Featured FOs: French Braid Cowl

oh boy has it been a wet and blustery spring in Chicago. ugh. and the weather funk has been affecting everyone around me, too.

we all seem to be in the dulrums, until the sun peeks out from behind the clouds and we all start smiling again. things start to look up. flip flops and lightweight jackets are spotted, and endless babies seem to appear in front of my very eyes.

and i'm here again with a few beautiful finished projects made from my pattern - the french braid cowl.

by h82purl via Flickr

this beauty was knit up by Roe (h82purl on Ravelry) using Malabrigo Twist in Zinc. i adore the colorway. and, of course, i have to comment on the outstanding buttons. because apparently i have a major fascination with buttons. thanks to Roe for letting me share.

by h82purl via Flickrevery time i see this gorgeous Twist yarn i just want to eat it. I love how the plys (plies?) are a little nubbly and thick & thin. and it has the most buttery feeling to knit with. each of my finished projects knit with Twist have been kept in my drawer....and not given away....i love them :)

i have another FO to share with you.

© Salmonheadthis lovely french braid cowl was knit by Susan (Salmonhead on Ravelry) using Malabrigo Worsted in Azul Profundo. gorgeous! check out Susan's button placement - way different from Roe's picture above. each person who has knitted the french braid cowl has customized the button placement to fit their preferences. love it!

(C) Salmonheadthis awesome shot is modeled by Susan's friend, Tasha. that cowl looks so snuggly!

but alas, my favorite shot is the one below, where the french braid cowl is modeled by the floppy-haired pooch! i just want to squeeeeeeze <3

(C) Salmonhead

looking for testers - mogul cowl & infiniti scarf

well, it looks as though i successfully completed 3-4 days of the knitting blog week! the balance of my week got crazy with work and errands, so i was a naughty blogger and i did not post - oopps!

today i'm sharing with you a preview of one of my new patterns - the mogul cowl & infiniti scarf. the pattern includes instructions on how to create a close-fitting cowl and a long infiniti scarf you can wear in many ways - wrapped around the neck loosely or swirled around a few times, or as a hooded cowl.

i'm currently looking for test knitters to knit both the small and large versions. the small version uses about 200 yards of heavy worsted/chunky weight yarn. the large version uses about 400 yards of light worsted weight yarn.

if you are interested in testing, please PM me on Ravelry. details for testers are available in the BreeanElyse group on Ravelry.

Pattern Preview - French Braid Cowl

The French Braid Cowl will be one pattern of a collection that I'm releasing just in time for Malabrigo March. The patterns will be available for individual purchase, as well as bundled together as an e-book.

A few of the patterns for this collection are currently being test knit by a bevy of awesome knitters. You can track their progress in the test knitting thread of the BreeanElyse group on Ravelry.

I have long admired Elaine's projects (yarnsnob on Ravelry), and thought she might like my new designs, so I sent her a message on Ravelry asking if she'd like to be a tester. To my amazement, she agreed and speedily went to work this past weekend - and is now over the halfway point in finishing her French Braid Cowl project!

She's also posted some beautiful pictures of her WIP on her blog - GORGEOUS. Thanks Elaine!

Neck Truffle Free Pattern - Quick Holiday Gift Knitting

Published in January 2009, my Neck Truffle pattern seemed to be a hit at the yarn shop where I was working at the time. It's super quick, and the stitch pattern simple enough for beginners to master.The ribbon lacing makes it special, luxurious, and great for gift giving.

It's been almost a year since the pattern was launched and there are now over 100 Neck Truffle projects on Ravelry!

It's very flattering to have other knitters like my designs enough to knit their own! I'd like to feature a few of my favorite Neck Truffle patterns...

Michelle is knitting a Neck Truffle with Malabrigo Rasta - one of my favorite super bulky yarns. This colorway is gorgeous!

 Photo Courtesy of mikki552 on Ravelry

How about buttons instead of the ribbon? Looks great! I'm always a fan of toggles :) and it seems like a lot of us are lovers of Malabrigo Rasta!

It's so inspiring to see the color choices and different embellishments on these projects.

Photo Courtesy of rejennarate on Ravelry

The simple monochromatic color theme used in this version is stunning. This is a classic that would fit into anyone's wardrobe.

Photo Courtesy of dottieschmat on Ravelry

It's so fantastic seeing how people customize my patterns for themselves. I hope all of my designs evoke the 'beautifully simple' theme, allowing knitters to put their own personality into their creations. The ability to modify this pattern keeps it interesting and makes for individualized gifts.

What are you knitting for Holiday gifts this year?

My cowl design featured in Malabrigo's latest ad!

Thanks to my awesome friend Sam, I was given the opportunity to design a few patterns for the newest upcoming book for Malabrigo yarns. I'm extremely excited about this book and I can't wait for it to be finished. There will be more posts on this, but for now, here's a shot I took with my iPhone when I accidentally stumbled upon this ad and said, "I think that's my design!"

I used Malabrigo's yarn Rasta in colorway #862 Piedras. What I find extremely awesome is that this picture is of the actual sample that I knitted when I designed the pattern!

Here's the link to the Book 3 thread on the Malabrigo Junkies forum on Ravelry.

I'd love to hear your feedback on the design!

~Bree