Designs by KN blog

… those who serve or have served, who have suffered injury or lost their lives in the line of duty.  On this Memorial Day, thank you for your sacrifices that allow the rest of us to live freely.

Recently I was given a photo of an uncle I never had a chance to know. My father’s brother was killed in action on July 1, 1944 on Saipan Island, while serving in the Army in World War II.  I am grateful to own this one photo of him. In the photo are my long-lost uncle at age 12, my dad at age 10, and their sister (my aunt, who passed away last year) at age 7.  The photo will be kept as a treasured reminder of family history.  Years later, my dad and my husband both served in the military (during the Korean War and Vietnam War eras) but thankfully both returned safely from their tours of duty and are still with me today.

In honor of today’s memorial celebrations and patriotic displays, I hearken back to my very first design, published in a charity newsletter way back in 2004.  Here is the Patriotic Mini-Sock Pin if you are in the mood for a little project to work on during this day of remembrance:

Today I am grateful for the freedom to design and publish.

With thanks for your support of Designs by KN.

… the web. Images from the new Knit Noro book from Sixth & Spring Books/Vogue Knitting are popping up all over. Yesterday I happened across my little Lacy Gaiter, along with photos of the other colorful projects in the book. Wow, I’m humbled and honored to have a design included in such an amazing array of gorgeous patterns featuring Noro yarns.

Fabulous photography in this book, absolutely stunning. Thank you to the editors, publishers and creative photographers for making even a small accessory like my Lacy Gaiter look great!

Photo copyright Sixth & Spring Books, Soho Publishing

Spring is back again … for the moment. Finally a sunny day after several rain-filled ones.

A big bumblebee flew into the kitchen while the screen door was ajar. When our spring snow crabapple trees were in full bloom, the bees were so numerous  that when you walked past the trees you could hear the humming of their “busy bee” activity.  But I’d rather they all stay outside. I did manage to get the monster bee out of the kitchen and on his way again. It reminded me of one of my most popular patterns  Amigurumi Bumblebees. These are fun to crochet and you can make several in short order:

If you have cats, they might be fascinated by them, as our Jasmine is here:

In my last post I mentioned that one of my new hat patterns, Cross-Cable Cap, will be in the Crochet: 100+ Patterns Throughout the Year: 2012 Day-to-Day Calendar. I was able to make another version last night & photo it in today’s sunshine:

(the original was taken on a gloomy, gray day)

To contrast this misty photo, here’s a bright one. These are the six scarves I made (3 crochet, 3 knit) for the 2012 Special Olympics Scarf Project:

They are (from left to right): Eyelet & Garter Scarf, Chunky Stripe Scarf, Ripple-Band Accessories Scarf, Wooly Wave Scarf, Color Combo Scarf, Royalty Scarf.

It’s timely that they were completed just before Memorial Day.  Hope you enjoy your upcoming holiday weekend. I plan to spend mine designing, knitting, crocheting & thinking about the exciting new avenue which just opened up for Designs by KN: writing book reviews for craft titles. My first one was so well received that I was asked to do more. Will be sure to announce when they’re published.

Have a great weekend!

The last of the six 2012 Special Olympics scarves I was able to make over the past couple of weeks was completed today. All of the Red Heart Super Saver yarn in my order (2 skeins each Cherry Red & Soft Navy) has been transformed into finished scarves for the Special Olympics Scarf Project.  Here is #6:

Eyelet & Garter Scarf

Before shipping the six I’ve made and those collected from coworkers, I’ll be sure to get a photo of all of them together. That will make a colorful display!

One new design that can now be shared is a DBKN crochet hat that will appear in the “Crochet: 100+ Patterns Throughout the Year: 2012 Day-to-Day Calendar” (to be released in August but available for pre-order on Amazon.)   Cross-Cable Cap will appear on the January 9 page in the calendar:

I was rather involved in other projects and work so didn’t contribute many submissions to Pattern-a-Day calendars this time around, but was pleased to learn this one made it in, along with 2 others in the knitting calendar.

That’s all for now, but take a look at recent posts & pics on DBKN’s Facebook page to see projects created from Designs by KN patterns.

