I'm humming the old Beatles song 'Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds' while typing this, because the song is actually the reason for my latest pattern's name: Lucy's Stole.

The stole is knit in traditonal Sheltand lace patterns and it got its name because of the diamond shaped stitch motifs worked all-over the main piece of the stole.

The main body of the piece is knit from one short side to the other. The edging is worked sideways and is knit onto the live stitches and stitches picked up from the small garter border around the body.

A few days ago I received a fab pick-me-up after a long workday: happy mail was waiting at home. I received my copy of The Art of Circular Yokes and I'm still over the moon that one of my designs made it into this awesome collection curated by Kerry Bogert!

The Scallops Cardigan is knitted from the top down with a cabled yoke. The cables start small and get wider with each yoke increase. This shows how you can shape a yoke simply by shaping each cable or element in it. One of the cables from the yoke is continued onto each sleeve as an eye-catching extra; on the sleeve the cable gets gradually narrower before it 'vanishes' completely. All edgings (bottom edge, buttonband, cuffs) are cabled too. The cardigan is worked completely without any seams.

... der immer dann eingesetzt wird, wenn meine Stricklust verschwunden ist: ich lasse Ulli Wolle für mein nächstes Projekt aussuchen. Denn wenn ich weiß, dass ich für Ulli stricke, ist es meist Motiviation genug und ich werde ruck-zuck fertig. So war es auch mit diesen Socken.

Die Socken waren mein Projekt für unterwegs, und daher sind sie recht einfach. Denn wie's im Auot so ist, ich quatsche mit Ulli, singe lautstark mit oder beschäftige mich mit sonst irgendwas und das ist viel zu viel Ablenkung für komplizierte Strickmuster.

Bei diesem Paar habe ich fast alles im Bündchenmuster gearbeitet. 2 rechts, 2 links  am Schaft wurden an der Ferse zu 3 rechts, 3 links für eine integrierte Ferse verändert, und auch der Oberfuß wurde dann in 3 rechts, 3 links gearbeitet.

... to lure my knitting mojo out of hiding: Have Ulli choose a yarn for a new project. When I know it's a gift for him, there's enough motivation to keep going. And as so often before, it did the trick with these socks also.

They were my car knitting project, so I kept them easy to work. Let's face it, when in the car chatting with Ulli, singing along to music and what not, there's just too much distraction for complicated patterns.

They are basically knitted completely in rib, the leg in 2/2 rib which I increased to 3/3 rib to create a hybrid fleegle heel. The 3/3 rib is continued onto the instep.

One of the knitting techniques I really enjoy is double knitting, because every time I work in this technique I'm intrigued by the fact that the created fabric is reversible and looks beautiful from both sides since there seems to be no 'wrong side'. 

A double-knit fabric is comprised of two layers of fabric worked simultaneously. It is worked in pairs of stitches, for each knit stitch worked on one side, a purl stitch is worked next for the other side. This technique creates a thick fabric, which seems to have two right sides, because the wrong sides are facing each other in the middle of the fabric. 

The technique can be worked with just one colour for example for an extra thick scarf, but more often two colours are used to form motifs. The fun effect is, that the motif appears on the second side as a negative image with reversed colours. In the picture below you see the 'right side' with white lines on black and the 'wrong side' with black lines on white.

The first pattern in double knitting technique I published a while ago was the Rhomboid Cowl. Worked in a classic monochrome geometric pattern, enhanced with small details in a contrast colour as the eye-catching feature. The red 'line' above is the cast-on edge, done in the third colour; the optional contrast coloured diamond (in red in the picture) was added at random using duplicate stitch.

I've recently revised the pattern and added detailed written instructions for everyone who'd like to give double knitting a try, but is hesitant to work from charts. The pattern is available from my Ravelry store, here: Rhomboid Cowl.

Well, what can I say? Yet another one of my sock patterns was published this week: Slanted. The pattern is included in the latest Knit Picks collection Outrageous Socks, a stunning collection with 18 modern sock designs, all of them suitable for colourful yarn.

My pattern, Slanted, uses simple knit and purl stitches which create stripes that seem to spiral down the leg. The socks are knitted cuff down with a so-called hybrid Fleegle Heel, which is integrated into the leg and worked in rounds. The heel emerges neatly from the diagonal stripes and it also seems to wander into the right position. The toe is worked as a kind of star toe, which picks up the slant of the diagonal lines.

... is the theme Zen Yarn Garden chose for their premiere pattern collection and designers were asked to design pieces inspired by the great impressionist painters. And well, there are just so many paintings with water, on which wind and sun create ripples and shadows, that an idea formed in my head right away. And why not turn the idea into the project I like to knit best? So...

please say hello to the Composition Socks, my contribution to Zen Yarn Garden's The Impressionist Colleciton.

Knitted in Zen Yarn Garden Superfine Fingering weight. a soft blend of 90 % merino with 10% nylon added for durability in the stunning colourway Eternity, the socks appear like a detail in Monet's Houses of Parliaments series.

The Composition Socks are knit cuff down with an all-over lace pattern, reminiscent of the wind rippling the surface of water. The hybrid fleegle heel is integrated in theleg, i.e. heel flap and gusset are worked in the round together with the leg. The used stitch pattern works very well with tonal variegated yarns. The socks are mismatched in that the ripples slant in different directions for a more random look. The pattern includes three sizes to fit 17.75 (20.25, 22.75) cm [7 (8, 9)”] leg circumference and it comes with charts and also written instructions.

Do you consider knitting a pair of composition socks? The individual pattern is available from Ravelry, here, and there are also kits with pattern and yarn available from the Zen Yarn Garden website, here. The kits are offered at 15% off for a limited time (through May 31, 2019), with the use of the coupon code IMPRESSIONIST15.

Another one of the patterns I really enjoyed working on last year can fianlly be shared, since the newest issues of Interweave Knits, Summer 2019 is now available. The magazine's theme is coast-to-coast knits and it is filled with a wide array of summery sweaters as well as socks and shawls in colourwork technique. My contribution is a large three-coloured shawl: the Tubac Stole.The semisolid and variegated colorways of the stole were inspired by the blue sky and dry desert of the U.S. Southwest.

The stole is constructed in a rather unusual way: It is worked from the center out in rounds, beginning with Judy's Magic Cast-On and then increasing on the four corners. The stole is worked with one colour at the time. The first colour change is done in mosaic technique, while the second colour changes blends in the new colour in rounds worked alternating between the two colours.

As per pattern the stole is approximately 195 cm (67”) long and 52 cm (20.5“) wide, but it could be worked to any desired size. However, the number of sitches cast on set the proportions. Fewer stitches = less length, more width; more stitches = more length, less width. The contruction method means that there are right from the start a rather big number of stitches to be worked, but everything is worked in rounds, so there are no 'annoying' purl wrong side rows as there are with many other shawls. I really enjoyed working on the stole and I've lately played around with an idea using a similar technique, but it's not yet in the state to tell you about it. Stay tuned.

So thrilled to see that now the newest Interweave knitting book The Art of Circular Yokes can be pre-ordered. Why, you ask? Well, as I've told quite often, what I love to knit and design best is usually smaller things like socks, mittens, shawls, and only occasionally I tackle garments. So I am absolutely proud that one of my designs, the Scallops Cardigan, made it into this fantastic garment collection.

The Scallops Cardigan is knitted from the top down with a cabled yoke. The cables start small and get wider with each yoke increase. This shows how you can shape a yoke simply by shaping each cable or element in it. One of the cables from the yoke is continued onto each sleeve as an eye-catching extra; on the sleeve the cable gets gradually narrower before it 'vanishes' completely.

All edgings (bottom edge, buttonband, cuffs) are cabled too; buttonholes are worked into the cable. The cardigan is worked completely without any seams.

