stuff in the shop

Okay folks, everything is in the shop! (except the stuff that sold already. Maybe you better get over there ;-)

holiday shop update

Tomorrow will be my big holiday shop update. I've been working like crazy over the last month, in order to have a few things for you. There are kits, zip pouches, and even some toys! I'm going to try to get everything listed by early afternoon (Montreal time), but I'll make a quick post in the usual places once everything is up.

Here's a little peak at what will be available.

 

cozy elf tuque

We finally found a few hours to get this new hat pattern ready for you! You can buy it on Ravelry, Etsy, and Lulu. I don't know if the photos do the hat justice, as it is adorable in person, and so cozy and comfortable to wear. It's a simple design, but doesn't take much yarn, so go ahead and use some yummy fiber in a beautiful colour!

The hat is knit in the round, and you can easily use either double pointed needles or circular, depending on which you prefer. I've written it for 6 sizes, from infant to adult, so you have plenty to choose from. I also decided to include many sizes because the yarn you use can affect your gauge (I had that issue with the adult size). If it's a yarn new to you, it might be worth knitting a little swatch to make sure of the finished hat size.

I hope I've given you enough time to knit one or two before the cold weather arrives wherever you are!

snowflake design

I'm doing something a little different this year for my free holiday pattern. Instead of posting one pattern for an ornament or toy, I'll be giving you holiday-themed colour-work and intarsia designs which you can incorporate into various clothing patterns. I will try to post one each week, for as long as I can think of cute ideas.

This week is a traditional snowflake pattern. I've sized this design to fit easily onto a variety of my pullover patterns (such as this or this, and it's already found in Festive Knits), so you can use whichever you already have. The sample in the photo below has been knit into the pullover from the Pupster pattern (the only change being garter stitch hem and cuffs instead of seed stitch).

The snowflake design is 17 stitches wide by 17 rows long (see chart below), so you will first need to figure out the width and length of the pullover front, then you can center the design. I found the snowflake turned out much nicer if worked in fair-isle, rather than intarsia, but use whichever technique you are most comfortable with. (for a video of both techniques, look here - just scroll down half-way to find the right video).

Snowflake Chart at Tricksy Knitter

I hope you enjoy this design, and look forward to next week's free pattern!

EDIT (Nov. 21): I know some of you have been trying to copy and save, or print the chart. Unfortunately, the site I used does not allow these options right now. You can only view the chart here on my blog.  I thought I would try out the site, as it's much faster and simpler than drawing my own from scratch. I will look into other options for future blog posts.

holiday sale updates

A few things today:

You know what, we'd really like you to have our books -- they make very nice presents! This is why between now and Christmas the printed versions of both "Fuzzy Knits" and "Festive Knits" are 25% off on Lulu.

I'm hoping to have a new hat pattern to release soon, maybe by the end of the week? I should be able to get the rest of the photos today, and then it just needs formatting (really wish that publishing software was easier to use). Like the books, I will probably offer it for a special sale price for the holidays, so save a little time in your knitting schedule!

I plan to have a big Etsy shop update of gift items next week. I have several toys to list, and plan to sew a few zip pouches. I'm also thinking of making kits for gift-giving. These would be for my Holiday Mice pattern, and would include yarn, stuffing, and notions for 2 mice, plus the printed pattern. A rough price estimate is about $10-12 US, plus shipping. Is this something many of you would be interested in?

tiger lily

Quite unexpectedly, I received a book in the mail last week - Stitch n' Bitch: Superstar Knitting by Debbie Stoller. Inside this book is a secret I've been keeping for about 3 years, and much of that time, I wasn't sure if I would ever get to share it with you. You see, at the very end, on page 344, you will find a pattern by me. Crazy, eh?

You will notice that this is my original Tiger pattern. I was actually asked to submit this pattern for the book (even more crazy). Afterwards, I decided to change the one I sell, so it wouldn't compete with Debbie Stoller's book. I really love the new design, and asked if they would rather have that one, but I guess they decided to stick with the original. It's in good company, for sure, as the whole book is one beautiful pattern after another (I may need another break from knitting toys, after I have a good look at everything in there).

I'm not sure if this is going to change things for me. It still feels a bit unreal, as I did the work so long ago, and the book was released just last week. I suppose I will have to wait and see how many people make it to the very last pattern, and come looking to see what else I've done.