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

Summertime & the Knitting Countines (Slowly)

I'm happy to report that the Hornpipe Bag pattern🔗 (link remains within this site) was well received last week. And testing for the Four Hand Reel is going great. One tester is nearly finished! Depending on the photo situation, I forsee a fall release of the tote bag pattern.

I'm happy to say our temps are down slightly which is allowing me to knit again for at least short times. Roomie has gone to Town to attend tonight's George Street Festival concert, so I'm here with my yarn and her cats. One of the items on my list to tackle today is cutting/sewing/attaching the lining for my Four Hand Reel. I found the cutest fabric a while ago:

Isn't that fun? Especially since I use my tote as a large project bag.

Speaking of large projects, I've been knitting up samples of the various knotwork motifs I've charted in order to help me choose the right one for Countess Cathleen (the cabled and hooded cloak design). So far I haven't found the right one, but I'm really hopeful for KW#7 :) KW#5 was cool but waaaay too big. I might have a place in the lineup where it can shine though. Possibly. I digress! Here are some of the rejected knotworks:

I was able  to watch Romi Hill's Youtube live last night. What a wealth of blocking lace knowledge! If you're looking for lace tips and tricks, her Youtube channel is a gold mine. Anyway, she mentioned that there other ways to block lace besides those she covered, one being a shawl frame. These were/are commonly used in the Shetland islands to block out their beautiful lace shawls. I believe there's also a type of shawl frame from Estonia/the Baltic countries; I confess I was only skimming the google-foo results. Knit Picks has a tutorial🔗 on how to build one that can be easily taken down for storage. Dangerous knowledge for me lol. Still I think building one is most likely, although with the price of lumber it might not be, the cheaper option. I'll add it to my list of things I should build with the portable dance floor so I don't have to treble on concrete in the basement ;)

Why did I bring up lace and shawl frames? Well, the Planxty Hap needs a good blocking before I can get pictures of it, and then get it into techediting and test/beta knitting. I really want to get that out for everyone to see. It's a fairly soothing lace project, and I'm a bit proud of it.

And there will be (at least) another lace shawl coming sometime down the road too. I have the charts finalized, I "just" need to get the yarn and knit the sample. I have to laugh because I have so many designs at this particular stage right now. I'm looking at my list of ideas/charts that are fully realized and can count 6. At least it keeps me out of trouble lol

In my personal projects, I'm actively working on a cabled pullover (Twist Again by Robynn Weldon🔗), a not overly lace cardigan (Colorica Cardigan by Romi Hill🔗), and a fun and colorful shawl  (Who Ya Gonna Shawl by Mary Annarella/Lyrical Knits🔗). All of these links go to either the designer's own website or their Payhip shop; none send you to R@v.

That's today's little round up. I hope you've been staying relatively cool in the summer heat. Have you  been fiber crafting? Perhaps you're using a cotton or linen blend yarn to knit a tanktop or crochet a beach/pool cover-up? Let me what you have on the go :)

That's it for me today! Stay cool!

Yours in yarn, and summer heat,

Síle

Anyone Need a New Bag?

My Hornpipe Bag pattern is now available!

This handy double-knit bag is just the right size for running errands, going to your summer dance class, or attending an outdoor show. And because it's double-knit, you get a fun patterned bag without worrying about your keys, pens, and other bits getting caught in the floats! 

This fun pattern is backed by photo tutorials, linked directly in the Notes section of the pattern, and also easily found in the Helpful Posts tab above, for the techniques I used that may not be familiar to you. 

Where can you buy the Hornpipe Bag pattern? Right here on this site! Hornpipe Bag on this site🔗

But that's not all! Buy before end of day on Friday (the 21st), using code KDRDHB20 and receive 20% off. This is code is only found here in this post as a thank you to my readers. (Yes, there's another code for a smaller discount that I'm putting out more freely. No, they can't be stacked.)

What are you waiting for? Get the Hornpipe Bag pattern today ;)

Yours in yarn and release day chaos,

Síle

Photo Shoot Day!

That's right! 

Photos for the Hornpipe Bag are on the schedule today :)

And that means I'll be taking some time over the next few days to choose which photos will be in the pattern, and which additional ones will be on the various pattern pages. And of course making sure everything is just so before I put it out for everyone.

Release day for the Hornpipe Bag will be Tuesday, the 18th!

That's not all that's on my designer's to-do list this weekend! The test/beta knit for the Four Hand Reel starts on Saturday. I'm really looking forward to what colors the knitters will be using. That's my favorite part of any test/beta knit: seeing my design re-interpreted in someone else's color and yarn choices.

And of course I have actual knitting on my list. I'm knitting up the various knotwork motif charts I've created for the bottom section of the Countess Cathleen cloak. I thought that a cabled knotwork would look really nice centered near the bottom of each of the shaping panels. So, I've been creating charts, and knitting them, to try and find the right one. I've made some interesting observations but my hunt for the right knotwork continues. 

