Knitters From The World

Posted on June 8, 2020 by Jen

Photo by lsad

This knitter from Oregon has done a fabulous job with Hillwalker.

She used the same yarn as it was designed with , Studio Donegal’s Soft Donegal , which is really a gorgeous yarn with incredible merino softness, beautiful tweed colors, and the mill has an impressive long-standing tradition in Ireland, as all the yarns from Studio Donegal . One thing for certain, a great finish photo from a knitter who has made my design, has got to be the biggest thrill of the whole indie designer experience.

photo of work-in-progress by lsad

The pullover is super easy, pretty much two sleeves, a body, a circular yoke decreasing into a neck band, with a few short-rows to raise the back a little more. She certainly makes it look like a sure thing and seems outfitted and ready to walk the hills ~~ Thank you Ms Oregon Knitter, for your awesome knitting and photo shares!

You can see her project details on Ravelry here.

Sweater success at the castle!

Posted on December 24, 2019 by Jen

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Autumn pullovers appear in the interesting castle nooks . . .
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We met in Calistoga at the roastery for coffee while talking about things going on in our lives, and lucky for us it was an absolutely beautiful sunny winter day, so we hopped over to the castle to take our long waited for photo shoot, which went beyond Autumn into winter . . .

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We got loads of photos against the stone,

and they modeled their Hillwalker Pullovers

sampled with Icelandic flare this year.

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Just beautiful! The two of them continue to captivate my interest in designing, and honestly, it is ultimately for the three of us to have something together that grows and improves over time, with dedication and encouragement interwoven. I feel so lucky to have these young women in my life.

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After the photo shoot we went into the town of St Helena and enjoyed our traditional lunch at Villa Corona, and then parted ways. Every minute delightful, the few hours spent together was for me the absolute cherry on top of the whole holiday!

( All posts Autumn sweaters 2019 here. )

For those of you who have been following my nieces here, in their Autumn Sweaters over the last decade, I’ll have you know that my eldest niece will be twenty years old tomorrow, and these are the tenth (pair of) Autumn sweaters that I have knit for them. They having begun their sweater-camera modeling when I first began my blog with the first Autumn Sweaters of 2010, a similar yoke style which I repeated this year . . .

In front of Calistoga Roastery, Autumn 2010

This post has really brought on the holiday spirit of celebration for me; about craft and nurturing relationships. Having a lovely time and I’m so glad to share with you!

((Please click first image in mosaic and see the whole photo shoot!))

thankful

Posted on November 28, 2019 by Jen

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I am thankful for many things, but at the moment especially so that I finished these. They are Hillwalker pullovers, with a simple Icelandic style colorwork “sketched” into the yoke, an easy modification for which the simple circular yoke is an excellent canvas. So until the time on a late Autumn day when I will give them to my nieces, they will waiting, tucked in nice & tidy. Autumn Sweaters 2019 are done & dusted.

Sweater Success!

Posted on November 21, 2018 by Jen

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Yesterday I met my nieces in Calistoga at the Roastery, we had a little catching up over coffee & tea, then they put on their new Hillwalker sweaters, and this time we headed straight down to the Castle in St Helena for the photo shoot. They absolutely shone against the old hand-cut stone in their Autumn sweaters!

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A fabulous time, and the usual stellar results! Oh, and behind the scenes my nieces are now also my assistants as well as my models, doing a great job of stepping in to preen as needed… real professionals! Click and check out these fun unexpected sneak shots…

Hillwalker pattern is available HERE.

But before you go, click on the first image in the mosaic, and view a much more extensive slide show of the whole photo shoot…

Hillwalker, and an anniversary.

Posted on October 10, 2018 by Jen

Introducing the Hillwalker sweater duo…

(and photographed with my walking stick!)

I have now finished both the pullover and the cardigan,

and that means Hillwalker is now two patterns for one download !

♣ ♣ ♣

Today is the one-year anniversary of the historic Northern California Firestorm which burned through two counties and thousands of homes, including our own. Such an anniversary of loss seems to be a time to test resilience, rising above hardship, and moving beyond the grief toward healing happier times. As I walk on the mountain, I feel the loss, and regrowth in such an overwhelming way.

There are so many dead trees, but surprisingly, there are many that are alive.

A favorite Blue Oak, gone.

Vineyards thriving.

A favorite rocky meadow.

This Autumn comes as a relief, now I can focus on what is ahead, and what is new, fresh, and positive. Life is short, its over in a blink, and we have every ability to control our attitude. I’ve learned one very important thing through the experience of this last year, and that is the only thing we can truly own is our attitude, and the accomplishments of our mind. The rest is just material & prone to ashes.

♣ ♣ ♣

Northerly view over valley fog.

Sweet Sixteen and a new pattern!

Posted on October 8, 2018 by Jen

A little sooner than I expected,

but I am posting the first of a two-part pattern.

First part, the pullover…

and my younger niece who is now Sweet Sixteen!

Miss Sixteen’s birthday pullover in the new pattern Hillwalker.

We photographed in Calistoga yesterday …

(( I love Miss Sixteen’s new hair cut! Don’t you? ))

Oh, and look who is now driving!

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Driving off from the back lot of the roastery!

A stellar time with my niece and her mom at the Roastery on Sunday, with a quick photo shoot. I am needing a little extra time to get the cardigan ready , so that will be part two, very soon. But for now, please go check out the new Hillwalker pattern live on Ravelry…

Sweater Mania

Posted on October 5, 2018 by Jen

A pile of sweaters; two finished and one not quite. Another is not in the photo for it is only half finished, and in a bag somewhere up in the tiny attic, and another still was knit almost to finish and then ripped out. These three represent a lot of knitting through recent months; through weeks of dusty loud logging, of waiting frustratingly for building permit to be issued, through scorching heat waves, some cool summer fog waves, and through Autumn equinox. Now the rain has come, and construction of house has begun. It is perfect timing for these sweaters to be finished and have their debut.

A sweater debut? Yes! In a couple of days I will be visiting with my youngest niece who is soon having a birthday and turning sixteen ( so will be Miss Sixteen for a year) and she’ll model the brown sweater and then there will be a pattern release of a design I have been working on for a long time. The Autumn photo shoot with both of them must wait until the November holiday this year, when Miss Eighteen comes home from college.

At first the design was going to be a set-in sleeve invention, then I couldn’t manage through the stress of things going on, so I changed my mind, promptly ripped it out, and started over with more classic style I realize that can not live without, so it became what it really wanted to be.

I will leave you in your anticipation of the forthcoming while enjoying my latest find of video mill tours, this one has given me hours of enjoyment as I knit frantically one more sweater for niece’s birthday. It rather has a calming effect while starting out a bit sleepy, but the excellent jazz music accompanies about a minute into the narration …