My newest pattern is now published! The Fireside Pullover is a modern, relaxed sweater with all the style you could want!  Fitted in all the right places and roomy everywhere you'd like a little extra comfort. The Fireside can go from day to night and to any event you could imagine! Dress it up or dress it down. 

The stitch pattern is really a joy to work. Lots of impact but not a lot of 'fuss' while stitching. Perfect! And a big expanse of stockinette stitch really makes this knit fly off your needles. 

* Worked from the top down in the round
* Raglan style sleeves for a comfortable look
* Sleeves are worked on double pointed needles from the underarm to the wrist
​* Seamless construction

As always, you can find the Fireside Pullover pattern:

Right here on www.anaiddesigns.com

On Ravelry

On Etsy

We lost our power! With the bad winter storms tearing across the country, we knew it was only a matter of time. When my power goes out my first thought is "OH NO, I can't knit in the dark!" Probably a sure sign of addiction! 

The above photo was taken at about 4:30 pm yesterday. Not dark yet, but I was trying to get in as many rows as possible before the light left me completely. I was lucky. The power came back on around 7 pm. Whew... didn't have to use my little Ott light. ;) And was able to finish the sweater last night too! Double Win!

My next sweater is the Lodge Sweater. Here is a sneak peak just for you! :) I am finishing writing the pattern and then it will be going into testing. Hoping to have this pattern ready for release around Feb. 15th. 

And finally, I finished that sweater mentioned up top last night. It's a children's sweater - my sample is made for girls size 6. The photo shows the bottom of the sweater body. Sweet little hearts! And the pattern is repeated on the sleeves also. I will start the blocking, pattern, photos, etc today. Hoping to have this one available for release also around Feb. 15th.

So there you go! Now you are all up to date with the goings on here at Anaid! ;) And I'll be jumping right into my next sweater design tonight. After all, I have light now and I WILL be knitting! :)

​Happy Holidays to you all!

She's finally here! The petal top... now named "Regatta Cap Sleeve". 

As I was working on it, I was reminded of the beach in Maryland. Watching the boats come in while standing on the boardwalk, a crisp breeze in the air combining with the warm sun for just the right mix of temperatures. The colors of the water are echoed in this gorgeous Madelinetosh Sock yarn - color Georgia O'Keefe. And the extra width worked into the hips gives a fun and flirty hemline that will flutter and flow softly in the breeze. 

Thus the name: Regatta. In remembrance of those lovely days at the shore. 
 

The pattern is up and ready! You can go take a look at it here:

www.anaiddesigns.com
or
on Ravelry
or
on Etsy

I hope you all enjoy it! And make sure to tell me what you think - comment here or on Ravelry! I'd love to hear your thoughts! 

It's here! Finally! :) 

The Dandelion Tank pattern is up and running and ready for you all! A great spring/summer knit to cast on right away using your favorite fingering weight yarn! 

Check it out 
here at anaiddesigns.com
on Ravelry
or on Etsy

It's finished!!!! WHOO HOOO!!! 

I know I was completely uncreative with the naming of this one. But honestly, I've been working on it SO long and calling it the Dandelion Tank... here and in my head... that nothing else seemed right. So I went with it. 

This extreme racer back tank top is scandalously sexy if you want to wear it 'au natural'. Or you can be like me and throw a fitted tank underneath it. I do have children around me most of the time. So it's a good idea. But I just HAD to take some pics with nothing underneath... cuz it just looked so cool. So for all you young'uns out there... this would be smokin' hot to wear out to the club with some extreme skinny jeans or a nice little mini. Word to the wise... if you ARE planning to wear it by itself... size down for a nice tight (and secure) fit. ;)

OK enough about that... now on to the photos of how I'm sure most of us would wear it:

Still super cute, yes? Just not so Va Va Voom! ha! 

On a serious note, this is SO comfortable to wear. It is light as air... or a dandelion seed floating by. Yes, I went there. It had to be done. And the fabric just drapes so well. It did stretch more than I anticipated in the blocking process... so I'm listing this size as a Large on the pattern... but in reality I would probably make a medium to wear myself. It's pretty big on me in the bust area. Sigh. Maybe a nice padded bra to help that?? ha!

Nevermind my expression... what was I looking at?? No idea. 

Do you see the garter stitch detailing? It was hard to get it to really pop in the photos... but in person it's obvious. It starts with a border in the front and slowly angles up all the way to the racer back:

And then it shows back up on the top of the straps in the front with a nice angle to mimic what is going on below:

And a couple more random pics for you:

The pattern is going to be available VERY VERY SOON. Like in the next couple of days. I just need to go through it a couple of more times to check my math etc. Because I often do bonehead things with numbers! :) I'll let you know as soon as it is posted! 

