... is the only fitting word, I'm afraird. This is what I look at when at my desk and it is pretty much all I can tell you about my knitting life these days: Lots and lots of samples that are waiting for their final photoshoot and next to it a way too long neglected shawl project.

When I wasn't busy with a secret project on a deadline, I played around with new pattern ideas: I've swatched, tried colour combination, tried new stitch patterns... and there are several ideas I am excited about, but that I'd rather not share yet. In addition I had the wonderful idea to do some renovation work around the house... hm. No idea what made me think that giving the wood floor a treatment with wood oil is a good idea - yes, it does look good, but the smell... ugh. Not to mention that it takes forever, sigh. So my dear readers, there's more to come about my knitting eventually, stay tuned. And until then: Have a fab summer and happy knitting!

... finally got its long overdue revision and is now available for individual download: Nocked Socks.

When Knitscene Accessories announced the theme Hunger Games a while back, I knew that I wanted to contribute a pattern right away and an idea formed in my mind immediately. Socks, reminiscent of an arrow, inspired by the main character’s weapon of choice in the arena. And here they are.

The cuff is shaped with short-rows and combined with the twisted stitches on the leg it forms the fletching; the twisted stiches on the instep form the arrowhead. Take a good aim!

The socks are knitted in the round, from the cuff down with heel flap and gusset. Because most of the fabric is biased and increases and decreases are always made in the same place, the socks look skewed before blocking, but they fit snugly and comfortably and they sure are an eye-catching pair of socks.

The pattern includes three sizes: Women’s S, M and L to fit leg circumference 16.5 (19, 21.5) cm 6.5 (7.5, 8.5)”, foot length is 19.75 (23, 25.5) cm 7.75 (9, 10)”, adjustable. It is a written pattern only without any charts.

The digital pattern for Nocked Socks is now available from my Ravelry pattern store, here.

... about what I've been up to in the last two weeks.

I received yarn for a new design with some delay (actually a day past the deadline for the finished design...) so I've been knitting up a storm since it arrived. And it has been hard work, since a garment in Shetland wool and tempratures well above 35°C aren't the best fit, I tell you... But today is the day: the sample is in the mail, the pattern sent - and for once I look forward to an evening spend without knitting. ;-)

I am excited to share my newest pattern with you: Balefire Mitts. I really had fun designing these, since the idea was to integrate the thumb gusset into the all-over pattern that 'spirals' around the mitten. And look - it worked. :)

The thumb gusset in plain Stockinette stitch emerges neatly from the all-over spiraling textured pattern. The mittens are knitted from the cuff to the top and they are mirror images of each other, i. e. the stripes spiral in different directions. It is completely up to the wearer, whether to 'hide' the distinctive thumb gusset on the palm of the hand or as an eye-catching feature at the back of the hand.

Balefire Mittens in one of the patterns in the latest issue of Interweave Knits Fall 2019, available in print or as digital download from the Interweave store, here.

Today is the release date of the latest Knit Picks collection: Simply Socks! If you ask me you can never have enough hand-knitted socks and in this collection you find 18 basic and quick to knit patterns for socks that are wardrobe basics. As an avid sock knitter, I'm happy to tell you that one of my patterns is included in the collection: Blue Jean Socks.

Still happily knitting away on some new projects (well, mostly happy because I had my share of ripping back with one or the other), but still no pictures at this time. But at least another pattern added to my Raverly store today: Rose Garden Mitts.

The mitts are knitted in the round from the bottom up. The cuff has a folded picot edging, the main part is a lace and colorwork pattern, and they cover about half of the fingers with another folded picot edging.

You can choose to work the pattern either from the chart or the written instructions. The pattern includes three sizes.

This pattern also was previsouly published in Interweave's Jane Austen magazine and is now available from my Ravelry store, here.

Busy, busy, busy working on some new projects - but all of them are super secret so there isn't anything to share yet. Well, at least I got my act together and worked on some more of my patterns with the rights returned to make them available in my Ravelry store. Just added this week is the individual pattern for the Gentlemen's Hunting Socks, previously published in Intereweave's Jane Austen magazine.

The socks are knit from the top down with heel flap and gusset. They are worked with a slip stitch pattern, so they are worked with one colour only at the time. The pattern includes three sizes and you can choose to work the slip stitch pattern either from the charts or the written instructions.

The pattern is now available from my Ravelry store, here.

No idea how the weater is in your neck of the world, but over here it's almost too hot to knit. Small and quick things are what I like to work on best when we have such fab summer weather, so my latest pattern fits the bill perfectly: Bay Mitts.

The mitts are worked in the round from the cuff up and they feature vertical lines of twisted ribbing that converge with horizontal rows of garter stitch, resulting in a purposely skewed look because of the  different row gauges.

The sample was knitted in oh-so-soft Malabrigo Yarn Sock in Cirrus Gray.

Bay Mitts are a quick, yet interesting to knit unisex pattern for cooler days in autumn, which unfortunately all to soon will be around again. The pattern is included in the latest issue of Knitscene, Fall 2019, available now in print or as download from the Intereweave website, here.