Two New Sock Patterns

I'm pleased to announce two new sock patterns! Both patterns were written for knitting the socks on two circular needles, because that's how I roll.

First up is Plain Jane - Plain Jane is a simple stockinette sock for women. The pattern has been written for knitting your socks top down on two circular needles. It is written for a woman's size 8 foot, but instructions are included for a custom fit. I recommend a jazzy self-striping sock yarn to make Plain Jane anything but plain. They are shown here in Knit Picks Felici.

Next is Adam's Rib His & Her Sock - A fantastically comfortable ribbed sock for women or men. The pattern was also written for knitting your socks top down on two circular needles. The "Hers" socks is designed to sit higher on the calf, and is therefore wider. The "His" version is narrower through the calf, and longer in the foot. They are shown here in Knit Picks Stroll Tweed.

Both patterns are available on my website. Enjoy!

The New Year Post

This is the post where we look back on 2009 and look ahead to 2010.

I know for sure that the biggest change in 2009 was The Boyfriend losing his job and our decision to relocate back to Minneapolis. The house here in Austin is still on the market and we haven't moved yet. This means we know for sure one thing 2010 has in store for us is The Move. I think I'm doing pretty well with this change--I'm sick and tired of the house being on the market and the constant cleaning and interruptions that go with it, but I'm also looking forward to the house shopping on the other end, and the return to Minneapolis. Minneapolis is home, it is where my family is, and it's great city.

As a knitter 2009 saw the successful launch of ElizabethCarls.com. And the inclusion of my designs on Patternfish.com. I started my affair with sock knitting, self-publish several new patterns, and taught several workshops. I finished a plethora of projects, but sadly did not finish my gift knitting in time for Christmas.

2009 was the year I became a "Texas Gardener". The Boyfriend and I built the Kitchen Garden back in March. I wrote about the whole process here on the blog and for the Oct/Nov issue of Texas Gardner Magazine. The garden was pretty much a huge success. I'm still eating the pesto and the baba ghanouj I made and froze.

This past year has been an interesting one when it comes to food. In 2009 I made a return to eating meat, which is really a much longer story and I should and probably will write about it sometime, but the short version of the story goes something like this: I have be en a non-meat eater for more than 20 years and my reason for abstaining has always been the lack of clean meat. I didn't want to eat all those antibiotics, and hormones, and I certainly didn't want to support an industry that is so destructive to our environment. But in 2009 I discovered Greenling and found myself buying good clean meat for The Boyfriend. Everything was pasture raised, organic, drug free, and local. I could support that. And one day while cooking a clean local lamb burger for The Boyfriend I thought "I'm going to eat this." And I did. And now I can hardly call myself a vegetarian--we still only eat meat a couple of times per week, and we only eat local, pasture-raised organic meat. It's a big change.

2009 was also the year I decided to learn to can, as in food preservation. I did jams when the strawberries hit the farmer's market, and peach sauce when the peaches were in. I also pickled peppers from the kitchen garden. I organized a couple of Soup Swaps in 2009. And did lots of shopping at the Farmer's Market.

As a runner I did the 3M Half Marathon in January, several charity 5Ks, and of course the Thanksgiving Day Turkey Trot in 2009. I've taken on a new running partner and never lace up the shoes without Aaron Johnson at my side. It's nice to have the company.

So what lies ahead in 2010... The Move of course... Minneapolis of course.

2010 promises many new knitting designs, a few new workshops, and the publication of 1,000 Fabulous Hats (which will include several of my hats.)

I know I'll have a garden again in 2010, but it will be in Minneapolis. Which is fine, because Minneapolis is a great place to garden and I have lots of experience growing in the Upper Midwest.

We will of course continue to eat as locally, and as organically as possible. I have started researching sources of local clean meat in the Minneapolis area, and even found a meat CSA, I suspect that 2010 will see us continuing to eat clean and local meat. We will also continue to shop the Farmer's Market, and at our local food co-op.

There is already talk of a canning party with several of my Minneapolis friends. And I suppose there will be soup swapping as well. And I'll continue to post recipes here on the blog.

As a runner I look forward my return to Minneapolis also--I'll never have to run on the road again as Minneapolis is a runner (and cyclist's) dream in terms of paths and green-ways. The Boyfriend and I have said we will run the Valentine's Day 5k at Lake Harriet if we're there. I'm sure there will be plenty of running in 2010.

I'd love to learn to cross country ski, and to make pasta. I'm planning a reunion with my Austin knitting friends--we'll meet the first weekend in October in Taos NM for the Wool and Fiber Fest.

What does 2010 have in store for you?

A Brand New Design

In my knitting life I love felted knits. I also love handcrafted housewares. So it only makes sense that I should design a felted knit for the home. Meet Harbor - A Felted Wool Rug.

I have a secret fantasy of a new/old house with a good old fashion porch for which this rug will be perfect. And in this fantasy I am knitting, barefoot on this porch with my feet resting on this rug, and a glass of red wine at my side, and three happy dogs scattered about the floor. And the best thing about this secret fantasy is it just might come true.


I love this rug. It has that special warmth, charm, and handmade touch that makes a house a home. It is also sturdy and comfortable, just like home.


Harbor would be a cozy addition to any room in your home also. It is knit from super bulky wool and then felted so the fabric is very dense, yet it is soft enough to welcome those aforementioned bare feet. As it turns out, it is also a welcoming resting spot for sleepy dogs -- mine tried it out just as soon as it hit the floor.

The pattern is an easy knit, suitable for the beginning knitter and includes clear felting instructions. The pattern is available here on my website. And also here on Ravelry.

One Pattern, Three Hats, and Handspun Yarn

I've just released a new pattern - A Trio of Wooly Toppers.

