Pattern Release: Trespassers William

Now, Piglet lived in a very grand house in the middle of a beech tree in the middle of the forest - and Piglet loved it. The house had been in the family for a long long time and had his grandfather's name on a broken sign to prove it: TRESPASSERS WILL.

"That," Piglet would explain, "is short for TRESPASSERS WILLIAM, my grandfather's name."

from "Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day." Walt Disney's Winnie the Pooh Storybook. 1989.

  

On my coffee table, there is a book: red and fraying at the corners, the embossed design of the cover worn down to a scattering of gold flecks. The image that's left is half of Winnie the Pooh, seated, with one golden finger suspended in the air. The other half - whatever he was holding in one chubby hand, and the rest of his face - are blotted out by a water stain.

There are twin mysteries there: what, exactly, did the Silly Old Bear's face used to look like? And what on earth did I spill on it back in 1991, when I was three and my favorite pastime was stealing crumbs of cheese from the family refrigerator?

(The first question is easy enough to address with a quick Google search. As for the second, the world may never know.)

What I do know is that from ages 3 to 8 or so, the Winnie the Pooh Storybook was my literary comfort food.

When I listened to - and later, read - the words, I was reminded of the forest outside my back door: I felt the sun through the trees; heard the singing of water and the hush of pine needles beneath my feet. I knew the characters as I knew my friends, in all their habits and foibles and joy. And through their stories - of meeting new people, overcoming fear, and practicing kindness in small ways - I learned how to be a person.

All of that from a red, water-stained book - which is why, over two decades later, it still sits on my coffee table.

 

And so, this week I'm very excited to release Trespassers William, a collaboration with my friend Kenneth of The Homestead Hobbyist, featuring his beautiful yarn and inspired by my childhood love of Winnie the Pooh.

I hope you love it too.

You can check out the pattern on Ravelry here, or purchase directly below.

Happy Wednesday, friends. <3

Cory

Moar Teaching, and an FO Too: Lelia Mitts!

A quick note for Seattle-local folks - I'll be teaching the Lelia Mitts workshop locally, this upcoming Sunday at The Fiber Gallery! This workshop will be two weekend sessions, October 16th and 23rd, from 3-5 pm.

Interested in joining? Give the shop a call to sign up.

Materials requirements are listed on the Lelia Mitts Ravelry page; needles, Spincycle-y goodness and print copies of the pattern are all available at the shop. Hope to see some of y'all there! <3

 - and now, onto the post!

  

Oh hai there, friends! It's been a while, hasn't it? The fall season has arrived - and with it, a plethora of fiber festivals, classes, and other flagrant knit-wearing opportunities. I have to admit that my brain is a little scrambled from all the fun, as well as with preparations for this year's Knit Fit!, where I'll be a vendor.

I'm hoping to come back to the blog a bit more than I have for the last six months - I've really been missing it, and you all!

In the meantime, here's my most recent pair of Lelia Mitts. I've been jamming hard on orange and turquoise lately, and these mitts are a prime example of that.

I worked them up in three yarns: Swans' Island All-American Collection Sport, a delightfully crunchy domestically-produced Rambouillet yarn, as my main color; and a skein of Spincycle Yarns Dyed in the Wool - which was a special edition color, and a little skinnier than its usual sport weight - held double with Jade Sapphire 2-ply Cashmere, as my contrast color.

Dreamy, right?

More details are on my project page on Ravelry, over hmeah.

Happy fall, friends, and happy Tuesday!

<3
Cory

Fighting the Ick: Bubbles & Brights

  

One of the biggest dangers I've faced as I work towards designing full-time is the trap of thinking that creative self-care isn't work.

I've dropped into post-creative depression enough times that I should know better, but still, there it is: one day, when the work is finally out in the world and I'm proud and excited and tired, I wake up and find out that my world has constricted to the size of a raisin.

Where did the light go, when the sun is right there? Why does the sight of dirty dishes in the sink make my heart flop around in my ribcage like a sack of wet garbage? And there's the guilt, too: the stern questioning of self, the rehashing of time-honored questions like, why-must-we-do-this-again and I-thought-we-were-done-with-this-fuckery?

