Happy Crafting to All!

 

As another year comes to end, we tend to reflect on the past year and make plans for the upcoming year. I hope that yours was a good one. Mine was filled with work and reading, and some crafting as well. I didn't publish too many new patterns over the past year, but I hope that there will be more to come in the upcoming year. I did manage to knit frog in a sweater for each child in the last year class. It was a fun project, and I have used up a whole lot of scrap yarn. I am hoping to knit another group of toys for each child in this year class. I do not want to knit frogs, and I have spent quite some time thinking about what I should make for the kids. Over the winter break I started on my parliament of owls. We shall see how successful I will be in this project as I am still working on a sample for a pattern that will be published later next year by a third party.   

Thank you for all the visits to my blog and sticking out with me on my crafting adventures. 

May the next year be a good one!

Spring....

 

Since my last blog post I have been busy. I am still in the midst of deadline knitting for various third parties and although some patterns were already published, some are still waiting for publishing, and several are still work in progress. I know everything will eventually get done and finished, but there are moments when I feel rather overwhelmed. It is not just the knitting projects, but also our garden and the work that goes into it each spring. This is also the time of year to make the Dandelion Honey. 

See my blog post about it here: Spring WIP

Over the period of February and March I worked on several knitting patterns for Knitpicks IDP Showcase. See the group photo of the finished pillows bellow.

The patterns are all available on Knitpicks website: My patterns on Knitpicks website. and hopefully soon will be available on Ravelry, Payhip and Lovecraft websites. 

My One fish, two fish, three fish pattern was featured in an email by Knitpicks about toy patterns. If you have received the email and look at other toy patterns available, they have included nine other toy knitting patterns of mine. 

I hope that your spring is peaceful and filled with joy and moments of peace and calmness. We all need that in these turbulent times. Stay safe and healthy and thank you for visiting and reading. 

September 2020 - Knitting Patterns

 Somehow this month has been an amazing time for me as a knitwear designer. I am feeling like a real knitwear designer with work published by several third parties. See the list and pictures at the end of this blog post.

First let's start with a little bit of history.

This is my first finished knitting project that I remember. I recall that I did a lot of crochet projects prior to this sweater, but this is my first for so many things. I remember the trip to formal East Germany, a town now called Chemnitz. At that time it was named Karl-Marx-Stadt. We went to a Department Store and I picked up the yarn for this sweater and another sweater. I created the pattern, though I didn't know that it was a pattern that I created. I just draw a picture and calculated the number of stitches and rows based on a small swatch that I knitted. I also remember that I did not know how to cast on. My mom helped me by casting on the stitches. I knitted the sweater in four pieces, in three colors using an intarsia technique. At that time I did not know that you need to wrap the yarn around each other. This actually created a small holes around the V shape where the yarn was changing. These small holes were not on the sleeves. By then I learned that the yarn has to be wrapped around each other. When I was wearing the sweater people were asking me how did I created the pattern of holes perfectly placed along the color change on front and back of the sweater. My grandmother helped me to sew the finished pieces and knitted the crew neck edge around the neck opening. I loved that sweater and was wearing it a lot. I do not have it anymore. I do not know what have happened to the sweater. We might have unravel it to use the yarn again. This is how my love for knitting started. 

After years of knitting, in 2011 I tiptoed into a knitting pattern writing.

My first published knitting pattern was for the Apples in May 2011. The link to this free pattern is here:

Apples

My first knitting pattern published by a third party was for Snowballs, in January 2012. The pattern was originally published by Petite Purls, In Issue 11, Winter. It is available as a free pattern. Link here:

Snowballs

And so it continued for the past nine years. Creating, sketching, knitting samples, making notes, writing patterns, editing, sending out my ideas to submission calls and more of knitting, creating, editing, and writing. As of today I have either independently or through a third parties published 279 patterns.

The list of my Knitting Patterns on my blog or on Ravelry with pictures My Knitting Patterns.

This month eight of my knitting patterns were published.

Independent work is Meg and School of Fish

In October Issue of I Like Knitting Magazine are: 

Pawsome-Hat  to complete the Paw-some Dog Cowl and Human Scarf 

A set of Spotted Around Hat and Spotted Around Scarf

and Harvest Poncho

All the photos of these four patterns are by I Like Knitting

Brunelli Wrap was published in October Issue of Knotions Magazine.

photo by Kelli Nuss for Knotions Magazine. 

