Indie Designer Gift Along 2013 Series: My Planning

I told you guys in my Interview with Ambah, that I would post a blog post with my projects I plan on doing for the Indie Designer Gift Along on Ravelry.

First of all, I have already finished one item for this! I made some baby mitts for my 1st cousin, Miracle's new baby girl. We were at my uncles house and I was knitting some socks, and my cousin was having her baby any day, at this time she was 4 days overdue. So, she wanted me to knit her something for her new baby. Since she was so overdue and told me to knit her something, I was kind of in panic! But, no longer! I found out that the pattern- Sock Yarn Newborn Mittens by CorrineKnits was apart of the Giftalong! I made some out of the sock yarn I had left over from the first sock of the pair I was knitting when I was at the family reunion.

So instead of doing the icords for the ties, I decided to use some ribbons on the mitts. Now, they have been done since November 11, and I finally sent it on Wednesday, December 4, 2013. She got it the next day since she is only a few towns away from me. I know she got them, but she still has not told me she has gotten them, but I am not holding it against her, she probably hasn't had time to get onto facebook and tell me, since she does have a newborn baby to hog all her time! :P

Since the GAL started, I have been such a bad girl! I have bought many patterns, and since I talk a bunch on all the threads instead of knitting, I have won a pattern or two... And one of my rav friends sent me on because I was supportive of her, so I have many patterns I can use for this, but I haven't started most of them! I have started one pair of socks, and some mitts. Both of these I need to get done since they are for Christmas presents! The Mitts I need to send in the mail before Christmas is even here, and so those need to get done soon! I did finish the first mitt, here is a photo!

I also have lots of other projects planned! Here are they, beware, they are a lot! 

I want to make both the necklaces from Ambah: Pirra Necklace and the Petarli Necklace. I have not chose the yarn. But, I do have lots of yarn I can use for it! I want to make the Pirra Necklace for my sister for Christmas... I haven't done it yet, mainly because I am horrible at Icords, so this will be great practice! 

I also have the patterns Jennifer Boot Cuffs, and Boot Candy Boot Toppers. I am getting some yarn to review (it is a secret!!!) for the Boot Candy. And I am totally sure that I have some yarn I can use for the Jennifer Boot Cuffs since it is just Worsted weight.

I won some patterns too!!! I won the pattern: Buttoned Cable Cowl, and Klid a Child's Cardigan. I don't know if I will get around to knitting these, especially the Klid, since it is a bigger project and I only have 3 more weeks! AH!!!

I bought some sock patterns from Maureen Foulds. I bought Nemesis Socks, and Wrought Iron Socks. She also gifted me her newest pattern apart of the Giftalong, And Then There Were None. I had originally bought the Nemesis Sock pattern and the Wrought Iron Socks because my teacher ordered some yarn from Knitpicks in order for me to knit her some socks! And guess what, I have already started the first pair! I am using Knitpicks Stroll Fingering weight in the Basalt Heather colorway. Here is my first photo I took of both cuffs done. I am doing them on seperate needles. I am using my 9" HiyaHiya US 1 needles, and I love them so much!!!

And I took a photo of my socks but it has very bad lighting and it is all fuzzy, but here it is anyways... It shows how far I am, but not the patterning very well...

My teacher bought yarn enough for two pairs. She bought 2 balls of each, Basalt Heather (which is above) and she bought some Sprinkle Heather. I think I might use Maureen's new pattern, And Then There Were None. I love the color, and the pattern will be lovely! I am majorly in love with cables, and so this pattern is full of them, and my teacher is such a nature lady! I think they will be perfect for her!

I really like the yarn, and for only $4 a ball ($8 for a pair of socks- Who can beat that!?) it is very good quality! I did rewind the yarn into a center pull ball since it is easier for me to realize how much I have left over. And there were some tangling inside the skein, but not so much. I did have to throw away a little cause I am not a very good un-tangler... But if you are good at that, it would have been much better!

_______________________________________________________________

I think this wraps up all my patterns I own that could qualify for the Gift Along, so maybe if I post it here, maybe I will get more productive and finish a lot of these projects! I only have 3 more weeks left! I need to hurry!

