Accio Awesome New Pattern!

I have been DYING for this to come out.

All photos thanks to Interweave!

You got it, I have a new pattern called the Heliopath Vest and it's included in the first ever Unofficial Harry Potter Knits magazine issue!

I am a Harry Potter FREAK. Like, get the books delivered the day they were released and read them twice in that same day kind of freak. (But a freak that loves sleep too much to go to bookstore at midnight.) The first book came out when I was 10 and the final one when I was 19, so I essentially grew up alongside Harry, Hermione, Ron and my favorite girl....LUNA!!! That's right, this vest is all about Loony Lovegood, my tribute to the witch who stole my heart.

I actually proposed Heliopath as a cardigan with stockinette sleeves, and envisioned one sleeve having a tiny pocket on the upper arm--perfect size for one's D.A. Galleon, dontcha know! But I love it as a vest too, and I am head over heels for the styling and model choice. Really brings Luna to life!

I am also extremely self-satisfied with the bio I wrote and wanted to include it here for funzies:

Emma Welford wishes she attended Hogwarts and could help Loony Lovegood uncover the Rotfang Conspiracy. When she's not perpectually re-reading Harry Potter, Emma designs dreamy knitwear and harasses her cats in Greenfield, Massachusetts.

Yeah, Loony and I would totes get that job done. Along with uncovering Cornelius Fudge's army of Heliopaths and dressing them all in this sweet vest.

TNNA

This sums it up:

Posing at the Lorna's Laces booth with my new "friends." That foxy redhead behind me is an actual new friend, the lovely Amanda from LL!

Fresh Valley Pattern Goodness!

My oh my, more new patterns?! Welcome my newest contributions to the Valley Yarns pattern line: the Bricklayer Set and the Chandelier Shawl! (Photos thanks to Webs.) Warm yourself with the Bricklayer Set from Valley Yarns. This easy color work set is worked using slipped stitches and only one color per row. Sideways garter stitch bands are a fun change from ribbing and add an extra layer of construction intrigue!

This accessory set works up super fast and (I think) is also super fun. I swapped the colors between the mitts and the hat for that extra special dose of ~why the hell not~ but you could of course match them. And think of how beautiful it would be with a color changing or hand dyed yarn for the background color, like Noro Silk Garden or Madelinetosh anything!

The Chandelier Shawl from Valley Yarns is a sweeping, cozy, cable-and-lace shawl for chilly days.

So this is one of those samples that I wish I could keep. It's gorgeous and SO WARM! But I don't have the time or inclination to re-knit a worsted weight shawl for myself, even if it is on the speedy side compared to a fingering weight shawl. Sheffield has a really nice halo because of the angora content, though I think this would look equally good in a mohair blend, or maybe even something shiny to jazz it up!

Publishing with other people is always kind of a wild card, you never know how they are going to style it and when they are going to release the patterns. Case in point--if I were self-publishing these two, I would have spaced them out and not piggybacked onto the Brooklyn Bridge Mitts release. The upside though is that Webs always does a great job with the photography and location for Valley Yarns pattern shoots and this is no exception. Always a pleasure to see your designs being showcased beautifully!

Brooklyn Bridge Mitts

Thaaaat's right: new pattern time! All photos in this post by the amazing Topham Photo. Introducing the Brooklyn Bridge Mitts!

Show off your Brooklyn pride and warm your hands with the Brooklyn Bridge Mitts, no matter what 'hood you call home! These mitts feature traveling cables that mimic the arches of the Brooklyn Bridge, set on a reverse stockinette stitch background that transitions to stockinette after the cables are completed. A thumb gusset provides a comfortable fit and you can opt for individual finger holes or a completely fingerless treatment. With two lengths and two sizes to choose from, plus cute buttoned cuffs, you'll be whipping up a perfect-for-you pair of mitts in no time!

The blue sample is Malabrigo Silky Merino and the pinkish grey variegated sample is Malabrigo Arroyo. I love how the pattern looks totally different but still works in the different bases. Single ply, plied, variegated, solid, semi-solid--it's all good! And you've probably figured out by now that I'm OBSESSED with cute buttons so gotta have any excuse to work those in. The ones on the blue sample actually have tiny pictures of the Brooklyn Bridge which is what kickstarted the whole idea!

I asked my BFF Kerry to help me model, which is how I wound up with awesome high school senior portrait-esque shots like this:

Nothing like a great pair of mitts to win your friends over and provide you with a barrel of laughs when sitting on a dock at 8am on a rainy day, amirite? These babies are MAGIC!

Head on over to Ravelry if you want to snag a copy. Big thanks to the lovely folks at Malabrigo, who sent me the yarn as part of their Malabrigo Quickies program.

May Happenings

This is what my life has looked like lately:

Clockwise from top left: Selfish knitting; surprise dessert from one of the amazing guys I'm dating; new pattern sneak peek; a girl, her best friend, and her cat.