I have a couple of double-knitting designs in the works. I'm looking at yarns right now, and hope to get them on the needles toward the end of the summer or early fall. Which will hopefully be when I have another pattern in test/beta knitting. This will be something for the lace and/or shawl knitters amongst you. I've dubbed it the Planxty Hap. I think you'll like it if lace with a twist is your type of pattern.

Time for me to get outside and join my photographer so she can make some photo magic!

Yours in yarn and model mode ;)

Síle

Hole-y Double-Knits, bat-people!

This tutorial shows how I made the eyelets for the drawstrings in my Hornpipe Bag pattern. It's also good for buttonholes in double-knitting, in case you endeavour to a double-knit cardigan or vest.

For this tutorial, I'm using two colors of worsted weight yarn, Fresh Green as the Main Color (MC) and Off-white as the Contrast Color (CC), for good contrast and so the stitches are a bit larger and visible for you.

While the numbers and spacing are for my Hornpipe Bag, I hope you'll be able to apply this tutorial to other projects as well.

At Rnds 64 and 65, the chart directs you back to the written instructions. Here's what rnd 64 says:

Rnd 64: [Work 6 sts as established, *cast-off 6 sts working them in their same colors, work 13 sts as established (20 sts worked per * * repeat); repeat from * 6 more times, cast-off 6 sts working them in their same colors, work 3 sts as established] twice.

And here's what my "bag" looks like ready to start rnd 64: 

Ok, so I work 6 sts as established:

... and then cast-off 6 sts, working them with their same color:

Now you work 13sts; you'll have 14 sts to the left of your eyelet because of the stitch that was used to cast-off the last eyelet stitch:

And you repeat these steps to the end of the round as it's lined out in row 64. Here's all of my eyelets done in my tutorial swatch:

Onto rnd 65. I'm going to break this down line by line.

 Rnd 65: *Work sts as established until you reach an eyelet. Turn the piece. (Before you ask: yes, this is worked the same in both working in the round and working flat):

Next step:

**Insert the right needle into the 2nd st on the left needle as if to knit it through its back loop:

Using the same color as this stitch, draw through a loop:

... and place it on the left needle. One new stitch has been cast-on.:

Now insert the right needle into the 2nd stitch on the left needle as if to knit it:

Using the same color as this stitch, draw through a loop:

... and place it on the left needle; a new stitch has been cast-on.:

Repeat from ** twice; you've cast on 6 new sts total:

Turn the work and repeat working from the * (ie the beginning of rnd 65):

One other thing I should mention that you're probably noticing about my swatch. The Contrast Color strands are looking a bit crossed over each other. It's mostly undetectable once those sts are worked into on the following rnd/row, but I also recommend when knitting flat (as I am with the swatch) to always do the casting off of your eyelets on a Right Side row, so this bit of crossing is on the Wrong Side/inside of your finished item.

And there you have it! This concludes my photo tutorial on eyelets (or buttonholes) in double-knitting.

Hello, June!

Little did I know when I wrote my last post that I had over 3 weeks more to my frozen-up arm. As you can imagine, that's put me waaay more behind on my various projects. Slowly I'm getting caught up while also working with a new strategy of breaks while working to keep my arm from going out again. 

What's going on here at KDRD? I'm currently editing my final tutorial for the Hornpipe Bag and, weather cooperating, photos should be done later in the week. I'm thinking the tutorial should be up on the weekend, with the pattern release next week. We'll see if it gets there!

The Four Hand Reel will be in test/beta knitting around July 5th. This is my log cabin square totebag. I'll be lining my proto soon; I had mislaid the fabric for a bit. The test/beta knit will be run on Yarnpond, which I found excellent to use when I tested the Hornpipe Bag last year. I'm thinking 10 weeks for the test period based on the yardage (5 colors/shades; about 200 yards each of 4 of them and 65-70 yds of the 5th one)

I'm continuing to play with my knotwork motif idea for the Countess Cathleen cloak. And I have a couple double-knitting ideas that I'm playing with too. And at least one other cable rich design. It's been very cold and blah here so I've been bringing more color into my work.

In my personal crafting, I'm well into the first sleeve of my Twist Again sweater. Finally I have the rhythm of the pattern down and the knitting is easy again. (Twist Again by Robynn Weldon on Payhip)

Does that happen to you? Find a pattern a bit of a struggle until you find the proper rhythm and then it just glides along. 

