wildflowerknits

I’ve been steadily working over the past year rephotographing a lot of my patterns, revising and or writing up others and have added a number of them to Patternfish. If you haven’t discovered this wonderful pattern resource, go there now and check it out. I’m guessing you’ll recognize many of your favorite designers listed there. You can search any number of criteria and it’s super user friendly. These aren’t free patterns, folks, but there are thousands of beautiful designs to choose from and all available as pdf’s for download. I first became aware of Patternfish when I discovered I already had designs listed with them- through my work for Classic Elite Yarn Company. At that point I made a mental note to list my self-published designs there as soon as they are all re-photographed with live models, something we’re slowly working through. Right now, you can find 8 designs- for the most part vests and cardigans.

I’ll be adding these next three in the next couple of weeks- for sale as downloadable pdf’s both at Patternfish and my own site, wildflowerknits.com. Maybe y’all could help me come up with some good titles- that’s truly one of my weak areas!

side to side alpaca pullover

This was originally published in a magazine called INKnitter’s, which is no longer in production. It’s knit side to side in a sport weight alpaca yarn.

Subtle Textures Jacket

Another side to side garment, this one was also previously published, this time in Cast On magazine.

It is knit with Plymouth’s “Fantasy Naturale” and very comfy to wear.

modular vest

This one is a variation of my Mini-Mitered Cardigan.

It uses sport weight yarn and features a crochet trim instead of the attached i-cord used in the cardigan.

All 3 coming soon! I have over 50 designs in various stages to write up, re-photograph, size out, etc, so stay tuned for more updates…

Tags: new designs, patternfish, wildflower designs

Shelves are full now, thanks to Melissa’s help yesterday:

vintage new colors and new yarn vintage chunky

Looks much better now!

Here are some of the new Sundae colors:

new colors in sundae

Sundae was new from Berroco last year and a big hit here in the shop. Some of you may remember the scarf kit we put together using all 10 colors.

our sundae scarf kit

And here’s one of my favorites this season from Berroco: Remix. It’s got a little bit of everything in it- recycled from sweaters, this yarn is made up of cotton, acrylic, silk, linen and nylon. Great colors and patterns, too.

remix colors

and one last photo before my battery died- the new pattern books are in, too. You can see more of these at Berroco’s website for a sneak peak inside.

pattern books from berroco, fall 2010

UPS came just as scheduled and left 5 big boxes from Berroco this afternoon:

new fall yarns from berroco

I’ll post more about what’s in the boxes tomorrow after it’s on the shelf, but here’s a peak at the first box I opened:

new sundae colors and pattern book

I had a “heads up” this was arriving today, so on Saturday Mal and Renee helped me get a space ready…

getting ready for new colors of vintage and vintage chunky!

to be continued…

Tags: berroco, new fall yarns, sundae, vintage, vintage chunky

Gwen at the XRX,Inc book aside her new book presentation

Mark your calendar for the first weekend in October.

Gwen Bortner is coming!

I remember when Gwen was here a few years ago, she was very excited about getting started on her new book on entrelac, “Entree to Entrelac”. And now, four years later, she’s embarking on a book signing tour this fall to promote it. She’ll be teaching a 2 day intensive entrelac workshop here, but beginners should not be discouraged. She’ll start with the basics and move on from there.

Gwen’s a great teacher and extremely knowledgeable on this technique! If someone hasn’t already dubbed her the “Entrelac Queen” they should. I have a feeling this book will dispel any thoughts out there lingering that entrelac is just about puffy texture. She’s already proven it’s beautiful felted- and her book is sure to take it to new levels.

I’m hoping to coordinate a trunk show of her beautiful pieces to have on display during her book signing Friday, Oct 1st and throughout her workshop to be held Saturday and Sunday. For more detailed information about the workshop or to sign up online, please check the registration page. Register by September 1st and get a copy of the book free!

