Sew What?

Knit, crochet, appliqué, quilting, embroidery - it's all fibercraft. When I released the Hawaiian Harps collection last month, it was suggested that the designs might work well for home embroidery machines. And guess what? They do!

As of June 26, 2022, the Hawaiian Harps designs are available for machine embroidery as two-color blocks. Each block measures 5" x 5" (12.7 cm x 12.7 cm) and is provided in 10 formats: DST, EMD, EXP, HUS, JEF, PEC, PES, SEW, VIP, and XXX. Conversion to other formats may be available upon request. Finished blocks may be used as part of a quilt, pillow, wall hanging, or any other project. 

Please note: you must have access to an embroidery machine to create these blocks.

Supplies for all blocks:
Design Thread: 455-630 ft (varies by design)
Bobbin Thread: 155-200 ft (varies by design)
New machine needle
Medium weight non-stretchy fabric
Medium weight stabilizer
Quilt batting
Quilt backing
Quilting thread

Patterns are $8 each through my Payhip store (or directly below with a Payhip shopping cart ) or through the Sylvia Woods Harp Center. As with the appliqué blocks, if you're interested in purchasing four or more, I recommend you take advantage of the quantity discounts of 15-30% at the Sylvia Woods Harp Center. ). Choose your own main color - the choices below are only a few options!

ME001 Celtic: $8 details | add to cart
ME002 Clarsach: $8 details | add to cart
ME003 Concert Simple: $8 details | add to cart
ME004 Concert Fancy: $8 details | add to cart
ME005 Egyptian: $8 details | add to cart
ME006 Gothic: $8 details | add to cart
ME007 Whale Song: $8 details | add to cart
ME008 Harmonic Curve: $8 details | add to cart
ME009 Kinnor / Harp of David: $8 details | add to cart
ME010 Lyre: $8 details | add to cart
ME011 Simple Harp: $8 details | add to cart
ME12 Paraguayan: $8 details | add to cart

Playing with strings

It had to happen eventually, right? Designing for a new form of fibercraft. I've made a foray into appliqué with my first set of quilt patterns, Hawaiian Harps. 

My mom and I learned to do Hawaiian appliqué a long time ago, but I hadn't done much with it since. I leaned more toward knitting and crochet (which she also taught me), where the tools of the trade aren't generally sharp enough to draw blood.

But since I lost my mom last year, my heart hasn't been in the yarn. What to do instead? Quilt blocks. She was great at pieced quilts, and I can still tell a double wedding ring from an Irish chain. But while I appreciate traditional quilts and the work that goes into them, I much prefer to creating appliqué - there's less mathematical precision involved.

The idea for Hawaiian Harps came from the tradition of Hawaiian quilting, where the design fabric is folded in eighths and the pattern is cut out and unfolded, then sewn onto a background. If you've ever made a paper snowflake, you are familiar with the process. Most real Hawaiian quilts have leafy, flowery tropical designs and are quilted in an echo pattern. Mine are a little different. I wanted harps, and there was nothing like these out on the internet. I used the process of making a Hawaiian quilt block, but based each original design on a different harp with a coordinating border. Here's the end result:

The block patterns are available individually for $8 each through my Payhip store (or directly below) and from the Sylvia Woods Harp Center. There are 12 designs total. If you're interested in purchasing four or more, I recommend you take advantage of the quantity discounts of 15-30% at Harpcenter.com. 

The blocks can be used individually in any project you can think of. I plan to join mine to make a bed quilt, but wall hangings, pillows, bags, and throw blankets would all be viable options. Each pattern includes full-size eighth-fold templates for 14" and 18" blocks. Cutting and assembly instructions are included, but finishing instructions are not. For the motifs, I used batik fabrics from Gathering Friends Quilt Shop on Etsy.

Purchase directly from Payhip without ever leaving this site by using the following links. (No quantity discounts apply.)

