Another Design

I usually knit garments and accessories using purchased or free patterns designed by other knitters. Because all patterns are copyrighted, I cannot sell items made from their patterns unless I have express permission, and express permission is rarely given. Knitting designers make very little money in relation to the number of people who may be knitting their patterns at any given time, and knitters are often unaware that swapping patterns with each other takes money from the pocket of the designer. Because I have such an overdeveloped sense of justice, I feel guilty sometimes just giving the knitted item away. Crazy, I know, but there it is.

I have entered into a tentative agreement with a sheep farmer whose sheep produce luxury fleece (and therefore, wool, of course). She's a local farmer, so this idea fits right into my "shop local" attempts, and her spun fleece is lovely and cashmere-like. Our idea is that I will knit items that she can display and sell when she attends fiber festivals. (Yes, all you non-knitters out there, these exist and are quite popular.) I buy the wool from her; she sells my items. Helps her; helps me. And I'm going to be knitting anyway.

The only problem, of course, is that I usually knit items from designers' patterns, and I cannot sell these items. Solution: design my own.

I am especially proud of my second design: the River of Leaves Wrap. Knitted in DK weight cormo (Corriedale/Merino), this wrap is whisper-light but warm and snuggly, and at 11.5 inches wide and 65 inches long, can be worn a variety of ways. As soon as it is dry, I'll post photos of some ways to wear this accessory.

Until then, here is a photo as it is drying. Any one want one? $72 and I'll ship it for free. You can choose the color. This one is hand-dyed in Spruce.

Designing Woman

On Christmas morning, I woke up remembering that my friend Donna (who NEVER forgets my birthday) would be home for her birthday this year.

Having a birthday the day after Christmas must have been pretty hard when she was a kid. I can imagine all her presents wrapped up in shiny Santa paper and nestled in very wrinkly recycled tissue. That probably isn't what happened, but I've always felt that the two friends I have with birthdays the day after Christmas missed out on anticipating their next birthday. If all the presents come in a two-day span, that makes for a long year with nothing in between.

I'm basing all this from the point of view of someone who had a perfectly mid-summer birthday herself. No Santa wrapping for my presents. Well, not usually.

Anyway, Donna never forgets my birthday, and I sometimes forget hers. But not this year. This year she's getting something designed just for her: an asymmetrical neckwarmer.

I have had these two hanks of Noro Cashmel in the stash for a few years now. I made myself a February Lady Sweater from the rest of it, and I had knit this yarn into several small items that never seemed to be finished. Two hanks isn't much, and not everyone deserves cashmere. A few weeks ago, I raveled those small items, washed and straightened the fiber, and hung it to dry. This neckwarmer was designed to fit inside the collar of an open blouse or slipped over a t-shirt neckline to keep the drafts away. The cashmere is soft and not itchy and the fabric is densely knit.

It was just waiting to become Donna's birthday gift. I hope she loves it.