Pleasant Pheasant Slippers!

I'm so excited that Dream in Color chose my slipper design for their February, 2016 Dream Club! The Pleasant Pheasants are fun, fast, and easy to knit.

As soon as my sinus thing (I don't know what's going on) clears up, I'll jump right in to podcasting, again. I can't wait to talk to you all!

Count, Think, or Use Stitch Markers

I like to think. I like to knit. I like to think about knitting. I just don't always like to think about my knitting (or count too much) AS I'm knitting.

The Round (or French) heel has always kind of bothered me. Just like with any heel turn, if you get off by one tiny stitch when you start the turn...well, you're going to have to pull it all out and start over. WAAAAY too much pressure for me, on some days.

I just found a cheat to make my heel turns (almost) foolproof.

Before you start the first heel turn row, place a marker dead-center in the middle of your heel stitches (that's the gold marker). Then, place another marker 2 stitches away from it, one on either side.

Knit over to the last marker, ssk, k1...

Turn. Purl over to the (was the first, but now is the) last marker, p2tog, p1...

Turn. Then just take out the markers and continue as you normally do for this sort of heel, secure in the knowledge that your first two rows, at least, are correct!

Voila. Heel turn courtesy of me. Amazing stitch definition courtesy of Simply Socks Yarn Company and some amazing Minnesota sunlight.

More Paris Wallpaper Socks

This is the front of the sock.

The bulges in the socks are from me cramming my fist in to them, not a feature of the socks!

I don't knit the same pattern, over and over, very often. My Paris Wallpaper Socks are the exception. 

I worked them, first, in gorgeous Poste Yarn, Patina. The publications I offered it to turned it down, so I submitted it to Dream in Color. 

The combination of Cashmere and sparkles in Starry was amazing! 

My mom saw that pair, in the works, and begged me for some of her own. How could I refuse? I made them for her last year. (I think I still owe my sister Lisa a pair. Sorry, sis.)

Then, I made a pair in black and red for Dee. I chose the  yarn poorly - they wore out in just a few months. 

So, once again, into the breach. This time, I'm using Dream in Color's Smooshy with Cashmere for the red and Simply Socks Yarn Company solid for the black. I love them! (That weird little bunchy bit on the right side of the second photo will block out, don't worry.)

Enter to Win a Dream in Color Kit

The folks at Dream in Color yarn were generous enough to give me two skeins of their yarn to give away - twins to the exact skeins I used for my Paris Wallpaper Socks.

Here's how you enter to win the yarns and a free digital copy of my pattern. Click through the link above to the Ravelry page for the socks and select "add to queue" on the right side of the screen. ("Add to favorites" is nice, too, but it's harder for me, as the designer, to see a quick roundup of who has done that.) That's it. On 1/15/15 (next Thursday), I'll use a random number generator to choose one lucky person who added the pattern to their queue and send them their prize. 

Good luck!

Not a member of Ravelry yet? Why not? It's free and awesome!

Chateau de Versailles Cowl

I was happy when Dream in Color said they wanted to publish one of my patterns, so imagine how excited I was when they took two!

The Chateau de Versailles Cowl is based, loosely, on some lovely tilework in the courtyard of, well, the palace at Versailles.

I'm saying "loosely" here because I think I can do better. I'm going to try to capture that sense of grandeur and order a little more closely next time. The grounds and the garden there made me feel like every other formal garden I'd ever seen was an imitation. 

I mean, really, the SCALE of the place is barely human. 

Here's my attempt at a slight imitation:

Chateau de Versailles Cowl

Very simple, symmetrical colorwork that's easy to memorize. If you are neat with your wrong side, you won't care that it shows a little. 

I can't overstate the incredible luxury I felt when knitting with these yarns. I don't normally go for really sparkly stuff, but I feel that Dream in Color really hit a good balance between pizazz and "where are my sunglasses?" And, well, cashmere is cashmere!