Q001 Celtic: Add to cart
Q002 Clarsach: Add to cart
Q003 Concert 1: Add to cart
Q004 Concert 2: Add to cart
Q005 Egyptian: Add to cart
Q006 Gothic: Add to cart
Q007 Whale Song: Add to cart
Q008 Harmonic Curve: Add to cart
Q009 Kinnor / Harp of David: Add to cart
Q010 Lyre: Add to cart
Q011 Simple Harp: Add to cart
Q12 Paraguayan: Add to cart

Are there other designs you would like to see turned into appliqué blocks? Let me know in the comments!

 Happy crafting and please stay safe,
~ Caroline

Payhip store now open!

 Hi everybody! I've finally opened my design store on Payhip. You can find it at https://payhip.com/KnitDesignByCaroline 

The selection is a bit skimpy now, but more patterns will be added gradually. If other site interfaces bother you, please try here. As always, you can still purchase my patterns directly from this website.

In other news, I'm branching out into appliqué and quilt patterns. More info coming soon!

Happy crafting!
Caroline

Happy Pi Day To You

Today is Pi Day (3/14 in places that put the month first). You could celebrate by having a piece of pie at 3:14 this afternoon (which I may very well do). Or you could bake conundrum cookies. (They're cookies! But they're also pi!) Or just maybe you could create something science-y with yarn. To facilitate, I'm having a PI Day sale from now until midnight Friday, March 19. There's a 31 percent discount on all my science-inspired patterns shown below. They're all knit except for Cuddly Chem Lab, which is crochet.

These are the patterns that are included, with no minimum or maximum to buy. Enter the code PIDAY314 at checkout.

You can purchase the patterns directly through this site by clicking the links below. Remember, you get 31% off when you enter the code PIDAY314 at checkout.

	Cuddly Chem Lab- $6.95 buy now | add to cart | show cart View details at Ravelry
	"Diagonally Parked In A Parallel Universe" Socks - $5.95 buy now | add to cart | show cart View details at Ravelry
	Gorignak Hat - $5.95 buy now | add to cart | show cart View details at Ravelry
	Lepton Flange Fingerless Gloves - $5.95 buy now | add to cart | show cart View details at Ravelry
	Miss Sakamoto Sash / Headwrap / Belt - $4.99 Coordinates with "She Blinded Me With Science" Bag buy now | add to cart | show cart View details at Ravelry | KnitPicks
	Selenite Shawl - $5.95 buy now | add to cart | show cart View details at Ravelry
	"She Blinded Me With Science" Bag- $6.99 Coordinates with Miss Sakamoto Sash / Headwrap / Belt buy now | add to cart | show cart View details at Ravelry | KnitPicks
	Temporal Wingnut Hat - $6.95 buy now | add to cart | show cart View details at Ravelry
	Tesla's Lightning - $5.95 buy now | add to cart | show cart View details at Ravelry
	Time Tunnel Scarf / Cowl - $6.95 buy now | add to cart | show cart View details at Ravelry
	The Technobabble Collection - $12.95 buy now | add to cart | show cart View details at Ravelry

And as always, the Dongle USB sock keychain is my free gift to you. Click here to download PDF.

Happy knitting / crochet!

~ Caroline

Sea shanties and beach car rock

 Hello again everybody! I've fallen down the rabbit hole of sea shanties. They became popular earlier this year, but I've only started really listening to them recently because I'm learning to play the bodhrán (Irish frame drum), and the regular rhythm of a sea shanty makes them perfect for drum practice. The family music collection already has a surprising number, and then of course there's YouTube. A few of my favorites:

Stormy Winds Do Blow (Charlie Zahm)
Sea Shanty Medley (Home Free)
Soon May the Wellerman Come (The Hound + the Fox featuring Adam Chance)

And these aren't really sea shanties, but they're also great for drumming:

Tighinn air a' mhuir tha fear a phòsas mi (Capercaillie)
Alasdair Mhic Cholla Chasda / Rory MacLeod (Capercaillie)

Basically, songs and instrumentals with a steady rhythm work well, especially those with a moderate beat - not too fast or slow. In fact, the word "shanty" comes from the French "chanter," meaning to chant. If you're thinking about learning bodhrán, some YT tutorials that have been exceptionally helpful are those by:

Ruiari Glasheen
Nicolle Fig

If you're interested in the origin of sea shanties, this article at ClickAmericana had tons of interesting facts, including the abovementioned source of the word shanty.
 