Another club pattern that has been on the backburner for way too long, got finally repolished and is now available:  Rows & Rows Socks.

Basic knit and purl stitches combined to a beautiful pattern that forms rows and rows of horizontal, vertical and diagonal stripes. The socks are knit cuff down with a heel flap and gusset. The pattern includes three sizes: Women’s S, M and L and you can choose to work the pattern from the charts or the written instructions.

The queen of procrastinating (yes, I am talking about myself here) finally got her act together. Last month I worked on a pattern that was released years ago, as a club pattern available to members only, and ever since I thought that I would like to make it available for everyone to enjoy. Hm, it sure took its sweet time... Truth be told, there were some issues that needed to be solved and I didn't like the original layout one bit, so there was some work involved, including tech edting and a round of test knitting. But with all that done, the pattern was finally added to my store: Multidirectional Mittens.

It really is a pattern to show off the beauty of variegated yarn  because the changes in knitting direction create stripes that change directions too: vertical, horizontal, angular.

The individual parts of the mittens are worked using different techniques and are worked in different directions: The cuff is worked flat and knit sideways; lower hand and upper hand are worked in the round, part of the thumb gusset section is worked flat in short-rows.

The pattern includes three sizes, women's S, M and L.

My brain very obviously was occupied with other things a while back, because I completely forgot to tell you that I released yet another sock pattern back in February: Snuggly Cables.

The socks are knitted cuff down socks mainly in garter rib for a snug, yet comfortable fit with a heel which is integrated nicely into the stitch pattern. The eye-catching feature though, is an interesting cable panel running down the front of the leg.

The pattern includes three sizes and the cable panel can be worked from a chart or written instructions.

The latest issue of Knitscene, Summer 2019, is now available and I'm happy to tell you that one of my patterns made the cut: Plasma Shawl.

The inspriation for this shawl were flames and well, if flames are hot enough they can create plasma, hence the name.

The shawl is worked top down in rows with increases and decreases to create the flames - the open flames only come to life when binding off the shawl by dropping stitches and unravelling them. Such fun to work in a smooth yarn such as the one used in the sample: Malabrigo Yarn Sock.

The other day I told you about my Flight of Birds Shawlette, published in the Accents collection by Knit Picks, and here's finally a picture of my sample.Even though it is in a different colourway than the one in the book, it looks pretty much the same, except for the finishing touch which I find essential for this shawlette: tassels.

I'm usually not into what I call 'cutesy stuff', but somehow I like this shawlette so much more with the tassels. What do you think? Tassels or not?

A loooooong time ago I told you about a pattern I had designed for Knit Now magazine and back then I already had the idea to make a matching pair of mittens. And at long last, here they are! And even though I'm already waiting for spring, we yet have another bit of snow, so hooray for a new mittens pattern in March: Speckle Mittens.

The mittens are knitted mainly in a textured pattern that forms horizontal and vertical lines. The allover pattern has a lot of stretch which leads to a snug yet comfortable fit. The eye-catching feature though, is a broad ribbed cable which runs along the back of the hand and which gets smaller and then vanishes completely at the top.

The pattern includes two sizes and the pattern can be worked either from charts or written instructions. It is available from my Raverly pattern store, here.

Another pattern I worked on last year already is now ready to be shared here: Twirling Socks. They are my contribution to the latest book by Interweave Coffeehouse Knits.

Inspired by the ritual of sipping and stitching, Coffeehouse Knits is a collection of 2o knitwear designs combined with stirring essays. So why not pour yourself another cup and settle with this lovely book and/or your needles?

 A project to bring to knit group gatherings should be portable, and the pattern should be easy to memorize so that one doesn’t lose track while chatting. These socks meet those criteria perfectly. The main pattern is a knit-and-purl ribbing, which travels to the side every couple of rounds. The interesting detail is the heel because the heel flap and gusset are integrated into the leg and are worked in the round. The skewed heel flap “triangle” emerges from one of the knit columns in the ribbing.

My knitting mojo still isn't anywhere in sight, so it's good that I was busy last year to have something to share with you. A sock pattern of mine was released a couple of days ago: Trailhead Socks.

With Valentine's Day just around the corner, I thought it was time to release a pattern that has been finished and sitting on my desk for months: Love you Till Tuesday.

My musical inspiration for these socks was the song “Love you till Tuesday” by David Bowie. The title sounds like there will be a new love on Wednesday and many to follow afterwards, so my socks feature lots of hearts for all the loves yet to come.

The pattern comes with 5 different heart motifs between 7 and 14 stitches wide and between 7 and 21 rows high. The idea is to place them randomly on a Stockinette Stitch background. Just use one motif, for example the Heart to Heart outline as an eye-catching stand-alone feature or place different motifs all over the socks – whatever you like best. If desired, the motifs can even be continued onto the heel flap and the toe. Each of the motifs is included as a chart and also as written instructions. For those who don't feel like working 'at random', there are extra pages giving placement suggestions (as in the picture) added to the pattern.

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

So I told you: Every once in a while I stop 'producing' a neverending pile of accessories, but work on a big project instead. Like this one: Buds Pullover.

The pullover was knitted in a single-ply, DK-weight, merino-silk blend yarn, which makes it both lightweight and pleasantly warm. It’s worked in the round from the bottom up in an allover shifting rib pattern.

You find the pattern for the Buds pullover in the current issue of Interweave Knits, Spring 2019, which is available from the Interweave website, here.

Finally... Do you want to know what is the hardest part for me when one of my designs is published by a third party? Having to wait that I can share pictures, especially when I enjoyed a new project as much as I did with this one.

The shawl is knit from the top down in an easy to memorize 'flame lace pattern', created by simple decreases and increases. The flames grow bigger the biggere the shawl gets. Worked in awesome Twisted Fiber Art Arial Evolution in colourway Eclipse, the shawl was knit up in no time (you know, the 'let's see the next colour change' effect) and I totally love how it turned out.😊 The Flame Lace Shawl is included in Gradient Style, a new book by Interweave, now available...

Happy New Year, everyone! I certainly couldn't be happier - spending New Year in our 'home away from home' and with a new pattern out today: Flight of Birds Shawlette!

So I told you about Knitscene Accents, but what I haven't told you is that I have a second pattern in the magazine: Hearbeat Mitts.

A simple slip-stitch pattern and three colors of yarn create the funky, lovable Heartbeat Mitts. The eye-catching pattern is easy to work, so the mitts are quick and fun to knit. They are worked using slipped stitches and knit 1 (2 or 3) row(s) below, using only one colour at a time.

Ever since I got my hands on Andrea Rangel's wonderful AlterKnit stitch dictionary , I knew that had to use the fun Masked Bandit chart in a design and meanwhile it happened: Say hello to the Ring-Tailed  Bandit Hat.

Aaaaaaaannnnnd - my hat even made the cover of the digital Knitscene Accents magazine! Woohoo!

The hat is worked in the round from the bottom up and bound off after the ribbing, then stitches are picked up to create a chain detail before the motif in stranded colourwork. The pattern includes three sizes.

It's been a while since I last told you about a new pair of socks, isn't it? See, I do knit other things than socks... ;-)

Anways, today I released a sock new pattern: A Song of Knit and Purls.

Squares in four different textured patterns flow down the leg and form a patchwork-like pattern. The heel flap emerges between the stripes of squares and is worked in the round in a fifth knit and purl pattern. The toe, worked with paired increases, features yet another textured pattern on the top of the foot - knits and purls at their best!

So I told you about the Firebricks Cowl last week, but in my excitement that the project made the cover, I completely forgot to tell you that there is another pattern of mine in the colleciton: Intensify Shawl.

