in order to avoid mistakes. There's no Undo command in knitting, so we have to Knit in the Moment. On the other hand, knitting design has to follow the calendar of the publishing industry. Designers, advertisers, printers, writers are all thinking in the future tense, often a year in advance. Which is all good, it keeps things moving, and really forces you to finish ideas, projects. But I find that I don't often have time to reflect on the process. I was flipping through a magazine just now, and didn't recognize one of my own designs for a second, because I've already moved on in my mind to new design ideas. So I thought this might be a good excuse to reflect and share a little of my creative process for Dylan, which was in Twist Collective Fall 2011.

Twist Collective Winter 2011

Tue, 22 Nov 2011 10:57:00 -0700

Perfect sunny morning for a leisurely perusal of Twist Collective Winter 2011. Some beautiful designs in this one. Here are three that speak to me right away; I think it's the emphasis on construction, classic shapes, and the simple but sophisticated use of stitch texture. Look at the transition from the ribbing to the body on Corinth. Reminds me of delicate Gothic architecture. (Yes I know, "delicate" and "Gothic" sounds like an oxymoron, but at its best, Gothic design emphasizes airiness and soaring heights with slender vertical ribbing and pillars. Hurrah art history class!). Jaina and Corinth are both lovely examples of how to use hand-dyed yarns. And the angora in Oscillate really makes it a "sweater girl" sweater.

Mixed metaphors and new yarn

Mon, 21 Nov 2011 13:51:00 -0700

Like a magpie, I can't resist the glint of new yarn. I really, really, really don't need any more right now. So many projects on the go, it's that same feeling I get when I try to cook a huge meal in a tiny kitchen and I run out of burners and pots. In this (somewhat) laboured analogy, I think my brain is the kitchen and Tricksy Knitter is the meal and the stove is my desk. I don't know where the magpie fits in. Mixed metaphors aside, who can resist a heathery artisan-style fingerweight wool? Not me, apparently. Ordered a little bit of Loft in the colour Sap from Brooklyn Tweed. (And a little Shelter in Pumpernickel, but haven't had a chance to wind that yet). Finally got a chance to try it out last night. And yes, this yarn does make me want to stand about in the mist on a hill with sheep in the background, like a Rowan model. The wool is pleasantly nubbly, but subtly so, so you can have crisp stitch definition with a handspun texture. The colour palette in Sap is broad and deep; (what do I mean by that? Well, that there are many saturated hues in one skein. For more fun with colour terminology, check out Color Theory Basics: Part I and Part II). The primary hue of Sap is a greenish saffron, with flecks of orange, grass green, rust and ochre. And the colour is so saturated, it reminds me of overdyed wool. After wet blocking, the fabric is soft and very lightweight. And I appreciate the thoughtful write-up on the back of the skein label, which describes how the yarn is made and how best to care for it. It's all very thoughtful and lovely, and yet another reason to suspect that Jared Flood never sleeps. (See my earlier post He's all that and a bag of wool).

Modern Temptations

Tue, 15 Nov 2011 10:00:00 -0700

Just a quick post today. Love this time of year for the frost on the ground and the yellow leaves against pale grey trunks. But my inbox does fill up with too many temptations. It's the season for coveting more stuff, and oh, it's beautiful stuff. Left: Quince & Co's new yarn Finch. How dare they tempt me with new fingering weight yarn? They've obviously been reading my blog. It's bad enough with Brooklyn Tweed's new fingering weight Loft. I will not succumb to the siren call of new yarn!! (But Megan, what is that package on your doorstep? Nothing. That's nothing. I don't know what you're talking about.) Center: Simple Modern Sewing from Interweave. Gah! I'm getting repetitive stress from clicking Add to Cart so much. The modern sensibilities in that cover photo speak to me in so many ways. The geometric pattern, the neutral palette, the simple lines. Right: Alabama Chanin tableware at Heath Ceramics. I stumbled on this one this morning without meaning to. I occasionally do a little virtual window shopping over at Heath Ceramics. And now I find that they have teamed up with Alabama Chanin to create a line of tableware. Sigh.

New Free Knitting Pattern

Fri, 11 Nov 2011 10:35:00 -0700

I was delighted to be asked to guest-blog over at favecraftsblog today. This blog for favecrafts is full of crafting tidbits; not just knitting, but jewellery, crochet, baking, paper crafts, sewing and more. I was browsing this morning, and have already downloaded a free Gingerbread House Design ebook. (Because Christmas is coming whether we like it or not. And the kids always want to make gingerbread houses. And if I don't use a template, my houses look like blobby fallout shelters.) For my guest post, I presented a new free knitting pattern for 2 quick little lace bookmarks. Knitting this time of year is all about "what can I make in an evening" and these little bookmarks are great for that. Make 2 or 3 in front of a movie and you've got a lovely gift. The Bookmark Trio pattern has been really popular, I think partly because it's a small project, but also because it's a great way to try out lace knitting without committing to a huge project. You can get the new free bookmark pattern at the favecrafts blog.

Don't trash talk the sweater vest

Fri, 04 Nov 2011 20:31:00 -0700

Okay, I feel a little guilty for betraying the Sweater Vest in yesterday's post. Let me be clear, I don't think sweater vests are nerdy. However, I have gifted sweater vests before, and they were greeted with polite dismay. So to make it up to Sweater Vests Around the World, I've started a new Pinterest board, devoted to knitted Sweater Vests. I can't be the only person who loves them.

Snoods, Cowls and Hamsters

Thu, 03 Nov 2011 09:42:00 -0700

I've been neglecting the blog this month. I was trying to rest my hands from knitting and typing for a couple of weeks while simultaneously meeting deadlines. (This can't really be done btw). So the mental hamster wheel has been spinning. (The hamsters are always there, and if my hands stop moving, they start.) Let's find out what the hamsters have been up to:

He's all that and a bag of wool

Tue, 01 Nov 2011 11:14:00 -0700

It's fitting that Jared Flood announced his new yarn, Loft, the day after Halloween, because the man obviously never sleeps. Have you seen how much he's accomplished? Do you think he's cloned himself like Calvin did with his Duplicator? And I'm trying to be so good, rationing my yarn purchases. I do not need more yarn. I do not need more yarn. But I have a weakness for fingering weight yarn in plump wool (thus my current obsession with Quince & Co Tern). So, I'm holding off temptation by living vicariously through little digital colour images of Loft. I posted a new article on Color Theory, Part II of a series. This one is about some basic color relationships. And Loft is a perfect way to illustrate a few of them.

New Cowl Pattern is ready!

Mon, 31 Oct 2011 21:19:00 -0700

I recently discovered that I am a "Get It Done" task manager. Well, I always knew that, I just didn't know it had a name and that there are others like me in the world. For GID's it is essential to write lists and check things off the list, and I'm very pleased to check off the Ferguson Cowl as Done. Big ol' checkmark in that box. The pattern is ready. A big thank you to the testing group on Rav for producing their own beautiful Fergusons. And thanks as always to my mom for proofing it for me. The final thing on the check list for me is always "take photographs" and I procrastinate as long as I can. I love photographing things. Skeins of yarn, furniture, other people's children... But myself?? Gak. It's the worst. So when Charles volunteers to take the pictures, I get peevish. It's not pretty. So a big thank you to Charles for being my photographer today, even though he did take a lot of pictures of me making stupid faces. (Those shots are not included).

Baby raglan sweaters

Sat, 15 Oct 2011 17:20:00 -0700

The popularity of the free Toddler Raglan Hoodie made me think, why not a baby raglan sweater too? So I'm tweaking the old pattern, improving it, resizing it. And the newborn size is delightful because it knits up so quickly. These snapshots are pre-hood and pre-blocking. So anyways, keep in touch, there will be a new pattern soon: The Everyday Hoodie the Second. And this little striped sweater is so cute, I confess I really want one for myself. Hmmm, should I size the pattern all the way to adult? Is that crazy??

Berroco Pure Merino

Tue, 11 Oct 2011 09:11:00 -0700

Tuesday morning after a weekend of pie, turkey, gravy, stuffing, pie, gravy, whipped cream, mashed potato, pie. Not quite ready to face anything challenging. Playing around with Instagram, the free iPhone app. Like what it does to humble iPad photos, and the instant gratification of uploading pages to Facebook. Can't quite figure out how to get my instagram photos on to my Tricksy Knitter wall instead of my personal wall. Ah well. Here's a couple of snapshots showing Berroco Pure Merino. The Ferguson Cowl pattern is coming along nicely. A group of generous and enthusiastic test knitters are looking at it now. I have finished two in totally different yarns. One in a silk/merino hand dyed from Sweatermaker Yarns. It's a single-ply yarn, about aran or worsted weight, and it made a lightweight, soft cowl. The other is Berroco Pure Merino. It's a 8-ply multistrand superwash yarn. Elann had this on sale a while ago, and I bought three colours. Pure Merino has been discontinued, but I'll bet it's in a lot of stashes, I saw it on sale in a couple of places.