Paris Wallpaper Socks

I almost hate to say that I fell in love with Paris. It seems like such a cliche. Does every American who goes there have to follow in the footsteps of Thomas Jefferson, Gertrude Stein, Julia Child and Ernest Hemingway? Anthony Bourdain basically says you have to be a complete dunce not to fall in love with it, though, so I have even that curmudgeon on my side.

Well, I did fall in love. We did. In May of 2013. The first draft of Sock Architecture was done, and most of the patterns were drafted out, too. I took a break from obsessing about my book to obsess about Paris. Anyone who was following me on Twitter at that time got to see a pair of little socks roam around the streets. I couldn't tell you why I had those particular socks, then.

Some obligatory Paris photos:

Anyway, when you're looking at everything in the way that travel forces you to, as if the whole world was made all over again for you last night, you sometimes look a little more closely at little details than usual. 

This was the wallpaper in our little hotel. Very simple. Very elegant. 

Months later, I saw a design call from Dream in Color for designs using two colors and bases of yarns, I knew I wanted to take design cues from the wallpaper. 

Voila. Paris Wallpaper Socks.

Leftover Socks for Yours Truly

Leftovers of Dream in Color Smooshy in Autumn Rainbow made a lovely pair of socks (with just the tops in another color...)

Stats:

Top down, stockinette-stitch socks.

Eye of Partridge Heel Flap + Square Heel (just like my Checked and Square Socks)

Medium-length wedge toe.

It all equals one very happy knitter. :)

Update: KAL (with a prize) Extended

Dream in Color has extended my Knit A Long (KAL) within the I Dream in Color group for Keys to the Castle on Ravelry. (Consider joining, if you're not a member. It's free!)

KAL Rules:

- Any Keys to the Castle started after November 1, 2013 and finished on or before February 1, 2014 will be eligible for the prize.

- To be eligible for the prize, you must use any Dream in Color yarn and must post a photo of your completed project in the KAL thread on Ravelry.

- You can use the tag “DICcastleKAL” for your projects.

Prize: a skein of Perfectly Posh Sport in Heavenly, to be awarded at random amongst the eligible participants at the end of the KAL.

P.S. - Until you have a project photo of your own, feel free to download this sleepy little guy to use on your project page. 

Getting ready to Dream in Color?

Design Inspiration: Magic Trick Baby Sweater

Depending on how you look at it, the Magic Trick Baby Sweater is either one of my most challenging designs, or one of my easiest. It started from a conversation on Twitter. I was going on about The Principles of Knitting, and the charming Kate Atherley mentioned War and Peace - and the fact that she knows (and teaches) how to knit two socks in one.

I kind of freaked out about how cool that is, then I wrote, “Wait, what if it were a baby sweater?” The exchange basically turned into a dare/wish for me to make it, so I did. 

Since this sweater starts at the cuffs and works its way in, you have a little while to get used to the way double-knitting feels before you get to the body.

The first version I made kind of drove me crazy, because after I was finished with the “main” knitting, I had a lot of edges, borders and ribbing to add. This version is more simple, with hems already knit onto most of the edges, and minimal finishing.

Luckily for me, one of my co-worker friends had a baby the right age, so I used him as model. (Note to pregnant, local friends, I AM watching your facebook feed to see when I can borrow your kid.)

I sent the design in to Petite Purls and they published it in issue #14. So, go get it! It's free!

Knitting for Chelsea's Light

When Dream in Color put out the call on their Facebook page for volunteer knitters to help the Chelsea's Light Foundation, I jumped at the chance.

From their call:

"Part of what Chelsea’s Light Foundation does is offer college scholarships to young changemakers. Every year, Kelly King (Chelsea’s mother) knits hats and/or scarves for a care package for the young men and women in this program. This year Kelly has been very busy organizing the next Finish Chelsea’s Run, which raises most of the money for Chelsea’s Light Foundation, and she ran out of time to make everything."