Stashbuster knits was the theme of a new collection from Knit Picks - so why not use the leftover yarns in your stash for a quick and easy cowl? Said and done and I'm happy my pattern not only made it into the collection, but was also chosen for the cover. :)

The differently colored garter stitch stripes on the neutral background get sectioned by the slipped stitches and seem to form bricks – just like bricks in a country-style brick wall. The cowl could be worked using only two colors for a more subdued look, or as many colors as there are stripes. Choose your favorite colors to make your Bricks cowl unique!

This cowl is worked in the round and can be made a smaller or larger cowl by adjusting the cast on number.

Hm, seems a bit  I had a thing with sets lately, because another one was released a couple of days ago: Black Forest Hat and Cowl Set.

The set is knit in oh-so-soft HiKoo by Skacel Llamor (DK weight in 100% baby llama) and it uses the illusion knitting technique. The pattern is worked using one colour at a time and the clever use of knit and purl stitches creates a hidden pattern of diagonal lines, which changes the look of the knit depending on the viewer's perspective.

Both items are worked in the round from the bottom up. The hat has an extra long, foldable brim.

One of my favourite Interweave magazines was released last week: Interweave Knits Gifts and I'm happy to tell you that one of my designs mad the cut and is included in this year's issue: Changing Diamonds.

The Changing Diamonds Hat and Mittens Set is a fresh, modern, and fun take on matching accessories. The updated color palette and geometric colorwork motif make this a great first colorwork project.

While the motifs are different for hat and mittens, they are similar enough to make a matching set and I loved the idea of reversing the colours for the mittens. How do you like it?

As you all know, what I love to knit best are accessories, but every once in a while a bigger project is tackled. Like a cardigan...

Truth be told, this isn't really something I would wear (although I'd consider it if it was black and had a bit more of 'steampunk' look about it), but I enjoyed working on it and it makes me happy to now see it published in the Knitting Traditions magazine.

Hot, hot, hot in Germany - but for those who already plan their holiday knitting: here is a new pattern for you! The V-Mitts were recently published in the latest Knit Picks's collection Dapper, geared towards the men in our lifes. The collection includes 21 timeless garment and accessory patterns.

The V-Mitts are snug fitting yet comfortable to wear with a classy look. The fingerless mitts are worked from the ribbed cuff to the top, with a thumb gusset and individual fingers. On the back of the hand and the palm, a V-shaped section in Stockinette stitch emerges from the ribbing, enhanced by small cables.

The pattern is available as individual download or as part of the collection from the Knit Picks website, here.

Back from holidays to learn that another one of my patterns was released in Knitscene Fall 2018 while I was away: Agatha Shawl.

The Agatha Shawl incorporates two stitch patterns: a zigzag motif across the side edge and small motif “spots” throughout the main striped garter-stitch pattern. It is worked usig the mosaic knitting technique, i.e. it is always used only one colour at a time.

Even though it's way too hot over here at the moment to even think about wearing handknits, it's always time to knit for cooler weather, isn't it?

My newest pattern was released today in Knit Pick's collection Delicate Details. It's a collection featuring 15 delicate accessories and these patterns will have you draped in elegance from head to toe.  Geared towards the novice and intermediate lace knitters, these patterns can help you discover and explore the satisfaction of creating (and wearing!) the intricate art of lace knitting. My contribution to the collection are the Lace Track Mitts.

The Lace Track Mitts are a pair of fingerless gloves knit in the round and from the cuff up.  The easy to work lace pattern runs along the back of the hand, adding interest to the knitting and an eye-caching feature to this pratical item. These winsome mitts make a statement of subtle elegance with only a handful of stitches.

The pattern is available as individual download or as part of the collection from the Knit Picks website, here.

Inspired by the American Southwest, the summer issue of Interweave Knits is packed with 16 modern, appealing, and knittable designs.

My contribution to the magazine falls into the High Desert Lace story, with wearable, breezy, lacy, and bohemian-inspired garments that you can wear in the blazing summer sun: Winona Poncho.

Winona is a tiny village located along historic Route 66 in northwestern Arizona. The area has been inhabited for ages—first by Native Americans, then by European settlers—and the Winona Poncho incorporates artistic influences from the different cultures that have populated the area. The poncho is worked in one piece from side to side in an allover wave lace pattern that is worked on both right- and wrong-side rows. The fringe adds the final touch to this bohemian-inspired summer poncho.

The pattern is available for individual download or as part of the magazine from the Interweave website, here.

It seems there is no denying it what my favourite item of all times is to knit and design... but  I can't help it, I just love handknit socks!  And I'm happy to share with you that another one of my pattern was released last week: Transversal Socks.

The pattern is included in the latest Knit Pick's collection called Splendid Sole. It's a book filled to the brim with 16 beautiful  and clever sock designs.

My contribution, shown above in Hawthorne Tonal Hand Paint yarn, feature an interesting, architectural cable pattern. The pattern was inspired by the look of half-timbered houses with their wooden frames and filled panels between. The background pattern are segments in Stockinette stitch and reverse Stockinette stitch, alternating every couple of rounds, which get divided by diagonal cable lines. A classy pattern, suitable for women and men alike.

The pattern is available as individual pattern or as part of the collection from the Knit Picks Website, here.

Well, if you haven't yet noticed, here is another proof of what I like to knit best -  another sock pattern of mine got  published, the Zinger Socks.

This pattern, too, was planned for the Love of Knitting magazine which now sadly is no longer published. Instead the pattern is available for indvidual download.

The socks are knitted cuff down, with one colour at the time. The vertical lines are created by slipped stitches which get carried over the stripe in the colour used. It is worked with a short row heel using German short rows with double stitches. An easy to knit heel variation and I love the effect when one half is worked in one colour, the second half then in the other colour.

Remember the Cube Socks published in Knitscene I told you about the other day? There are now kits available from the Interweave website which include the magazine with the pattern and a set of SweetGeorgia Yarns Tough Love Sock Party of Five. For me it would be the hardest part to decide which one to choose, lol.

I love the rich colours in the set above in  Blueberry Cobbler, but then, I have a soft spot for monochrome stuff, so the kit below with a Party of Five in Graphite would be right up my alley also...

So I told you the other day about my contribution to Knitscene Summer 2018, but in fact there is even more: a second sock pattern of mine. It is one of the bonus patterns and as happy as I am it is in there, as sad is the reason, because it was planned for Love of Knitting, another one of the Interweave knitting magazines which is now no longer published. But well, things change, so let's talk about happier things: my Accented Socks. :)

These socks are worked cuff down in starnded knitting, mainly in two neutral colours. The eye-catching feature is the use of a third, bright colour for cuff, heel and toe as well as for two 'accent stripes'. The socks are worked with a short row heel, which is worked with decreasing and increasing stitches rather than the usual wrap and turn technique. I, personally, consider it it a perfect heel for beginner sock knitters.

Look what is now available from the Interweave website:

The latest issue of Knitscene maganzine, summer 2018 and I am happy to share what I contributed to it. Well, it won't come as a big surprise... because it's my fave item to knit: socks....

Have I actually told you about the new big project I've planned? In one of my Ravelry groups we have year-long challenges and this year we called it the 'rainbow challenge' and the idea is to knit up yarns in certain colours in 2018. In addition, there are challenges for techniques like brioche or cables or just fun extra challenges like 'a project somehow related to the Olympics'. You get the idea. Now, it wouldn't be me to not tweak the challenge so that it is a challenge for me, so here's my plan:

I'd like to knit up all these beautiful skeins of Cascade Yarns Heritage and create my very own rainbow. And of course, these have to be my very own designs. And the work on my 'Rainbow of Socks' (which will be the title of the collection), is well underway... :)

A new Knit Picks collection was released on Wednesday, Everyday Wraps, with 14 colourful, wearable and comfortable shawls, all of them knit in fingering weight yarn. And I contributed to the collection too: Wild Vortex. :)

I chose the name, because the shawl is knitted in wedges which seem to spin around an invisible axis - like a vortex in the sea. The shawl is knit top down and all colours are cast on simultanously; instructions for the colour changes are given in the pattern.