To get back to the point, I have a theory. Traditional sea songs and modern beach-rock car songs are related. The more I hear of the shanties, the stronger the evidence. Please consider:

There's the new built "Terra Nova", she's a model with no doubt
There's the "Arctic" and "Aurora", you've heard so much about
There's Jacklin's model mail-boat, the terror of the sea
Couldn't beat the old "Balena" boys, on a passage from Dundee.
- The Balena, Traditional sea shanty

Just a little deuce coupe with a flathead mill
But she'll walk a Thunderbird like she's standin' still
- Little Deuce Coupe, The Beach Boys

---

The wind is on her quarter and her engine working free
And there's not another whaler a-sailing from Dundee
Can beat the old "Balena," you need not try her on
For we challenge all both great and small from Dundee to St.John.
- The Balena, Traditional sea shanty

When I take her to the track she really shines
(giddy up giddy up 409)
She always turns in the fastest times
(giddy up giddy up 409)
Giddy up 409...
Nothing can catch her
Nothing can touch my 409
- 409, The Beach Boys

---

For twenty-five long years she ruled the Northern sea
Riding like a queen on the tide
In the Caribbean one dark and stormy day
She ran into a reef and died
Bluenose, the ocean knows her name
Sailors know how proud a ship was she
Bluenose, leading in the wind
Racing ev'ry wave on the sea
- Bluenose, Traditional sea shanty

She had a classic beauty that everyone could see
I was the last to meet her, but she gave her life to me
She may be rusted iron, but to me she's solid gold
And I just can't hold the tears back
'Cause Betsy's growing old
- Ballad of Old Betsy, The Beach Boys

Not a million miles apart, am I right? Any minute I expect one ship's captain to offer to race the other ship's captain for pinks.

And what does this have to do with knitting, you ask? Nothing at all. Except that maybe the sailors wore sweaters.

Anyway, happy knitting (and drumming and shantying), and please stay safe.
~ Caroline

Twin Harps!

Guess who was lying on the sofa today watching YouTube videos when she had a pleasant yarn-related surprise? That's right, this girl!

I was watching Camille and Kennerly, the Harp Twins, give a tour of their Harp Room. In case you haven't yet seen these ladies, they are identical twins and incredibly talented harpists who perform together on matching harps. I am extremely fond of their performance of the Theme from Doctor Who: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R061gfebd7Q

In their Harp Room, the Harp Twins keep their matching sets of electro-acoustic concert harps, acoustic-only concert harps, electric lever harps (one set each in black and silver), and small (blue) and large (white) acoustic lever harps. You can watch their Harp Room tour here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RRCTcNNz3y4

After showing the harps, Camille and Kennerly highlight some of the room's decor, including a beautiful screen Rosemaling designs carved by their grandpa and an art wall featuring artwork spanning their careers so far, with paintings and drawings both professional and fan-made. So here's the surprise - at 9:45, a pair of crochet harps appear on screen. What do you know, it's "Perpetual Gliss" - doubled! Kennerly mentions that they are hand-made by Gloria at Cuddle Tree Crochet. Gloria did a great job - the harps are good and sturdy, and I like the accent edging. I would never have thought one of my designs would show up in the Harp Twins' Harp Room! Squeee!! Here's a screenshot from the video:

I had to find out more, and a Google search led me to their Facebook unboxing video from December 2020 in which the harps feature heavily. The ladies mention that the harps stand on their own and have some sort of structure inside. They do - the pattern explains how to make the infrastructure (I used plastic - repurposing is even better than recycling!) and weight the harp for stability. Watch the unboxing video here: https://www.facebook.com/CamilleandKennerly/videos/unboxing-amazing-crochet-goodies/691307851542672/. Two screenshots from the video:

The adorable dolls were also made by Gloria; I don't know from what pattern she used. But they look adorable with their harps. So whether you want to learn more, purchase a crochet harp, or make one of your own, we've got you covered with these links:

Harp Twins: www.harptwins.com

Gloria at Cuddle Tree Crochet, Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cuddle.tree.crochet/?hl=en
Gloria at Cuddle Tree Crochet, Twitter: https://twitter.com/treecuddle

Perpetual Gliss crochet soft-sculpture harp pattern from KnitDesign by Caroline:

$5.95 buy now | add to cart | show cart View details at Ravelry | Sylvia Woods Harp Center

BTW, in case you were wondering, I absolutely do allow both giving and selling of items made from my patterns (as long as the pattern itself is not resold without permission). Those who want finished items and those who want to make them are generally two distinct groups, and there's room for everybody. See my FAQ for more details.

Happy knitting, crocheting, and harping, everyone. Please stay safe, and keep each other safe too. 💖

~ Caroline

Victorian Cuffs on TV! 38% off through midnight Sunday

A couple months ago, I was very excited to learn that one of my patterns would be on TV! My Victorian Lace Cuffs pattern had been used to make part of a costume for Shailene Garnett, who plays Inspector Brackenreid's daughter Nomi Johnston on Murdoch Mysteries.

The episode is S14E9, entitled "The .38 Murdoch Special." To celebrate the cuffs' debut, the pattern is 38% off through midnight Sunday, May 23, 2021. Enter code NOMI at checkout.

When I found out, I was mostly excited but also a little disappointed - we used to get the channel the show was on, but we currently do not, so I didn't know when I'd ever get to see the episode. However, I was recently able to get some screenshots (yay!), which I've compiled below:

It's interesting to note the way styling affects the item. In most of the photos, a strip of lace is visible peeking out below the hem of Nomi's sleeve, but in screenshots from late in the episode, Nomi has her undersleeves pulled down so only the narrow zigzag at the edge shows, giving a multicolor cuff effect.

Assuming the show were not fictional, might a woman have really worn cuffs like this? It's entirely possible! Hand knitting was something many women did, and the cuffs are based around an authentic Victorian stitch pattern called "Tunisian Lace." Having separate cuffs would be a good way to add variety (and in this case, extra warmth) to a wardrobe.

The cuffs worn by Nomi were made by @emilyknitsto in a very pretty silver grey yarn. You can see her project page with close up photos on Ravelry. For pattern details, please see the pattern page on Ravelry.

Victorian Lace Cuffs - $5.95 $3.69 through midnight Sunday, May 23, 2021 Enter code NOMI at checkout buy now | add to cart | show cart View details at Ravelry

Happy knitting!
Caroline

Flash weekend sale!

According to the New York Times, sweater vests are back! Of course, for us knitters, they never really left. So I’m having a weekend sale! Take 40% off any vest pattern / ebook in my Ravelry store with coupon code INVESTIGATOR, through midnight Sunday EDT.

Included patterns: Anything in my Vests bundle. The code also works directly from my pattern page. Add pattern to cart, then click "Use a coupon code." Vest patterns are here.

Individual patterns -
The P. L. Argyle Family ebook
Xerxes
Peter Lorre, the Mysterious
Daughter of the Sea
Pete or Laurey, the Precocious
Petra Laurie, the Faithful
Kichwa Love Song

Why code INVESTIGATOR, you ask? Because 1) I like mysteries, and 2) it makes me think of one of my favorite goofy jokes: 

Q: What do you call an alligator in a vest?
A: An investigator, of course.

Happy knitting, and stay safe!
~ Caroline

 

I want that on a T-shirt (or a coffee mug, or a tote bag, or a spiral notebook ...)

Hi everyone! Just over a  month ago, I introduced my Redbubble store. How it came about is a story in itself.

When I was 9, I learned the Hukilau Hula from two nice Hawaiian ladies at a luau. Kahala and Puanani, if you're out there, mahalo nui loa - thank you! Your teaching lives on.