I've decided to change tracks on my bright colors sweater. Instead of crocheting a number of blocks (that truth be told were not lining up right), I've decided to make another Harvest cardigan using the 9 colors (8 bright ones with black) and knitting in alternating bands of the Fibonacci sequence, using ridges instead of rows. If you're not familiar with the Harvest cardigan, the front and neck edgings are knit at the same time as the rest of the top-down sweater, and the edgings are done in garter stitch. Hence using ridges. My plan is to knit 1 ridge in black, 1 ridge in Color 1, 2 ridges of black, 3 ridges of Color 2, 5 ridges of black, 8 ridges of Color 3, etc, keeping the colors in order and cycling through them as needed. That's the plan currently anyway. It could change again! lol (Harvest cardigan by Tin Can Knits on TinCanKnits.com)

 

I'm planning to get a new proto of my Single Jig Mitties on the needles soon. This is both a KDRD project (I want to update the photos when I get the pdf updated) and a personal project (I need something on my poor frozen hands. While the rest of North America is sweltering, we're experiencing Juneuary here on the island. It's 8°C and raining currently (46.4°F). We're living up to our Iceberg Alley nickname this year). I like when things work out that way. Single Jig Mitties on this site

And that's all I have that's fit to print this gloomy Monday! I look forward to getting the final Hornpipe Bag tutorial up this week.

I hope your crafting is going well. What are your plans for summer knitting? A light top perhaps? Or a lacy shawl? Maybe you prefer smaller things like mittens and hats so you're ready when the weather turns back to the cooler side of things. I'd love to hear about your plans :)

Your in yarn and wet weather,

Síle

Happy St. Patrick's Day! ☘

Hello!

It's about time I popped back over here to let you all know what's on the go here at KDRD!

And what better day to write a post than today? So let me get you updated :)

Sadly, Ma Nature continues to be a bit of brat, and photos for the Hornpipe Bag haven't happened. The town where I reside "welcomed" no we didn't! 20cm (about 8 inches) of heavy, wet, sloppy, slushy snow yesterday. Talk about putting a damper on things! So gross, and heavy. Blech. I would hope that's the end of the white stuff but this being Newfoundland, I'm not going to hold my breath. Blue might be my favorite color but I don't think it's a good skin tone for me! ;)

While I wait for the dear lady to sort out the weather for us, I'm getting another tutorial or maybe two ready before the pattern comes out. My way of doing things in double-knitting are just slightly different than what others do so it just makes sense to show you how I did something, doesn't it? I think I'll have one out before next Friday. If the photobombing furry people ever quit with their interruptions ;) Ah, life with cats :)

I'm happy to report the Four Hand Reel, a tote bag pattern drawing inspiration from traditional quilt blocks and céilí (kay-lee) dancing, has been sent to my techeditor. I've tentatively penciled in test/preview knitting to start next month. This would be a minimum 10 week time frame, based on the yardage, so publishing would happen in later June-early July. As always, my timeline is pretty flexible. Definitely out this summer!

The other pattern I'm going over and tweaking before sending off to be edited is my Planxty Hap, a lace shawl with traditional Shetland elements as a base that I've added my own spins to. My aim is to have that through techediting, test/preview knitting, and publishing before winter returns; October/November-ish ideally. We'll see how that timeline comes together.

Countess Cathleen, my hooded cabled cloak design, is at a bit of an impasse at the moment. Charting, and knitting, a knotwork motif based off of the main cable panel I designed is proving a bit of a headache. I will prevail, eventually, but that particular project is in a bit of a timeout right now. I have a couple of other double-knit ideas swirling: a cowl and scarf set, a blanket in three sizes, and a 3 color shawl/wrap with different designs on each side. And there's another lace shawl in the future as well. Plus my usual cable heavy ideas, of course. I have more than a few of those knocking about! 

In my personal crafting I have a few things on the go.

I'm completely charmed by Lyrical Knits' 2023 MKAL shawl, Who Ya Gonna Shawl? (Link to the Pattern listing in Lyrical Knits' Payhip store🔗). I treated myself to this gem and some lovely yarn as a birthday present (Aside: how the heck did I turn 45 last month?!?!), and it's definitely fit the bill as a treat. The mkal, mystery knit along for those not familiar with the abbreviation, is a lot of fun. Check out Mary's previous mkals and her lovely sweater patterns in her Payhip store as well. I have a few in my 'must make' list. You can see my in progress shawl on my notebook blog (link in the sideboard). I'm using 4 colors of West Yorkshire Spinners Signature 4 Ply, which is really lovely, both in colors and for knitting with. Really super happy with choosing it!

I finished these lovely Talamh fingerless mitts for Roomy/Sis. These were designed by Liz Corke, and I started them during the 2022 FOYAL. I used Briggs & Little Sport in "mauve", and I think they turned out just perfect. And I have more than enough left of that ball to make something for me too. I love when that happens :) You can find the Talamh pattern here (link to Pattern listing in Liz's Payhip store🔗)

I've got a couple of gifts on the needles for special little people in my life right now. I confess, between my Who Ya Gonna Shawl? and these cute projects, that's where my personal knitting/crafting time has been going. No pics until these are delivered as they're as much a surprise for the little people as their parents ;) I love making surprises, especially cute ones!

