Knitting Myself Together

Oh, September, you beguile us. Your crisp mornings, and warm afternoons, your occasional fallen leaf that sends us to the mountains for that first hint of color, and your sunshine and shadow that alternately sends us looking for an extra layer….only to shed it a few hours later.

Subscript is my salute to sweater weather for those of us who don’t have the spoons to knit an actual sweater. Worked in a squishy DK, this triple wrap cowl is accented with ribbing and cables that create the perfect cozy accessory for the approaching Fall weather.

Pattern HERE!

I am so excited about this mood board! It has a very mid century modern feel to it which I adore! Plus flamingos! 

The Dog Days of Summer cowl is so perfect for all of your summer adventures; that extra little bit of warmth on a windy beach, or an over chilled theater. And a perfect little bit of knit color to your summer wardrobe pieces.

Click here or on the image above to explore the full mood board

So very twitterpated with summer! Larking About is the perfect knitted tank to take you anywhere summer may lead. 

Click here or on the image above to see the full inspiration board, and get inspired to cast on!

Sockless is my solution to falling prey to the beautiful marketing ploys of dyers who pair a sock skein with a single mini skein for heels, toes, and cuffs. I always have the best of intentions, but there are a lot of single socks floating around....

So avoid second sock syndrome altogether and use those beautiful, but languishing sock sets in Sockless!

There has been SO MUCH PINK in my knitting life of late! In this episode, we talk about that and how color I'm wearing is a reflection of my headspace. Also, discussion about Stitches Midwest, travel knitting, and so much more!

Show Notes

Call back to Episode 1 of this season

Would you consider being my patron?

Hula Hut Yarn IG

Traveling knitting pictures

Pic of FO from NY travel

Yarn from Chicago 

Color question on IG

Orange and gray hat

Stitches Midwest

Leading Men

That color. Bold. Saturated or not. Intense and eye catching in all its forms.

And I'm back! Season 4 starts with something of an awkward woowoo approach but since I'm all about being my authentic self with you, this is where I'm at! I also talk about Stitches Midwest coming up in August and other things.

Show Notes

Two most recent designs: Sirius Rising and Italic. Both are shawls!

Ravelry listing of all Violet Pie releases

Sign up for Test Knitting or Beta Knitting or both!

Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert

Vacation Knitting on IG

Le Mouton Rouge, the LYS that hosted my first Trunk Show, and her Instagram

Leading Men Fiber Arts

Italic Shawl

"Simplicity is the keynote of all true elegance"  - Coco Chanel 

What began as a “I’m not sure this will work in a shawl” turned into “Wow, that is stunningly elegant” as the design took shape. Italic has its inspiration based in a technique, but is obviously so much more than that; the  simplicity and elegance hints at high fashion, and color choices make it completely personal. I see this shawl in so many places: wrapped around an LBD coming out of a broadway show, thrown over jeans and a tee on a sunny brunch patio, and even on the beach partially hidden by a gloriously giant sun hat.

The versatility of this design made for a very interesting mood board. From the elegant ballerina to an intense color pop in architecture, there is a lot of contrast, and something for everyone. I hope you enjoy seeing the inspiration and love Italic even more! 

Click here for the full mood board

A couple weeks ago, a terrible thing happened.

My beloved notions bag with all my favorite tools completely disappeared. 

To make matters worse, I didn't have any backups except for child safety paper scissors and scrap yarn. All my second choice tools were in the same bag as my favorites, leaving no designated survivor in case of tragedy. I was completely beside myself with distress. The idea of replacing everything was completely impossible since so many of my favorite things were unique and one of a kind tools carefully currated over the years.

I tore apart my bedroom. The family room was tossed. My car was actually cleaned out in the hunt for my notions bag. All to no avail. I couldn't find it anywhere. I was pretty sure it fell out of my purse while out and about the previous weekend. The notions bag was taller than my actual purse, so I kept my purse unzipped to accommodate. At one point during the weekend, the purse got upended and it was probably there in the restaurant that the notions bag was lost.  

Needless to say, it awkward to call the restaurant and say, "Yeah, did anyone turn in a pink and gold unicorn pencil pouch filled with gold rings, scissors with a tassel, a tape measure, and other odd things?"

Of course, the answer was no. 

By Monday, I had given up hope of ever seeing it again. As a last resort, I asked one of my kids if they had seen it and their answer was "Uh, yeah. It's in the bathroom on top of the dryer".

Clearly, I need to do laundry more frequently. And before you ask -- no, I don't know how or why it was there to begin with. 

I resolved to never take my favorite notions out of the house EVER AGAIN. I took out all my second favorite tools from my beloved pink and gold unicorn bag and was delighted to discover they fit in an Altoids like tin. Sharp scissors, a bit of scrap yarn, stitch markers, darning needle, and a tape measure fit snuggly without having to play tetras and that tin slides perfectly into my purse.

Sirius Rising

Summer is here! The heat may be building and sunny days multiplying, but we still crave our hand knits. Over air conditioned spaces, cool breezes off the water, and late night concerts in the park are the perfect reason for that extra bit of coverage that Sirius Rising is perfect for. Wherever your summer takes you, look stunning doing it!

M O O D B O A R D

H A S H T A G S

Summer is here! The heat may be building and sunny days multiplying, but we still crave our hand knits. Over air conditioned spaces, cool breezes off the water, and late night concerts in the park are the perfect reason for that extra bit of coverage that this shawl is perfect for. Every summer has its own story, make Sirius Rising a part of yours!

Click here or on the image above to explore more of what inspired the design.

I hope you enjoy knitting and wearing Sirius Rising as much as I loved designing it for you!

Celebrations are my favorite! Especially birthday celebrations. Every May, I bring you a free shawl pattern as a token of my appreciation and to celebrate my birthday.

This year I was inspired by confetti, streamers, and the bright colors that bring such joy to these events. I hope you enjoy your Party Favor!

Party Favor Pattern

Party Favor Shawl

Some of my most treasured party favors from past celebrations have been items that remind me of the person celebrated. This free shawl is the favor for you from my birthday this year. It encapsulates my love of bold gradients, fun finishing touches, and a delicate wearable size all in one charming piece. It features a lace reminiscent of confetti and an edging designed to mimic the crepe paper streamers of childhood. 

I hope you wear it and think of me.

#LunchBreakKnitting

M O O D B O A R D

H A S H T A G S

Garter.

I have a mixed relationship with the stitch...I adore its squishiness, but will most certainly expire from boredom when it comes to actually knitting it. 

It's showing up everywhere, from bags to hats to slippers. Quick and versatile, great for beginners and expert, the options are truly endless!

What to do when you HAVE to knit but nothing is turning out right? Cursed yarn? Self doubt? What? How do we cope with this terrible situation that so many of us find ourselves in? Also, some behind the scenes details on April Showers, my latest design that was released in Knitty, Spring + Summer 2018!

April Shower on Knitty (OMG!)

Fog Along KAL

Cold Open Quote

I was published in Knitty! What? How is this real life? I couldn't our next regularly scheduled time to talk about it, so brace yourself for some squeeing. Also! A bit of info on how we can connect if you're new here. xoxo

April Showers on Ravelry!

Episode 302