They gathered the knitters they needed quickly. Who doesn't love to knit for a great cause?

I made "It's A Cinch," a free pattern by Elisa McLaughlin. I made it in the Smooshy in Autumn Rainbow that Dream in Color sent me. It took about two episodes of Boardwalk Empire to knit.

My only problem? I'm now kind of obsessed with Autumn Rainbow. Sigh. So gorgeous.

If you want to help out Chelsea's Light in a knitterly way, consider buying a Chelsea's Shawl kit. Lovely yarn and a fun knit that benefits a good cause. What could be better?

Now Live: Keys to the Castle and Updated Für Eloise Shawl

I've updated the files on Ravelry and will add them to Craftsy later today. I'll share more details about the process of the shawl on Monday. For now, I'm just really happy to start out November with one new pattern and one updated one!

Buy Now: Keys to the Castle Baby Sweater

Buy Now: Für Eloise Shawl

Keys to the Castle - Discounted Pattern AND Yarn Discount

One of my friends pointed out that my earlier post made it sound a little as if only people who are planning on joining the Knit a Long can get Keys to the Castle for the discount price. That's not true!

Buy the Preview for the KAL through Ravelry at the lower price (before Nov. 1), and you will still get a full version of the pattern on Nov. 1, when the pattern is released. Get in early to save a little cash. :)

Also (and this is SO COOL), you can get 20% off your Perfectly Posh Sport yarn by entering the code “Castle-KAL” when you checkout at FiberWild! They’ve got every color available, either in house or as a special order color!

Keys to the Castle Pattern Preview is Up!

The Keys to the Castle preview is now available on Ravelry. 

This pattern will retail for $4.99 but will be $3.99 to anyone who buys it through Ravelry during the preview period, which will end on Nov. 1. (You don't have to do the KAL to buy the pattern at the preview price, but why not do both?)

I will host a Knit A Long (KAL) within the I Dream in Color group for this pattern on Ravelry. (Consider joining, if you're not a member. It's free!)

KAL Rules:

- Any Keys to the Castle started after November 1, 2013 and finished on or before January 1, 2014 will be eligible for the prize.

- To be eligible for the prize, you must use any Dream in Color yarn and must post a photo of your completed project in the KAL thread on Ravelry.

- You can use the tag “DICcastleKAL” for your projects.

Prize: a skein of Perfectly Posh Sport in Heavenly, to be awarded at random amongst the eligible participants at the end of the KAL.

Here's how it works. If you buy the preview at the lower price (which is just one page basically saying what you need to make a gauge swatch), when the pattern goes "live" on November 1, 2013, I will send you an update with the whole pattern. Join in on the Knit A Long either way for a chance to win a skein of yarn.

P.S. - Until you have a project photo of your own, feel free to download this sleepy little guy to use on your project page. 

Getting ready to Dream in Color?

Folder As Timeline

I use physical folders to bring together the few non-digital things I create as I'm working on a pattern. It holds my swatches, my first draft of the pattern with my notes, and any sketches I draw by hand. All of the folders go into one storage file, so that I don't lose them. The patterns, samples, and swatches for my book are all in their own storage file box. (I borrowed this idea from Hunter Hammersen, and I love it.)

In theory, it could ALL be digital, but I still end up with some physical stuff because I find proofreading (and making notes while knitting) on paper easier.

As I near the launch date for a pattern, I like to use the outside of the folder to outline finishing-touch goals for myself, with deadlines. I have a terrible memory and if I don't write things down, I literally lose sleep because I'm so worried that I forgot something.

The pattern is back from the tech editor (the lovely Stephannie Tallent), so all I have to do now is add some finishing touches to get ready for the pattern's pre-release next week. 

Quick Video

I was going to edit this video and make it a little more polished, but it's only 19 seconds long.

This way, you get to see me mess up, get the hang of it, and slow down again.

There will be a link to this video in the Keys to the Castle pattern.