I do admit I am really lame with social media  even though I’m told all the time I should be more active and promote my designs and and and… Yes, I do write this blog (and sometimes it is hard work) and I'm active on Ravelry, but that's about it. So in an attempt to do better, I’m giving it a try this weekend and should you be on Facebook or Instagram this might be interesting to you, because - it’s giveaway time. :)

So… how about winning a prize? To celebrate the successful launch of my Irish at Heart collection, what better day is there than St. Patrick’s Day for a giveway? I am running a sweepstake on both, my Instagram account (@monemade) and my designer page on Facebook, so should you be active there, check it out. Lovely stuff to win…

It took me a bit longer than planned, but today I finally rereleased a pattern previously published in UK magazine Knit Now: Happy Hearts!

And thinking about it - what better day would there have been for a pattern like this? Happy Hearts on Valentine's Day. :)

The cosy socks with a cute all over heart pattern in stranded knitting come in two sizes, women's M and L. They are knitted cuff down with heel flap and gusset; the gusset decreases are made in pattern on the sole.

I do admit, when it comes to knitting I am usually more drawn to the smaller stuff like socks, mittens are shawl, but once in a while I have an idea for a garment I just can't resist. Like with this beauty, included in the newest issue of Interweave Knits.

The cardi, designed as an oversized cardi with dropped shoulders for a female model, very obvious is a true unisex pattern. :) It is knitted in fishermen's rib (a brioche stitch) combined with garter stitch squares which forms an allover geometric pattern with interesting horizontal and vertical lines. The garter stitch element is picked up again for all edgings, the shawl collar and the fold up cuffs.

So today is the day, and I added the - for now - last pattern to my (No longer virtual) Friends pattern colleciton: Interwoven. This one is for Melissa, who is one of the first people I ‘met’ when I joined Ravelry, and while many groups we mingled in are no longer active, our friendship has grown stronger over the years and it was the most wonderful moment when we first met in person at Indie Untangled.

I chose this textures stitch pattern which resembles interwoven stripes as a symbol of how close we’ve become even though there are thousands of miles between us. The picture though, doesn't show the socks Melissa received. She got a pair in a beautiful gradient yarn, but the socks were a bit too large for anyone around to model them. So I've knitted a second pair - and as many of you know I am so not a fan of knitting a pattern again and again  -  and well, yes, the photoshoot on a windy day at the beach was quite something too... Sand everywhere, even in my ears, but the picture was worth it, don't you think? Shows the texture really well and I am so happy Melissa's pattern is out in the world now too.

I can't help it but got to share how happy the current issue of The Knitter magazine, issue 120, made me when it arrived in today's mail. Why, you ask? Now...

... the news section 'The Knitter loves...' includes a nice feature about my very own Irish at Heart collection. Squee! I feel so honoured. :)

The Knitter is available from www.theyarnloop.com and you can purchase the Irish at Heart collection or indvidual patterns from my Ravelry store, here.

My knitting mojo is still somewhere in hiding (definitely fed up from all the awful weather), but at least I got my act together to work a bit on all the pattern I plan to re-release this year. These once are the Valar Socks, published first in Knitscene Spring 2015.

The socks are knit from the cuff down, and their main feature is a lace pattern reminiscent of blossoms. Knit in a happy yellow - what better way is there to chase away the weather blues?

Let's kick off the new year as the old one ended - with a new sock pattern: Picnic.

Picnic is also an addition to my (No longer virtual) Friends collection and the pattern came to life because of my visit to the Sheep and Wool Festival in Rhinebeck, NY, in 2016. Not only was it a fantastic show, but it also gave me the opportunity to meet with long-time Ravelry friends for the first time. Meeting point: Around noon in the picnic area. 

How about a new sock pattern before the year is over? Acorns is another addition to my (No longer virtual) Friends collection, these ones designed for Stacy who I had the pleasure to meet last year in Rhinebeck.

When travelling to that small town in New York, our route led us through long stretches of autumn forest. Maples, birches, oaks and several other kinds of trees formed the most beautiful scenery.  No wonder, I picked a stitch pattern that reminded me of acorns for Stacy’s socks.

Let's chat some more about the socks it all began with, shall we? As I told you when I introduced the Irish at Heart collection the other day, it all started with self-striping sock yarn in - at least for me - Irish colours. Now, as much as I love self-striping yarn when it's in the skein, I find it kind of boring to knit plain Vanilla socks, so most often I try to manipulate the sripes somehow. In this case, working a slipped stitch here and there, the stripes turned into hearts and the idea for Irish at Heart was born.

In the picture above you can see at the toe the plain stripes the yarn forms without any manipulation. To turn it into a pattern like the all-over heart pattern, the yarn needs to have a certain stripe squence and in addition the width of the sock needs to be chosen according to the yarn.

In my sample the yardage of the  small stripes is sufficient for two rounds plain Stockinette on socks with 64 stititches, which I was able to turn into three rounds in slipped stitches on socks with 60 sts. Of course it needs a bit of calculation, trial and error and you shouldn't be too persnickety about always working full rounds (I did start the new heart stripe whenever the yarn changed), but it is a fun experiment to try.

No matter where you are in Ireland you’ll come across one of the island’s most popular symbols: the Shamrock. According to legend, St. Patrick used the shamrock to explain about the Trinity when he was trying to convert the Irish to Christianity. Nowadays many companies use it as part of their emblem and you find it on many Irish souvenirs. It is not a symbol for luck as such– as is a four leaf clover – but wearing a shamrock on St Patrick’s Day is believed to bring good luck and blessings!

The socks are knitted cuff down with heel flap and gusset. They feature an all-over textured pattern in which knit and purl stitches form shamrocks. This pattern looks best in a solid or semi-solid yarn.

When you visit Dingle, a town on the Dingle peninsula in county Kerry,  you will definitely hear about the town’s famous ‘inhabitant’: Fungie, also known as the Dingle Dolphin. Fungie is a bottle nose dolphin who, according to the locals, was first seen in Dingle’s harbour in 1983 and who has stayed in the Dingle Bay ever since. There are boat tours to watch Fungie and the townspeople even built a statue in his honor.

The socks are knitted cuff down with a heel flap and gusset. On the leg, there is a dophin motif in stranded knitting and to accommodate the tighter fit of stranded knitting there are stitches increased before that section, which get decreased again when the section is finished. The remaining sock is knitted in a textured pattern, reminiscent of waves.

I’ve visited Ireland several times and I’ve learnt that the prejudice that it always rains in Ireland is not true – but it does indeed rain a lot. There is a reason why the Irish use so many words to describe the different types of rain: it spits, drizzles, teems, buckets down and there are a lot more expressions. Even on the sunniest of days the rain is only ‘hiding’ and never far away – just like in these socks.

The socks are knitted toe up. They feature a raindrop pattern in illusion knitting technique: the socks are knitted in stripes, with one colour at the time, and the position of the knit and purl stitches and the shadows the raised stitches cast, create a pattern. So depending on the angle you look at the sock, sometimes the raindrops are visible and sometimes they are not.  If you've never tried illusion kintting, it really is worth it. It's an interesting technique, easy to learn and with a stunning result.

I enjoy cheerful and lively traditional Irish music and it is always a treat to watch Irish dancers in their colourful costumes dancing jigs and reels.This sock pattern was inspired by the so-called ‘Poodle Socks’ worn by Irish dancers.

The socks are knitted cuff down with a short-row heel. They are worked with a ribbed section around the foot, just as traditional dancing socks. The toe is worked as a spiral toe. The lace pattern worked on the leg is embellished with beads (optional, placed with a crochet hook while knitting).

