Wednesday, June 24, 2015

Knitscene Fall 2015 issue - I'm in it!

The Fall 2015 issue of Knitscene is about to hit the newsstands and racks at your local yarn shop.

In addition to the lovely selection of patterns, there are two things I want to highlight in particular... an excerpt from my upcoming sock book, AND a new column, Pattern Play.

More info here!

Monday, June 22, 2015

On Gauge for Socks

IT IS IMPORTANT. ;-)

I've written a guest post on the Knitting Daily blog. You can read it here!




Saturday, June 13, 2015

World Wide Knit in Public Day 2015

There was knitting. In public.



If truth be told, these two pictures could have been taken any summer Saturday, but I *promise* these were taken today.

Friday, June 12, 2015

New Video Class: Knit Socks That Fit

You may well have heard about my new sock book coming out this summer? It's all about how to create a custom-fit sock, for any yarn and any foot.

I've also recorded a companion video!

The video covers how to properly measure your foot, and your gauge and create a top-down or toe-up sock pattern using my master templates. There's a bit of arithmetic involved, but it's totally worth it. Totally.

Download version can be found for $19.99 here. DVD version for $24.99 here.


These two go nicely together: the book has tables providing all the numbers for the master pattern templates, for a wide range of foot sizes and yarn gauges (4 to 9 sts/inch - including the important 6.5 and 7.5!-, for finished socks from 5 to 10.5 inches in circumference), but I've also included the formulas if you're working with a foot/gauge outside of those ranges. The video tells you how to use the formulas and explains how they work.

If all you want is the template and the formulas, the video provides that. If you're nervous about the math, or want more guidance on how do diagnose and adjust for special fit considerations, or want a selection of (IMHO really great) patterns... ;-), then the book has all of that. And if you want to understand how to measure and use the formulas in the book, get the book and the video.



I'll be showing you some of the patterns in the very near future... come back next week!

Tuesday, June 09, 2015

Squam and Summer Update - a small announcement

Wow. I've been hearing about the Squam Arts Workshops for years now. Many of my friends have been, and I've heard nothing but good things about the experience: the surroundings, the facilities, the classes, the students, the teachers, the organizers.

Seriously, the reports were all so uniformly glowing I wasn't entirely sure that I believed them. (You know me, cynical city girl.)

And then I went.

Yup. They're right. It really is that good.

The setting. Yes, this city girl survived the great outdoors.


Kinda pretty, no?


The accommodations.


The food. The coffee. (Although the mugs were a bit small so I had to use two at a time...)


 The students.

 The decorations... little surprises around the woods.



Really. Elizabeth and her team do a wonderful job creating an entirely unique and very special event. And I'm glad this was the one on I ended on.


Ended? What?

I'm taking a small teaching break over the summer. You won't find me doing any of my usual local classes until September. I need this time to refresh my classes - and me. I've been teaching three... four... five.... six times a week at local shops and further afield pretty much non-stop for the last 10 years. I started teaching evenings and weekends when I had my day job, and it's the teaching that let me make the big jump to quit the day job and go full-time in knitting. I've had the odd vacation, and I usually take a couple of weeks around Christmas and the New Year, but I've had no significant breaks for the past ten years.

It's time. I absolutely love teaching, but to make sure I continue to love it, I need to stop for a bit and gather myself.

I won't be idle, of course. I'm not sure I can do it... my sock book comes out this summer,



and there are other books in the offing, and a fun e-book of designs underway, and a pattern or two to launch. Plus some new classes to be developed. I do also plan to take long dog walks and eat ice cream and enjoy dinners at home. (Teaching in the evenings means that I'm rarely at home for dinner.)

Look for me on shop schedules again in September, both in Toronto and further afield. There's also some special events coming up, including my fourth trip to KnitCity in Vancouver. More details as they are announced. There's a couple I'm REALLY excited about.