Fast forward a rather large number of years, and I was getting ready to teach a children's hula class on Zoom. I needed an outfit that didn't involve coconuts. Enter Redbubble, where I found  a sweet scoop-neck tee with artwork of Lilo and Stitch hula dancing. It's adorable, I wore it for the class, and now it's in my regular wardrobe rotation.

But that made me realize that hey, I've got original artwork too! It can be on a tee shirt (or a mug, or a tote bag, or a notebook...)! Thus were born (or expanded) my shops at the print-on-demand sites Redbubble, CafePress, TeePublic, and Zazzle.

CafePress: ArtDesign by Caroline
RedBubble: LadyCaro1
TeePublic: ArtDesign by Caroline
Zazzle: ArtDesign by Caroline

Does it matter which one you shop? While most of my artwork is available at each site, each one has its own printable product line. They all have T-shirts. CafePress has more children's options, wallets, lunch bags, and car accessories (license plates and magnets). RedBubble has shaped stickers, home decor, and a wide selection of phone cases. TeePublic has a large selection of shirt styles, plus shaped stickers, wall hangings, and bound blank books with colorful covers. Zazzle features upscale items such as neckties, cuff links, business card cases, and crossbody bags, as well as all-occasion notecards.

Here's a small selection of artwork available, with more being added all the time. Visit any of the sites to find your next perfect gift - for someone special, or for yourself!

In case you're wondering, the Latin text reads "I can't hear you,
I have a banana in my ear" and "This is a Latin saying." The rest is pretty
self-explanatory. Click to view full size.

BTW, the hula class went swimmingly. The trick to effortlessly managing the hip-swing is to bend your knees as you step. It's fun, and is honestly a great workout.

Aloha, until next time!
Caroline

Design: It's not just for knitting!

 Hey all, while knitting is awesome (obviously), some designs just need something ... different. Introducing my new shop at Redbubble! It features my art, custom printed for you on a wide variety of clothing and accessories. Check it out!

Stay warm, stay safe!
Caroline

Dinner at Tiffany's - 20% introductory discount

It's time for a new sweater and a sale! After far longer than expected, Dinner at Tiffany's was released today. The pattern contains 8 sizes, to fit 26-54" / 66-137 cm bust.

An elegant bolero of allover lace with bead and pearl trim at hem and sleeves, Dinner at Tiffany's is perfect for even the most formal of occasions. The jewel neck fastens with one crystal button at the back.

By the way, did you know that Tiffany is actually a medieval name? That surprised me, too! It's a short form of the Greek name Theophania (Θεοφάνεια, "manifestation of God", "appearance of God"), from the 12th century, but it sounds modern to our ears. So writers of historical fiction can't use it, since it sounds contrived, even though it's period authentic. This is known as The Tiffany Problem. I considered calling the design "Dinner at Theophania's," but I'm not quite sure how to pronounce it, TBH.

My very own Tiffany Problem is that the yarn I used, Rozetti Yarns Polaris, has been discontinued. It's not too big of a problem, however - if you can't find Polaris or don't have any in your yarn stash, you can substitute King Cole Galaxy DK, Universal Yarn Classic Shades Sequins Lite, Artyarns Beaded Silk & Sequins Light, or any DK weight yarn with sequins or beads embedded.

This is the exact trim used on the sweater in the photos: "Pearls & Swags" Beaded Fringe Trim from decoratingstudio.com. For a more casual look, the trim could be omitted, but it adds weight and drape to the finished garment.

The button I used for the closure is La Mode 9/16” / 13mm, style 48174. It looks like Joann Fabrics is having a sale on them right now.

The sweater is easier than it looks - it's one allover lace pattern with shaping only at the edges. If you want to get started soon, I'm having a 20% off introductory sale through midnight, Sunday, Dec. 13, 2020. Enter the code TIFFANY at checkout. You can purchase the pattern through Ravelry or buy it now.

Stay in if you can, knit something elegant, and please stay safe!