In almost any small town in Ireland you still find independent shops. There are small hardware stores where you can buy the exact number of nails or screws you need and are not obliged to buy the whole bulk pack. In Germany, most independent small town businesses are long gone and were replaced by chain stores, so visiting this kind of shop in Ireland feels like a journey into childhood.

The socks feature a textured pattern with small stripes with different motifs, just as the 'bits and pieces' you can buy at O'Leary's. They are knitted cuff down with heel flap and gusset. The textured pattern is continued onto the gusset; the heel flap is worked  with slipped stitches.

Sláinte (pronounced ˈslaːntʃə‘) is the Irish word for ‘health‘ and it is the thing to say before you take the first sip of your drink. There are literally thousands of pubs in Ireland, with cosy décor and always friendly guests to chat with, so it’s one of the Irish words almost everyone learns when visiting Ireland.

The socks are knitted cuff down and this is with its intricate cable patterns probably the pair which goes best with what is considered Irish knitting tradition. I chose a special heel for this pair: heel flap and gusset are integrated into the leg and are knitted in the round which leads to the particular look as shown below.

The N17 is a national road in western Ireland that runs from Galway through Mayo to Sligo. When travelling along that road for the first time, I realized that the scenery indeed looks like in the song ‘N17’ by my favourite Irish band The Saw Doctors: Stone walls and the grass is green…

The socks are knit in an easy to memorise textured pattern with elongated slipped stitches to represent the many stone walls along the N17. They are worked curff down with heel flap and gusset. The pattern works pretty well with variegated yarns.

Something that makes me smile every time we visit Ireland is the way many houses are painted in bright and cheerful colours – what a happy sight, even on days when the weather is dreary. Dingle, a town on the Dingle Peninsula in county Kerry, has lots and lots of coloured houses and for me it's one of the most cheerful places I've ever seen. 

The socks are knitted in with rows of houses in stranded knitting; cuff down with a heel flap and gusset. The gusset decreases are done in pattern at the sole.  To accommodate the tighter fit of stranded knitting, these parts are worked on larger needles. I recommend the use as a very colourful yarn with a long colour run as the contrast colour.

This pattern in the Irish at Heart collection came to life because Ireland has such a rich culture of storytelling and is famous for its fairy-lore. You can take tours to visit fairy forts, buy a fairy door to invite a fairy to your home and the fairies sometimes even get blamed for any mishaps. When visiting Ireland you are surrounded by fairy tales all the time and it might happen you are away with the fairies…

The stitch pattern I've chosen, is an overall lace and cable pattern which goes in my opinion very well with cute fairy socks and is interesting to knit. The socks are worked cuff down with heel flap and gusset.

The centrepiece of the collection I talked about yesterday are naturally the socks I shown on the title: the pattern everything started with. However, I came to realize rather quickly, that it might be not the best idea to ask people to use a self-striping yarn and then just try whether the pattern works or not. So I came up with this version, which is easy to make and can be customized to your liking.

On a solid background, the heart motifs in slipped stitches are worked using small amounts of contrast coloured yarn. In my sample with three colours, approximately 10 g of each colour are needed. But the choice is all yours: Use as many different colours as you like (and maybe use up those odds and ends we all have from previous projects),  work the heart stripes at different intervals, the possibilities to make this pattern your own are endless. By the way, the pattern is done in mosaic knitting with slipped stitches, so you only work with one colour at the time.

Ich kann es wirklich kaum glauben, dass es sooo lange gedauert hat, bis ich nun endlich diesen Post schreibe: aber heute ist der große Tag und ich kann eines meiner Lieblingsprojekte mit Euch teilen. Es ist eine Sammlung von 10 Sockenmustern, die alle nur entstanden sind, weil meine Freundin Laurel Wolle gefärbt hat, um genau zu sein eine neue Farbefür ihre Twisted Sisters. Dies Garnsets für gestreifte Socken, bestehen aus zwei 50 Gram Knäuel und das Besondere ist, das die Farben in den Knäuel vertauscht sind. Und als ich diese Farbe sah, war es sofort um mich geschehen:  O'Malley.

Denkt Ihr dabei nicht sofort an Irland? Mir, die ich natürlich auch eine Schwäche für Irland habe, ging es sofot so und natürlich musste ich die Wolle kaufen und begann sofort zu stricken, als sie in meinem Briefkasten gelandet war. Und die Farben brachten mich auf so viele Ideen - so viele, dass heute eine ganze Kollektion neuer Sockenmuster erschienen ist: Irish at Heart.

I can't believe it took me this long to finally write this post, but today is the day: one of my pet projects is ready for everyone to enjoy. It is a collection of 10  sock patterns and it started with some yarn my friend Laurel dyed a couple of years ago for her Twisted Sisters range. These yarn sets consist of two 50 g skeins of fingering weight yarn, self-striping and  with reversed colours and this particular colourway 'spoke' to me right away: O'Malley.

Doesn't it make you think of Ireland right away?  Well, it sure did make me think - no wonder being a huge fan of Ireland -  and of course I had to get a set for myself and I started to knit it up the moment it arrived. And it gave me ideas - so many, that today a new collection of sock patterns is available from my Ravelry store: Irish at Heart.

The weather we currently have definitely calls for warm socks, so no wonder I looked at the pile of socks from past publications,sitting in a box in my office, warming themselves. Why, you ask? Because I store them there until I get round to re-release the pattern. So it's a happy day today, because not only one, but two pairs of socks made there way into our sock drawers, with just one pattern new in my store: Classy Squares.

The socks, knitted from the cuff down, feature a colourwork pattern at leg and foot, which changes the main colour back and forth. The cuff and the toe are worked in one colour, while the leg and the instep are worked in the second colour. 

While I told you about the socks I designed for Knitcrate, I haven't showed you the pictures yet I took before I had to send my sample. And believe me, it was hard to let them go, because I so loved the yarn I used by Chasing Rabbits Fiber Co. Even though Fern comes with a nylon content, which I personally like for socks because it adds durability, the yarn is oh-so-soft and wonderful to work with. Not to mention its great stitch definition. I think the 'pairing' of the design with this great yarn worked just fine.

The next pictures shows the heel details of the Thunderbolt Socks. I've become really addicted to integrated heels lately. The fit is just as great as it is with socks with heel flap and gusset, so this heel version is perfect for me. And it is so versatile, so many possibilities to work it. For Thunderbolt I split it into four increase section which blend perfectly into the pattern.

Slowly, very slowly making my way through all the patterns with rights returned to me, after they were published in magazins. It sure takes its time, even though it's mostly reformatting and changes in wording to make the patterns even more clear. But well, today I've made a bit of progress: Pillars of the Earth is now available from my Ravelry store, here.

The main feature of these cuff down socks is a classy, yet elegant stitch pattern that resembles a cable pattern, but the effect is easily created with decreases and increases. The wide panels are worked on the front and the back of the socks and are reminiscent of stable pillars used for centuries in many architectural styles.

I know how many people love to receive surprise yarn packages, so I was tickled when the folks from Knitcrate contacted me and asked whether I'd design a sock pattern for them. I did, and this month it is finally reveal time: Thunderbolt Socks.

The pattern is only available in the current kit from this site, here, but in case you love the crate including the  yarn by Chasing Rabbits Fiber Co (in the limited edition colourway Forager's Harvest shown in the picture), I’ve got a small gift for you:
With the coupon code MONEMADE20 you’ll get your crate at 20% off.

I've got to admit, that this time coming back from holidays the 'weather blues' hit me really hard... From sunny and warm to day after day with depressing grey and cool temperatures is so not what I like. Not a big surprise, I haven't been up to much since we returned, so I decided it was high time I worked on a happy coloured me-project.

Since I worked on my sample for the Bargello Sock pattern, published in Love of Knitting Spring 2017, I've always wanted to reknit the pattern in a colourful yarn and I fell in love with this combination right from the start. It was a very addictive project, since I was all the time like 'just one more stripe' or 'just one more colour change', so no wonder these got done rather quickly. And I love how they turned out!