At this point, I think I've finally come to a solution: I put on pants. I leave the house. I go for a walk, or look at plants, or browse the local vintage mall for cool stuff. I let it be okay that I'm not working-working.

And inevitably, it's the second that I let myself stop stressing out about the work for two minutes, that the joy of possibility comes back to me. I'll be anxious and stupid and on the verge of having a screaming match with my sofa - but hey, go look at some colorful teakettles and Hawaiian-print shirts and I'm suddenly a-bursting with ideas.

So this afternoon, instead of hyperventilating on the floor of my studio for an hour, I went over the Fremont Vintage Mall and searched for treasures, with the sole intent of not stressing out about work. I didn't buy anything (although I often do; it's one of my favorite places to find cool housewares) - I just wandered around and took pictures of the textures and colors that caught my eye.

And just like that, I feel better.

<3

Cory

PS. Thank you to everyone who has favorited and commented on my recent releases on Ravelry, Instagram, and the blog - it's been really exciting to work with such great companies and publications, and I'm looking forward to doing more of it in the future! (I just gotta focus and make time to look at kitschy lamps and flamingo-shaped jewelry boxes too...)

<3<3<3

Pattern Release: Lelia Hat

  

Way back when I was still in design school, I sketched a cute little hat with a coffee bean pattern on it, and was positively smitten with the idea of it.

Fast forward a couple of years, and that same motif kept on coming up in my sketchbook, again and again. So when I volunteered to work up a design for the Fiber Gallery at Madrona this last year, I was super delighted to find the right balance of yarn and design to finally make the idea come to life, in the form of the Lelia Mitts.

But in my head, Lelia was always meant to be a hat, too. So I put that idea in the back of my noggin for a second while I finished up some other projects, thinking that I'd get back to it as soon as they were finished.

And thennnnnn we got a puppy. (Good-bye, free time! Hello, adorable poop-troll!)

But once the Corgmonster had finally settled in a bit more, and learned important commands like "sit," stay," and "holy crackers, dog, don't put that in your mouth" - a constant work in progress, let's be real -  the Lelia Hat seemed like a great way to get back to it.

Knit up in the same yarns and colorways as the Lelia Mitts, with the same gorgeous color changes of Dyed in the Wool, this hat was like a little potato chip of happiness coming off my needles.

And today, the Lelia Hat pattern is finally ready for its debut! Hooray!

It's available for download for $5.00, or you can check out the details on Ravelry on the Lelia Hat pattern page.

Happy Tuesday, friends!

<3
c.

Design Notebook: Academy Collar

  

Lately I've been working through a major backlog of projects, and whenever that happens I get the impulse to make and finish something really quickly. I've had the materials for this collar for over a year, but I kept on putting it off because it's a silly personal project, rather than one for work. I finally started it last weekend on a whim, and now that I've taken the time to knit it up, I'm so happy with it!

I've made a few of these collars before, but this one is particularly special. I knit the body in a mohair/wool/nylon blend bouclé held double, with an additional strand of Trendsetter Luna in a shimmery rainbow-silver color. Once that was finished, Lumberjack had the brilliant idea to work an edging on just three sides of the collar, just to spiff it up a little.

I decided to use just one strand of the Luna, which is a novelty yarn with teeny sequins attached to it. It was a pain to knit the i-cord, since the yarn is basically polyester thread - but the final effect is delicate and shimmering, a fine detail next to the richly textured collar fabric.

Since the gauge of the collar and the i-cord are so different, I worked the cord separately and sewed it on using a strand of laceweight alpaca/wool, which blends in perfectly. Overall, it was super fiddly and a bit time-consuming, but I'm so pleased with the end result that I don't even mind. I'm sure I'll be making more soon enough!

More details are on Ravelry here.

Happy Thursday, friends!

<3

Cory

Pattern Release: Lelia Mitts

On Christmas day, 1899, my great-grandmother Lelia Rieth was given a book of poetry by her father. It's a beautiful volume: the cover brown and textured, the title and spine embossed with flourishes, the edges of each page leafed in gold. My grandfather passed it on to me on my twelfth birthday, my name inscribed in his blocky engineer's handwriting below Lelia's. The dates between us spanning an entire century.

