It's Almost Here!

Well, fiber friends, this year's Fasten Off Yarn-A-Long kicks off this coming Friday! 

November 24th, be there or... hmmm. It's not really square to miss FOYAL. One could say that the crafters and designers are the true squares. 

Anyway! You may notice the shiny new tab next to the Irish dance terminology one. Just in case you have your eye on a pattern or 2 from Knit Dance Repeat Designs ;)

The designers and data entry volunteers are making sure that the database is correct, and the links and photos are working correctly. Ah, there's nothing like a deadline looming to create all the little flutters of activity that are happening now.

As expected work here at KDRD has slowed up quite a bit in anticipation of the fun and busy time that is FOYAL. I hadn't counted on a late request for a scarf of very specific requirements to crop up though. So that's been designed and the knitting has begun. I won't be sharing too many photos of it from now on since the recipient doesn't know *exactly* what it's going to look when it's done. Here's the bottom garter stitch border:

I hope I get to make something small during FOYAL this year but we'll see how operation red scarf goes.

That's it for today! We've got quite a wind and rain event going on, and it's probably best I save my phone battery in case of the power going out!

Yours in (red) yarn,

Síle

Announcing a Mystery

Today's the day!

My mystery knitalong is live! Practice Makes Perfect is available in the Patterns tab above! 

The knitalong begins August 30th, and the Warm Up packet is ready for you now. It includes all of the details for the knitalong.

Practice Makes Perfect is a scarf pattern knit in knit/purl patterns commonly associated with ganseys. It is worked in worsted weight yarn and I recommend using a solid or semisolid colorway to show the textured patterns to their best advantage.

My sample scarf, worked at a gauge of 24 stitches and 34 rows in 4 inches/10 cm of stockinette stitch, measures 11 inches/27.5 cm wide and 81 inches/202.5 cm long. I used Briggs & Little Tuffy (80% wool, 20% nylon; 215 yards/197 m = 113g), an Aran weight yarn. Any worsted or Aran weight yarn will work for this pattern, in any fiber or fiber blend. You'll want to swatch to get a fabric you like with your chosen yarn. I recommend a blocked gauge close to what's listed above (and in the pattern) to keep your yardage use similar to mine. I've listed 895 yards/818 m in the pattern; this includes a 10% buffer amount because our individual gauges are often just enough off to not use the exact same amount of yarn.

Practice Makes Perfect will be released in ten Steps, released weekly starting August 30, 2022 and the final Step being out on November 1st. The knitalong runs on Instagram, using the hashtag #PracticeMakesPerfectMKAL to find the various projects, until November 15th. I will be keeping track of completed scarves posted with photo(s) and the hashtag on or before November 15th, and on November 16, I will select the winner of the knitalong prize pack. I'll be using a random number generator for the winner selection.

There are more details on the pattern page🔗 (link stays within this site).

I will add that Practice Makes Perfect has two pdfs for each portion, including the Warm Up. The first is a standard (line by line written and charted instructions) pdf, and the other is low vision and screen reader accessible. The second pdf is in 24pt sans serif, all-black type with fully written line-by-line instructions, with minimal abbreviations. Having the two pdfs for each portion of this pattern means it is ready to be knit by most knitters, no matter their needs and/or preferences in knitting instructions.

Until the first Step is out on August 30th, Practice Makes Perfect is available for $5 CDN, no coupon or code required. Once the Steps have started, Practice Makes Perfect will be available at its regular price of $6.50 CDN.

I hope you'll join me in knitting Practice Makes Perfect this late summer into the autumn. I think it's going to be a lot of fun.

Yours in yarn and Warm Ups,

Síle

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