Buzzing Along

Work continues on the Queen Bee.  I have passed the point where I realized the whole thing had to be redone last time, which seems to be a requirement before I can put a disaster behind me.  I still can't believe I made an entire extra FOOT of fabric before noticing it was looking a bit big...

You'll notice the body tube is getting smaller as I go.  This is a huge big deal for me:  I'm making it a V-Neck.  I hate V-Necks.  In spite of every person, book, film or article I have ever consulted on the subject telling me that V is the best possible neckline for me, I hate them.  They make me feel naked.  And cleavage-y.  Not that I actually AM either of those, but necklines of the V persuasion just feel like somebody else's clothes to me. 

So why do it?  Because this sweater seems to want to be V'd.  And because everybody else loves V's.  And because I haven't ever made a V-Neck cardigan before.  So there you have it:  My realization that other people, some of whom might like to knit my designs, have different tastes than mine, and should be accommodated.  Plus I hate doing things the same way every time, and busting out of my comfortable groove is good for me.  Let's hope it works out.

I'm making my sample short and croppy, but the pattern will tell you how to make one that's long and tunic-y, too, if you prefer.  I'm just in a hurry to be wearing it, and being on the short and croppy side, myself, that seems like a good decision.  Again, only Time and the Knitting Gods will tell.

Sometimes the Visual is All You Need

Intrigue! Espionage! Drama!

Last fall, I was blessed and lucky enough to be invited to design an exclusive pattern and class for the Madrona Winter Retreat.  It was one of those hurry-up-in-time-for-registration projects, so I had to bang out a representative sample for the design in time to post in the Madrona Catalog.  You might remember seeing it:

It's a sweet little mitten, with the promise of a matching beret (which I made later, when the time presented itself).  The mitten photo was posted on my blog, and in the Madrona catalog, with the hopes that potential students would say to themselves "Yes! I would like to make that little mitten, and the beret (which I cannot yet see!) to match!"

And all was well throughout the land.  I made the matching beret (twice, actually, if you want to know, because the first one just wasn't good enough).  Then last week, on the very day that I was going to photograph it for the Madrona catalog, guess what happened?

Sorting through the mail, I absent-mindedly flipped through the pages of a national yarn and knitting catalog I receive, and there it was:  A pattern for entrelac gauntlet mittens, with a matching beret!  Right there, in that catalog, whose circulation is about a billion knitters.  Would you believe it?  That Major Yarn Company and I had the exact same idea for a matching set of entrelac accessories!  Apparently on the exact same day!  That has to be the explanation, because I know that company well, and they have been very supportive of me and my work.  They are good people, some of whom even read my blog.  They would never, even by accident, filch a design from me, because that would be despicable.  Nope.  Coincidence, it is.

Well, what could I do?  It was obvious that I should go ahead and post my beret photos.  The Madrona catalog promised a beret.  I had created a beret.  And that had been my plan all along.

But I didn't.  I did something else instead.  Because I am an agile, creative, one-woman show, the Mary Scott Huff Hand Knitter machine kicked into overdrive and outsmarted the Big Fat Yarn Company.  I turned on a dime, and then changed gears, from Beret to Cloche:  

This looks great on everyone who tried it on at Knit Nite.  Four people asked me about it while I was out shopping.  You're gonna love it - I know, because I do.  The flower is actually a pin that you can wear on the hat, move to your coat lapel, or give to a friend.  Big Fun, Gentle Readers.

You can buy the kit for this (hat, mittens and pin set) two ways:

1.  Sign up for my class HERE and learn to make it (still some seats left)!
2.  Pick one up at the Abstract Fiber booth at the Madrona Retreat

Remember, it's an exclusive, so those are the only ways to get it for now.

I'm really happy I shifted gears.  I bet you will be, too.