Adorable Baby and Lighting

One of my friends agreed to let me photograph her adorable 3-month-old in the sample of Keys to the Castle. We made a date for me to come over on my lunch hour one day. It was a fun shoot. He is a super-relaxed and happy baby. The weather was pretty warm - in the upper 70s. I wouldn't have been cheerful if someone wrapped me in a wool/mohair/silk/cashmere sweater!

The sweater was a little big on him, but I think it still looks really cute. That might all be him, though. I tried three different methods of lighting him. They all work, just in different ways.

From first set of photos, light from handheld strobe, bounced off white ceiling. Color on sweater looks good, but skin tones can get a little strange with this method.

Second set of photos. This is all natural light coming in through the front door. In many homes, this is your best bet.

I'm still using a strobe, bounced off the ceiling, here, but I've lowered the shutter speed of the camera to allow more of the room's light to come in.

This last method usually gets pretty good color, but a fit of the cute squirmies can lead to somewhat blurred photos!

Illustrator and the Self-Publishing Knitter

I realize that Illustrator is out of reach for a lot of people. I wouldn't have it myself if I didn't have the entire Adobe suite because I teach photojournalism at a local college.

I'm hardly an expert on that software, but I know Photoshop and InDesign pretty well, and a lot of the controls are similar, so I don't feel completely lost. I decided not to redraw the whole sweater in Illustrator. I wanted to see what it would look like if I took a photograph of the sweater and used it as a basis for the schematic. I also could have used my original sketch, but I think the photo looks better.

I pulled a flat photo of the sweater into Photoshop, turned most of the background completely white, and imported it into Illustrator. Then, I just drew the lines and ovals I needed to show the measurements and added a few numbers with the Text tool.

It looks pretty clear to me. Although, I should probably whittle away a little more at that background and add a measurement for the length of the sleeves. The arrowheads are also maybe a little too big?

P.S. - If you want to learn new-to-you software in a way that's fast and easy, I can't recommend Lynda.com highly enough.

Shooting (and Editing) Photos

The draft/test/sample version of Keys to the Castle knit up in a flash. I couldn't seem to put the little knit down, even when I was supposed to be doing other things at home.

After washing and blocking, I was ready for photography. I have a photo tiny studio in the corner of the living room. It's a little bit more sophisticated than this $12 set up, but it's not too far off. I have white paper instead of foil and two small strobes for lighting. (If you want info on how I choose strobes, I wrote about it here. One of mine was my mom's when she was in college.)

I shot the little sweater, along with all of the details I thought I needed, and one little one of it folded over that I couldn't resist. I am a huge sucker for detail and close-up shots of knitting and I always just kind of hope that people don't think that's really strange.

I pulled the photos into Photoshop, color corrected them and removed the spots that are a fact of life when you're using a 10-year-old digital camera. Then, I opened them all at once and looked at them, together, to make sure their colors match. Even in a studio-like setting, different angles will make the light bounce differently off of the fiber. I've noticed this is especially obvious with yarns that include silk, like this one.

Checking Color

Color is color and there's no such thing as perfect, but I want the colors to be as close to 1) reality and 2) each other as possible. 

I'm pretty thrilled!

So far, I've used Word, Google Docs, Adobe Acrobat, a Nikon D100, some really old strobes, an iPhone (to record video and shoot the first hand-drawn sketch), and Photoshop. I'm planning on using Illustrator to make a simple schematic, Premiere to edit the video, and a free Vimeo account to host the final video. Oh, and yarn, needles, and a little Soak. Does Netflix count as a design tool?

It takes a lot to do what looks so simple.

Coming Up: Illustrator and an Adorable Baby Model (not both at the same time.)

Casting On and a False Start

This is from the second try.

I churned through the first mock-up of the pattern pretty quickly. I was really eager to get this little sweater on the needles!

I like to have a rough draft of the pattern that is as complete as possible as I knit the sample. It's easier for me to take notes and make changes from that than to write out what I'm doing as I go.

