October

 

It has been a while since my last blog post. I had all the intentions of keeping up with knitting, adding new patters and all that stuff, but somehow life happened. The pile next to my computer is still high and filled with patterns that should be released but haven't been yet. Perhaps this year, perhaps next year I will spend more time on the computer work and updating the various social media where you can see my creations.

Every time I am walking in the nature and see the different kind of mushrooms I always think of knitting them as well. Especially at this time of year, when the variety we can see is just extraordinary. I wish I could knit them all, but I have a new pattern for pillow on my knitting needles at this time and I would like to finish that first. It will be released at some point next year. 

In the past year I created two toy mystery knit-a-longs. The first one was Lola, a cat. The second was Lucky, a duck. I knitted 20 ducks and gave them to the class at the end of last school year. It was actually my third year doing it and the kids all seems to love the handmade toys. I am starting to come up with the ideas for the toys for this year class, and I will most likely begin to work on these sometime in December. 

You can see the previous class toys on my Instagram stanascrittersetc. 

The last photo on this blog post is my dog, who is the happy recipient of most of my knitted pillows. Apparently nap time is sweeter with a handmade pillow. 

Thank you for visiting. And as always have fun knitting. 

Knitting Patterns for Pillows

 

Here is a group photo of eight knitted pillows. I have created five different knitting patterns and they were part of KnitPicks' April IDP showcase. The patterns are available on KnitPicks website, see link bellow: 

My patterns on Knitpicks Website

Finally, I have added the patterns to my Ravelry designer page: 

My designer page on Ravelry

You can purchase any of these patterns on Knitpicks or on Ravelry. On Knitpicks website you can also purchase the yarn I have used for the pictured samples.

At some point I will add the patterns to Lovecraft, but it might take few more days, or weeks. 

In the meantime, I wanted to mention that I am participating again in the Ami-a-long 2022. It's a fun event where people knit or crochet amigurumis and toys and post about them in Ravelry group and other social medias. By posting in the Ravelry group you can win patterns.  

Link to Ravelry Group

Thank you for visiting and have fun knitting!

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. 

Grande Gatto and Cleo.

 

Grande Gatto II

Grande Gatto was originally created for jumbo weight yarn. The yarn company discontinued the yarn and sent me a replacement yarn to create an update to the pattern. I love to create toys in cotton yarn as it has proved over the years to be durable and last well through the years of play time, washing, and travelling. Therefore, I have picked two cotton yarns to held together to knit the new samples. I have used the Billow and Snuggle Puff yarn by Knitpicks for the samples. The first sample was knit as the original. Due to the yarn and needle size change the toy turned out to be about 10" (25.5 cm) tall. I created a second sample, and then a third sample, which came close to the original Gatto size of 15" (38 cm) tall. 

The pattern is updated on Ravelry, and you can purchase it here: Grande Gatto on Ravelry. 

You can also purchase the pattern on Payhip: Grande Gatto 

Sometime this week I will add the pattern to Lovecraft website, and the pattern will be also at some point on Knitpicks website.

Cleo

Cleo, is our next toy mystery KAL. During the next week I will add the pattern to Ravelry and create the timeline for the clues to be released over the period of 3 weeks. 

I will add the link to the pattern here: 

The pattern will be discounted during the period of toy mystery KAL, and there will be a coupon code for the subscribers of my newsletter to get the pattern for free. Visit my website to sign up for the newsletter to get the special discounts and savings.

Stana's Critters Etc

Once the mystery toy KAL is over the pattern will be priced as my other toy patterns and will be added to Payhip and Lovecraft website. 

Stana's Critters Etc on Payhip

Stana's Critters Etc on Lovecraft

New Patterns and more

 

In my blog post from September 2020 (read here) I talked about how my love for knitting and creating started. You can see a photo of my first finished sweater, and in some way my first design of a sweater, even though it was created only to fit me, and I never dreamed of becoming a knitwear designer at that time. 

photo by I Like Knitting

This is my 304th knitting pattern, Helena Cable Cardigan published in February issue of I Like Knitting magazine. The pattern is free for the subscribers. 

link here to the I Like Knitting website

Helena Cable Cardigan on Ravelry

Update on Helena Cable Cardigan

photo by I Like Knitting

For the pictured sample I have use the Cascade Yarns Aereo Tweed in Marine colorwork. It's a snuggly mix of Merino and Baby Alpaca yarn that was a pleasure to work with. 

