Knit Afghan - "Stroll Through an Irish Wood"

I have finished my lastest project that I've named "Stroll Through an Irish Wood". 

The design is orginal and I've combined cables and lace work for the first time.  The edges are knit with cables that give the image of tree trunks and branches complete with dangling leaves.  Through the center is a Celtic Knot pattern, which is the path for your stroll. 

I used over 2,400 yards of worsted weight yarn and it got pretty heavy while working it near the end, but I kept snuggly and warm!  I knit with 2 strands of slightly different shades of yarn that give just a hint of highlights through out the afghan.

One of my luck children will get this for Christmas this year... now which one has been really, really good?

Weekend at Rhinebeck Fiber Festival

My friend and I spent the weekend at a 2 day fiber festival snuggled in the Catskill Mountains with all the fall foliage surrounding us.  But better yet, we were also surrounded by sheep, alpaca, llamas, bunnies and other animals that provide us with amazing fiber.

Barns and barns of fiber artists, spinners, weavers, dyers, knitters were the main attraction and can I say that it can be overwhelming at times. 


The highlight of my weekend was meeting Anna Dabri and getting a signed copy of her newest book,  Shaping Shawls.

I immediately needed to cast on with some of Periwinkle Sheeps gorgeous wink yarn when I got home.  So far, the one I chose is coming out lovely:

Here is the stash I bought for spinning and knitting:

Now, I am anxiously awaiting the weekend to really get going on some of this stuff! 

Sunday Morning Knit Wit ~ Ella is now available as a pattern

The testing process is complete and I'm excited to have Ella available as a PDF knitting pattern.

You can purchase your copy through etsy or Ravelry for $5.00.

This is a great beginner lace design as the pattern is worked only on the front (every back row is just purl) and has only 12 repeating rows.  To complete this project you will need 250 - 270 yards of fingering weight yarn, size 8 US knitting needles and a tapestry needle to weave in the ends.

It is knit flat and each row has the same number of stitches so it is easy to keep track of while working the pattern. The finished product using fingering yarn is 11 inches wide and 65 inches long.  However, you can modify this by using heavier yarn and larger needles to create a warmer, thicker shawl. 

The PDF pattern includes both written instructions as well as a chart that includes the symbols meanings. 

And as with most of my patterns, I have included a check off grid so you will always know where you left off when you set it down for awhile.

Introducing Ella

I'm excited to introduce my latest scarf design that I've name Ella. Ella is soft, stylish and comforting and she will certainly make you feel like a million bucks when you have her on your shoulders.

 The the pattern will soon be available for purchase in both my etsy shop and on Ravelry.  I just need to get the ok back from my tester and we will be good to go, and just in time for holiday knitting projects.

This finished version of Ella is knit with my very own handspun yarn which is a merino wool / mohair blend that gives this scarf a nice feel and a great drape.  It is light, airy and a perfect accessory that can be worn as a scarf or a shoulder wrap and would look great at the office or with a pair of jeans on the weekend.

I plan to have more versions of Ella in my shop soon in various colors and fiber content.  So stop by valeriesgallery on etsy often to see what's new.