Playing with color

Thu, 06 Oct 2011 17:11:00 -0700

I noticed that the Knitting Daily email included some talk about colorwork because of their new emag ColorKnits, so I've been playing around with some palettes in the chartmaker. You can now save a chart as a copy, which is awesome, thank you Charles. So after you work very very hard on that Fair Isle chart or whatever, save it. Then open it again, give it a new name, and click Save as copy. Then change your colors for a brand new chart. I also decided to write a few little articles on color theory (hey, why waste that fine arts' education, right?). Check out the first one, Color Theory Basics: Part I. Here are a few of the fair isle charts I was playing with. A new palette changes everything:

New Trifle Shawl pattern

Wed, 05 Oct 2011 17:45:00 -0700

I'm pleased to let you know that the Trifle Shawl pattern is ready and in the pattern shop. My goal with this one was to make a one-skein accessory pattern for something lacy but not too advanced. The Oaklet Shawl pattern has received such a positive response, that I wanted to make another shawl. I'm starting to realize that although The Cardigan may be my favourite knitted item for the wardrobe, smaller accessories are often more appropriate for the knitter. We often knit things as gifts, and a sweater is tricky to fit, especially if you're knitting a gift in secret. There are so many beautiful shawl patterns available, so it was difficult to figure out where to fit another one in. And I'm not a shawl or lace expert, so I approached this from the point of view of someone who answers a lot of questions about knitting techniques. The amazing thing about knitting lace is that it uses only a few techniques, well within the grasp of most beginner knitters: if you can make an eyelet, you can probably (with care and patience) knit lace. It's just decreases and increases.

What's on the needles?

Mon, 03 Oct 2011 11:37:00 -0700

I've either had too much coffee or too little this morning. Brain has gone into knitting overload and is turning into some sort of yarn-based porridge. Was going to post about the Trifle Shawl today, but will save that for tomorrow. Today, just a quick and easy post about the yarn that's on my needles right now. SweetGeorgia CashLuxe Fine in colour Mist. Yes, it is as good as it sounds.

Sneak Peek: knit.wear, Premiere 2011

Wed, 28 Sep 2011 13:50:00 -0700

The new special issue magazine from Interweave is on its way. I haven't seen it on newsstands yet, but for the eager (or impatient) it is available as a digital download from Interweave's online store. It's a gorgeous issue, with a dramatic, sophisticated colour palette and beautiful photography. It's flattering to have a design included in such company. I'm including a few screen shots as an amuse-bouche, click Read more to check them out. My Crossed Jacket is included in the "assembly required" section, which features designs with asymmetrical closures, visible seams, hand-felting, cutaway fronts, and simple textures. The main body of Crossed is worked in Blue Sky Alpaca's Organic Worsted Cotton, while the contrast trim is worked in their 100% baby alpaca Melange. Both are beautiful yarns. The dark trim against the pale jacket reminds me of Coco Chanel.

Cabled Cowl on the needles

Mon, 26 Sep 2011 11:43:00 -0700

Or is it? This one is a little tricksy, because those are mock cables. Gasp! In other words, they're lazy cables. And that ribbing? Oh yeah, that's mock ribbing. I like mock cables not only because they're quick to work, but because they are attractive. They're flatter, with an etched look, sharper than they're real cable cousins, which are plumper and softer. This cowl is a quick knit, worked in worsted weight yarn, and the stitch pattern is really easy to memorize. And this yarn! I've been wanting to make something with it for some time; Lily from Sweatermaker Yarns, 50% merino 50% silk, single ply, hand-dyed, 150 meters per skein. It's sexy to knit with. (Why is "sexy" always in a bad Scottish accent in my head? I credit Mike Myers for this).

Creative Knitting November 2011 is out!

Fri, 23 Sep 2011 11:11:00 -0700

Fall is a great time for knitters isn't it? That snap in the air, leaves rustling, and new magazines! I haven't seen it in person yet, but this issue of Creative Knitting looks great so far. You can tell the colour palette of this issue was designed very carefully, all the projects complement each other so nicely. Creamy taupes, rich reds and browns, and a few cool deep blues to bring it all together. Lovely. I got a chance to use Universal Yarn's Deluxe Worsted for my Arbutus Jacket, in "white ash", "brown sugar" and "bronze brown." I'm a sucker for good colour names. Deluxe Worsted was really nice to work with, very smooth. And excellent value, 220 yards for $7. Arbutus is a nice easy knit, a cropped A-line jacket, with seed stitch bands and slip-stitch colour work, wide cuffs, asymmetrical front closure, generous hood. I'd love to see how a different colour palette changes the jacket.

How to Fund Creativity online

Fri, 23 Sep 2011 09:48:00 -0700

Don't you love it when someone uses the power of the internet for good instead of evil? Have you looked at Kickstarter yet? (This is probably old news to a lot of people, but my excuse is that I was busy knitting. I should just tattoo that somewhere. It works for everything: Why isn't dinner ready? Didn't you hear what I was saying? Where are all the towels?) Musicians, artists, writers, actors, dancers, programmers, designers, etc., if you are one, or know one, or have inadvertently married one, you'll know that creative professions are both wonderful and brutal. You get to do something you love, yes. If you're lucky, you find a like-minded audience who supports you with positive feedback. Creative success is a powerful, affirmative rush. But, here's the other side: you often work for nothing or next-to. And inadequate funding can really get in the way of productivity. Kickstarter is a site where creative people can post creative projects that need specific funding. The projects must fall under the category of: Art, Comics, Dance, Design, Fashion, Film, Food, Games, Music, Photography, Publishing, Technology, and Theater. Millions of people visit the site each month. When you find a project that you like, you can pledge a dollar amount. The incentive? Not just the warm feeling you get from helping someone. Each pledge has a token of appreciation gift that goes along with it. For example, pledge $5 to a yarn company, receive a free pattern. Pledge $20 to that yarn company, and you get to name a colourway! Pledge $20 to a musician, receive an EP. Pledge $100 to a new art magazine, receive a subscription. You get the idea.. So, put your knitting down for a minute, pause Angry Birds for a second (don't worry, you won't lose your progress), and find yourself something to pledge on Kickstarter. For the price of a cappuccino, you can help someone's project.

knit. wear from Interweave is almost here!

Wed, 21 Sep 2011 18:05:00 -0700

Or maybe it is on newsstands already. I don't know. It's not on Ravelry. Or is it? Maybe I should do another search. I'm really excited. You can tell because I'm talking really fast. Look at how beautiful the cover is. It's nerve-wracking (if you're a paranoid over-achiever), sending your designs off into the wild, hoping they arrive in time, hoping they fit the model. I sometimes wake up in the middle of the night, thinking, did I remember to weave in my ends? Did I send the right sweater to the right magazine? Just a little high-strung. Nope, I just checked, it's not on Ravelry yet.

Knitting Calendars: Creative Time Travel

Wed, 21 Sep 2011 11:58:00 -0700

Have you noticed how the knitting design world is just ablaze with new fall designs these days? Knitty just published their Deep Fall 2011 issue, I just noticed this lovely slouchy hat in Ravelry's new pattern section on Monday, the Kami Hat by Katie Schumm, and today it's already on page 14 of "recently aded patterns on Ravelry". And Brooklyn Tweed has published another book, BT Fall 11, fast on the heels of Wool People. But no, I'm not here to name drop or start rumors. (Although someone really needs to keep an eye on that Jared Flood character...) The knitting design calendar is a strange thing. Right now, I'm doing all these things simultaneously:

Yarrrrr matey!

Mon, 19 Sep 2011 12:56:00 -0700

Yes, it is International Speak like a Pirate Day. Yarrr.

A Groovy Sea Skipper Who Knits?

Sat, 17 Sep 2011 10:46:00 -0700

A blog post about adventure, mountaineering, sailing, and filmmaking? Oh yes, we have that, plus knitting. This is a shout out to my step-brother Mike Moore, sea voyager, kayak guide/instructor and knitter-extraordinaire. The only knitter to ask me (so far) if I knew of a pattern for knitted pants. He has sailed (and knit) from the high arctic to the antarctic. (That's him on the left). In August, Mike was the skipper for a team of videographers and climbers, including directors Bryan Smith and Christian Begin and climber Dean Potter. Check out the September 2011 issue of Gumboot Press for the full article about the National Geographic film team in the Discovery Islands. The project is about the first free ascent of Mt Bute's west face by climber Dean Potter.

Sweatermaker Yarns: delicious

Fri, 16 Sep 2011 10:27:00 -0700

Took some more photos for Judy Maclean of Sweatermaker Yarns. (Yesterday afternoon, in the pouring rain, huddled under the eaves with my tripod and reflector, I'm sure the neighbours think I'm eccentric). Isn't this a juicy skein? Hand spun, hand dyed... Where can you get such a juicy skein you ask? Sweatermaker is available at Uptown Yarns here in Courtenay, Knits by the Sea in Tofino, Knit & Stitch in Vancouver, and (gasp!) rumour has it, coming soon to the fabulous Knotty by Nature in Victoria.