This pattern includes instructions for three stylish winter hats. The common thread running between them all is the use of handspun yarn. I've always got a plethora of mini skeins of handspun that I couldn't resist in my stash, and I designed these hats specifically from them. Each hat uses less than 50 yards of handspun worked with another worsted weight wool yarn.


Each hat is a slight variation of the others. It's like taking a great idea and playing with it to see what you can create.
Highly textured, colorful, and oh so unique, these toppers will be a much admired winter accessory for yourself, or a treasured gift for someone else.


My patterns offer clear instructions, photos, and several suggestions for yarn alternatives. This pattern is suitable for an Intermediate Beginner, you must know how to knit, purl, work in the round, decrease and increase.


The Trio of Wooly Toppers pattern is available in my Pattern Shop.

The New VIP Club

I'm starting a new VIP Club. Here's how it will work:

Members will be notified via email each time I publish a new pattern. They will also be given a discount code good for 50% off its purchase.

To join all you need to do is send an email to elizabeth.c.carls@gmail.com with "sign me up" as the subject line. It's that simple.

I promise not to spam you, not share your email address with anyone else, and not to abuse you in any other way.

As an added incentive, all new members who join before Friday September 25th at 6 PM central time will receive the PDF version of either my Coy Felted Cloche or my Notorious Felted Tam pattern free. Just send an email to elizabeth.c.carls@gmail.com with "sign me up" as the subject line and specify which pattern you'd like in the body of the email.

Thanks so much!

New Pattern - Ligneous Cable Knit Hat

This hat was designed to have an all-over cable pattern that would continue all the way through the decreases, rather than stop at the crown. Mathematically, this was a bit of a challenge, and just like my days in algebra class I can not show my work, I just got the right answer. I'm pretty sure my algebra teacher thought I was cheating - always the right answer, but some crazy nonsense where I was suppose to be showing my work. But no worries for the knitter, I did the math, and it all worked out just fine. The result is Ligneous.

Ligneous features a truly unique all-over cable texture, reminiscent of a deep barked tree. This texture is subtly supported by the slight variegation of the kettle-dyed yarn, Malabrigo in this case. This super soft merino wool makes this hat warm, lush, and sumptuous.


I owe a handful of gratitude to my friend Tracey, of Yarn Unravelled, for modeling the hat despite the 103 degree temperatures. She was a real trooper. I'm also grateful to several test knitters, recruited from Ravelry, who tested the pattern and offered their feedback.

The pattern is probably best suited to the intermediate knitter - someone comfortable with knitting in the round, decreases, and at least a little cable experience. The pattern calls for US size 9 needles, less than 200 yards of worsted weight wool, and offers yarn alternatives, clear instructions, and an explanantion of all abbreviations.

For Ravelry memebers the pattern is available as a PDF here. And it is also available as either a PDF or printed and mailed on my website.

Enjoy! and Happy Knitting!

Knitting News: New Patterns, Socks, and On the Needles

I'm feeling in the mood to share and give updates. This post will therefore cover all the knitting news from my little world and it includes lots of photos and useful links.

First up, I have completed the writing, editing, and photo taking for two new patterns - Both are felted wool projects, and both are classic hats - The Felted Tam and The Felted Cloche.





Both are available in either my Etsy Shop, and on Ravelry. (Incidentally, the beautiful wood button shown on the Cloche was handcrafted by Ripple River Wood Turning.)

I finished the sock! The Shorty Socks worked out great, and they fit. And in accordance with the New House Rules I threw out a crappy pair of store bought socks. I actually threw out 4 pairs of crappy store bought socks - they were all the same socks and were purchased in a multi-pack, so they sort of count as one.



I'm going to continue with the sock knitting, of course. The sweet taste of success has only served to motivate me further. Next up is my first pair from a Sock Cocktail Kit I purchased through Knit Picks. I'll be knitting the shifting rib with a self striping yarn.

Also currently on the needles is this beautiful Waves of Lace Shell and matching Scarf Designed by Ilga Leja. Actually, the top is no longer on the needles - knitting is complete - all that's left is the blocking and seaming. I'm waiting for my new lace blocking wires to arrive. The scarf is in its infancy. Both are knit in Handmaiden's Flaxen - a silk and linen blend. I purchased the yarn and the pattern as a kit from One Planet Yarn and Fiber.


Also on in progress are the Knit Chickens from Blue Sky Alpacas. I would love,love, love to have a brood of hens, real hens, of the egg-laying variety. But since the current plan is to move a thousand miles in a year it doesn't seem practical. I'll wait to have hens until I'm settled in Portland. But in the meantime... I'll be knitting chickens. They are simply too cute to ignore, and the Blue Sky Dyed Cotton is probably my most favorite yarn.

And finally, to keep abreast of what I'm crafting in the kitchen and the garden you should follow my other blog - In the Kitchen and the Garden.

Cheers!

New Free Pattern

I posted a new free pattern to my Ravelry Designer page yesterday, and it's been amazingly popular - tons of downloads already. The pattern is for a "Wide Rib Cowl for Him".

This cowl was designed specifically to be masculine enough for him, but something that she’ll covet also. It's a very easy pattern and suitable for beginning knitters. It is shown knit in Malabrigo Kettled Dyed Merino Wool. The kettle dyed Merino Wool is amazingly soft and feels good against the skin. The subtle color variations characteristic of kettle dying, along with the ribbed texture add real depth to this cowl.


If you are on Ravelry you can get your free download and either print it or save it to your library.

If you're not on Ravelry, you really should be. It's a great resource - it's full of patterns, you can maintain a queue of projects you'd like to do, and share the projects you've completed.

But, I want to share this pattern with everyone who'd like it, whether they are on Ravelry or not. So, if you are interested you can either email me directly or leave a comment that includes your email address and I will send you a reply with PDF attachment.

Enjoy!