Going (Too) Big?

The phrase "Go big, or go home" has been a bit stuck in my head the last while. And my Three Hand Reel sample has reached the point of having 933 stitches in a row so it's also very fitting! 

That number of stitches in a row also has me wondering if there's such a thing as too big. I'm not an overly fast knitter; I consider myself average speed at best. So these long rows take me a good while to get done. Definitely something to keep in mind for future designs. Well, try to keep in mind anyway lol. I know myself. 

Summer has definitely come to Atlantic Canada! We've had a lot of heat and sunshine so far. So much that Roomie and I got a little pool for the backyard; inflatable sides and about 55cm/22 inches deep. Plenty of room for two lounging adults. It's been quite nice to have. That's also led me to my latest personal project: Beach Flowers🔗 by Brenda Grobler (link to designer's site). I'm using some variegated Bernat Baby I had on hand which is giving it a bit of an underwater look:

Fun, right? I'm enjoying the change up between it and the Three Hand Reel. Nothing like a bit of crochet to offset a lot of knitting.

I forgot to include my Spotlight of Canadian yarns, designers, and shops in my last post so you're getting an extended one today:

SPOTLIGHT

First up I thought I'd stay fairly local to me, and start with some truly beautiful yarn. Windswept Fibres & Design🔗 (link to their website) is located in St. John's, Newfoundland & Labrador, and Pam hand dyes some of the prettiest colors on our Rock. I'm a big fan of her Best Kind Sock; I'm knitting the sample of an upcoming lace shawl design with it currently, and it's glorious to knit with. A hank of this yarn in the 2022 Come Home colorway was part of the prize pack for my MKAL a few years ago too. All of the colorways have Newfoundland-inspired names, while the yarn lines get their names from common/popular sayings here. If you get to visit St. John's, you can buy in person at the Artisans' Loft, located on historic Water Street, which is one of the many fun shops in downtown St. John's. 

Speaking of yarn shopping in St. John's, Wool Trends🔗 (link to website) carries a wide range of yarn weights, fibers and colors along with needles, hooks, and notions. Confession: I order from them quite a bit! Deirdre and staff are fantastic whether shopping in person or online.

If you're on the lookout for Canadian wool, look no further than New Brunswick-based (Atlantic Canada represent!) Briggs & Little Woolen Mill🔗 (link to website), Canada's oldest woolen mill in operation. Fun fact: the mill is older than Canada! It's been operating, under a few different names, since 1857. While B&L's yarns can best be described as rustic, they're wonderfully warm for hats, mittens, hiking/work socks, outer cardigans and pullovers, and even shawls. These are work horse wools in a very wide range of colors. You'll find at least one line of B&L wools at most Canadian yarn shops; I can buy their Heritage line (Aran weight) at my closer lys, and I order Sport regularly from either Wool Trends (mentioned above) or Fia Fia (mentioned in my last post). I love them for their wooliness, price point, and durability, and you'll notice several of my patterns' samples have been knit with B&L wools.

Leaving Atlantic Canada for a moment, I bring you to Sweet Paprika Designs🔗 (link to their website) based in beautiful Montreal, Quebec. Hand-dyed yarns, patterns, kits, plus tools and notions, books, etc, they have it all! If you're familiar with the Fasten Off Yarn A Long, Debbie and Elizabeth Sullivan, the sister duo behind Sweet Paprika, have been participating designers for several years. Debbie's Eadgyth (ie Edith in Saxon times) shrug is very high on my must-make list *heart eyes*

Ok, fiber friends, I think that about does it for today! I hope you're beating the heat or keeping warm depending where you are in the world, and that your projects are going well. Are you working on small light things, big keep-you-warm-while-you-work things or coming up the middle? I'd love to hear about them!

Yours in yarn, and the annoyance that is a mosquito buzzing your ear every 30 seconds,

Síle

A Bit of a Time

This past few months has been a bit of an emotional, and physical, roller coaster if I'm being honest. 

And that's held up some projects and changed the scope of others. So let's dive into what's on my needles and where it's all going, shall we?

When last I posted, I had finished a double-knit earwarmer, and was pondering and planning a few others to have a bit of a series exploring and/or refreshing aspects of double-knitting with the added techniques of increases and decreases. The first one is pretty basic if you've done any double-knitting. The increases and decreases are the only "spicy" bit, and only if you haven't knit a shaped shawl like those from Tania of Epic Knits/Knit 1 Roll 20 or Lisa of Nifty Knitter Designs. It's a very approachable little project.

To go with that, I started playing around with some tweaks to the concept, keeping the basic shaping. This led me to a 3 color design, and a 2 pattern design for earwarmers 2 and 3. A slight jump in skills but still very approachable, and I think a natural progression from basic double-knitting to slightly more flashy looking projects. I plan on knitting those up pretty soon. And then I thought the natural place to go was cables with a touch of texture. Again, building on what you've already learned and/or refreshed from the first 3. 

