Celebration Shawl

I designed Celebration while going for daily radiation treatments for breast cancer. The name came about because I am celebrating my freedom to move beyond the daily radiation treatments and just celebrate my life as a cancer free, breast cancer survivor. This shawl, with it’s touch of beads is ‘just enough’ to make me feel very feminine again. Which all breast cancer survivors need to feel.

Materials: 

Fingering Weight Yarn 

(201) Beads Size 6/0- optional 

Stitch Markers 

Darning Needle

  I designed this shawl a little different.  The bottom border begins with just 13 stitches, and the border is totally knit, then you pick up the stitches along one side and begin the lace design.  After the lace design is completed then the top is garter stitch short rows. 

Small Shawl

Measurements:

Center back 14 1/2 inches.

Tip to tip is 56 inches.

Fingering Weight Yarn:  750 - 875 yards
Needles Used:
• US 6 (4mm) circular 32"
Optional Needles:• US 6 (4mm) double point set - for bottom border• US 7 (4.5mm) double point - only for bind off
Gauge:• 2 inches, stockinette = Approximately 12 stitches and 16 rows

This is the store sample at Smoky Mountain Spinnery
in Gatlinburg, Tennessee.

Large Shawl 

Measurements: 

Center back 21 inches. 

Tip to tip is 69 inches. 

Fingering Weight Yarn: 850 - 950 yards 

Needles Used: 

• US 8 (5mm) circular 32” 

Optional Needles: 

• US 8 (5mm) double point set – for bottom border 

• US 9 (5.5mm) double point – only for bind off 

Gauge: 

• 2 inches, stockinette = Approximately 10 stitches and 14 rows

The pattern is available on Ravelry, or Etsy.

Smoky Mountain Spinnery in Gatlinburg, Tennessee also has printed copies of the pattern available for purchase in their yarn shop.

Diamonds Cowl

My most recent design is the Diamonds Cowl, 

modeled here by Lindsey (my daughter-in-law).  

As with all my patterns, it is available through Ravelry.  

Scottsdale Faroese Shawl

 I began designing and knitting this shawl in October 2012.  About the time I completed the first design/knit I was diagnosed with cancer.  Over the next 5 months while having chemotherapy I changed the design and knit 4 shawls before I was totally happy with the design and handed the pattern to 5 great test knitters.  As usual they all did a great job of testing my pattern for me.  Both of these shawls are the 4th (and final) design.  The purple shawl is knit with Heritage Silk Paints by Cascade Yarns.  The shawl below is knit with part of 6 skeins of November Gradiance, called The Unique Sheep Green Sheep Fingering. I knew I would not use enough to get to the bottom colors if I used all of each skein, and I wanted to get some of all the colors in.  One of the test knitters called this shawl a celebration of life due to my design timing, and after chemotherapy and surgery I am now cancer free, so it was so perfect that she said that about my design.

This shawl is designed with shoulder shaping (hence the name Faroese), so the shawl just sits on your shoulders.  Although my husband designs shawl pins I never use one with this shawl design.  I don't need it.

I am happy to say this pattern has been my most popular pattern so far.  Hard copies are currently available in 2 local East Tennessee yarn stores, and it is also available through Ravelry, here.

Never worn a shawl, now is the time to try it.  You will be amazed how much you will enjoy wearing, and the compliments just keep coming.

Don't knit?  I take custom orders to hand knit items.

Handmade Adventures in Pigeon Forge, TN

 The only store my items are being sold in is Handmade Adventures in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee.  The hats and purses are shown here together, but they do not have to be purchased as a set.

 They have an ever changing selection of my hand knit, felted and needled felted items.

 Their inventory is constantly changing because all needle felt items are truly "One of a Kind".  The needle felt designs are applied by hand after I knit and felt the item.  I do look at photographs as I needle felt, but there are no patterns.  The needle felt process consist of 'pulling' roving and actually applying the roving with a single barbed needle.  This is a very time consuming process, even when the design appears to be simple.

 They also offer a variety of my felted bowls.  These are used as home decorations.

And they have several pairs of the fingerless gloves I have designed.  There are 3 different lace designs, all knit with different yarns. 

They also carry a limited supply of my original photograph greeting cards.

If you are in the Pigeon Forge, Tennessee area please check them out.  They are located in the Old Mill Village.  This Saturday (September 22, 2012) there will be all kinds of activity going on because it is the 9th Annual Old Mill Heritage Day.  I will be demonstrating needle felting at the festival.

Lindsey's Felted Purse

I have been knitting and felting purses for several years now.  Every time I would knit a new one I would change the design just a little.  I was writing down as I knit and then the next time would change something small.  The hardest part for me was the flap.  Sometimes it would bow in the middle, sometimes it would be too long, sometimes too short.  Then I finally knit and felted one that I decided was the keeper design.  And so the "Lindsey Felted Purse" pattern was created.  I sent it to my test editor and test knitters, and they all decided it was a keeper too.

 The "Big Orange" purse has a handmade button.  Jimmy made the button from a walnut tree that was damaged during the April 2011 storms.  I sold the "Big Orange" Lindsey purse at the "A Taste For Art" this past Thursday evening.

 The blue one I even knitted a matching change purse.  I sold the change purse, but not the purse at the same event.

Then the green one I added the needle felt design.  Needle felt designs are made using the fiber instead of yarn and one barbed needle.  This process takes as long as knitting and felting the purse.  

Two of these purses are available for purchase on my Etsy site.  Just a click of the button on the right side of this blog.

This pattern design has now been released and can be purchased on Ravelry at "Lindsey's Felted Purse".

Just For The Fun of It

This did start out as "Just For the Fun of It", but turned into a pattern I released.
It really has surprised me the interest in these cute little bowls.

You can find the pattern on Ravelry, here.
Current available pattern information is also on my website, here.

My sundress design patterns

 I have been knitting sample dresses for area local yarn stores that are currently selling my patterns.  This pattern is "Audrey's Sundress" originally designed for my grand daughter Audrey.  I expanded it to 3 sizes.  Naturally the store samples are the smallest size, 3 - 9 months.  The pattern is also sized for 9 - 15 months and 15 - 24 months.  Audrey's was the largest size and she has now been wearing it for a year.  She was 16 months old when she first wore her sundress.  Naturally through the winter she wore it with a top as a jumper.

The first photograph is the store sample for Clinch River Yarns in Clinton, Tennessee , it is knit with Plymouth's Dreambaby, which is 50% Microfiber Acrylic and 50% Nylon.

The 2nd photograph is the store sample for The Yarn Patch in Crossville, Tennessee , it is knit with Berroco's Comfort DK, which is 50% Super Fine Nylon and 50% Super Fine Acrylic.

Notice the descriptions are different for the same fiber content.

  

Last is the store sample for Smoky Mountain Spinnery in Gatlinburg, Tennessee , this one is knit with Cascade's Pima Silk, which is 85% Cotton and 15% Silk.

 

The last photograph is taken at Smoky Mountain Spinnery.

 

This pattern is available for purchase at any of these 3 local yarn stores.  Or at Leedra's Ravelry Pattern Store if you are a Ravelry member.  I can also be contacted directly at leedra@heirloomgoods.com for wholesale orders. 

This pattern sells for $5.95 retail.

And you know I had to include Audrey and her bear in their very own "Audrey's Sundress".