Oregon Flock and Fiber Festival

We came to sell and did we ever! I love attending a new show because All Knit Up Designs is new for so many people! I enjoy talking about the process of my designing and how each design leads to the next one. 

My Mom and I have been to OFFF before as shoppers and I enjoyed it just as much as a vendor. There is a certain camaraderie that happens when you're selling at a fiber arts event. You're all there to sell your products but you're also surrounded by people who understand the amount of love, passion, and work that has gone into your business. It's not really a competition because everyone has their own style and customer base. With that, I'm usually one of the only designers there so I can't really speak from the dyers perspective on competition. 

Fiber events are also about creating contacts for your business. I usually come away with cards of people I'd like to collaborate with and handed out lots of cards to people who are contemplating wholesale. 

The Oregon fiber enthusiasts were lovely and full of praise for my designs. I can't wait to see which one's they knit up! The Scrappy Booklets were a big hit, I love that everyone is inspired by them. All Knit Up Designs debuted our signature scent created by Kaitlin of Woolin & Co. Citrus Mint is now available as a wool wash bar and a body bar. I hope this post fave you an inside into vending and made you want to attend your next local festival. Hopefully you'll be able to visit OFFF next year!

Reverse Socks

The start of my designing career (when I think about it) starts with Color Riot. But, I started designing sock patterns before that! Sock patterns allowed me to practice my design writing, fitting stitch patterns into certain parameters, and how to photograph knits to really highlight them. 

I went back to my roots on my latest project and worked my Reverse Socks pattern in a new colorway! You can out the original blog post about the Reverse Socks here. My new yarn was the exclusive colorway from Nano Stitch for Red Alder Fiber Retreat in Tacoma WA. I actually cast on these at Red Alder but it has taken me this many months to actually finish them. 

Although it's taken me this long to finish them I love how they turned out. I'm excited to stick my feet in them as the fall weather has hit Port Angeles in full force! I followed my Reverse pattern as written but added a contrast heel in. I wrote the pattern as a needle ambiguous pattern but I used a 9inch circular which is my preferred method. I hope this updated sample inspires you to knit a pair of Reverse Socks!

What is a knitting summit?

You may have seen (since 2020) posts, links, podcasts, etc. talking about knitting summits and having no idea what it is. Let me tell you! 

An online knitting summit is a meeting of the minds of knitting teachers from all over the world who come together and give you a short informational class about a knitting (or fiber) topic. The topics can range from beginning (learn to cast on) to advanced classes about colorwork and seaming! 

I taught at my first one in Feb 2024 and I was asked to teach an another! 

Knit Your Own Adventure Summit has over 20 teachers gathering to give you knowledge on knitting. I'll be teaching an Introduction to Mosaic Knitting, which is a technique I love and design with frequently. Many wonderful designers I know are participating and you are in for a real treat. You can take a look at the summit website and see if you have any interest in the classes. Visit the link HERE for the website and sign-up. 

Flock Fiber Seattle WA 2024

The first weekend of August was wild! After months of prep Flock Fiber arrived to Seattle! This was the second year of Flock but the festival completely changed venue and almost doubled the amount of vendors. 

The amount of wonderful fiber enthusiasts was astonishing! Never before have we been that busy in one day. So many people came to the booth who had seen All Knit Up Designs at trunk shows and previous shows around the area and I appreciated every single on of you. To have so many people come and appreciate my designs and love on my bags induced so much joy. 

I debuted two new products at Flock Fiber; a new booklet focused on texture patterns and a kit for my textured Henness shawl. It's lots of fun bringing joy and new ideas to knitters. 

I definitely will be at Flock next year as this event is close to where I live. Hopefully All Knit Up Designs will bring new patterns, ideas, and bags to even more makers. 

Now that I'm home, the shop has been updated with all the bags and kits that came back. Were you able to attend Flock? Will you be back for 2025? 

Granny Stripe Blanket

As most of you know (if this is your first time here then welcome!) I am a knitwear designer. Iknit. But occasionally I throw in crochet but it's pretty much only a double stitch striped blanket, Hereby referred  to as Granny Stripe Blanket. 

This is actually my second one but his one is larger and has double rows of each color instead of a single row like my original. My double granny stripe was crocheted with all fingering weight yarn leftovers and mini skeins with a US C crochet hook. 

This granny stripe is made using a double crochet (US term) cluster stitch and was nice and meditative. I'm loving have this memory blanket on my bed, the smaller one is on my couch! I found this a fun alternative to a mitered square blanket and it was nice to play with yarn but not have to knit. 

Double Cozy Shawl

For my designing, most of the time I already have a sketch down or I can envision parts of a whole design when I find a yarn I love. Other times new ideas for a pattern stems from a design I'm already working on. I get a 'would that work if I try it this way' or 'what about this design with this shape + this one extra stitch.' My newest shawl pattern is one of those ones that stemmed from a design I was working on. 

Double Cozy is a sibling shawl to Comfy Cozy, similar to Comfy Cozy, Double Cozy is a top down triangle shawls that uses two skeins of fingering weighty. I used a double broken rib stitch that travels down the length of the shawl and really shows off hand dyed yarn. I wanted the graphic lines of the double broken rib to really show off. The lines remind me of the long lines of a sky scraper. 

Double Cozy is simple knitting with a bold effect that is perfect for social or tv knitting. y testers used a variety of gorgeous yarns in different weights that you should take a look at to be inspired. I'm definitely planning to knit another one and this time I want the base to have some cashmere init for a plump and luxurious shawl. 

Double Cozy used 876 yards of fingering weight but you can knit more or less repeats to fit your yard. My yarn is 100% Superwash Merino so anything your comfortable wearing around your neck is great! 

What will you pull from your stash for a Double Cozy Shawl? 

Puget Sound Beanie

I can't believe it's July already and I just released the third quarter of my subscription for sale! Who knew that an idea that was suggested less than a year ago would lead to such a fun and collaborative project! 

The third quarter inspiration is Puget Sound. There is no Washington without The Sound. If you don't know what Puget Sound is it's "...a large inland estuary connected to the Pacific Ocean. It is about 95 miles long and 1 to 5 miles wide with its northern boundary at Admiralty Inlet and ending in the south at the city of Olympia.  Around its shores live some 4 million people.” Puget Sound Estuarium. The part of Washington I live in isn't on The Sound but I've spent plenty of time there. 

The project inspired by The Sound is my Puget Sound Beanie. Puget Sound Beanie is a DK weight hat that features a simple lace pattern that mores like the currents of The Sound. I used less than one full skein so it's a great budget project! 

The yarn was dyed specifically for this project by Serial Knitters and fully encompasses the beauty of colors around The Sound. I particularly love the pops of coppery orange that represent the California Poppy's. 

The second collaborator for this quarter is Woolin and Co. with a beautiful wool wash to wash your new hat! The scent is Cedar and Lavender which just emulates Washington. 

The combination of all three of these pieces plus the project bag make of the perfect summer knit to show your love Washington. Puget Sound Beanie is simple and fun knitting to bring to your favorite beach or your next knit night. You can purchase the kit for Puget Sound Beanie here in my Etsy shop.