3KCBWDAY7: Crafting A Balance

I knit and crochet, but mostly knit.

While I enjoy crocheting, I can't do it for long periods of time without my hands feeling like they're going to remain in permanent 'claw' position.

As the 3rd annual knitting and crochet blog week wraps up, I'll keep my post short and sweet.

I look for balance in most everything I do. Knitting, crocheting, and working.

A work-life balance is extremely important to me.

via PinterestThis allows me time to think, ponder and examine.

Maintaining this balance allows me to find the bursts of inspiration required in order to stay fresh with my work and knitting designs.

That said, I've accepted a new position as an account manager with a healthcare branding firm. I start Tuesday.

I'm looking forward to a fast-paced and invigorating 2012, which I hope will be full of learning and balance.

Wish me luck!

3KCBWDAY6: Improving My Skillset - Incorporating Fair Isle Into My Designs

Earlier this week I shared with you an itsy bitsy snippet of one of my newest designs. The new cowl pattern, which will be available later this year, incorporates fair isle colorwork (very simple, I promise).

Here's a larger peek:

The cowl pattern will be written in 2 versions, allowing the knitter to customize by working the ribbing in a solid color or using 2 colors (shown in the sample above). The pattern will also give notes on incorporating an optional horizontal braid (also shown in the sample above).

If you read my post from yesterday, you can see how I was inspired for this pattern...

3KCBWDAY5: Something Different - Design Inspiration

Day 5 of Knitting & Crochet blog week challenges us to write about something different...

Something 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.

So, it's only appropriate that I stray a little bit in my writing today to show you where I've been drawing my latest batch of inspiration from...

Spring's neons and bold prints have inspired me to create pieces with simple shapes and visual interest achieved from using different color combinations.

All images found on Pinterest

At the same time, I'm looking toward Fall, and seeing muted neutrals, slouchy shapes and saturated splashes of color, like poppy and chartruese. Asymmetrical shapes paired with simple stitches is the name of the game. Slouchy, urbanized fitting hats and oversized scarves, all crafted using fine gauge luxury fibers.

All images from PinterestLook forward to new designs developed from these inspiration boards. And, follow me on Pinterest if you'd like to see more!

3KCBWDAY4: Stitching for All Seasons

Day four of Knitting & Crochet Blog week...

A Knitter or Crocheter For All Seasons?
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?

Am I a fair or foul weather knitter/crocheter? Both!

I knit pretty much year round. It's what I look forward to doing after a long work day, and on the weekends, and during vacation, and when I'm dreaming lovely dreams of sheepies and alpacas...

Enough said. I lurves some yarn crafting. Summer. Winter. Spring. Fall. Anytime, I'm knitting. And sometimes even crocheting.

I do find that the weather changes my projects though. I tend to work with bulky wool yarns during the fall/winter months, and then switch to working with finer gauge yarns in the warmer months.

One of my recent favorite yarns is Malabrigo Arroyo. It's a sport weight superwash merino wool with unparallelled drape. The colors, no surprise, are amazingly beautiful. Check out the Chircas colorway in my Riverside Cowl pattern:

I'm currently working on several designs for this fall using fingering weight yarns.

Here's a peek at one design (I'll show a larger peek later this week). Sorry it's so small. It's a wee teeny sneak peek!

I'm also furiously knitting a design sample that is due by end of May - wish me luck! The yarn I'm using - which isn't quite available yet, unfortuantely - is perfect for warm weather knitting.

It's a laceweight blend of wool and silk that works up into a silky, lofty, drapey fabric with a hint of sheen. Just gorgeous. I'll share as soon as I can!

3KCBWDAY3: My Knitting or Crochet Hero

Today's Knitting & Crochet Blog Week post is about inspiration. Who is your knitting or crochet hero?

Well, I have many- my fellow knitters and crocheters at Knit 1.

Lynn, the shop owner, has a way of constantly keeping me and all of her other customers inspired.

There are constantly new projects in various levels of progress throughout the store. Customers stop by periodically to share their own work, chat, have a snack, and, of course, stitch. 

Inspiras Galore at Knit 1Since I started hanging out at Knit 1, I've begun several new projects, I ventured into colorwork design and using (gasp!) vareigated yarns, and I've developed a love for wooly-wools.

The shop's also got me hooked on Pinterest and crochet (quite literally).

Lynn's crochet african flowersAnd it's not just yarny crafts keeping me inspired here.

Lynn (head yarn mistress) also eats paleo and lifts heavy weights, two things that I've been doing since last September.

This was a big lifestyle change for me, and it's great to have someone else to chat about it without getting the "OMGWHATDOYOUMEANYOUDONTEATBREAD???!!!!" response. 

The shop has a strong sense of community. Customers know other customers. They text each other to drop by. They grab each other lunch or treats from the coffee shop next door.

And they embark upon glorious knitted and crocheted projects together, with words of support and lots of giggling throughout the process.

How could this not be inspiring?