A Plum Dandi Meeting...Finally!

Nearly 3 years ago, I met one of my best friends online.
 Over the years I've met many great women online and established a lot of great relationships that have moved from one social media source to the other, but none have been as close as the friendship that I have with my friend Alica.
 When my husband and I moved to Wisconsin a few years back, I picked up knitting as a hobby to keep my mind off of the family I was missing back home. Within about a year, I began designing small items (most of which did not have any serious technique and some that didn't even include more than one size). It was one of these designs, The Heathcliff Vest that brought us together.

Alicia's daughter happened to be just the age to fit the one size I had written the pattern for and Alicia (who was already designing a bit on her own by modifying my pattern a bit) emailed me asking if it was okay to link her modified project to my pattern page.

We got to talking back and forth a bit, a little about our kids, a little about our faith in God and found that we had a lot in common.  Within 2 weeks of our first conversation, we found that we were soon to have even more in common as we both discovered our second pregnancies within 1 week of each other!  It was meant to be!
It was wonderful having a friend to chat back and forth with through the journey of pregnancy...one who was experiencing so many of the same things that I was (oh the cravings, oh the cramping, what color are you painting the room...which cloth diapers are you using?)  We both joined the January 2011 Mommies group on Ravelry where we met even more wonderful friends.

Alicia's little Ellie

My little Evellyn (Evie)

After our daughters were born, Alicia was wanting to delve further designing and we began bouncing ideas off of each other about shapes, textures, and overall concepts.
We were finding that helping each other out and working as a team was really working for us.  The saying that two heads is better than one really is true!
 In the spring of 2012, we co-designed a matching mother and daughter pattern for Petite Purls called Albatross.
 We now talk every day, about 10 times a day, about everything and anything, from knitting, to homeschooling; from dinner to laundry.
  We are frequently asked how we "do it" because I think most people imagine that would be easy to become competitive.   But that's just it.  There is zero competition between us and  I think that it is largely in part to our shared faith and mutual encouragement of each other and genuine happiness in each others successes.  Aside from the simple fact that it is a great feeling to see your friends succeed, when you work together, each individual success is ultimately the success of the team.
 With that in mind, it makes sense to share new "finds" with each other, to tackle new techniques together and promote each other whenever we can.  AND IT'S FUN!  Have you ever seen, or experienced something really great, only to think..."if only so and so could see this..it would even be better..."  That's how we work!
Okay, so all of this history brings me to the actual purpose of this post.   This past week Alicia and I actually met for the first time!
My family and I packed up and headed out from the Midwest, to the East.  It was wonderful!
As is totally expected, Alicia and I both wondered if things would be awkward, but of course, we just got together and laughed our heads off the entire time.

Awkward?  I think not.

Here are some photos of the journey and of the times we all spent together!

Pit stop at Niagra Falls, NY

It's always a bonus when the hubs get along too!

Pirate day!

Friends from before birth

At Fort Williams

Our wonderful hosts, Dan and Alicia

Sometimes the photo doesn't even need a caption....

Alicia's dog Cooper....enjoying hand drawn eyebrows.

And finally, we made a fun workout video for our fiber friends that I think best illustrates the amount of fun we had.

Video Blog!...And New Knits Of Course

I've decided to try a little something new and attempt to do a little video blogging! Before you watch, I have to say, that it's awkward enough photographing myself for my knitwear, but watching myself on camera is another torture all together.  It also feels odd talking to people who aren't really there...well, yet anyway.    Hopefully I'll get more comfortable in front of the camera and will get more opportunity to use my editing programs.

In knitting news, I've worked up a new pattern, soon to be released called Carbondale, using ColourAdventures Dia Twist DK .  I absolutely love working with Elena Nodel's yarns. Elena has a wonderful eye for color and depth and her yarns come so wonderfully prepared! I love the bucket shape of this little hat! It can be pulled down to give your eyes a little shade, or back for slouch!