Time to get ready for another week of back-to-work ahead.  Weekends always seem much too short when you’re enjoying creative endeavors!

It’s mid-May and I’m dressed in corduroy pants, turtleneck & wool sweater. Only in Colorado! We had a dramatic temperature drop yesterday along with hail, heavy rain & snow at 7,000 feet.  Deep water and hydroplaning conditions are oh-so-much fun to drive in. No wonder they say not to plant anything outside here until after Memorial Day. I feel sorry for the hummingbirds who always come back too early in the spring, looking drazzled & cold sitting on their feeder in wet weather but who marvelously recover and dart about, chipping merrily when the sun shines again.

So the years have gone by. Yesterday I was surprised to receive my 20-year service award gift during a staff meeting at work: a large, good-looking, engraved duffel bag, suitable for holding lots of yarn (or a cat or two) and perfect for travel.  I’m ready to pack my bags and go!

Looking ahead, 2012 publications are already becoming available.  In past years I’ve won prizes in the Pattern-a-Day Calendar contests:

First prize, Crochet in 2009 for Crazy Lady Hat

Third prize, Knit in 2011 for Ridgewood Beanie

The 2012 winners, knitting calendar table of contents and crochet calendar table of contents were published a few days ago.  Although I didn’t win this time around, I will have two fun knit patterns in the 2012 Knitting Calendar and one new hat pattern in the 2012 Crochet Calendar.  Both calendars are available for pre-order now.

As to current projects just off the hook, I’ve completed 2012 Special Olympics Scarves #4 & #5. Both are shown in Red Heart Super Saver Cherry Red & Soft Navy (the designated colors for the 2012 Special Olympics Scarf Project.)

This is a variation of my Ripple-Band Accessories Scarf pattern. For this version, chain 26 to start to make scarf 6” wide, as specified for the Special Olympics scarf project. Work alternating color blocks for 10” (22 rows, 11 ridges), 3 blocks each color for a total of 60” long. This one is so easy and quick I made it while watching a baseball game, in about 3 hours.

The day started off with a surprise. We woke up to a snowstorm!  May 12, 2011 along the Front Range in Colorado:

While some were complaining about the dreary day and mixed-up seasons, I was rejoicing since it was exactly what the garden needed: a gentle, steady rainfall overnight changing to a beautiful white blanket of snow by morning.  The landscape should finally turn from dry crunchy brown to spring green.

Indoors, the color palette was a bit different. My Red Heart yarn order for making scarves for the 2012 Special Olympics scarf project arrived yesterday.  When I opened the box, a bright Cherry Red greeted me along with the coordinating Soft Navy, which are the designated colors for this year’s scarves. I immediately set to work on a crocheted Royalty Scarf version which was quickly finished …

and also will make some knitted ones using my Designs by KN patterns. Color Combo Scarf is the first to be finished, then a two-color version of  Wooly Wave Scarf …

Even though we started the day here with a “colorless” pure white landscape, once the snow melts it should quickly turn to one full of spring-blooming color. The robins and hummingbirds, who always seem to return a bit too early and have to endure Colorado’s quirky weather extremes, are already lending their cheerfulness to the scene.  And the cold weather was timed just right to inspire me to get to work on the newly acquired yarn for Special Olympics!

Coming soon:  a little birdie told me that the 2012 Knitting and Crochet Pattern-a-Day calendar contest winners & table of contents will be posted on the website next week. Looking forward to that!

P.S. See related post on the 2012 Special Olympics Scarf Project.

What can be more fun than using up oddments of yarn already on hand?  It’s easy on the budget and in line with the current eco-conscious/recycling interest. Mix and match to your heart’s delight and come up with some unexpected and unique results!

I just finished a scrap baby blanket which was oh-so-simple and relaxing to work. It’s a little easy & enjoyable stash busting project crocheted on a size H hook in various worsted wt. yarns. Just start with a granny-type square in the center, work round and round in double crochet, placing 2dc-ch2-2dc in each corner, change colors at random and finish off with a border round of single crochet in a bulky novelty boucle. This one ended up at a finished size of 24″ square, but you could keep on going until any desired size.

