 What a treat to be part of the new Quince and Company collection: Scarves Etc. 2013! My contribution, Caden, is a scarf designed for anyone to love and cherish. It's soft, flowing, textured... and the pattern is a gentle repeat that's easy to remember, making it perfect to take along to knit night! As always, the folks at Quince provided beautiful images. If you haven't worked with Quince yarn before, now's your chance. It's available at Quince and Co's online shop, and select yarn shops, including A Verb for Keeping Warm in Oakland, CA! A preview of this and some of the other scarves appeared today on Quince and Co's blog HERE. It feels great to have a piece among the other gorgeous submissions... I am really excited about seeing the final e-book too! I'd love to know what you think of my latest design, and can't wait to see it in different colors of Chickadee.
This pattern includes a suggestion for a special cast on and bind off. I created tutorials for each of these techniques and added them to the videos tab of www.kylewilliam.com. I announced the cast on tutorial on February 5, and below, you'll find the bind off video.
Working with Quince and Company Chickadee was a dream. The stitches are crisp, the fabric soft, and the final scarf is one that I'm quite pleased with. I hope you'll like it too!
 I'm happy to announce my latest hat pattern! Meet Emeline: a stranded hat that celebrates individuality. It begins with 2-color ribbing, blossoms into a engaging chart, and finishes with striped decreases at the crown. It's a comfy, slouchy, stylish hat and is going with me everywhere I go. After the bind off, a wonderfully lightweight hat like this encourages us to venture out on chilly nights.
Emeline, comfortable and stylish, celebrates the unpredictable and unexpected adventures of working simultaneously with two skeins of Noro Silk Garden Lite. The pattern, inspired by 18th Century ironwork, is interesting to knit and satisfying to wear. As a compliment to the rigid structure of the chart, gentle color changes within the yarn guarantee a unique hat.
This pattern requires intermediate knitting knowledge including: working in the round, two-color ribbing, reading charts, simple stranded color work and decreasing, all on double point needles.
 The "Emeline" hat by Kyle Kunnecke So, Emeline is available on Ravelry and in the Shop. I hope you enjoy knitting this one; it really is a rewarding project! Now that Emeline is completed, I can get to work on some of the other fun things I have in the works. There are so many good things happening right now, and believe me when I say it pains me not to talk about all of them. All I can do is ask you to "stay tuned" - In the meantime, I'll continue to keep you updated on what I can talk about.  In website news, I added a link to a page of abbreviations most commonly used in my patterns. It'll be updated as needed, and the current version is included with the Emeline pattern. This seems a good way to make sure people are aware of the abbreviations I use, and could also become a good tool for people as they work on other patterns.
So, here's hoping you fall in love with Emeline - if you're still searching for a gift for a knitter, perhaps this pattern along with a gift certificate to their local yarn shop would be loved?
 I'm busy in the studio posting scarves and hats and goodies in my Etsy shop - and thought I'd send out a quick blog post (as promised) with the image of the finished clasped weft scarf. This one is going up right now and will hopefully find a lovely home for the holidays.
It also features the (fairly new) Kyle William labels - I LOVE my label and my logo... I hope that the recipient loves this scarf as much as I do!
**UPDATE** This scarf sold within minutes of being posted. Hooray!
As with all my postings, I offer free gift wrap and a card if you are purchasing to send to someone via mail.
There's not much time left for online holiday shopping without paying lots of shipping costs - so I better get back to uploading and posting these items in case someone wants a fun finished fiber project as a gift!
Happy Holidays!
| | The moment I saw this pattern I knew I HAD to make it. It is vintage and kitchy and fun and I wanted to own one that was as close to the original as possible. The first decision was what yarn to use. I selected Knit Picks Palette because it's priced well, comes in a ton of colors, is a decent fiber and was about the right weight.
I received the yarn as a gift during the holidays last year and immediately cast on. Here's where I note that not only is swatching important, but paying close *honest* attention to the swatch measurements is also important. I cast on, found my "home" with US 2 needles, and started knitting a lovely, lovely vest with gorgeous, tight stitching.
| Where was it in the making that I realized this vest was not going to fit me? Honestly, probably about 2" into the pattern. It was too small. By a longshot. I kept trudging along, though... mezmerized by the patterning and thinking, "it's ok; it'll block out".