 I've also released my new summer pattern Cattails in both my Ravelry and Craftsy stores. It's a simple, striped cardi, knit from the top down, which means that there is room for customized fit! The stripes are rhythmic and help to pass the time.

Last but not least, I leave you this song by Mayer Hawthorne. It's an awesome groove that totally gets me relaxed like Sade, but the video...all those doggies!

Bradbury

I released a new pattern this morning, available in my Craftsy and Ravelry stores.

Historically, I've not been a big shawl  knitter, but I do love the simplicity and straight lines of rectangular wraps.
There is a little story behind this wrap, as it's "birth" was a bit of a mistake.  I had this idea for a really great, lightweight, long summer vest. But as I knit away and the fabric took shape, instead of a vest, I saw a romantic, wrap.....one that reminded me of the bazillion time period movies I slip into a few times a week.

After I bound off the first wrap, I tried it on Avrie, to see where I was with fit and she decided (I was a little surprised actually) that I couldn't have it back.  In fact, I believe the words were.."Mom I'm sorry, but you're gonna have to make another one for you" (insert impish, 7 year old smile here).
That's what you get when you make your girl watch old movies with you.
I used the amazing, amazing Sunshine Yarns Luxury Sock, which has the softest, most buttery, mcn base.  It's the type of yarn that you want to rub on your cheek over and over again and more importantly, the kind that you LOVE to have draped around your neck and arms.
The colorway is called Lone Wolf, which I just adore.  

Summer Pattern Sale Extravaganza!

My design partner, Alicia and I are having a summer extravaganza sale:)
50% off of ALLL patterns in our Ravelry stores until the end of Monday, June 10th!

The discount code to use in my store at checkout is: spraytan

You can also visit Alicia's Ravelry store and use the code  Allupinyogrill .

If you are a member of Ravelry, be sure to join our Plum Dandi Ravelry Group for a fun upcoming summer knit along with great prizes (to be announced next week)!  This round will include some yummy fiber!

Have fun! Happy knitting!!!
Don’t forget the sunblock and take it easy on the lighter fluid ;)

Stay Away Frost!

This past week has been a wonderful and needed reprieve from my knitting and designing. The weather was sublime and perfect for working out in the yard under the budding branches of my wild and free rose bush and in the fresh spring dirt. The general rule of thumb here in the Midwest, is that, if you want to be on the safe side when planting flowers, you wait until after Mother's Day to avoid the risk of frost damage. I decided to abide by this rule this year and push most of my plantings off until this last week. Well I will tell you that after spending hours in the sun, finding muscles I never knew I had and breaking lots of glorious sweat,I still had to cover my precious new plantings for the frost that has hit us now 3 times. Boo to the frost! It is worth it though because I want these little darlings to stay alive and well! Here are some photos of my early spring garden. I love perennials, but also keep annuals on my front porch. Flowers and gardening can be a lot of work, for me, there is nothing as rewarding as sitting out on a warm summer day, be it morning, afternoon, or evening, surrounded by blooms.

Some New Things

I have been very hard at work these past few weeks/months wrapping up a few designs for spring/ summer and this upcoming fall.
During the summer months, I take time off from designing so that I can spend lots of time with my girls outside.  Every year I also make it a point to take up one new learning project.
This year I've decided to dabble in short film making with my brother.
Film making is much different than photography and has an entirely different set of tools, programs and equipment, so I have a lot to learn, but it's been so much fun so far and a really wonderful creative outlet for me!
Here is my first little short.  Again, very novice of course and I'm sure I'll look back on this in a few months with loads of embarrassment, but for now, it makes me smile.
In knitting news, I've released a few new patterns for spring!

Heathered is a new, classic cardigan design that I just love.  This sweater goes with almost everything!  I highly recommend Chickadee by Quince and Co (if not just for it's sweet name).  This yarn is so lightweight and springy, it holds it's shape incredibly well.
I added some fun detailing here and there to make it feel extra special!

 

The sweater also comes in a children's version, which I've called Cricket. 

I really wanted a very simplistic design that had just the right amount of detail in it to keep it very storybook.