Yarn Over KAL

I am working quietly and steadily in preparation for next week . . .  and I'm not talking about taxes—let's not think about them right now, OK? A new shawl pattern is almost ready (more on that in a moment) and, on Friday the 17th, we're starting a new knitalong in the Ravelry Blue Peninsula group.

The Yarn Over KAL starts Friday, April 17 and ends Sunday, May 17. This KAL is all about lace: you can make any of my designs that has a yarn over in it. Scarves, cowls, mitts, socks, shawls, sweaters—it's all good as long as it's got lace. A discussion thread is already up and running on Ravelry—come join the fun!

Of course, there will be prizes. Twice during the KAL, I'll use a Random Number Generator to award free Blue Peninsula patterns to posts in the discussion thread. And at the end of the KAL, physical prizes will be awarded randomly to finished projects in the FO thread.

One winner will get one of my hand-embroidered lavender sachets, either the merino sheep or the spring lamb—their choice. 

Another will get a lovely skein of Valley Yarns Charlemont in one of the kettle-dyed colorways, Wild Pink. I think it's perfect for Streusel, but it could also work nicely for On the Other Hand, Skipperling, Biscuit, or Couplet.

And a third prize will be three skeins of Cascade 220 Fingering—one each in Olive Oil, Ginseng, and Buff—which are the colors I used for my new shawl design. The winner will also get a free copy of the shawl pattern (or any other individual Blue Peninsula pattern they prefer).

I hope you'll come join us and have fun knitting up something special for your spring wardrobe. Or, maybe get started on a Mother's Day gift or teacher gifts?

Fingers crossed, I'll be sharing the new shawl pattern with you early next week. Until then, here are a couple of sneak peeks, just before binding off and after blocking:

Hope to see you in the KAL!

Stitched Sheep Update: Spring Lamb

It's spring! In honor of the season, I decided the second sheep in my line of embroidered project bags and sachets would be a fresh little spring lamb. First, I began with a sketch:

After that, I experimented with colors and which kinds of stitches to use for the features. This little sweetie is the end result:

The bags and sachets are sewn with 100% linen. Each one is stitched by hand with perle cotton embroidery threads, and no two are ever exactly alike. The sachets are filled with dried lavender buds and chamomile blossoms—a lovely scent that not only makes your closet or woolens drawer smell great, but also wards off pesky moths. A small cotton loop allows you to hang it on a clothes hanger or a hook, if you like.

The drawstring bags are about 10.5 inches wide and 11.5 inches tall—just the right size for medium and small projects, like socks, hats, baby things, scarves and shawls, or mitts. They also make great reusable gift bags for your hand-knit gifts.

Today's "wrapping and packing day"—I'll be heading to the post office later with this week's shipment.

You can find the new spring lamb—as well as my first stitched sheep, a merino—in my Etsy shop. 

Thank you very much for reading!

Stitched Sheep

Yesterday was an exciting day—the first of my Stitched Sheep project bags and lavender sachets headed off via U.S. mail to their new owners.



For the first breed in the series, I chose merino—not only because knitters love merino wool for its softness, but because they are exceedingly fun to stitch. After making a few, I've settled on embroidering the faces first, so that I can enjoy the sheep "smile" while stitching the rest.





These hand-embroidered linen project bags and lavender sachets (a natural moth repellant!) are available in my Etsy shop. Each one is individually stitched—no two are exactly alike. The bags measure about 10.5 inches wide and 11.5 inches tall—perfect for small- and medium-size projects like hats, scarves, cowls, mitts, socks, or baby items.

In the months ahead, I'll be adding more breeds—and maybe even a llama or alpaca, or a plant fiber for those with allergies. The best way to stay abreast of shop updates is to follow me on Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter.

Have you got a favorite breed you'd like to see stitched? Leave a comment and let me know!



P.S. If you're anywhere near Easthampton in western Massachusetts and you'd like to try your hand at embroidery, join me this Saturday for my Embroidery I class at Knack, a very cool creative reuse center located in the Eastworks building. You'll learn basic embroidery stitches and techniques, and you'll also get instructions for sewing a sachet, plus some lavender/chamomile filling to take home with you! All supplies are provided; sign-ups end today.