Happy knitting,
Caroline

Harp Day 2020 means a 20% off sale

Hey knitters, I just learned that it's #HarpDay2020! 

I've been playing the folk harp since 2001 and knitting since 2006. Playing with strings is deeply and thoroughly ingrained. :D

To celebrate both types of string, I'm having a flash sale for the rest of the weekend. Take 20% off any music-inspired pattern in my Ravelry store, individually or in combination. The sale lasts through midnight EST tomorrow, Sunday, October 18, 2020. Enter code harpday at checkout

The designs are all conveniently gathered in my "Inspired by Music" bundle, but here's a handy list of pattern links. If you prefer to shop through this site instead, you can find all the designs on this site's Pattern page:

• Bells On Her Toes
• Carillonneur
• Carry A Tune
• Harmonic Curves Tam
• Harmonic Curves Wristwarmers
• Harpstrings Double-Knit Accent Scarf
• Heimr Àrnadalr
• Into the Unknown
• Kichwa Love Song
• Light Lyric Coloratura
• Lyre, Lyre
• Octavia's Coordinating Leaf Lace Armwarmers
• Octavia's Garlands Lace Shawl
• Octavia's Garlands Lace Shawl, Abridged Version
• Perpetual Gliss
• She Blinded Me With Science
• Song of Avalon
• Victorian Lace Cuffs

Get 'em now before the sale ends. What's with all the sales, you ask? I don't know, except that it's getting cold - we just had our first frost advisory! - and knitting to stay warm is my automatic response. 

As for harps, there's so much to say that I can't even begin here. If you're interested in learning more about them, I highly recommend visiting the Sylvia Woods Harp Center website. One thing I will say is that playing them is not as hard as you think, and it's never too late to learn!

Happy knitting and harping,
Caroline

Cowl sale extended

 

Because I forgot to include Into the Unknown (!) in the original pattern list, I've extended the 20% off sale through midnight tomorrow, Friday, Oct. 16, 2020. The following are included individually or in any combination:

Candace’s Cables Cowl
Carmencita
Dorsal Graviton Cowl
Elsa Is My Homegirl
Follow the Bubbles
Halo Braid Headband and Collar
Into the Unknown
Kate Loves A Cowl
Miyabi
Roman Jewel Cowl
Time Tunnel
Victoria’s Violets Lace Collar
Wear Your Veggies Cowl
Wheat and Clover Cowl
Yukiko

Purchase the patterns through my Ravelry store or through the pattern page of this site. At checkout, enter the coupon code: warmth.

Happy knitting, and stay safe!
Caroline

Calling all Cowlgirls and Cowboys: 20% off sale!

 Hi everybody! I hope your year so far has been bearable at the very least, and as positive as possible.

Now that it's October, it's getting cold in my corner of the world - even indoors - so I've released a new cowl pattern: Wear Your Veggies. It's super easy, super bulky, and super warm.

Earlier this year, I released another cowl pattern, Into the Unknown, then totally forgot to post about it. It's fancy and lacy and includes instructions for two yarn weights.

To celebrate both patterns, I'm having a 20% off sale on all the cowl patterns in my Ravelry store. The following are included individually or in any combination:

Candace’s Cables Cowl
Carmencita
Dorsal Graviton Cowl
Elsa Is My Homegirl
Follow the Bubbles
Halo Braid Headband and Collar
Into the Unknown
Kate Loves A Cowl
Miyabi
Roman Jewel Cowl
Time Tunnel
Victoria’s Violets Lace Collar
Wear Your Veggies Cowl
Wheat and Clover Cowl
Yukiko

Purchase the patterns through Ravelry or through the pattern page of this site. At checkout, enter the coupon code: warmth
The discount is good through midnight EST, Friday, October 16, 2020.

Here is a gratuitous photo of a squirrel that visited our backyard. Please be safe, wear your masks, and take care of yourselves and each other.

Happy knitting,
Caroline

Wear a mask, but wear one that works

You know me - usually I advocate knitting. But not in this case.

From a New York Post article:

"N95 masks, often used by health care professionals, worked best to stop the transmission of respiratory droplets during regular speech.

