Let's Get This Indie Party Started

Ok, everyone - the sign-ups are now complete for the 2015 Indie Gift-a-long, and yours truly has made it to the list of participating designers ... along with approximately 279 of my fellow independent knit and crochet designers.

I'm going to kick things off with the first of many individual designs that are new to my shop (although they've been previously published elsewhere) that will be a part of my Gift-a-long offerings. A few of these (like the cowl highlighted today) will also be part of my fall/winter collection, due out in about a month or so. 

With that, I present one of the most wonderful cowls I've ever had the pleasure of making, using all handspun alpaca yarn - it's my shop's version of the La Coeur Cowl. 

Back in mid-summer, I asked my online friend Kathryn at Alpacamundo if she might be willing to provide me with some hand spun alpaca for a cowl I would make for her. I think most people don't realize that many who regularly work with fiber don't always have the time to work designs up for themselves. Since I still get incredible joy from using my hooks and sticks regularly, I thought Kathryn might like something handmade for herself made with her own handspun fiber. 

Kathryn didn't hesitate, and sent me a mix of handspun fibers - some bulky natural-colored alpaca that had been handspun for her and donated from a most beloved, and now former, alpaca in her small flock, Keyla - as well as some darker worsted weight alpaca that she had handspun. To the worsted weight I added some hand spun I had in stash from my other alpaca-loving friend, Andrea over at Wonder Why Farm, and created this colorblocked ode to hand spun alpaca awesomeness.

Look at the wonderful, tweedy effect of the
two worsted weight hand spun fibers held
together in the darker color block.

This cowl design, which is amazingly easy and so quick to work up, came alive in this combination of hand spun fiber. It's rustic yet refined, warm as all get-out, and simply a delight to wear. When my model slipped it on, she instantly said she loved it and wanted one. 

I love the colorblocking. It's going to be difficult to recreate the gorgeousness of the hand spun with commercially made fiber, but I'm going to give it my best effort because my model will be getting one of her very own. It seems the least I can do.

My sincere thank you to Kathryn and her flock of wonderful camelids over at Alpacamundo. I can only hope she might consider giving me some hand spun tibetan mastiff fiber to work with.

Hey, a designer can have a wish list, too. 

Do put the Indie Gift-a-long sale on your calendars - this year it starts on November 19th and runs through the end of the day, November 27th. I'll have 20 different designs in the sale, each at 25% off the regular pattern price. This is the best time to pick up designs for all the gift-worthy people on your holiday list, as well as support independent designers. 

In the Gift-Giving Tradition of the Season

Anyone interested in a holiday gift exchange?

I'm participating in a Secret Sister gift exchange this year (my friend Kristina lured me in!), and I'm looking for a few more ladies to join in with me.  Comment below if you think yo can (and would like to!) buy a $10+ gift and send it off to someone.

No matter where you live, you are welcome to join in. I need 6 (or more) ladies of any age to participate in the secret sister gift exchange. You only have to buy ONE gift valued at $10 (or more) and send it to to one secret sister and receive 6-36 gifts in return.

Let me know if you are interested (via email is also fine) and I can send you the information. Tis the season, and since I'm getting ready for my own Ravelry gift-a-long participation, I thought it would make someones day by sending them a little special something in the mail.

It's November, Everyone

Yes, can you believe it? November. Where did the year go.

The good thing? This is probably my favorite month of the year. There’s a nip in the air (or for us in the Pacific Northwest, a nip and more rain), we get to celebrate my favorite holiday, Thanksgiving, and it’s the beginning of the Indie Designer Gift-a-long on Ravelry (go here for my opening blog post from last year).

I will hopefully be a participating designer again this year - sign-ups aren’t until next week, so I need to qualify my participation until then. However, I’ll also be volunteering some time again this year on the Pinterest pinning team and I’m looking forward to it. I really enjoyed this part of the event last year, so I am anticipating the joy of the pinning frenzy again this year.

Additionally, I’ve been working behind the scenes getting my own designing things ready for the GAL. All will be revealed in the next two months so I do hope you’ll sit tight and follow things as they unfold.

Designing still life

I also hope you’ll join us for the Gift-a-long. Identify those on your gift list that are handmade-worthy, visit the Pinterest boards once they go live (and I’ll provide links to them here on the blog), partake in the sale, and then join us as we gift up a storm. Not only will those you care about appreciate your efforts, but you’ll be directly supporting independent knit and crochet designers with your pattern purchases. There will be prizes awarded during the gift-a-long, so your participation could earn you some serious swag … along with ooohs and aaahs on Giftmas.

Won’t you join us?