An unexpected gift

I'm so blown away by what this knitter did that I just had to share! A few weeks ago, a knitter on Ravelry called Selbyin sent me a message asking for help with her Moody Kerchief (pattern by Kirsten Kapur) project. I don't know if you remember, but I knit 4 moody shawls because I just love the pattern so. I made a Twig & Peacock Moody, a Tan Moody, an All-black Moody, and a Sunset Moody(the one that started it all). Selbyin wanted help mixing her colors for her Kerchief, and thankfully I was able to offer some suggestions.

She finished the shawl sometime back, and I only recently went to check on her project. It's stunning!! And she used my favorite color (green, in case y'all hadn't figured that out by now). It was a green and blue combo, and I love, love, LOVE it!! Check it out!

I suggested using alternating stripes as a way to transition between the colors, so she wouldn't have to double up her yarn and end up with a heavy shawl. Turned out pretty cool, right?

So this morning, I'm getting ready for the day and checking my inbox when I received a notification that Selbyin had sent me a gift pattern! WHAAAAAAAAAAT!!! I quickly logged into my Ravelry account, to discover that she had gifted me this beauty: Weathervane hat pattern by Sara Gresbach!

I had been eyeing this pattern for a while now, because I wanted to make one for my son and his friends so they would have matching hats (matching in style, but in different colors). I now have the pattern! Woohoo!!

The original design was knit in Malabrigo Worsted, and I just happen to have a few skeins of Mal Worsted hanging around (ok, a lot of skeins, because that stuff is addictive!). I think you KNOW what I'm going to be knitting this weekend! Can you imagine how ecstatic I am right now?

Thank you so much Selbyin! Your work is beautiful, and I'm glad I was able to help you with it.

Enjoy the rest of the week, and thank you all for reading my super-excited expression of thanks. :)

Designer Spotlight: Circles + Dots by Olga Buraya-Kefelian

I have wanted to feature this pattern collection on my blog since it came out, but it never seemed like the right time. Well I think this week's post is just the right time to highlight Olga Buraya-Kefelian's "Circles + Dots" pattern collection from Quince & Co. (who make such beautiful yarns! Oh, and I have a crush on their website!). The designs are classic and stunning, and all those circles and dots make me giddy with joy. There are 5 patterns in this collection: a pullover, a cardigan, a hat, a scarf and a pair of mitts. Just a little of everything for every kind of knitter, right? First up is the Effervescence Cardigan, which is the first of the collection that caught my eye. I love the front detail in this pattern and can very well see myself knitting this cardigan.

The Compass Pullover is my second favorite in this collection. (For someone who rarely knits clothing, it's interesting that I was drawn to these pieces in the collection. Maybe it's a sign to take a step of faith and start knitting some sweaters? Hmmm.) This top is just sleek and eye-catching, and I could immediately see myself rocking it with some fun jewelry and a pair of jeans during the fall.

Next up are the accessories!! Woohoo!! You all know how much I love my accessories. The Cowry Hat is a sexy, little slouchy hat that makes me so happy. I'm slowly but surely venturing into hat knitting and design, and the level of detail on this hat makes my little knitterly heart sing. The ebb and flow of the design as it snakes along the hat is quite hypnotic. I'm going to stop talking now, and show you the hat. :)

Then there's the Gyre Scarf, a simple, straight-to-the-point stockinette stitch scarf that has some garter chevron action and little open "dots" at the edges to add a little spice. I love, love, love it!

And last but definitely not least, the Flotilla Mitts. Who doesn't love some flirty little mitts covering up their hands and wrists? These mitts are a little longer than usual, with a few dots breaking up the stockinette stitch used.

I love Olga's design style, and I think this collection is just stunning. Which of these is your favorite? Which of these would you wear? Do let me know in the comment sections, and have a wonderful weekend!

Update: Melody Stole Knit-A-Long Week 1

The Melody's Stole Knit-A-Long is trucking along nicely. It's not late to join if you'd like to work on a lace project with other knitters and get help as we all go along. The pattern is free, and it's free to join the KAL also. You can use whatever yarn you want for the stole, or you can purchase the Lace Yarn used in the original pattern from Sandrasingh.com. She's offering the yarn at 15% off during this time period for the KAL. Each skein has 950yds, so you can make TWO stoles out of one skein if you wanted. So awesome. I'm going to be making my stole out of the Sandrasingh.com Yarn Lace, in the Love Potion colorway.

It's so pretty isn't it?

I cast on for the stole on Monday night and knit the first 10 rows of the pattern (the setup rows, which is all garter stitch and the edging for the stole). I'm loving how it looks. It's so pretty and so soft! I'll check back with you next week Thursday to keep you up to date with the progress.

Well, don't hesitate any longer and come join us in the knit-a-long. We are waiting for you! :)

Melody's Stole Knit-A-Long

Hello! I hope you are all having a great week so far. For those of you on the East Coast, I hope you and yours are well and safe during this Hurricane Sandy. Today's post is to give you a quick update on the Melody's Stole Knit-A-Long (KAL). The official start date has been set for Monday Nov. 5th (next week Monday). I'm working with Sandra Singh, the owner of Sandrasingh.com, and she is hosting the KAL in her Ravelry Group here. If you are already a knitter and would like to try out lace knitting, this pattern is easy enough to follow along, and there will be lots of hand holding by me and other knitters in the KAL.

Best of all, Sandra has been so kind to offer 15% off her Sandrasingh.com Lace for anyone participating in this KAL (You can purchase the yarn and download the pattern here.) So, you have a free pattern, 15% off a humongous skein of yarn (that skein is enough for 2 stoles), and a lovely group of knitters to help and encourage you through this project. What are you waiting for? Come join us in this fun KAL here: Melody Stole KAL.