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. :)

Shawls, shawls everywhere! Pt 2

Last week, I shared 3 shawls from Quince & Co.'s recent design set. Here are the last 2 shawl designs from that set. The fourth shawl from Quince & Co.'s newest pattern release is the Qinnitan Shawl, designed by Melanie Berg using Petal 111 and Chanterelle 118 colorways from their Finch yarn line. Qinnitan is another crescent-shaped shawl, worked in fingering weight yarn. The incorporation of stripes adds a welcome touch of playfulness to this shawl. I also love the choice of neutral colors for this design.

The last shawl in this set is the Fulmar Shawl by Veera Välimäki, designed in the Egret 101 and Iceland 153 colorways of their Finch yarn line. Now I haven't knit anything designed by Veera yet, but her designs are mind-blowingly gorgeous! When I grow up, I want to be like her. She takes the simplest stitches and crafts beautiful designs that will stand the test of time. She does the same thing with Fulmar, using clean lines and soothing garter stitch for a wonderful knitting experience. The shawl is worked from the neck down and shaped using short rows.

BONUS: You all saw how I was so excited by Veera Välimäki's work, right? I thought I'd share one of her top-selling designs on Ravelry with you, because it's just too pretty to keep to myself. Veera takes garter stitch and striping to a whole new level, creating designs that seem almost magical. I'm truly in awe of her work, and can't wait for when I actually knit one of her designs (or meet her in person! Squee!!).

Color Affection is probably one of the hottest patterns on Ravelry, with almost 9500 projects to its credit. Again, Veera uses garter stitch and striping to create a stunning shawl that is both warm and stylish. Without further ado, here's Color Affection.

Gorgeous right? I told you!! Which of these designs is calling out to you? Tell me in the comments section below! Enjoy the rest of your week and see you back here next week!

Shawls, shawls everywhere! Pt. 1

After scarves, shawls are my next favorite items to knit. Qunce & Co., an American yarn company (and one of my favorite yarn companies! I love their site, their yarn, and their packaging. Everything of theirs is so pretty!!), recently came out with a week of shawls. I love the designs so much that I thought I'd share with you all! First up is the Everly Shawl, designed by Mindy Wilkes in the Petal 111 colorway of their Finch yarn line. The shawl is so light and pretty that it could work as a scarf too. The lace border is a simple 4-row repeat, and the body is worked with short-row shaping without wraps, according to the designer. I love when simple stitches create such a work of art.

Next up is the Leaves Shawl, designed by Kristen TenDyke in the Little Fern 205 colorway of the Sparrow line (linen yarn). This shawl looks so light and airy, but because of it's large triangular shape, it can keep you warm and cosy without adding bulk to your outfit. The lace details are quite stunning, and look more intricate than they actually are. How neat!

The third shawl is the Lullaby Rain Shawl by Paula Emons-Fuessle in the Glacier 105 colorway of their Chickadee line. This shawl is a top-down crescent shawl with ribbing and a soft curve at the neck to keep the shawl in place on your shoulders. You also have the option of finishing the edging with a plain garter stitch border or a picot border, giving you the chance to add your own touch to this elegant shawl.

Stay tuned for 2 more shawls from this collection next week. Which of these is your favorite? And what color would you rock that shawl in? Tell me in the comments section below. I would love to hear from you!

Happy 4th of July!!

I hope you and your loved ones have a wonderful, restful day. Yay for the Red, White and Blue!! Happy Independence Day!

  

How are you celebrating this long weekend? Let us know in the comments section below!

Extra! Extra! NiseyKnits is in a local SF store!!

I'm so excited about this development that I just had to blog about it. Thanks to Kyra and Jen at Local Take, a store in San Francisco, you can now purchase some NiseyKnits lovelies in San Francisco. Local Take is located at 3979B 17th Street, San Francisco, CA. I got the chance to visit the store last week and the store is just beautiful. They carry a large variety of handmade items designed and created by artists local to the Bay Area. There is something there for everyone. The store will have it's Grand Opening on Saturday, June 22nd, 2013 from 5pm - 9pm. There will be music, drinks, and snacks, and you can check out the amazing merchandise, and meet the lovely store owners, Jen and Kyra. I hope to see you there!