I never met my great-grandmother, but through that book and through stories of her life, I felt like I knew her. Even her name sounded singularly beautiful to me, not only because of its pleasing cadence, but also because of the strength of the person she was: her creative spirit, her resilience, her optimism.

Lelia, abandoned by her husband to raise her children alone during the Great Depression. Lelia, mother of two boys who went to war, and only one who came back. And yet, still: Lelia who sang opera. Lelia who painted. Lelia, who kept a book of Longfellow given to her by her Papa for her whole life.

Lelia, who looked at the world through eyes the color of mine.

And so, these are for her.

 

The pattern is available for download for $5.00, or you can check out the details on Ravelry on the Lelia pattern page.

Big thanks to my test knitter and tech editor, and to everyone who has shared their kind words about this design both in person and online. This one has been in my noggin for a long time, and I'm so happy to be able to share it with you! <3

Happy Friday, friends!

Cory

Sneak Peek: Lelia Mitts

  

Exciting news to share this week, friends! So, next week is the Madrona Fiber Arts retreat, which is always one of the highlights of my year - and this time, I have a new pattern that will be debuting just in time for the event, exclusively available in print at The Fiber Gallery booth.

Meet the Lelia Mitts!

Inspired by the patterns on vintage Pyrex dishes and named after my great-grandmother, they're a kicky little pattern featuring Spincycle Yarns Dyed in the Wool and Cascade 220 Sport. They're a quick, wearable project that will keep you delighted as the Dyed in the Wool gently shifts colors as you knit. (Fiber Gallery fans will be able to knit them up in our brand-spankin-new custom colorway from Spincycle, which will also debut at Madrona.)

Local folks can buy their copy of the Lelia Mitts at Madrona (or at the shop, post-Madrona) and non-local folks will be able to download the pattern on Ravelry starting March 11th, 2016.

I'll be working the Fiber Gallery booth at Madrona on Thursday, and I'll be hanging around the market on Saturday too - please do say hello! You'll recognize me by the Fluevogs and ridiculous outfit I am 100% likely to have on.

Happy Tuesday, friends!

<3

Cory

Spring 2016 KAL: Nusalong!

Hello, friends! Today, I'm excited to announce Nusalong! - a Spring-ish Knitalong for the Nusa cowl pattern. I had so much fun running last fall's Fireweed KAL that I figured, why not do it again?

Just like last time, I'll write a bit about choosing colors and working the different techniques from the cowl, it will be super chill, and we'll have some fun prizes of yarn and patterns to sweeten the deal!

So how 'bout those nitty-gritty details?

• Anyone can join!

• The pattern is available digitally in my Ravelry store, and if you use the code NUSALONG at checkout, you'll receive 15% off the pattern, valid from today until March 21st, 2016.

• Feel free to use yarn from your stash, or treat yourself to some new squishies from Three Fates Yarn! ETA: Enter the code NUSA1516 when you order aquae or aether singles in available colors on Etsy before February 14th, and you'll get 15% off your yarn. (The discount applies to your entire purchase, so it's a good time to refill the stash - and if you spend $100 after the discount, you'll get a free Three Fates Yarn bag. Sweet, thanks Stephania!)

• Hop on over to the Ravelry group and post in the Nusalong! Ravelry thread, or post to Instagram with #nusakal by 11:59 pm on Monday, February 22nd, and you'll be entered to win a free digital download of Cairn just for joining.

• I'll be giving away two copies of Cairn - one for Instagram, and one for Ravelry - so feel free to double-dip and enter both! I'll be announcing the winners on Friday, February 26th.

• We'll start knitting Monday, February 22nd, with a finish date of Friday, May 6th.

• Post your finished project on the Nusalong! FO thread on Ravelry by 11:59 pm on Friday, May 13th, and you'll be entered to win some super cool prizes, including yarn from Three Fates and patterns from my Ravelry store.

