And I got my edits back. So she wins. 😂

Day 4 of trying to beat my tech editor by crocheting a size 6 of the new sweater design before she gets my edits back to me. Sleeve split! Also, still looking for testers. Check the site on the webs for more infos. Or, of course, I'm available for questions here.

Day 3 of trying to beat my tech editor by crocheting a size 6 of the new sweater design before she gets my edits back to me. Fit check is okay. Onward! Also, still looking for testers. Check the site on the webs for more infos. Or, of course, I'm available for questions here.

Day 2 of trying to beat my tech editor by crocheting a size 6 of the new sweater design before she gets my edits back to me (this is STILL a *terrible* idea, but compression sleeves, so better???) Still looking for testers. Check the site on the webs for more infos. Or available for questions here.

Day 1 of trying to beat my tech editor by crocheting a size 6 of the new sweater design before she gets my edits back to me. Also, still looking for testers. Check the site on the webs for more infos. Or, of course, I'm available for questions here.

When Stephanie of Alainn Yarns asked if I'd design a shawl for her group of Scotland travelers, how could I say no?? Along with Marci Marra, a set of sister shawls is now out in the world inspired by the beauty of Scotland, where the wild mountain thyme grows around the blooming heather.

We've been having a blast pre-gaming in my Discord server getting ready for this Cowl-Along to kick off in just a few days. We're figuring out the best patterns for crafting styles or yarn on hand, bringing in NEW yarns to make *beautiful* combos, changing our minds four times, and SO MUCH MORE!

I hope y'all are getting ready for shawl season because Oct 1, I'm dropping an AWESOME crochet shawl pattern . . .

I'm a yarn pattern designer and published author. Ask me anything.

I've FINALLY organized all my current WIPs, design or otherwise. It was getting pretty unruly and made me feel pretty stressed every time I came near, so this last weekend, I tackled it. I put yarn away and empty project bags and everything. We'll see how long things stay organized.

Ten things I wish I'd known when I started designing patterns (knit, crochet, tunisian crochet): 1. At first, you really don't know what you're doing. You might think you do, but there is so much that you have no idea that you don't know. Baby designer you will be adorable some day.

There are FIVE massive flower heads on this lily. It's amazing.

I got decaf coffee so I can brew a cup on the nights I really need to get admin work done and trick my brain into thinking we're getting extra work juice. I think it might even be helping . . .

OH, hello friend! Yes, please come eat the sunflower seeds! You AND your little friend.

This is the downside of WRITING out a pattern by hand as I make it. When I want to make a change 7 rows up, I have to cross out the whole page and write everything again. BUT It's been SO FUN writing it out in a notebook and not typing it out on my phone.

Oh mai . . . look at these night time temps. AC during the day, open windows at night. I am so delighted to wake up freezing every morning. I want to start ALL the sweaters now . . .

I ran 9 miles yesterday. My calves are dyyyyyyyyying even after having husband roll them. And that was SO painful. But if they feel like this tomorrow, I may need another torture session. 😫

It only took a month to do the final 67 stitches to get this bird charcuterie plate hanging, but I finally did it.

This kid just loooooooooves when Greta snuggles with him.

If you've been around here a while, you know I have a deep love of flowers/the outdoors/protecting insects as an indispensable part of the food web. I have been endlessly delighted with my sunflowers opening and getting to see the various bees (okay, mostly just this one) that have been visiting.

I've been having SO MUCH FUN playing around with a new shawl design and watching it grow (and shrink when I have to rip out 10 rows because I decided I wanted it to do something else instead). It's just such a fun and whimsical design that is really taking on a life of its own.

Back to tooling on my own projects. It's lovely to have no imminent deadline for this.

Okay, but for real, this idea has been in my head for aaaaaaaaages. (But don't follow these directions. I'm *hilariously* bad at counting and notating patterns to start. Row 1 is *WRONG*. That's how hilariously bad.) Anyway, I'm on Row 33 now and getting ready for The Switch Up. Oh yeah.

I have been utterly swamped lately. I'm trying to finish up THREE design projects, the LAST THREE before I take a little break from designing for others. I LOOVE doing this, but I'm tired. My brain is tired. It's been projects on top of projects and deadlines on top of deadlines for 18 months solid.

This is Bud. Bud is incredulous when I yell at him. Bud is also mostly deaf. You see where this is going, right?

So, for a fiber account, I talk about OTHER stuff a whole lot. Behold: evidence that I DO work with yarn from time to time. 😂 It's a sample that's in the "oh boy, I really hope this works as I planned" stage. Which, of course it will. I'm a professional after all. What are you working on?

