Improving your skill set 3KCBWDAY6

I like to think that I'm pretty well versed in knitting techniques, but one thing that I would like to learn, and have yet to try is brioche knitting in two colors.

A while back I did a series of step-by-step photo tutorials on different ways to do short rows. I'd like to continue to post more tutorials. So starting next week every Tuesday will be Tutorial Tuesday. So what tutorials would you like to see on the blog? Email me or leave a comment below, and I'll post a tutorial on whatever new technique you throw at me. If it means I teach it to myself first, great!

3KCBWDAY6

Day 5: A bit different...yeah, that sounds like me 3KCBWDAY5

From Eskimimi Makes: 
Something A Bit Different
This is an experimental blogging day to try and push your creativity in blogging to the same level that you perhaps push your creativity in the items you create.There are no rules of a topic to blog about but this post should look at a different way to present content on your blog. 

You asked for different... 

Day 4: A knitter for all seasons? 3KCBWDAY4

Today's topic is:
A Knitter or Crocheter For All Seasons? 3KCBWDAY4
As spring is in the air in the northern hemisphere and those in the southern hemisphere start setting their sights for the arrival of winter, a lot of crocheters and knitters find that their crafting changes along with their wardrobe. Have a look through your finished projects and explain the seasonality of your craft to your readers. Do you make warm woollens the whole year through in preparation for the colder months, or do you live somewhere that never feels the chill and so invest your time in beautiful homewares and delicate lace items. How does your local seasonal weather affect your craft?

Being a designer I'm usually designing, and thus knitting, things that are currently out of season. Recently I've knit one shawl, and this summer shrug which are appropriate for spring. The rest of my projects are sweaters, gloves, and hats for fall and winter. And come winter I'll be designing/knitting for spring and summer. The hardest part is trying to predict what will be popular the following fall when all the shops are only showing their spring/summer clothes. 

Day 3: Knitting Hero 3KCBWDAY3 / A Perfect Knitting Day? 3KCBWWC

Today's prompt is:

Your Knitting Or Crochet Hero 3KCBWDAY3

I have been inspired by many people. As you may or may not have noticed I don't write a lot on this blog, it's mostly short entries with pictures. There is a reason for this: I don't have the attention span to read long blog posts, so I assume that most others also do not, and thus usually stick to short posts with pictures. 

So I'm going to go ahead and do the Wild Card prompt today, which is: your perfect knitting (crafting) day 3KCBWWC

I've received a lot of really nice comments about my post yesterday, so I really feel the pressure to be amusing all week long. Thanks for the confidence-boosting comments, and the soul-crushing pressure... 

Without further ado, here's how my perfect knitting day would start: 

Every good knitting day should start with some nice yarn. This is Lotus Yarns 100% merino wool: Winter Sun.

Ohh and aah over yarn.

Ponder over all the possibilities...

Eureka! A sweater!

Excitedly cast on

And knit

30 minutes later... (Hey, the prompt said perfect didn't it?)

Boy that was a lot of work... I should try it on! 

NOOOOOOOO!!!!!! It doesn't fit! WHY DIDN'T I SWATCH FIRST?!?! 

 OH YEAH?!? WE'LL SEE WHO'S BOSS NOW SWEATER! 

Special thanks to my patient husband Brian for taking these photos.

No sweaters were harmed in the making of this post. The featured sweater is a Freddie Krueger sweater that I started in August 2011 for Brian, and is still waiting to be finished... but that's another story.

A day in the secret life of yarn 3KCBWDAY2

Today is photography challenge day! 3KCBWDAY2

So, here's what one naughty skein of green yarn does when I'm not looking...

Sleep in

Read the newspaper

Hang out with its peeps

Play hide and seek

Contemplate its future

Get acupuncture

Work out

Weigh in

Relax after a long day!

Color Lovers 3KCBWDAY1

Day 1 of Knitting and Crochet Blog week! YAY! 3KCBWDAY1
Today's theme is about color.
Lately I've noticed that a lot of my projects are green...

My other current favorite: Natural tones

What's your current favorite color?

Help me name this shrug

So remember how I kept on posting about the design process for the green shrug? You can see it from the beginning: it started with the yarn, then came the swatch and ideas, a sketch, a nearly finished shrug, and now here are photos of the lovely Katy Doyle wearing the shrug.

For me the last part of the design process is naming the shrug. Since I've been going through the process publicly I thought I'd give everyone the chance to give me an idea on what to name the pattern. The winner will receive a free copy of the shrug pattern. 

To enter: Put your suggested name(s) in a comment below along with your Ravelry ID or email address before May 1st.

Knitting & Crochet Blog Week

Seeing as that this is the first year of the Mari Knits blog this will also be my first time participating in Knitting & Crochet Blog week. I'm excited to get started! Check back every day for a week starting Monday, April 23, because I intend to participate every day! 

To find out more about blog week visit Eskimimi Makes

Remember those sneak peeks?

So I can reveal what two of those pictures were of. The third item isn't finished yet...but soon I hope!

First off is a set of shoes and baby hat in garter stitch. I think these are super cute. The hat will be available in 5 sizes from preemie to age 2, and the shoes available in 3 sizes for newborn to 18 months. I just love these little apple buttons!

The other picture is a pair of Cashmere fingerless gloves for fall. These luxurious gloves are made with one skein of Lotus Yarns Cashmere DK. They are amazingly soft and warm. 

Both of these patterns will be published soon, so stay tuned!

Government Free VJJ

I just heard about this new project while listening to Dan Savage's podcast the Savage Lovecast.

The project is called Government Free VJJ, and you can find their website here: http://www.governmentfreevjj.com/. They are sending knit, crochet, and any other types of hand crafted vaginas, uteri, vulvas, and wombs to local government. I love the idea of using your craft as a way to voice your political concern to elected officials.

I won't post any of the pictures here, but if you're interested I would click on the link above. It's quite interesting.

Sneak Peek

A little look at what I'm working on... 

What were you doing at 8 o'clock this morning?

I was standing outside taking photos of pillows and sneezing.

I've just finished my first pattern for the Knit Picks Independent Designer Program: Cable Doodle Doo, a set of cabled pillows. They feature Knit Picks new 100% acrylic yarn Knit Picks Brava. They are soft, and you can put them in the washing machine and dryer, which seems very practical to me since pillows tend to get a fair amount of wear and tear.  Brian came up with the name, until about 15 minutes ago the file was simply titled: Cabled Pillows. Anyways, here are some of my less than impressive photos. Some of them came out really blurry because I sneezed in the middle of trying to take the photos.

I'm not sure when the patterns will be available, but don't worry, I'll be sure to post when they are!

More Shrug Design

The reason I didn't post a picture of the shrug this weekend? I was too busy knitting! I did manage to finish the shrug. This is a picture of it blocking. Now I've sewn it up and it's blocking again. The next picture probably won't be until it's photographed properly by Katy. 

I haven't come up with a name for this shrug, any thoughts?