Tags: entrelac, gwen bortner, knitting workshops

I get excited just looking at this yarn: “silken straw” from Alchemy Yarns.

silken straw from alchemy yarns

I know the picture can’t do it justice.

Let me just say that it really is silk (100%) and it really does look – but not feel- like straw. Something about the beauty of this fiber stirs me from deep within. I feel a connection when I hold it in my hands that goes deeper than I can begin to explain.

Here’s a swatch I did over the weekend.

swatching silken straw

More coming soon so stay tuned for updates. This yarn will be in the shop sometime August or September in 10 beautiful colorways. In the meantime, you can read about Alchemy Yarns of Transformation at their website. Or stop in the shop and get an “earful”. It really is hard for me to contain myself when I start talking out this yarn!

My daughter, Hazel, came home from college for a brief stay this summer before returning to move into an apartment in Lawrence.  I wrote here earlier that she worked in the shop while I was recently away. What I didn’t write is that she was also hard at work planning and making a fiber sculpture to give to her roommate, Flo, during this time while she was home.

I watched her as she planned her project over several weeks. She modeled the “creature” after a character, Uril the Miststalker, from a card game called “Magic the Gathering”. She made her yarn and color selections and diligently worked up one swatch and sketch after another until she had a plan. The day I left (and I wish now I’d taken a photo) she was just beginning to  work out the shaping on Uril’s head- it was still only swatches and drawings at that point.

Here are a few work in progress photos her dad took while I was away.

closeup of claw and body before assembling

hazel at work

I left on a Wednesday and when I returned the following Tuesday, the creature had already been borne and gifted into the happy arms of Flo. Since I had flown from Kansas City, I stopped to meet Flo and see the new apartment on my way home.

hazel and flo with uril

They look happy, yes?

Couple more pics:

Uril at home

close-up of signed Uril

and one last parting shot of the happy girls…

hazel and flo on their balcony

Tags: fiber sculpture, hazel

I promise you if you come into the shop and ask me how my trip was, I will give you an earful! My trip was sooooo great! I always look forward to the fall market BUT it’s usually equally as much stressful as fun.  Great to see the new yarns, yes, always, BUT there are so many decisions to be made and I don’t make decisions quickly. At least not yarn buying decisions. Now if it’s all about sweater design- that’s different.

I have to say that I went thinking I would come back with lots of samples to show you all. On Friday night there is an event called “sample it” where we can purchase (usually new) products to bring home. You have to know, too, that Friday night is packed with one event after another. I signed up for the “sample it” thinking I could get in quick, do my shopping, and still attend the panel discussion that AKD (association of knitwear designers) was putting on and important in my mind to attend. Overlapping with both of these and immediately following were even more goings on-the fashion show being one I always try to fit in.

I like to stay a little further from the convention center- gives me walking, thinking, clarifying time- and you need to know that I personally need a lot of down time- or time solely to myself. (that’s why I love living in the country). So – I scheduled in a lot of down time on this trip and arrived at the convention center maybe 45 minutes before sample it. There was already a crazy winding line that I figured would take me – what?- a given 45 minutes wait and then probably yet again 15 at least minutes and probably much more time to get into the door. And then what? I’d have all of 15 minutes in the most hopeful scenario to fight a claustrophobic space to purchase all the goodies and make quick decisions of what  to bring home and then sprint to the panel discussion. Well……………….. not.

So instead I went to the panel discussion which was great and took this picture to try to show you why I didn’t bring home all the samples I thought I would. Keep in mind that congested cluster of people really is a snakelike line- and off to the left it continued on. My place would have been probably 50 more people beyond the far left.

