In my ‘preview’ post I told you that I loved the photos of “Jile Vest” – I think you’ll agree……they’re great. This is my kind of little girl – gotta love the slipper boots with the skirt!

Jile Vest

Photo by Knitcircus

While I did the sample vest in ‘girly’ colors, the design is suitable for boys too – just pick a colorway and buttons they like. (Tip – let them pick ‘em). The yarn is Liberty Wool from Classic Elite, which is a superwash wool. I love the effect the long color striping gives for the front panels, and it looks great knit sideways too. For the sample I used #7896 Sunset as the main color, and #7801 Bleach for the contrast color.

You can read more about “Jile Vest” in the Knitcircus Winter 2011 issue, and the Ravelry pattern page. And here are more photos……….

Happy Knitting! ~ Jean

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Posted on November 17, 2011

Today’s the day! The Twist Collective Winter 2011 issue is out and I can tell you all about “Zori”. First…some photos because the photos are gorgeous. These are the ones taken for Twist Collective by Jane Heller.

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I love everything about “Zori” – the style, color, yoke pattern & the unique border. The yoke is knit sideways & seamed at the shoulders. Then the body and sleeves are picked up from the yoke & armholes and knit to the hem. All the edges are finished with a unique twisted cord border – with the buttonholes incorporated into it. The yoke pattern is charted and very intuitive to work.

Enjoy! And Happy Knitting…….Jean

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Posted on November 15, 2011

Do you remember the TV ad for a clothing store where the lady stood in front of the doors saying “open, open, open”? That’s me waiting for the Winter issues of Twist Collective & Knitcircus – lol.

You see, the projects in my last post – the sneak peeks – will be released to the public in just a few days. The first will be “Zori” on Nov 15th, which is also my first design with Twist Collective – yea! What can I tell you about this one? Well, it’s for women, top-down & sideways construction, a fabulous yoke & a unique border. The name for this one is the Romanian word for Dawn/Daybreak – part of my inspiration for this project – and reminded me of what we used to call our Borzoi’s – Zories – that I loved and miss, even though they’ve been gone a long time. It seemed perfect.

Then on Nov 17th “Jile” will be released by Knitcircus. (No link for it yet :) ) This one is for kids, also has sideways construction and a unique treatment of the major feature – can’t say what that is yet. I’ve seen the pre-release photos of “Jile” and love ‘em! The model is so cute and absolutely perfect for this project.

One thing I really like about working with Knitcircus is that they give designers 10 pattern collection links to give away.  For this issue it will be copies of the Gifts Pattern Collection PDF. And I’d like to give them to you!

So, the first 10 (real – not spam) readers to comment on this post will receive a link to the Knitcircus Gifts Pattern Collection PDF! You must reply to this post with your name and email address (so I can send you the link) and reply by Nov 16th, 2011 – midnight mountain time. Don’t miss out!

And after these two designs……watch for more to come….with the Universal Yarn Designer Partnership Program……open, open, open. :)

Happy Knitting! Jean

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Posted on November 14, 2011

So this morning I decided to 1. write a post since it’s been forever since my last one, and 2. count how many items I’ve knit this year. My goal for 2011 was to have 12 submissions accepted plus get a couple of designs done for my Desert Rose Designs line. I am happy to say that I reached my goal…plus some!

With two months left this year I’ve knit 22 projects and written 1 article! It breaks down as 3 sample items for publishers, 3 designs for my Desert Rose Designs line, 1 in my Knit Picks IDP line up, and 15 designs/items for publishers. Whew! It’s been a busy year.

What can I tell you about these? Well, several you already know about – designs that have been released this year & I already posted about. Some are scheduled for release next year, so we’ll talk about them when the dates get closer.

Coming soon however are a couple that I am really proud of and excited about. All I can tell you now is they are scheduled for release in November, and here’s a sneak peek of them………..

Both are fun knits, and easier than they look – I love that in a design. And each one has unique details that I think will make these stand out from the crowd.

The remainder of this year I am devoting to knitting some socks for DH (he’s pretty well worn out the ones I made years ago), and planning my submissions and designs for next year. I am also working on the second shawl in my Elements series – so stay tuned………and keep on knitting (or crocheting or whatever makes you happy :) ).

Cheers! Jean

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Posted on October 29, 2011

A while back I decided to do a series of shawls based on the ‘earth’ elements – Water, Fire, Air & Earth. I have a very specific picture in my mind of what each shawl looks like – stitch patterns & colors. Each one will be an easy yet interesting project suitable for a first lace project or one a more experienced knitter will enjoy.

Today I am pleased to tell you that the first shawl - “Atoll” – representing water – the giver of life – is available! Here is my favorite photo of it…..

Atoll ShawlI just love how the sunlight streams through the trees and back lights the shawl. You can see how light and airy it is. There are more photos on my web site ~ Desert Rose Designs ~ which is also where you can buy your PDF copy for $6.00. And since the shawl takes only 820 yards of fingering weight yarn, it’s an affordable project too!

Happy Knitting! Jean

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Posted on August 29, 2011