Seriously. I was finishing up one of the intarsia horse heads as I finally came to my senses; this wasn't going to fit. No matter how much I wanted this gauge with this yarn, if I finish it, it'll be beautiful and too small... so if I really want to wear this horse vest, then I must rip. it. out.
So, I did.
Then, the next day, I started swatching again. I found that I really needed to be on US 5 needles (yes, 3 sizes up!) It was going to work this time, and started to re-knit the vest from the beginning.
Do I feel bad about ripping out all that work? Not really. It was frustrating, but in reality, exercises like this are helpful. Working a "large" swatch (i.e. the front of the vest!) helps me to study and understand the pattern. In this case it also helped me figure out the quirks of the vintage pattern so that when it was time to do it over, I knew what I wanted to change. The thing about a vintage pattern is that the wording is different than in more modern patterns. Sometimes, working through one feels a bit like decoding a word problem! The details can be different too, like the ribbing length at the bottom of this vest. I actually like it - it's fun and true to the design and its era. I have worn this vest a few times now... to work, and around town. Not one person has asked me if I knit it. I don't know if that's a compliment or not! I LOVE my horse vest and look forward to casting on for my next project! For those on Ravelry, here is the LINK to this project's page.
I had the opportunity to do a commission project for a New York based video producer. The project essentially was to create a knitted cozy to go over this piece of electronic equipment. He thought it was ironic to use something as traditional as hand knitting to create a cover for something so high tech. I started the project by doing some research. I wanted to learn what exactly this thing was... how big was it? What is it used for. That search brought me to YouTube where I discovered a few videos explaining the product. After a while, I realized that it was something to do color correction for video post production... I learned that it's a very expensive piece of equipment, and finally, I realized I am thankful that I don't have to learn how to use it! My job was simple: create a knitted version of the station. It took quite a whie to make this piece - using US2 circular needles and playing with charting software to come up with the proper layout for the piece. In the end, I decided to be somewhat realistic with the cozy while keeping it whimsical. The end result was a fun cover that will do its duty for years; covering this expensive piece of post production equipment.
The face of the cover was knitted flat, from side to side, and then I picked up the stitches around the face and knit ribbing to create the sides. The design was duplicate stitched onto the background and, in the end, I'm pretty proud of this cover. If you'd like to view or "like" the project on Ravelry, here's a LINK to it's project page. I'm looking forward to the next fiber-related challenge!
 ...OK maybe it's not a superpower but what else should I call the ability to turn fluff into YARN?! I'm intrigued at the process and it's like watching magic!! Still very much a beginner, but I LOVE my new wheel! As some may have read, I bought a Schacht Sidekick and I have been working on it a little each day. The wheel just hums along and I am pretty proud of my first hank of yarn! It's some mystery wool that Purlescence Yarns gave me to practice with... and while it's a bit thick and thin, I think it's respectable as a first attempt. I have been wondering why I want to learn to spin. When I first tried a few years ago, I decided I wasn't ready... after all, I can buy good yarn already made commercially (or even other people's handspun!) so why would I spend my time making yarn when I could spend it knittng. Then, it hit me... this is the SAME argument people make about knitting. "Why would you knit something by hand when the yarn is expensive, it takes a long time, and you can buy something commercially made that also looks nice?"
 So... I get it. Spinning is like knitting. It's meditative, creative, inspiring, and putting time into making yarn adds to the beauty of a hand knit (or crocheted or woven) project. As I get better, I'll have more opinions, I'm sure. I spin because I love to spin. it feels good to have produced the yarn and I am sure that when I knit with my own handspun, it'll make my project even more special.
This photo is of the 4th attempt (skein?) of yarn I'm working on... my singles are more even and it's moving along nicely. This fiber is produced by a woman in Bainbridge, NY and I'm really intrigued by the way the colors are shifting. It arrived as a dyed braid and I split it up and am happily working my way through it now.
