Evolution of my pattern template

My first pattern that I released for the public was the Criseyde Scarf. I designed it during a class at my then LYS and thought I might write more patterns but wasn't sure. So I used my limited graphic design skills, put together a layout, and posted the pattern on Ravelry.

Two years after that, I started designing more seriously and wanted to develop a better-looking layout. So as part of what I was looking for when I found my tech editor, I asked if she could help me come up with a pattern template. Because I used knitCompanion a lot, I wanted my pattern template to be super easy for someone to use in knitCompanion.

Almost a year later, I felt like I needed something else. Something to add some "oomph" to the layout. But I didn't really know what to do. So I left most of the layout as it was and added some colored boxes on the front page and rounded the edges of the pictures.

And then I saw what Elizabeth (from Stitch Definition) had done to the layout for the Gawain's Shield collection. It is so beautiful. I wanted that feeling for my individual patterns as well. I tried to do it myself. But I just couldn't come up with something that I was happy with. So I turned to Elizabeth and asked for her help. And she came up with a new pattern layout for me. When I saw it, I was amazed. It seemed so simple, yet she had paid attention to tiny details (such as echoing the circle in my logo) that really made the layout look amazing.

So updated all of my previous patterns with the new layout. I also took the time to polish some of my first patterns (no changes to the actual pattern but just a refinement of instructions or details here and there).

Here's a look at how my Criseyde Scarf pattern has evolved:

What do you think? Do you like the new layout?

One of the things I love most about it is that I'm now able to include the "story behind the name" section so the story that used to be available just on the Ravelry description is now on the pattern itself.

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The content in this post was first featured in my newsletter (August 20, 2015). If you'd like to keep up to date on my designs and yarn and receive content like this right in your email inbox, make sure to subscribe to my newsletter.

Behind the Scenes: The process of designing, test knitting

Some designers don't do test knitting--if you have a good tech editor, test knitting isn't truly needed. But I enjoy the test knitting process so for most patterns, I will do both tech editing and test knitting. But what does test knitting mean?

Basically, test knitters are volunteer knitters who get a copy of the pattern before it is released and are asked to make that project based upon exactly what is written down (so no alterations). If it's a pattern in multiple sizes, then generally the designer tries to find at least one test knitter per size. Sometimes test knitters are split into those who will follow the written instructions and those who will use charts, to make sure both ways of reading the pattern are covered.

As the test knitter works through the pattern, he or she alerts the designer to any problems or questions that come up. Sometimes it might be an error and sometimes it might just be that some wording is unclear. It's nice to have a range of levels of experience within the test knitter group to make sure the pattern instructions are written as well as possible for both beginning knitters and more experienced knitters.

Test knitters also are usually asked about their gauge, yarn usage, and finished object dimensions. That way the designer can check to make sure that what has been designed can be recreated, and if there are large discrepancies (such as every test knitter using twice as much yarn as the designer used), then the designer can try to figure out that issue before releasing the pattern to the public.

When the pattern is released, test knitters are asked to link their project pages to the pattern page. This is helpful for other knitters who might be interested in the pattern but might not want to be the first one to try out a pattern--since the test knitters have already completed some projects, the other knitters can be more confidant that the pattern will actually yield the intended object. (Because, as wonderful as self-publishing patterns can be, it does mean anyone can publish a pattern and sometimes those patterns aren't as polished as they could be, leaving knitters frustrated over the instructions.) Also, since most test knitters use a different yarn than the one used by the designer, it shows right away some other options for yarn selection.

Several of you on this mailing list have done test knitting for me (thank you!), but if you haven't done so and would be interested in testing my future patterns, please let me know. I do all of my test knits in my Ravelry group. (Here's an example of a previous test knit, for the Brangien Hat.) I have a list of people that I earburn whenever there is a new test and they get first shot at testing new patterns (spaces are limited and usually fill up pretty quickly). So if you'd like to be added to that earburn list, just send me a message, tell me your Ravelry name, and I'll add you to the list.

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The content in this post was first featured in my newsletter (July 20, 2015). If you'd like to keep up to date on my designs and yarn and receive content like this right in your email inbox, make sure to subscribe to my newsletter.

