Travel Crayon Roll

I was never bored as a kid. Even back in the dark ages when I was a child and we had one family computer (and the pixels on that computer were about a big as my fingernail), research for school papers was done at the library with a good amount of time spent combing through the card catalogue, we used a phone that was attached to the wall and if you wanted to send someone a note, you'd write them a letter with actual pen and paper, crayons and a blank sheet were my method of choice on how to pass a rainy day. Yes, my brother and I had a Nintendo, there was a TV in the living room and a handful of friends lived within walking distance of our home, but set me down in front of a box of crayons and a blank pad of paper and I'd be happy for hours. That's still true today.

Being a parent nowadays is an experience full of wonder and whimsy, but also a bit strange. I see my 3-year old operate my iPhone with ease. He'd rather do a puzzle on the iPad than with actual pieces on the floor. When a DVD ends we don't have to wait and rewind it to watch his favorite part again. While this makes me feel old and (only slightly) regret all the time I mocked my own parents for being "old school," I love that if I give him crayons and paper, he's content. Why are these such magical objects?

On nice days if no friends were around and I was banished outside until dinner, I'd grab my little bag with my drawing materials and disappear into the woods, drawing bugs and plants, clouds, trees and whatever else my imagination could drum up. My mother is a painter, so art materials were never in short supply and being creative was encouraged. I went through boxes of crayons and pads of paper like it was my job.

When we'd travel, especially on airplanes, drawing was more difficult. Confined to the small tray table space (and forget it if you dropped a crayon - you wouldn't see that again until landing) and often shoved between the adults in the dreaded middle seat, having a place to stow the markers or crayons was imperative. With this in mind, I designed the Travel Crayon Roll, a roll-up case easy for small hands to operate. With plenty of space for an entire rainbow of crayons, a thick stitch ensuring none will poke out and be lost forever and extra long cord ties for wrapping around the case and tying it shut, this is the perfect knit for any kid.

Knit using one skein of Cascade's Pinwheel, I loved the rainbow color change combined with the thick star stitch. While I hope my son gets this dirty and covered in marker and crayon, I also want the option to wash and dry it easily, so this 100% acrylic makes perfect sense. With over 20 pretty great color options (the more color, the better!) I don't think you can really make a wrong choice. The best thing? I weighed my finished project and I could get 3, that's right, 3 crayon rolls out of 1 skein! 440 yards for a worsted? Insanity!

I'm a big fan of technology, but a much bigger fan of creativity. If you're undertaking Handmade Holiday for 2014, NOW is the time to start knitting! Why not knit a few of these up, buy crayons in bulk and give them out to the littles ones? Put away the iPads, the laptops and the video games. Long live creativity!

Download the free Travel Crayon Roll here.

Lancaster Hoodie & Giveaway!

UPDATE 6/25/14: Congratulations to winner Kate M! Check your email, Kate M! -------------------

Traveling is difficult with a young child. Sleeping is an issue, a weird bed, a new place, new sights, sounds and people. We're fond of "mini trips," a 2 or 3 day excursion not too far from the house so we're not gone for too long. We recently went to Lancaster, Pennsylvania, home to delicious pretzels, Amish folk, lots of animals and some really beautiful scenery. I knew we'd have about 6 or 7 hours roundtrip in the car, and the husband likes to drive so that means I get some knitting time in. I grabbed a design I had done all the math for and was ready to cast on...

We had a great time in Lancaster, visiting quilting shops, wooden toy shops, eating pretzels, drinking homemade root bear, taking Callum to Dutch Wonderland and checking out the LYS. If you find yourself in Lancaster County, head over to the Lancaster Yarn Shop, situated nicely right in the center of the town of Intercourse. I picked up some locally spun, natural yarn and a hank of something special you'll hear more about later this summer.