Indie Designer Gift Along 2013 Series: Interview of Ambah

Here is another interview from a lovely designer apart of the Giftalong 2013 on Ravelry. This time, I interviewed Ambahobrien of Ambah. And of course we will have a lovely giveaway for one of her lovely patterns! 

I have found Ambah in one of the threads of the Indie Designer Gift Along 2013 group on ravelry. It was her lovely Pertali necklace. 

I have stumbled upon this necklace before while searching ravelry patterns. But, I never came to want to buy it... When the giftalong started, I had seen it, and I really wanted to buy it, but didn't have any money on my card... When I got money to spend for Black Friday shopping (Thanks Mom!) I found a coupon code for her store! I bought this necklace and the Pirra Necklace pattern. 

I bought both the patterns! I love the pattern layout so much! Unfortunately, because of copyrights, I cannot post a photo of the layout, but believe me, it is so easy to read, and user-friendly. 

I am so happy that I bought these patterns, and I don't know why I hadn't bought it at first when I wanted to buy it. 

I plan to make some Pirra Necklaces for Christmas presents, but, since it is already the first week of December, almost the second, my time is running out! I need to start making them! As far as other Christmas present knitting is going, that will have to be in a different post.

I have also found out that her patterns are quick to knit up and relatively beginner-friendly. 

Sorry for writing so much about my thoughts on her, and to bore you. But don't leave now! We now have an interview of Ambah herself!

How did you want to start knitting?

I had dabbled with knitting as a child, not getting further than garter stitch cast on and off by my mother, with its mysterious ability to grow wider, narrower and holier as I knit. Moving on 30 years and it was my friend opening a LYS with amazing yarn that inspired me. I bought some beautiful yarn, thinking I would craft it in some way- I dabble in crochet and making in general. I stared at it a lot but knitting it didn't really cross my mind! Then she suggested the wonderful baktus scarf pattern that was all it took, I was hooked. My son taught me to cast on and off (and purl) the internet and my friend have filled in my gaps since and now I am unable to put down the needles!

When did you first start designing, and what made you want to design knitting patterns of your own?

I have always been an artist and maker, so designing comes naturally to me. With knitting, it makes sense to adapt patterns to suit my needs. I released my first pattern earlier this year. I had a design idea and decided to make it into a pattern. I was pleasantly surprised by the positive reaction to it, which encourages me to make more. :)

This year, on Ravelry, there is an Indie Designer Gift Along, what did you hope to accomplish originally by joining as a designers? And how is it different than you have hoped it would turn out?

The gift a long seemed like an exciting opportunity to connect with other designers and hopefully reach out to a wider audience for my designs. I have certainly achieved this and so much more through the GAL. It really has been an exciting event to be involved with, I was one of the pinning team, I am a co-moderator in the Mitts and Arms thread and will soon cast on another designers pattern to join in as a participant and I have fount it to be such a positive experience for all involved. It has been such a positive collaboration between designers, knitters, yarnies and ultimately the recipents!

Did you think that there were going to be so many participants and designers joining in the Gift along?

I suspected this would be big :)

Do you think this should be an Annual thing we do an Ravelry every year?

I do, I think this is quite wonderful.

What are some new designers you have found interesting of unique in the GAL?

I am co-moderating with Annie Watts from Wattsolak Designs and watching the FO's of her wonderful mitts has been so exciting, her patterns are clever and fun. I have developed a designer crush there. Its tricky to pick just a few names, I am enjoying the exposure to other designers and find myself constantly ahh-ing over patterns. So many clever folks.

Where do you get your inspiration for your designs?

Everywhere. Sometimes an idea just pops into my head, other times I am thinking about a need eg: a particular shape, colour scarf or a sweater that would be just right. Sometimes it is the yarn itself that gives rise to an idea. Than a design or idea leads on to another and I can only knit so fast...

What is your favorite thing to knit?

Everything! I like variety.

______________________________________________________

Last week, Ambah has came out with a new design! And it's free! It is a lovely bangle knit bracelet pattern! I can see these being so addictive! The pattern is called Easy Knitted Bangle. It is a free download on ravelry. Just click on the link for the pattern and you can download it right then and there! 