Knitted baby pants are teeny tiny fun

Mon, 12 Sep 2011 16:45:00 -0700

Knitted baby hat and baby pants, newborn size. Total cuteness. Needed to blog about these ones right away, couldn't wait for them to finish blocking.

Mosaic Knitting in Creative Knitting magazine

Mon, 12 Sep 2011 14:02:00 -0700

Have you had a chance to leaf through Creative Knitting Fall 2011 Techniques Tips & Tricks. (Okay, I admit that, even though Creative Knitting sent me a copy, I sometimes stand around at the newsstand leafing through it, hoping someone will say, "hey, that's a nice magazine" just so I can say "oh, yes, I'm in it". It's very, very, sad.) Check it out. (The magazine, I mean, I don't need all the attention.) Full of instructions, tips and patterns. The Rustic Wrap is a versatile wrap done in mosaic knitting. If you haven't tried mosaic knitting, it's much easier than the finished product makes it look. You knit with one colour at a time, slipping the other colour from the previous row. It's usually worked in garter stitch, so you get this thick, elastic, richly coloured fabric. Great for wraps and blankets. A coat would be gorgeous in it, hmmm...

More on knitting for babies

Fri, 09 Sep 2011 11:49:00 -0700

It's a baby-knitting day, so fun. Just got some new yarn in the mail from Elann. I've wanted to try their Limited Edition Rossini, and knitting baby props gave me an excuse (like I need an excuse). So, playing around with yarn colour palettes this morning, warm soft neutrals, a little grey, buttery pecan shades. Don't the names sound tasty: Top left: Elann Silken Kydd Pewter, Top center: Knit Picks Andean Silk Wallaby, Top right: Berroco Remix Patina, Middle left: Knit Picks Andean Silk Crimini, Center: Elann Esprit Pecan, Bottom center: Elann Rossini Italian Teak, Bottom right: Elann Silken Kydd Rum Butter.

Warning: Knitting for babies might get sentimental

Fri, 09 Sep 2011 10:31:00 -0700

There aren't many babies in my life these days. My babies are hulking kids now; they're still adorable (to me) but they are loud and sometimes a little smelly and think "poo" and "fart" are the funniest words ever. I'm working on some knitted baby props for Karen McKinnon, and so I've been looking at beautiful soft-focus newborn photography (check out my Tricksy Babies Pinterest board). And I can't help getting sentimental, even though my babies were never tiny like that, they came out big, like miniature rugby players.

Do old dogs forget new tricks?

Thu, 01 Sep 2011 21:22:00 -0700

I know, that doesn't make sense. Who's the dog in this scenario? Who are you calling old? I'm not much of a hoarder. While I can be sentimental about a few things (I've been moving decades' worth of beach pebble collections from house to house) I'm ruthless about craft supplies. Every few years, I go through my fabric, art supplies, yarn, beads, and make huge charity piles. A few (20ish) years ago, I was knitting complex, ambitious things. Often unfinishable things. And when I tired of them, my mom rescued some of the more usable parts of my stash from the charity pile. One of them was a colourwork jacket that I think I was going to throw away (I get irrationally ruthless with clutter). Another was, apparently, a Briggs & Little cardigan I was working on. She sent me a photo this week, and the strange thing is, I don't remember knitting this, or even knowing how to combine cables like that.

Sneak Peek: new magazine coming out tomorrow...

Mon, 29 Aug 2011 15:39:00 -0700

Keep an eye out for this special edition of Creative Knitting titled Techniques, Tips & Tricks. I'm going through an advance copy right now, and it is densely packed with how-to's and visual instructions: buttonholes, pockets, colourwork, knitting in the round, cable knitting, seaming, mosaic knitting (that's where you can find my design, there's a little sneak peek of it on the right just under the magazine title). I'll post a little more tomorrow... If you're super keen, you can get it in pdf format at Annie's Attic. 130 pages with no ads!

New Pullover pattern

Mon, 29 Aug 2011 11:04:00 -0700

Another pattern in the pattern shop! This one is an easy(ish) boatneck pullover, virtually seamless, with pretty floral motif at the hip and shoulders. Flattering waist shaping and vents at the edge. Comfortable in soft warm-weather Knit Picks Shine. Because the summer is not over yet... This one is called the Castellane Pullover for the little town in Provence, where the buildings and landscape are warm and sunbleached. (And yes, I keep telling you, I am a Glamour Lady).

New free scarf pattern

Sun, 21 Aug 2011 16:41:00 -0700

The yarn for this scarf reminds me of rainbow sprinkles melting on vanilla ice cream. A perfect little late summer pattern, for those days when you want something easy to cast on. The checker pattern reminds me of gingham seersucker. Download the free Gingham Scarf pattern here.

Thank youishness

Thu, 18 Aug 2011 10:17:00 -0700

I was roaming Pinterest yesterday (best form of procrastination ever), pinning, checking out repins, and ended up on Kirsten Johnstone's blog, assemblage. (One of the designs in Brooklyn Tweed's Wool People, is by Kirsten Johnstone. These uber-talented people just fill me full of... what is this feeling? Admiration? Envy? Yes, I'm a petty person). Anyways, among the beautiful photos on assemblage (which make me wish I had the restraint to make minimalist designs, I always need to tart things up with ruffles and lace) there was a post about being thanked and saying thank you (I can't find the post now, but it has a photo of roses). So anyways, as I get very slowly to my point, it made me think of test knitters.

This one's for Jane! Thornfield Cardigan pattern is here!

Sun, 14 Aug 2011 12:32:00 -0700

I'm very pleased to say that the Thornfield Cardigan pattern is ready for purchase on Ravelry! Thank you to my testers, my mom Cynara and her cousin Julie, their comments and finished projects were invaluable to the process. And thank you to Karen McKinnon for her photography. Thornfield is top-down, almost seamless, and very feminine. Easy to adapt the length to your taste, and looks best in a yarn with a little drape. Shown here in Louisa Harding Mulberry, there might be some left on sale at Elann.

Studio June Shawl

Sun, 14 Aug 2011 10:57:00 -0700

I love quiet summer mornings, like right now. Well, quiet if one can close one's door, and meditate loudly enough to drown out the sounds made by the male population of the house. Ahhh... Here's another Ravelry project I wanted to blog about, Studio June's Oaklet shawl, with some clever modifications. She's added beads to the border and a garter stitch tab to the start.

Tricksy Tank

Sun, 14 Aug 2011 10:42:00 -0700

One of best things about Ravelry, for me, is seeing what others have made. Ravelry member luckraft kindly allowed me to share one of her images of her Tricksy Tank. She did such a beautiful job, and the colour is gorgeous. Summer's not over yet!

Twist Collective Fall 2011 is out!!

Mon, 01 Aug 2011 08:29:00 -0700

Twist Collective is such a fun browse. Beautiful photography and so many juicy patterns. Each edition has mini "stories" with imaginative visual themes. The Fall 2011 Edition includes Spirited Away, City by the Bay (shot in San Francsico), Ma Belle Guitare. You get to live vicariously through the photography. I feel really honoured to have a pattern in such cool company. Ma Belle Guitare features the Corrina Rose Band from Montreal (you can listen to them here, lovely!), who model the knits. Ma Belle Guitare photography by award-winning Jane Heller (she also has an Etsy shop where you can buy archival reprints of her work, which is gorgeous). Canadian music, Canadian photographer, Canadian wool, it all warms my Canadian heart. Dylan is a simple, trench coat, double breasted, worked in a nice fat gauge. Yes, I know, it's a whole jacket, which can seem like a lot. But it really isn't at that gauge, and the editor of Twist (Kate Gilbert who is also a talented designer) tweaked my original sketch to simplify the finishing. It's probably the same number of stitches as a pair of finely knit socks (okay, okay, that's exaggeration, but you get the idea).

Thornfield gels

Tue, 26 Jul 2011 14:14:00 -0700

"Gel" is a good word. Or how about "coalesce"? Thornfield is coagelling nicely, here's a sneak peek. I'm trying a new format with my patterns. Rather than group all the size information into brackets in the standard way (e.g., "cast on 162 (172, 182, 192, 202, 222, 232, 242, 252, 262) sts") I'm organizing numbers into columns. (If you bought the Helliwell Cardigan, you probably noticed this new format). Magazines need to use a tight shorthand to save printing space, but in a downloadable pdf, I feel like there's a little more breathing room. I like to use a little more plain english and a little less shorthand, and I hope the column format makes it easier to isolate your size.

Black hole for attention

Wed, 20 Jul 2011 12:15:00 -0700

(What is a black hole for attention you ask? Someone who sucks in all attention of those around him or her by loud or hilarious or bratty behaviour). It feels kind of weird talking about myself talking about myself, but being in a magazine is pretty exciting, so here it is. If you check out Knit Issue 40 (all the cool kids are doing it) you'll see I got the opportunity to write a piece for their Designer Inspiration section. PS. It says in the piece that I'm from Pacific Northwest in the USA. Ah, no, I proudly proclaim that I am quite Canadian, even though it may invite taunting about how I pronounce "about." By Pacific Northwest I meant Vancouver Island and Vancouver... No matter, it will add to my mystique.