And then my brain got involved.

Fiber friends, I'd be lying if I said sometimes my brain isn't my biggest nemesis. 

Because of course I couldn't just stick to front crossing cables on the same colored background. Noooo, not me. I had to switch colors and have alternating panels both color wise (which would've been more than enough. An excellent middle ground), and cable twist direction. 

I bit off much more than I originally envisioned. Here's the supposed earwarmer 4 in progress. It's not quite halfway knit:

So! Upon reflection this is now earwarmer 5 lol And I need to scale back a bit for a properly placed 4 with not quite the time and contortion commitment. I'm pausing this one briefly just to catch my breath. I really went headlong at it with no real plot. Sometimes looking before I leap, even in knitting, is a much better idea.

What else have I been up to? I got the idea, made a plan and am nearly halfway through a 3 color shawl lol! 

This one's one of those back burner ideas that finally just clicked and I was off to the races. And it timed well with GST checks to get the yarn and extra long circular needle ordered (Plus one for Cherish the Ladies which I'll be re-diving into soon... ish)

I'm using Briggs & Little Sport (ordered from Halifax's Fia Fia🔗; link goes to their website. Canadian wool bought from a Canadian, and Atlantic Canadian too!, shop), and chose Fern green, Mauve, and Magenta for my sample colors. Wanna see?

The photo is a bit older now because I have roughly half of the second openwork done; it's in the Magenta. That will be followed up with another slipped stitch section, a section of Fern openwork, a final slipped stitch section, and then the bottom border with garter stitch, slipped stitches, and beads along with a picot edge. 

Talk about bringing some drama!

This is my Three Hand Reel design. 3 Hands, reels or jigs, are choreographed dances often combining elements from solos and céilís. My favorite was the one created by The Dance Brain, aka my 2 dance besties (S &H) and me. The colors are reminiscent of each of us too. And fittingly it'll end with a bit of added pizazz and sparkle, just like any good performance piece. A little nod to my dance days, and the friends who were on the ride with me. Good times!

This seems like as good a place as any to mention that I can no longer leave the house without my cane. Walking even a km has become really difficult. I still do it; I gotta get groceries and check the mail after all. And just het out of the house in general. But I've really been struggling with this downturn in my mobility. Not a fun time, fiber friends. I'm hurting pretty badly after an ill-advised "I need to get out!!!!" "moment" yesterday. I did get to capture this though:

This isn't far from my house. Maybe 5-10 minutes of a walk down to the water for someone walking a normal non-dragging speed. I think it took me just shy of 40 minutes to get there yesterday. sigh

Ah, my Rock in the ocean. There's something strangely soothing about a moody ocean. It was what I needed yesterday, even if I'm hurting extra today. Seems like that's a constant trade off lately.

Back to the good stuff!

I knit this little shawl mock up to try out another of my back burner ideas. It's not quite what I have in mind but it's close and it makes an adorable wrap for my little bear friend. She's quickly becoming my mini model for little one off's:

She's quite adventurous, climbing the trees in my backyard. 

I still haven't knit the sleeves for my Jeri🔗 (link to The Wayward Knitter Payhip shop) cardigan lol. The weather has warmed up and my cozy cardigan, though not forgotten, has been decidedly neglected. My hands want lighter yarns right now; the shawl is fingering/sport weight, and the earwarmer is DK. 

It's the first day of summer! What are your crafting plans as the weather heats up? I've been looking at my pattern collection, and I have to be honest I'm tempted to embrace my oft-suppressed inner mermaid.

Inner mermaid? While chatting with a friend about aesthetics, she asked me what I thought her vibe was, and I immediately said she's largely a Hobbit with a bit of an edge. She laughed and said that was fair given that to her I'm a Lisa Frank mermaid with a glitter problem. She's not wrong, fiber friends! Gimme the bright colors with a decided leaning to the cooler tones and if I can incorporate sparkle/bling or otherwise unexpected bits, yeah I'll do it. 

What does that look like? Picture the above palette on this gorgeous skirt Folly Skirt by Espace Tricot (sorry gang, I'm not finding their individual patterns listed on their website, https://www.espacetricot.ca🔗

Or this crocheted skirt (appropriately) called the Mermaid Skirt🔗 (link goes to designer's Etsy shop)

My mum would probably describe the vibe as "hippy dippy". I prefer mermaid comfort. I think a long skirt to go with my existing and in progress shawls comes first and then I can start exploring patterns for tank tops and other sleeveless tops. I have lots of shawls and cardigans to toss on when things are chilly.

Ok! I think that's it for today. I'll pop all my links in and get this up for your reading and viewing pleasure. Speaking of viewing: did you like my little video clip? Should I add those when I have them? I promise not to give any spoken commentary; no one needs to hear a cartoon character chattering in a nature clip lol

Yours in yarn, and not enough consideration for physical pain,

Síle

Once More Around the Sun

Goodness! It's been a minute or two, hasn't it?