I am spoiled to have a great local hand dyer, Shalimar Yarns close by over in Maryland. I had some lovely Missy Bulky on hand and knew it was destined for a top down, raglan style child's hoodie with some fair isle around the midsection. What I like about this yarn is it's a bulky, so it knits up fast and beautiful on US 10s. I love the subtleties you can only get from a hand dye and the contrasting colors of blue raspberry and tequila sunrise look great together for either gender. Topped off with an elf-style hood and chunky buttons easy for small hands to manipulate, this is a cute hoodie for everyone! Sized from 6 months all the way up to 12 years, the wide size range ensures you'll find the fit you need for all shapes and sizes. Being a top down raglan, you start at the neck, work your way to the end, finish off the sleeves then do the hood last. How adorable would it be to make matching ones for siblings? As always when knitting for kids, if they are old enough to help, let them pick out the colors for the hoodie or the buttons. They're more likely to wear it if they had some input. Get started now for that "back-to-school" hoodie for the fall! Named after the county we visited, the Lancaster Hoodie is available for download here.

As always, let's do a giveaway, shall we? Answer this trivia question (open to readers worldwide) to be entered to win a digital copy of the pattern: About how many Amish people are there living in the US currently?

A winner will be chosen at random on Wednesday.

Malcolm's Blanket & Giveaway

UPDATED 6.18.14: Congratulations to Nancy, Jamie and Sophiesgirl for winning a copy of Malcom's Blanket! Check your email for further instructions... ------------------------

As you read this dear readers, I am winging my way across the country to the Interweave Studios to film a DVD. More on that in a later post, but look up and wave as planes pass over you! I'm on one of those knitting sleepily and drinking caffeine like it's going out of style.

I'm excited to share this new pattern with you because it's been a long time in the making.

Many of you know about our harrowing birth story with our son who just turned 3. Callum was born 2 months early with a host of problems after an emergency c-section. He was kept in the NICU for a month and it was touch and go every day. I look back on that month spent in a windowless room, growing immune to the beeps and alarms, the rushing of footsteps and the fluorescent lighting as I sat next to my son in his isolate incubator awaiting text results, not being able to hold him more than 20 minutes a day. I'd walk through the lobby and see the happy moms who got to take their children home after giving birth and want to find a corner to go and scream at the top of my lungs. Like many things in life, unless you've been in that situation when your world is crumbling, you have no idea what it feels like.

I met Honey while teaching. Teaching is a funny thing… You go into it with a bunch of students, you share an experience, you bond over knitting and you hope to see them in another class and watch their skills grow and grow. Every now and then you meet someone super special and you have an instant connection. I suppose all friendships are like that, but when I'm in "teacher mode" I'm so focused on making sure everyone is happy, they're comfortable and they're getting the technique to think "hey, I could be friends with this person outside of class." Honey took a number of classes with me and I liked her right from the get go, especially when she invited me over to knit and watch Game of Thrones. A woman after my own heart.

When Honey told me she was pregnant I immediately started flipping through the baby patterns stored in my brain wondering what I would knit her. I was even more excited to learn that she too would have a son and she was moving right down the street from us. She had taken a lace baby blanket class with me and struggled to finish, so I knew I would knit her that pattern.

I wouldn't wish our birth experience on anyone, so when Honey texted me to tell me that she was having a similar situation with her son coming 6 weeks early, I sprinted to my LYS, bought some Lorna's Laces Worsted Superwash and Knit. Like. The. Wind. I have never knit a blanket so fast, and while I knew things would be dicey for a while, just as they were with us, I wanted her to have it for Malcolm in the hospital. Knitting says so much on its own - I am thinking about you and your family. Someday we'll look back on this and think "how the heck did we survive that?" I've got your back for whatever you need. I will do whatever I can to help you get through this. You will be ok. He will be ok.

Many months later, I'm happy to say that Malcolm is thriving (and so cute!). I like to name projects after people who are important to me, and always name something after a friend has had a baby in honor of them. This is a special case because Honey and I were in the trenches together, sharing a similar birth experience. Meet Malcolm's Blanket, an elegant, heirloom-style baby blanket named after Honey's sweet little boy. Knit on US 7s and using 5 hanks of gorgeous hand dyed Zen Garden Serenity Worsted (a merino, cashmere and nylon superwash blend) in Blue Hawaii, this is a great project for anyone expecting a little one. The pattern has a good rhythm and makes for good TV or travel knitting. Walking through the woods to photograph it with my son running beside me gathering rocks and bugs, it reminded me just how far we've come. I look forward to the day when Callum and Malcolm will run and play together.