Knit Issue 40

Tue, 19 Jul 2011 13:15:00 -0700

Yay, Knit Issue 40 magazine is out! Knit is a British magazine, published by All Craft Media. (Knit used to be called Yarn Forward). You can get in on newsstands in the UK, or get it digitally at Yudu. It's a lovely little magazine, with very few ads. You can check out the table of contents at Yudu before buying, which is a nice feature. I subscribe to Knit at Yudu, which gives me access to all the back issues, which is a fantastic deal. You can get more information on all 10 patterns on Ravelry, a really nice array of creative designs.

Gasp! More Louisa Harding Mulberry at Elann!!

Mon, 18 Jul 2011 12:00:00 -0700

It's like being on a diet, and someone offers you a plate of your favourite dessert. (Tiramisu? Summer trifle?) My weakness for layered desserts is outweighed (pun intended) only by my weakness for luxury yarn. Elann has 100% silk Louisa Harding Mulberry in stock again. Love this yarn. It's great to work with, smooth and dense. The fabric it makes is lustrous and heavy, but not too shiny. And the yardage is pretty good, 136 yards per 50 grams. My new Thornfield cardigan, which I love, needs 8 (9, 9, 10) balls for finished bust of 37.5 (39.5, 41.5, 43.5) inches. These juicy deals from Elann sell out quick, I'll race you there!

Glamour lady

Fri, 15 Jul 2011 12:38:00 -0700

As one approaches 40 (and I'm not naming any names), one might ponder remedies to aging, lost youth and what-not. What-not being a handy catchall to describe that moment when one looks in the mirror and says "where the hell did that wrinkle come from and how long has it been there???" Well, I have found the solution. Forget your lotions, your green tea, your meditation, your botox. Professional photography is the way to go. Local photographer Karen McKinnon guided me cheerfully through an outdoor session last week for my new knitting patterns (I know, I know, I keep hinting that they're coming), and I tried to quell my inner monologue. How would this work? Do I have lipstick on my teeth? Is my bra-strap showing? I'm standing in a thistle patch...

Thornfield continues

Tue, 12 Jul 2011 09:19:00 -0700

I know, I keep hinting that new patterns are coming. They're on their way: two cardigan patterns and a boatneck pullover. And a free scarf. The Thornfield cardigan, which I blogged about in Energetic whispers, is a sweet little cardi, very feminine. My mom tried on mine in Louisa Harding Mulberry, and before you know it, she cast on in Knit Picks Gloss Fingering and had a Thornfield of her own. The nice thing about using fine yarn on bigger needles (4.5mm) is the lightweight fabric you get, but you also maximize your yardage. Mom's Thornfield took less than 5 balls of Gloss Fingering. Check out her Thornfield page for more images.

In the round

Tue, 28 Jun 2011 09:14:00 -0700

The great thing about spreading yourself thin is that you have a lot of variety in your life. But the problem is, you feel like you're neglecting everything. So my apologies for my sluggish blog updating. There's a knitting frenzy here, as well as preparations for a group art show in August. Because I'm a web designer moonlighting as a knitting designer moonlighting as a visual artist. Or maybe I have the order wrong. Anyways, here's a peek at another new design. (At the moment, I've got 3 in development, plus 2 for magazines. See above re: spreading thin). This was a fun project, because I didn't knit the prototype, my mom did! A new exercise for me: I wrote the pattern in full, for all sizes, then my mom tested it. We're calling it Helliwell after the provincial park on Hornby Island. There are more pictures of mom's sweater on Ravelry.

Energetic whispers

Fri, 24 Jun 2011 13:30:00 -0700

Remember my post about receiving some grey Louisa Harding Mulberry? Here's the new pattern, coming soon, that I'm calling Thornfield. Inspired by Jane Eyre's insistence that the "sober black satin and pearl-gray silk" will be more than adequate for her wedding. Mr. Rochester and Jane argue in "energetic whispers" about it, but she wins. (For the time being—insert foreboding music here). Thornfield is a top down, v-neck raglan, mostly seamless, nipped in a bit at the waist, with feminine ruffles at the hem and cuffs. Used about 1000 meters of double knit, so quite a quick knit. Picot bind off adds some texture to the edges.

More new yarn

Thu, 16 Jun 2011 18:51:00 -0700

Another quick post for today. Went to Nanaimo for some shopping with Teresa; checked out Mad About Ewe, a lovely yarn shop in the Old City Quarter. And there we met the talented (and cheerful) Lynette Meek, one of the winners in Vogue Knitting's Magical Mohair competition. Finally got a chance to get my hands on some Tosh Lace, in Bark and Briar. The colours are so perfect. Followed by a delicious cafe mocha, then lingerie shopping at The Bay. The quintessential Canadian knitter's afternoon.

Americo Original

Thu, 16 Jun 2011 18:35:00 -0700

Charles is a good knitter's husband; whenever he goes on a trip, he checks out local yarn stores and chats about Tricksy Knitter. He was in Toronto last week, and brought back some beautiful 80% baby suri 20% wool from Americo Original. I hadn't heard of this company before; what a cool story, it's a Toronto-based yarn company, with a beautiful boutique on Queen Street West.

More magazine love!

Tue, 07 Jun 2011 07:54:00 -0700

Effortless glamour! That's me. No, not me personally (I work at home, in scruffy pyjamas. So scruffy). That's my jacket design! Two bits of magazine love in two days.

Hey, we're in Vogue!

Mon, 06 Jun 2011 11:55:00 -0700

I knew we were getting a mention in a fall issue of Vogue, but since the sun just came out the day before yesterday, I'm still in early spring mode. But Early Fall Vogue is out, and we're in it! And DH Charles gets top billing.

Louisa Harding Mulberry

Thu, 26 May 2011 12:45:00 -0700

If you follow the deals on Elann, you might have noticed they had Louisa Harding 100% silk Mulberry on for a great price. I get the newsletter, so I knew it was coming, but had decided firmly not to order any. I have enough yarn, I told myself. (Ha.) But lucky for me, my mom bought some for me, 10 lovely little balls of a warm grey, called Olive Grey. You have to get in quick with those Elann specials, the brand name stuff sells out fast, but mom was ready at the crack of 9am. All colours were sold out before mid-day.

Sizes for all!

Fri, 20 May 2011 15:14:00 -0700

After a couple of requests, I've added sizes to the England Avenue Cardigan. The finished bust circumference in the second size set ranges from 48 to 56 inches. If you've already purchased the pattern, the second set should show up in your Ravelry library.ould show up in your Ravelry library.

Classic Knits

Wed, 18 May 2011 11:53:00 -0700

"Set the table." "I can't, it's covered in mom's knitting books." "Well, I guess we'll just have to eat in front of the tv again." Does this happen in your house too? Luckily for me, my family has learned to live with (around, under) my stacks of knitting books.

Kollage Fantastic

Mon, 16 May 2011 12:53:00 -0700

I don't often use black yarn, but when this came in the mail (more details on the project later), I was totally won over. Aren't these the nicest little skeins? Love the simple solid black, it reminds me of licorice twists. The colour is called Midnight.

Sexy smoky handspun

Thu, 12 May 2011 09:59:00 -0700

Just a quick post today. Many secret projects a-brewin around here, and I keep on going off on tangents. Charles just came upstairs and asked me if he was the "best man ever". Well, really, speaking of tangents. Back to the yarn. What will I do with this sexy stuff? All blacks, smoky greys and cream. Hand spun carbonized bamboo, tussah silk, and silk thread, and I've got two fat skeins of it. Shall I keep you for myself, my precious? Oh yeah, you guessed it, it's Sweatermaker Yarns.

Moodboards and Inspiration

Wed, 11 May 2011 09:21:00 -0700

Our friend Melanie asked me if Tricksy Knitter was being "pinterested" and I said "pinter-what?" She's talking, of course, about Pinterest.com Well, what an amazing tool. It's a virtual bulletin board or locker door. You can "pin" images that you see, because they're beautiful, useful, inspiring, funny. If you're on a web page with dozens of great pictures, just click your Pin it link, and you get to see all the pinnable pictures on the page. Here's the Knitting Inspiration pin board I've been playing with, but I'm an amateur pinner at best. Here are some much better boards to check out Knit and Crochet, String Theory, Inspiration. Anyways, the whole Pinterest thing got me thinking about inspiration. We all do it. Remember cutting out pages from fashion magazines and sticking them to your locker door? Yes, sometimes it was Johnny Depp, or Michael J. Fox (yes, yes, it was the 80s, I'm not exactly young), but sometimes it was some outrageous ballroom gown from Vogue or just a really beautiful preppy outfit. Even then, there were pictures of sweaters in my locker.

Canaletto Cowl goes Citrus

Tue, 10 May 2011 08:57:00 -0700

It's really really flattering to see one of your knitting patterns materialize as a finished object. This lovely rendition of the Canaletto Cowl is from Ravelry member Koanizee. She's named it Explosive Citrus. Love it! And you can follow more of her lovely photographs and beautifully knitted objects on her blog. Mademoiselle C est vraiment une tricoteuse compulsive!