A quick run down of what's been going on around here:

• I had a birthday in mid-February. Adding the digits together I'm once again 11 or 2 if you go all the way to a single digit. Either way I should be feeling much more youthful than I am currently lol 
• I finished the Folklore Cardigan (pattern by Amy Gundersen🔗; link to the MadeleineTosh website pattern page) for Roomie and I think it turned out pretty well 

So that's really the two major things. The weather is trying to decide if it's winter, or spring, or maybe sprinter. That's been fun to navigate. Like not leaving the house for 8 days at a go kind of navigate. Ah well, better safe than in traction.

Speaking of, I should be in a body cast. Or wrapped in bubble wrap. I seem to have sprained or at least reeeeaaallly strained my back. Yesterday. Fiber friends, I would be lying if I said I'm not badly hurting right now. Movement is very gingerly when it happens. Of course this brings out the crack medical team of Drs Jakey and Silver. Dr Jakey is an expert in patient care, while Dr Silver has done very indepth research of healing vibrations. This photo shows Dr Jakey checking to be sure I was resting properly this afternoon:

Dr Jakey takes a very paws on approach with his patients. Needless to say, I'm strictly under my doctor's orders ;)

Onto KDRD news:

I designed and knit the sample for something quick! And there will be more of them!

So a few years ago I knit what you'll find on the interwebs called various things like skating bonnet or cap, headband, earwarmer, etc. And it's something I use frequently in the colder months because it allows me to keep my ubiquitous ponytail, and still cover my ears. The one I knit originally has ties on it, and here's a photo:

It used bulky yarn and equally thick needles, which I confess aren't my favorites. That end of the yarn and needle spectrum tends to make my hands ache. Thankfully it was quick to do. And it's been a wonderful addition to my winter gear.

A few weeks ago we had a bunch of days with wind warnings, and I started thinking it would be nice to have another earwarmer. And with my love double-knitting I thought I could make something thicker than usual without having to resort to thick yarns and needles. 

And me being me, after I charted one idea I had a couple others pop into my head, and eventually I had 4 just awaiting needles and yarn. So this is the first one:

I used DK weight yarn I had onhand and a 3.25mm needle. It used about 140 yards/128 metres in two colors; a little more of the blue than the gray because I did both ties in blue.

Ok, so this one (which is called Sevens) is basic 2 color double-knitting with the addition of paired make 1 increases on one end and paired decreases on the other. That's the trickiest part of this one if you're already familiar with double-knitting.

As I said I have 3 more of these planned. One that adds a third color into the fun, one that has different designs on each side, and one with simple cables and a bit of texture.

I plan to release all 4 together as an ebook September-esque. That's what I'm aiming for anyway. Sometime before the Fasten Off Yarn-a-Long comes back around anyway ;) 

And in other design news, I started the swatch for my 4 color double-knit wrap. I need a ballpark number of yards so I can budget and acquire the yarn needed for it. There's also a "sister" design that's a 3 color 2 pattern wrap of similar size. They're both big. Like completely envelope an adult big. I'm so looking forward to these getting on the go!

That's the current goings on at KDRD :)

Shall we check in with my personal projects? Indeed we shall!

I'm back working on my Jeri (designed by Kat Riddell🔗; link to pattern page in her Payhip shop) again, and it's growing. I'm about 6 inches/15cm from where I split out the sleeves (topdown, non-raglan construction). For my size I need to reach 14 inches/35.5cm according to the pattern, which might be a touch short but thankfully I can try it on at that point and see. I think I'll need another inch but I'll see then. Here's a look at how my Jeri is coming along; keep in mind it's being worked topdown:

In other crafts, I've got a new cross stitch design charted out that I hope to be sharing with you as I make progress. I took the poem Pangur Bán, or more correctly the 1912 translation by R. Flower, and created quite a piece. I'm going to need to stitch it on 28 count Aida, or it's going to cover the wall. Well, maybe 18 count; definitely not 14 lol  

That's all I have current in my personal crafting. I have a stack of WIPs but I think I'll save a run down of those for another day. Be warned: there are a lot lol. I'm talking double digits. It's a lot.

Moving on!

As I'm sure many of you are aware, there's some... how to put this?... concerning talk coming from the leader of the country below mine. (For those who're new here, welcome. I live in the beautiful province of Newfoundland & Labrador, specifically on the island of Newfoundland, here on Canada's most eastern coast. And I'm Canadian by birth and inclination) And that talk is causing a lot of unease, and frankly distrust, of that individual, leading to all kinds of trade and other issues between two, up until this point, closely allied countries. A lot of us up here, myself included, have family and friends down there, and of course the reverse is true. There's been, up until now, a sense of cooperation and camaraderie between the two nations. 

