Slowly getting back into it! A little bit of design progress… « »
March 14th, 2010
This is as much as I’ve gotten done in the last month! I already knit one version of this shawl, but needed to work on the lace chart a bit.
So this summery version is in Handmaiden Seasilk from Jimmy Beans.
The project bag is a Christmas gift from my BIL Aaron…you can buy one at www.etsy.com/shop/FruitLoopDesigns
This is the shawlette that I worked on for my example project in the first run of my Design Your Own Shawl class. I chose a stitch pattern that turned out to be directional:
So that, instead of appearing to be mirrored across the center increase line, it looks slightly rotated. This makes the candle flames point in two different directions on either side of the increase line:
The red lines highlight the way that each candle flame’s tail swoops across the shawl. And…you can see that they swoop in different directions.It’s a really subtle difference, but I can tell…and it’s been bugging the HECK out of me!
SO…I had to fix it by altering the lace chart so that instead of doing exactly the same thing in each section, I do the exact opposite.
For example, if one row of the lace chart in the first half reads, “k5, yo, k1, yo, k8″ the other side needs to read, “k8, yo, k1, yo, k5.”
So far, this is totally fixing the issue, and I think the final shawl will be really pretty. I decided to use something summery because we’re already in the 70s here!
Here’s my little treehugger:
She LOVES sitting in this tree! Every time we’re out in the back yard, she asks to be put up in the branches.
Our fruit trees are blooming! There might be peaches:
…and PLUMS!
I’m so happy that it’s warming up!!
In case you’re wondering…Olive’s doing GREAT! She’s nursing really well and gaining weight like she’s supposed to. She’s a really mellow baby, and takes great naps! Here she is in a tee printed by the fabulousJodi Green:
Posted in Patterns, tips and tricks, Online classes | No Comments »
Big and Little Sister shirts and sweaters « »
February 27th, 2010
Well, I managed to get the girls into their Big Sister / Little Sister shirts and sweaters last week, but somehow they didn’t get into any photos in them TOGETHER…
BUT, the shirts and sweaters (and especially the girls) are cute just the same.
Here’s Olive in her outfit:
…and here’s Mazie in hers (with Nate’s mom):
The yarns are all Lorna’s Laces swirl. Olive’s is DK and Mazie’s is chunky. I’ve had lots of requests for the patterns, but as yet haven’t had a chance to write them. It’s on my to do list, though! So far the most complex task I’ve managed is showering. A c-section, a newborn, and a toddler will do that!
I’m also receiving several emails and Ravelry pms a week requesting an upsized version of the whirligig shrug
that I designed for the recent IK Weekend issue. I’ve requested permission from IK to create a version of the pattern with expanded sizing, and will let you know when it’s ok to release it. For now, though, it’s also been relegated to “The List.”
Posted in baby | 5 Comments »
We’re home from the hospital! « »
February 19th, 2010
Olive Beatrice Japel was born on February 15, 2010 at 8:14 am.
Weight: 7 lbs, 6 oz
Height: 20 inches
She has red hair and brown eyes and is just perfect! Click on any of these pics to go to the Flickr photoset.
Mazie is really interested in Olive and tells her “I love you” and gives her kisses, brings her toys, and reads to her! I couldn’t be happier with how the girls are getting along! I’m so amazed at how Mazie is just rolling with this…she really is excited to be a big sister and seems to totally understand what’s going on. (WHEW!)
Nathan’s parents are in town for a month to help out, and it’s been great having them! Mazie is really over the top with happiness right now! She gets to go to the circus tomorrow…what a lucky girl!
Posted in baby | 17 Comments »
Design Your Own Shawl Class: Two Student FOs « »
February 12th, 2010
In my online “Design Your Own Shawl” class, I guide the students through the shawl design process, give them the basic structure, tools to create their patterns and charts, and they do the designing themselves. Each student ends up with a complete pattern.
This one is by Jennifer Hansen of Knitting Like Crazy blog fame. (Here’s her shawl blog post.) Jen’s shawl came out beautifully! I love the way that her stitch patterns work together and create a wonderful flow from top to bottom.
Here’s a closeup of Jen’s border stitch pattern:
I just love it! I can't tell you how cool it is to see such a wonderful, professional finished student project!
The second FO from class is by Gina Kanouse, who writes the awesome Brownie Knits blog. (Here are her shawl blog posts 1, 2.)
