Spring Faux Hounds

When you look at a design online are you usually inspired by the colors and photography or the shape and the texture of the design? I know I'm inspired by a bit of both depending on the design. 

My original Faux Hounds has been very popular and was super popular at shows Aug-Dec of 2023 (the year it was released.) All Knit Up Designs vended at Red Alder Fiber Retreat in Tacoma WA in February of 2024 and it wasn't nearly as popular as before! Bummer, but not no big deal, we'll give it a try at the next show. 

Makerfest in April it had the same reception, nice but not running out of patterns like I did in the fall. That's when the thought set in that people just aren't as inspired by the fall color palette outside of the season! That was how I made the decision that a spring/summer color Faux Hounds was on the knitting list. 

I dug through my stash and found Neighborhood Fiber Co Organic Rustic Fingering in Canton (solid color) and Fierce Fibers Renai in Soft Kitty (gradient). These are both single-ply yarns and they made for such a squishy fabric on a US 5 needle. Obviously these are from different dyers but together the palette's were on point! 

So, this was how Spring Faux Hounds was born! Similar to the original pattern design I used a solid and a gradient ball of yarn so I didn't have many ends to weave in. This simple mosaic stitch pattern really highlighted the lovely combination of colorway and stitches. 

Spring Faux Hounds will now come with me to in-person events All Knit Up Designs is vending at. Keep an eye out so you can see it in-person! 

Cabled Pines Cowl

As I've talked about many times before, up here on the Olympic Peninsula it is soooo green! It's my favorite part of driving home when we go out. With all that green there are gorgeous trees, with the gorgeous trees developed Cabled Pines; a slip stitch cable cowl that will make you think of trees. This cowl was specifically designed for the Salish Sea & Sky Retreat by Kas from Seattle Sky Dyeworks! 

Cabled Pines is a single skein cowl using two different slip stitch cables and squishy ribbing. This great accessory uses one skein of fingering weight yarn with ~400 yards. 

This cowl was designed with a variegated/hand dyed yarn which I used to highlight the ski stitches. You have so many yarn choices that would work for this pattern. Cabled Pines would look great in a solid or kettle dyed yarn, a variegated, tonal or speckle! Check out the different tester projects to see what yarn they picked.

I designed Cabled Pines to be long so that your chin can be tucked in, but, as it is the same repeat over and over you can easily make it your preferred length. I hope this more in-depth information about Cabled Pines is helpful and I'll be seeing you knit one soon! 

Sasquatch Socks

I think that every mountainous region has a Sasquatch myth. Sasquatch stickers, cons, and paraphernalia are all over Washington, which is why I picked it as the second quarter theme of my knitting subscription! 

Sasquatch Socks (I know, very original) is a DK weight pair of socks that uses a loop stitch to make hairy Sasquatch legs! The yarn was dyed exclusively for the subscription by Selah at Big Foot Yarn Co. 

The kit includes a project bag sewn by me, the pattern, 100 or 150 grams of yarn, and a specially designed notepad by Sophia of Making Treasures. This kit was so much fun to put together, I love that the two different kits so far in the subscription have highlighted so many Washington small businesses. 

Sasquatch sock can be knit with any DK weight yarn. These are thicker socks so more aligned with a house slipper than a shoe sock so there doesn't need to be nylon. 

If you'd like to purchase a Sasquatch Kit you can check it out in my Etsy here. 

Happy searching Sasquatch hunters! 

Spring Fling Shawl

 Hey! Long time no write....I know, I know. I always have the busy excuse. Well, in April I did have a two week work trip to Colorado to vend at Makerfest so I was a bit busy! But I have a new shawl pattern out! 

Spring Fling is my latest shawl pattern and it has lace, bobbles, garter, and some ribbing! I wanted to cover all my bases and add a little bit of everything. 

Spring Fling is similar to Playground in only that it uses multiple stitch patterns and has a check off list so you don't get lost. Other than that, Spring Fling highlights mini skeins wonderfully and keeps you interested by switching up stitch patterns. 

The yarn, Yummy 2-Ply a 100% Superwash Merino, was provided by Miss Babs Yarns but I definitely have purchased this base before and I love working with it! It definitely feels like it has some cashmere in it but it's only wool. The website has lots of options with gorgeous colors! 

If purchasing yarn isn't in your budget then mini skeins from stash or two colors of fingering weight should work! The original sample uses just under 800 yards so a two color version would be great! 

Two of a Kind Shawl

Hey Knitters! We have 6 days of sunshine coming up this week and I am SO EXCITED! Spring is on the way and the colorway for my newest shawl is perfect! 

Two of a Kind Shawl is uses the same stitch pattern as my Two of a Kind Cowl using the slip stitches as well as an i-cord! Two of a Kind is the perfect shawl to show off two coordinating skeins of yarn that highlight each other as well as contrast. I think the i-cord helps frame the shawl and give it a bit more structure around the edges. 

I used two skeins of Yummy 2-Ply provided by Miss Babs yarn; this yarn is wonderful to knit with! Yummy 2-Ply is a plump multi-ply 100% merino yarn that is a staple in my stash. It has such great stitch definition and the most amazing array of tonal and variegated yarn. 

I think Two of a Kind Shawl could really be knit with whatever yarn you want to knit it in. You could use a gradient for one color and pair it with a solid, a mini skein set would work fabulous as well! Or you could follow as my original sample and just use two colors. A knitting friend thought that this pattern looks like veins of a leaf and want to knit it in greens, I can't wait to see! 

Dark Color Happy Scrappy

I usually knit my patterns once, I love the adventure of a new knit so I rarely reknit my own designs. But! Sometimes it can be hard for a knitter to see a design and relate to it if it's not in a color palette they use! I tend to knit my scrappy projects with a lighter color base but I decided to mix it up and knit Happy Scrappy for a second time and use a dark color base for the knitters who prefer a darker color palette. 

Happy Scrappy is my bottom up triangle shawl that uses drop stitches to make fringe...which means there's no ends to weave in! Instead of using scraps for both the dark color and the light color I used a full skein of grey yarn from my stash and leftovers for the other colors. Just a fun way you can coordinate your yarn to knit the patterns you want! 

Stitch & Pitch with the Home team socks!

Have you ever been to a Stitch & Pitch? Have you ever even heard of one? A Stitch & Pitch is a ball game (baseball, football, soccer) that encourage needle artists to bring their projects and come and stitch at the game! 

In fall of 2023 my mom and I went to our first Stitch & Pitch game for a major league team, we went and saw the Mariners play! 100% honest I have no loyalty to any baseball team and was a terrible softball player but I do enjoy the atmosphere at games and thoroughly enjoyed my time at AT&T Stadium watching the Mariner win! 

This was a stitch & pitch game so there were quilters, knitters, crocheters, and other stitchers all seated in the same sections together! We had a great time getting to talk about the projects that were going on around us and then visiting the small market place...say what? Yes! There was some yarn and fiber shopping! I've joined the list for vending for 2024 with the Mariners to maybe you'll see my booth set up! 

The pattern I used for my Home Team socks is my Saddle Socks pattern, a simple garter embellishment on a stockinette background. I really like the difference in the color placement between the stockinette and the garter.