I'm not here to be political, fiber friends, but life itself is political. I live in Canada's youngest province; Newfoundland & Labrador joined Canada in 1949 as the 10th province. Yet there are rumblings that the entirety of Canada, all 10 provinces and 3 territories should, and ludicrously should be happy at the suggestion, become the 51st state of the United States of America.

As we say here on The Rock: no b'y. 

There's a lot going on. Canadians are focusing on buying non-USA goods. Some are cancelling vacations to Florida and other destinations States-side in favor of visiting another province here or going further a field to Mexico, the Caribbean or Europe.

I've really thought about what this all means for my very small business (one woman with chronic pain and insomnia), and beyond. As it stands, I'm continuing to support designers who I know via the internet. As for yarn, I already work with a predominantly Canadian group of yarns just from a financial accessibility standpoint. My current habits seem to already be in line with my conscious. 

As part of my own contributions to small Canadian businesses, I'm going to start highlighting one or two each post. I had been toying with this idea since late last year but now it seems particularly important. Most of these will be designers and yarn dyers; links will be to their own sites or social media accounts. Without further ado, I bring you the first of my Spotlights.

SPOTLIGHT

Beaded Beauties Bracelets And More 

Located in Clarenville, Newfoundland & Labrador, this one woman business run by Krista does just what it says. Fully personalized and customizable, she creates bracelet collections for holidays and bands lyrics, as well as necklaces, keychains, and occasionally earrings. I'm currently sporting a set of 4 players from my favorite hockey team (And with the game being over 10 minutes in: Go Habs Go!) made by her.

You can get an idea of Krista's lovely work in the marked highlight on her Instagram account🔗  (Full disclosure: Krista is better known to readers of this blog as "Roomie".)

Knitjbeale Designs

A transplant to St. John's, Newfoundland & Labrador from Canada's West Coast, Jennifer Beale designs breathtaking sweaters and shawls often using stranded colorwork along with lace and/or cables. Truly a feast for knitters wanting something beyond the usual. I have several of her patterns on my must-make list including this recently released gem of an open-front cardigan, Fort Amhurst:

I wasn't kidding when I said breathtaking, was I? You can find this beauty, and many more, on her website: www.knitjbealedesigns.com🔗

Whew! That was a marathon post but I'm done roughly 20 minutes into the hockey game. Enough time to grab links to the various websites, and alt-captions for the photos during intermission! Lol :)

Thanks for sticking with me today, fiber friends! What's on your needles and hooks today? Did you know the most recent issue of Knitty🔗 came out yesterday? Just in time for a new project maybe ;)

Yours in yarn, pain, caffeine, and late night hockey watching (my guys are in Seattle tonight),

Síle

How is it Monday?

More to the point: how is it February?? 2025 is just rolling along even as the world becomes more of a dumpster fire.

Gather with your communities, fiber friends. Whether online or in-person, support each other, hold each other up with love and kindness. And when you've got the energy, however you're able to, be the change you want to see in this world.

I'm going to leave that as it is, for now. I'm still collecting my thoughts, and ordering my words on what's going on with our once-respectable southern neighbour. I will say this though, in true Newfoundland fashion, "Thank god we're surrounded by water!" while still holding as many of you as I can in my heart. 

So beyond the collapse of civility between nations, I managed some pattern work this week. Charts are nearly complete for four, yes, 4!, new designs, and basic pattern writing has begun on them. I plan for these to be a literal ebook: 4 patterns of similar items in one pdf... well 2 really because there will be a "standard" one with both charted and written instructions, and a second presented with low vision accessibility in mind (24pt sans serif font, emphasis shown with bold type instead of italics, minimal abbreviations to be clear with screen reader technology, etc). These four designs cover a number of double-knitting techniques, which I thought was a fun idea. These are quick to knit accessories too so just right to learn/try a little something while still being useful.

On the personal project front, I have 3 diamonds of length knit on Sleeve 2 of Roomie's cardigan now. And I put some rows into the birthday surprise gift too; O! I finally finished the chart for that. Whew! That was a bit of a marathon truth be told. When I reveal it that will make much more sense. I didn't get a start on Clue 2 of Common Thread's Keep It Secret Keep It Safe mkal unfortunately. My hands seemed drawn to DK weight yarns this week ;) I'm using Paton's Astra for both the cardigan and the birthday surprise (It's Roomie, they need to be able to safely go in the washer and dryer), again purchased locally. Top of the hill and around the corner in fact. Very handy.

What's on your needles and hooks, fiber friends? Any FOs (finished objects) from January? 

Yours in yarn and varying degrees of fogged brain,

Síle

Hello!

And welcome to the Stitches & Steps blog :)

I noticed that there've been a lot of new fiber friends checking in here lately, and I thought a little intro post might be timely.

