Look at what hand-made cuteness I got in the mail this week:

(Card and friendship bracelet made by my awesome sister-in-law, Susannah)

Multiple Choice Question: How adorable is Susannah?

A.  Cuter than a puppy wearing a bow-tie sitting in an upside-down top-hat?

B. More darling than a teddybear wearing a pink dress carrying a parasol?

C. Sweeter than a caramel covered, powdered-sugar dusted, doughnut eaten in the sunshine?

Answer: All of the above! (Thanks so much, Susannah!) You can envy more of Susannah’s  work and bask in her stunning style at her blog, My Grammer of Ornament.

In other news, this exciting little package also came in the mail this week. What’s in there has been absolutely dominating my weekend (in the most delightful way, of course):

I won’t reveal its contents, but I will say that you should be on the lookout for my next delicious wooly design in the upcoming Wool People 2!

Wow, what a busy week! So much has happened that I don’t even know where to start.

Last Thursday my husband and I went to San Juan, Puerto Rico for our first ever beach vacation. That same day I released my newest pattern, the Georgina Cardigan. Also this week, my feature spread in Knitscene magazine came out! I’ll have more on both of those later. I also visited the Lion Brand Yarn Studio where I got a personal tour of the company’s entire line.

I didn’t get much knitting done in Puerto Rico. Being a beach babe and a knit darling don’t really go together, but I did manage to fit in a few stitches!

The air was crisp and carried all the old wonderful and sentimental scents of fall on it’s many gusts and howls; apple cider, pumpkin pie, and the cooking smells of some hearty, savory delight.

Photographs taken by my surprisingly eager and interested husband, Brian:

Me with Sabina, who is wearing her beautifully hand knitted Delancey Cardigan. She did a lovely job and I sepecially like her color choices. She was delightful, and I’m so happy I ran into her!

The sheep were fascinating and sometimes hilarious!

Laura and Mehgan holding an angora rabbit. What fun!

An alpaca parade! Go ahead, say it out loud. ALPACA PARADE! ALPACA PARADE! If it doesn’t make you smile, I don’t want to know you.

I had the best time at the sheep and wool festival! You can bet on seeing me there again next year.

I just finished editing a Design Demo video for one of my newest knitting patterns, the Vega Beret. As I mentioned before this pattern was part of the Brooklyn Tweed yarn company’s “Wool People” collection, and is available for purchase on their site and through Ravelry.

I’d like to add that the Brooklyn Tweed Shelter yarn was a delight to work with, and if you haven’t tried it out, I encourage you to do so. There’s just something about the beauty of the colors in this line and the quality of the yarn itself that really make it special. One thing that I’d like to think makes my patterns special, is that I really try to consider the experience a knitter has while knitting my patterns. I want to bring you all the joy, and none of the frustration that knitting has to offer. Using a quality yarn can really add enjoyment and longevity to your projects.

I hope everyone enjoys the video and please tell me what you think in the comments section below!

I’ve had a few requests recently for a tutorial on how to make a knitted-on I-cord edging. This simple and attractive edging is very easy and looks especially good on hand knits for men. You can see that I used this technique on my East Hale Cardigan pattern in the fall 2011 issue of Knitscene magazine.

Keep in mind that this technique is not suited for every yarn. The best yarn will be smooth enough that any uneven stitches will even themselves out when the work is stretched or tugged-on. In this tutorial I use Cascade Ecological Wool and size 9 needles, which are the same yarn and needle size that I used for the East Hale Cardigan.

This tutorial explains how to do a 3-stitch I-cord edging, but the same method can be used to make a 2 or 4 stitch I-cord edging as well.

I hope you’ve found this tutorial to be useful! I’d love to hear what you think about the video, so please leave a comment below. Also, if there are any other techniques for which you’d like to see a tutorial, please let me know and I’ll add it to my list.

I’m so happy to announce that my newest pattern, Chivalry Mitts, has just come out in the holiday gifts issue of Interweave Knits!

The pattern is for a pair of fingerless mitts with an adorable color-work pattern of little hearts. What makes this pattern special is that you can draw in your own letters or design into the thumb gusset (alphabet included in the pattern).

I love this pattern not only because it’s fun to look at, but also because it’s really fun to make. There’s just something about color-work patterns like this that keep me motivated to do just one more row!

Soooo, double-negative haters be damned, I can’t NOT mention the obvious here. Can it seriously already be that time again?! I’m still savoring the last little morsels of summer, in total denial of what must be nary a month or two away. And now, seeing a HOLIDAY GIFTS magazine on the shelf, is making me feel a bit nervous. Don’t panic people, but there’s only 100 more knitting days until Christmas!

By the way, I’m totally wearing a tank-top to work today.

I’d love to hear what you think in the comments section below. Also, if you’re working on this project, I’ve started a knit-along on Ravelry, so come on over and join the fun!