Behind the Scenes: The process of designing, photography

As a self-published designer, many of the roles of publishing a pattern fall on my shoulders unless I seek help. And at first, I didn't think that I needed help for photography. I invested in a good camera and tried to learn as much as possible about taking pictures, all about f-stops and aperture and whatnot, reading books and instructions online and even taking some Craftsy classes. Then I had to set up photo shoots, find a model (my sister graciously agreed to be my model) and work with her schedule, and then learn how to edit the photos afterwards. It's a whole separate job by itself, and I never imagined that as part of designing knitting patterns I would become a photographer, too!

And I felt like I hit a plateau after a while. Unless I really wanted to devote some serious time to it, I didn't see myself getting any better at the photography portions. And although my later photographs are better than my earlier attempts, quite frankly, it's not part of the process that I love. It's become quite a labor. So I thought about hiring a photographer, but that can get expensive fast.

Then Stitch Definition was created. I'm sure you've heard me mention this small business before. Anne runs the photography side of the business. She sets up photo shoots, has a professional photographer and models, styles the photos, and makes sure the photographer gets the needed shots. And because several designers are having pieces photographed at the same time, the cost for each photo shoot is split up among them, making it so much more affordable.

I sent off some of my earlier designs for new photos in May 2015. It is a little strange to see my designs on someone who is not my sister, but it feels good to know that I have this option for future designs. If I want to do the photography myself, I can. But if I'm not feeling up to it myself (like for the Gawain's Shield collection), I know where to go for help.

By the way, I'm not alone in struggling with photos for my patterns. In the Designers group on Ravelry, there's a thread for designers to post possible photographs and asking for opinions/votes on which photo to choose as the main photo (or whether to reshoot). I've learned a lot by reading through and participating in that thread

Here's one of my early pictures (actually my first photo shoot with my sister) with the Lyonet Hat. I picked the neighborhood playground as a location because our kids could play while we were taking pictures, but I didn't realize that there wasn't much shade there. And we met when the sun was pretty high overhead, which meant the lighting was not good. And there was no styling or set up. We just plopped the hat on my sister's head and that was it.

Here's one of the pictures from the new photo shoot (it's the same hat pattern; I just made a new sample in a different color). Although it's not perfect (the details of the hat aren't quite as clear as they could be--I have other shots of this hat with better details), the composition and styling are a bit more interesting.
Photo by JS Webb Photography.

 
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The content in this post was first featured in my newsletter (July 20, 2015). If you'd like to keep up to date on my designs and yarn and receive content like this right in your email inbox, make sure to subscribe to my newsletter.

Behind the Scenes: The process of designing, Tech Editing

 

A good tech editor is an absolute necessity

Have you ever tried to knit from a pattern and just have no idea what the designer is trying to explain? Have you checked your stitches over and over but still come up with a different number than what is in the pattern? Maybe it's not you. Maybe the pattern just isn't very well written and the pattern has some mistakes. That pattern has most likely not been tech edited.

After being frustrated by several patterns I've tried to knit, I've decided not to work on a pattern if it is clear that it hasn't been tech edited. I may be a little bit biased because my other job is as a copy editor, so I do believe in the value of editing. But tech editing for knitting patterns really is essential to make sure the pattern is as clear as possible so the knitter's experience doesn't end in frustration.

So what is a tech editor? A tech editor is someone who goes over the pattern and, in essence, knits it in her mind, checking to make sure all parts of the pattern make sense, as much information as possible is provided, and that all of the numbers work out. The tech editor does not actually knit the pattern (although I have heard of some who occasionally do quick swatches). Joeli of Joeli's Kitchen is a tech editor and also offers training courses for people who want to be tech editors. She's created a series of blog posts about tech editors; these posts do a great job explaining what tech editing is all about, so I'm going to let her describe what a tech editor does:

"A tech editor goes through a pattern top to bottom, line by line, checking for errors, inconsistencies, problems, better ways of writing things, and so on. They meticulously go through the pattern with a fine tooth comb; checking stitch counts, making sure the gauge gives the right measurements, looking at wording, looking for deviations from the style sheet." (from All About That Tech Editor -- the entire blog post is very educational, so I'd recommend clicking over there and reading her full post)

I've worked with three different tech editors and have had good experiences with all of them. They've helped me clear up my patterns and make them better so that you guys can have a better knitting experience.

Although it's not always clear if a pattern has been tech edited (I always add a thank you to my tech editor on my Ravelry pattern page), it's good to choose patterns to knit that have been through the tech editing process if you can. It doesn't mean that a pattern will be completely error free (tech editors are human after all), but it does mean that the pattern is in the best possible shape, which makes for much less frustration on your part when you sit down to knit.
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The content in this post was first featured in my newsletter (June 20, 2015). If you'd like to keep up to date on my designs and yarn and receive content like this right in your email inbox, make sure to subscribe to my newsletter.