So first off, I'm Síle (pronounced she-la), and the Stitches & Steps blog is where I share all my latest news and chatter on my pattern designs (Knit Dance Repeat Designs aka where the site gets its name), personal crafting projects (heavy on knitting but occasional cross-stitch and crochet forays happen), Irish dance news and inspiration, and the occasional blip about my physical health.

Across the top, you'll also find tabs to: an index of my photo tutorial posts and helpful hints, a gallery with internal links to all of my pattern pages, and a glossary of Irish dance terms that have appeared in my pattern intro paragraphs plus a few from blogposts. (Aside: I'm always happy to add to the glossary, so if there's a term or word you're curious about, drop me a comment in the form in the sidebar, and I'll get it added to the glossary as soon as I can)

Along the sidebar I have links to other places to buy my patterns (Payhip and LoveCrafts), and links to other inspirational fiber folks that you might also enjoy. I try to include clearly marked links to any patterns and/or designers I discuss in my personal projects, and tag them in the post. If I've forgotten a link, don't hesitate to let me know! :) It's always my intention to have links but my brain fog sometimes distracts me before I can hit publish on a post.

So that's a wide net overview of the site :)

Why Knit Dance Repeat? To be honest, I fell into it! I was designing a few little things here and there, and writing them up since 2009. Anchors & Ropes was published on my then-blog I think in December of 2009. Could've been November. Anyway! I wanted to design more. I enjoyed it and it was a great creative outlet from my series of retail and customer service jobs; I've been assistant manager of a dollar store, worked at Walmart as both floor staff and a cashier, worked the drive through of a coffee place, etc...

Then I got hurt, and I was home, in a lot of pain, with only books and my yarn hoard to keep me occupied. Thankfully I had my Roomie for company and awesome support, but even the absolute bestest friends can't fill a void in your own head left by suddenly not having a purpose. 

To say I went through some things in the summer of 2015 is an understatement.

But what did happen was I literally dreamed a pattern coming together. I sat bolt up in bed at like 3:30 in the morning, scribbled down the idea, and went back to sleep. When I woke up later that day I looked at the back of that envelope, and discovered what I'd done.

I had used the math of the music of a reel to outline a cowl. Who does that?! Apparently me lol The thing is, it was solid. The idea was completely knitable. I think I cast-on that afternoon.

But that also got my mind firing. If I could use the time signature of a reel (4/4 for those not familiar traditional Irish music) to come up with a cowl pattern, could I use a similar process to design something for a light jig?

I'll spare you the whole journey, but the answer was yes for the light jig, single jig, slip jig, treble reel, treble jig, and hornpipe.

And that blending/melding/mixing of knitting and Irish dance/music brought to mind what I used to do. I knit, I danced, and then I repeated it over the course of my week. Heck, I often knit while at dance! In the down room before class, and even backstage during rehearsals for performances. A few times backstage during performances to help with nerves if I'm being completely honest lol. Even when my feet weren't dancing, my fingers often were! 

The blending of the two worlds also helped me keep my place in dance when we (my dr and I) weren't sure exactly where this was going to lead. Irish dance was a huge component of my life. Many of my absolute dearest friends came into my life because we met at the studio. The music always spoke to me from the time I was a little girl. The steps always felt like they were meant to be mine...

Ok, not trebles; those never felt exactly right lol I'm a slip jig not a treble reel! Thank you for that line, Bernie!! :)

Where was I??

Oh right! Irish dance and trad music were, and are, a big part of who I am. And at a time that was scary and uncertain, I needed that comfort and stability, even if I could hardly put one foot in front of the other to walk from my room to the bathroom. Especially because of it, really.

And my little niche has allowed me to play with knitting and Irish dance in ways I never imagined. And I continue to play with both in ever expanding ways. I have so many ideas!! 

One thing you'll notice is there's not a firm schedule for when new patterns come out here at KDRD. Where I do everything (with the exceptions of photography and tech editing; shout out to Krista and Heather for providing me with the best of both disciplines!), and from only my smartphone to boot, everything hinges on my pain levels, fog levels, and general "can I knit/write/edit/sit up today?". I do my best to be timely. I don't always succeed but I do try.

One other thing about me: I live on the island of Newfoundland off of Canada's most eastern coast, adrift in the north Atlantic Ocean. This place informs a lot of what I do knitting wise indirectly. And like any good solid Rock, it's given me a pretty steady base to work from. I'd be very remiss if I didn't mention my adopted home. And nothing set in stone but I have an idea or two that'll give my dear island some attention of its own amongst all the dancing and tunes.

So welcome! I hope you'll come back often and see what I'm up to. Comments and questions are always welcome either on a post/page or to the form in the sidebar. 

Ok, so no design news to share this week. I'm still a bit behind in my head from my overnight to Town midmonth to be honest. You wouldn't think an overnight would disrupt so much but here I am. 

In personal projects, I got the first sleeve of Roomie's cardi done. I'm knitting her a Folklore Cardigan by Amy Gundersen🔗 (link to the pattern's page on the MadelineTosh website) in classic cream and black. It's such a great classic cabled cardigan in DK weight; I'm using Patons Astra purchased from a local shop. 