Another scrappy project recently completed consists of a bunch of leftover sock yarns worked on a size H hook, using my Easy-Crochet Shawl pattern:

For knitters, I created this Scrapper’s Stripe Afghan:

Scrounge through your stash and see what fun projects can be created by recycling scrap yarns into any of the patterns from Designs by KN.  Off to do the same for my next project!

Started off Mother’s Day weekend by tending to the front yard which has languished since fall & winter and is starting to awaken with new life.  While the mountains are buried deep in snow and the river valleys in the Midwest are buried deep in water, we are high and dry here along the Front Range of Colorado, hoping for any drop of moisture to come along.

Twenty years ago I put in a xeriscape front yard landscape that relies on an assortment of ground covers (no grass to mow!) It has survived on natural rainfall through all but the hottest & driest of weather.  Since 80-degree temps are predicted for this weekend, I thought it best to clear out the dead leaf litter first thing early in the day.

What a gorgeous morning to get out in the garden!  I grabbed a rake and a trash barrel and proceeded to “comb” my yard in an attempt to remove at least the top layer of dried-up dead vegetation and allow the new growth underneath to peek through.  Piles of dead leaves formed as I combed and raked and groomed.  I was mostly focused on the ground while raking and providing some supplemental moisture by watering with a jet stream from the garden hose (we also didn’t put in sprinklers in the xeriscape, so I’m a hose dragger!)

When I looked up, I was greeted by these beautiful sights. New leaves and flower clusters bursting out to celebrate the return of spring. And always, that blue, blue Colorado sky:

In another part of the yard, the creeping phlox was putting on a show:

All of these springtime wonders are inspiration for knit and crochet designs. From vivid color combinations to the shapes of flowers and leaves, the natural world gives us delights to behold.  I’m glad I tore myself away from the computer long enough this morning to get a workout in the yard and enjoy the interesting hodgepodge that our xeriscaped yard has become.

And just like my own wild hair, it really needed a good combing!

Here are some easy & quick Designs by KN kerchief & headband patterns that may come in handy if your own hair needs some taming while you’re out in the garden this spring & summer:

Kerchief

From Knit Simple, Spr/Sum 08, photo by Paul Amato, copyright Soho Pub.

Red-Hot Headband

Cross-Stitch Headband

C’s Kerchief

Happy Mother’s Day — Happy Spring!

It’s funny how often my coworkers and I, without consulting each other beforehand, end up wearing the same color on any given day. Sometimes we’ll come in to work and notice that several are dressed the same: some days in green, some days in black, some days in peach. Yesterday it was blue. For some weird reason at least 8 of us were dressed in blue!

We’re still getting record snowfall in the mountains in Colorado, even though the ski areas have already closed for the season, so when it finally begins to melt there will be a lot of blue water rushing down into the streams and lakes.

Baseball season is already in progress but unpredictable winter/spring weather here has caused some blue fingers and toes when we’re outside for hours watching a Rockies game.  Today the sun finally broke through the clouds, so on the drive to and from work we enjoyed the beautiful sight of that blue, blue Colorado sky.

And just in time for Mother’s Day, the blue-flowered creeping phlox and vinca minor ground cover are blooming in the yard:

Fisherman Afghan & Pillow

I started looking through the photos on my Ravelry page and realized I’ve created a lot of projects in blue, one of my favorite colors.  Some have appeared in major publications:

Sun Hat in Knit Simple, Spring/Summer 2008

Diagonal Scarf in Knit Simple Winter 09/10

Anklettes from Knit Simple, Holiday 2008

All photos copyright Knit Simple/Soho Publishing

Montera Cob Toque from Classic Elite Yarns Web-letter, Issue 107

Photo copyright Classic Elite Yarns

Here are a few more blues from the Designs by KN pattern database:

Summer Blue Head Scarf

Blue Twist Dishcloth

Ice Chip Mitts

Old World Scarf

Happy Crab Pet Toy

Easy-Crochet Poncho

Hmmm, I wonder what color we’ll all be wearing tomorrow …  Rockies purple??