Misty Cowl was published by Knitpicks in the new textured collection titled Pathways. 

photo by Knitpicks.

Cuddly Cat Pillow is the last pattern that was published by Interweave Knits in their Gifts 2020 Issue magazine.

photo by Interweave Knits 

I hope to continue with creating more knitting patterns in the future for some time.

As for the rest of this year, I have an e-book project, that I started to work on last winter and slowly it started to take shape over the months of pandemic and staying home. This collection of small knitting projects will be released over the next three months. These small projects are all using small amount of yarn that I had home from a various previous knitting projects. They are all a fantastic, funky, fast and instant gratification giftable items for almost everyone. 

More on this project is coming up over the next three months. Just to give you a little sneak preview... if you look closely into my knitting bag in this picture, few of those critters are peaking out.

Thank you for reading and for visiting.

Knitting Pattern for Meg and School of Fish

 With a bit of unexpected delays Meg, the megalodon shark is in the hands of its recipient. For a privacy reason I will not post the picture of the recipient but let me tell you that Meg is bigger than its owner. 

Meg, the megalodon shark is about 56" (142 cm) long. 

In the picture above she is trying to snack on one of our wooden stools. But then she changed her mind and went after the school of fish.

The knitting pattern is a whimsical play on a food chain. Fish eats fish, eats another fish, and another and they all end up eaten by the ultimate predator Meg, the megalodon fish. 

The pattern is available to purchase in my Ravelry store:

Stana's Critters Etc

or you can purchase it by clicking on this button:

Soon the pattern will be also available on Lovecraft website in my Stana's Critters Etc, and in my Stana's Critters Etc PayHip store

In the meantime you can join our KAL in my Ravelry group and you can purchase the pattern for $1 until the end of Sunday, September 6th Eastern US Time Zone when using the coupon code Meg 

After that the  price will go up by $1 every 24 hours until it reach the full price. 

Thank you for visiting.

Work in progress

 In my last blog post I wrote about my current knitting project, which I named "Food Chain". The name is probably going to change when I create the final pattern, which I really hope will be rather sooner than later. But life tends to happen and plans get change.

Last week we lost power for 6 days. I tend to refer to those days as camping in our house, as it does remind me of the times when we would go on camping adventures with no running water, no electricity, no fridge and no cooked meals. I have to say I enjoyed camping as a child, but as an adult I got used to the idea of having a flushing toilet and ability to wash my hands or even have a hot shower at home. 

In the days without electricity I had more time to knit and I have made quite a progress on the final "fish" in my "Food Chain". I started with an idea and a sketch, and an older knitting pattern of mine for Shirley, the shark. 

Before we lost electricity I have made the inside of the mouth and teeth. I started to work on the body, not knowing how big it will be. 

The picture above is from the day of the storm, before we lost electricity.

As the days without electricity continued I made quite a progress.

Then at some point I realized that I have actually created a megalodon shark, in comparison with the other fish in the food chain. I am almost finished with the knitting, even though I had to frog and reknit the tail and dorsal fin as I didn't like the size and shaping of the first attempts. Since we have electricity I switched on my computer and started to write the pattern. The first part is much easier as the fish were previously published in two of my patterns (see the links bellow), but the megalodon shark has to be retyped from my hand written notebook, and edited. That part will take a bit longer. 

Odie, the sea otter (the smallest fish)

One fish, two fish, three fish (the other three fish)

This food chain is going to be our KAL for the next few weeks/months. I opened the thread in my group on Ravelry if you are there please join us. Otherwise you can always share pictures on Instagram  by adding the hashtag #stanascritters or #stanascrittersetc  

Just so you can see how big the megalodon shark is turning out to be, here is a picture of our 75 pounds (34 kilograms) T-Bone with the shark. The tail is still missing in this picture.

Thank you for visiting, 

Summer 2020

As the pandemic continues its rampage through the world I am trying to adjust to what is happening around me in the real world and online as well. 

Under a normal circumstances I would be visiting my mom and friends in Europe. I would be sitting on my mom's balcony and knit, while the two of us would be talking. I would call my friends from the time I lived in Europe. We would get together and sit on a sidewalk in one of those little cafés, catching up on our lives. 

I miss that this year. 

But, whenever I am away I wonder what it would be like to spend the summer at home. This year is the year I can experience that. I am spending my summer at home. I have the time to watch my garden grow. I get to enjoy fresh berries and incorporate vegetables from our garden into our meals. It is exciting to sneak in a kale and create meatballs that turns green and cause raised eyebrows and musings about "What is wrong with those meatballs?", "Why are they green?". 