Another of my patterns previously released in Knit Now is finally available as an individual download: Morning Dew Socks.

These lacy socks are perfect to showcase solid or semi-solid yarns: Twining leaves run down the front and the back of the socks, embellished with small 'dew drops' from tiny bobbles. These beauties not only keep your feet warm, but are a stunning fashion accessory when worn in open shoes.

Nope, I am not losing it and know it is a tad too early to wish you a merry Christmas, but a new and christmassy pattern of mine was released in the newest Knit Picks collection Merry Knitmas.

The collection offers a variety of patterns to beautify your home for the holidays such as ornaments, stockings or home decor items. My contribution to the collection are Tiny Hearts.

So there I was, planning to knit a gift and as always I had all the time in the world... because October is soooo far away when it is only January and you buy the yarn for the gift... So eventually I had to do some speed knitting, but ta-dah I finished in time. My Blue of the Heavens Shawl is done, blocked and will go straight into my suitcase. Better pics will have to wait until we are in our holiday destination and I can't wait  for my friend to arrive next week to  see whether she likes her gift. 'Gift giving anxiety', as always...

So happy to tell you that the Deep Fall issue of Knitty is now live and includes a brand-new sock pattern of mine:  High Voltage!

As most of you know, I love to try out different knitting techniques and I found it quite amazing how easy vertical stranding is to work, but what a unique look can be created with it. With vertical stranding, it is easy to create an eye-catching feature for colorful background yarns that tend to overrule complicated stitch patterns and so look best in plain stockinette stitch.

The latest issues of Knitting Traditions 2017  is now available and as always it is a travel back in time. This issue takes you to the Great Exhibition of 1851, an event that inspired World’s Fairs for more than a century. If you'd like to know more about the Great Exhibition, there's tons of information on the internet, for example here, on Wikipedia.

The magazine contains 18 projects, split into three themes 'The World's Fair' story with articles and projects inspired by the Great Exhibition,  'Curiosities' based on the wonders of ancient Egypt and other exotic places and 'Knight on the Town' with medieval-inspired knits.

When I read the call for submission a while back, what came to my mind first was the impressive building set up to house the Great Exhibition, the Crystal Palace in Hyde Park, London. It was one of the monuments of 19^th century architecture. Built from iron girders and glass, pre-fabricated and then assembled onsite, the building had a never seen before open and airy appearance, which was copied for many buildings to come.

My contribution to the magazine, the Crystal Palace Shawl is a semi-circle shaped shawl knit from the top down. Stripes in twisted Stockinette stitch to symbolize the iron-cast girders alternate with wider stripes in a Shetland lace pattern to symbolize the huge window panes.  The shape was chosen to resemble the entrance halls ceiling.

Nope, not getting all philosophic, but it's just the name of my brand-new sock pattern: The Way it Goes. It is the next pattern in my (No longer virtual) Friends collection designed for a very special friend in the US.

For these socks I used a yarn I bought when I met the recipient in person last year. It is a White Birch Fiber Arts 80/20 SW merino, nylon sock set and oh my, it is the most beautiful gradient yarn I've ever used for socks! I only wish I had bought some more sets when I had the opportunity. Sigh. Anyway, here's a progress shot that show the beautful yarn

The socks were designed for my long-time Ravelry friend Patti. Over the years we’ve known each other, there were quite some incidents and changes in her life and I wanted to use a stitch pattern to reflect this and to symbolize that it is hard to predict what happens next in life. So I chose an all-over pattern, which zig-zags from left to right,  but which on the heel flap and the instep  leads smoothly into diagonal, yet straight forward lines, since there’s always hope life’s journey will follow a calmer path in the future.

Yep, I am lame... at least when it comes to self-publish patterns that were previously published in a magazine. But well, there are only so many hours in a day and somehow... sigh. Anyway, as of today, the Crossers Socks, first published in Knit Now Magazine in June 2016, are now available as an individual download.

I really love the pattern because it is so interesting to knit. The all-over stitch pattern combines different knitting techniques: textured diamonds. bordered by eyelets for a lacy look, which are embedded in stripes in Stockinette stitch which form crosses thanks to small cables. A sock pattern which crosses the ‘borders’ between different techniques, hence the name: Crossers.

Most of the time, when I start with a design, I have the idea for a pattern and then I rummage through my stash to see what yarn to try it with. Sometimes, though, I see a beautiful yarn that gives me an idea for a pattern, so I purchase the yarn with a pattern idea in mind. This time though, I agreed to design a sock pattern with the yarn chosen by someone else. So you can imagine that I was quite curious what would be in the package when the yarn arrived. And it was this

Flying Goats Farm Corriedale Socks in a beautiful mix of browns and blues in a colourway called Cowboy. I loved the colours the moment I saw them but then, it was easy to tell that it is a busy yarn and that the stitch pattern had to be carefully chosen. I took it with me on holidays and swatched... and swatched some more... and some more. And finally I came up with this

My favourite summer flowers are by far sunflowers. For me they are just a happy sight, even though they symbolize that summer is almost over when they are in full bloom.

So why not knit their happy look on a pair of socks to wear when the weather is grey and dull?

The socks were designed to resemble a sunflower. They are knitted cuff down with heel flap and gusset. The cuff, heel flap and toe are done in contrast coloured yarn, to resemble the seeds, while the petals are worked into the main coloured body of the socks. The petals care formed with small 1/1 cables, slipped stitches, moss and seed stitch.

I told you last week about the Guernsey Shawl pattern in Love of Knitting, Fall 2017, but in fact there's more to tell. The second pattern of mine that was released in the same issue, is the Chequers Brioche Scarf.

Two-colour brioche forms squares of colour and texture. Easy to knit, but such an interesting look.

My Guernsey Shawl pattern got released in the latest issue of Love of Knitting, Fall 2017. A really big shawl in aran weight yarn - perfect to keep you warm on the coldest of days. So my type of shawl!

Smiling while I type this, because for once we have the weather the season calls for in Germany, so I don't really want to think about cold days. But one has to get prepared, don't you think?

For many years we've spent our holidays in October on the Canaries and just like us, there are many people from all over the world regulars we've met again and again. And we made friends. So much so, that when we went to Ireland a few years ago we were invited to visit them. And boy, what a great time we had! Geraldine and Richard not only welcomed us to their home, but they went out of their way to show us the town (including several pubs in town) and they even organized for me to meet their local indie dyer, Caroline from Life in the Long Grass. Well, of course I wanted to give Geraldine a nice 'thank you' and this is how the idea for this pattern started...

 I played around with Shetland lace patterns, lots of beads, and a bit of maths... and a shawl came to life. The picture shows my  prototype, knitted in Life in the Long Grass Silk Merino Sock, a lovely fingering weight yarn, modeled by the recipient, Geraldine, hereself. As you can see, there are a few flaws, but she was happy nevertheless. Now, I worked on the pattern and I am happy to announce that as of today, the Geraldine Shawl is available in the brandnew Knit Picks Luxurious Lace Collection.

So I convinced Ulli that it's high time for a sock photo shoot to get nice pictures of my Connect Sock, since the only ones I had were taken when we had typical grey and dull winter weather. Today's pics are much better and  do the beautiful yarn, Sun Valley Fibers MCN Fingering justice. Such a wonderful colour and the yarn is oh-so-soft and wonderful to work with!

The pattern is the one I showed you a couple of days ago, Connect Socks, available in the current issue of Knit Now, but what a difference  it makes when it's a semi-solid yarn instead of a multi-coulered one. It's of course a matter of taste, but I admit that I like it better this way, not the least because the yarn enhances the pattern rather than 'overwhelming' it.  So, what do you think, which version do you prefer?

