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

Celebrating KIP

Did you get out to celebrate World Wide Knit In Public Day (WWKIP Day) yesterday? There wasn't an event near me this year, but I'm now thinking about next year. Well, depending on where I'm located anyway. Not leaving Newfoundland; possibly changing locales. And yes, I've been saying this for about 9 years now lol. I digress.

I've seen a lot of fantastic photos on Insta of various gatherings yesterday and it looks like everyone had a great time. I know I really enjoyed past events with my knit night pals (waves to Lindsay, Susie, Sara, and Michele 👋🏻) before my big move. We'll see if I keep track of time better and remember before 3 days before the next one. Next year's WWKIP Day is June 10, 2023. If you'd like more information about WWKIP Day, the official website is here: WWKIP Day🔗

Bringing things closer to home, I'm getting the photo tutorial done for my Hornpipe Bag before I release it for testing. The pattern is ready to go but I think having the tutorial ready first will be a benefit to testers as well as knitters. Stay tuned for the announcement that the test has gone live, later this week! I'll be conducting this test via Yarnpond, which is a new venue for me. I'm quite excited to give it a try! Now if only my helper wouldn't help quite so much...

Speaking of giving things a try, I'm at work on the sample for the mystery knit-along I'm planning to host later this year. And I'm putting together some prizes for it too ;) My current timeline for this is to announce the mkal and have it on sale next month, and then the Steps will be released weekly starting in late August/early September. 

I picked up my Twist Again (pattern by Robynn Weldon; pattern page in her Payhip shop 🔗 recently and have a bit more done on the body. I really love this cable panel. Hopefully I'm better at staying focused the next while and I'll have a new sweater for when colder temps reappear! (Unless of course another design idea jumps to the forefront of my brain)

Did you attend a WWKIP gathering yesterday? What's on your needles or hooks? I'd love to hear about it :)

Yours in (fur covered) yarn, and upcoming news,

Síle

The Light Jig Tam is Updated!

That's right! I'm pleased to announce that the Light Jig Tam pattern has been updated and now includes a low vision accessible pdf and that same pdf is also screen-reader accessible. 

What does screen reader accessible mean? The main issue, especially with knitting patterns, is abbreviations. A commonly encountered abbreviation like st for stitch is read out as street. Using " instead of typing out inches doesn't get read at all, as a screen reader will see it as punctuation. Little changes like these go a long way in helping crafters using screen readers to read the pattern as easily as most of us read the standard pdf.

To celebrate the update, I'm offering a 10% discount through Sunday, May 8th with the coupon JIGAGAIN. This works on both my site and my Payhip shop. Sorry, it's not available on Lovecrafts 

Come and join me in the Light Jig Tam! (Link stays within this site)

A FO(!) and New Things at KDR

Pleased to say I have a personal FO this week. I finished the Flax sweater (pattern by Tin Can Knits; link to the pattern page on their site) for Cousin's little guy yesterday and I'm really happy with it.

I think the stripes made it fun. I can say weaving in ends took a awhile though! So I'm going to be staying away from stripes for a bit.

As for my work knitting, the pattern for the Hornpipe Bag will be headed to my techeditor in the next week or so. And if you follow me on Instagram you know I'm doing something with a wide cable panel that needs shaping and I recently posted a photo of it on my head to Instagram:

Yes, this is for a new design and I admit I'm really excited about it. 

I've had the picture in my head for a few years (and copious notes hither and yon lol), for a hooded cloak with a cabled  panel running from the front of the hood, down the back of the neck, and then straight down through the body to the bottom edge. I'm finally getting the shaping of the hood down. 

And while I've made notes and calculations, I'm finding I really need to see how this is looking as it progresses so I grabbed a similar wool to the one I'll be using for the sample (hood swatch is in Briggs & Little Tuffy in the "Blue Mix" colorway) and started playing around. I really like how it's progressing, silly photos included. 

I'm calling this hooded cloak pattern Countess Cathleen, after the iconic slip jig piece in Riverdance, choreographed and first danced by the inspiring Jean Butler. It's my favorite dance/tune in the entire show. And eventually I was going to have a design inspired by Riverdance. One can't ignore a global phenomenon especially in its 25th anniversary season!

I have another design on the needles right now that I can't share with you just yet ;) My goal is to have it ready for announcement in late July/early August. I think it's going to be a fun way to get ready for colder temperatures ;) I can say I'm really pleased with it and it's knitting up fairly quickly. 

What are you working on this week? Anything you're sharing for #WIPWednesdayOffRav? I'm off to scroll Instagram and ❤️ a bunch of lovely projects!

Yours in yarn and cabled hood trying-on,

Síle

Light Reel Cowl is updated!

Good morning, everyone!

It's re-release day here at Knit Dance Repeat Designs! And I'm happy to say it's the Light Reel Cowl 🔗 (within site link) that's gotten it's refresh!