Power Cables Book

Mon, 09 May 2011 07:37:00 -0700

Another thing I have to conceal from my family, besides the size of my yarn stash, is the size of my book collection. If Charles says something like, "This shelf didn't used to bend like this," I reply, "The children must have broken it." You can always blame the children. I do the same thing with my books that I do with my yarn stash. Break it into stacks, and rotate it from room to room so you can never see its magnitude. This one, Power Cables by Lily Chin, is a nice little addition to the knitter's bookshelf.

Two New Patterns!

Sat, 07 May 2011 16:22:00 -0700

Happy Mother's Day weekend everyone! Two new shawls are ready today. The Oaklet Shawl (bottom image) is a simple small triangular shawl, with a pretty lacy border. A great project for the new knitter, and it's a free download. The second, the Sweet Oak Shawl (top image) is a more elaborate project; a luxurious rectangular shawl, named after the Sweet Oak Hooded Cardigan because they share the same foundation stitch pattern. The Sweet Oak Shawl is worked out of 3 skeins of beautiful hand dyed silk from Sweatermaker Yarns.

New Shawl Pattern Coming Soon

Fri, 06 May 2011 13:36:00 -0700

Yes, another shawl pattern is in the works. I've written the pattern, but because I work from home, I'm usually a) in my pyjamas or b) wearing a very old dark green fleece jacket with jeans, both with unidentifiable stains or c) wearing no makeup or d) haven't brushed my hair or e) all of the above. Which means that posing for photographs is contraindicated. But here are some sneak preview shots on my lovely mannequin (she always looks her best) of the Sweet Oak Shawl. I'm calling it Sweet Oak, because it uses the same foundation stitch pattern as the Sweet Oak Hooded Cardigan. Although the stitch pattern looks like work, it's actually quite easy. There are a lot of rest rows, and all you'll need are yo, k2tog, ssk, sl2-k1-p2sso (a central double decrease)! The hardest part of the shawl is the Kitchener Stitch graft, and that's easy peasy!

New cotton yarn

Thu, 05 May 2011 12:38:00 -0700

Very excited about some new batches of warm weather yarn from Knit Picks. Comfy in fingering weight (that's the dark purple one, called Blackberry), and Shine in sport weight (Wallaby and Platinum). It's great to have cotton in such fine weights to play around with, opens up new possibilities for tanks and short sleeve sweaters. Cotton yarn can be tricky. Sounds like such a nice idea, all friendly and soft. But have you ever had cotton turn on you, part way through a project? You suddenly realize that it's hurting your fingers, it squeaks on the needles, and somehow is making your hands sweat. So far so good with the Comfy and Shine blends. And they're both washable and affordable.

Yarn Bombing and Higher Learning in Comox Valley

Wed, 04 May 2011 08:48:00 -0700

Another yarn bomb sighting! I love these enigmatic, anonymous yarn calling cards. Thanks to my friends Darren and Teresa who saw these at North Island College in Courtenay and took some lovely photos. (It's a good thing some people in the world take their cameras with them, I always forget).

They Say You Should Stretch

Tue, 03 May 2011 07:47:00 -0700

Love hand knitted socks. Wearing them, that is. But knitting tiny tubes on tiny needles? Blerg. (I've been listening to Tina Fey's Bossypants, and I think I'm starting to channel her). So, not being a sock knitter, I never paid too much attention to sock chit chat. Stretchy bind offs, toes, turning heels, sock symposiums. But then I realized that I should not have turned away from this useful knowledge! I was finishing my new shawl pattern, and realized that a regular bind off would not do. I needed a stretchy bind off! I should have listened.

Warm Weather is here! (well, it was yesterday)

Mon, 02 May 2011 10:02:00 -0700

No, it's not raining this morning. I said, it's NOT raining this morning, and how dare you suggest otherwise. I'm going to celebrate the glowing spring sunshine which is pouring through my window this morning with a little warm weather yarn. This is Soie Bambou, a 65% Silk 35% Bamboo blend from Elann, in the colour Sea Grass. (Oh and it's made in France where the ladies wear no pants. Or is it the men? No, the men don't care, 'cause they wear no underwear. Oh, I'm feeling juvenile today.) It comes in a cone of 680 yards, so I think I can get scarf out it. I've been experimenting with it, and the fabric is gorgeous. Nice stitch definition, lots of drape, but it feels lightweight. A glimmer of sheen, but it's primarily a soft matte finish.

New PDF for Leafy Washcloth

Mon, 02 May 2011 08:41:00 -0700

Were you trying to print the Leafy Washcloth pattern? I noticed that some people were having technical trouble with the Leafy Washcloth pdf, so I resaved the file and uploaded it

Knitting Swatch Spring Cleaning and a Free Download

Sat, 30 Apr 2011 10:24:00 -0700

It must be spring, because there's a lot of spring cleaning going on. And by cleaning I mean that all storage shelves and totes have been emptied out on the floor, sorted half-heartedly into piles, and then ignored. Time for another coffee and a game of Monopoly. But as much as I don't enjoy trying to figure out how to stack ski boots—this cannot be done—I do love going through my stash. My swatch pile though, was Out Of Control. (See the Before picture at the end of this post). So I decided to MarthaStewart it—yes, that is a verb—and tag the more important swatches. I'm diligent about making tension swatches and testing stitch patterns, but then I forget important details, like what size needles did I use, what yarn is this anyway?

Easy Free Knitting Pattern from Berroco

Fri, 29 Apr 2011 08:39:00 -0700

I was just writing a little article on Easy Knitting Patterns, and then I saw this one in Berroco's e-newsletter, KnitBits. The Baobab pouch for an e-reader (like a Kindle ), done with sock weight yarn in seed stitch. The pattern calls for 1 ball of Berroco Sox Metallic, but I'm sure the pouch won't use the whole ball, so this pattern is a great stashbuster. I checked the Ravelry page for Baobab, and it looks like the pattern takes about 180 yards. A great beginner pattern, the skills you'll need: cast on, bind off, knit, purl, sewing on buttons, and sewing a side seam. The pattern also includes instructions to modify the size of the pouch for other e-readers. This would make a great gift.

Pragmatically Ethereal Cardigans

Thu, 28 Apr 2011 21:43:00 -0700

I wanted to share one of my favorite books. Louisa Harding's designs are beautiful, but I think it's the styling and the photography that give them their captivating, ethereal quality. There's something about the photos that makes me think, "Yes, I could wear that vintage dress with that masquerade mask and stand in a field and look fabulous." And then I snap out of it. Louisa Harding's Cardigans is a great collection of wearable cardigans, several of them shown in different yarns, or with different sleeve lengths, which is a nice way to encourage a knitter's creativity.

Chaqueta con capucha para todos los días

Tue, 26 Apr 2011 10:38:00 -0700

Doesn't everything sound better in Spanish? Or am I being a cliched Canadian English speaker? The boring old round-sounding "everyday" becomes "para todos los días". Love it. Ravelry user okerilla has kindly written a Spanish version of the Toddler Raglan Hoodie, and posted it on her blog, Juntitos! Gracias Okerilla!

Free Shawl Pattern coming soon

Mon, 25 Apr 2011 18:16:00 -0700

I had this beautiful skein of Sweatermaker Yarns, hand-dyed, 4-ply, 50% merino 50% silk. And it was 100 grams, 350 meters, so nice and substantial. But as we all know, finding the right pattern for a single skein can be tricky. You want to use the whole thing, but not run out. And I wanted an object that would show off the subtle colour palette. So, a new free pattern will be coming to the site soon for a simple shawl that can be done with 350 meters of fingering weight yarn. It's upstairs right now, blocking on the dining room table. The silk/merino blend makes a gorgeous feather-weight accessory.

Okay, so I might have a problem

Sat, 23 Apr 2011 11:40:00 -0700

If you're a knitter and a yarn lover, you know how easy it is to justify buying, collecting, coveting yarn. And, if you're like me, you spread it out in different locations so that the actual total quantity of your stash is never visible at one time. You rely on your loved ones' lesser knowledge of yarn, and hope that they will think that those 6 plastic totes of yarn are actually the same single tote. But sometimes you have to admit you have a problem. I have a basket that is informally reserved for new yarn. I like to keep my newest acquisitions close so I can keep an eye on them. Right now the basket is crammed full, and I think there might be another shipment on the way from Knit Picks. Uh oh.

Free Leafy Washcloth Knitting Pattern Available to Download

Sat, 23 Apr 2011 11:35:00 -0700

The new Leafy Washcloth is available for download. These little cotton leaves are really quick to make, and a great stashbuster. They make great little coasters too.

New Free Washcloth Knitting Pattern Coming Soon!

