Mystery Knit Along #3 Designer Spotlight

Hello!! The wonderful designer that is letting us use this pattern is Diana Troldahl, she goes by Otterwise on Ravelry here is her profile link http://www.ravelry.com/people/Otterwise
I will share more about her after our finishing instructions for this project.




To finish this project, bind off at desired length and weave in all ends. Thank You as always for joining in this knit Along! I will provide a direct link to her blog with this pattern in the page section of our group. I hope you enjoyed this pattern.

Diana has been crocheting most of her life. She learned how to knit in Japan years ago, where she knit her first sweater. She did not really get serious about knitting again until 2001. Diana knitted Japanese style until she started pattern testing for her sis-in-love LynnH, a fellow designer. Here is the link to Diana's pattern page, where she has patterns for sale, and patterns for free. http://www.ravelry.com/stores/diana-troldahl-designs

Diana started making her own designs at age 8, making crocheted animal patterns. Her friend Lynn inspired her to start putting her patterns on paper. Diana has a blog here http://otterwise.blogspot.com/

Diana feels that knitting has been her salvation. She has a disability that has progressed, and it has left her less and less able to do things she used to, knitting has helped her calm her mind, and given her new purpose. She loves hearing how a pattern she created is used by the person making it (there are some great stories on the projects pages of her ‘Cloud On Her Shoulders’ pattern) and knitting has also introduced her to some amazing people.

Knitting also allows her to give back. About once a year she creates a new pattern, and designates a portion of the proceed throughout its life to go to a charity. Cloud on Her Shoulders helps fund the Susan G. Komen Foundation for breast cancer research, and the Kiva Bag helps fund loans for kiva.org. she also likes to knit for Warm Woolies. Through knitting and designing, she feels a sense of purpose. I think she is an inspiration!!!

The photos I included here, can be found in her pattern shop on Ravelry.

What you see here are the Allison bag (fits a laptop perfectly), and the Kiva bag.

Mystery Knit Along #3 Week #2

Mystery Knit Along #3 Week #2

Welcome back!!
Not much to this weeks instruction. Just continue on in the same manner till desired length. By now I am sure you have figured out it is a scarf. I am only about half way done, so I will show you the finished photos next week.










I did want to share how I weave in my ends. I hope the photos aren't too confusing. I will put up a better tutorial in our Ravelry group soon. I weave in my ends using duplicate stitch. It is where you follow actual stitches in your knitting, with your yarn needle and yarn.







For a knit stitch you start by bringing your yarn needle up through the base of your stitch as pictured.


You will notice the stitch travels up, over to the left then back down to the base (where you brought your needle up. Now slide your needle under the base of the stitch right above the stitch you are working on now, but on top of the yarn in the stitch you are following.







The yarn now travels back down, where it connects to the yarn below it. You slide your needle into the base of the stitch (where you first brought your needle up), and up through the base of your next stitch to the left.















You continue in this manner. It is much harder to see the body of the stitch in the purl. Feel free to pull on your work a bit the see the stitches better. The duplicate is worked the same way though.


Although you are bringing your needle through horizontal bars up through two, then down through the next two on the left

Mystery Knit Along #3 Week #1

Hello!!!

I am very excited to start another knit along. We have another designer that has let us use one of her patterns. I will share a bit about her at the conclusion of our knit along. This knit along will be 2 or three weeks.

This is a good stash busting project. You need around 200 yards of a main color, and scraps of other colors. Try to keep the yarns around the same weight. Enjoy!
**A note... The designer used the colors stated below. I will show a photo of her finished project at the conclusion of this knit along.

There are two 'mystic' bits about this project. One is how the appearance and intensity and color shadings of the main color change depending on which yarn it is paired with. The background color I chose is a light turquoise. If it is paired with a light blue, it appears a deeper teal, if it is paired with a green, it looks very blue. Each color changes the quality of the main color, producing a visual illusion of even more shades of color than I used. The second mystic bit is how this seemingly narrow project can expand to double its width due to the ribbing.

