Berroco Portfolio Vol 5.

I was honored when I was invited to submit designs for Berroco's fifth Portfolio Collection. Berroco's independent designer collection, previous Portfolio, have included a number of my favorite design pals, including Jesie Ostermiller, Allison Jane and Beatrice Perron Dahlen - as well as biggies like Norah Gaughan. 

Each Portfolio highlights a different yarn collection and the prompt for my go-around was to show off the versatility of Berroco Remix and Berroco Remix Light. Remix is machine-washable, wool-free yarns are recycled from garment industry pre-consumer waste. I've used a fair number of recycled yarsn before, both in personal knitting and design work, and I have to say that Remix light (used in both patterns above) is my favorite I've used. It's not splitty, but has a nice tweedy texture and is lighter and more stretchy than most yarns with a high cotton content (it's 30% Nylon, 27% Cotton, 24% Acrylic, 10% Silk, 9% Linen, if you're curious). All of this makes it perfect for spring/summer knits. 

My two contributions to the collection are the Lake Arrowhead Tee, a knit-in-the-round tunic with an allover lace pattern and the Amber Waves Shawl, a cleverly designed triangular shawl knitting pattern, that begins at one tip and is worked sideways with an traveling charted stitch pattern to mimic waves of wheat on the plains. 

You get a lot of bang for your buck from these yarns too. The largest size of the tee (55 1/2 inch bust) only requires three balls and the shawl blocks out to over 7 feet long, but uses less than two!

The patterns are available individually for $6 USD each, or as part of a 15-pattern ebook or pamphlet for $17.95. 

Lake Arrowhead Tee

Ravelry | Berroco

Amber Waves Shawl

Ravelry | Berroco

Portfolio Vol 5 Collection

Ravelry | In stores

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Planting Seeds for WILDFLOWER

The WOODLAND collection came together as a collection more or less by accident. I had a few designs I wanted to do and as I was working on them, I realized that they had a similar theme, so I decided to go with the flow. That said, I quickly learned that I liked working in the collection format - even if it mean photographing a half dozen things in about 45 minutes. So when I starting thing about where I wanted to go with my design work, doing more in the collection format immediately sprung to the top of list. 

And so, in December, I started thinking Spring. 

WILDFLOWER seemed like a good good follow up to woodland theme, so I started gathering images and thinking about what the collection would be. I also knew I wanted my work to be more collaborative this year, so I'm partnering with indie dyers NabiWoolStudio and RedSockBlueSock for two of the knitwear designs. At this point, all the planning stuff is pretty much done and I'm deep in pattern writing and sample making. There will be three new knitwear designs and three embroidery hoops and it's all going to be so pretty!

So wish me luck as I furiously stitch and try to find a spring-esque photoshoot location in Maine in Feb/March!

Inspiration images from top to bottom:

• Andrew Wyeth's Around the Corner
• Old farmer sowing seeds from traditional apron, Hilltown, Co. Down, 1970s, Bobbie Hanvey, photographer.

• "Miss Rumphius" by Barbara Cooney

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Introducing Souviens

Did you ever have one of the experiences that just stuck with you, in a good way? This past summer's trip to Quebec City, remains one of the best trips I've ever taken and the whole household talks about it constantly - making the Quebec motto of Je me souviens -  I remember - very appropriate.

This cowl/stole pattern is a tribute to that great city, and features a lace version of the Fleur di Lis so prominent on the province flag. The large scale lace pattern is backed with a no-sew lining, to provide extra warmth and a (subtle or bold) pop of color. The stole version also provides instructions for adding a drawstring, so it can be worn around the shoulders as shown, or cinched up into a big cowl. 

The samples shown are both knit in Coop Knit's Socks Yeah, a favorite yarn of mine for its color palette, texture, and affordability.  Souviens is available as a PDF pattern, a 2-skein cowl kit or 4-skein stole kit in three different colorways. 

The pattern can be purchased for $6 USD via the following:

Ms. Cleaver Shop | Ravelry | LoveKnitting

Share what you've made!

Use #mscleavercreations and/or tag me @mscleaver on Instagram!

Souviens Cowl/Stole Kits

from $28.00

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Introducing Sprout & Flutter

Sometimes, it's fun just to play - and for me as a designer, designing a hat is like play - after all, sometimes you need a sample you can knit up in under a week! 

The product of my early winter play is this pair of hats  - Sprout (blues) and Flutter (purple/pink). Both hats use simple construction and contrasting colors to play up fun-to-work stitch patterns that use slips and wraps to create texture. Quince & Co's Phoebe yarn, used in the samples, has a lovely kettle-dyed quality that lends extra depth to the colors. 

The samples were designed to be a closely-fit beanie/toque,  but instructions are included for making your version a more slouchy, as desired. I would have loved to have some "on-head" photos, but Little Miss Cleaver has definitively told me, "Mama, no pictures." But she's consistently wearing Flutter, and that's a win in my book, so I'm not complaining.

I'd also like to put out a special thank you to Patti, Katie, Maryellen, Jessi and Jodi for their feedback!

The PDF Pattern contains both designs (for the price of one!), and is sized from newborn to adult large.

The pattern can be purchased for $6 USD via the following:

Ms. Cleaver Shop | Ravelry | LoveKnitting

Share what you've made!

Use #mscleavercreations and/or tag me @mscleaver on Instagram!

