Lady Danbury

I based this baby blanket on Lady Danbury, one of my favorite literary characters. She is the awesome old lady who frequently appears in Julia Quinn's novels set in Regency England. Although an elegant and bold woman on the outside (stylish, but loves being old since it allows her to say whatever she wants and hit people with her cane and no one can do anything about it), she has a romantic and loving heart. She is a devout matchmaker, constantly trying to get her favorite people together, and doing her best to boost the confidence of those who need it.

Hence, a baby blanket that is less complicated than it looks, yet bold and romantic. I just started testing on it over at the Free Pattern Testers group on Ravelry. Yes, I know it needs better pictures. I'm hoping to release the pattern by late August 2013.

The Undecided Sweater

So I just finished this baby hoodie which I've been calling Minty (in real life the color combo looks like those after dinner chocolate mints you get at restaurants). I can't decide if I should write the pattern up or not.





I made the 6-12 month size, but in order to do the color section, I had to do it as a mosaic (2 rounds in a row are on the same side, so 2 RS rows then 2 WS rows). And that would be a bit hard to explain in written form. Plus, there is the issue of slipped stitches in cables. Technically I could just have the next stitch up be slipped, but I would actually find that harder to follow. Maybe I'll write it up as a regular cable pattern without the slipped stitches first, and then offer the colored version as a bonus. I'm thinking of writing up a chose your own adventure baby sweater. So there would be a hood, rectangular, or shawl collar options for the top and then 3 different options for the cables. I'm not sure yet. Maybe it would be better to have them as an ebook and have 3 different patterns where you could mix and match the elements from each.

I did decide to not publish the baby hat patterns mentioned in the previous post. I'm just not sure how tall a baby's head is and the measurements I'm finding are decidedly unhelpful. They all include a folded brim but do not specify how much is folded up so I would know how much to subtract.

Camden, Mr. Blanket, and Some Other Patterns

It's been a crazy semester, but I've still managed to get some designs done. One pattern, Mr. Blanket, was released a few months ago. It's based off a joke my brother, Sean, has with his girlfriend about his beard. Whenever he shaves it off, for a day or two he leaves a mustache and styles it into a handle bar. He thinks it's funny. She just rolls her eyes. There are three different faces: Mr. Top Hat (Shown), Mr. Artist, Mr. Chef, and Mr. Cowboy. It costs 3.50 USD.

Mr. Blanket

Mr. Top Hat, Mr. Chef, Mr. Cowboy, and Mr. Artist

Now, I have an e-book of baby hats called Slip, Slip, Baby that I am hoping to have released by mid May. I have the samples for 2 of the patterns done, and am working out the pattern for the last. The whole e-book will cost 3.00 USD, while each hat alone will cost 1.50 USD. Each hat comes in the following sizes: 0-3 months 3-6 months, 6-12 months, and 1-3 years. And yes, that is a slightly creepy baby doll modeling the 3-6 month size. I think the creepiness might be due to the fact that it looks lifelike yet not at the same time.

Slipping on the Diamonds in 6-12 months size

Slipping on the Diamonds in size 3-6 months

Slip 'n' Slide in size 3-6 months

After that I have another pattern due out in mid June. Camden is a baby cardigan/jacket done in sport weight yarn. My brother wanted me to call it Boodie and say "Warning: do not shake your Boodie when your baby is in it." As you can tell, he loves puns. The body is done in garter stitch and then a reversible cable is added. It is currently being tested. The sizes available will be 3-6 months, 6-12 months, 12-18 months, and 18-24 months. I may add larger sizes later if enough people request them.  The sample I knit still needs buttons but I lost the toggles I was planning to use. Cost is 5.00 USD.

One Day Sale

Over on Ravelry, I am having a one day sale to celebrate my birthday. Any one paid pattern is free for February 1, 2013. It runs Eastern time. The code for this promotion is HAPPY. Enjoy!

Pattern Productivity

I've just finished writing two new patterns:

The first is I Think I've Broken Something Hat & Cowl/ Infinity Scarf. This is a basic Broken Rib pattern that I recently discovered I like a lot. There are two sections of the pattern: the first is the pattern for the hat and cowl in Super Bulky weight yarn for an average female adult, the second explains the math that I used to calculate the pattern so that it can be adapted to any yarn weight and size.

The second pattern is Professor McGonagall. It is a baby blanket/throw that is loosely based on The Boy Who Lived, where we first meet the professor. So loosely, that Muggles (aka non-fans) can still enjoy the picture of a cat looking up at the night sky without knowing. This was intentional since the original is intended as a gift for just such a Muggle. Plus, it amused me to sneak it in on her. This one will be available shortly.

Let the Testing Begin!

Completely unexpectedly, Ludi is now finished except for having some decent photos taken. This is the best I could do with an iPhone camera and me as the photographer. Thanks to software, most of the writing was already done, I just had to add some details and format. Sometimes, technology rocks! So now I am starting the testing process on Ravelry, with the goal being to have a finished product available on December 20th!

Ludi is the Latin word for games or festivals. This slouchy hat is fun and playful with the cables and textures, but will still keep you warm all winter. 

PS I couldn't resist a Harry Potter reference in the title of the post.

Long Time Coming

It's hard to believe it has been almost one year ago exactly that I last posted. The downside of studying abroad and senior year, I guess. I have patterns for a hat, shawl, and a cowl that should be available once I get the chance to write them up and knit decent test samples. The hat and cowl patterns, Ludi and Putnam respectively, will be available most likely in late December when I have a chance to finish the samples and take pictures. I wonder if I could convince a friend to pose for them...

I took advantage of the Cyber Monday sale at Knit Picks. I have this idea for a baby blanket with a little bit of intarsia on it. It would be the silhouette of a baby on a tricycle following by it's parents on bikes. Considering I am related to so many cyclists, I figure it will be perfect for whoever has a baby first. I ordered a bunch of Basalt and Green Tea Simply Cotton Worsted that they had on sale for 50% off. Crossing my fingers that they can fill it!