 In other knitting news, I made a pair of felted slippers for my friend Chuck for his birthday. He loved his last pair so much that one of them wore a hole in the sole - and while I could have felted a patch onto the bottom, it seemed like he deserved a new pair. So, he gets a new pair! These were made with stash yarn from Elann.com (the green) and 2 hanks of cascade 220 - one brown and one grey. The yarn is held doubled for this pattern and they're a pretty quick knit. The rows are long, with lots of wrapping and turning to do the shaping but I love the pattern. I felted these in the front loader washing machine too - just stick them on "hot" and put some dryer balls in the machine for agitation and let it do it's thing... I check them every few minutes and when they're about the right size, I put them on the rinse and spin cycle, then toss them in the dryer on tumble for a while until they're almost dry. A bit of shaping and a final air dry and they're ready!
 My other work in progress is a vintage vest that I'm feverishly working on, hoping to complete it in time for the Men's Spring Knitting Retreat coming up in May! I have *almost* completed the front (it's done with the exception of weaving in ends, and the final details) and I am almost to the armholes on the back. It's coming along nicely but if I want to get it completed I have to get to work on it! There's just so much to do!
Which means, I guess, that I should get to it! Have a fantastic week!
I had a wonderful day yesterday at Stitches West visiting with so many of my fiber friends! Of course, there were high hopes of making a huge documentary-style blog post about the event, talking to the booth owners and photographing their products, etc. and sharing all that information with you here... but the moment I enter the marketplace I am overwhelmed by all the yarn and fiber and inspiration! It's everywhere; in the booths... in the books and magazines... even on the others attending the event - it's a constant parade of beauty and color and that, my friends, is why posts like these are somewhat short (especially when I'm only there for one day!) | |
| | The big news of this event was that my design, Corydon, is included in issue 106 of Knitter's magazine! Made out of Kollage Yarn's Fantastic in colors Bison and Burlywood, it was a really fun pullover to design. The piece is named after Corydon, Indiana (the first state capital from 1816 - 1825 and was also the only location in Indiana of a Civil War battle); the "big" town near my childhood hometown of New Middletown, IN. Combining this great textured stitch with short rows and an i-cord drawstring at the collar resulted in a comfy sweater with a casual but distinct style. I'm proud of this work and happy to be included in the issue on page 54. If you don't already have a subscription for Knitter's, you can subscribe HERE. |
We also came across Jane Slicer-Smith quietly sitting in a chair, lever knitting a mitered square. After a brief introduction, and my friend John's expressed interest in lever knitting, Jane gave a 3 minute impromptu series of tips for successful mastery of the skill. She was a delight to talk with while John purchased a copy of her book, Swing Swagger Drape! These events are just littered with talent. Designers, publishers, owners of yarn companies and fiber farms... My hint for a memorable Stitches event? Take time to talk to those around you! You never know who you'll meet! | |
| | ...and as I went around looking at all the amazing products on display, I happened upon the booth of KCL Woods (Ken & Carol Ledbetter) - who make, among other things, finely crafted drop spindles, shuttles and yarn bowls. I was drawn immediately to his shuttles- they're GORGEOUS and smoothe as silk! I also happen to notice when I took this photo that in the background is none other than Michael Wade (Wondermike) who snuck away from our group and was, of course, picking up another drop spindle! He has quite the eye for finding high quality products... |
I also saw the great people at RedFish Dyeworks - they offer beautifully dyed silk and silk blend yarns and fibers, and their colors are always so brilliang and make me smile. Part of the beauty of coming to these events is seeing some of the people that I only get to see at shows! Elf (one of the owners of RedFish) makes me smile every time I happen upon their booth at a show and it's like running into an old friend each time we meet up. The interactions are always too brief... if only there were some way to keep up with all the business of daily life AND get to stay in better touch with people like this who are such sources of inspiration for so many! Oh well... if nothing else, we have the luxury of seeing booth after booth of inspiration at fiber festivals like Stitches! | |
| | I'm always looking for the next new or interesting thing at these events - this year, it took maybe 2 minutes for me to sit down and fall in love with fiber hooking! Basically, it's using a wooden handled crochet-style hook to pull up loops of fiber through a fabric. This company is using linen as the fabric and has an artist hand draw the images in their collection. Once stretched on a frame, you just pull the loops up and fill the image with your fibers. I think working with this new craft could be a great and fun way to use up scraps from knitting or crochet projects and can't wait to try it out! |
Stitches West 2012 inspired... as all Stitches events before did. This year, everywhere I turned, we were coming across a designer, yarn manufacturer or publisher and it felt really good to be surrounded by such talents. I look forward to the next event where we can all get together and share our passions. Congratulations to everyone who worked so hard to put on such an amazing event!