Some of her other designs include shawls, cowls, and mitts, which can all be found in her Ravelry Store. 

___________________________________________________

As stated in the very beginning of this post, Ambah would love to giveaway a free pattern to one of you, my lovely readers! 

How To Enter:

Just leave a comment on this post saying which of her patterns you would love to win. Please include a way to get the pattern, ie. ravelry username, or an email. 

The contest will run from today, December 3, 2013, to next Wednesday, December 11, 2013

_____________________________________________________

And don't forget to post in the Maureen Foulds giveaway post by 12:00 p.m. PST December 5. 

Indie Designer Gift Along 2013 Series: Maureen Foulds Interview with Giveaway!

First is first, we have a great giveaway for my viewers! Maureen is going to give a free copy of (winner gets to choose) of her own designs! May I just say, that I own 3, and I keep finding cute patterns! I want them all, they are so well written! You can tell she spends so much time on her patterns! At the end of this blog post, there will be a way to enter! Please put a way she can contact you, preferably ravelry ID.

Here are all the questions I asked her, and her responses! All answers are so thorough!

Maureen has a new sock pattern, and I am so happy that she gifted it to me, I was going to buy it that night! Here is a photo of her new sock pattern!

Pattern Page: And Then There Were None

What made you want to start designing knitwear?
It was a combination of several things, actually. I’m always pushing myself to learn new skills. So once I got comfortable with all sorts of knitting techniques, the natural step was starting to create my own designs.

I had this skein of stunning Handmaiden Casbah sock yarn and wanted to find the perfect sock pattern to showcase the yarn. I had some Barbara Walker “Treasury of Knitting” stitch dictionaries and found the perfect cables. So I turned it into a sock pattern (Trellis and Coin socks).

I also thought designing would help motivate me to reduce my ridiculous sock stash. It hasn’t - I keep discovering new indie dyers.

Where do you get your inspiration for your patterns?
Inspiration can come from anywhere: a photo, a word, a color, a mood. You just have to keep an open mind.

Sometimes I start with one of the many wonderful stitch dictionaries that are out there. I flip through them and take note of what catches my eye. This can change based on mood and season. Then I try to imagine what item that stitch would suit (socks, mitts, hat, shawl).

Sometimes I start with a ‘theme’ like nature, lace, or Spring. Then I start looking through the stitch dictionaries for something that embodies that theme and start playing with it.

Recently I was asked by an indie dyer to design some fingerless mitts for her upcoming yarn club based on Tolkien. She gave me the theme and color, so I started with Google image searches and Wikipedia to learn all I could. Then I started sketching ideas and finding ways to bring those ideas to life.

Sometimes it’s the yarn itself that suggests something, either the color or shine, or whether it is better suited to cables, lace or geometric shapes.

What do you hope to accomplish with the Indie Designer Gift-along?
I initially joined in with the hope of gaining exposure across a wider audience. As an indie designer it’s hard to build up a following and get your name out there.

But I’ve gained so much more than I ever expected. I’ve found new designers to follow and been inspired by their patterns and talent. I’ve had so much fun interacting with people in the different KAL threads and seeing their color choices.

And from a business perspective, I’ve learned so much by working and talking with the other designers behind the scenes to make the GAL happen. The whole experience has helped me define where I want to be over the next year or two.

How did you start knitting?
My local library was offering a free 6 week “learn to knit” class, geared mostly at teens. As a new mom with an 18 month old, I was desperate to get out of the house for an hour or so each week for some me time. I didn’t think I’d enjoy knitting, but the class was free and 5 minutes away from home. We learned to make a baby hat, knit flat and then seamed up.

The rest, as they say, is history.

Who are some new interesting designers you have found during the Giftalong?
There are so many - I know I’ll miss someone! Ambah, Alex Tinsley, Georgie Hallam, Rose City Knits, Ravenknits, Bonnie Sennot. The list keeps growing!

So, now I know everybody is waiting for!

How to enter the giveaway:
Go to Maureen Foulds Ravelry Store (here) and tell me what your favorite pattern of hers is, the one you would want to win in the giveaway. One post per person. The giveaway will be until December 5th, so enter fast!