New Pattern: Yadda Yadda Cowl

It's been a really long time since I've released a totally new design: we're talking spring of last year, by my watch. It's not that I don't have ideas percolating, or that I haven't been working anything in secret - it's just that, for the better part of last year, I have been ~~working on~~ wrestling with this cowl design - charting patterns, knitting, ripping out for several cycles before I finally found the golden combination.

It seems like my go-to projects these days are "easy" stockinette/garter with just a few bells and whistles to add interest while I knit - but not too many bells and whistles, or I simply can't knit on them at the end of a long day of work when I am totally brain dead. Does anyone else have this problem?!

I wanted this cowl to be something that was fun to knit and had the potential to be "weekday knitting" (or "conversation knitting" if you prefer). So, each time I found I couldn't master the stitch patterns I put together, out came the needles and riiiiiiip went the yarn back to frog city. And there I was, back at the drawing board.

It was pretty exciting once I found the stitch patterns which worked, because then this cowl FLEW off the needles! The worst part was not being able to share it on this blog or Instagram, but there are worse things - and now, here we are! It's finally time to present my first pattern of 2016, which was a long time coming: the Yadda Yadda Cowl.

This pattern is totally customizable based on your own preferences - I provide instructions to knit the cowl as pictured with a combination or written instructions and charted stitch patterns (please note - the instructions for each stitch pattern are not written out to save space, so you will need to know how to read basic charts). The pattern also provides ideas for ways you can customize your own cowl or knit a smaller version (which only uses 1 skein of Shasta yarn). You could knit endless combinations!

As written and shown here, the Yadda Yadda Cowl alternates panels of garter stitch with 4 different easy-to-memorize stitch patterns; using larger needles than you would normally for a worsted weight yarn, you'll create a delightfully squishy fabric that is still quite warm. The sample shown here is knit using 2 skeins of Baah Shasta worsted yarn, a lovely superwash that comes in a variety of hand-dyed colors. I'm amazed at how different this shaded solid can look, depending on the lighting - something I'm sure you have also noticed from photo to photo!

As for the name, it came about one day when I noticed I'd scribbled out a few pattern notes to myself, followed by "yadda, yadda, yadda" which gave me a chuckle. Luckily for you, I expounded on the yadda for this pattern so that you don't have to guess what that might mean as you knit.

I can't wait to see which stitch combinations everyone chooses for their cowl!

Click here to purchase the Yadda Yadda Cowl pattern on Ravelry.

Overdyeing A Finished Knit

Even after just a few years of knitting or crocheting, you're bound to have some finished projects lying around that never get worn or used. After 10+ years of crafting, I have more than just "some" or "a few"....and with my ongoing quest to declutter my house this year, I've become obsessed with going through these forlorn projects and making some Big Decisions. Sometimes, they are perfectly fine and just need a new and loving home. Other projects may have not turned out quite right: there might have been some mistakes in the knitting that I thought I could live with, or the yarn was gorgeous but not well-matched to the pattern, or my taste has drastically changed since I finished making the project...in any case, why on earth did I keep knitting?! Who knows, but I don't feel good about gifting anything that falls into this category to someone else. These projects have been relegated to the "frog pile" (or should I say, frog pond?), to b

Easy DIY: Beaded Vintage Snowflake Ornament Kits from Solid Oak Inc.

I was really excited to step outside of my comfort zone and try something new as part of my "Christmas in July" theme this month. The kind folks at Solid Oak Inc offered me a chance to review one of their Nostalgic Christmas beaded crystal ornament kits I couldn't resist. My tree is already full of ornaments I've inherited or been gifted from other family members and friends, so these pretty crystal beaded ornaments will fit right in I think! I was super impressed with this compact little kit , which includes everything needed to create three gorgeous vintage-style ornaments - just add a pair of round nose pliers (I found mine on Amazon for less than ten bucks). The instructions had some fabulous tips for newbies like me; for example, it recommended sorting the beads and laying them out in order on a towel or beading mat to prevent them from rolling away. That may seem obvious, but I was totally ready to start beading on my kitchen table without a

What If I Didn't Add Heels?

Last weekend, I finished the first sock with my Waterlilies yarn , and just for yuks, I tried it on even though it was basically just a tube sock. Much to my surprise, it fit really well, even without a heel. Who knew? So, that got me thinking: what if I just didn't add the heels? I never thought a tube sock would actually fit nicely, but I genuinely like the fit, so...why spend time to add the heels? As the saying goes, if it ain't broke, don't fix it.... Let's say I decide not to add heels once the second sock is done - there will still be placeholder yarn for the afterthought heels, as you can see above, so should I leave it in and just weave in the ends? Or should I remove it, put the live stitches back on needles and at least graft them together using more of the Waterlilies yarn? I plan on mulling all of this over as I knit the second sock, and I'd love to hear your opinions of what you think would look best (or if you think this whole "n

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