Fri, 22 Apr 2011 14:08:00 -0700

I'm just finishing writing the pattern for these fun leaf-shaped washcloths. An easy project, suitable for beginners, and a great stashbuster. They make an excellent gift and knit up really fast. And they're pretty versatile, you could use them as coasters too, or in the bottom of that bowl where you toss your keys and change. Check back for the pattern, or sign up for the newsletter.

Free Knitting Patterns for Warm Weather

Fri, 15 Apr 2011 09:19:00 -0700

The term warm weather sounds a little weird when it's garbage day and you have to scrape off ice to get the trash can lid open. However, as I am forever the sparkling-eyed optimist, here's a post for warm weather knitting patterns. Knitty's new issue, spring+summer 2011, has some very pretty patterns, and they're free! 3 cardigans, 2 tanks, and a little raglan pullover. Plus, socks and some beautiful shawls. There's a great range in this issue. From the fitted (check out Rondeur) to the easy fitting (check out the Daedalus). And from the simple (like the garter stitch Neckerchief) to the more ornate (like the Omelet shawl). Daedalus. Designer Jodie Gordon Lucas

Knitting for Babies Book

Thu, 07 Apr 2011 09:37:00 -0700

Why am I mentioning babies so much? No no, I'm not hinting at anything. But I guess I'm a sucker for cute stuff. I was skimming the Cascade Yarns blog, researching for the Cascade Yarn page, and saw this hat, from the new book, 60 Quick Baby Knits: Blankets, Booties, Sweaters & More in Cascade 220 Superwash. It's a lot of whimsy for one hat, but luckily babies can handle it. Check out designer Renee Lorion's Ravelry page for more of her designs.

Hurrah! Free Cowl Knitting Pattern Spreads

Thu, 07 Apr 2011 08:29:00 -0700

I was searching for Free Knitting Patterns for Cowls for an article yesterday, and almost forgot my own Canaletto Cowl! Durr. And then I remembered that I wanted to share this Canaletto Cowl by Ravelry user cchugg. I love the colours in her photos, an ultimate spring palette, with the sunshine yellow and robin's egg blue. Check out her finished project and suggested mods. And since I haven't said it in the last 20 minutes, I love what the internet does for knitting! Sharing is good.

Knitting for Babies

Mon, 04 Apr 2011 09:54:00 -0700

It's already past 10:30 am, and what have I been doing all morning? Trolling the web for free baby knitting patterns. I wanted to write a quick article on good places to look for free knitting patterns for babies, and have become trapped in the cuteness of it all. All these beautiful, tastefully photographed projects, I'm going to have to find me a baby to knit for, cause mine is gettin too big to cuddle. (Is it too early in the morning for Raising Arizona references?) [Photo: Purl Bee]

New Knitting Pattern! Seamless Raglan Cordova Cardigan

Sun, 03 Apr 2011 09:50:00 -0700

I developed the Cordova Cardigan for a weekend trip a while ago. I wanted something with a nice easy gauge, seamless, with a worked in button band. And the Knit Picks Andean Silk seemed perfect for an easy everyday cardigan. Grey may not be everyone's cup of tea, but I'm a sucker for it. Especially warm greys that shift in different lights. And with a color name like Wallaby, I'm hooked. The Andean Silk drapes beautifully, and is soft to the touch. The Cordova Cardigan is worked from the bottom up to the underarms. The sleeves are worked separately to the underarms, then joined for the yoke. The lace panel has the look of a cable, but is just a simple combination of decreases and yarn overs.

King Charles

Fri, 01 Apr 2011 10:15:00 -0700

King Charles I by Van Dyck There seems to be a British theme this week, what with Knit Your Own Dog and Knit Your Own Royal Wedding, and now, a little tidbit about knitting and King Charles. King Charles Brocade stitch that is, not Charles MDH, however kingly he might be. I was writing a little article about simple knit-purl combinations, and their usefulness, and wanted to include King Charles Brocade. King Charles Brocade stitch is a very attractive stitch of interlocking stocking stitch diamonds bordered by seed stitch. In her first Treasury, Barbara Walker notes that this stitch is so named because it was used in the vest (waistcoat) worn by King Charles I on his execution day in 1649. The garment is in the Museum of London collection.

Knit Your Own Dog

Thu, 31 Mar 2011 09:03:00 -0700

Yesterday, as I was browsing books for the Royal Wedding post, and found another British gem. I don't have a dog, but would gladly adopt several of these from Knit Your Own Dog: Easy-to-Follow Patterns for 25 Pedigree Pooches by Sally Muir and Joanna Osborne. (Knit Your Own Dog is the American release, it was previously released as Best in Show in the UK). Apparently the book has been getting good exposure in the mainstream press. I always feel irrationally proud of crafters' succeeding in the non-crafting world. Hurrah! Hurrah knitted dogs!

Royal Wedding

Wed, 30 Mar 2011 08:38:00 -0700

No, I'm not obsessed with the Royals. But with a book like this, I'm considering it. My friend Teresa sent me a link to this yesterday: Knit Your Own Royal Wedding by Fiona Goble. Great timing for this book, with the Royal Wedding coming up, and the King's Speech leaving us all just that much fonder of queens and kings.

I know, I know, I have enough yarn...

Tue, 29 Mar 2011 10:48:00 -0700

I know, I have enough yarn. It's spilling out of every orifice in my studio. And in the TV room, living room, bedroom. My purse. And I know you have the same problem, and I shouldn't enable you. But check out Knit Picks' sale on their luxury yarn. Andean Silk, Gloss, City Tweed, Andean Treasure, Suri Dream. Hmmm, I'm thinking the Fifth Street Jacket would look great in Grass Gloss DK. Must. Stop. Buying. Yarn. Sale ends March 30th. New to Knit Picks? Not sure which one to buy? Check out the Tricksy Knitter article on Knit Picks.

It's wet out there. Time for some whimsy.

Tue, 15 Mar 2011 08:35:00 -0700

Something lovely from the Purl Bee, Purl Soho's blog. A knitted sparrow's nest with eggs. The Purl Bee is beautifully done, with free patterns, tutorials, step-by-step instructions and pretty photographs. And here's another good one for spring, the April Showers Scarf.

New Free Pattern: Canaletto Cowl for Spring. Spring?

Mon, 14 Mar 2011 15:05:00 -0700

I suppose the silver lining of losing an hour to daylight savings is that spring is here. Or nearby. The next town over? The crocuses are up. It is raining. Yes, that must be spring. And the colour of the Diamond Cairo yarn in the Canaletto Cowl is a spring-time mauve. Not too bright, not too pastel, just a nice quiet colour.

Yarn Bombing in Courtenay

Wed, 09 Mar 2011 09:20:00 -0700

Yarn bombing is knitted or crocheted graffiti. And it's very tricksy. Usually anonymous and done in the wee hours. In recent months, yarn bombs seem to be popping up more and more here in Courtenay. Or maybe I'm just more aware of them since my friend Chris gave me the book Yarn Bombing: The Art of Crochet and Knit Graffiti by Mandy Moore and Leanne Prain. I think he hopes that I'll be out bombing the streets of Courtenay. That would be tricksy of me. But like most tricksy hobbits, it's hard to get me out of my warm burrow into the rain-filled night. But in the meantime, bravo! to the hardworking hobbits who have been bombing our local streets. Thank you Chris for the book and for the photos!

Coming soon: Free Cowl pattern

Tue, 08 Mar 2011 10:08:00 -0700

To practice my Norwegian Purling, I wanted my next free knitting pattern to have long rows, and a little bit of moss (seed) stitch. So a simple, textured, opulent double-length cowl in my new stash of Diamond Yarns Cairo. The ropey texture of the yarn suits the texture, and the cool cotton will be lovely in warmer weather. (Warmer weather? Who in the what now?)

New! England Avenue Cardigan

Sat, 05 Mar 2011 08:27:00 -0700

Another Tricksy Knitter cardigan pattern. England Avenue because, like Fifth Street, it's a street here in Courtenay. England because the stitch pattern is called English Diamond in Barbara Walker's Treasury. And finally, because Chris suggested it, so he should get most of the credit.

Ravelry is a wonderful thing

Fri, 04 Mar 2011 10:27:00 -0700

Do we say it enough? Ravelry is a wonderful thing I know it makes me sound a little old. "Back in Ye Olde Times, we didn't have computers and we had to whittle our own knitting needles..." But I love what the internet has done for knitting. The potential for community development, self-publishing, technical knitting advancement, is incredible. One knitting magazine (or was it a blog?) called Ravelry a "fairy tale" and that remark has stuck with me. When you log in and see 4000 other people are online with you at that very moment, it's pretty wild.

New yarn for the stash: Berroco Remix

Thu, 03 Mar 2011 08:43:00 -0700

I've blogged about Berroco Remix before, but I'm excited about these new colours. Berroco Remix yarn has a lovely humble quality in the ball; it's not flashy or exotic, the colours are everyday, practical colours – blue, green, grey, red, charcoal, cream. But when you knit with it, your really see the depth of colour and feel the softness of the fiber blend. I like that it's made of recycled fibers, but without compromising colour choice.