Two of my previously published patterns are now available as Ravelry downloads and will be shortly also on Lovecraft website and in my Payhip store.  See pictures bellow of the Cuddly Cat Pillow a whimsical pillow and Brie's Cowl an introductory brioche technique in the rounds.

photo by Interweave Knits

photo by Knitpicks

Also, during the last year, I had few more patterns published by I Like Knitting: 

First in August 2021 Issue two patterns for pillows:

Zion Canyon Pillows on Ravelry

Zion Grotto Pillows on Ravelry

photo by I Like Knitting

In September 2021 Issue it was a Raven Plaid Poncho.

 Raven Plaid Poncho on Ravelry.

photo by I Like Knitting

Once the rights to these patterns are reverted back to me, I will add them as PDF files to Ravelry, also to Lovecraft, and Payhip.

My 305th published knitting pattern is a whimsical instant gratification project named Monogram Gift Heart.

At the moment the pattern is available as Ravelry download, and will be added to Lovecraft, Payhip and Knitpicks website. The pattern is written for variety of yarn weights, from fingering all the way to bulky, and has charts for all the letters of the alphabet, a paw print and a written-out direction on how to knit the hearts. It is a perfect project for those long gloomy and cold days as it will brighten up your day as you work on the monogram heart, and it will definitively bring a smile to anyone who will receive this little gift heart. You can play with different letters, creating words and messages.

Happy Knitting.

Thank you for visiting.

A year of knitting...

 

This is a picture of a ball of scrap yarn from my last year of knitting. I started this ball last January. I am not sure what I will do with this scrap yarn. Previously I have made a cowl, an infinity scarf, and a pillowcase. The links to the patterns are provided above and below you can see the finished projects. They all used the tiny pieces of yarn that usually gets discarded as too small for anything. I collect them and tie them together with a knot and when there is enough to do something I pick a project and start knitting. I am not sure yet what I will do with the ball of scrap from my year of knitting. I have yet to decided it. In a way these scraptastic projects are also a little knitting diary, as when I look at them, I can remember what projects I was working on, one stitch at time. 

There are so many of my patterns that I have not mentioned here on my blog, that were published over the past year, including the latest knitting pattern for the Helena Cable Cardigan in February issue of I Like Knitting. I hope to catch up on that over the next month or so. 

Stay safe, healthy and enjoy the work in progress one stitch at time.

Thank you for visiting.

Knitting Pattern for Scraptastic Pillow

 Do you remember my previous Scraptastic Projects?

Pictured are Scraptastic Cowl and Scraptastic Scarf.

 I have been collecting all those tiny scraps of yarn from other projects and tight them together and create a ball of yarn. This ball of scrap yarn is so colorful and random. I have to admit the Scraptastic Scarf is my favorite scarf to wear through the winter months. 

After creating the Scraptastic Scarf and Scraptastic Cowl I was thinking about my next Scraptastic Project while I was collecting the tiny scraps of yarn. In the end I decided to make a pillow case. As always with the scrap yarn projects it takes time to get enough scrap yarn for the whole project. With this pillow case I decided to use up even small remnants of yarn skeins that has been collecting for some time. Sometimes I would find these remnants useful in knitting toys, but mostly these small remnants were too small to use for the toys. This is the beginning of Scraptastic Pillow Case. 

As time went on I would add few rounds here and there whenever I had some yarn leftover from another knitting project. As you can see from the picture bellow, the dog approved it as a pillow for one of his naps. 

Today I finished the Pillow case, added zipper to the CO edge and here you can see the wrong side of the pillow with all those knotted yarns.

Scraptastic Pillow

written by Stana D. S.

Finished Measurements: 18" (46 cm) [20" (51 cm), 22'(56 cm), 24" (61 cm), 26" (66 cm), 28" (72 cm)] Square. Pictured pillow sample is 28" (72 cm) Square.

Material: Scrap Yarn from other knitting projects, preferably in similar weight. If using thinner yarn such as fingering weight, double the yarn. This is a fantastic project for all those tiny leftovers and small pieces of yarn that otherwise might be thrown out.

Gauge: 16 sts & 26 rows = 4" (10 cm) in double moss stitch.

Recommended Needle Size: Circular Needles US 7/4.5 mm.

Notions: Yarn needle, scissors, zipper 18" (46 cm) [20" (51 cm), 22" (56 cm), 24" (61 cm), 26" (66 cm), 28" (72 cm)] long. Pillow case insert 18" (46 cm) [20" (51 cm), 22" (56 cm), 24" (61 cm), 26" (66 cm), 28" (72 cm)] large.