Allrighty, I think that's it! Onward, friends, and happy Wednesday!
<3
Cory

Pattern Release: Nusa

Seven years ago this month, I spent three weeks on an island off the coast of Bali, a place called Nusa Penida. In my time there, I helped chop a jackfruit; rode on the back of a motor bike down to the market to buy oil and shallots; ate stale sweet crackers on the front porch with an older woman who taught me to spin thread from slivers of cotton and giggled when I made mistakes, which was often. I listened to Junior Wells on a dying iPod and took naps on the couch while the rain rolled over the hills to the sea.

It remains one of the most beautiful and formative experiences of my life, one whose meaning I can barely touch with words. But what has stayed with me are the memories of heat and taste and color: the glint of the big silver diving platform in the harbor; the air so thick with moisture you could feel its weight on your skin like a cat; greens heavy with spices that made my whole chest ache with heat for hours afterward.

In the shorthand of my memory, Nusa Penida is turquoise and red and gold, a continue loop of land and water meeting - and so it seems fitting that my woolen Nusa should be composed of the same stuff. I hope it brings you a bit of sunlight too.

The pattern is available for download for $6.00, or you can check out the details on Ravelry on the Nusa pattern page.

Huge thanks to my test knitters, whose thoughtful feedback and gorgeous projects make my job a million times prettier and more fun. <3

Happy Wednesday, friends!

Cory

Stitchjones Design Challenge Part II: Styling Brights

For the second post in the Stitchjones Design Challenge series with Ariel and Noriko, we're all taking on the subject of styling brights. Color tends to have strong personal resonance with folks, and bright color in particular can be tricky to style. I'm always delighted when I see customers at the shop wearing bright, funky frames or colorful outfits, but I've also noticed that bright color can be a bit intimidating for those who'd like to try it, but aren't sure how to jump in.

My #1 piece of unsolicited advice for those folks is: if you open your heart up to color, it will love you back. It may sound silly, but I always find that open and heartfelt expression of self is radiant in any color, no matter what the rule books say about that shade of blue. Find the things that make your heart skip a beat, and wear them with joy.

But beyond that, what about actual styling? Well, for my own part, I love wearing color - the brighter the better - so I thought I'd share some of my favorite ways to bring color into an outfit. These are just a few things that have worked for me, so if you have any brilliant color matching secrets, please feel free to let me know in the comments!

 

Accent: Choose a neutral outfit and let strongly colored accessories be a focal point.

As I've streamlined my closet over the last six months, I've started noticing a major feature that was pretty surprising, considering my love of color: I wear a lot of black, white, and grey! Once I thought about it, though, it makes a ton of sense. When I start with a layer of neutral, it brings a bright accessory into focus without so much visual competition.

This method can be quite striking while still feeling sophisticated - I always feel so fancy when I wear all-black! - and it's super easy to do, since you don't have to coordinate your accessory with another color in the outfit.

Your neutral doesn't have to be black or grey, either, you can definitely do this with warmer browns and beiges, but the overall look may feel a bit softer.

  

Echo: Pick up a coordinating color within a print using accessories or layers.

I'm a sucker for prints, especially when they use a variety of different colors. This opens up all sorts of opportunities to play with more color in accessories and layers, since you can coordinate with a main color, or pick up on some of the subtler colors in the print. On the left, I coordinated with the coral in the side panels; on the right, with the teeny little dots of forest green in the bodice. Magic!

In general, I find this to be a great starting point for coordinating colors; if you liked the print enough to bring it into your closet, that means the designer did a good job putting those colors together, and that means you can and should totally bogart their color sense. You can also file away one of those color combinations for a future outfit.

It's also a way to wear colors that you might not normally like and/or find flattering. Love acid green but it makes you feel like wilted salad when you put it next to your face? Keep your eyes peeled for a cool print in a color that you jam with, with just a little bit of that challenging color you love. (This goes for variegated yarns, too.)

Or, y'know, put that color next to your face and rock the shit out of it anyways.

 

Soften: Add neutral accessories to balance color impact.

Sometimes your outfit is bold and bright on its own, and you want to complement it without going overboard. This is where neutral accessories come in for me - they're like little palate cleansers that you can add to balance out a strong color, unusual cut, or wild print.