Behind the Scenes: The process of designing, Yarn Selection and Knitting the Sample

Most of the time, I have picked out the yarn I want to use before I get too far into the process. For example, with the Astolat Shawl, I knew before I even started looking into stitch patterns that I wanted to use the madtosh sock in the brown color. Other times I might have a general idea that I want to use a certain weight of yarn or fiber content and then pick out the actual yarn (and color) once I have everything planned out.

I always think about the finished effect I want the object to have when I'm picking out the yarn. I knew, for example, that I wanted The Wife of Bath's Cowl to be a little more on the "sturdy" side since I envisioned large buttons on it and didn't want a super drapey yarn which wouldn't be able to hold up the buttons. So I picked Spud & Chloë Fine because it had a tighter twist and seemed to be able to hold up nicely. But with the Dorigen Cowl, I knew that I wanted drape and maybe a little bit of a fuzzy halo effect, so the Classic Elite Fresco, which contains alpaca and angora, really helped to create both the drape and halo I had envisioned.

Once I have the basic outline of the pattern and the yarn, I start my sample. These days, I knit using the knitCompanion app on my iPad rather than a paper pattern. So I convert my sample pattern to PDF format and set it up in knitCompanion. I'm able to add notes as I go in case I want to make any changes or find something that doesn't work as I'm working on the sample (and I usually have at least one change from the original).

I do try to make sure I keep notes while I'm knitting the sample, but there have been a couple of times when my notes are either pretty cryptic or I think "oh, I'll remember that" and don't make a note--and then I don't remember it after all! That can be pretty frustrating because I usually have to go back to the sample and either redo something (usually in a swatch) or try to figure out from the sample what I did. I have gotten a lot better about this so I'm experiencing much less frustration these days!

Once I finish knitting the sample, I block it and the gauge swatch (if I hadn't done that already), and take the measurements to add into the pattern. I flesh out the pattern, putting it into my pattern template, and make it as close to the finished product as possible. I take a couple of quick pictures, and then I send out a call for test knitters, which is one of the topics I'll discuss in an upcoming blog post.

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The content in this post was first featured in my newsletter (June 20, 2015). If you'd like to keep up to date on my designs and yarn and receive content like this right in your email inbox, make sure to subscribe to my newsletter.

Behind the Scenes: The process of designing, making charts

 I love graph paper these days. I have several different types of graph paper with different sized squares. I use it to play with stitch patterns and to layout how those stitches will work together in the actual design. I also go through a lot of pencil lead and erasers!

The picture above shows a sketch on graph paper for a shawl (or rather half of a triangular shawl--it gets repeated for the other half). With this sketch, one piece of graph paper wasn't enough to be able to get a good representation of the chart, so I had to tape multiple pieces of graph paper together. I remember spreading this out on my kitchen table and working on it there because my desk wasn't big enough!
Once I have a stitch pattern charted out on graph paper, I move to my computer and use my charting program to draw the chart. (I use StitchMastery, which I really like, but there are several other program options out there.) From there, I write up a quick set of instructions for the pattern, insert the charts, and start my sample knit.

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The content in this post was first featured in my newsletter (June 20, 2015). If you'd like to keep up to date on my designs and yarn and receive content like this right in your email inbox, make sure to subscribe to my newsletter.

Behind the Scenes: The process of designing, choosing stitch patterns

In this blog post, I wanted to share some of the behind-the-scenes things that happen during the process of designing a knitting pattern. Every designer is different, so this is specific to my process, but some parts are fairly common across the board.

I've made more swatches since I started designing than I ever have in the ten years I've been knitting. I swatch to try out stitch patterns, to figure out gauge, and to see if what I have in my head actually works in the knitting.

My knitting library has changed quite a bit in the past year or so. Although I still have quite a few books with patterns, my library now mostly consists of books about designing and stitch dictionaries.

I don't have just one way that I go about starting a design, but in general, I approach a design from one of two angles: either I have a stitch pattern that I fall in love with and then figure out what I want to use it for or I know that I want to knit an X (cowl, hat, shawl) and have a basic idea in mind for the stitch pattern so I either do some sketching or look through stitch dictionaries to figure out the details of the stitch pattern.