And here's a pic of the sleeve:

I have 1 and a half diamonds done on the second one so it's moving again. I admittedly got a bit bogged down by it for a while because I've been working on it since October. But things are zipping along again, so yay!

The other piece I've put any time into is Nicole from Common Thread Fiber's Keep It Secret Keep It Safe Shawl mystery knit along aka mkal. I finished Clue 1! Clue 4 dropped today lol. Working behind as always lol. I'm using Briggs & Little Heritage which is a wonderfully woolly worsted/aran weight yarn. Canadian too, from our oldest woollen mill in the country. They're Atlantic Canadian neighbors too, being based in New Brunswick :) As I pointed out last post, this pattern is only available on Ravelry for the duration of the original knit along due to the need for sending weekly clue updates, and Common Thread's off-Rav location is on Ko-fi. I'll safe link as soon as I can!

So that's what's keeping my personal needles busy, and I've been doing a wee bit of pattern writing and charting for new designs but nothing I can share just now. Maybe next time I'll have something definitive for you.

I've written a novel this time! Whew! I hope you've had a favorite drink and/or snack to get you through today's post lol

What are you working on, fiber friends? A last minute warm hat or pair of mittens to help stave off the polar vortex that's gripped much of North America? Or are you thinking spring and summer, and have a lovely tee or tank on your needles or hook? I'd love to hear from you :)

As always, I remain

Yours in yarn and really long intros because it's either four words or a novel with me lol,

Síle

Well

I was going to announce winners in my anniversary word games yesterday. But with no entries, I don't have an announcement to make!

I hope the games were enjoyed even without entering. 

Wow, over halfway through January already!

I spent an overnight trip in Town this past week (went in Thursday morning, home again Friday afternoon) for a doctor's appointment. Unfortunately it was the worst weather day of the entire winter so far, especially when paired with taking the Metrobus around. Brr.

I did manage to get to Michael's and pick up some beads for Roomie that she asked if I could get there for. And I got a few colors of embroidery floss since I'd like to explore cross-stitching again. Cross-stitch and plastic canvas needlepoint are where my crafting journey began when I was 6, so a little return to roots exploration happening. I have a sampler I need to finish that I started in 2020 (self designed), and would like to stitch some smaller bits just to change up my creativity a bit.

Sadly I was in too much pain, and didn't feel up to fighting the wind, to make it to Chapters. I did wander the Coles in the Av for a bit but oddly no books found their way home with me. Any I saw that were interesting were ones I either already have or read via the Libby app/NLPL and don't need to own. 

Oh, and I indulged in something I never order out here simply because of my history with the business. I went to the Timmies in the Av and had a large white hot chocolate with 2 cream and an Earl Grey tea bag. Yum. Haven't had that in ages. It's similar to a London Fog but thicker/creamier, which appeals to me. I need to try the microwave jar method of frothing milk and see if I can make a semi-decent London Fog at home. Lots of anti-inflammatory properties in Earl Grey that would be beneficial to me if I got in the habit of one a day. It's sodium I need to cut out not anything else ;)

The anniversary celebration is over so what's next for Knit Dance Repeat Designs, you may be asking. Good question! I'm really hoping to have a pattern release announcement soon. Hand sewing and back spasms aren't really conducive to one another so I'm afraid I can't be more specific than that. I don't like not being able to give hard deadlines but these are the cards I hold, fiber friends.

I'm trying to finish up Roomie's cardigan before I start the swatches for my next two large samples. These are a pair of double-knit wraps; sister designs, really. One is 3 color double-knitting, the other is 4 colors. I need to swatch for usage so I can estimate the yardage I need to acquire to knit the samples. So much math! So much yarn!

The other thing about these swatches is they'll be perfect for getting the photos for my beginning double-knitting tutorial that I've been putting together. This tutorial will include all kinds of tips and tricks to help knitters on their double-knitting journey. The things I learned the hard way lol. Much of it is my preferences though; I've tried to be clear on that, and include links to other methods that may suit you better too. I'm nearly done writing it, then photos need adding before I hit publish. I'll let you know before it comes out. I'm aiming for late spring, May-ish, for it to be ready, but that's a moving target for now.

Alright! That's my catch up this week. What's on your needles and/or hooks, fiber friends? Anything new? In my personal projects alongside Roomie's cardigan, I'm working on clue 1 of the Common Thread's Keep It Secret Keep It Safe (KISKIS) mkal. Clue 3 came out yesterday lol :) While the mkal is going on, it's only available on R@v due to sending out updates; Ko-fi isn't set up with functionality for them but Nicole has mentioned releasing the finished pattern in her Ko-fi shop when it's complete. You might be interested if you like large worsted weight shawls full of yummy textures inspired by Middle Earth and Tolkien. Common Thread's Ko-fi shop, and all of their existing patterns, can be found here: Common Thread Ko-fi Shop🔗

This time I really am done! lol

Yours in yarn and semiorganized chaos,

Síle

Happy 10th Anniversary - Day 10

We made it! It's the 10th and final day of my pattern sale celebrating the 10th anniversary of Knit Dance Repeat Designs!

