Spring toy mystery KAL

Four Leaf Clover

I always feel that there is something magical about finding a four leaf clover. Today I found one while I was in the garden. Whenever I find one, I  tend to press the leaf in a book and save them. Then these dry four leaf clovers are a nice surprise waiting to be discovered by someone while reading a book. 

Way back in winter I had a toy mystery KAL. It was Camille.

Camille

Afterwards I had a fun KAL devoted to Cats in my group on Ravelry. The grand prize for this was pick my  new toy design. Dasher is that toy design. It will be also our spring toy mystery KAL.
To participate in this new toy mystery KAL simply join my group on Ravelry, download the pattern and knit this new toy. It is fun and the first clue will be released this Monday.

Dasher, toy mystery KAL

Happy knitting.

Deadlines and Knitting Patterns for Stripy Hat and Little Lamb Hat

WIP

When working for a third party, creating a knitting pattern comes with deadlines. The whole process of creating a knitting pattern from an idea to a final product takes months. It does not mean that I personally have months to work on the knitting project, but rather that the entire process from sending a submission, being accepted, receiving the yarn, creating a prototype sample, writing the pattern, working closely with the sample knitter, and technical editor, reviewing the edited pattern, then reviewing the final pattern, and finally seeing the pattern published in a book or in a magazine takes months.

Last week two of my patterns were published in a book collection by Knitpicks:

Playdate: A Baby Knit Collection

I received an email about my patterns being accepted to this collection when I was waiting at the airport to board the plane to visit my family and friends in Europe. As always having a pattern submission accepted is a wonderful news, but this time it created an interesting element. The yarn I was going to work out the patterns was shipped to my home, while I was away. The deadline for my patterns to send back to Knitpicks was few days after my return from my trip. I had a knitting project that I took with me for the trip, but nothing else. It was a second sample of the Winter Pillow. Which was also a pattern I have created for Knitpicks: Winter Pillow Pattern

Winter Pillow WIP

Luckily I have a box of yarn that belonged to my grandmother at my mom's home. In a way it is a treasure box as it does contain more than remnants of odd yarns my grandmother used, it also brings out the memories of my time I spent with her.
When I arrived to my mom's place I opened the box of yarn and looked through. I picked some yarn and started to work on the patterns. After I finished the hats, I kept the notes but gave away the hats to my nephews and my friends' children.

Stripy Hats and Little Lamb Hats

Here is the link to the Little Lamb Hat pattern:

Knitpicks: Little Lamb Hat

photo by Knitpicks

photo by Knitpicks

Here is the link to the Stripy Hat pattern:

Stripy Hat

photo by Knitpicks

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