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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This sweater was started in April, 2010 just as a diversion from other knitting projects that needed attention.  It lingered and hibernated off and on, and was ripped and re-knit a number of times until I found the perfect recipient for it; my friend Anthony! 

Realizing that the sizing was perfect for him, I got his partner to sneak one of his sweaters out for a quick measure and made some notes to modify the work.  I ripped out the bottom ribbing and knit the body longer, then ripped back and started the sleeve over.

Once I figured out the sleeve, knitting the second was easy.  One thing I want to note about this project:  The yarn Feza Yarns Cypress Mohair (which, by the way, has NO mohair in it!) is a s l o w self striping yarn... gently spun, fluffy and wonderful to work with... However, when knitting a top-down sweater with self-striping yarn, the size of the stripes changes dramatically at the point where the shoulder and body stop being knit and the sleeve is continued on its own.  In the past I have avoided this obvious change in band sizing by doing alternating stripes on my other sweaters.  some "in progress" and other details for this project can be found HERE on its Ravelry page.

If I were to knit another sweater like the one I just gave to Anthony, using yarn that slowly changes colors causing broad stripes, I might consider alternating two balls of yarn and striping the sleeves instead of allowing the self-striping yarn to be in control.  Going WAY back in time to late 2007/early 2008, I made a sweater I called "New Years Resolution" out of a similar yarn called Atunno, and in anticipation of the varying sizes of stripes I used two balls of yarn for the back of the sweater which helped even out the color changes.  For example, if a piece was 50 stitches across, I knit 25 stitches with ball A and 25 stitches with ball 2, wrapping the two yarns each time I came to the center (like intarsia).  This resulted in a striped fabric with stripe sizing that somewhat mirrored the two fronts (this was a cardigan; click on the image below to be directed to the ravelry page for this project).  The striping on the sleeves ends up being in about the same size, and I am pretty happy with the way this one turned out. 

The problem is that for a top-down raglan the piece is worked in the round, removing the ability to work back and forth on the pieces.  If anyone has heard any suggestions as to how to improve the stripe sizes on this type of sweater, I'd love to hear!  Post in the comments and share your knowledge with others!

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I knit for many reasons.  I knit because it's creative, relaxing, fun, inspiring... I have discovered through my knitting that it is also a great way to start conversations.  When I knit in public, people seem curious about what I'm making; they ask about the techniques, the patterns, the yarn... This is part of the reasoning behind my series of patterns that are designed to raise awareness of different issues.  This pattern, CURE, features a "virus" motif, one red ribbon, and was created to encourage HIV/AIDS awareness.  Beyond the knitter gaining access to the included information sheets about the virus, transmission, testing and various online resources, I hope this information is shared with others while the project is being knit, or perhaps the fact sheets are included with the hat as a gift to someone.  Being able to share facts and resources is one of the greatest gifts we can offer our communities!

In addition to these wonderful benefits, 100% of the net proceeds from the sale of this pattern are donated to Project Open Hand;  a non-profit organization offering “meals with love” to people living with HIV/AIDS and other serious illnesses and to seniors in San Francisco and Alameda Counties since 1985.  Learn more at www.openhand.org.

Following this pattern, it’s easy to create a custom hat supporting HIV/AIDS awareness!  Knit one for yourself, make another for a friend or charity!  Share the knowledge you gain with those you love to help raise awareness about the virus and how it is transmitted, and feel good about your purchase; knowing that you're helping Project Open Hand do the wonderful work they've been doing for over 25 years!

If you're interested in knitting the hat, click the "buy now" button below and complete your purchase for an instant download.  Another way to show support?  Click the buttons at the bottom of this post to share this post with your friends on facebook or twitter.  Encourage your knitting group to each purchase a copy of the pattern and do a knit-a-long.  Thank you for your support!!

As an additional note, the other pattern designed to raise awareness, CAUSE, benefits Living Beyond Breast Cancer. 100% of the net proceeds from the sale of this pattern go to an amazing nonprofit in PA.  Founded in 1991, Living Beyond Breast Cancer offers specialized programs and services for the newly diagnosed, young women, women with advanced breast cancer, women at high risk for developing the disease, African-American and Latina women as well as programs for caregivers and healthcare professionals to help them better meet the needs of women affected by breast cancer.  Learn more at www.LBBC.org.


To purchase this pattern, click the "buy now" button.  Thanks for helping to spread awareness of these important issues while helping me to raise money for these worthwhile organizations.