So, last week I told you about my Cat Love Cowl, but what I haven't yet told you is that I had another pattern in said issue of Knit Now: Connect Socks.

I called them Connect because for me they are a symbol for the ginormous amount of information available to everyone thanks to the nowadays common use of the internet.Bits of information, symbolized by columns in twisted stitches, get bundled to streams. They connect in a regular pattern with streams coming from the opposite direction and resemble a network.

As I already told you on Sunday, a new pattern of mine was released today in the brand-new issue 74 of Knit Now: The Cat Love Cowl

Ever since I worked as a holiday rep on the Canary Islands ages ago, it has been my favourite holiday destination and Ulli and I go there as often as possible. Not only because it's a beautiful place with fantastic weather, but over the years we've made friends and jokingly call Gran Canaria our home away from home.

One of the fab people we've met and came to like over there is Kevin. He's not only a friend, but also musician at Mulligans, the Irish Pub you shouldn't miss out on should you visit the island. I really cannot count how often we danced the night away in this place and Kevin has entertained us time and again. If you wanna know how entertaining he is, check out this video from New Year's Eve 2016 (taken by Mario Freespirit Photography), Kev and Jose keeping the folks happy a few minutes before midnight...

Best idea ever to put the annoying party horns to good use - we were there and had a blast! And I still start to smile and pretend to blow a party horn when I hear Ring of Fire...

Anyway, quite a while ago I promised to knit him socks and well, it turned out pretty difficult. Not because it takes me so long to knit socks, but you  know, they were supposed to be special. So I pondered  on zillions of ideas (and some of them are still floating around in my head and I hope to find the time to get back to one or the other one day), swatched, cast away the idea, started anew... you get the picture. Until finally I had THE idea: Musical socks for a musician! And as most of my knitting ideas it started with graph paper (in this case quite a lot of graph paper), a pencil and the most important item, an eraser...

Oblique Socks is the second pattern of mine that was published in Knit Picks Artful Arches Collection.

I  really enjoyed working on these, because I like the slightly different construction. The slanted cuff, which results from the way decreases and increases are worked to form the diagonal ribbing, give them a quite unique look.

One of my contributions for the brand new Knit Picks collection Artful Arches are the Basketwork Socks.

The all-over pattern in slipped stitches looks like woven, hence the name basketwork. The stitch pattern is worked on the heel flap as well. These socks are knit toe-up and feature a heel flap and gusset for good fit, because due to the nature of the stitch pattern, the socks have a little less elasticity than knitted in different stitch patterns. Foot length and leg length are easy to adjust.

Happy day today because the lastest Knit Picks collection Artful Arches with 12 stunning sock patterns was released today. And I've got not just one, but two patterns in the collection. :)

First, there are my Basketwork Socks,  one of my rare toe-up patterns. They are knit with heel flap and gusset and work very well with variegated yarns.

For quite a while there were no new socks to knit for (no longer only virtual) friends, but then, last year in October, we made another trip to the USA and Canada and I had the pleasure to meet a couple of my Ravelry friends. It has been a busy time since then, so the sock knitting and pattern writing is going slow, but one pattern is ready and was already released with the collection: the one for my dear friend Laurel.

If you've followed me here in the past few weeks, you'll already know that Laurel is a very talented indie dyer, who worked with me to dye yarns especially for the patterns I designed. You can find all the yarns in her shop on Etsy, here: SpinningFates.

It was so fantastic to finally meet the person I've been friends with for years in the Ravelry community and as Ulli said 'you clicked right away'. And yes, it was like that and I so enjoyed the time spent with her and her family! If only we could have that more often...

Anyway, I had planned to knit socks for her and asked her to name the pattern, but well... she shouldn't have taken us out for lunch, lol. The lunch at the local diner was great, but what was a new experience for me was the place next door...

... a beer drive thru. What? You just drive through and get the booze stored in your trunk? Unheard of in my neck of the woods. And what cracked me up most was the shabby chic of the place. :D

So, sorry, dear Laurel, but your sock pattern had to remind of this place and is of course called: Drive Thru

Even the longest holiday comes to an end and during our terrific trip through the States and Canada in 2014,  our last stop to meet a Ravelry friend was in Vancouver. Once again all I can say is that Vancouver is a place you should visit, if you ever get the chance to do so. We loved it!

My friend Kelly gave us a tour of the city, took us to Grainville Island, showed me the yarn shops, had us taste strange ice cream (really? Is there anyone  who wants ice cream with curry or garlic flavour?) and eventually we relaxed with a drink. Perfect day!

My gift for Kelly was a pair of socks with a geometric and straight forward stitch pattern, which - after meeting her in person -I  hoped would be to Kelly's liking.

Which she did and she wanted to name the pattern after the pub we visited together in Vancouver. And in this case her wish was my command: Burgoo.

In Canmore, Kanada, hatte Evey und ich die Freude, gleich zwei einheimische Ravelry Freunde zu treffen, Lauren and Eryn. Nach einem ausgedehnten Frühstück, bei dem es wohl mehr Gequatsche und Gelächter gab als zu essen, haben wir gemeinsam den Ort und die Gegend erkundet und glaubt mal, Canmore, eine Kleinstadt in den Kanadischen Rocky Mountains inst wirklich total schön gelegen. Kein Wunder also, dass meine Sockenmuster für die Mädels, die ich dort getroffen habe, von meinen Eindrücken dort bestimmt wurden.

Laurels Socken heißen Railroad Ties (Bahnschwellen)

und man muss wissen, wo wir gewohnt haben, um den Namen zu verstehen. Quer durch Canmore führt eine Eisenbahnlinie und unser Hotel (das wirklich klasse war) lag nur eine Straßenbreite von den Schienen entfernt. Hin und wieder fuhr dann einer der irre langen, impostanten Züge langsam durch den Ort und das Geräusch ist mir noch im Ohr. Der Soundtrack zu unserem Besuch in Canmore. :)

In Canmore, Canada, Evey and I had the pleasure to meet two local Ravelry friends, Lauren and Eryn. After an extensive breakfast with more chatter and fun than food, we spent the day together exploring the town and the region. And believe me, Canmore, nesteled in the Canadian Rocky Mountains is for sure a beautiful spot! So no wonder that the sock patterns I designed for the two local ladies, are about things I remember from our visit there.

Lauren's socks are called Railroad Ties

and you need to know where we stayed to understand why. Canmore is divided into two parts by railroad tracks and our hotel (which was fantastic!) was just across the street from the tracks. Ever so often a train would make its way through Canmore, a truly impressive sight. And the sound of a train slowly going through town always reminds me of the fab visit we had.

From Spokane our trip took us straight up north, to Canamore in Alberta, Canada and there we had indeed a small Ravelry meeting planned. Not only lives my friend Lauren from Canmore, but Eryn, who now lives further up north, is from Canmore and promised to come down for the weekend. But the biggest surprise was my dear friend Evey, who lives in Toronto - and who, when she heard we'd be in Canmore, spontaneously booked a flight and made her way from one end of Canada to the other to meet.

Boy, what fun we had! Okay, it was a bit of a problem to find a place where we could enjoy the evening (since Alberta really is not a fun place to go if you smoke - you aren't even allowed on the patio in bars), but we were creative and here's us, the very first time we wever met.

A happy moment, as you can probably tell. :)

Evey loves autumn colours, so when I picked yarn to knit a pair of socks for her, I came across this terrific skein Mountain Colors Barefoot in colourway Gold Rush.

After a wonderful trip along the Pacific Coast Highway we took a turn inland to visit Alix in Spokane, Washington. I was amazed how diverse the state is! There's lots of beaches, but huge areas are covered with forests, there are really high mountains and when travel to the east of the state you even go through a real dry desert like stretch of land.

