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 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
0 Comments
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!
Spring cleaning is upon us. And that goes for projects too! I have about a dozen unfinished projects lurking around. And now that I am done with the Dandelion Tank Top -- name to be determined -- I am focused on finishing up these projects. In one way or another. Even if it just means frogging the whole thing and re-winding the yarn! In the above photo (from bottom up) we have 1. a baby blanket 2. a hooded cowl with cables 3. a regular cowl with cables and 4. a crochet shawl/scarf I also have these sweaters to finish and/or write the patterns for: AND I have several other projects in various stages. But they are seriously SO OLD that I only sorta count them.... there's a purse, a kid's sweater, a laceweight top, a short sleeve sweater... and I'm probably forgetting something!
So yes, all this is to show you how absolutely HORRIBLE I am at staying on top of things! ;) But I am determined and I WILL get this in order. And hopefully have lots of new patterns coming very quickly as I work my way through these! Plus, I have now shown you all my dark little secrets - so you have to keep me accountable! If there is one that you are particularly interested in... let me know and I'll try to fast track that one to the finish! Also I am writing the pattern now for the Dandelion tank top and will be doing the photo shoot soon too. Keep an eye out for that one. This is the perfect time of year to make a nice lightweight linen blend tank for the summer! Remember this photo??? Yeah... well I got even farther than that. I had the entire back done and only needed to do the front yoke/straps. When I realized that something I had done at the armholes didn't work out. Sooo I would need to tear it back (frog it) all the way back to there. WELLLLLL.... then there was the little matter of not liking how I had set up the seam. Meaning there was one. When really I'd rather it just be in the round to begin with. Now the question became... to frog it ALL or just back to the armholes? Keep in mind this is fingering weight yarn. And Many Many Many hours of work. I wrestled with the decision for about 2 hours before I finally started over. From the beginning. Grrrr! But better to do it right than half way. Especially since I am making a pattern for all of you lovelies. So you are welcome. :) haha. Now it looks like this: OH and I'm a moron by the way. As if all that frogging wasn't bad enough. I got a pretty good way into the new knitting and realized I had placed the end of the round at center back. Not where I had wanted it at the side 'seam'. Soooo yeah. Frogging AGAIN. Here's how much I had to frog for a SECOND time: Good times people. Good times.
And it's a good thing that I have extreme faith that this design will be (eventually) totally killer. At this point, it better be or I will cry over how many hours I have put into this one! All because of my own lack of attention for the most part. Sigh. I gotta work on that! ;) So enjoy my mistakes and make yourself feel better for all those times you maybe had to do it too. We ALL do it! That's why F-R-O-G is a four letter word! Lambie is done! She's actually been done for a few days but I'm just now getting back to the computer to post it. It took me two and a half days to make the lamb.... because I crocheted for about 5-7 hours a day! Yeahhhhhh.... I have a problem ... maybe there's a help group?! haha! My little one loves it... and started playing with it long before I was finished with it! My favorite moment was when the lamb was all done except the eyes. I was rooting through my odds and ends to find some suitable black yarn... when daughter walks in with Lambie. She was wobbling it around, bouncing it off furniture, and shouting "I can't see! I have no eyes! Aaaaaaahhhhhh!!!" I thoroughly enjoyed this little break from my own designs. I didn't have to think! It was really fun to just follow the directions and BAM super cute toy! Plus daughter was so happy that I was making her something for once! ;) She even helped stuff the arms! I know I raved about this pattern before I even made it... and that was just based on the cuteness of the toy! But now I can say without a shadow of a doubt that this is a great toy to make. The directions are very thorough and with beautiful instructional photos throughout. I think the pattern cost a little over $6 once converted from euros to dollars. So worth it to me! If you have a special little one this is a great pick. Lambie is very social and already making lots of new friends... here's one now: Yes, Lambie is already a very special part of the family and is found throughout the house - she's lounging on my bed at this very moment. Daughter carries her around everywhere and Lambie hasn't missed being the bedtime favorite yet! I say that is a success!
