I hope everyone had a great holiday season! So 2012 has arrived…anyone set any knitting-related goals? This year I would like to finish more projects. Not just of my own designs, but of other designer’s patterns. I’ve started The Solstice Cardigan by Cecily Glowick MacDonald and Bailey by Jane Richmond (I’m almost done with this one already!) In previous years, because I was juggling knitting design with my 50+ hour a week office job I just couldn’t do both–it was either work on designing my own patterns or knit from other patterns. There just wasn’t enough hours in the day for it all. But my life is a little different now (in a good way!). This week I start a part-time job at the wonderful yarn shop KnitWit in Portland (I am beyond thrilled about this!). I’m also still doing marketing work, but on my own–working one-on-one with some small businesses and helping them with different marketing projects.

So 2012 is full of lots new changes and I’m excited to be on this new path.  I hope everyone out there is also looking forward to what 2012 will bring!

Okay, let me preface this with saying I never thought I would be knitting my dog a sweater. Not that I had anything against it, I just never thought it was my style. But then, I met Alice:

Alice is our new puppy. Our dog Arlo really needed a friend so we decided that while he’s still pretty young himself that we would get a puppy now (anyone get the Arlo/Alice reference? If you are an Arlo Guthrie fan then you probably do!)

She is so darn cute. So when I noticed she was shivering a little while being outside, how could I, as a knitter, let that happen? Haha…so I quickly knit her up a little wool vest with scrap yarn. It’s kind of a puppy-version of my Little Coffee Bean sweater, using the same colors and stripes.

I’ve typed up the pattern instructions and you can find it here (for free). And because she’s so cute, here are some more photos:

As you can tell by reading this post, The Brown Stitch now has a new site! Over the last couple of weeks I transformed my site from its blog-style format to one that looks more like a website.

It was a lot of fun putting together and I hope everyone enjoys checking it out! Click on my logo at the top to get to the hompage, or you can just click here.

With the temperature hitting 60 today in Maine it’s hard to believe it’s almost December. I actually just got back from getting studded tires put on my car (a necessity when you live in my neck of the woods), so despite the strange temperature I’m still preparing for the start of a Maine winter. 
Another way to get prepared for winter? Super bulky wool! My favorite is Quince and Co’s Puffin which is the yarn I used in my Abbi Shawl Collar Cardigan pattern. Recently I noticed some beautiful projects on Ravelry knit up from my pattern that I wanted to share with everyone. 
Check out their beautiful work!
 
Anne’s project:

Melissa’s project (and here’s a link to her blog):

 Becky’s project (click here to check out the blog she writes for her LYS):

My New Concetta Cardigan pattern is finally updated and now available for purchase!

Here are a couple of things that are different from the original Concetta pattern:

• The gauge is more inline with typical worsted weight gauge (4.5 stitches & 6 rows = 1″/2.5 cm)
• The armhole is not as deep and exaggerated as the original pattern–it’s still roomy but I think the fit is much better now
• It features one large button instead of two–because the button is so large, I personally liked the look of just one but if you wanted two it would be very easy to adjust the pattern
• The pattern layout and format are now more inline with my current style

Below are some more basics about the pattern. I hope everyone likes the update! To purchase, click the “buy now” button. If you have purchased Concetta in the past you should have received a link in your email to download the new version. If not please send me an email: thebrownstitch@gmail.com
 

[designed to be worn with 2-3” / 5-8 cm of positive ease]
Gauge:4.5 sts & 6 rws = 1” / 2.5 cm in Stockinette stitch
Yarn:1129 (1209, 1347, 1458, 1596, 1707) yds worsted weight yarn, shown in Lambs Pride Worsted by Brown Sheep (85% Wool, 15% Mohair; 113g = 190 yds), 6 (7, 8, 9, 9, 10) skeins, shown in Grey Heather.

Needles and other supplies:

• 24” / 61 cm and 16” / 41 cm circular knitting needles in size US 8 / 5 mm or size needed to obtain gauge
• 24” / 61 cm and 16” / 41 cm circular knitting needles in size US 7 / 4.5 mm or 1 needle size smaller than used to obtain gauge
• 4 stitch markers
• 2 pieces of scrap yarn, around 20” / 51 cm in length
• Tapestry needle or crochet hook to weave in ends
• 1 button, 1.5”

Here are some more pictures of my three latest patterns found in the e-book “Layering Season“.

It’s finally starting to feel like fall around here! I’m not trying to push summer out or anything, but I really love the fall season. So say goodbye to summer, break out your corduroy and go get some new yarn because I have new fall patterns to share! My new fall e-book is now available:

It features three new patterns, all of which can be either purchased separately or as part of the e-book. The e-book costs $10 while each individual pattern costs $5 (for the vests) or $3 (for the wrap). So by purchasing the e-book you in essence get the wrap pattern for free.
Below is a little information about each pattern:

• 24” / 61 cm circular knitting needles in size US 9 / 5.5 mm or size needed to obtain gauge
• 24” / 61 cm and 16” / 41 cm circular knitting needles in size US 8 / 5 mm or 1 needle size smaller than used to obtain gauge
• 2 stitch markers
• 3 stitch holders
• 4-5 buttons, ¾ – 7/8”
• Tapestry needle or crochet hook to weave in ends

To purchase the entire e-book for $10 click here:
To purchase just the Woods Road Vest for $5 click here:

Salt Marsh Wrap: an easy lace wrap that can be worn like a scarf or clasped like a shawl. Directions are both written out as well as charted.  It uses worsted weight yarn and I chose Berocco’s Vintage and it only took 3 skeins.

Additional information:

• 29” / 74 cm circular knitting needles in size US 7 / 4.5 mm or size needed to obtain gauge
• 2 stitch markers
• Clasp or pin of some kind if wrap is intended to be worn closed (in sample, a wooden cable needle is used)
• Tapestry needle or crochet hook to weave in ends

To purchase the entire e-book for $10 click here:
To purchase just the Salt Marsh Wrap for $3 click here:

Finished Bust Measurement: 32 (35, 37, 40, 43, 45, 48, 51)” / 81 (89, 94, 102, 109, 114, 122, 130) cm

[designed to be worn with 3” / 8 cm of positive ease]

Gauge: 2.5 sts & 3.75 rws = 1” / 2.5 cm in St st

Yarn: 337 (395, 413, 448, 484, 502, 538, 574) yds of super bulky weight yarn, shown in Puffin by Quince & Co (100% American Wool; 100g = 112 yds), 4 (4, 4, 4, 5, 5, 5, 6) skeins, shown in Twig.

Needles and other supplies:

• 24” / 61 cm circular knitting needles in size US 13 / 9 mm or size needed to obtain gauge
• 24” / 61 cm and 16” / 41 cm circular knitting needles in size US 10.5 / 6.5 mm or 2 needle sizes smaller than used to obtain gauge
• 3 stitch markers all one color, 1 stitch marker a different color
• 3 stitch holders
• 2 (2, 2, 2, 3, 3, 3, 3) buttons,1” / 2 cm
• Removable markers or safety pins (to mark button holes)
• Tapestry needle or crochet hook to weave in ends

To purchase the entire e-book for $10 click here:
To purchase just the Ledge Trail Vest for $5 click here:

With labor day weekend upon us I thought it would be a good time for a little fall update! Any day now the air is going to start getting a little cooler and we will all start thinking about casting on for those fall projects.  I have 3 new patterns I’ll be releasing in September and I’m so excited about all of them.  The below picture is just a tiny sneak peak of one of them…