How are your knitting projects going? Have you been using precious gems from your yarn horde? Or found a new-to-you yarn that's becoming a go-to? Are you crafting for the coming spring and summer months, or getting one more cold weather favorite finished? Plans for larger projects this year? I'd love to hear all about what you're at :)

Yours in yarn and a shamrock covered hair scarf, 

Síle

Did you think I was kidding? ;)

2023? Already?

Hello, my fiber friends!

I can hardly believe how quickly December flew by! Whoosh! Gone! Sort of like deadlines ;)

I can say that 2022's Fasten Off Yarn Along was once again a success. And fun was definitely had during the New Year's Eve Boonanza! I was literally crying with laughter a number of times! Fun with fiber folks; what more can you ask for?

Sadly, the weather here has been the pits. Newfoundland in December shouldn't be considered a rain delay. I think my toes are growing webs. It rained all but something like 6 days the entire month! Don't tell me climate change isn't happening, I'm seeing it real time.

Rain, especially heavy angry December rain, makes for rotten photo conditions. And that has pushed the release of my Hornpipe Bag back. I'm not even setting another tentative date at this point. When photos get done, I'll announce the pattern is releasing the next day. Done. I hope it'll be soon. I'm also listening to more rain falling as I type. I'd cry but I don't need finger webbing to go with my toes'.

I've put a few more yards into both the sample of Countess Cathleen, and my Twist Again (pattern by Robynn Weldon; link to her Payhip shop) during December. I also started but, unfortunately due to needle MIA, not finished a pair of Talamh (pattern by Liz Corke; link to her Payhip shop) for Sistwerp. The left fingerless mitt is done, the right isn't.

Have you ever attempted to work in the round with only 3 dpns? I don't mean 3 holding your sts and knitting with a 4th one. I'm talking 2 holding your sts and working with the 3rd. I don't recommend it, especially with 2.5mm dpns. Nope, not a good plan. I was forced by hand cramps to switch to Magic Loop. Some knitters like ML, others do not. I personally despise ML. The poor right mitt is suffering due to my loathing. I'm setting myself a deadline of Saturday, January 7th, to have mitt 2 done. Otherwise I fear the poor thing may never be off the needle!

I'm using Briggs & Little Sport in "mauve", which is a gorgeous gray-tinged lavender that I have to say is a really interesting color. Some light gives it decide blue hue, while other times it resembles dark/wet stone, like from an Irish or Scottish castle wall. It's a color you can definitely find a story in, which is very cool. If nothing else, I've discovered a new favorite color amongst Briggs & Little's fine color line up.

I hope you're enjoying new projects for the New Year. What have you cast-on recently? Finished anything fun? I have some double-knit swatching coming up soon for an idea I have. When don't I have new ideas?! I plan to spend the first bit of 2023 finishing up 3 specific projects: Twist Again, Countess Cathleen, and Four Hand Reel. The last just needs its lining sewn and attached. I really should have it done by now! One of these years, I might learn to sew properly. I say might! lol

What else can you expect from Knit Dance Repeat Designs in 2023? A few more of my existing patterns will be getting their updated looks and screen reader accessibility. I don't know how many I'll get through but I intend to keep at it. I'm fairly certain I'll be releasing at least one other pattern this year besides Hornpipe Bag. The front runners are Four Hand Reel and Hap-Hazard. We'll see what happens! I have a few tutorials I plan on sharing too.

For now, that's all I have to update you on. I intend to be a bit more regular about that this year. 

Happy 2023 to you and yours!

Yours in yarn and new year-ness,

Síle

Tis the Season

It's time once again for... 

The Fasten Off Yarn Along!!

Where has this year gone?? We're almost to the end of November! And that means the return of one of my favorite events: Fasten Off Yarn Along, the fun off-Rav sale and make along!

This year's FOYAL runs November 25th through December 31st, with the pattern sale running November 25th through December 8th. Yes, I said pattern sale! We have 109 indie designers of knitting, loom knitting, crochet, and Tunisian crochet patterns signed up with a selection of their patterns in the 25% off sale! 

I'm happy to say FOYAL has attracted more designers and crafters each year of its existence! 

Where can you find all the details? The official Fasten Off Yarn Along site 🔗, of course! We're running games (with the possibility of winning prizes!) on the official Discord server, Twitter, and Instagram accounts too.

And yes, I'm a participating designer once again :) You can see the Fasten Off Yarn Along tab at the top of this page, taking you directly to the patterns I'm offering in the sale. 