Tags: AKD, new yarns

fall 2010 colors

This is a photo of the card I’ll be bringing home showing the popular colors for fall 2010. Trends are on the flip side:

• SHEERLY BELOVED- light knits perfect for layering.
• URBAN DE-GRAY- The perfect polished shade that showed up all over the runways.
• GILTY PLEASURES- Gold, bronze and burnished metallics rock!
• ANIMAL INSTINCTS- Wild prints and textures look new.
• LAYER IT ON- Tunics, wraps, capes, and all manner of clever coverups.
• ACCESSORIZE- Long socks, big cowls and lengthy wristers.
• CUTTING LOOSE- Oversized is the new shape for comfortable style.
• RED HOT!- The key color of the season.
• ANCIENT INFLUENCES- New Navajo shapes in updated coloring.
• GOING TO NEW LENGTHS- The sleeve stops here, anywhere from cap to three-quarter.

The card was done jointly by VOGUEknitting and Tahki Stacy Charles, INC. You can check them both out, for more inspiration!

Tags: color forecast, knitting, market update, trends

This is a continuation of a previous post to let you know who’s watching the shop while I’m gone.

Saturday…

Mandy Strawn

Mandy is a hard working mother of two young children, recently moved and missing her husband who is serving in Iraq. She’s a sweetheart to be around and I know she’s been missing her knitting world these past months, too, so I’m glad she had a chance to come in. Mandy’s background is in music therapy and I believe she’s been teaching some children’s classes in Wamego. She’s just recently moved to Ft Riley. Thanks for finding the time to help out, Mandy!

Tuesday…

Kathleen Oldfather

Kathleen’s not in often, but she’s always willing to help out when I’m away- schedule permitting. She has so many interests, I don’t even know where to begin. I’ve recently learned she enjoys bird watching with her husband, Michael and she is an excellent knitter. She’s done several projects for me in the past and some may have seen her beautiful afghans in previous fashion shows.

Audrey Clowers

Audrey just has a couple hours to spare next week, since she now has a business of her own, Clower’s Flowers and Such, a booth at farmer’s market selling lots of wonderful things from sprouts and plants to doggie treats and cat toys. She’s also a very accomplished knitter, although she’ll try to make you believe otherwise…don’t let her fool you. Fairisle ladybugs, steeks?

Jordan Smith

Jordan is coming back! Jordan has been a part of our group for years and is home (for the summer?) from her first year of college in Oregon. I can’t wait to hear all the projects she’s gotten into since we last saw her. She was knitting a huge blanket from the center out when she last left. She’s interested in food, food science, many other things I’m sure and of, course, she is totally taken with knitting!

Thanks, all, for helping out and making this trip possible for me.

Back to market news tomorrow…

-Kennita

Education classes run Thursday and Friday before the market opens on Saturday and this year TNNA tried something new called TIPS. TIPS consisted of 6 thirty minute sessions presented by various exhibitors such as yarn companies, publishers, designers, etc. I thought I’d share with you some of the sessions I attended.

My first session was from the Berroco design team, Norah Gaughan and Cirilia Rose: Inside Berroco Fall 2010. I already knew before coming to the show this year that a big part of my budget would be going toward Berroco and this presentation only strengthened that decision. What a great team they make! They did a slide presentation of all the new design books for fall, much like they present on their website. You can see them all by clicking on the link above. I especially loved the Blackstone Tweed book. If you don’t already subscribe to their blog or to Berroco’s knitbits, you just might want to.

Another great presentation was Trend Spotting: Fashion and Color Trends for Fall 2010, presented by Trisha Malcolm from Soho Publishing (Vogue). Some of you that have been in the shop lately will understand when I say I was very excited to hear that “grey” is a hot color this season. For months, one of my missions for this show has been to find the perfect grey for a design rattling round in my sketch book. I’ll be bringing home a color card with the trends and colors to share in the shop so be sure to ask me about it when you stop in. Or better yet, plan to come to the market party we’ll be having in a few weeks to see even more goodies coming.

Another excellent session I attended was presented by XRX’s CEO Benjamin and Kimberly. The topic was social media and I was happy to learn I am at least working in the right direction. I’ve fallen off ravelry some, but we have a presence on facebook, twitter, and of course, wildflower has this blog. The trick is getting people to read it! I have a few new ideas as a result of this morning, but would love to hear any of your suggestions. Better yet, leave comments here!