"Other good performers at stopping leakage were three-layer surgical masks and cotton masks, which can be made at home, the researchers with Duke’s physics department found.

"But while bandannas and knitted face coverings may be a unique look, they did not offer much protection, according to the study"

Here's a link to the actual study from Duke University: https://advances.sciencemag.org/content/early/2020/08/07/sciadv.abd3083

Please, stay safe everyone.

 

Special offer - Less than a week left!

Many of us are staying home, doing our best to be socially responsible and keep everyone healthy. If those walls look a bit too familiar, try these fun-to-knit projects that add warmth and coziness to your environment.  The Home, Sweet Home Knitting Bundle includes beautiful and useful PDF patterns for knitters of every skill level -- stripes both modern and vintage, chunky lace, and footwear made for relaxing -- animal motifs including owls, sheep, and three elegant, coordinating designs with a bee theme. Make them for any room in your home and for every family member -- and for pets! Stay home, stay safe, and knit.

My friends at Pattern Chest have launched this website to bring you time-limited collections of downloadable digital knitting, sewing, quilting, cosplay, and other fiber-arts patterns. It’s a wonderful way to build your electronic library of patterns in the popular Portable Document Format (PDF).

My patterns Wallaby Waffles and Circle of Friends ebook are among those featured in the current Home Sweet Home Knitting Bundle. The offer only lasts through July 27, 2020.

Purchase at: patternchest.com/presents/HomeSweetHome

The Home Sweet Home Knitting Bundle presents beginner, intermediate, and advanced knit patterns at a special price. Here's an overview. Click here to see all the details.

When you buy a Pattern Chest bundle, you support the creative community, so I and the other designers can bring more patterns to you. And, especially during these challenging times, it feels great that part of your purchase will support an internationally recognized charity. This bundle will support the fight against COVID-19 through donations to Direct Relief.

Time Tunnel Approaching!

I like sci-fi. (Some of it anyway.) I like knitting. I put the two together, and out came Time Tunnel. The squares were inspired by the Star Portal in a video game of my youth, Star Voyager: www.youtube.com/watch?v=nzbIZiMgjHU (the portal shows up at 41 seconds). For some reason I have very vivid memories of that portal, though it took me days to come up with the name of the game.

The pattern, released into the wild today, has options for a scarf in fingering or worsted weight and a cowl in worsted or bulky weight. Both are provided in written and charted format. It was super-addictive to knit - I made all four samples back-to-back-to-back. The stitch pattern is nothing complicated - only knit and purl. The blue one reminds me so much of a particular Police Box that I just had to 3D print a couple sonic screwdrivers to go with it. (For those of you who want to make one of your own, you can find the files at Thingiverse: 12's screwdriver here and 10's screwdriver top here. Paint them with nail polish, and you're all set.)


Did you know: Everyone is a time traveler! Einstein notwithstanding, we're all constantly moving forward in time at the rate of one second per second.

Happy knitting and time traveling,
Caroline

Time Tunnel Scarf / Cowl - $6.95
Buy now or view details at Ravelry | Patternfish

Snowstorm sale!

The weather is crazy. I know you'll agree.

Last week's storm was very dramatic, with high winds and rain. We didn't get that much snow here,  though.

By contrast, about a foot of snow fell in my backyard yesterday, but with less dramatic winds. It was beautiful during the storm itself - calm, steady snow. Pretty, yes?

 

Even though the snow has stopped, it's still a good time to knit. So I'm having a snowstorm sale on my patterns. Stay cozy with yarn now, and be ready for the next storm that comes in. Here are the details:

What's on sale: All patterns in my Ravelry store  - All self-published patterns, including ebooks, are included.

