Friday, March 19, 2010

can you tell I'm having a hard time deciding on this?

yep, you guessed it, I STILL have not decided on a name for my new pattern!!!



The good news is the short list is down to two, or three, if simplicity is to still be in the running.

I've tried to get some other people to make the decision for me, but the two different people I asked had completely the opposite responses; one love what the other hated!!

What do you think? Should I just go with simplicity and bugger the fact that it can't be magic linked easily on Ravelry??  I mean, there is knitting beyond Rav after all!!



*I did hear those gasps*


ETA: sorry, I should say the other contenders are :

caboodle  (as in the whole kit and caboodle)

and

eden  ( I was thinking of then listing the vest singlet as eden's adam and the dress as eden's eve)


anyhoo, i have decided that regardless of the name I decide on the two people who suggested those two names are the winners!!

so that would be Julia and berniebabe. congratulations ladies!!! I shall be in touch shortly :D

Friday, March 12, 2010

gee whizzy!!!

I was totally amazed by the response to my little competition!  A huge thank you to everyone who entered, I now have a plethora of ideas. It's nice to know that people do pop in and visit.

So do I have a winner?

Not as yet, but I do have a shortlist of four possible names, probably down to two.
So I'm getting there.
I'm going to make Andy and Lily make the finalish decision tonight.

So now the name is closer so is the pattern.

Last week I was knitting up the second prototype for the dress version. I knit it in some Utiku Multicolours "boysenberry" that I  have had hanging around since Lily was in nappies, so quite some time. I am quite intrigued by the colour changes in the utiku and I love the way it pools in places. I used to have quite a little stash of this stuff. Now I have none.

But Lily does now have this rad little dress with a cute pocket for keeping those little artist hands warm in winter.


I actually think this is becoming one of my favourite knits. I've already knit the pattern to death it seems; the toll, 4ply singlet x 1, 8ply singlet x 3, 10 ply vest x 1, 10 ply singlet x 1, dress x 2 = 8 knits!  




Tuesday, March 02, 2010

about time ....

Competition time, that is!!!

It really is well and truly overdue!! It seems like ages since I had a giveaway or competition.  Just last week, or was it the week before?, I was lucky enough to win a blog competition over at earthgirlfabrics. Annabel had an awesome giveaway on her blog, one metre of fabric from Patty Young's Flora and Fauna range AND a modkid pattern of choice. I think this is the first blog comp I have ever won. It was really very exciting, and sort of funny, because I really really wanted one of these doll patterns, and it was one of those moments when you sort of know you're going to win. A little bit deja vu but in reverse. Does anyone else get that experience?  Or is it just freaky me?

Anyway, good karma needs to be returned so my competition details go a little something like this....

I've been rabbiting on about a new pattern that's due for release very shortly, said pattern has been called simplicity during the testing phase. It's a name I quite like and it sums up the garment quite well as it is simple is shape and design; the pattern just has a few little styling quirks to make it unique;)  My last two posts have had pics of it, and here's a few more to add to the collection.

Toby again, sporting an 8ply cotton version in singlet form.


I really like the name Simplicity but there are quite a few patterns called simplicity. This can be tricky if you're searching the Rav database for a pattern with that name or you want to magic link to the pattern. But it is a good name.

So to enter this competition you need to suggest a name for this pattern.

A few details about the pattern:

It is both simple in shape and design. It is a quick and easy knit suitable for any skill level, simple enough for beginners but the pattern also contains a few unique little techniques and tips to ensure a neat finishing to the garment and maintain the interest of the more experienced knitter.

It can be knit as a 4ply singlet, 8ply singlet or 10 ply vest in pretty much any yarn type. It can also be knit as a dress!!


One of the fundamental ideas of the garment is that it is to be used as a blank canvas for the knitter to explore their own creativity. The pattern comes with a palette of different options to encourage the knitter to experiment and try something a little different with the blank canvas; lace, picots, stripes, colourwork, embellishments, reverse stitching imagery and pockets.

It's sized from newborn to size 10 and I think is quite a fun knit. The testers seem to have enjoyed it too! :D

i'll add some more pics of the variations in the next week ;)


What I'm after is a name for this pattern.  I've toyed with something that plays on the idea of a canvas and a palette, artists names, I even considered Melbourne as the garment is as changeable as Melbourne's weather!!!  So suggest me a good name please! If I choose your suggestion you win! If I don't choose any of the suggestions and stick with simplicity, I shall hand over everyone's entry to the random generator to draw a winner.


The prize:
A pattern pack comprising:
* A printed copy of the new pattern and if you choose the name for the pattern you shall get credited in the pattern. If you're on Rav I shall also send you a pdf version, heck, if you're not I can email you a pdf version too.
* up to 200g of yarn to knit up a little garment of your own. I shall select the yarn, colour and type based on the winner and their likes/dislikes.
* some spesh stitch markers perfect for the project.
* A little sewn project bag to keep it all in.

Can't knit or can't be fagged?
I will knit it for you, up to a size 5 singlet/vest version.


Entries close:
Tuesday March 9th midnight AEDST

so get your thinking caps on ;)

pretty please

Monday, March 01, 2010

the exciting stuff

so where did that weekend just go?

So it's March already, which according to Lily is her birthday month. she's got it sussed, not just a day, or even a week, nooo; she has a whole month of specialness.  Immediately this morning there was the definite feel of Autumn in the air, the wind was cooler and definitely southerly (my husband laughed at this observation of mine as here in Autumn it is actually the calmest wind-wise of the whole year), the sun had less bite and it was quite cool. It has been a really wonderful summer, perfect in fact with very little of that horrific heat of the last one.  I am so very much looking forward to the cooling months and the gorgeousness of Autumn, I love the changing months best of all.


So today, check out this little munchkin all cheeky as always.  He's wearing a singlet knit from the same pattern as the vest yesterday. This time though, along with a slight modification, it's knit in 4ply wool rather than 10 ply cotton. This little singlet is going to be perfect for the cooler months with longies at night to help prevent wicking on his tshirt. Super perfect under woollen overalls and a fitted.  

I knit it from some old stash yarn, Heirloom 4 ply baby yarn and it took a smidge under 50grams of this lovely lavender colour.    


So what's the exciting news, you say?

well, I've been busily working on the wholesale arm of my patterns and trying to get them into some real life yarn stores in a printed format. I shipped off the first batch last week which was really really exciting.

Even more exciting is that the yarn store is hosting a Knit A Long (KAL) for the month of March with both the Rainbow Dress and milo. So who is the yarn store?
None other than


So if you're in Brisbane you can pop in there and buy one of my patterns in the printed form.  You can also purchase them from the website in pdf and printed form.  Subscribe to the newsletter too, and pop into the Tangled Yarns forum on Rav and join us for the KAL. I'm knitting along too to offer advice and support. I'll be knitting the original milo boy a new milo, as he currently doesn't have one. There are over 600 milo projects on Rav and the little boy that it's named after doesn't have one. Embarrassment!!!  

I've also added a couple of new cottage license holders to the page, so go and check them out and support them!  

The two latest ones are :

and

competition details tomorrow!!! sorry about the teasing and delaying with this comp, it's just not quite ready!!!!!