Abbreviations:
K = Knit
P = Purl
CO = Cast on
BO = Bind Off
St, sts = stitch, stitches

Pattern Notes:
This Scraptastic Pillow is knit in the rounds in double moss stitch pattern, using whatever scraps of yarn you have from other knitting projects. All the ends are conveniently hidden inside this pillow case. The zipper is sewn to the CO edge. The top of the pillow is BO with 3 Needle Bind Off.

Double Moss Stitch Pattern (worked in the round, over multiple of 4 sts):
Rnds 1 - 2: K2, P2.
Rnds 3 - 4: P2, K2.
Repeat Rnds 1 - 4 for the pattern.

Directions:
CO 144 (160, 176, 192, 208, 224) sts. Place the stitch marker, and begin working in the round, being careful not to twist the sts.
Work in the Double Moss Stitch Pattern using the various scraps of yarn in similar weight, connecting the scraps with a knot, and making sure the knots are all on one side.
Work in the pattern until you reach the desired length of the square pillow. 
Make sure that all of the knots are on one side of your work. 

Turn the work inside out and BO using the 3 Needle BO technique.

Finishing:

Pin the zipper to the CO edge and sew the zipper to the CO edge.

Insert the pillow.

Here is a link to my picture tutorial for attaching zippers.

Zipper Attaching Tutorial

Thank you for visiting. 

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.

Work in Progress and new toy mystery KAL

Another week went by. I am not sure anymore how long I have been at home, not going to my work and not receiving a real paycheck. I am not complaining. We are lucky, so far we are healthy and my husband continues to receive his paycheck and our bills are covered so far. Life is good.
According to my weekly baking pictures I have been baking six weeks already. This week was a rather adventurous. I tried for the first time to make croissants from scratch. It was a success. I also baked brioche bread. I used the middle class brioche recipe from the book  The Bread Baker's Apprentice, by Peter Reinhart. And of course I returned to some of my favorite comfort foods and desserts.

Pictured are: Salmon Cakes, Croissants, Brioche Bread and Buns, Bread (though this time it baked in a funny shape, mushrooms?), my mom's Crepe's recipe, Fruit Salad (it is a dessert though not baked), Apple Strudel, Chocolate filled Croissants, Brownies.

baking week VI

In the knitting world I managed to finish a work for a third party. I cannot post pictures until after the publication goes live, but I really enjoyed knitting this project.
I also made the Mask Buddy to help with wearing the face mask and I started to work on our next toy mystery KAL. Later this week I will post more details in my Ravelry Group and add the pattern to Ravelry. I have named them Leonard and Lola, but I might change my mind.  Pictured  is the yarn I am using for my Leonard and Lola.

May Toy Mystery KAL

Mask Buddies

Across the street we have a new family. Fox mama and her cubs are living somewhere in this small piece of wood that is surrounded by houses and we are so lucky to be able to see the fox family from time to time.
I am trying to capture the little foxes on my camera, but my phone camera is not good enough to zoom in and my real camera still uses film and I have not use the camera in a long time, and it seems to be harder and harder to actually find a place where the films are still developed.  As you can see foxes are one of my favorite animals to use in my knitting patterns.

Thank you for visiting.

Work in progress...

Fox Pillow

Over the past week I have been taking pictures of my dog with the Fox pillow. Apparently it is his favorite pillow to sleep on.  It is quite entertaining to watch him sleep. And yeas I have been stuck in the house for about a month, so my entertainment is rather limited.....but I am not complaining. We are still alive, and breathing. Life is good.

Fox Pillow 

I also baked and cooked a lot. Normally I don't have that much time to cook or bake, but life is rather strange these days and I do enjoy the process of baking, or cooking. Though I dislike to clean up all those dishes afterwards. Pictured here are: Apple Strudel, Carrot Cake (we have a birthday to celebrate), potato pancakes, cinnamon buns with maple frosting, bread, Bundt cake, my mom's version of crepes, bread (I baked it twice this week).

week of baking III

Also, there is a storm coming our way and we might loose power and internet for few days. I guess we might be camping at home for our spring break.  If we loose the power I will not be able to update the second clue on time, therefore I have updated the pattern earlier.
For a moment we already lost the power. It came back, but who knows for how long. Stay safe, and have fun knitting.

T-Bone working on clue 1 :)

Thank you for visiting.