For example, with The Wife of Bath's Cowl, I knew I wanted to knit a cowl and I had an idea pop into my head: what if I added eyelets to cables? I did some sketching and charting, came up with an idea, and swatched it. I usually like to knit my cowls in the round, but I realized that for this particular stitch pattern, knitting in the round meant short repeats of the cable/eyelet pattern, and I thought it might be better to have the cables repeat the length of the cowl, which meant knitting it flat and then joining the ends. So then I had two choices: I could do a provisional cast on and graft the two ends together to create the cowl or I could use buttons, which is what I ultimately chose.

With the Dorigen Cowl, I found a stitch pattern I really liked and thought it would make a nice cowl. But when I swatched, I realized that the stitch pattern as given in the stitch dictionary wasn't quite "right" so I made a few alterations to it. And then I started the cowl. Something wasn't working and the stitch pattern wasn't showing up like in my swatch. So I frogged, made some adjustments, and started again. Still not right. Fortunately, the third time was the charm for this one and I was able to get through the sample and write up the pattern.

These days, I spend a lot of time flipping through stitch dictionaries and marking stitches that jump out at me. A few weeks later, I might go back through that dictionary and wonder what I was thinking when I marked X pattern as it no longer appeals to me! Other times I think, "oh yes, I remember really liking that one and I still do. I really must do something with it!" and it becomes the next thing I work on.

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The content in this post was first featured in my newsletter (June 20, 2015). If you'd like to keep up to date on my designs and yarn and receive content like this right in your email inbox, make sure to subscribe to my newsletter.

STITCHES Texas 2015

Last weekend, I was at STITCHES Texas, back in the very far corner in booth 124 with my patterns and yarn. This was the first time I've had a booth to myself (I've shared booth space with others before this), and there was a lot of preparation both of the yarn and of deciding how to set up my space. But overall, I'm happy with how my booth turned out, and it was so wonderful to be able to share my work with people who stopped by.

And one person came by wearing her version of my Wife of Bath's Cowl. It was so much fun to see one of my designs "in the wild." That is truly what I love most about designing--seeing what other people make with my patterns--so it was an amazing experience and one I hope to get to have again.

We got to set up on Wednesday and Thursday (with a market preview for the students on Thursday evening). I brought all but the yarn and patterns up on Wednesday.

Here's how I left my booth on Wednesday, with the grid walls and everything else set up.

I came back on Wednesday and added the yarn, samples, and patterns (and a rug).

Samples of my self-striping sock yarn were at the front of the booth.

Half of the "fingering weight wall": Merlin (self-striping sock yarn) on the left, Camelot (MCN) on the upper right, and Perceval on the lower right. Samples of cowls on the bottom left.

The other side of the above wall: Guenevere on the top and Gawain on the bottom. The Don't Blink Illusion Scarf and Hat (samples, patterns, and kits) were in the back corner.

The brown shawl is my Astolat Shawl. The red shawl is the gorgeous Scarlet Ibis, designed by Jennie Santopietro, using my Camelot in Morgan le Fay. There were so many compliments on this shawl over the weekend. Jennie did such a beautiful job with it and I was happy to be able to display it for her. On the back wall, Avalon (the merino/silk DK) was on the top left with Galahad on the bottom left.

Continuing on the back wall was the Lancelot base and then some samples. The hats and cowls from top to bottom are the Lyonet Hat and Lyones Cowl, Palamon Hat and Arcite Cowl, and Chaucer Hat. The shawl on the dress form is Fellowship, from my Gawain's Shield collection.

More shawls from Gawain's Shield. Since the book had just come out, displaying these shawls and the book was one of my main focuses for the booth and they definitely got a lot of attention.

I also had sample copies of PLY Magazine and subscription cards for people to take. (And see, far back corner of the vendor hall!)

The right front of the booth contained my display of patterns. I am so in love with the new format of them (thank you to Elizabeth of Stitch Definition!).

Me! I totally should have had someone else take a picture of me in my booth as I'm not great at taking selfies!

Over the course of the weekend, I did some rearranging of various parts of the booth. I think moving the shawls up here (and moving the Don't Blink Kits over) really drew even more attention to them.

My best seller was the self-striping sock yarn (Merlin). By the end of the weekend, I had sold out completely of two colorways and had just 1-2 skeins left of each of the others. Thank you so much to those of you who bought some (or anything from me!). I hope you have a lot of fun working with it!

