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!

The Fireside Pullover is complete! But I need YOUR help! I would like to enlist the help of 5 of you lovelies to each test knit one of the sizes for this fun sweater. 

The Fireside Pullover is fairly simple and straight forward in it's construction. There's no shaping through the body, basic tapered sleeve decreases and a straight funnel neck. The fun comes in with the great stitch pattern. But since it's broken up with a substantial amount of stockinette stitch, the sweater works up really quickly! 

I designed this sweater to be the 'go to' sweater for the winter wardrobe. SO comfortable to wear, lovely softness and warmth from the wool yarn, and a classic shape that will work for weekend, workday, daytime, nighttime, anytime!

I need testers for sizes XS, S, M, L, XL finished bust size for these are: 32", 36", 40", 44" and 48".  I am wearing it in the photos with 3" of positive ease. 

Here are the particulars for the test:
*Please be an experienced knitter. No beginners.
*Skills needed: working in the round from the top down. Working with double pointed needles for the arms. 
*Test knit to be completed with finished photos and a Ravelry project page done by Jan. 15, 2016
*You may use ANY sport weight yarn you would like to work with. However, please choose a smooth yarn to showcase the stitch pattern.
*Needles needed: US size 3 dpn, and circulars in 16" and 24" lengths. US size 5 dpn, and circulars in 16" and 24" lengths. (or sizes needed to obtain gauge)
*If you would like to sign up to test knit, please email me at anaiddesigns@gmail.com I would love for you to include your Ravelry username if possible so I can check out your past work! ;) 
*Once chosen to be a test knitter, I will send you the pattern to your email.
*When the test knit is finished, photos taken, and project page posted on Ravelry, I will send you a code for another free Anaid Pattern. 
*If you do not complete the test knit by Jan. 15, 2016 there will be no code sent to you. Nor will you be allowed to test knit for Anaid in the future.

I am opening this test knit to my subscribers first... but if I don't have the test knit full by Friday, Dec. 4, 2015 then I will open it up to Ravelry users. If you'd like to get it in on this... don't wait! :) I am hoping to build a great group of test knitters from within my own following. I appreciate you subscribing to my site and want to give back to you all as much as possible! 

To sign up for the test knit or to ask me ANY questions - feel free to email me at anaiddesigns@gmail.com. Or you can always post in the comments below if you have general questions. 

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! 

I'm almost there... I can see the end in sight! The Petal Top is nearly finished!! I can't wait to get it off the needles and see how this girl blocks out. I know she'll grow a bit... which is a good thing. She needs to RELAX. :) Of course it's very, very fitted on me at the moment and my husband would prefer that I didn't block it. haha. I swear he's disappointed every time I block something. Before blocking: "Ahhhh, I like that one!" After blocking: "what happened to it? Why is it all big now?" Boys. They never grow up! :)

So of course you can tell I have a double meaning with my post title. The home stretch of my project... seeing the end. And also the 'stretch' of the blocking! heehee. I know... I'm easily entertained! 

Question for all you knitters (and crocheters) -- Do you ever have issues with blocking a garment? Like a sweater. Shawls and scarfs, etc are easy. No real fit required. But for a sweater, do you have that moment of panic before submerging your carefully and painstakingly knitted finished garment into the water? With a thought of "is it going to work? or am I ruining it as we speak?" 

I have had SEVERAL mishaps with garments. I have a cardigan that would (very literally) fit TWO of me inside it. It's CRAZY too big. And while I was knitting it, I was concerned about how SMALL it looked. I didn't think it would fit me! Little did I know that when I wetted that particular yarn down it would react like the Grinch's heart... and grow THREE sizes! It also permanently fused together the yarn (those seams are NEVER coming out)... so no re-do on that one. I still wear it and it is my go-to around the house snuggler. It's seriously like wearing a blanket! My hubs says I look like a homeless person in it. Which is ironic since the yarn in the sweater totaled up to approx. $150. YEAHHHHHH... I'm wearing that bad boy! :) 

What did I learn from that experience?? ALWAYS block your swatch. Don't 'eyeball' how big you think the sweater should be - believe your math! And the bigger you size up on your needles the more that puppy will grow when wet! Keeping your stitches smaller and tighter greatly reduces growth during blocking.  

All good knitting life lessons. 