Size 8 needles (or needles of a size to work with your weight of yarns)

Gauge: not important

with main color, cast on 40 stitches.

row 1: k2, p2 across

row 2: k2, p2 across

row 3: begin new color, k2, p2 across

row 4: k2, p2 across

row 5: using main color, k2, p2 across

row 6: k2, p2 across

row 7: continuing with second (transient) color; k2, p2 across

row 8: k2, p2 across

Work in this pattern, changing between the main color(s) and transient colors, carry the non-working yarn up the side until its turn comes again. When the transient color you chose runs out, add in your next choice of color from the yarn scrap pile, maintaining pattern.

Work up to 30" this week.

Thanks for joining me again :)

Mystery Knit Along #2 Designer Showcase

Thank you so much for joining this knit along with me. I also want to thank April for providing such a sweet and wonderful pattern. I hope you all enjoyed knitting it.

This cute little pattern was provided by April Lowe. Here is the one I made, with my little guy.

I am going to provide some of April's links, and then I will tell you more about her.

April has a couple of stores on Etsy. Lillebarn http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5205516
and, Lillebarn Too
http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=6860556
Her blog is
www.lillebarn.blogspot.com

Lillebarn is Danish, it means unique and stylish handmade items for tiny babies and kids, including hats, blankets, stationery, wall art, onesies…


April has been knitting for 5 years. She is a self-taught knitter using books and patterns to figure things out. She had a hard time finding patterns for exactly what she was looking for. So April learned how to design her own patterns very early on. Then she decided to start selling her patterns because she couldn't keep up with her knitting Orders.

The three beautiful photos, are some of her products. The hat patterns are 4.50 each. The birth announcements cards are completely customizable.

April comes out with new patterns and products throughout the year, but especially at the start of each season. April is also going to offer us a 15% discount on a first purchase. All you have to do is enter mysteryknit in the notes to the seller, in Etsy check out.

April also enjoys photography, piano, SCUBA diving, traveling, cooking, and nutrition. She has two sons, ages 2 and 1.

April loves to design knits for her boys, and some of her friends baby girls. It gives her joy to be able to share the patterns she writes.

I did want to share something great about the pretty grey and white hat.... The pattern includes yarn suggestions, size variations from newborn to 4 years and up. I will probably be making one for Genevieve (my daughter) she is 8

Good night. I appreciate you all
Thank You again for joining me in this knit along.

Heather

Mystery Knit Along #2 Week #2

This pattern was provided by April Lowe. I will be sharing more about her in the designer showcase.

Here are the rest of our pattern instructions.

1. Using the long tail method, co 4 st
2. Knit across the top of the first ear flap
3. Using the backward loop method, co 7 st
4. Knit across the top of the second ear flap
5. Using backward loop method, co 3 st
6. Join round being careful that no stitches are twisted and work in garter stitch for 4
rows. When knitting in the round, make garter stitch by knitting one row and then
purling the next row. So for this part you will knit a round, purl a round, knit a round,
and then purl one more round.
7. Now knit every row (shows stockinette st when knitting in the round) until hat
measures 5 in from cast on edge.
8. Begin decrease sequence as follows:
1. *k5, k2tog, repeat from * to end of round
2. *k4, k2tog, repeat from * to end of round
3. *k3, k2tog, repeat from * to end of round
4. knit onto 3 dbl pointed needles as follows: needle 1; k 5st, needle 2; k 5 st, needle
3; k 6 st
5. *k2, k2tog, repeat from * to end of round
6. knit
7. *k1, k2tog, repeat from * to end of round. 8 st remain.

Cut yarn, leaving 8 in tail. Thread tail onto yarn needle and pull through remaining st.
Turn hat inside out and pull yarn through center of the top hole and pull to close tightly.
Tie knot at top of hat and weave in end.
Making up:
Weave in ends on ear flaps

Make 3 pom poms (approximately 2 to 3 inches) and attach to top of hat and bottom of 2
scarf ear flaps, weaving in ends. Pom pom can be left off the top of the hat if desired.
© April Lowe / Lillebarn 2007
To be used for PERSONAL USE ONLY. This pattern not to be used for resale of this
pattern or the finished knitted hat without written permission