Once again I worked with the talented Krista of Krista Dani Photography 🔗 (link to Facebook page), and I'm so pleased with the new photos! It was hard to narrow down which to use on pattern pages and for the main photo in the pattern!! Here's a sample:

What else has changed with the re-release?

Most of it is purely cosmetic: new photos, my logo is in place, I fixed up the headings.

The biggest change is to the low vision pdf. I changed from 22 point san serif font to 24 point. I fully justified everything; my page numbers weren't before, sorry about that!! But the biggest change was eliminating abbreviations and making sure the file is screen reader accessible as well as low vision accessible! It took some time to get it right but I hope it opens this pattern up to more knitters. I have tested this capability using VoiceOver, the built-in voice accessibility tool on iPhones and iPads. 

In honor of the re-release, as I mentioned on Saturday, for today (March 14, 2022) only, the Light Reel Cowl can be purchased for 10% off with the coupon code NEWDANCE. 

That makes two patterns of 12 updated. Which one's next? Stay tuned!

Yours in yarn and lightly reeling through the day 😉,

Síle

Autumnal Weather

Are you in the swing of sweater weather? I know I want to cast-on all the warm and woolly cozy things with the return of cooler temperatures :) It's truly a thing I think most knitters and crocheters experience, this need to keep ourselves and our loved ones warm when the mercury starts to dip.

It's a cloudy dreary day here today. At least the leaves are bright specks :) My current project is definitely a bright spot. Not warm and woolly but it will definitely chase away any dreariness! I'm at work on my Four Hand Reel tote bag and as you can see from this progress pic, it's not exactly subtle in the colors I've chosen:

Is it just me or does the orange seem to glow?

I'm nearly to the top of the first side, which is when I'll be able to stop joining the strip and work the strap. Which means I'm nearing 2/5 of the way through this section :) My goal is to finish the tote this month. Hopefully that goes as planned!!

I'm hoping to get to work on a few other ideas soon and finish off some others (coughHornpipe Bagcough) before the end of the year. That's my hope anyway. This year really hasn't gone as I'd planned as far as my designing/knitting of samples has gone, that is for sure!

Sadly that means at least one personal project has been waylaid. I had planned on knitting myself a sweater this year. I have the patterns and yarn for two gorgeous cable knits: Twist Again, a pullover by Robynn Weldon, and Morning Ramble, a cardigan by Geoffrey Hunnicutt (The link for Twist Again goes to the pattern page in Robynn's Payhip shop, while Morning Ramble takes you to the pattern page on Knit Picks). But alas while I did swatch for Twist Again in January, it somehow never made it onto my needles. Maybe I can get one of these beauties onto my needles this fall/winter. A gal can dream anyway!

What about you? Any project(s) you wanted to get to by this stage in the year that just didn't quite get there? Did a sticky/sweaty summer derail you too? I think I need to make a concerted effort to get big items done before say April and then only have little quick things to work on in the heat and humidity. That or hit a lotto and move into a house with properly fitting windows and air conditioning lol!! ;) 

I hope you're well, dear crafter. I hope cooler temps have reached you and you're able to settle in and work on something you love for someone you love (and yes it totally counts if you're making for yourself! Love yourself, you deserve it!). 

Yours in yarn and a cloudy day,

Síle

Well Did You Ever...

 What a swell party this is! 

Yes, I once again have song lyrics stuck in my head :) Hard not to some days, especially when you learn you hit "save" on a post but not "publish" *facepalm*. So today you can read two posts that are new to you!

I meant to write this earlier this month, but life has a funny way of derailing plans. 

Are you familiar with Germander Cottage Crafts? It's a blog and shop run by Hanna, and she's been running featured indy designers every month. I'm so pleased to be May's featured designer!! Be sure to pop over and have a look see at both the blog and shop :) 

Speaking of Off-Rav Designers, one of my personal projects right now is Aoibhe Ní's Finola (link is directly to the pattern page on Aoibhe's website, YarnTowers.com). I hadn't ever done more than a square in Tunisian crochet before and look at this beautiful shawl I'm in the midst of!

If you've ever considered trying Tunisian crochet, I highly recommend Aoibhe's patterns. Not only are they well written, she also has fantastic videos showing exactly how she does the various steps of the pattern. And I'm not normally someone who finds videos helpful! You can find my project notes for this, and my other projects, over on my other blog here.

How's your weather? We're having a cold rainy snap to end out May. Really hoping weatherman Eddie is right and warmer temps are coming to start off June!

Speaking of June, how is that next week already?? They say time flies when you're having fun but I haven't had much fun lately, and it's still zooming by!

That's it for today! Be sure to checkout the hashtag #WIPWednesdayOffRav on Twitter and Instagram today for all kinds of inspiring projects, patterns, and yarns! Wednesdays are so nice with all the photos :)

Your's in yarn and a warm sweater (I told you it's cold here! lol),

Síle