To me, the beauty of a bold design element is not just in the thing itself, but also in its relationship with the world around it. In my photography style, that often means high-contrast color or juxtaposition of subject matter - a light color against a dark wall, or a structurally interesting piece against a soft, natural background - and in styling outfits, the same ideas apply, but you have the added element of texture to play with as well.

You can balance a fabric with a jagged print with a cashmere hat; a tailored dress with a light, voluminous mohair wrap; a chunky hat with a delicate lace blouse. All of them contain a relationship of contrast, which allows the eye to focus on the beauty of each element without getting overwhelmed by similarity.

-----------

Thanks for reading, friends! Ariel and Noriko's posts are listed below under Part II, and I hope you'll pop over and check them out.

Stitchjones Design Challenge

Part I: Interviews with Stitchjones

Ariel

Noriko

Cory

Part II: Styling Brights

Ariel

Noriko

Happy Wednesday!
<3
Cory

Rain & Wool

  

Today the rain is coming down in soft sheets. Beading up on car windows, turning the red brick to brilliant orange. Everything becomes more luminous in the rain, its symmetry more apparent, as if preserved in glass or viewed through a kaleidoscope. It's the kind of rain that will soak your bones in a few minutes flat, if you stand outside too long without a raincoat.

And so, inside, I play with wool. I had nearly forgotten about the charm of Shetland wool, its complex colors and crisp hand. How the colors blur together. How sticky and light it is, and yet how bound to the earth it feels. Its outcome is a secret for now, but I hope to start sharing some glimpses with you soon.

In the meantime, it's time to have a second cup of coffee and clean up last night's dishes, then to play Where's Waldo with the cat next door, whose sodden mug is probably lurking somewhere around my basement windows. Poor, cranky kitty. Serves you right for singing cat opera at 2 am outside my bedroom.

Happy Wednesday, friends.

<3

c.

Making Time for Fika

 

I first encountered the concept of fika on Karie Westermann's blog (which is an excellent read, by the way!) in the release post for her Fika shawl design. I've encountered the concept a surprising number of times since then - which actually makes some sense, considering that the neighborhood of Seattle where I live is heavily Scandinavian! In reality, I think fika has been around me this whole time, and it's just now that I'm noticing its presence.

And I've found that the more I learn about it, the more it resonates. Maybe because it gives a name to the quiet coffee-and-pastry breaks that I started taking in the late afternoon while I was working on my ballgown, and which I've continued in my everyday life since then, especially when I work from home. There's something that feels slow and nurturing about sitting down with a cup of coffee and staring out my picture window for a few minutes, giving myself the time and space to work through the questions of the day. As I've learned over time, taking a break can often be incredibly productive - especially when you've been fighting a problem that turns out to require a shift in thinking. And I like that fika gives a name to that moment.

Happy Wednesday, friends.

<3

Cory

KAL Announcement: Sweet Root

  

This week, The Fiber Gallery announced our fall schedule, which includes a sweater knitalong, and I'm so excited and proud to say that my design is the featured pattern! Say hello to Sweet Root, an almost-seamless cardigan with a tailored fit and an Estonian-style lace detail. This sweater has been my baby for the last few months, and I'm so excited to finally be able to share it with you!

For this design, I wanted the shape to be flattering to a variety of body shapes and sizes - and for the size range to reflect that as well - so I designed it with a range of sizes from 28" up to 60". The fit is tailored in the shoulders with optional waist shaping in the front, and straight shape in the back for an easy fit and swingy shape. The sleeves are knit on seamlessly using short rows, with a full shape and gently gathered cuff.

It's knit in Tracie Too from Imperial Yarn, which was the most wonderful, sproingy, crisp & wooly yarn to work with! I was really inspired by the color palette, which features sophisticated neutrals and colors, ideal for garments with a tailored feel.

Sweet Root will be available exclusively at the shop in early September, with a KAL kick-off date on September 19th from 4-6 pm.

Non-local folks will be able to download it starting in November. I'll be sure to keep you all posted as soon as it becomes available!

Happy weekend, friends!

<3

Cory