Friday

Klickitat

by Joanna

The spring issue of Petite Purls just went live, and I am honored to have a pattern {Klickitat} published in this season's issue. My hope was to create a "mom and baby" shawl with a wide variety of uses, and I did my best to design the shawl I "wish I had" when our three children were babies. I was never much one for nursing shawls or wraps, but I fell in love with the idea of a woman's shawl that could also be an heirloom gift for a baby. 

In addition to being a shawl, it is a cozy cuddling wrap for mom and baby.


It is a sweet and simple baby blanket.


It works as a nursing shawl, too.


It can be criss-crossed in the front, which would be great for staying cozy while baby wearing.


My favorite part... is that it is also a beautiful shawl for a little girl!


What little girl wouldn't want to wear her own baby blanket as a cape? 


I know our daughter would have!


Knit up in just 2 skeins of sock yarn- (I used Diana from Yarn Love)- I know this will be my go-to baby shower gift for years and years to come.
 

I hope you enjoy it as much as I have, along with the wonderful little knitworthy people in your life.

A big thank you to Christa Tippmann for the lovely photos.

Thursday

Caroline's Hill Top Jacket


On my last trip to The Loopy Ewe I met a knitter who is a friend-of-a-friend (aren't knitters great like that?) named Cathy. We had plenty of little things to chat about, and she was sweet enough to mention that she knit a Hill Top Jacket for her daughter-in-law, Caroline. There is something so perfect about a wooly gray sweater, isn't there?


My favorite part of Caroline's jacket is the button band that Cathy worked sideways onto the front of the sweater. I really enjoy making up a design that can be easily customized like this for size and style. Doesn't Caroline look great? 


Thank you, Cathy and Caroline, for sharing your sweater with us. Although spring is here, I am already planning my knitting for next fall, and I now have a gray cardigan on my list!

Monday

Phoebe's Birthday Photo Shoot @ Fancy Tiger


Did you see that Fancy Tiger had a sweet pop up shop at the Makerie in Boulder this weekend? I had been planning all along to have the photo shoot for the sewing patterns for the new book at Fancy Tiger's shop in Denver. But when I looked at the calendar and realized our best weekend for the shoot was also the weekend of the Makerie, I was over the moon! I contacted Fancy Tiger and of course they were great about doing the shoot at their pop up shop instead.


Phoebe's Birthday is inspired by the childhood memories Eric and I have of summers with our grandparents. Every summer Eric went to his grandparents' bungalow at the Jersey shore, and every summer I went to a cabin on a lake in the Adirondacks. A historic cottage was the ideal setting for these photos, and a perfect match for our vision for this new book.


Phoebe visits a yarn shop in the new book, so Fancy Tiger's mini-shop was the perfect setting for some of our interior shots. Our photographer, Christa Tippmann, is so much fun to work with. Kids love her, and since she knits and sews, she really understands what we need in a photo. She is willing to do what it takes to get the perfect shot, as you see above!


It wouldn't be a trip to Fancy Tiger without something to bring home in my loot bag... did you know they now have a private label 100% Romney wool yarn called Heirloom? The color palette is amazing. I simply cannot wait to cast this on.

I also cannot wait to share the rest of our photos with you. We are working literally around the clock to wrap this new book up for you to read with your favorite little people.

Friday

Brown Sheep Road Trip~ a photo diary

I took a very quick trip up to Brown Sheep Company today, and enjoyed a visit with Peggy Jo Wells at the mill; picked up some lovely yarn, roving, and new reeds for the Cricket Loom; and had a quick lunch out before heading home. For anyone who wonders why I find a day trip to Nebraska so enjoyable, I wanted to share a bit of the beautiful scenery with you!

Farm and Ranch Museum in Gering, Nebraska 

Scott's Bluff National Monument

Final Destination~ Brown Sheep Company

Wyoming trains, spotted on trip back home to Colorado

Wednesday

Knitting with Miss March~ Knitting Traditions 2012


I wrote an article and designed a little pattern for Interweave's newest issue of Knitting Traditions. Inspired by the charity knitting of children during the Civil War, and by Louisa May Alcott's time in Fredericksburg as a war nurse, I was able to tie these themes together through her classic novel, Little Women.


The pattern is for knitted bandages, and is worked up in Blue Sky Alpaca's Worsted Cotton, which I really enjoyed working with. I even made a bandage set in a doll size, since it seems children love to wrap up their dolls and animals with bandages, at least mine do!


I spent a lot of time re-reading Little Women, and reading accounts of children's charity knitting groups during the Civil War. My favorite bookish treasure that I found while working on this project is the reprinted diaries of Hannah Ropes, the nurse under whom Louisa May Alcott worked at the hospital in Fredericksburg.


This issue of Knitting Traditions is a treasure trove of knitting patterns, photos, articles, and inspiring ideas. 


If I were to pick a favorite pattern from the magazine, it would have to be these Lithuanian Optical Illusion Mittens. I think these are going to the top of my queue!


As for articles, I am especially interested in this one about vintage pattern booklets and leaflets. I enjoy the illustrations, photos, and typography just as much as the patterns themselves. I love this publication, and am honored to be included in this issue. I hope you find time to enjoy it, too!

Oh, and I nearly forgot, but Eric added a special touch to my article, too. So did our daughter. Let me know if you find it within!