Tricksy: Continental Cruiseline to Norway

Wed, 02 Mar 2011 09:21:00 -0700

I recently decided I wanted to be a faster knitter. So much knitting to do, so little time. So, I googled something like "speed knitting", and found Miriam Tegels. I'm sure lots of you have seen this video, but it was new to me. But I'm an English knitter by default. (With a name like Goodacre, what else could I be?) Although I did learn last year to use both Continental and English for fair isle. And Continental purling just seems so, controversial. Then I found a tip about Norwegian Purling in Yarn Forward. Hmmm. When I googled it, I found one blogger (wisehilda) who said that Norwegian Purling had changed her life.

New yarn for me: Diamond Luxury Collection Cairo

Tue, 01 Mar 2011 08:54:00 -0700

I try not to drag my family into yarn stores. But I will leave them parked out front, I just crack the windows a bit so they can get some air. On a recent family getaway to Vancouver, I was very good, and abstained from yarn browsing. Mostly. I did take a little time to check out Baaad Anna's on East Hastings. Lovely shop with many temptations. Picked up some very pretty mercerized cotton, Cairo by Diamond Luxury Collection. An aran weight, with great yardage at 168m a skein, and a nice ropey texture. The colours have a muted, vintage, palette, and remind me of Wayne Thiebaud's Cakes.

Sweatermaker Yarns website

Mon, 28 Feb 2011 11:12:00 -0700

Small-town Pacific Northwest living is a pretty sweet lifestyle. Not a bustling metroplis, sure, but we've got the ocean, the mountains, good restaurants, 2 local yarn stores, and the kids can walk to school. We can walk downtown, but more importantly I can walk to the studio of Sweatermaker Yarns. How great is that? Since I'm a web designer by day, and a knitter by night (or is it the other way round?), I sometimes feel I'm living a double life. So it's really fabulous when I get to design a website and take photos for an artisan yarn producer. Judy Maclean is a hand spinner, hand dyer, weaver, and knitter, and in making the site, I got a glimpse at her incredible inventory of yarn. Check out the new site www.sweatermakeryarns.com.

Why is a raven like a writing desk?

Fri, 18 Feb 2011 08:44:00 -0700

Or maybe, why is a blog like a house plant? So easy to neglect. Especially when you're down a rabbit hole of knitting swatches and writing patterns. Designing knitting patterns really messes with the space-time continuum; thinking ahead to 2012, thinking back to vintage knits, trying to keep the yarn stash in an earthly dimension... But that's enough rambling. Here's a sneak peek at the next Tricksy Knitter pattern, the England Avenue cardigan. Long jacket-style cardi, with wide seed stitch borders, set in sleeves, pockets, and slip stitch brocade panels on the front and back. I love stitches that are dramatic, but easy to work. (That's either elegance or laziness...). As soon as it stops snowing, I'll get some proper photos.

Stitch Charts now with row tracker

Thu, 27 Jan 2011 09:13:00 -0700

Being a little nerdy, I like to open up my knitting charts on Charles' iPad. It means I don't have go down to my cold office and print them. But with a paper chart, I can draw a line under the row I'm working on, or put a ruler on it. Don't dare put a metal ruler on the precious ipad to underline a row. (Although that would be revenge for the time he washed-shrank-felted one of my cardigans). So, His Cleverness added a row tracker to the stitch charts. It automatically starts at row 1, and you just click the chart to move it up a row. Check out the Bittersweet Cowl chart to see this in action, and let us know what you think.

Don't really know how to categorize this one

Mon, 24 Jan 2011 09:20:00 -0700

Something for the outrageous knitter. Or the knitter's outrageous friend. The Udderly Devine Bag by Lucy Neatby. I'm a little speechless. Well, moo.

Double Bill for a Single Skein

Mon, 17 Jan 2011 17:07:00 -0700

For Christmas, I treated myself to a luxurious, hand dyed, 100% silk, 100 gram skein from Sweatermaker Yarns. The question then, of course, what to do with this precious thing? It's easy to get so attached to a single skein that you never actually use it.

Stash Busting Toddler Raglan Hoodie

Mon, 17 Jan 2011 09:09:00 -0700

Knitters are an innovative bunch. We're also hoarders. Yes, we are, you know it's true. But what a great combination that can be. Nicole Ratcliff took the basic Toddler Raglan Hoodie pattern, and modified it to invent a whole new project. Levi's Dream Jacket has a zipper, lining, contrasting edge, and best of all, is made of scrap yarn. So it's a frugal stash buster, but it's also a knitter's scrapbook.

Tricksy Mistake

Mon, 17 Jan 2011 08:40:00 -0700

It might have been the holiday frenzy, the haze of wrapping paper, too many eggnogs? I guess for some people, embarrassing holiday mistakes might involve staff parties and a karaoke machine. But apparently, for me, typos are my biggest holiday regret. All this time, the gauge on the Bittersweet Cowl free pattern read 16sts = 1 inch. On 5.0mm needles. Maybe you thought, "That tricksy knitter must be very tricksy to make such tiny stitches." Or you smiled knowingly and waited for me to fix it. The gauge should have read 16 stitches = 4 inches.

New Pullover Knitting Pattern on its way

Wed, 05 Jan 2011 13:12:00 -0700

Seems like January is a time for sorting stashes and trying out the new yarn we got for Christmas. But I'm also trying to work up a new pattern for a worsted weight pullover with set in sleeves, a classic scoop neck, a little bit of openwork around the hem and cuffs, and a contrast color trim. As soon as this grim weather clears up, I'll be able to get some photographs done and upload the pattern to Ravelry. Please send me an email if you'd like me to notify you when the pattern is ready.

One last free knitting pattern before Christmas

Fri, 24 Dec 2010 10:26:00 -0700

Just a quick post and a free knitting pattern for an easy lace cowl with subtle striping. It's the gloomiest rainiest day of the year, so the pictures are a little dark and blurry, but it's now or never because this baby's getting wrapped in about 2 minutes. No time to make a downloadable pattern this morning, so I'm just putting the Bittersweet Cowl pattern right into the blog.

Fitzgerald Scarf Propagates

Wed, 22 Dec 2010 14:27:00 -0700

It's delightful when I log in to Ravelry, and see that someone has uploaded a photo of something they made with a Tricksy Knitter pattern. I usually make a lot of squealing noises because I just dig the whole thing so much. What did we do before the Internet? Here's a lovely Fitzgerald Scarf, with some mods, by Gracie Chiao. She cast on 49 sts for a wider scarf, which shows off the texture even more.

A Change of Pace: Purple Starfish

Sun, 19 Dec 2010 11:46:00 -0700

Needing a change of pace, and a birthday gift for a friend, I decided to tackle one of the patterns in Amigurumi Knits: Patterns for 20 Cute Mini Knits by Hansi Singh. I blogged about it earlier, but it was time for me to put my money (needles?) where my mouth (blog?) is. And this charming little fellow is the result.

New Free Pattern: Montgomery Scarf and Mitts

Tue, 07 Dec 2010 08:37:00 -0700

Two more free knitting patterns are available for you to download in the pattern shop: a beginner scarf, and beginner fingerless mitts.

New Pattern for sale! Sweet Oak Hooded Cardigan

Thu, 02 Dec 2010 20:08:00 -0700

At long last, the clouds cleared enough yesterday so we could take some pictures of this new cardigan. The Sweet Oak Hooded Cardigan is finally available in the Pattern Shop!

Sneak Peek: Free Beginner Scarf Pattern

Mon, 22 Nov 2010 11:38:00 -0700

Another free scarf pattern coming soon! Perfect for the beginner knitter: the stitch pattern is easy to memorize, easy to work, and it's easy to see where you are in the pattern, so you don't get lost.

Appreciation for Strong Opinions About Knitting

Sat, 13 Nov 2010 10:11:00 -0700

So today's post isn't about anything new, but rather a little bit of appreciation for an old favorite, Elizabeth Zimmermann's Knitter's Almanac. Yes, some of the patterns seem a little bit old-fashioned (like the Nether Garments), but most of them are quite timeless, like the Aran Sweater or Baby Sweater on Two Needles. And Zimmermann's delightfully candid writing style makes her more forward-thinking than timeless. For example, when talking about gauge she writes: GAUGE means the number of sttiches—or, if necessary, fractions of a stitch— to 1" in a given knitted article. Directions unfortunately recommend a definite needle-size for this GAUGE. Please, oh please do not rely on this. Take some of your wool and the size needle your intelligence tells you might be right, and make a swatch. That is to say, suit the needle-size to your own personal and peculiar way of knitting. Do NOT try to get 5 stitches to 1" on a #8 needle if you have to work uncomfortably tightly to obtain this gauge ... Some of us do not like to squeeze our stitches; we like to knit loosely and placidly ... Experiment, for goodness' sake. How absolutely practical.

