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Laying Out My Beekeeper’s Quilt

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Last week, while I mulled over the implications of the Challenge Three Twist for the Fiber Factor, I spent a couple hours laying out some of my hexipuffs (over which I have over 400, yikes!).  I had already (mostly) sorted them into broad categories:

  • Red/Pink/Purple
  • Orange/Yellow
  • Green/Blue
  • Neutral
  • Multi-colored (no dominant color)

I could see after sorting that about half my puffs fit into a color group.  Of these, about half were Red/Pink/Purple.  I had very little Orange/Yellow, so I started with those, then transitioned to green/blue. I’m trying to put the more “pure” colors near the bottom edge, shading into more “muddy” or striped puffs towards the top (where they can blend into the neutral and multi puffs, later on).

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I was on a roll, so I broke out the pink/red/purple! I put the warmer ones on the orange side, and the cooler ones on the blue side — plenty to cover both ends, since I had so many in this color grouping.

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That’s where I stopped! I want to let this layout settle for a couple days — I will play with it a bit, then sew them in place. It can be helpful to view in black and white, when making big color choices … helps see the values of the different colors:

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CO Monday: Challenge #3 (Blank Slate)

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This week I started a new challenge for The Fiber Factor!  The theme for challenge #3 is “Blank Slate.” All twelve contestants were told “no need for a color card this time.” I knew this meant we would either be working with a yarn we already had a card for — or, more likely, we didn’t have any choices.  On Challenge Day, we each got a box with 15 skeins of Kenzie in a gorgeous oatmeal-cream:

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I’ve been doing a lot of swatching — used up almost a whole ball! Of course I’m saving the swatches just in case I need the yarn, but I think I’m going to be ok. I actually sewed a mock-up of my design in caramal-colored knit fabric from my local JoAnn’s. I am in LOVE with the shape I’m working towards, and I have a great “special detail” in mind that I haven’t seen before….

Fiber Factor: “Hillcrest” (co-)wins Challenge #2

remilyknits 9 Comments

I am so, so excited to announce that my sweater, Hillcrest, was selected by the judges as one of the two winners for Challenge #2 of The Fiber Factor!

Mad props to my co-winner Tracy Purtscher, whose “Boxes ‘n Boxes” sweater will forever be the Megan Draper sweater to me, thanks to the judges.

Hillcrest Prototype

As one of the winners, the pattern for Hillcrest will be published at some point in the near-ish future. If you’d like a PM when that happens, please comment on the pattern page on Ravelry.

I’ve really enjoyed competing on the Fiber Factor thus far — new challenge starts Monday! Thanks to Skacel and all the judges for their kind words!

KAL: Evolution Shawl

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Hey everyone!! My shawl Evolution is available as a FREE download from The Fiber Factor.

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I will be hosting a KAL in the Remily Knits forum — let’s make the official start date June 24th, so people have time to get their yarn together and clear some WIPs off their needles.

You are, of course, welcome to use any yarn your like — but if you haven’t tried it, please consider Unisono. It’s fantastically sproingy and comes in beautiful solid colors (as well as the self-striping, which I chose for the design).

What you’ll need for the KAL:

  • US #7 needles (or there-abouts)
  • 975 yards of sport-weight yarn
  • a generous handful of stitch markers

The pattern is currently published with CHARTS ONLY, with the right-hand side of the shawl shown — the left-hand side is mirrored. 

However, I’ve been given the go-ahead to write out directions for all the charts. I’ll be working on this over the next week or so — I’ll get them done as quickly as I can. The written translations of all charts will be made available through an updated download from The Fiber Factor, as soon as they are complete and have been proofed.

For more details and to officially “sign in” — go see the forum!

CO Monday: Mesa and Lustre Design Projects

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This week I started two new design projects!

The first is for Classic Elite’s Spring/Summer 2014 collection — so, even though I’ll be done with the design and sample in a few short weeks, I won’t be able to share until that collection debuts early next year.  But, I want to give CEY Mesa a plug! Both in swatching and in the actual garment, this 100% cotton yarn is delightfully plush. I love the subtle tonal colorways.

The second project is something you’ll get to see a bit sooner! I’m working on a one-skein project for A Hundred Ravens Lustre (aka Luster DK on Ravelry).  It’s a nicely spun merino/silk blend, hand-dyed by local dyer Kate.  The silk blend takes yarn differently than pure wool, with smoother blends between hues and a beautiful, well, luster.  (This all makes me think of this couplet: The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow/Gave the lustre of mid-day to objects below.) With only 231 yards to work with, I’ve got quite a challenge to make something dramatic!  I’ve decided to go with a VERY open lacy stole, with lace patterning on both right-side and wrong-side rows.

Here’s my skein of Lustre:

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New Pattern Release: Mind the Gap Cowl

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Introducing my latest pattern: Mind the Gap!

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Pattern: Mind the Gap

Designer: Rachel Henry (that’s me!)

Available: FREE on Ravelry

Yarn: A Hundred Ravens Danu, Squonk (sample used  about 175 yards)

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Design/Skills Needed:

Mind the Gap is especially designed for hand-dyed yarn. The puffs consolidate colors, making a finished cowl with color properties similar to the original skein of yarn. Even highly variegated skeins can pop in this fun-to-knit, three-dimensional stitch pattern.

The short pattern repeat makes this an easy pattern to adapt to a variety of yarn weights and sizes.

This cowl may be knit flat or in the round – full directions for both methods are included! Full written directions for all charts are also provided.

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FO Friday: Sunsuit for Gwen

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This Friday’s finished object is a baby gift!  I didn’t finish before Gwen was born, but I did finish before the heat hit.

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Project: Sunsuit for Gwen

Pattern: Susan’s Sunsuit

Designer: Rachel Henry

Available: someday, in Fresh Designs KIDS

Yarn: Eden Cottage Yarns tempo 4ply

What more can I say about this pattern?  It’s become my go-to baby gift for friends expecting girls.  The prototype went to the eponymous Susan, and I made one for Lillian too.  Let’s not forget the sample for Fresh Designs!   This one is purple, like the sample, but using different yarn.

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CO Monday: a Plethora of Interim Projects

remilyknits 6 Comments

I’m done with my project for Challenge #2 of The Fiber Factor!  I still have to film the video for judging, and mail the sweater off … but for all practical purposes I’m done.  So, time to catch up on some neglected projects, right??  Wrong.  Time to cast on three new projects, yay!

For what it’s worth, I also pared down my Ravelry queue and went through my stash and put a LOT of things up for sale — see something you like? PM me on Ravelry!

Here are my new projects, in order of casting on.  (I cast on TWO after midnight, the night I finished my FF project.)

#1 — My very own Oswin, using A Hundred Ravens Alfar. Oswin is a crochet project. No, really!

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#2 — I’m using Malabrigo Mecha in Arapey to make Hester’s Hope, a shawl from the latest “What Would Madame DeFarge Knit?” book.

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#3 — After a false start with a too-colorful yarn, I settled on The Fibre Company’s Road to China Light in Malachite for Sivia Harding’s new cowl pattern, Lorelei.

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