Fastening Off

I'm not too sure where December went. Ok, if I'm completely honest, I'm not too sure where 2022 went. Especially from July on.

And I had all kinds of plans to write posts about this and that, including the Fasten Off Yarn Along. I know I wrote an intro post, saying I was taking part as a designer and a participant again. And then things went down that yarny rabbithole from whence they never appear again lol.

To be absolutely clear and have full disclosure: I am a participating designer and volunteer with FOYAL, and have been since it debuted in 2020. Other than acquiring the following patterns for my personal use, either by purchasing them or by won or volunteer prizes, I've received no other benefits. Just spreading some pattern joy with everyone. Gray blah January days need joy.

I decided it would be cool to look at the patterns I bought in the sale and the ones I selected from my prizes (most from playing games, two from volunteering). With 108 designers, not including me, there was such a great variety!

And, I can point out that the FOYAL database is still totally operational! It's there for you to search for patterns or designers right now! How cool is that?? You can find it right here 2022 FOYAL database🔗 (link to FOYAL website). If you're looking for Off-Rav designers and/or patterns, this is a great spot to check.

Ok, so I went looking for smallish patterns to start out. And the first one I purchased during the sale period was Talamh by Liz Corke🔗. These are a simply beautiful pair of fingerless mitts with a faux cable detail running up the back of the hand on the pinky side. I'm actually knitting a pair in Briggs & Little Sport "mauve" for Sistwerp right now. I really enjoy Liz's fingerless mitts patterns so this was a pretty quick and easy purchase to make.

I was in a mind to make some small decorative touches for the living room, and came across Karen Butler's Mini Knits pattern🔗. This includes the patterns for her Mini Mitten and Mini Sock, which are just too cute! I'm thinking a couple of each might form a little elves' laundry line type decoration for next Winter.

The next pattern I kept 'walking away' from and coming back to. I wound up buying it after the sale period was over! I've been trying to be really intentional about my pattern purchases, asking myself when I'm going to make it and when will I use the finished item. As a result I've been focusing more on worsted or Aran weight sweaters with the occasional hat or pair of mittens, fingerless and standard. But the Woven Gemstones Wrap by Emily Sullivan of Sweet Paprika Yarns🔗 (link to pattern page on Sweet Paprika Yarns website) made me forget my resolve. This simple (it's garter stitch that's literally woven over!) but stunning wrap is very high on my must make list. And the sample colors are very literally my colors, so this could be a rare time I'd use the specified yarn for a project. Now nobody faint lol!

I won a prize playing the Scavenger Hunt game on the FOYAL Discord server, and when asked which craft I'd prefer by the Prize volunteer, I decided to go a bit different and chose Tunisian crochet. In playing Scavenger Hunt and Picture Party I kept seeing beautiful Tunisian crochet patterns in the database, and this is a craft I don't have too many patterns for or much experience in doing. I was sent a prize code for Aklori Designs, who has some stunningly beautiful patterns. After much back and forthing, I chose her Catalina Shawl🔗 as a next step up in my Tunisian skills. This is something I'd like to fit into my 2023 projects if I have time. 

And then I won a second time playing Scavenger Hunt on Discord! This time I went with knitting, thinking to maybe find a new sweater. I was paired up with Polka Dot Cottage, a new-to-me designer, and was super happy to find their pattern 

Porthole Pullover🔗. I really like the colorful yoke using slipped stitches instead of stranded colorwork. (Stranded colorwork is gorgeous, me and it just don't get along too well)

Then came time for Volunteer prizes. I received a code for Paola Albergamo's Payhip shop. This took some time to pick. She has so many gorgeous designs! 🤩 I was really torn between Brise Soleil🔗 and Grafitti🔗, but went with Brise Soleil in the end. The texture pattern intrigues me, and it's such a wearable cardigan. I think I'd like to find a semi-solid blue to make it in...

Also for volunteering I was connected with Susanna Winter of talvi knits. This was another tough decision, but the gorgeous back cable panel of her The Comeback Cardigan🔗 had me returning to it several times. I think you all know I love a good cable panel. I can really see this in Briggs & Little Heritage, maybe one of the heathered colorways? I'll need to ponder that a bit. 

I thought I was done, but I hadn't counted on my FOYAL Bingo card getting drawn for a prize. I received a prize code for Carolyn Lisle's patterns. I bought her MADvent shawl pattern a few years ago and I follow her on Instagram, so I was a bit more familiar with her designs. It was a tough decision once again, but Cracked Glass🔗 is so eye-catching! What a fun scarf and I recently came into some mini skeins (10g = 40m/43.7yards) that should be just right for it.

And that, yarn friends, is the patterns I acquired during Fasten Off Yarn Along 2022. All links go directly to the mentioned pattern's page in the designer's Payhip shop or on their website; these are all safe non-Rav links. I hope I've directed you to a new-to-you designer or two, and maybe a pattern you didn't know you've been looking for. There are so many wonderful designs out there, but finding them can be hard. That's why I'm so glad the FOYAL database and its search features are available year round. 

Did you shop the FOYAL database in late November, through December? Let me know what designer(s) and/or pattern(s) caught your eye and are now saved to your computer or device 😉 I'd love to hear about them!

Yours in yarn and more acquired patterns,

Síle