Sprout & Flutter -PDF Pattern

$6.00

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Winter Warm Up Sale!

It's blizzard conditions here in Maine today, but even so, I'm focused on spring. At least design-wise, that is.

I'm hard at work pulling together my spring collection; WILDFLOWER, which means I could use some more space in the "Studio"/spare bedroom - so I've put a bunch of my winter kits, patterns, samples, and more on sale in the shop.  The items listed here are just a handful of the sale goods, so be sure to look around before the end of the sale on January 12th. And if you're more of a Ravelry person, all the WOODLAND patterns are 20% off for the same period, no code needed.

I get some space and you get some cozy knits for the long stretch of winter still to come. WIn-win!!

Felt Ornament Kit - Pink, Blue and Green

$23.00

Ice Skater - Complete Kit

from $9.00

Getting in the Holiday Spirit

This weekend I had a little fun with some sheep ornaments I was making. I hope it brings a little holiday joy to you too.

You can also pick up one of these little guys in the shop for your own tree!

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Indie Design Gift Along 2017 - Shawls & Cowls

It's GIft Along Time again! 

Every year a growing group of independent knitwear designs band together on Ravelry to host a knit-along to kick start your holiday gift knitting! 

This year there are 311 designers from 31 countries and 6 continents, with over 18,150 patterns eligible for the giftalong's 2,000+ prizes.

From now until midnight EST on Nov 28, over 5,000 of those patterns are 25% off with the code giftalong2017

But 5,000 patterns is a lot to look through, so over the next few days, I'll be highlighting some of my personal favorites from the offerings - today I'm wrapping up my list of favs with shawls and cowls.

Clicking on any photo above will take you to an individual pattern page, or you can see all my Gift Along favorites on Ravelry here. 

I've got 16 patterns in the sale,  including two sweaters.  

As an added bonus, all kits on MsCleaver.com are also 25% off for the same time/same code. - ENDING TONIGHT!

Happy gifting!!

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Indie Design Gift Along 2017 - Socks & Hats

It's GIft Along Time again! 

Every year a growing group of independent knitwear designs band together on Ravelry to host a knit-along to kick start your holiday gift knitting! 

This year there are 311 designers from 31 countries and 6 continents, with over 18,150 patterns eligible for the giftalong's 2,000+ prizes.

From now until midnight EST on Nov 28, over 5,000 of those patterns are 25% off with the code giftalong2017

But 5,000 patterns is a lot to look through, so over the next few days, I'll be highlighting some of my personal favorites from the offerings - today we'll be looking at those most gift-able of knits, Hats & Socks.

Clicking on any photo above will take you to an individual pattern page, or you can see all my Gift Along favorites on Ravelry here. 

I've got 16 patterns in the sale,  including two sweaters.  As an added bonus, all kits on MsCleaver.com are also 25% off for the same time/same code.

Happy gifting!!

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Indie Design Gift Along 2017 - Women's Sweaters

It's GIft Along Time again! 

Every year a growing group of independent knitwear designs band together on Ravelry to host a knit-along to kick start your holiday gift knitting! 

This year there are 311 designers from 31 countries and 6 continents, with over 18,150 patterns eligible for the giftalong's 2,000+ prizes.

From now until midnight EST on Nov 28, over 5,000 of those patterns are 25% off with the code giftalong2017

But 5,000 patterns is a lot to look through, so over the next few days, I'll be highlighting some of my personal favorites from the offerings - starting with Women's Sweaters.

Clicking on any photo above will take you to an individual pattern page, or you can see all my Gift Along favorites on Ravelry here. 

I've got 16 patterns in the sale,  including two sweaters.  As an added bonus, all kits on MsCleaver.com are also 25% off for the same time/same code.

Happy gifting!!

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Transferring Embroidery Patterns to Opaque Fabric

Generally, when it comes to transferring a printed pattern on to fabric for embroidery, my favorite (easy and cheap) method is to tape it to a window and trace.  But what do you do if you can't see through the fabric, even with a window/light box? 

Enter tracing paper. 

A pretty common notion in the sewing world, my mother taught me to mark my sewing fabric with tracing paper and a jagged edged wheel. For transferring embroidery designs, we'll skip the transfer wheel and use a pen, pencil or stylus to do pretty much the same thing.

Transferring an Embroidery Pattern to Opaque Fabric

To transfer an image to opaque fabric you will need the following:

• Fabric
• Embroidery design printed to appropriate scale and facing the finished direction
• Single-sided transfer/tracing paper in a contrast color (I used double-sided here, because it's what I had on hand. In a pinch, you could rub a piece of chalk generously across a sheet of paper and use that.)
• A pen, dull pencil, or stylus. Something with a decent point to get details, but not so pointy you poke through the paper.
• Chalk pencil or water-soluble pen (optional)

1. Sandwich the transfer paper, chalk side down, between the fabric.
2. Trace over the pattern using your pen, pressing firmly and going over each line several times as needed to make a clean mark. 
3. Remove pattern and transfer paper.
4. The chalk marks can be very light and easy to brush off - if desired, trace over your marks with a chalk pencil or water-soluble marker for a more clear line.

That's it! Easy-peasy, right? 

Felt Ornament Kit - Pink, Blue and Green

$23.00

Felt Ornament PDF Pattern

$5.00

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