I've found a little time to attend a local stitch night with people I wouldn't normally be around. I'm usually the quiet one sitting off to the side until someone needs help with a project or whatever, and then I finally find a way to socialize with the others around me.

Putting it out there worked. I edited 25 pages (the kind where it's been years and what the heck did I write in the first place??). It's def smarter to read first, THEN edit. But where's the fun in that? Much more exciting to spend the time editing, THEN figure out if the effort was worth it AFTER.

Dune is one my husband's favorite books. He reads it once a year. Now that I've reread the book (and moved on to Dune Messiah), I think the movies are more like fanfic than adaptation. Have you read any of them? Seen the movies? What are your thoughts around the cinematic take on this gigantic book?

Lately my brain has been, "hey, remember when we wrote books together? That was so fun. Here's a list of 83 changes we should make on that one book. Also, remember when we made faces for your characters? We should do more." The problem is that I have NO IDEA where I made these character sketches.

I was GOING to do a long 9-mile run this weekend, but the air was like THIS. We've been busy every morning and it's been REALLY HOT every afternoon so I haven't run in over a week and I'd really like to be able to do that. Just me whining. Hopefully I can get out this weekend and get some MIIIILES.

Somehow I have yet another 5 year old. That makes 3. We'll only do 5 one more time.

I've added main color FOUR to this six-skein shawl design sample for Expression Fiber Arts. I've been working on it constantly. I also STILL need to block 2 other designs--one is in with my TE and one will be going next. So I've been busy behind the scenes, but not with photo-worthy things.

Do you have a single skein of REALLY cool fingering weight yarn that you have no idea what to do with? Try the Quirky Cowl! On the Rav and on the Payhip. Links to both can be found on ye olde web site. And some day, I'll even get it there, too.

Years ago, I knitted a Perry the Platypus. I have no idea where he went. Did I give him away? Did he get destroyed by children? Did he get stolen by a daycare kid? I have no recollection. Have you ever made something and it's been lost to time and space forever?

Speaking of yanking books out of your chest, you can add this one to your shelf by finding it on the 'zon, buying in person or ordering online from Ferguson Books Fargo, buying a signed copy direct from my website, or if your interest is only temporary, borrowing from the Fargo Public Library.

In case you were wondering . . .

Random fun fact about me. 9 years ago, the year I turned 30, I ran a backyard ultramarathon of 30 miles. It took me 6 hours and 14 minutes to run six 5-mile loops around my house. This doggo is no longer with us and I can no longer hold that child like this and we no longer live in this house.

After nothing but blue and purple flowers for all of spring, yellow and orange have entered the chat!

This is the first large shawl I designed. Hubs asked if I was willing to make something small for his coworker. Small it wasn't and I named it after her. If you'd love a gigantic shawl in a few simple stitches, try Cindy. It's on Rav & Payhip, not my website, but you can find the links to it there.

I promised an update on this shawl after the color changes and I'm making good on that. It's absolutely an adventure for me, too, as I see how far each skein goes and I have to make plans and adjustments depending on how many rows I can get through.

This old man is going deaf, which means that this is the first 4th of July EVER that he has not spent sitting ON ME for days on end. So, I'm happy for him that he's finally not totally freaked out for days and days. But also . . . 😭😭😭

I bought a tank top a year ago whose color scheme I didn't love, but I liked everything else about it. So I bought some dye, too. That dye sat on my dresser for a year. It is time, finally, to dye.

It's amazing how much can change in just a day . . .

Shoot. Too big. Need to rip out some rounds.

Time to elevate this bird charcuterie plate. Literally.

Do you like email newsletters for more reliable contact? I'm working on my next newsletter and now is a good time to get on that bandwagon before the next edition goes out. When will it go out, you ask? I haven't the faintest idea. Preferably within the next 72 hours. But it could be 2 weeks away.

If you are a fan of behind the scenes type stuff, I've written up a blog post talking about a little test I silently ran in June. You can find it here if you're not averse to reading:

Wish me luck. I need to finish enough work or get enough pattern sales to pay for these 3 pattern tech edits I've just finished. 1 is testing. 1 is with ye olde tech editor. And 1 is awaiting a schematic and finished measurements. Do I even remember how to make a schematic??? I'm not sure.

In other news, the bird's nest is WAY crowded (to my delight, honestly). I spent time last night creating this *beautiful* arrangement of yard weeds for my husband. They are legit taller than me. Needless to say, his reaction was less "unparalleled delight" and more "lol." 😂