March and springtime knit and crochet

Spring is almost here in Kansas.  March can be an early spring a little further North of us but we are seeing Daffodils bloom here in Kansas.  One of my springtime designs is inspired by these wonderful flowers.  This daffodil fairy bookmark or decoration is so bright and cheerful, just like the flowers.

She is available to buy at AndersonsCreations on etsy.  For thread crochet folks who would like to try a pattern that is a little more challenging you can buy the pattern using the "buy now" button on the right or at my craftsy store or if you are across 'the big pond,' you can find it at my lovecrochet store.

I have been asked to make a Poppy Fairy and so I am currently working on that one.  It is so much fun to come up with new designs trying to make crochet stitches that end up looking like the wonders that God has around us everyday.

Another fun design that is perfect for March is my lucky Irish leprechaun.  He is holding his pot of gold and has a lucky 4-leafed shamrock on his hit.  He can be used as a bookmark or decoration to take the 'luck of the Irish with you wherever you go.  You will find him at my etsy shop.

 The pattern works up quickly and easily.  His pattern is found under crochet patterns at my Etsy shop or by using the "buy now" button on the right or at any of my online stores.  What a great gift for anyone who wants to celebrate their Irish heritage.

With the warming temperatures during the day, the morning and evenings can still be chilly.  I grew up in the southwest and ponchos were normal sweater attire.  I designed the Majestic Queen of Hearts pattern for my oldest daughter who loves anything with hearts. 

Now I wanted to design a poncho for my youngest daughter.  She loves plants and I thought what better way to celebrate that love then with a leafy poncho.

I used Moreno and silk wool to put in AndersonCreations on Etsy.  The pattern is made using two lace panels that are sewn together and has a simple cable to separate the leaf patterns.  It works up quickly and is such a fun look.  I love ponchos because they fit everyone.

I thought for my daughter, since she has three preschoolers, I would make hers using a different yarn.  I made a huge mistake in doing this.  Using different yarns on my patterns works well but the gauge needs to be considered in doing this.  The Moreno and silk yarn was a Sport weight and the Pima Cotton yarn I wanted to use for her was a DK weight.  I made the poncho with the DK weight and it came out so big that it didn't want to stay on her shoulders.  I am embarrassed to admit that I could make such a basic error but I did.  I had to take the whole poncho out and re-knit it using smaller needles to get the correct gauge. Proof that when making a garment, it is always a good idea to swatch to get the right gauge.

One of my pattern testers for this delightfully fun knit used an Aran weight yarn and it came out beautifully when she used smaller needles. The pattern is now available under knit patterns at my Etsy shop, or by using the 'buy now' button on the right.  It can also be purchased at LoisLeigh Ravelry shop, on LoisLeigh's Creations at Craftsy or at https://www.loveknitting.com.

March is a fun time of me with a birthday for my dear husband and my youngest sister. I love coming up with new a different ideas for them both.  What do you like about March and early spring?

Winter Tree Cable Men’s Fingerless Gloves

I love winter trees.  They are beautiful in the spring, summer and fall but in the winter against a winter sky you can see just what they have to stand against to make it.  Most of the trees out here like this Osage-Orange tree have a real bent to them to stand against the Kansas wind.

My husband asked me design some fingerless gloves for him.  Since lace knitting wouldn't work for a guy's design, I thought of cable.  In thinking about my husband, he often reminds me of a winter tree. He is steadfast and true and has weathered amazing storms in his life, and yet he stands.  I am sure that there were times in our marriage that it would have been easier to leave then withstand  the storms but because of his promise to God and me on our wedding day, he has chosen to stay and grow through it.  The character that is his because of his choices, has made him a truly amazing, loving man.

This is the design I came up with for his gloves.



 They were probably my hardest design to date because the broad part of the tree kept getting in the way of the thumb gusset.  I had to design each glove a little differently since the thumb gusset was on opposite sides, but I am really pleased with how they came out.  I used a soft acrylic yarn so that they would wash easily. He is really pleased with the design and how they fit his hand and that makes me really happy.

Here is a pair I made in a cotton thread.

I am pleased to say they work up in about 10 hours or less after I was able to get the design figured out.  They are worked in a worsted weight yarn and worked in the round so there are no irritating seams to be felt by the wearer.

Trees and Men's Fingerless Gloves

The weather has been glorious this year and I have gotten some pictures of the trees in our area.  The bright yellow one is a cottonwood.  I love the feel of the air and the cooler temperatures.  We have even gotten rain this week which is almost always an event in this part of Kansas.  During this time of year, I am always wanting to knit.

When I was working on the Pine Tree and Cones Fingerless Gloves, my husband said he would love a men's pair as it would allow for warmth in the hands but dexterity and feel in the fingers.  I thought, "Why not.  That should be relatively simple."   If I had only known, I am not sure I would have started this project.

I love knitted lace but that wouldn't be something my husband would be interested in.  So I thought maybe some sort of cable design.  That seemed like more of a male design that I could get into.
I started looking through patterns to see if I could find something.  What I found is that just about every cable stitch I would come up with has already been done in fingerless gloves.  So then I thought I will just have to come up with a new cable design.  Silly me.

Also, he can wear his clothes pretty hard so I needed to find some yarn that would wear hard and be much thicker so that he would not snag the glove and break the threads.  So I went to our local yarn shop to look at what I could find that would wash easily and wear well. (I love doing this part of the design process.  I usually have to stop myself from buying out the store)  I thought worsted weight should be heavy enough to handle his hard use.   I found a light worsted weight in tan that should wash easily but was really soft next to the skin.  I also found some rust cotton that would work.  Both colors are good for him.

With the yarn colors and the cable design I set down to draw out different ideas.  I love trees of all seasons and I thought of the gnarly hedge rows around the wheat fields in our area.  In the winter with no leaves, these Osage-orange trees are really fantastic to see.  We appreciate their wood for burning in our fireplace as it burns hot for a long time.

With this in mind I set out to design a cable that would twist and divide into the branches that these trees do.  I have been working on this design for 2 + months and have been tempted to give up on it.  However, I hate to admit defeat and have had to take it out, try something else, take that out, try something else, etc.   I am excited because I think I have finally figured this design out.  I will be introducing this pattern for others to make in 2 or three weeks.

Have you ever had a project that you just refused to give up on? 

Fall and knitting

I love Fall.  It can be so beautiful.  This year it sure is.  Some years in Kansas we have one or two weeks of cool down from the extreme heat and then it is winter.  Naturally the early frosts and ice storms makes all the leaves on the trees drop immediately.  This year we have had almost a full month of cooler weather and the leaves on the trees are stunning, especially the Cottonwood trees.  I think the Cottonwood is the Plains version of the Aspen.  They turn vibrant yellow.  The leaf shape is very similiar but they are larger.  They even quake in the wind which is almost always blowing in Kansas. 

With the cooler temperatures it just makes sense to try to knit.  I have been working on a pair of men's fingerless gloves.  Since it is for men, I decided to make something with cables.  I just about have the pattern figured out.  This has really been a challenge for me and is taking longer than usual to figure out.  I thought I had it and then last night I had to take it all out again to make some changes.  I think they will be really fun when I have got all the kinks worked out.

I love working with wonderful yarns that feel so nice in my hands.  Yarns can really add the touch to a pattern that can make all the difference.  I love my local yarn shop and have to keep from visiting too often or my house would not have anymore room for us and our 3 dogs.  I love to spin moreno and angora rabbit wool together to make some wonderful yarns.  All of these things take room and we live in a very compact house so I am using yarns I already have so that I have room to purchase more.

What are your favorite things about Fall or knitting?