Winding down the year…

It’s so hard to believe that 2015 is just about over. It’s been one heckofa year, as they all are, if I’m being honest with myself (and you). Many familial adventures, fabulous times with friends, fantastic and fiber-filled days, the ability to make so many things (because making things is my most favorite pastime), so much collaboration with women I love and respect so much… I am feeling very lucky as I glance toward the New Year.

Today, I’m going to share some of my very favorite patterns with you. Most are ones published this year, but one is a re-vamp of an older pattern that I had long wanted to update, and this year, thanks to the trusty needles of a really amazing group of sample knitters, I was able to.

First off, my Jules Shawl. This re-release just now happened (like, yesterday!), and I am so deeply in love with it. Not only because I had an excuse to gorge myself on macarons (the photoshoot was at Farina Bakery in SE Portland), but also because, I mean, come on. Look at it. It’s so lovely in Knitted Wit’s fancy Bling. Lorajean created a new colorway, called Box of Macarons, and Maria from A Needle Runs Through It made a stunning project bag & stitch markers, and it’s all such a lovely and beautiful kit that you can totally get at Knitted Wit’s website. When I was first developing Jules, I made no fewer than four iterations of it. That’s how fabulous it is to make. It’s a soothing knit, with a great shape, and lends itself well to using two colors (it looks particularly lovely with the edging done in a second color).

Next up, Line Segment. It was my three-color headpiece for the In Triplicate collaboration with Tina from Blue Moon Fiber Arts and the uber-talented Lee Meredith & Star Athena. This hat made me so happy, from the first strike of inspiration as I was falling asleep with our three vibrant colors running through my head (thankfully, a notebook resides beside my bed for just this eventuality*); to the swatching and figuring; to figuring out the decreasing in a pleasing way. I really do love all nine pieces in this collection, and am super pleased with how it came together. I only wish I had time to knit every single piece for mememe!

And then there are the Sundae Socks. Not since my Monkey Sock obsession of lo, those many years ago (I made ten pairs, I think) has a sock pattern so taken over my knitterly heart. These things are so seriously addicting that I feel I will always have at least one pair on the needles. I’ve made 8 or 9 small-size single socks as samples, and at least 8 pairs for my very own feet (shoot, I think I may have totally lost count). With two “bowl” options (toe-up or cuff-down) and nine cuff options, you’re sure to find something that floats your knitterly boat. Added bonus: it’s way less knitting than a traditional sock, AND they look fantastic with leggings.

Then there’s this. The ATDC. I designed the Amazing Technicolor Dream Cowl to showcase Lorajean’s 15-color sets, but this thing was just so darned fun to make, I made two! It’s one of those patterns that has a big visual punch, and is a true joy to knit – soothing and with a cadence you can really lose yourself in.

I got really into designing hats this year, and, although I love me a big pompom, I think my favorite is He Said, because it’s Stefan’s favorite. It’s squishy and bouncy, with an easy-to-memorize pattern, and in chunky yarn, it’s a zip to knit. Stefan has hardly taken it off since I gave it to him, which makes me extra-happy. The whole He Said/She Said Collection turned out very well, methinks, and I loved knitting every single stitch.

I published 35 things this year. THIRTY-FIVE. That’s a lot of things, isn’t it? I actually have two more that I’m hoping to publish in the next few days (they are for TNNA, in collaboration with Knitted Wit), and will definitely share here. What was YOUR favorite knit of the year? Did you make any of my designs?

*also, do you notice that great thoughts always seem to hit you while you’re peeing, or trying to fall asleep, or driving? Why is that? Is it because our minds are preoccupied with something that’s not using so much of it, so the brain goes where it wants to?