Again, we were so grateful for the hospitality we experienced by Alix and her family! Sponkane, where she lives, is a really pretty town and I was impressed by the Spokane Falls within the city limits. So my sock pattern for Alix came to life, thinking about the place where we met: Spokane Falls

The picture above shows the socks that Alix received as my gift,  and on the right, the beautiful yarn LAurel, SpinningFates, dyed for this pattern. And since it's such an easy to knit pattern, which I really enjoyed,I knit a second pair for my pattern page in a slightly different yarn.

As I told you the other day, it took until Christmas 2014 before the first pair of my 'friendship socks' made it to the recipient, and by then I already knew that there would be more patterns. Our summer holidays in 2014 took us to the United States and to Canada, and we didn't only see wonderful places during our journey along the Pacific Coast Highway, but we also met some of my Ravelry friends.

We took the tour from San Diego northbound and right at the start of our trip we met Shelley in California. We spent a wonderful day at the beach with her and her husband, had barbeque and drinks and as always when you enjoy yourself, the time we could stay was over too soon. In addition to inviting us to her home, Shelley gifted me some yarn and one was a set of Twisted Sisters on Toula, a yarn dyed by SpinningFates. Well, and that gave me the idea to make a pair of socks for Shelley using a yarn by another Ravelry friend... so my pattern for Shelley was this

made in the wonderful Twisted Sisters colourway 'Kissing Frog'.  So I guess it's easy to find out what inspired Shelley to name the pattern Twisted Kiss.

As it is my habit I  had to do my best to manipulate the stripes and it looks just as fab in other colourways. For my pattern pictures I used the yarn Shelley had giften me, the Twisted Sisters in 'Finish Winter'. Yep, these sure are colours to brigthen even the dullest winter day, don't you think?

Spending a wonderful time on holidays in a much warmer place than Germany. :) One of the best parts for me is to sit on the terrasse with my coffee in the morning, happily knitting away. I've worked on the next pair for my (No longer virtual) Friends pattern collection, but so far I'm still in the 'trial and error' stage and there's nothing worth sharing yet. So how about I tell you a bit more about the patterns that are released already? 

It all started with a pair of socks I made for Yola from the UK years ago. In 2013 Ulli and I spent our summer holidays travelling through the norther parts of England and Scotland and for the first time ever I had a 'blind date' with one of my friends from the Ravelry community. We had a fab dinner with Yola and her husband, with lots of chatter and fun, and the next day we went to Fibre-East together. What a fantastic day, at a great show for fibre enthusiast, talking yarn and stuff with a knitting buddy.

Well, it was over way to soon and I was all sentimental when Yola told me a year later she would be going to Fibre-East - without me, sob. So I asked her to buy a skein of yarn for me, to her liking and out of my 'colour comfort zone'... she sure did well...

... and got me a skein of Sparkleduck Socka in colourway 'Wildflower'. Not only pastel-coloured, but in addition variegated. Kind of two of my dislikes in one skein, lol.

Now what to make out of it? I knew right from the start that it had to be socks for Yola, but it took me a while to come up with the pattern.  Yola got her socks for Christmas in 2014.

Today's the day! Finally, after talking about this forever, after a lot of knitting, writing patterns, having them test knitted and and and... I got my act together and this collection of sock patterns is now available in my Ravelry store: [No longer virtual) Friends.  And I am so happy about it, because it is so special to me.

Since I joined Ravelry some years ago, I’ve made friends with people from all over the world and with some of them I’ve had more interaction than with many people in my real life. Their support, their generosity, their friendship have really made a difference in my life. Friends, really good friends, though virtual ones…

Now, over the past few years I had the chance to meet some of my best virtual buddies in person during my travels and it was such a wonderful experience to finally put faces to names, to exchange real hugs instead of virtual ones, to discover how much we have in common. I was invited to their homes, met their families, I was shown around and often I even received yarny gifts in addition. I feel so lucky and so spoilt to be part of such a fantastic group of people.

I tried to find a way to show how thankful I am, so I did what I do best: I knitted socks. This collection includes patterns for all the socks my no longer virtual friends have received in the past few years.

No idea what's the weather like in your neck of the woods, but over here spring is hardly in sight. For the past few days we've had really nasty wind, so definitely still a good idea to wear a hat when spending some time outdoors. And if you haven't got one, here's a quick yet stylish new hat pattern of mine, released in issue 71 of Knit Now: Speckle Hat.

The hat is knitted in the round from the brim up, mainly in a simple yet beautiful knit and purl pattern. The main feature is a wide cable, which gets smaller and disappears towards the top.

Almost all knitters know the dilemma: at a yarn store, fair or wherever  you fall in love with that one special skein of yarn, purchase it - and then contemplate forever what to turn it into. It is so special, that is has to be 'saved' for the perfect project...

A while ago Knit Picks asked for design submission for one skein projects to make best use of that one special skein in every knitter's stash and now the collection, fittingly named Little Luxuries Collection, is available. It is a wonderful collection of 23 beautiful accessories such as shawls and shawlettes, cowls, hats, mitts and mittens and even a clutch, and all of the patterns require no more than 100 g of yarn.

The collection is availabe as a printed book, as eBook for instant download, but all of the patterns are also availabe for individual download.

I am happy that one of my designs made it into this awesome collection: Meandering Lace Shawlette.

Thanks to not being well for so long, I had completely forgotten that the spring issue of Love of Knitting magazine was due to be released any day now. So it came as a pleasant surprise when I realized today there are new patterns on my Ravelry designer page.

I've got two patterns in this issue, one in the 'Little Knits' theme, a small collection with 6 adorable multi-coloured projects for children. My contribution, the Pearls Hat, was designed to work in a variety of yarns or to use leftover yarns from different projects  and also to give the knitter a lot of design choices. The main feature of this basic shaped hat are strings of 'yarn pearls', which seem to swirl around the hat. The look changes completley with the yarns used, for example could it be a variegated background colour with one solid colour as 'pearls', or it could be a solid background with each ' string of pearls' in a different colour, possibilities are endless. The look can also be changed with the number of 'strings' worked and where they are placed. A cute pattern which gives knitters the option to make their hat truly unique.

The sample was knitted in  HiKoo® by skacel Simplicity Solids & Tonals, using colorway lavendar as main colour and red hat purple and white for the 'strings of pearls'.  The yarn, a merino,  acrylic and nylon blend, is a pleasure to work with and perfect for items that get a lot  of wear and need to be easy to care for.

My second pattern is Bargello Socks, another pattern that would look great in a variety of colorways. The socks are knitted in stranded knitting, with the main colour forming zigzagging stripes of different width.

I was so distracted this week, that I completely forgot that the first new pattern in 2017 was scheduled to be released: Happy Hearts Socks, pattern in the current issue 69 of Knit Now.

Aren't they just the cutest socks to make for your loved one for Valentine's Day?

Pillars of the Earth is a new sock pattern of mine, published in the current issue, no 68, of the Knit Now Magazine.

The main feature is a wide  cable, the ‘pillar’ which runs down the front and the back of the leg. Easy to knit but interesting enough to not get boring while knitting it, the pattern is suitable for men and women alike.

My sample was knit in Basic Merino Socks by Fleece Artist. The first time I knit with this yarn and I really enjoyed it. Now I hope the recpient of the socks, who will received them today in her advent calendar, will like them and, most important, that they'll fit her!

Years ago I had the pleasure to visit Knit Nation in London and to attend Cookie A.’s class “Sock Innovation: Top Down Sock Design” . Well, I had created my own patterns for ages, but never written them down.  Thanks to the very inspiring and instructive class I was determined to change that.  During class I not only started a pair of socks but also took notes to turn them into a pattern. Hm, pretty embarassing to say that even five years later the pattern was not released - because I seem to get distracted by other things all the time... 

But the socks turned out really nice and were actually finished back in 2011. DH claimed them for himself right away and I was happy for him to have them. Until a few days ago, when he showed me this...