Type of project: Mostly knitting, but some crochet

How much: 20% discount
Coupon Code: SNOWY
Until: midnight EST Friday, March 9, 2018

Happy knitting!
~Caroline

PSA: Stay warm

Are you affected by the giant cold front / blizzard that hit the US east coast this week? I am. We didn't get nearly as much snow out of this thing as I would have expected, but man, is it cold! Here's the view from my kitchen the morning of the storm:

So what is this thing? Livescience.com describes "bombogenesis" as "when [a storm's] central low pressure drops at least 24 millibars in 24 hours." The FEMA website also has a great explanation of what a "bomb cyclone" is.  If that's TLDR, it's basically a severe storm that intensifies very, very rapidly.

So, how do we stay warm? If you follow @FEMA on Twitter, they have some very practical suggestions, even infographics. From a knitter's point of view, here's the best advice I can offer you:

• Stay inside if possible. If you can't, be sure to dress warmly.
• Cover your head. Though it's not technically true that we lose more heat through our head than the rest of our body, we do lose heat where we are not covered. If we have a coat, scarf, gloves, etc. but not a hat, that means the heat is escaping through our head. So wear a hat or 2. I like to layer an earband under a warm hat, or a thin hat under a thicker one.
• Layer. Several thin layers are more effective than one thick layer, since warm air gets trapped between them. Don't feel silly if you want to layer multiple hats, pairs of socks, or gloves. Do what it takes.
• Keep your core warm with a tank top or vest.
• Cover pulse points where the veins are extra close to the skin at the wrists and throat. Wristwarmers and cowls are especially good for this.
• Natural fibers, particularly wool, will keep you warmer than synthetics. Unlike many fibers, wool keeps its thermal properties even when wet. This means wearing wool or wool-blend socks rather than cotton.

Stay warm, everyone. Knit something for yourself or a loved one. :)

2018, Cities of Gold, and a sale

Hello readers! I hope 2018 is treating you well so far. I spent yesterday with family, knitting and watching a Mysterious Cities of Gold marathon. It was a very pleasant day. As a child of the 1980s, I grew up with classic Nickelodeon, and we can blame credit The Mysterious Cities of Gold for my lifelong love of South America, the Incas, and Machu Picchu. Sure it's fiction, sure it's a cartoon (anime actually), but there's plenty of history and factual tidbits in it too. There's also a bit of science fiction - something for everyone.

It may be a little intense for younger children, so be aware of that before watching it with very little ones. I understand there's a sequel, but it isn't yet available where I live. Maybe I'll get to see it one of these days. I'm in no hurry, though. The original series is just as good as I remembered it, and there's no way the new one is the same.


On a related entertainment note, I just learned that today, January 2, is Science Fiction Day. To celebrate, get 20% off any pattern in my Science Bundle with the coupon code scifi20 through midnight on Saturday, January 6, 2018.

These are the patterns included in the sale:

	Cuddly Chem Lab- $6.95 buy now | add to cart | show cart View details at Ravelry | Patternfish
	"Diagonally Parked In A Parallel Universe" Socks - $5.95 buy now | add to cart | show cart View details at Ravelry | Patternfish
	Dorsal Graviton Cowl - $5.95 buy now | add to cart | show cart View details at Ravelry | Patternfish
	Miss Sakamoto Sash / Headwrap / Belt - $4.99 Coordinates with "She Blinded Me With Science" Bag buy now | add to cart | show cart View details at Ravelry | Patternfish | KnitPicks
	Selenite Shawl - $5.95 buy now | add to cart | show cart View details at Ravelry | Patternfish
	"She Blinded Me With Science" Bag- $6.99 Coordinates with Miss Sakamoto Sash / Headwrap / Belt buy now | add to cart | show cart View details at Ravelry | Patternfish | KnitPicks
	Temporal Wingnut Hat - $6.95 buy now | add to cart | show cart View details at Ravelry | Patternfish
	Tesla's Lightning - $5.95 buy now | add to cart | show cart View details at Ravelry | Patternfish
	The Technobabble Collection - $12.95 buy now | add to cart | show cart View details at Ravelry

Of course, there's also Dongle, a small sock to hold your USB drive. This pattern is free every day.

"Dongle" Mini-Sock Keychain - free! download PDF View details at Ravelry

Make something science-y today!