And a huge bonus is that I get to talk to my mom on daily basis on Skype. I love it. I know it is not as seeing her in person, but it is a joy to be able to talk to her. 

Aside from working on few knitting patterns that will be published in the future by a third party I also get to work on some fun knitting projects. 

Remember my pattern for One fish, two fish, three fish?

Blog post about it

I am revisiting the pattern and have fun with creating more fish and play with the idea of a food chain and who gets to eat who. I will be posting an updated pattern for this fun food chain sometime next week or so and if you are on Ravelry and a member of my group you can join the Knit-a-long hosted in my group. Otherwise the pattern will be available on Lovecraft, Ravelry. 

Recently I have opened a store on Payhip where you can purchase some of my patterns. I am slowly adding more patterns to that store, so check it out. Payhip store

Thank you for visiting.

Knitting Pattern for Something Fishy

photo by Knitpicks

Something Fishy is another dishcloth I have created for Knitpicks.
It is a fun and fast knit, in garter stitch with some increases and decreases to create the fish shape. A perfect washcloth for bath time or to have few more helpers for the cleaning choirs around the house.

The pattern link to my Ravelry store is here:

Something Fishy

Or you can go directly to the Knitpicks website:

Something Fishy

Thank you for visiting.

Happy Holidays

Charlie

When I was growing up, one of the tradition in my country was to have a live carp in the bathtub. The fish was purchased from a market, carried home, and stayed in a bathtub until it was time to be our Christmas Eve dinner. As a child I was fascinated by the slow moving carp, but I never ate the fish.

Three years ago, my child wanted to have a fish in the bathtub. I knitted one and we named him Karel (Charlie, in English language). This is how the knitting pattern for Charlie, the fish started.

To celebrate Karel's third year as our Christmas carp, I have created promotion in my Ravelry store.
If you enter code Karel between now and December 29th 2015 you will receive 15% off of all of my knitting patterns.


I wish you a wonderful holidays with your family and friends.

And a little preview for the New Year. In January I will have another toy Mystery KAL in my group Stana's critters etc on Ravelry.

Tina, Mystery KAL

Thank you for visiting my little corner filled with knitted toys.

Knitting Pattern for Mirabel, the fish

Mirabel, is a fish. Knitted in the round at first, to form the head, then continued flat to work on body and tail. The fins are knitted separately and sewn on, or you can pick up the stitches and knit the fins directly.

The two sizes are created by using either single or double held yarn. And then, you add the fabric for the inside, and zipper and create a wonderful pencil, coin, or notion case.

 

 

The pattern is available to purchase in my store on Ravelry or by clicking on this button:



Thank you for visiting.

Knitting Pattern for One Fish, Two Fish, Three Fish and The Book Gift away

photo by Knitpicks

My knitting pattern for these three fish has been published in the book named "Cute, Cuter, Cutest knit toys to love in 3 sizes".

At this point you can still purchase the book on Knitpicks website:
The book

or you may buy only the pattern for One Fish, Two Fish, Three Fish

But also you have a chance to win the book. I have a copy to gift away.

Leave a comment and you will be entered into lottery to win this book, filled with the most adorable toy patterns in 3 sizes.

You have the time from today until Friday May 15th 2015.
On Saturday May 16th 2015 the winner will be announced.

The winner has been randomly selected.
The blog post is here.

Thank you for visiting and good luck to everyone.

Knitting Pattern for Charlie, the Fish

Charlie, the fish

The other day we went fishing and caught Charlie, the fish.


Charlie, the fish is knitted in the round, starting at the mouth and ending at the tail. The fins are added by picking up stitches directly on the body or knitted separately and sewn on. The pattern has both: written and chart instructions for the stranded colorwork done in the round..
Finished toy size: approximately 11.5” (29cm) long.
Yarn: Dream in Color Classy Worsted 100% Superwash Merino Wool
250yards per 4oz.
1 skein in Strange Harvest
1 skein in Black Parade
Total yardage per one fish: 50 – 60 yards (45 – 55meters) of Strange Harvest (MC) and 20 - 25 yards (18 – 23meters) of Black Parade (CC). Small amount of golden yellow and black yarn for the eyes.

Knitting Pattern for Charlie, the fish is available to purchase by clicking on this button or on Ravelry.



Fishing