These were finished back in September but I am just getting around to posting and talking about them! They were part of my "self imposed sock club" where I was going to knit a pair of socks every 2 months while still working on other projects.... it didn't work out the way I thought it would; I did get some socks knit but even with this added pressure, I still couldn't convince myself to knit socks! Oh well.. the "sock club" is still waiting for me.... for the next time I want to knit socks. (I have paired my sock yarn and patterns together in a bin where they wait for me to cast on!)
The pattern is the Waves and Piers Socks by Charlene Schurch and Beth Parrott. It's a fun and easy-to-do pattern that I would recommend (and would certainly knit again!)  I purchased the yarn on a trip to Webs in Northampton, MA and while I liked the yarn coloring, it sticks to itself and is felting as it's worn (it's 75% wool / 25% nylon). The yarn has since been discontinued, but self-striping yarn is PERFECT for this pattern! Waves and Piers was fun and easy to knit - To make sure my socks were the same size, I made notes for the number of rounds I knit on the first sock for each section, then as I knit the second sock I just cross off each round as it is completed. Overall, I'm pleased about the finished object.
And of course... Willow wanted in on the photoshoot action! Check the other details of this project HERE on my ravelry page.
This swatch had "ideas of its own" and became a holiday gift. One of the projects (yet to be talked about on here) was for the Avast sweater by Jesse Loesberg from Knitty 2006. While I was waiting for the yarn for that project to arrive, I wanted to test out the cable pattern to be sure I was clear on the instructions, and also swatched to get an idea of the gauge I was going to get once the "real" yarn arrived. After swatching the cable, I realized it was the perfect length to be the base of a sweater for Dewey! So... using that little cable swatch, I picked up the stitches along the long side and began to improvise this doggie sweater! Dewey is an incredibly affectionate Boston Terrier and he loves to sleep in his bed in front of the heater or in a sunbeam on any given day. He is very gentle, loves the kitties, and finds great excitement in bones or going downstairs to the laundry room or on adventures to the park! He does not, for the record, like to "sit" on hardwood floors for an extended period of time. His hind-end slips and his little legs slide forward and it's just not a good position for a little dog to take. On especially frigid nights or chilly mornings he likes to wear his sweater and, once he's warmed up enough, he finds joy in showing how good he is at escaping the confines of a sweater! This project can be found HERE on Ravelry for those who might want to remember it for a later time.
Things get hectic this time of year and I feel as though I have been neglecting my duty to report on finished objects. This post is an attempt at catching up on some of that reporting. First, a one row scarf I started in 2010 using Rowan Felted Tweed DK - YUMMY yarn - in the best color ever: Pickle! Ravelry Link HERE. I don't know why it took me so long but this scarf was a battle to complete. I *almost* ripped it out 5 or 6 times... thinking I didn't WANT to knit it. However, this is leftover yarn from a Guernsey finished in 2008 and I only had a few balls of the yarn left... so what else would I do with it. Fighting the urge, it's finally a respectable length and finished, blocked, and beautiful. I'm happy with it although it was a bit boring to knit. Crafty Andy and I got together back in November to weave a fun project using a pattern from Schacht Spindle's newsletter (find the newlsetter HERE). We had a great time making scarves together before he left on his trip out of the country for Thanksgiving. Here's the second scarf I have to show you today (known as " Gratitude" on my Ravelry page). Woven and lovely! After this scarf, I wanted to make a looooong version so I pulled out my sock yarn stash and found some other goodies to play with. A day later, I came up with this second version... (my 3rd scarf to share)... super lengthy, flowy, and really really soft! In other news, of course I'm knitting like crazy. Most knitters are knitting like crazy this time of year, as crocheters are crocheting, and crafters are crafting. Lots of projects to complete before the holiday deadlines... and while I'd like to talk about those I can't (or shouldn't) so I will do my best to keep quiet. [for now]. I guess that's it until I can find time to take photos of some of the other projects that are completed... I'll leave you with a sweet photo of Willow (my 3-legged kitty):
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