Today's coupon works on any and all of my patterns (see the Patterns tab above). It's good until 11:59pm Newfoundland time (UTC -3.5) tonight, January 15, 2025. The coupon is TENPLUS10 and it's good for 20% off! Nothing like going out with a bang :)

I want to thank everyone who's bought a Knit Dance Repeat Designs pattern, ever. Without everyone's support, I wouldn't be doing this

Don't forget, I'll be selecting a winner of a pattern of choice for each of the three games🔗 on Saturday, January 18th, so be sure to submit your entries before then!

Yours in yarn and the last of the glitter, confetti, and streamers,

Síle

Happy 10th Anniversary - Day 9

Day 9 of the Knit Dance Repeat Designs 10th anniversary celebration pattern sale already! These days are going by so fast!

What if I told you today you can get 8 patterns on sale? It's true! All the Jigs & Reels🔗 is today's sale 'pattern'. Click the link, and add coupon ALLTHETENS for 10% off. This coupon is good until 11:59pm Newfoundland time (UTC -3.5) tonight, January 14, 2025. 

There's only one more day to the sale after today, fiber friends! And if you're interested in submitting entries for any of the games🔗, remember I'll be selecting winners on January 18th (this Saturday), so be sure to email them in before then!

Yours in yarn and not many streamers,

Síle

Happy 10th Anniversary - Day 8

And we're back to Monday, Day 8 of this 10 day celebration pattern sale!

There are still enough days left to this winter to knit a scarf, fiber friends! Maybe the lace of Slip Jig Scarf🔗 appeals to you. Or you're a newer knitter and the knit-purl textures of Practice Makes Perfect🔗 are calling you. If you'd like a challenge, Rínce Fada🔗 combining double-knitting and simple rope cables might be just the ticket, especially if you're a dancer or have a special one in your life. Add one (or more if you like!) to your cart, and use the coupon LONG10COMING at checkout for 10% off until 11:59pm Newfoundland time (UTC -3.5) tonight January 13, 2025.

We're nearing the end of the celebration, fiber friends! Check back tomorrow for the penultimate sale!

Yours in yarn and still more confetti from somewhere,

Síle

Happy 10th Anniversary - Day 7

Hello, fiber friends!

Wondering what patterns are on sale today? Wait no longer!

Friday was mittens, and January weather sort of demands hats be a thing, now doesn't it? So today I'm highlighting Light Jig Tam🔗 and Treble Reel Toque🔗; two cabled toppers sure to delight knitter and wearer alike. Add coupon 10GALLONS at checkout for 10% off your choice (or both). Coupon expires after 11:59pm Newfoundland time (UTC -3.5) tonight, January 12, 2025.

There are only 4 days, including today, left in the anniversary celebration! Have you checked out the games🔗? 

Yours in yarn and somehow more streamers,

Síle

Happy 10th Anniversary - Day 6

Good Saturday, fiber friends!

I'm happy to say it's another two patterns on sale today! Looking for a tote bag pattern? Maybe to carry a larger project to your knit night? Watch the Clock🔗 has you covered. But maybe you want something a little different. How about a completely reversible drawstring bag? Play with some fun double-knitting techniques with Hornpipe Bag🔗. Choose either one, and add coupon TENINTHEBAG for 10% off today, January 11, 2025. This coupon is good until 11:59pm Newfoundland time (UTC -3.5) tonight :)

What's next? Come back tomorrow and see!

Yours in yarn and a seemingly neverending pile of confetti,

Síle

Happy 10th Anniversary - Day 5

We've made it to Friday!

And what might you need going into a January weekend? Perhaps a pair of mittens or fingerless mitties? ;)

In case you haven't guessed, today's sale is on both the Single Jig Mittens🔗 and the Single Jig Mitties🔗. Choose either pattern (or both), and add coupon HANDSYOU10 at checkout for 10% off today, January 10, 2025. This coupon is good until 11:59pm Newfoundland (UTC -3.5) time tonight.

Don't forget to check back tomorrow for the next sale!

Yours in yarn and hidden leftover cake crumbs ;)

Síle

Happy 10th Anniversary - Day 4!

Happy Thursday!

And welcome back for Day 4 of the Knit Dance Repeat Designs 10th anniversary celebration!

Today seemed like a good day for Isadora Duncan🔗 to be my sale pattern of the day :) Click the link, and add coupon IZZY10 at checkout for 10% off until 11:59pm Newfoundland (UTC -3.5) time tonight, January 9, 2025. And be sure to check back tomorrow to see what the next sale is!