The Cause hat pattern was released in January, 2011 as the inaugural pattern in the series of projects designed by Kyle William to raise awareness of important social issues.  After many hours of deliberation about the best group to benefit from the sale of this pattern, I am proud to announce a collaboration with Living Beyond Breast Cancer!  Celebrating their 20th anniversary, this amazing group of individuals is dedicated to offering assistance to individuals, whether newly diagnosed, in treatment, recently completed treatment, years beyond or living with metastatic breast cancer. They also give assistance and knowledge to  family members, caregivers, friends and healthcare providers by providing breast cancer information and support.

I am HONORED to name Living Beyond Breast Cancer as the official charity for the Cause hat, and proud to donate 100% of the net proceeds from the sale of every pattern to this worthwhile organization.  Please visit them on the web: www.lbbc.org to learn more about their efforts and what upcoming events may be of interest. 

If you have yet to purchase the Cause hat pattern, now is your chance!  Visit the SHOP and purchase the pattern today for $4.00.  Included with each pattern is a fact sheet about breast cancer which may provide life saving information, and as mentioned before, the color of the ribbons can be changed to support any cause you choose!

NOTE: Crafty Andy created a crochet version of this pattern!  Please visit his website HERE to view and purchase the crochet pattern.

I'd love to hear from you - if you have ideas for other groups or organizations that might benefit from being included in this series of patterns, please fill out the form below:

We attended the STITCHES market on Friday and Saturday - and had a fantastic time!  As usual, booth after booth of glorious fiber goodies overwhelmed us, but this time, knowing that we had 2 days to explore, it was easier to scope the entire event first before consulting our project lists to find what we needed.  I know that there will be gads of blog posts detailing every booth and event surrounding STITCHES - here's my "short and sweet" recap!

At the end of the first day as we were talking with Michael Wade of Fiberbeat, Cookie A stopped me and John at the A Verb For Keeping Warm booth... snapped a photo... and tweeted us!  We were immediately thrust into fiber fame!  (what a treat - we met Cookie A... AND she loved our cardigans!!

The big news of the trip was our friend Kenny Chua being the designer for the ladies cardigan on the cover of the upcoming issue of Knitter's Magazine!  Immediately upon entering the STITCHES marketplace, we are welcomed by the Knitter's booth... where this giant poster of the magazine cover was featured, along with the actual sweater he knit!

Moving through the venue, we discovered a poster showing the companion vest.  Kenny and I posed here and we talked with the folks at  Bijou Basin Ranch who made the Bliss yarn that he used.  Both of these patterns are a gorgeous textural slip stitch and are sure to be treasured  classics for years to come!

We were lucky enough to see the fashion show on Friday night - and the grand reveal of the vest on the runway!  Kenny deserves big kudos for a job well done -- his was one of the 120 items shown in the show... and as if the Knitter's cover wasn't enough, it was also featured on the cover of the fashion show program!

We had a great time at the show... 2 days of yarn and fibery fun.  Even though there were thousands upon thousands of inspirational sights, my favorite sight of all of STITCHES was this tattoo that Tammy had - she can be found at http://punkrawkpurl.blogspot.com/ - click on the photo to be directed to her website!  It brought new meaning to the word "dedication" as it pertains to the fiber arts!   Love the sentiment and it makes me smile every time I see this photo.

On Saturday, I wore the now famous Seahorse Cardigan.  (photos of me wearing the cardigan are coming soon, I promise!)  I was really pleased with the response that I got from this finished object - I felt famous - with so many attendees commenting on the design!  My favorite compliment?  One lady stopped me and told me that I "win" for the best sweater of STITCHES!  THAT really meant a lot to me...especially since there were masterpieces parading up and down the aisles... gorgeous cabled sweaters, kauni wonders, lace shawls... I am always enamored with all the knit and crochet masterpieces on show when I go to STITCHES - and even though we just got home, I'm excited to start making notes for the things I might want to research, purchase or learn next time!

STITCHES rocks.  It's the BEST way to get inspired for those of us who love all things fiber.  It revitalizes me and reminds me of all the options I have for my fiber art.  I am working on projects already - and eager to share them with you when the time is right!

After a lot of research on Mary Maxim, I dove in and got a number of their vintage patterns, including the seahorse cardigan!  Using Paton’s Classic Wool Merino, I did a gauge swatch using Jade Hather (77208) for the body, Natural (00229) for the upper background, and Paprika (00238) for the seahorses and accent lines, I cast on in July, 2008!

Fast forward to late September, 2009... I finished the chart of one of the sleeves, going back and forth between whether it was all intarsia or if I could "fake" fair isle some of the patterning.  I wasn't sure, so I put it away for a while.  In mid October of 2010 (yes, a YEAR later) I picked it back up and took the sleeve with me to San Francisco and finished it on the 200 mile drive north to Weott for the Humboldt Redwoods Half Marathon.  That sleeve was finished, and I was able to start the back on that trip!