I was working along, loving the yarn, and little questions kept nagging me, at the back of my mind. Had I accounted for the front band stitches? Was I really sure that the increase rows would work out well for every size? Did I have too many stitches on the back? Why were the smallest and 6-month sizes so close together in stitch count? There really did seem to be too many stitches being cast on all at once for the second tier of the neck for it to look right. 

I've learned not to ignore those questions for too long. A poetry teacher once told me to take anything you write and put it away, where you can't see it, for at least a day. A week is better. When you look at it again, all of the mistakes will leap out at you. 

I took a second look at the spreadsheet. I had forgotten to note where I was ignoring and where I was including the front band stitches. I needed some of them (but not all, because they overlap) for figuring out things like the real, final chest measurement of the resulting sweater. I didn't need any of them for figuring out if the 4x + 1 stitch pattern repeat right before the sleeves and body were divided would fit. 

Worst of all, I hadn't thought of it as a 4x + 1 stitch pattern repeat. I'd noted it as a 4x + 3 repeat. Two stitches may not sound like a big deal, but it mattered a lot, in this case. 

I struggled with it a little bit. This stage of design seems straightforward, but there are moments where it can feel like trying to make a bed with a blanket that's too small. I get it all good on one corner only to find that another corner is bare. I even went on Twitter and complained a little bit about it - and felt much better when other designers chimed in, saying that designing raglan-style sweaters is way harder than it looks.

I finally took out a pencil and paper and scribbled around a bit, writing down every decision I made about the math and why. That clarified things. I can get locked into the spreadsheet too much and lose sight of what I'm actually trying to accomplish.

I went through the pattern notes and inserted the new numbers, which now made more sense. I reprinted the pattern and started again, still madly in love with the yarn.

Swatches and Thanks

My bare-bones pattern is mostly a series of headings and questions to myself. This one started out like this:

Sizes To fit 3 [6, 12] months, although babies vary greatly. When in doubt, knit the larger size! Our adorable model is wearing the six-month size. (Does the family want the full name, first name, or just Adorable Model here?)

Finished dimensions Chest: 18 [19, 20] inches; Length: 9.74 [10.5, 11.75] inches.

Yarn Dream in Color, Perfectly Posh Sport, sport weight, 70% wool, 10% mohair, 10% silk, 10% cashmere. 320 yards/293 meters in 100 grams. Color A: Amber Glass; (HOW MUCH?); Color B: Heavenly: (HOW MUCH?). 

Needles #5 (3.75 mm) needles, or size needed to produce gauge. (CHECK THIS) Any kind of needle can be used, but you will also need two #5 double-pointed needles to make i-cord. 

Gauge 24 stitches = 4 inches in both one and two-color stockinette stitch. (CHECK THIS)

As it turned out, I was half correct about the gauge. 6 sts/inch was totally cool with #5 needles on the single-color portion of the swatch. The two-color portion, not so much.

I should stop here and say a big THANK YOU to Laura Ricketts, who became my instant friend in May when she drove up to see me on a personal mission to make me give up my fear of color-stranded knitting and intarsia. Her knitting is awesome and wonderful and almost as nice as she is in person.

Anyway, when I saw that the two-color portion of the swatch didn't succumb to my screaming at it and trying to block it wider (I don't know why that doesn't work), I did a second swatch with larger needles. That portion of the pattern changed to:

#5 (3.75 mm) needles, or size needed to produce gauge. (I needed to use #5 for one-color stockinette stitch and #6 for two-color stockinette stitch.) Any kind of needle can be used, but you will also need two #5 double-pointed needles to make i-cord. 

Swatches complete, I emailed a tech editor (Stephannie Tallent) to get on her schedule, messaged a friend who has an adorable baby about modeling for photos, and got to work putting together a spreadsheet to get actual stitch counts before casting on for the sample sweater.