I STILL have trouble believing my math. I have to fight the urge to 'eyeball' sizing as I go. I am ALWAYS thinking that the finished garment will be too small. And then I put in scrap yarn, take it off the needles, and test fit it.... and it's REALLY BIG! What is it with me and thinking everything looks small??? Weird. But now I know that about myself, so I just go with it and hope for the best. And you know when it turns out pretty darn perfect?? When I  - TRUST - THE - MATH! Crazy notion, huh? 

So to return to the Petal Sweater... right now it fits... but snug. So I am thinking after washing and blocking it should be perfect? I'm taking a deep breath and taking the plunge... or rather IT is taking the plunge! :) Happy Blocking To All! 

So here we are, halfway through summer already. Time is FLYING by. I cannot believe that it has been so long since my last post. Feels like it was a week ago! 

But here's the good news... I have been working, working, working and am also HALFWAY done with a new design! So here is a little preview for you:

I'm working with another wonderful Madelinetosh yarn - Tosh Sock. In color Georgia O'Keefe. Which unfortunately is no longer on their color list per the Madelinetosh website... but you can still find skeins at other online (and I'm sure local) yarn shops. 

I love the colorway - it's a great balance of light and dark with lovely green/blue hues. I have been a little obsessed with blues lately and have several more blue toned yarns waiting to be designed. Sorry! I'll try to branch out more on my color choices! :)

So for the gorgeous sock yarn, I decided to make a soft and feminine sweater. Tailored through the bodice and waist to softly flow out through the hips for a little swing. I added in a 'petal' type detailing that is both feminine and modern. Soft petal shapes but in a rather straightforward and modern form. 

Worked from the bottom hem up, you're looking at the hemline here and my needles are approximately at armhole level. So these are not dainty little petals, but large and very graphically based designs. 

My plan is to fashion the top as a yoke with the hemline repeated at the bottom of the yoke and the petals pointing up to the neckline. Simple, modern, and fun. That's my goal! I am also planning this as a two-for-one design. I started designing this as a short sleeved sweater (ending at the bottom of the yoke for little cap style sleeves). However, if I have enough yarn!, I'd like to also design and give instructions for optional sleeves. Yippee! I love designs that give me options!

I will continue to plow away at this one in all my free (hahahaha) time this summer! You might want to send me some good thoughts through the internet! Wish me speedy needles and quiet afternoons! ;) 

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! 

Dandelions are growing... and not just in my yard! But this is a GOOD dandelion. As in the lovely little yarn from Madelinetosh. YUMMY! 

A sweet little fingering weight yarn, Dandelion mixes soft merino with 10% fine linen to make a super spring/summer yarn. Working with it for the first time, I am loving the light and airy quality to the yarn. Definitely feels like something I would like to wear when it is warm and spring-y outside! The drape is already really nice and nothing has been blocked yet! I'm super excited to see how it goes with the blocking process and how the final garment fits/drapes. It's always an experiment to me! 

I have a vision for the straps/top portion. Buuuuut have never done anything like it before. So I'm flying blind here people. Which is why I'm not telling you what it is. Let's just wait and see if I can make it work first! :) 

So here's the Dandelion label for you all to check out:

Like I said... I love it. As far as reviewing it goes... many thumbs up! But I am reserving final thoughts until after it is blocked! Which I am betting will just make it better and better!

It's coming along! I have pieced the front and back together. And done one sleeve. HOWEVER, after piecing and trying it on... I really love it 'short sleeved' too! So I thought I would take some photos 'sans sleeves' and put the option on the pattern. To sleeve or not to sleeve. That is the question! 

I now have one sleeve on (and love it that way too, fyi). I am doing ribbed 3/4 length sleeves. I wanted the entire piece to stay 'light'. So even though it is warm enough to wear any time.... it doesn't have a bulky winter feel to it. I like that for this piece. 

I am working on the second sleeve. But the funny thing is... I'm going to finish it, photo it, and then rip those sleeves right back off! haha! Waste of effort? Yes. BUT it's starting to be Spring here, and I love it short sleeved for this time of year. So, yeah, gonna do it. And wear it. And love it! 

OH and you are wondering about the poncho part right??? Looks like a normal top in the first photo doesn't it? Here's a second little sneak peak for you......