In honor of Callum's recent 3rd birthday, I'll be giving away 3 copies of the Malcolm's Blanket pattern (open to residents worldwide). Leave a comment on the blog answering this trivia question: The name "Callum" is of Gaelic origin and means what? Bonus points if you know what his middle name "Finnegan" means.

Three winners will be chosen at random on Wednesday.

Download the pattern here.

Warrior Shawl & Giveaway

UPDATE 6.11.2014: Congratulations to winner Evie! Evie, please check your email for your pattern! --------------------

Breast cancer is scary. Let me rephrase that… All cancers are scary, but one that has its lazer-like focus on mostly women (yes, men can get breast cancer, too) and being a woman myself, it adds in an extra scariness factor.

I was approached by a student and friend, Eileen Mitchard earlier this year about doing a design for the cause. I assumed she meant a design that would call attention to the disease, but it turned into so much more than that.

Breast in Show is a live stage musical written by Lisa Hayes with music and lyrics by Joan Cushing.  The show was conceived of by Eileen and is based on interviews conducted with patients, medical personnel and family members by Ms. Mitchard, Ms. Hayes and Ms. Cushing over a period of  two years. Show synopsis: Welcome to the “Chemo Café,” where strangers become friends sharing an unforgettable journey of laughter and tears on the road to healing. Join these warriors on a life-affirming rollercoaster of emotions in this original stage musical.

I immediately knew my answer would be "yes." I'm a huge fan of women helping women, but the thing that's so frightening about this particular type of cancer, is that we're all connected to it somehow. We all have known someone who is currently fighting the battle against breast cancer, has fought it in the past, is getting ready to fight it, has sadly lost their battle, knows a friend of a friend going through it, an aunt, a sister, a mother, a grandmother… This disease is everywhere and we've all been touched by it in some way. Eileen herself is a fighter, having fought her own medical battle regarding her heart and winning.

I lost a friend in January to cancer. While it wasn't breast cancer (it was cervical cancer), she was one of the three women instrumental in teaching me to knit. I knew her almost my entire life and when I read about chemo and how it often makes the recipient cold, I immediately put all of my knitting aside and knit a cozy shawl for her. She told me how much she loved it and how she wrapped it around her neck while receiving treatment. She came to mind when Eileen and I were throwing around ideas for what to knit for the show and I knew a shawl would be the perfect design.

There's something special about shawls. They wrap the wearer in warmth, yes, but each stitch is so much more than just one stitch. As I knit the shawl for my friend who lost her battle, I thought of her with every single stitch that flew across my needles. The art of packing a shawl with good intentions, thoughts and good vibes is called knitting a "prayer shawl," and the Warrior Shawl is coming from the same vein. The shape is reminiscent of wings, while the "spine" going down the middle reminds us to stand strong and fight our battles. The border is made of hearts and it would be easy to add a bit of sparkle and throw some beads on there.

In Breast in Show, the survivors become "warriors," so what better way to honor these women than to call this design the Warrior Shawl? Knit in Dragonfly Fiber's stunning handdyed superwash, Traveller DK, this shawl can be knit for yourself, a friend, a survivor, someone undergoing their battle currently or a prayer handed over to someone who simply needs one. Eileen is encouraging everyone to knit their shawl and wear it to the show, which will be playing at the 2014 Capital Fringe festival in DC July 10 -27, 2014.

More information on the show can be found here.

What I'm most proud of in this shawl is that 100% of the pattern proceeds are going towards funding the show. As I knit it, I thought of my friend, now gone but certainly never forgotten. She would have loved this shawl and I would have loved knitting one for her.

You can also join the Warrior Shawl KAL (knit-a-long) hosted by Fibre Space in Alexandria, VA on Ravelry. Anyone can knit-a-long, it's virtual so you don't have to be local. Join us!

Pattern available for download here.

One lucky winner will win a copy of the Warrior Shawl pattern. Leave a comment on this post about how breast cancer has touched your life. A winner will be chosen at random on Wednesday.