Gina’s shawl is a real standout, in that Gina used just one stitch pattern, but she used it so effectively! It’s just strikingly beautiful.
Gina’s pattern is already available in her Etsy shop!
Gina teaches classes at Stitches and Scones in Westfield, IN, and will be teaching several upcoming classes on her “Gina Shawl!”
Go Gina!
And, here are Mazie and I with “our” finished shawlette from class:
It’s both of ours, because she definitely made appearances in this class! Mazie is a great helper, with blocking, making videos, and just all-around making things interesting.
You’ll see several more finished projects from this class! We are all working at different paces, and doing different things with varying levels of difficulty…so the FO photos will keep trickling in. I’m SO impressed with my students!
Here are just a few student reviews of the class:
From Paula: The class is superb. It is giving me the skills I need to share and possibly sell my patterns. Each step of the process is carefully outlined. The videos and handouts have been right on target. Stefanie has done a great job of simplifying a complicated process. I highly recommend the class to anyone interested in designing and marketing patterns.
From Gina: The Design Your Own Shawl class was fabulous! The videos and handouts are highly informative, and Stefanie was supportive and encouraging throughout the process. The inspiration provided by the class, instructor, and other students will leave your head spinning with new ideas and you will LOVE it. I left this class with a pattern in hand, a design I adore, and lots of new friends. I will be taking many more classes from Stefanie via the site.
From Stephanie: It has been an awesome class. I would keep telling my friends that I was taking an on-line shawl design class and they really couldn’t understand my enthusiasm. I spent hours and hours pouring over stitch books and lace patterns. I even had my sock pattern books out for patttern inspiration. But after lots of swatching and thnking and learning, I closed all the books up and charted out my own design using the free KnitChart software that Stefanie linked us to. The whole class was well organized with lots of hand-outs and videos. We had scheduled chats each week. I am hoping to take my design and make it in several weights of yarn. I know each one will be different. I am sort of a production person. I was even thinking tonight that it would make a great blanket knitted in the round. And an easy top-down raglan also! I now have more new internet knitting friends. I will be checking their blogs and web-sites to keep in touch. Thanks again Stefanie. Can’t really believe your will be having your second child in less than 2 weeks. Keep us posted.
From Judy: This is my 3rd on-line class with Stefanie and I’ve loved it! I’ve learned a lot about combining stitch patterns that I can envision using in other projects besides shawls. I’ve also simply learned how to build on my skills! Designing for me has always been intimidating as I consider myself mainly “left-brained”; but I’ve learned that this process can be logical, too. So, this class has helped me be a more fearless knitter and I commend Stefanie for that aspect of it. As always, her classes are exciting and interactive (live chats, forums), informative (handouts), and very visual (videos). I always feel like I’m being welcomed into Stefanie’s home during her videos and I just love that her little daughter Mazie makes an appearance once in awhile. The whole experience besides being informative, is also very personal and friendly, and as a knitter I really value that. I look forward to more classes, Stefanie!
Posted in Uncategorized | 2 Comments »
I’m officially on Maternity Leave! « »
February 8th, 2010
Well, as much on leave as one can be while working from home, any way! I’ve just finished teaching two online classes to two wonderful groups of people. The Shawl Designers are finishing up their projects and getting patterns written and edited, and the “Fit your Knits” students are transforming any pattern you can think of into custom-fit knits! It was a really great month, thank you to all of my awesome students!
I’ll be posting the new spring schedule of classes in a couple of weeks. I want to make sure that we all settle back into daily life smoothly once Olive comes home from the hospital before setting all of the class dates. In the meantime, I’ve got two ongoing self-guided classes (UPcycled Tshirt Yarn Class and Fitted Raglan Shawl Class) that you can sign up for at any time.
Our new baby (who we have named Olive Beatrice) will be delivered on the 15th! SO we have exactly a week to nest and get everything all ready for her.
Here’s a little peek at some of what I’ve been working on:
I finished the Black and White quilt top:
…and I”ve been making a few “Sisters” projects, too. Here are two little sweaters. I made the tiny one a few weeks ago, and recently finished a Big Sister one for Mazie. I love that the sweaters are similar but not identical…they share some traits but not all. And neither is overly saccharine / girly. I’d wear eitherone of these if it was in my size. (I contemplated making a Mom version, but would that be too much?)
Both are Lorna’s Laces Swirl, one is Chunky and one is DK. Both are from Jimmy Beans .