Once again, I'm side tracked from the real work at hand. No wonder I like to work at home - it's the only place I can get away with that! A sweet little lamb got me this time. So there I was minding my own business when -BAM- a cute little crocheted lamb is staring at me. From the screen of my computer of course. I was instantly in love. Which honestly doesn't happen that often. I had to click through to see what was going on with this little guy. It was actually an Etsy store that was selling the pre-made toys but luckily she gave credit where it was due and I clicked on through to the designer of the pattern! Yea!! The pattern designer is Lalylala. You can find her HERE on Ravelry. Or HERE for her .com store. You should click one of those links... her toys are SO FREAKIN' CUTE! I had a moment where I couldn't decide which I liked best...but then that little lamb called out to me again and I was a goner. And now here I am making a lamb doll for my daughter. When I should be finishing MY design to get a new pattern out. Dang. But look at this cuteness and tell me that I had any chance of resisting?? I picked out some stash yarn for the project. This is Morehouse Farms 100% merino wool. It's also worsted weight when the pattern calls for fingering weight. So my little lambie will be a larger little lambie. Which I'm totally down with since... hello... bigger lamb to squish and hug?? Yes please!! After two hours of working... (accented by hollering at children to stop their bickering...ha!) here is what I have so far: Basically I have the legs and butt done. :) Which is incidentally the shortest part of the figure... so yeah... this is going to take awhile. Although the arms and head should go faster since they are just single crochet. The dang bobbles on the body take awhile. But look SO cute. Totally worth it.
Wish me speedy crocheting so that I can get back to what I NEED to be doing! As a designer, what I find hard is writing the instructions. SURE I can make anything you want... but I may do it in a way that would be utterly confusing to try to write out. You all would sure hate me when my pattern read - 'just knit til it looks right'. haha! I know that a lot of designers have 'stock' patterns that they design off of. Such as all their cardigans are constructed the same and they just design new stitch patterns on it. I've seen it a lot. And they sell well! Completely cool with all that... but I design each garment from the ground up. Now I'm not saying in 10 years I won't be designing off of a previous construction. But for now all garments are uniquely their own. Which happens to take a HECK of a lot longer to do. It's kinda like re-inventing the wheel each and every time! So maybe I'm just not smart? Distinct possibility! ;) So back to the writing of patterns... it's hard people! Just look at that mess in the photos! Much writing/rewriting/rewriting. I started using different colored pens! And then there are so many variables of how you all like to read patterns. I am a written out type girl - but lots of you like to work from charts. I might too... but honestly have never tried! I should probably do that. Maybe I would be a convert? It sure would make writing the patterns A LOT easier in some instances. So, to chart or not to chart? Or do both? If you have never written a pattern before you should know that it is time intensive! Especially if you have multiple sizes! *GASP* MATH! Not even close to my strong suit!
And then of course as soon as you get all of the hours done to put the pattern together, someone finds something wrong with it. (hopefully only one something!) And then you feel like an idiot for missing it. And they typically think you are an idiot for making a mistake! I have to tell you one of my greatest joys in this business is reading a well written, POLITE email from someone who found a mistake. THANK YOU!!!! I'm human. It happens. So all you lovely knitters and crocheters out there, just remember - we love what we do as designers and we try really, really hard to do it well. But mistakes happen. Be nice! :) I have to admit that I always have a little lump in my throat when I publish a pattern. There's always that little thought in the back of your head saying 'is there something wrong with it?' and of course the rational side says 'we checked it a gazillion times chill out woman!' But it's all so worth it when people like your designs. To see hearts go up for it! To get purchases! What a thrill! I truly LOVE what I do. I feel like the luckiest person in the whole world to get to live my life. It's not fancy, but it's fun and I love it. 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! Look at those colors!!! And the fun little linen hairs whisping out this way and that! Love it! Originally I was going for a tank top that was super girlie - maybe lace trim around the bottom, etc. BUT the yarn took me in a different direction. The variegation of the colors is SO lovely and dare I say 'busy'? that I just didn't want anything too much to conflict with that. Now it has gone in a very modern/urban style with garter stitch as the 'decoration' and flat stockinette over the body. 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!