It's been a long time...and some WIPs

I've missed my blog, and you my lovely friends! How is everyone doing? I hope it's warming up wherever you are, and you can see a glimpse of summer. Woohoo! My family traveled for the whole month of May, and I had intermittent access to the internet, which is why you haven't seen much of me. As I mentioned in my last post, I hope to make it up to you soon. Now that the weather is warmer, I'm sure you are wondering how knits can still be relevant. I used to think that way, until I realized that it's a good time to knit lacy items (like some of the works in progress I'm going to show you). It's also a wonderful time to plan for the second half of the year.  The Christmas holiday season is my busiest time, as people are looking for gifts for their loved ones. Plus, it's getting cold!! Brrr!!!

Anyway, during our travels I didn't get to knit as much as I thought, but I still got a few items finished. I worked on a few Berry Lacey scarves, finished a wrap using a modification of Christine Vogel's Drop Stitch Scarf pattern, and also finished two of the buttoned infinity scarves. Here they are.

I would love to hear what  you think of these scarves. What other colors would you like to see them in? Please leave a comment below and let's have a chat. I hope you enjoy the rest of your week!

Designer Spotlight: Allyson Dykhuizen's Awesome Knits for Baseball Season

I hear from some reliable sources that it's baseball season! And one of my favorite designers, Allyson Dykhuizen from The Sweatshop of Love, has come up with Vintage Inspired Baseball Knits, a collection of great designs that are perfect for baseball season knitting. There are 7 patterns in this collection, and all of them are pretty fun knits. The first one that caught my eye was the Trolley Dodgercardigan. This cardigan is a very simple, classic design that would look great in your favorite team's colors. I'm a big fan of the large stripe on the left sleeve, and also of the little contrast color details at the wrists and on the pockets.

Another cardigan from this collection, The Georgia Peach,with its beautiful contrast color styling at the hem, button/buttonhole edging and collar, is reminiscent of the sweaters worn by baseball players of old.

I also like the Harnett Tank, named after the first woman to join the All-American Girls' Professional Baseball League. The playful stripes on this cute tank can be worked in your favorite team's colors.

This collection also includes the Knickerbocker Tee, Stadium Blanket (for keeping warm while cheering your team on), the Baby Babe Ruth ( a cute little knit for little ones to get into the baseball spirit), and 16 original baseball team logos that you can incorporate into a sweater, scarf, or blanket. Check the Vintage Inspired Baseball Knits collection out and support a fellow independent knitwear designer. The patterns are also available as an ebook on KnitPicks.

PS: I'm so sorry I missed sending out last week's post. I'll put up another post this week to make up for it. :)

Updated Berry Lacey pattern

I thought I'd pop in quickly and share some fun news. I updated my Berry Lacey pattern, complete with new pictures and two versions of the scarf, so you can quickly knit one if you'd like. It's a very quick knit and the results are extremely gratifying. All the samples were knit in Malabrigo Silky Merino, but the scarf can be knit in almost any yarn you like. It looks pretty great in chunky weight yarn too.

You can size it up or down, make is a scarf, or expand it to a shawl. Either way, you'll love Berry Lacey. If you aren't a knitter, email me at niseyknits@gmail.com and I'll be glad to knit a custom one for you.

You can download the pattern here: Berry Lacey 2013 or visit my Ravelry pattern page for the Berry Lacey pattern.

Have a great week everyone!

Ideas for spring knits

I think we can safely say that spring is upon us right now. So, I was wondering which of these patterns I should knit up for my Etsy Shop. What do you all think?

Cuviatrix (a cutie in an Aviatrix)

This week I finally put the finishing touches on another Aviatrix hat (by Justine Turner) that my friend Gina ordered for her daughter. I crocheted two flowers using this Crochet Flowers pattern from Mollie Makes (such pretty flowers, right?). I just love this hat pattern! And Gina's daughter looks so cute in the hat doesn't she?

Enjoy the rest of the week, and have a lovely weekend!

PS: I would love to make you your own Aviatrix hat if you ever need/want one for the little cuties in your life. Just send me an email (niseyknits@gmail.com) with the age of the child, and the color/colors you want for the hat.