One of the things I did was participate in the stitch marker swap. People made stitch markers (both vendors and attendees) and when you saw someone wearing a stitch marker swap button, you exchanged one of your markers for one of theirs. Here's my beautiful collection of stitch markers that I got over the weekend. Isn't it fantastic?!

It's taken me much of this week to "recover" from STITCHES: meaning taking inventory of what came home with me and getting new pictures of my yarn and all of it posted to the shop. Even though I have a lot of inventory in the shop, I do have some undyed yarn that is calling out for color, so I'm looking forward to pulling the dyepots back out and doing some experimenting for some new colorways.

Gawain's Shield release

This month, my knitting book, Gawain's Shield, was released. It was a lot of fun and a lot of work putting this book together, and opening the box of print copies was an incredible experience. I've gotten so many compliments on the book, and I'm looking forward to seeing the shawls knit by others.

The book was put together with the help of Stitch Definition, who provided the photography (Anne set up and styled the photo shoot and the photos were taken--and are used here with permission--by JS Webb Photography), tech editing (Maureen), and graphic design/layout (Elizabeth). I highly recommend their business and services.

The inspiration behind the book is the medieval story of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. Within the pages of the book, I provide a summary of the tale as well as an analysis of the importance of Gawain's shield, especially the knightly virtues it represents, and the replacement of the shield by the green girdle at the end of the story. This book feels like a true combination of my two halves: medieval scholar and knitting designer.

Just look at the gorgeous interior pages Elizabeth designed:

The book contains patterns for five crescent-shaped shawls, which use German short rows for the body and knitted-on borders for the border. Each can be done in either one color or two colors (one for the body and one for the border). The yarns used are all from my Round Table Yarns line, but provide a variety of yarn weights: two shawls use fingering weight, one uses sport, one uses DK, and the last one uses worsted.

The book is available both in electronic and print formats. You can find it on Ravelry for the PDF version and in my online shop for the print version (shipped directly from me, so let me know if you'd like me to sign it!) or the combo of print + PDF.

I'm looking forward to seeing what you make with it. Happy knitting!

Fiber Weeks in Review: May 18-June 1

Last Monday was a holiday, and my husband was off work. I spent the whole day thinking it was Sunday, so I was a bit surprised on Tuesday to have "skipped" Monday. I thought about doing a post on Tuesday but decided to wait until today to post about the two weeks. And it's been a pretty busy two weeks!

Knitting: I did indeed finish the fifth shawl.

 Now all five are complete!

I even worked up a bonus project to go into the collection. It's something super simple but I think it ties everything together. It took me a couple of days to knit it, but I'm not going to tell about it as I want it to be a bit of a surprise.

So since I finished with the collection, I was finally able to get back to the baby blanket! I ended up needing two more repeats that I thought I would to get the right size, so I'm only just now at the halfway point. But now that I know for sure how many repeats it takes, I think the second half will go much faster (although faster is relative--the cotton yarn, even blended with wool, just hurts my hands, so I can't do too many rows in one knitting session).

And I got back to the sock I had been working on and turned the heel:

I know I've been doing a lot of knitting this past month and a half or so, but since it's pretty much all been on the collection, it somehow feels like I haven't done much. But according to my Ravelry page, I cast on for the first shawl on April 16 and finished the last shawl on May 18. So one month and two days to knit five shawls. Yeah, that was just a little bit of knitting. Nothing much.

Spinning: I finished the grey bamboo/alpaca blend! Two-ply at 18 WPI and 235 yds (3 oz).

As soon as I finished, I dug into my fiber box and pulled out some color. I started on some Polwarth dyed by Brazen Stitchery in the Hello Sweetie colorway, and I'm enjoying it so far. I'm going to do a 3-ply and use the fractal spinning technique. I've finished one single and started on the second.

I'm really looking forward to seeing how this one turns out.

Also, some good news in the spinning world. Jacey Boggs Faulkner, spinner extraordinaire and managing editor of PLY Magazine, has announced a spinning retreat to be held next April (she wrote on Ravelry: "April 21, 22, 23, 24, 2016 -- Kansas City MO!") I'm hoping to be able to work things out so I can go. By the way, if you haven't already subscribed to PLY (and why not??), you can get a free trial issue (outside U.S. does need to pay for shipping). Go here and use the code NEWEYES. At the moment, the free trial will be the Fall issue on Texture.