I also made the girls matching tees:
And even Daddy is doing a little last-minute nesting:
…there are still some rooms that we’d meant to paint when we moved in, and that we KNOW we won’t get to for several months if we wait to do it. SO…he’s painting realllyquick this week.
Posted in just chit chat, baby, Online classes | 10 Comments »
A teensy bit more nesting… « »
February 3rd, 2010
I scraped some time together this weekend to do a little bit more nesting.
I worked on my black and white quilt:
And made a clutter-hider curtain for my studio closet:
And a valance for the window:
There’s so much more I’d like to do, if it wasn’t for work and sleepiness. Trying to get a few last-minute patterns written and samples knit in these last few days. All of the sewing is late-night / early morning pregnancy insomnia crafting. It’s really strange: I’m tired all day, and then at about 10pm I totally wake up and can’t get comfortable and end up at the sewing machine. I don’t really have the brainpower at that time for math (pattern writing) but I can stitch straight lines!
And look…it’s 1:45 am right NOW and I didn’t even realize it!
OFF TO BED!!
Posted in Uncategorized | 2 Comments »
Finding a little nesting time. « »
February 3rd, 2010
(note: I wrote this post at least a week ago and didn’t ever hit “publish.”)
Well. The baby’s coming February 15.
I’ve been finding a little nesting time in recent days, and have been focusing on getting Mazie’s room ready to welcome her sister home.
I hung up the quilt that Yahaira made:
I did a little more to the curtains:
Initially, they were just a blackout liner and simple, fold-top-and-seam one-layer curtains. Yesterday I added another strip of fabric to the hem of the blackouts to give a layered look and added tiebacks. The ties are sewn onto the blackout curtains, so that they stay put.
I’ve also got plans for a black and white quilt, with pops of color:
My general plan is to cut out a few squares and rectangles of the colored fabrics, border them in strips of alternating black / white with thin colored strips at random.
Then stitch them onto a largely white background that has some bright pop circles already appliqued. Then applique some circles on top, too.
Inspired by one of Mazie’s black and white baby books.
Other than that, I’ve been acquiring baby things and trying to streamline my own workspace. The easier it is to just come in and work, the more likely it is that I WILL come in and work. It was very repulsive for a while…
But, I got it to the point that I can walk all the way in, use my very clean desk and even find things!
SO, in between working really hard to finish up all of my work commitments before the 15th, I’ve been able to do a LITTLE nesting. Not as much as I WANT to do, but some.
Posted in baby | 1 Comment »
Designing my own shawl … swatches « »
January 21st, 2010
So, Now that I’ve picked out my stitch patterns for class, I’m swatching them to see how they flow…
Here’s a rectangular swatch:
Sometimes it helps to look at the swatch from an angle to see how the stitches really flow into each other:
Here’s how I swatch to see how things will look in the actual shawl:
Posted in Patterns, tips and tricks, Online classes | No Comments »
Designing our own shawls « »
January 20th, 2010
My online Design Your Own Shawl Class started this week, and I’m having a great time!
So far, we’ve drawn out basic sketches of our shawls:
And I’ve decided on which yarn I’ll use (Cascade 109). I’m using a bulky because I want what I’m doing to show up in the class videos, and because I love the look of “blown up” big lace on big needles!
We’re currently in the process of choosing stitch patterns, swatching, and getting ready to chart our lace!
Posted in Uncategorized | 2 Comments »
Self-Guided classes are now ready for signup. « »
January 15th, 2010
Hi Everyone!
I’ve decided to open up self-guided versions of both the Upcycled Tshirt Yarn Class and the Fitted Raglan Shawl Class. These classes have both been taught several times, and all of the material has been tried and tested and is ready for you to use.
The self-guided format means that you will be able to sign up at any time and have access to the class materials for 4 weeks from your date of signup. Within 24 hours of your registration (usually with minutes) you’ll be invited to the class, where you’ll find all of the video, handouts, patterns, etc. You’ll then be able to work through the materials at your own pace. This means that there’s no set date that the class will start, you simply sign up when you are ready to begin.
The differences between this setup and the way that my classes are normally taught are that we won’t have scheduled chat times, and you will be taking the class along with other people who may be at any stage of the class (since people will go in and out of class according to the date that they sign up.) You won’t necessarily be working with others at the same time, and won’t necessarily interact with your fellow classmates (unless you choose to.)