Please keep in mind that my patterns are priced in Canadian dollars, and the Fasten Off site lists everything in American dollars, so the difference in conversion can result in some discrepancies when applying  the 25% off code. The code this year is FO2022. 

I hope you'll join us for the fun of the Fasten Off Yarn Along to end 2022.

Due to some health issues (thankfully not Covid-19) in both me and my photographer, my pattern Hornpipe Bag hasn't been released yet. But it will be out some time during the Fasten Off YAL. I'm aiming for early in the sale period so you can take advantage of it. I keep you in the loop on this.

As for personal projects, I'm happily onto the first sleeve of my Twist Again sweater (pattern by Robynn Weldon). Here's the latest photo, right after I completed the front of the body:

Aren't the cables great? I'm using Bernat Satin in "Grape", which I just love working with. 

How are your projects shaping up? Are you making gifts for anyone? Perhaps something for that important person who looks back at you in the mirror? ;) 

Until next time, fiber friends!

Yours in yarn, and Fasten Off updates,

Síle

Beginnings & Endings

To begin: I'm nearly over, and very much done with, a nasty sinus cold that invaded my ne'er-do-well head cavities last Monday. Thankfully it wasn't anything worse, but as someone whose colds tend to turn into sinusitis it was bad enough.

And of course nearly over means I have some lingering bits of it. Like the cough that woke me up far too early on a Sunday. I really dislike waking up feeling like I'm choking. Add in that it's Sunday is insult on top of misery. 

Once awake, it can be hard for me to return to sleep, especially if pre-sleep I was pondering some interesting little yarny puzzle or another. Thankfully there is yarn in my room. Sadly, at the moment the only free needles I had to hand were the 6.0mm (US 10) monstrosities I bought a few years ago to knit a quick blanket for an erstwhile relative. I learned that bulky yarn and thick needles make my hands throb and turn interesting shades of red; I don't recommend the experience!

I digress. 

With the plastic vampire stakes and a ball of unlabelled but seemingly worsted weight, maybe heavier, yarn I casted on enough stitches to try what I had been pondering. I give you the first 9 rows:

The cables are doing what I expected. I don't care for the fuzziness of the yarn but it was the best option with these needles. What I don't like is that weird canyon between the cast-on and the rest of the piece. Luckily this is just a "try it with what's on hand" thing that I planned on frogging anyway.

Of course that canyon put me in mind of how we begin a project. I mean quite literally. The cast-on. 

Chances are you, like me and the seemingly majority of knitters, go with your first learned cast-on as your default. For me that's the cable cast-on; how appropriate is that for someone who loves to knit cables? And it works pretty well for me other than times that the needles are too big for the yarn, and I'm not really as awake as I should be when casting on. Like this morning! 

But as I worked on this little bit that might become part of something larger, I began to ponder cast-ons, and how a large number of us stick to a few, most notably the first one we learned. Do you rely on the same tried-and-true cast-on for most times you need to start something? When do you change it up and go with your second choice option? 

I find it interesting to think of such things when the cats are snoring and everything is only semi-light and I find myself knitting in bed without my glasses on.

Cast-ons turned my mind to cast-offs. It's always exciting to finish a project, isn't it? The mystery knit-along of my Practice Makes Perfect🔗 (link stays on this site) scarf is nearing its cast-off! I'll be releasing the final Step on Tuesday (November 1st), and the intrepid knitters have until November 15th to post photos of their completed scarves to be eligible for the prize draw. I'll be random generating a winner of the prize pack I put together this summer on November 16th.

What's in the prize pack? Some lovely goodies! Take a look:

What do I have for the lucky knitter? First off, a hank of Windswept Fibres' Best Kind BFL Sock yarn (75% superwash BFL wool/25% nylon; 425 yards/400 metres = 100g) in their Limited Edition colorway "Come Home 2022". I just love the bright colors sun n this so much! And Windswept Fibres is from right here on the island of Newfoundland too. A little piece of my home going to the winner.

I'm sure you can tell the two other parts of the prize are stitch markers but you'd probably like to see them a bit better. I'll go left to right. So here's the first set:

These I ordered via the Etsy store of The Knitting Bag PEI🔗 (link goes to Etsy); an Atlantic Canadian neighbor! I wanted to find something to tie knitting and Irish dance together. I didn't quite get the dance part but I definitely got the knitting and Irish in! I like that this set isn't all matchy-matchy and comes with a lobster-claw progress keeper along with the 5 standard ring markers.

And these are just cute, and once again from close by:

What are they? Newfoundland mummers! This adorable set of 4 markers features little figures dressed in their plaid flannel-look pajamas, with yellow or green mittens on their feet, and pillowcases with eyeholes cut out over their heads! And no, they're not for Halloween. Mummering is an old Yuletide tradition from the bays and outport communities of this wondrous island. Let me link the video for Simani's (pronounced sim an eye) "The Mummers Song"🔗 (link goes to Youtube) for you to get a feel for what mummering in Newfoundland is about. These cuties were made by Dawn's Creations, and if I'm remembering right she's from near St. John's. I ordered them through Cast On! Cast Off! just before the yarn store relocated from St. John's to Triton, Newfoundland. COCO is also where I ordered the hank of Windswept Fibres yarn from. You can find at COCO at their website here🔗.

