Violently Domestic

Vaunt

4 July 2011 · 2 Comments

So I lied.   The plan had been to do these tomorrow.  But in the interest of being all scholarly and productive tomorrow (a girl can dream), I’m doing them today.

I’m pleased to present Vaunt.

These are the latest in the ongoing attempt to find patterns that are subdued enough to appeal to both guys and girls but still interesting enough to not send the knitter mad with boredom.  I think they hit the spot.  Well, I think this pattern in this color hits the spot.  One of the testers made them in a lovely pale purple that might not work for some guys.  But these are safely in the boy color palette.

I’m rather taken with them.  They’re easy to memorize, and they work up quickly.  I’m especially pleased with the spiffy heel flap and the way the pattern continues all the way down the toe.

They’re over on ravelry if you want to make your own.  I’ll get a page up for them here at some point, just not today.  Probably not tomorrow either.  It’s going to be that sort of a week.

Inlay

23 June 2011 · 8 Comments

I really don’t like waiting.  I’m bad at it.  It makes me a tiny bit crazy (hey, maybe if I reload this page over and over and over the update will happen faster…hasn’t worked yet, but I should still try because you never know when it might work).  I’m an absolute delight on long car trips.

But now the waiting is over.  The socks that I started back when it was snowy, finished in March, and photographed in April…the socks that I thought were coming out on Monday…can now be shared.

I’m pleased to present Inlay.

And yes, I am inordinately fond of them.

Now the reason that I had to keep quiet about these for weeks and weeks and weeks is that I submitted them to knitty.

Once, long long ago, I submitted another pattern to knitty.  It was maybe my fourth or fifth pattern ever (I was cocky, what can I say).  It was, quite reasonably and ever so politely, declined.  I must admit I took it to heart.  Of course that’s a total rookie mistake.  I realize now that this is just part of the game.  But back then I decided that I would just release patterns myself, not try and get them published by anyone else.

So I did, and it worked.  It was great fun turning out patterns on my own.  But eventually, I decided I wanted to try knitty again.  This time it worked.

Now having a pattern get accepted is ever so much more fun than having it declined.  But it does mean that you have to continue to keep quiet about it for even longer.  This can be a bit taxing.  But, now all need for silence is over.  I can flaunt them with abandon.

Inlay is a splendidly tidy sock.  The lattice pattern on the front is quick to learn, and by the time you’re done you’ll be very comfortable making left and right twists.  The fancy ribbing on the side is great fun to do and continues down the heel flap and gusset in a satisfying way. I have a sneaking suspicion that they’ll work equally well for guys and girls (they come in three sizes, so you should be able to make them to fit most feet). Click on any of the pictures to see gigantic versions.

I can’t wait to see what people do with them!

Foliate

6 June 2011 · 2 Comments

I, in a more or less unprecedented move, decided to spend a weekend away from the computer.  Somehow I convinced myself that Friday counted as the weekend too.  Now to be fair, it was odd.  It made me feel kind of…itchy.  But, it did prove a theory I’ve been wondering about.  It turns out that the whole wide world doesn’t end if I don’t check my email/check ravelry/update this site for several consecutive days.  I’m not sure I want to risk it again though…there could be some sort of cumulative effect.

And now, to make it up to you, I’ll put out a new pattern.  I told you I’d have one last week, one this week, and a nice surprise coming up soon.  Look at me being all cool and actually doing what I say more or less on time.  I could get used to this.

So, this is my newest confection, Foliate.  It’s frilly and lacy and a total treat to work.  I promise that lace is so much easier than it looks.  You’ll have it down after just a row or two.  And if you’re anything like me, you’ll be endlessly charmed by the way the edge flips up (don’t worry, the pattern tells you how to block it to maintain the flip).

These are worked with 1 skein of Barking Dog Yarns Galaxy in the color Robin’s Hood.  It’s marvelously soft stuff (no worries about wearing it right next to your skin), and the structure of the yarn gives a nice smooth fabric.

Enjoy!

Plicate

31 May 2011 · 4 Comments

After much ado, I’m pleased to present Plicate.

We had a little photo shoot yesterday, and Lauren deserves great acclaim for willingly donning wooly things on the first really scorching day of the year.  I haven’t the slightest idea how she managed.  I was totally un-wool-covered, and I almost keeled over from the heat.

On the off chance it’s not too hot to even think of touching wool where you are (or, if you’ve given in and cranked up the a/c to the point where you’re actually just a bit chilly), you can now make one of your own.  It’s soft and squishy, works up quickly (it’s another of those where you won’t need to look at the chart once you get the hang of the pattern), and can be adjusted to fit your notions of the proper amount of scrunching in the back.  And don’t worry, there are careful instructions on just how to do the gathers at the back.

Louche

23 March 2011 · 2 Comments

Look, here I am again, three days in a row!  That’s nearly unheard of.  (Really, I feel bad about my unexpected absence and I’m trying to make up for it. Don’t expect it to last too long though, at some point I have to stop writing and actually knit, or else I’ll totally run out of things to say.)

And today, there’s a pattern. I’m pleased to introduce Louche.

I started these when were were on vacation in Nova Scotia.  They sat, unfinished, uncomplaining, for months and months until I needed some soothing knitting.  Then I remembered just how addictive they were finished them up in no time (I think I did the second sock in about four days, which is fast for me).

After a bit of delay to write them up and get them tested (they’re surprisingly easy, really), they’re ready to go.

If you’re itching to make your own, take a look over here and get started!

Truckle

27 February 2011 · 4 Comments

I know, you’ve been waiting for these for awhile.

You guys totally talked me in to doing them. They started out as my ‘too sick to think’ socks.  I really didn’t think you would be interested in them, but it seems you like them! Of course the super-simple to knit socks turned out to be unexpectedly challenging to write up.

Once the cold medicine-induced brain fog lifted, I got it figured out.  Lots of lovely folks helped me test them to be sure that the instructions were clear.

Then, well, then I stuck them in my ‘to be photographed’ basket and let them hang out for two months.  It was too cold to go frolicking outside without shoes, and I didn’t think I could get the pictures I wanted inside.

Enter my new boyfriend camera.

Yeah, I finally broke down and bought a grown up camera.  It took me a long time.  I had to talk myself into it.  But it was so totally worth it.

I can now take pictures inside…you know, that place where the furnace works and where it very rarely rains (not never, there was that one really unfortunate experience, but rarely).  That means pictures will be much less weather-dependent.  This bodes well for timely pattern releases.  Of course it means I will have to be sure to vacuum before I take pictures, but that’s likely easier than waiting for a warm dry sunny day in this part of the world.

If you’ve been waiting for these, head over and check them out.