The back was finished in early January, 2011, and a week or two later, I finished the second sleeve.  Because all this intarsia and graph based knitting isn't torture enough, I decided to cast on the two fronts at the same time.

At this point I was really wanting to get the sweater completed in time for Stitches - and on January 13, 2011, it was finally completed! I assembled the sweater and found the perfect buttons to complete the piece.  All but one button came from Britex in downtown San Francisco. The antique seahorse button I used is from “Granny’s Thimble” - a pretty fun source for buttons! Check her out:  www.grannysthimble.etsy.com 

As soon as the weather cooperates I'll get photos of me wearing the cardigan --

I'm now tackling another Mary Maxim pattern... the buffalo sweater!!  (and I promise myself that I will not procrastinate as much this time!!)  Stay tuned!

OK, let's talk... obsessed knitter to obsessed knitter.  I have an overwhelming stash of sock yarn, and I'm not even a compulsive sock knitter like some people I know!  I'm sure that almost every knitter has a stash that is out of control (even if we don't see it that way!)... and other projects and shiny things distract us from our goals... so, at the suggestion of a friend, I have created a
self-imposed sock club! 

I decided this year that I'll knit at least 6 pairs of socks; one pair every other month, in addition to my other knitting and designing.  One sock a month; that's not too difficult, right?  Right!  Time to get organized!  While noone was home, (important because as a fiber artist I can't reveal the actual amount of yarn in my stash... also important because non-fiber people don't understand and I have to begin dispensing anti-anxiety medication!), I hauled out my ENTIRE yarn stash, and all the patterns of socks that I have been intending to make... After I selected patterns (I chose 7 so that there's one extra just in case something goes awry) I went through my sock yarns and matched fiber to pattern and bagged each project up in 1 gallon ziplock baggies.  These are stored in a plastic storage tub and are all ready to be cast on!  In Ravelry, I spent some time queuing each of the projects up, and attaching the yarns to each of the projects.

It's the morning of February 1, 2011.  The sun is bright and the sky is clear in San Francisco.  I got my bucket of projects out and wrote each project name on a piece of paper, and put them in a dish for the drawing.  (The dish happens to be one of my own wheel thrown and altered ceramic pieces, featuring the image of none other than Elizabeth Zimmerman!)

Take a deep breath, and select the lucky first project for the self-imposed sock club!

The winner is:  Sideways Socks by Lanna Grossa!  I am happy that this is the first pair of socks.  Most of the sock is knit flat on circular needles, then grafted up the back.  The toe allows for a few minutes of work on double pointed needles... I recommend it for knitters who say they don't love knitting socks - I expect they will move quickly once I get going on them, and I'm already feeling good about using what I already own!

If you are on Ravelry, you will be able to see my up-to-date progress on this project by clicking HERE
(My Ravelry ID is kylewilliam)

If you'd like to join me knitting this pattern, it can be downloaded for FREE by clicking HERE.  If a pattern is posted by the publisher online, I'm able to provide the link.  Many of the patterns I selected for my self-imposed sock club are from books I own or patterns I already purchased.  I will be sure let you know where you can go to get the pattern with each installment.

Hopefully this is inspiring for you and it helps you to create a self-imposed club of your own!  Make a club with sweater patterns... scarves... hats... mittens... whatever you are obsessed with for 2011.  Create some order in your craft and help yourself justify the ginormous quantity of fiber and goodness that is surely sitting ready to go in your own stash!

Happy Knitting!

Today is a good day.  I have been working very hard on this project for a number of weeks.  Designed, knitted, redesigned and knitted again, I finally got the hat pattern correct, and sent it out for test knitting.  A few friends responded and one expert wrote back, advising that there were no problems!  Hooray!

It is with great pride and honor that I present:  CAUSE -

Here's the pattern description:

Make a bold move to show which cause is dear to you. Using this pattern, it’s easy to create a custom hat supporting awareness of breast cancer, HIV/AIDS, or any other cause you choose! Change the color of the ribbons at will; knit one for yourself, make another for a friend or charity!

Knit in the round with 12 ribbons, this hat is designed with “floats” (carried yarn) across the back of the work. Be sure to secure any floats that travel more than 5 stitches, and to leave enough slack in each float so that the hat will fit comfortably around the head.

A portion of the proceeds from sales of this pattern will be donated to help fund Breast Cancer Research.

I have more designs in the works and look forward to releasing more as they are ready.  THANK YOU to my friends who have been so supportive, and the test knitters who were the brave first souls to be the first to try it out!