So that's the little package the winner of the random draw of finished scarves will get in their mailbox. Oh, and a card with a local scene, and a quick congratulatory note from me. I can't send a parcel without a note! I think that'll bring my little mystery knit along to a close nicely. 

Speaking of endings, October is done tomorrow! Where has this year gone?! Before you know it, it'll be New Year's Eve!

But wait, there's a little beginning before we get to that ending. You've heard me mention the Fasten Off Yarn A Long before. And I'm happy to say the gang is back together for 2022! 

We're already gathering ideas and going over last year's feedback to put on year 3 of the little craft along that could. I can tell you things will kick off on November 25th, and run through every conceivable hour of December 31st. If you took part in last year's New Year's Eve Boonanza, you know I mean that quite literally! Designer signups will be coming soon, so if you want all the details be sure you're signed up for the emails; you can do that at this link🔗.

I have one other beginning that's sort of an ending. My Hornpipe Bag pattern is just awaiting photos before its November release. Yes, really! Between a wedding, birthdays, illness, musicals, and bad weather, it seems everything has been set upon hampering the photography of this one! But we (that is, me and my trusty photographer) shall prevail! And I have a self-imposed deadline: the pattern will be out before designer sign-ups for FOYAL start. Watch this space for the exact date! That will bring my year's new releases to a close.

Want to know what else is starting to close? My eyes. I think I'll end this to post, and begin a morning nap 😉

Yours in yarn and a warm fleece blanket with two cats,

Síle

P.S. I wasn't kidding about the fleece blanket, or the cats:

Finished Project & Some Teasing

I'm happy to report that the lovely testers are nearly finished with their Hornpipe Bags! And not only that, they've given me some excellent feedback that I think will give this pattern a bit more ease in the working of it. I need to finish up the photo tutorial for one section. It's in progress but time got away on me with the weather.

Are you melting where you're to? There's nothing worse for a yarn crafter than dealing with high temps and humidity without an air conditioner. I've nearly got my days and nights reversed from trying to stay up to work in the coolest part of the night. 

With all that said, I've finished my sample project for my upcoming mkal (aka mystery knitalong)!

I can say it's a scarf that I've named Practice Makes Perfect. It's knit in worsted or Aran weight yarn in any fiber/blend you choose. My sample was knit in Briggs & Little Tuffy, a wonderful 80% wool/20% nylon blend. It comes out rather long, around 2 metres/6.5 feet, and a bit wide, making it a very warm and practical accessory for anyone you care to keep warm. 

Once I have the final measurements, and check over all the details, I'll be ready to release the Warm Up file! This has all the gauge and yarn information, (plus the list of abbreviations in the standard file) so you don't need to go searching for it as you shop for yarn, whether in person, online, or in your own yarn hoard. The full clue schedule, I call them Steps, is included to, along with other details. You'll be able to get the Warm Up and every pattern update for $5 CDN until the first Step becomes available. At that time the price will go to its regular amount of $6.50 CDN. 

This mkal will have a low vision, and screenreader, accessible file along with the standard one. This means any knitter who wants to knit Practice Makes Perfect, can knit it. I'm really happy to be able to offer both files for the Warm Up and every Step too so that everyone can take part.

Speaking of taking part, I'll be running the mkal on Instagram via my account @knit1dance2. Tag your WIP and finished photos with #PracticeMakesPerfectMKAL (don't forget the camel case so everyone can read the tag 😊). I'll also have a Step specific post each week where knitters can ask questions and/or chat about that Step. I plan to show off participants' posts in my stories too, if that's alright. 

That's all my teasing for now.

Keep your eye out for a similar graphic to the one above, announcing the first Step release date. I'm excited to share this adventure with you!

Turning to my personal projects, I started the granny square cardigan/jacket I've been wanting to make, and it's going well so far. I have the bottom row of squares done for the back. This one off idea has squares of different sizes and color combinations throughout. The back's bottom row is made of 4 four round granny squares, with two colors split diagonally in each; left to right I used royal & orange, purple & yellow, red & dark mint, and hot pink & light blue. This photo shows me crocheting them together using black and slip stitches:

I decided to call this sweater my Rainbow Granny Hug, as it's colorful, granny squares, and it'll be cozy like a hug in worsted weight yarn. Next up is the big 16 round square which will sit above these four. It uses all the colors! 