Part Two of the last post, where we looked at the Billow yarn and gave a little review of that. Now here is the tank that I made with that yarn. Super chunky, super easy, and SUPER QUICK. What more can you ask for??

I used THREE strands of the billow yarn held together and worked this on US size 35 needles. So this is not a pattern for the faint of heart! :) However, it did take me approx. 6 hours to make the entire thing. So yeah... that's good math for me! 

The tank itself does have a good bit of weight to it due to it's chunky nature. Hey, don't judge! But once on, it's really very easy to wear and moves with you very nicely. The fabric itself is VERY elastic. So I don't have a gauge listed. It's impossible to get an accurate measurement. I guesstimated sizing. Honestly, if you get CLOSE to the right size it will look great on you. It's just that drapey. If you are concerned about what size to make... go for the smaller size. Each size spans 6" and that is not even as far as it could stretch if you needed it to. 

I'm wearing a size Large in the photos. And as much as it pains me to type this on the internet.... eeek.... I am 5'8" and about 140 lbs. I typically wear a size 8/10. And the top I am wearing could fit a much larger person. I am on the smaller side of the sizing for the Large. I hope that helps and I didn't reveal all that for no reason.... sigh....

I am posting the pattern now. And it is available at all of my shops:

anaiddesigns.com
Ravelry
Etsy

I hope you enjoy it! It's a great pattern for the Spring!

It's Here! The pattern is finished and posted... finally! You can check it out at any of my storefronts:

www.anaiddesigns.com HERE
on Ravelry HERE
on Etsy HERE

This is a super basic triangle shawl pattern. But the yarns... oh the yarns! I used the Dream in Color Classy with Cashmere for the first time in this pattern. And I am a HUGE fan already. It feels amazing, it works up beautifully, great stitch definition, and is just a joy to wear next to the skin! Win, win, win, win! I will definitely be designing with this gorgeous yarn again in the near future. 

Well, I say near future but in reality I have so much stashed yarn to work through it will probably be a year! Which is really a great problem to have, right?! 

Back to the shawl pattern, I do hope you will give it a try. I believe it to be a pattern that you will come back to again and again over the years. It's just so nice to work up and perfect for in-the-evening knitting. A no-brainer! Which is exactly what I love in the evenings. Around 3 pm my brain shuts off for things such as math, counting, deciphering patterns, etc. I need something that I can just pick up and GO! 

Let me know what you think about the pattern! Here are some more photos for you....

There's something about this color combo that makes me think of Apple picking. So why not name it the Apple Picking Shawl? Makes sense to me! And it's the perfect fall weight! 

I am in love with this combo of yarns. The Dream Classy with Cashmere is so lofty and squishy soft while the Knit Picks Palette is thin and smooth. They play off of each other beautifully and lend a perfect weight to the shawl. Not too heavy but still soft and snuggly! 

I choose to work up just a basic triangular shawl with alternating stripes of garter stitch and stockinette stitch. And with the alternating yarns as well. Well. I love it. It's very simple but just so wearable! Add a couple of tassels at the ends for a little 'ta-da' finish and this is a piece that I know I will grab-on-the-go over and over this fall. 

And I've got to say.... the Dream Classy with Cashmere is one of my new favorites. Trying new yarns doesn't always work out so well. You know what I mean. I find that there really are precious few (so far) that I keep going back to. I am thrilled to be expanding my resources! And you will definitely get to hear about the rest of the Dream line in the future. Can't wait to try them all! 

Have you worked with any of the Dream yarns? What are your thoughts? Leave your experiences in the comments section! I'd love to hear from you! 

Keep an eye out for the Apple Picking Shawl pattern! I'll be writing it and taking photos asap. I will let you know as soon as it is ready to publish! 

The story begins like this: You make something handmade for someone. And they truly love it. Wear it everyday. Isn't that the BEST feeling?? What more can a knitter/crocheter ask for? 

Well, I recently had that happen to me. My nephew (age 19) asked for a beanie for Christmas. Of course I was thrilled to oblige. I mean, that is like the easiest handmade gift ever! Low cost in yarn and not a ton of time involved. Win Win. 

Needless to say... he LOVES it and indeed has been wearing it everyday. At least as far as I know since I am in another state! 

So what happens next? OH YEAH... now everyone that has seen the beanie wants the beanie. YEP. Now it's all about turning out that next beanie! How did a one-off Christmas present turn me into an assembly line? 

Of course it's for people I know and love so it's ok. But I am now on my sixth and am vowing that this is the end of it!  

This little lovely will be going to my brother-in-law (aforementioned nephew's dad). 

So tell me - Do you have a great story of having to mass produce some lovely that you made? Put your story in the comments section!