Designing: I need to get through the baby blanket, but since I've gotten to the halfway point, it's pretty clear sailing from here so I don't have to put too much brain power in it. That means it's time to get my design notebook back out and look through it to see what I want to work on next. Also plot out some new ideas that have been bouncing around. I think what I'd like to do is get a few designs under my belt so they are ready to release pretty steadily come fall. Summer is such a bad time with selling knitting patterns and I think I'd rather hold off on new releases until the weather is more appropriate again (unless I come up with something super summery).

There are just a few more days left in the Pubslush campaign for Gawain's Shield, so make sure to get your pledge in if you have been thinking about donating but haven't yet (and essentially, a donation means you are pre-ordering the book--and maybe some yarn to go with it).

Dyeing: I've done a couple more color combos with self-striping yarn and then I ran out of sock yarn to dye! I've placed an order for more and just got the shipping notice today so I should have more undyed yarn by the end of the week. I actually ran out of almost everything so I just got another order a few days ago. I'm still waiting on two bases that were backordered, but by this weekend, I should have a bunch of yarn to dye!

I did take some of the skeins (such as the leftovers from the shawl collection) and broke them up into sample skeins of 20 grams each. I'm offering those sample skeins for free (just pay shipping) to people who might be interested in Round Table Yarns but are hesitant to buy online without getting to see and feel the yarn in person. So in addition to the sample skein, it will come with a coupon code for 15% off your first order in the Etsy shop. If you're interested in getting a sample skein, you can find out more information here.

And finally, my knitting group got together on Saturday for a Dye Day! Some people had dyed before and some never had. It was a lot of fun and there was some super gorgeous yarn that came out of it. I dyed a sock blank (and only took one picture!) and then mostly just helped out. But I did learn some new things to try at home, so I'm looking forward to doing that!

Fiber Week in Review: May 11-17

The work on the knitting for the shawl collection is almost done, so I hope next week to be able to have more to talk about than just that--definitely the week after for sure.

Knitting: Finished the fourth shawl, blocked it, and wove in ends.

Lancelot base in Lady of the Lake and Knight colorways

And I came very close to finishing the fifth and last shawl this week. Last night I was just 5 repeats away from the end and possibly could have pushed on and finished it, but my hands and eyes were getting tired to I decided to go to sleep and finish it later.

The Pubslush campaign has been doing well. We're almost to the halfway point on the time of the campaign and we are over the halfway point on the funding. Thank you so much to those of you who have contributed already and those who plan to contribute. Your support is very much appreciated.

Spinning: I did a little spinning this week! I got through more of the alpaca/bamboo blend that I've been working on. Probably only need 20-30 more minutes of spinning and the singles will be done. Then I just need to carve out some time for plying (I like to ply in one session rather than starting and stopping several times).

Although this fiber is beautiful to work with, I'm really craving some color, so I'm going to pick something next with lots of colors, maybe something from this box:

Designing: I had a new release this week: the Chauntecleer Cowl. I had fun picking out the colors for this one.

I'm not entirely sure what I'm going to be doing next. I have so many different ideas running through my head. I know I want to finish the baby blanket, but what comes after that? More cowls? A shawl? Hat? Maybe try some socks? I already have a name for a sock pattern but no actual pattern yet, so maybe I should try coming up with a sock to fit the name. I think that after working on the shawl collection non-stop and having to push other ideas to the back of my mind, it's going to be difficult to change gears and work on something else. Maybe it's good that I've got the baby blanket going. Working on that might give me a little more time to sit down and make some future plans.

I think I'm going to hold off on releasing any new patterns until the fall since summer is not a huge time for pattern sales. So if I can get a few patterns ready over the summer, I could have a steady stream of releases come fall, alongside the shawl collection. So I think that's going to be my overarching plan.

Dyeing: The dyepots weren't quite as active this week. I got a lot of Camelot up in the shop and I had planned to work on Avalon next, but I want to knit the Brynhild Cowl first and see if I can get it out of just one skein of Avalon or if I'll need two. That will help me figure out if I should dye the skeins of Avalon in pairs or if single colors in a wider range is an option.

I took stock of the undyed yarn I still have and, well, it's not very much at all. I'm not completely out of anything, but most bases have just 1-2 skeins remaining. So it looks like I'm going to need to be placing some orders soon. I need to sit down with my current inventory and see which bases to focus on although I'll be getting at least a little of each.

I am still working on the self-striping and have two new colorways that I tried this week. It's been super rainy here so hard to take good pictures, but as soon as I reskein the one and get good pictures of both colorways, I'll post them in the shop.

Hope you have a great week! I'm looking forward being finished with the shawl collection!