And that, good fiber folk, is all my crafting news. I go to a doctors appointment tomorrow for one of my ongoing issues. I'm a bit stumped what to take with me to work on. I don't have anything too portable on needles or hook. Maybe I need to start something? ;) What's your favorite waiting room/portable project? 

Yours in yarn and mystery,

Síle

It's Been a Hot (& Humid) Minute

Where does time get to? Too much summer relaxing that's the culprit ;)

Not really! I've been hard at work here knitting samples and working new ideas into clearer pictures of what I want to do next.

And checking in with the three absolutely fantastic test knitters on Yarnpond who're flying through my Hornpipe Bag pattern. I'm majorly impressed with both their knitting skills and speed, and their feedback about the pattern. This was definitely a good decision on my part to check out Yarnpond for running my test knits. I'm so pleased with things so far.

And that means the Hornpipe Bag pattern will be out sometime in August; exact date not fully determined just yet. Absolutely certain on August though, so be sure to pop back here or turn on notifications for my account on Twitter and/or Instagram (links in the sidebar) to get the news as soon as it's ready!

Ok, I confess to this year's North American Irish Dance Championships (affectionately known as NANs and/or NAIDC) stealing my attention away from my yarny pursuits earlier this month; July 1st to 5th. Held in lovely Montréal this year, they showcased the top talent in the CLRG's North American region. My Instagram feed ranneth over with so many fantastic photos and video clips! *insert starry-eyed emoji here* I do not envy the judges their task to pick the absolute pinnacles amongst such talented dancers! And the outfits! The bling! Love love love seeing all the color everywhere! Orange and red seemed particularly popular; particularly appropriate for the summer heat. Congratulations to every dancer that qualified to dance in Montréal and the absolute best of luck to those who qualified for Worlds next Spring.

Alright let's come full circle and come back to yarny things, like my patterns ;) One of the samples I've been working diligently on (well when the yarn hasn't been physically sticking to my hands; I dislike humidity.) is that for my mkal!

And I can say it's coming along very nicely, as is the pattern writing portion of the job. Quite honestly, I should have the sample done later this week or early next week. 

What can I tell you about the mkal? 

It's for an accessory that is suitable for anyone, roughly teenage and older, especially those that experience colder temperatures; think under -10°C/14°F. I live in Canada; I know those temps are coming back in the Fall. 

I can tell you the pattern uses worsted or Aran weight yarn. The sample I'm working on now is being knit with a wool and nylon blend (80% wool, 20% nylon) yarn. The one I plan to knit along with everyone during the mkal will be knit using a 100% acrylic yarn. I'm pretty certain any fiber or blend of fibers will work with this pattern. I'm not fully sure of the yardage just yet. I have my swatch result number and will soon have my actual yardage used number. I like to compare the two before I give an amount to anyone. Same with the gauge and finished measurements. My version of "measure twice, cut once". I think that's some good starting information for you to start thinking about an mkal with a late Summer/early Fall start date. 

Furry nephew Jakey is starting to walk on me, so that tells me I've been typing for what he considers too long. Aren't cats fun to live with? :D I got this photo of him next to me while I was knitting yesterday:

Sleeping like a furry angel. I can report his health has been perfect the last quite awhile, which is a relief to his humans and his sisfur Silver. 

So that's all my news! Unfortunately I haven't been working on any personal projects enough to show you anything today. Hopefully next post!

Hope you're staying cool and enjoying the summer, or winter depending where you live. Are you working on any interesting projects? I'd love to hear about them!

Yours in yarn and cat fur,

Síle

Accepting Testers!

What a happy day! My Hornpipe Bag pattern is ready for preview knitters!

What is preview knitting? Usually called test knitting, preview knitting is when a designer has had their pattern techedited but would like there to be more than their own sample project associated with a pattern they want to release. It's also a chance to see if your instructions are really as clear as you and your techeditor think they are. As always, the Hornpipe Bag pattern was techedited by the wonderful Heather Folkner of Crafty Ferret Techediting.

As I've mentioned before, I'm running this on the Yarnpond site, which is a new experience for me! I've heard good things about Yarnpond so I'm hopeful this will be a good match for me and my patterns. You can find the test for the Hornpipe Bag by following this link: Yarnpond Hornpipe Bag test

If you have double-knitting experience, enjoy testknitting, and/or want to knit the bag pictured here, be sure to apply!

At some point this spring/summer the weather is going to cooperate so that I can get proper photos of my Hornpipe Bag by my brilliant photographer, Krista of KristaDani Photography. Until then I've got the above photo and another one. I snapped both using my phone in bad indoor lighting. 

In other Knit Dance Repeat Designs news, I've received the first couple prizes for my upcoming mystery knitalong (mkal)! I will share photos when the mkal is officially announced and on sale. Until then I'll just say these are suitable items for knitters and crocheters, and one is very pretty. Like I want to get at least one for myself kind of pretty. Aren't I a dickens dropping hints like this? ;)

And that's everything on this Thursday morning! Mid-June already! Where does time get to?