You will still be able to contact me with any questions / concerns, and I’ll answer within 24 hours.
Because my interaction with the classes will be less than usual, the cost of the class will be lowered by $10 / class. If you’ve been considering trying a class but were concerned about the cost or about the timing of the class fitting in with your schedule, this may be a great way for you to sample a class with less commitment.
(Our baby is due to be born on February 15, so I’m taking a brief hiatus from actively teaching after the Winter Session of classes ends. Spring Session will begin in March. If you’ve signed up to be a member of my knitting studio site, I’ll send you an email with spring class topics and dates as soon as I feel comfortable setting those in stone.)
Fitted Raglan Shawl Class (Self-guided version)
The class will be taught using a combination of pre-recorded video and PDF handouts. There is also a forum, in which you can ask questions at any time and meet others who are working through the same class, but may be at a different point in the material.
You will receive: a PDF copy of the knitting pattern, as well as additional PDF handouts with further explanation and instruction as to how to read lace knitting charts and work lace stitches, how to incorporate lace stitches into raglan - style increases, and more.
Materials: (Feel free to make substitutions!)
SockWeight Shawl, pictured in colors “Autumn Wine” (2 sk.) and“Rockwell” (1 sk.):
3 skeins Lorna’s Laces Shepherd Sock [80% Superwash Wool, 20% Nylon, 215 yds. / 2 oz.]
DK Weight Shawl, pictured in color “Mirth”:
3 skeins Lorna’s Laces Green Line DK [100% organic merino wool, 145 yds. / 2 oz.]
Worsted Weight Shawl, pictured in colors “Chagrin” (1 sk.) and “Courage” (1 sk.):
2 skeins Lorna’s Laces Green Line Worsted [100% organic merino wool, 210 yds. / 4 oz.]
Needles:
Sock Weight Shawl: US 5 / 3.75mm
DK Weight Shawl: US 7 / 4.5mm
Worsted Weight Shawl: US 10 / 8mm
SYLLABUS:
WEEK 1: Introduction to lace knitting and Lace Chart 1
–How to read lace charts
– How to cast on a garter stitch insert
–Lace chart 1 row by row video instruction
WEEK 2: Lace Chart 2 and working with color
– Lace chart 2 row by row video instruction
– Color Theory: Which colors work together and why
– How to effectively change from one color to another in this project.
WEEK 3: Lace Chart 3 and Finishing
– Lace chart 3 video instruction
– Finishing and weaving in ends in lace
– blocking
WEEK 4: Knitting time! Use this week to watch the videos,
ask questions, and generally finish up.
Sign up today, start class tomorrow!
Class Fee for self-guided version:
$35 for four weeks’ access to the class materials.
UP - cycled T-shirt yarn class (Self-Guided Version)
Learn to turn unwanted old (or new) t-shirts into a beautiful yarn that resembles expensive woven cotton tube-type yarns. I will show you how to create different weights of yarn, and to add effects to
the yarn while you’re making it.
You will receive: A PDF booklet of four knitting patterns (click on More Photos under the mosaic above to see more examples of class projects,) as well as additional PDF handouts with further
explanation and instruction as to how to create yarn from T-shirts, how to dye cotton yarn using natural and commercial dyes, and more.
SYLLABUS:
Week 1 of the class will teach you to turn those old Tshirts, jersey bed sheets, or yardages of Tshirt-type fabric into yarn
Week 2 of the class will be “Dye Class.” You’ll learn how to use natural dyes like tea and coffee to give your yarn an organic, earthy feel. We’ll also see how to use commercial dyes like Rit and
Dylon to add gorgeous bright color to the yarn and create special looks like self-striping and variegated yarns.
Week 3 of class will focus on projects for your yarns. Once you’ve created your t-shirt yarn, you’ve effectively RE-cycled your t-shirts, but our goal is to UPcycle. I’ll give you four patterns (leaf-shaped face cloths, lace wrap, lace triangle scarf, and lace shrug)
that will use your new t-shirt yarn to its best advantage. I’ll even go one step further and show you how to package your knits into gorgeous gifts that any friend or relative would love to receive.
Week 4 of the class will be time for you to knit your projects and ask any additional questions, watch the videos, and generally finish up.
The class will be taught using a combination of pre-recorded video and PDF handouts. There is also a forum, in which you can ask questions at any time and meet other students who may be at a different point in the class.
Class Fee for self-guided version:
$35 for four weeks’ access to the class materials