While on my road trip, I had the chance to stop into a little yarn shop in Abilene, TX called Yarnies. SO CUTE!!! The shop is great... but I am a little miffed... since I used to live there and there was NO local yarn shop THEN! Boo! :( But it's super great that she's opened up shop for all the wonderful knitters/crocheters in the area. As I walked in, the owner, Linda Nygaard, was at a table in the back teaching knitting to two lovely ladies. She was very sweet and from what I heard - a great instructor. I got to visit with her for a bit and she is as sweet and welcoming as her shop. Linda also let me know about all the special events that she has for her customers. Including trips to the wineries - to taste, knit and chat! - reopening late in the evening for wine and knitting - and opportunities at any time to come and join in the instruction around the table! I'm sure there was much more that I am forgetting! She is building a really nice yarn community there in Abilene! I wish I stilled lived there so I could join in! :) Linda has a great selection of yarns and it's a fun store to browse through. Open, airy and light. You should stop by if you are in town or even close to the area! And if you live there?? YOU should definitely go join in the activities! Of course I couldn't resist buying some yarn while there. That I totally didn't need. But yarn calls to me and I especially like supporting the LYS while I am there. I bought a skein of Blue Heron Yarns Bamboo Lace. I haven't worked with any Blue Heron Yarns... so thought this would be a fun one to play with. I couldn't resist it's soft bamboo-ness. Yep... that's a word! haha. I also LOVED the colorway - it's so subtle. I typically don't work with laceweight yarns because it takes FOREVER for make anything. I know... I'm horrible...but I like the instant gratification of larger yarns! But this one was special and so I made an exception. I am envisioning something drapey and light for summer. Tank? Probably. I have no idea when I'll get to this little beauty... but wanted to show it off while telling you about Yarnies. So you'll be seeing it again SOMETIME in the future...
Interested in stopping by Yarnies?? Here's all the info that you need: Website: www.yarniestexas.com Address: 2506 S. 7th Street Abilene, Texas 79602 Phone: 325-455-5463 Owners: Linda and Rick Nygaard If you stop by, let Linda know I sent you! Do you have a LYS that you just love? Share in the comments section - Anaid readers live everywhere and maybe we'll learn of a new fabulous place! Let us know where you shop, knit, and chat! :) And I'm back! Wow... crazy time to have left my computer for the last few days! I am BLOWN AWAY by the outpouring of love for the Vintage Swoncho pattern. THANK YOU! I cannot even explain how much that means to a designer. And I am just thrilled at all the new subscribers that have joined us here at Anaid Designs! Wow. So not only was my vacation spectacular... my whole week was made even better by you guys! :)
I believe that I have caught up with my new subscribers and sent a freebie code to each of you. However, if I somehow missed you... message me and I'll get that to you immediately! Did I mention that the vacation was great??? Oh I did?? OK... Luckily I am not your great aunt and won't bore you into a coma with photos! ;) But it was just what I needed - and my whole little family too - we are all rejuvenated and ready to be back to 'real life'. I feel like I always have approximately a thousand design ideas in my head. Seriously. How can I knit faster??? But now that I have been away from it all... I am seriously overwhelmed by all that I want to do. Husband and I spent hours on the road trip talking about all things Anaid and what I would like to do/ could do to move my little company forward. SO MANY great ideas! Husband is amazing at thinking waaaaaay out of the box. Usually into the realm of me saying 'there's no way!' But every once in awhile he makes me think big too and then I get all giddy! I'm not sure which of these ideas will come to life in the months and years to come. But I am super excited and trust me... Anaid Designs is going places. Big places. And maybe it'll be scary and maybe it'll be shocking, but I know that it will be amazing! Watch out! I'm so thrilled that you guys are all here at the very beginning and one day (hopefully not too long into the future) you'll be able to say 'I was there when she was just starting!'. That's my hope and dream! So yes, I am back from vacation. But more importantly I am BACK at Anaid and ready to move forward! What fun we will have! |
AuthorDesigner, mom, wife, lover of all things handmade. Yarn addict. Yoga enthusiast. Archives
November 2016
Categories
All
|