Yours in yarn, and sample knits,

Síle

Picking Up and Working Stitches Reversibly, a double-knitting technique

This tutorial is for my Hornpipe Bag pattern, and shows how I went from knitting the base flat in rows to knitting the sides of the bag in the round.

For this tutorial, I'm using two colors of worsted weight yarn, Fresh Green as the Main Color (MC) and Charcoal (gray) as the Contrast Color (CC), and two circular needles: the working needle is a 3.75mm (US 4), while the needle used for picking up the selvedge stitches is a 2.5mm (US?). I used a 3.5mm crochet hook for casting on my stitches. (Need a photo tutorial for the crochet cast-on? I have one on this blog here.)

(Please note that the demo piece has a different stitch count and motifs than the base in the pattern. I've given the correct numbers for the pattern throughout this tutorial.)

This is where your base is at:

The work is ready to work a right side row. You're going to pick up and work the stitches reversibly, working the first round of the sides chart instead of continuing to work flat.

Step 1:

With MC K2tog (this is the first MC st and the double stranded selvedge st), then with CC P1. Here's working the K2tog:

And how things look after working the P1:

Work across the next 74 sts (37 st-pairs) on the needle according to the chart.

With MC, K 1, with CC P2tog (this is the last CC st and the double stranded selvedge st). This is positioning the needles to work the P2tog:

And here's the result:

You have 78 sts (39 st-pairs) on your working needle. Place a marker and don't turn the work.

Step 2:

You'll notice the selvedge on each side of the base looks like a column of Vs. This is the left side:

Note that the yarns are in position to start working down this side.

Starting at the bottom of the left side, thread the spare circular needle through all of the right legs of the selvedge edge stitches until you reach the top. Here's the first 12 or so picked up:

And here they're all picked up:

Using the opposite end of the spare circular needle, thread it through all of the left legs of the selvedge edge stitches. You'll want to turn the base over to do this; here's the left side of the Vees getting started:

Once you've picked up everything, you should have 27 legs on each end of the holding circular needle. Here are all of mine picked up:

Hold the two ends of the holding needle together, as if you're going to work a 3 needle cast-off:

You'll be working the stitches off the holding needle onto the working needle. This does feel very tight and awkward. I recommend using a pointy needle for this, even if you use a double pointed needle to "grab" the new stitches and slip them onto the working needle. This is what I did with the fingering weight yarns and smaller needles of the bag; I didn't need to with the worsted weight yarns in this tutorial.

*Make sure both colors are at the back of the work. Using CC, K the first leg on the front needle:

Bring both colors to the front of the work and using MC, P the first leg on the back needle.

Bring both colors to the back and using CC, K one strand of the first leg on the front needle. Here's what it looks like to work into only one strand of a leg:

(It doesn't matter which strand you work into first. I go for the closest one rather than lifting one over the other. The strands were twisted together as you worked the selvedge so do what's easiest and don't stress.)

Bring both colors to the front and using MC, P one strand of the first leg on the back needle.

Bring both colors to the back and using CC, K the remaining strand of the first leg on the front needle.

Bring both colors to the front and using MC, P the remaining strand of the first leg on the back needle.

What do you have at this point? You've turned 2 selvedge Vees into 6 sts (3 st-pairs). Which is the proper ratio for picking up sts along a stockinette edge: 3 picked up sts on each side for 4 rows of knitting.

Repeat from * until 3 legs remain on the front and back tips of the holding needle.

Work the last 3 legs without separating the strands so you end with 78 sts (39 st-pairs) on the side.** PM. Here's what you have along that side:

You're halfway through!

Step 3:

Here's what the crochet cast-on edge looks like:

It has a similar row of Vees like the side selvedge did.

Work across the cast-on edge of the base section, using MC for the Ks (legs closest to you) and CC for the Ps (legs away from you) working without separating the strands of the legs. You’ll have 78 sts (39 st-pairs) across the cast-on edge. PM. Here's the cast-on edge all worked into:

Note that the top and cast-on edges match. This is also setting up the color blocking of the sides.

Step 4:

Starting from the top of the base section, thread the spare circular needle through the legs of the selvedge sts as you did for the first side. The right legs of the (upside down) Vees picked up:

And both legs picked up:

Work from * to ** above. (This is exactly what you did for the first side, the legs just slant the other direction.)

PM for beginning of the rnd:

There are 312 sts (156 st-pairs) in total. You've picked up and worked all of the needed stitches from the base reversibly, and worked your first round of the sides chart. 

Continue working rounds 2 through 63 according to the chart.

I'll have another photo tutorial on working the eyelets for the drawstrings on rounds 64 and 65 for you soon.