Sneak Peek: New Cardigan Pattern in Aran Weight

Mon, 08 Nov 2010 11:27:00 -0700

Here's a sneak peek of one of the designs I'm working on now for a hooded cardigan. The stitch pattern is an easy-to-memorize eyelet motif that produces pretty columns that seem to flow in and out of each other. I'm using Sierra Aran from Elann, in Oak as the main color, and Thistle as the contrast. The depth of color in this yarn is fantastic. Although the overall hue is a sort of warm taupe, Oak has blues, pinks, golds. Click here if you'd like to be notified when the pattern is available.

Buy Better Buttons for Buddies

Sun, 07 Nov 2010 10:54:00 -0700

This post is all about buttons, buttons, buttons. Every finished knitting that cardigan with your favourite yarn, and then, because you really wanted to wear it right away, used kind of mediocre buttons to finish? Well, kill 2 birds with one stone (that sounds violent), how about, help 2 birds with one purchase? Or if you don't need buttons, I'll bet there's someone on your gift list who does. Anyways, check out some of these great button ideas from etsy sellers: Packs of assorted new and vintage buttons from Nutmeg Bunny. Handmade novelty buttons by Buttons by Robin. Buttons like these penguins could change the way I knit. Instead of starting with yarn, I'll start with the buttons. Amazing polymer buttons from Espresso Italiano.

More Free Knitting Patterns for Babies and Kids

Wed, 03 Nov 2010 08:55:00 -0700

There are so many wonderful free patterns for babies and kids, here's a few I've added to the Free Knitting Patterns page. Legwarmies by Alana Dakos. Little sister's dress by Tora Frøseth Design Simple newborn hat with a touch of lace by Ginny Foreman.

Swatching the Quince Fantastic

Sat, 30 Oct 2010 12:25:00 -0700

Gave myself a little break last night from my current cardigan pattern, and tried out some new yarn. Quince and Co Chickadee and Tern. Chickadee is 100% wool, 3-ply, about 6 sts per inch on 4 mm needles. Really soft, springy, and has fantastic stitch definition. Tern is 75% wool, 25% silk, about 7 sts per inch on 3.5 mm needles. A little bit of drape, but still springy enough to have structure. A delight to work with. And this gave me an excuse (not that I need one) to try out my new Japanese pattern books.

Inspiration from Lace Patterns

Thu, 28 Oct 2010 10:05:00 -0700

I found this design in a 16th century lace design book called, delightfully, La Vera Perfezione del Disegno. Anything that claims True Perfection is intriguing. So I put this into the chart maker, and made some color variations.

New Fair Isle Knitting Charts to play with

Mon, 25 Oct 2010 12:15:00 -0700

Having a lot of fun putting traditional fair isle stitch patterns into the chart maker. These ones are adapted from Traditional Fair Isle Knitting by Sheila McGregor. Being able to change the color palette so easily is a little addictive. It's amazing what you can do with only 2 yarn colors on each row just by shifting the transitions.

Amigurumi Knits: Perfect Knitted Gifts

Sat, 23 Oct 2010 16:26:00 -0700

I know I'm not supposed to say this aloud, but Christmas will be here before you know it. So much knitting to knit before then. But sometimes, figuring out your knitted gifts is tricky. Not everyone wears scarves or mitts. Some people don't like wool. Some people might like it, but you know they'll lose it at the playground. Amigurumi Knits: Patterns for 20 Cute Mini Knits is full of great ideas for knitted gifts. Sea creatures and vegetables might sound a little unusual, but are actually quite adorable.

Warning: Baby knits may contain cuteness

Fri, 22 Oct 2010 09:15:00 -0700

You know what the problem is with looking at free knitting patterns for babies on the web? You'll get sucked into the cuteness of it all, and before you know it, the day is half over. It's like looking at cute kitten videos on YouTube. Just one more... Here are 3 picks for today to add to my Free Knitting Patterns for Babies page.

Free Baby Knitting Patterns

Thu, 21 Oct 2010 12:46:00 -0700

The great positive response to the Toddler Raglan Hoodie tells me that tricky knitters are hungry for free knitting patterns for babies and kids. So I've started collecting inspiring (and free) patterns on their own page: Free Knitting Patterns for Babies. You'll find many gems there to inspire you, like this hat and cardi set from Kelbourne Woolens.

RSS Knitting Patterns

Mon, 18 Oct 2010 20:24:00 -0700

Megan's patterns and blog posts are now available in an RSS feed.

Japanese Knitting Books came today!

Mon, 18 Oct 2010 10:41:00 -0700

Isn't it nice when something like this comes in the mail, instead of another bill? Ironically, I'm on my way out the door to go to the bank to pay said bills when these Japanese knitting books arrive. So here's a quick peek, and there will be more later!

New FREE pattern: Fitzgerald Scarf

Sun, 17 Oct 2010 05:44:00 -0700

A new free knitting pattern is available in the pattern shop. The Fitzgerald Scarf is an ideal project for the beginner knitter who’s adding new techniques to their toolbox. A basic wide rib pattern is punctuated by slip-stitch cables, which frame garter stitch ovals. The easy-to-work stitch pattern is also reversible, a good feature in a scarf. Two versions are provided: with or without a ruffled edge.

Quince & Co Yarn

Wed, 13 Oct 2010 12:15:00 -0700

I treated myself to some new yarn (she said innocently) from Quince & Co. This lovely little company has got a great aesthetic; everything (the website, the packaging, the yarn itself) has a subdued but sophisticated air about it. I'm trying out Chickadee and Tern. Chickadee Chickadee is soft and springy, 100% wool. Its three plies are firmly spun, I think this yarn will show off textures nicely. Tern is a blend of wool and tussah silk. According to Quince, the yarn’s muted palette results from the way in which the different fibers absorb dye. The wool portion colors thoroughly, but the silk is barely tinted. It’s good for socks, scarves,mitts, hats, and any sweater that loves a little drape.

Velvet Hippo Stitch Markers and Row Counters

Wed, 13 Oct 2010 11:35:00 -0700

Sigh, another thing to covet. Stitch markers and row counters for knitters and crocheters from Velvet Hippo. Sure, you can make stitch markers out of little scraps of yarn. Nothing wrong with that. We've all done it. But doesn't your knitting deserve a little dazzle?

Sneak Peak! Free scarf pattern in development...

Mon, 11 Oct 2010 16:32:00 -0700

When you can't decide which yarn to use for a new project, just use two! This pattern will be coming soon, and is very tricksy. It uses slip-stitch cables (no cable needle required!) for a deceptively sophisticated-looking but easy-to-work pattern. And I'm double stranding this version with mercerized cotton and lace-weight silk/baby alpaca blend.

NEW pattern for sale! Robot Hoodie

Mon, 11 Oct 2010 16:31:00 -0700

Check out the new kids knitting pattern in the Pattern Shop. Designing sweaters for kids is a real joy. Robots? Why not. Dancing robots? even better!

The distant future is here!

Sun, 10 Oct 2010 17:10:00 -0700

Yes, the distant future has arrived. And we're all doing the Robo-Boogie. Today we're opening up the Tricksy Chartmaker to the public, and invite you to try it out. Make, save, change your own color charts for knitting.

Tricksy Knitters go both ways

Thu, 07 Oct 2010 10:41:00 -0700

This week is all about books books books. Here's a great one for all the knitting bibliophiles out there: Reversible Knitting: 50 Brand-New, Groundbreaking Stitch Patterns . Innovative techniques and stitch patterns for reversible knits, plus beautiful patterns.

Not-so-gentle domestic art

Wed, 06 Oct 2010 09:35:00 -0700

Hey, knitting isn't all cardigans and nerdy sweater vests. This entertaining and inspiring book, Yarn Bombing: The Art of Crochet and Knit Graffiti, shows another side to this gentle domestic art.

Frost on the lawn

Tue, 05 Oct 2010 09:47:00 -0700

Call me a wet blanket, but I love the climate of the Pacific Northwest in the fall. Forecast calls for: mist, frost and a little rain. The colours (or colors, for most of you) are shimmering greys, greens, mauves, blues, and when the leaves start to turn, it's pretty fantastic.

It's a labor of tricksy chart-lovin love

Mon, 04 Oct 2010 14:44:00 -0700

I'm a lucky tricksy knitter to have an in-house programmer. "Oh honey, it sure would be nice to have an online tool to make my knitting charts," I said in passing. And voila, he has made a beautiful online chartmaker for me. But then we thought, this is too good for just one tricksy knitter: time to share!

Berroco's Remix

Mon, 04 Oct 2010 14:03:00 -0700

I've noticed a few recycled or eco yarns popping up in the yarn store. Berroco's new Remix line is a goodie, because it doesn't just used "recycled" as a selling gimmick, it blends an interesting selection of fibers and shades.

Ultimate Knitting Bible by Sharon Brant

Mon, 04 Oct 2010 13:05:00 -0700

At our house, if a surface isn't covered in bags/baskets/boxes of yarn, or softly rustling drifts of graph paper, then it's probably creaking under the weight of a few dozen knitting magazines and books. But the Ultimate Knitting Bible: A Complete Reference with Step-by-Step Techniques by Sharon Brant has been at the top of the pile this week. It's wonderfully thorough and all the instructions are accompanied by clear, precisely drawn illustrations.