Monthly Archives: November 2011

The Designing Day

10,000th Design Competition finalist Dragonfly Dreams – please vote

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I am thrilled that my new beaded lace scarf design Dragonfly Dreams is a finalist in the Patternfish 10,000th Design Competition announced in the November 2011 Patternfish Newsletter that just went out today. The winner will be chosen by popular vote. I’d love for you to vote for my design if you like it. 🙂

Dragonfly Dreams
Dragonfly Dreams

I knit the scarf in Buffalo Gold Lux color Malachite. For beads, I used Miyuki colors #18 Silver-lined Light Blue (dragonfly wings and scarf border) and #234 Metallic Gold-lined Crystal (dragonfly bodies).

Dragonfly Dreams beaded lace scarf

 This has been one of my more challenging designs to render. I am pleased with the vision finally coming together. I had actually started playing around with possibilities early this year. Then I’d hit a design block or just wasn’t quite happy yet with what I had. When Patternfish announced their 10,000’th Design Competition, this gave me the motivation (and deadline date!) to tackle this design again.

detail close-up of Dragonfly Dreams
detail close-up of Dragonfly Dreams

I am so pleased to be selected as one of the finalists. I’d love it if you’d take a moment to vote for Dragonfly Dreams to be the winner. Voting closes Nov. 18, 2011 EST. Let me know if you have any questions.

p.s. Please feel free to share this with anyone else you can think might be interested in helping me out. The more votes the better. 🙂 Thanks again!

 

 

 

 

 

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The Designing Day

love these Hiya Hiya interchangeable knitting needles

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I’m trying out the Hiya Hiya interchangeable knitting needles (and a few other cute goodies). Want to see?

Hiya Hiya interchangeable needles and notions

These here are the steel needles with 5″ tips, but they also come with 4″ tips or in bamboo). They are WONDERFUL. To start with, I love the elegant silk brocade case. You can’t help but feel these are really special needles. The case is very functional with well-designed pockets for the multiple-sized cables and tips. Most of all, I love the design of the tips, the secure join of needle tips to cables, and the smoothness of both the needles and the joins. The cable is so flexible; it doesn’t fight me at all.

Hiya Hiya interchangeable knitting needles with 5" tips

Using a silk yarn is the ultimate test in smoothness of circular needle cables and these Hiya Hiya’s have a perfect score as far as I am concerned. Oh, and aren’t these little yarn-ball markers just the cutest thing?  They came in a little red squeeze-opening “dumpling” case I photographed lying here beside my in-progress knitting.

Silk Lace Cross in progress in Hiya Hiya knitting needles

p.s. The project in progress shown on the needles is the  ornate scalloped edge #A98 Lace Cross pattern design, now available from HeartStrings. The yarn shown is Tilli Tomas Demi Plié silk color Atmosphere.

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Promotions at HSFA

Corny photo of stuffed toy moose with Moose Lace Afghan?

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Do you think it is too corny to photograph a large stuffed toy moose with a “moose lace” afghan?

Moose Lace Afghan
Moose Lace Afghan

Not all lace needs to be knit in skinny yarn on tiny needles! This attractive, practical afghan is an example of “moose lace”, i.e. lace knitted in a heavier yarn than usual. The lace makes this afghan lighter in weight for its size, yet pleasingly warm and snuggly.

I just love my stuffed toy animals (and I am long past being a kid). Couldn’t help myself in dressing up this moose my hubby gave me some years back in this new Christmasy red afghan for the photo shoot. It just seemed appropriate to combine moose with moose lace. What do you think?

You might want to spread the word so no one misses out … Watch for the limited time offer to get the new Moose Lace Afghan pattern for free; info will be in the November issue of HeartStrings Knitterly News that will be emailed soon (be sure to subscribe if you have not already done so!) After the beta promotion period, the pattern will be sold at regular price, so I hope you are listening in and won’t miss out!

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