Yours in yarn and glitter,

Síle

Happy 10th Anniversary - Day 3

The celebration continues!

It's Day 3 of Knit Dance Repeat Designs' 10th anniversary celebration, and today's pattern sale is Garden Blooms🔗. Click the link, and add coupon TENOFFHOME at checkout for 10% off today, January 8th. This coupon is good until 11:59pm Newfoundland (UTC -3.5) time tonight.

While you're here, have you given any of the games🔗 a try?

Until tomorrow, fiber friends!

Yours in yarn and tangled in streamers ;)

Síle

Happy 10th Anniversary - Day 2

It's the second day of my 10th anniversary celebration pattern sale!

We're going from cowl to legwarmers!

My Treble Jig Legwarmers🔗 are today's sale pattern. Click the link, and add coupon TJL10KDRD at checkout for 10% off. This offer is good today, January 7, 2025 until 11:59pm Newfoundland (UTC -3.5) time.

What will tomorrow be? You'll have to stop by and see ;)

Are you enjoying the games? If you missed them you can find them in my last post🔗 

Yours in yarn and leftover cake,

Síle

Fun with Words

As promised here they are! Word fun to celebrate Knit Dance Repeat Designs' 10th anniversary :) And yes, I've been working on a few of these since last summer *laughing face*

Game 1: First up is a classic, and probably my personal favorite. Grab a piece of paper (or a fresh word/google document), and your preferred writing implement, and write down as many words of at least two letters that you make using the letters in KNIT DANCE REPEAT DESIGNS 

Game 2:  I have created a word search using knitting and yarn words, and words associated with Knit Dance Repeat Designs for you! Can you find them all?

Game 3: Who's up for a crossword puzzle? Again knitting and yarn words, and words associated with Knit Dance Repeat Designs (Hint: you may need to consult the Glossary of Irish dance tab)

Having fun? If you'd like to submit your answers to any or all of the games, you can email them to knitdancerepeat@gmail.com with Game # in the subject line. For each game, I will randomly select (I like to use a spinner wheel app. You can see it in use in my only Instagram reel; you can find a direct link to my Instagram account in my Linktree in the sidebar) a winner to receive a KDRD pattern of their choice. Winners will be selected on January 18th, giving you lots of time to enter!

Let me know in the comments if you're enjoying the games :)

Yours in yarn and word fun,

Síle

Happy 10th Anniversary, Knit Dance Repeat Designs!

I can hardly believe it's been 10 years already!

It's been a time of a lot of ups and downs for me, but thankfully I've had my fiber friends along for the ride. And my family, of course. But my family doesn't buy or knit from my patterns, and my fiber friends do ;)

You'll notice I've cleaned up the Patterns tab a bit. I thought labels would be useful for everyone, and it was about time to have All the Jigs & Reels listed here too!

Today is Day 1 of the Knit Dance Repeat Designs 10th Anniversary pattern sale, and that means until midnight Newfoundland time my Light Reel Cowl🔗 is 10% off! Click the link and apply the coupon 10CowlKDRD at checkout.

Later today I'll be launching some fun anniversary word games in their own post. You'll be able to play these for the fun and challenge, and/or submit your answers for the chance to win KDRD patterns.

Yours in yarn and cake,

Síle

Anniversary Plans

In case you don't know, Knit Dance Repeat Designs celebrates its 10th anniversary on Monday, January 6, 2025!

I don't know about you but I think that's pretty significant!

So after toying with a bunch of ideas I came up with a celebration plan that will start on Monday, January 6th and continue through January 15th; 10 entire days!

Here's the rundown of what will be happening:

• Each day there will be a different sale. These will be announced here on the blog at midnight Newfoundland time (UTC -3.5) each day, starting on Monday January 6th, and last for that 24 hour period. Check back daily to see what the day's sale is!
• Games! If you like word puzzles, these will be totally up your alley. These will be posted here on Monday with all the details (hint: games mean prizes ;) )
• I'm working on the timing of something else. I can't promise it'll happen yet but please know I'm up to something. I mean more so than I normally am lol

Sound like fun? I hope so! Until Monday, fiber friends!

Yours in yarn and celebration streamers,

Síle

Happy 2025!

Happy New Year, fiber friends!

I rang in the New Year several times while taking part in the Fasten Off Yarn-a-Long New Year's Eve Boonanza. And I'm feeling a little tired, so I'm keeping this short and sweet. For once! Lol!

KDRD's 10th birthday is in a few days! Are you as amazed as I am? 10 years ago I was researching how to make pdfs and discovering I could do it from my phone. Fast forward a decade, and I'm still using my phone for everything 😂

Stay tuned for some anniversary announcements after I catch up on my sleep a bit. 

I hope you had a fun and safe New Year's, and all your yarn plans come together the way you want them to over 2025.

Yours in yarn and big plans,

Síle