Blog Archives
Raishan
I’m excited to announce that as of today, I have a new pattern on Ravelry: Raishan.
Raishan is a baby blanket with a stitch pattern that resembles dragon scales. It is the perfect gift for a new young prince or princess ready for fairy tale adventures with castles and dragons.
I was inspired to knit this design because some dear friends of ours are having a special little someone in the next couple of months. They elected not to find out the gender before the birth, and chose to outfit the nursery in fairy tale castles and dragons. When they told me about the dragons I had grand ideas of dragon scales.
While I mulled over and tested many stitch patterns, ultimately I settled on a Dragon Skin lace pattern from the Barbara Walker Treasuries, my knitting bibles. I did some swatching, and added garter borders and had a blanket I loved.
I chose Cascade 220 Superwash in colorway 1919, Turtle, for the yarn. I specifically selected Cascade 220 Superwash because I love how durable it is, especially for children’s items which will need frequent washing and easy care (by tired parents). I didn’t want this to be an heirloom blanket, but rather one that could be used on the floor, or over a car seat or stroller. I ended up wishing that the Turtle was a slightly brighter color, but I do think it was a good “dragon” green and will match the grey and green decor of the intended nursery.
I named the pattern Raishan after the fierce green dragon of the Chroma Conclave in the popular Dungeons & Dragons game Critical Role.
Raishan is now available on Ravelry for $5.00 and includes both written and charted instructions for the stitch pattern. Many thanks to Sarah Walworth for technical editing.
Knit Me: Mountain Meadow Wool Alpine
A few months ago I was contacted by the folks over at Stitchcraft Marketing to see if I would be interested in knitting something out of Mountain Meadow Wool. Mountain Meadow is a spinning mill set below the Big Horn Mountains on the Western Plains of Wyoming. It is a family operated mill, owned by Karen Hostetler, and dedicated to supporting local ranchers and raising awareness about ranching culture in the American West. Mountain Meadow is committed to revitalizing the American wool industry through eco-friendly operations and fair prices for ranchers.
One of the yarns that Mountain Meadow Wool was offering for review was its Alpine base. Alpine is a DK weight 3-ply worsted spun yarn that is 100% Targhee merino and comes in 260 yard/100g skeins. When I had the opportunity to try out this yarn, Mountain Meadow Wool generously offered 2 skeins, and I eagerly selected the Moss Colorway.
I decided before the yarn arrived that I wanted to design something with this beautiful yarn. Around the same time Frenchie of Aroha Knits did an Initiate Knit Design challenge. I spent lots of time swatching and planning, and ultimately I knit an eternity loop with a leaf pattern.
The yarn was really a pleasure to work with. I expected the Alpine to be a little rustic, but I was pleasantly surprised when it was so very soft. It was wooly, but was also super soft and almost cottony in feel. Once washed, it bloomed and developed a really nice drape. It stood up to some swatching and ripping and never showed any wear. I would definitely consider this yarn again; I’m thinking I could use a sweater in it!
I finished knitting my sample last week, and this week the pattern, Wood Sorrel, is being tech edited and is then off to testers. I hope to release it in mid-May. Wood Sorrel will be available on Ravelry shortly.
A special thank you to Stitchcraft Marketing and the folks at Mountain Meadow Wool who sent me the yarn (retail: $46.00) for free. I received no other compensation for this review. All opinions and photos are my own.
Snug as a Mug
I’m excited to announce that I published my second pattern on Ravelry today!
Snug as a Mug is a mug sock that keeps your tumbler cozy and warm. I was inspired when I saw fellow knitters take a Starbucks Stainless Steel Create Your Own Tumbler and their favorite fingering weight yarn (stripes and speckles galore) and create their own unique mugs. Since I love all things at the intersection of knitting and tea, this was a must!
Snug as a Mug calls for 15-20 grams of fingering weight yarn – perhaps some sock leftovers or a bit of that precious skein you’ve been hoarding?
Snug as a Mug is available on Ravelry for $1.99.
The Starbucks tumblers I used appear to be out of stock right now, but were purchased through the Starbucks store online. I’ve already ordered a few other models to try and will post updates as soon as I test them!
Or, if you’d prefer to skip the knitting and treat yourself, there are a few available now in my Etsy shop.
Enjoy!