I'm currently knitting up Carina Spencer's absolutely gorgeous Sugar Maple in a giant skein of Play at Life Fiber Arts' Scrumpet. Chrystee custom-dyed a double skein for me over a year ago, when the tee was just a project on Carina's Ravelry page. Now it's finally been released and I cast on the day the pattern came out. When I was finishing up my last batch of design work I kept telling myself "soon you can knit for yourself, soon you can knit for yourself," the designer's version of the Little Engine That Could. But I have to admit, it's hard work keeping myself on schedule for myself! I've been spending a LOT of time dating and probably should scale back so I can get back to my old life--you know, the nights where it's just me, my knitting, my Netflix queue and my cats. I have no problem being a stereotype! (On the plus side, when you date nice boys sometimes they surprise you with fancy dessert for no reason!)

I have a fun accessory pattern I'll be releasing in a few weeks, seen above in all its mid-layout glory. (With wine.) I enlisted my best friend Kerry to help me model...wanna see?

From the lovely Topham Photo as usual

Babealicious, right?! That morning was one of those perfect moments where everything crystallized for me and I thought, "This is what I want to do forever!" I got to style, direct and model in my own mini-shoot for one of my patterns. I can't wait to do it again...and good thing I will be! There is an exciting collaboration coming down the pipeline involving me + some really gorgeous indie-dyed yarn, so stay tuned!

Winner!

The winner of the Just Beachy pattern giveaway is Kate Noe, who said "I love the Nachfalter. I would style it with dark jeggings, open-toe wedges, and bangles or a cuff." Sounds great, Kate--I'd totally rock a Nachfalter like that. Check your email for the pattern! Thanks to everyone who entered! I can't wait to start seeing Holla Knits S/S 13 projects start popping up.

Say HOLLA to Spring!

That's the plan, but of course New England weather is not cooperating. Still rocking a strictly jeans-and-jacket policy here, though once the temperatures rise I know what I want in my wardrobe...some of the hot designs from the Holla Knits Spring/Summer 2013 issue! The theme is transitional layering pieces, from El Matador and Julep Jacket which can be thrown over your outfit when heading into air conditioning or a chill summer night, to the meshy openwork of Meeting Point and my own Just Beachy. My favorites are Lady Bat, a lacy batwing pullover by Teresa Gregorio:

And Nachfalter, a cute butterfly-lace tee with deep waist ribbing by Stefanie Pollmeier:

Of course I had to style them for a summer nightlife spin, right?! Resident party animal here!

Summer Nightlife by yorkshirelamb featuring a sequin skirt

Mix and match your favorite options! Go sneaker wedges and studded bracelets for a funky vibe, or stick with silver sandals and a sleek matching skirt to create a monochrome dressed-up look. Layering over a bandeau top allows the knits--and their peekaboo lace--to steal the spotlight! Of course, Just Beachy could also take you from the poolside to the pool tables. Want to knit up your very own? I'm giving away a copy of the pattern! Leave a comment on this post by 11:59pm EST on Tuesday, April 30th to be entered. Let me know how you would style Just Beachy or your favorite look from the S/S 13 collection.

April 16 – The Sweatshop of Love April 17 - Canary Knits April 18 - Yarn Hollow April 19 - Under the Red Umbrella

April 23 - Emma Welford Designs April 24 - Pink Brutus Knits April 25 –  Rewolluzza April 26 - Knits in Class

April 29 - WEBS Yarn Store Blog May 1 - Masi Knits May 3 - Unplanned Peacock

Gettin' Beachy With It

Ahh, I love the smell of a new pattern release!

Yarn Hollow Gemini

It's been a year since I first contributed to Holla Knits and I'm back again, full circle with a design in the Spring/Summer 2013 issue: Just Beachy!

I love super-fitted, body-conscious knits. But who wants all that cling when it’s hot out? I’m letting go and relaxing with a comfortable colorblocked tee! Just Beachy has identical fron and back pieces, so it’s perfect to throw on over a bikini or when running out the door–no second glance required. Mesh sides let in a cool breeze and show off your perfectly contrasting tank top underneath…or maybe even some bare summer skin!

Valley Yarns Goshen

Check back next Tuesday the 23rd to see my post for the Holla Knits blog tour, with more sweet deets on Just Beachy and the other fabulous summery designs in the collection!

PNW

Top Row L-R: Voodoo Doughnuts; Mt. Hood; streets of Seattle. Middle Row L-R: Signs in Astoria; Seattle graffiti; Biscuit Bitch. Bottom Row L-R: Dick's Burgers in Seattle; Multnomah Falls; hiking by the falls. Last weekend I went to the Pacific Northwest for the first time with my friends Tom and Matt from high school. We spent a day in Seattle and 3 days in Portland. Amazing! It happened to be my birthday that Saturday which made the trip even more special. I decided to let loose and placed no rules upon myself during the trip--I did have a set budget, but rather than nickel-and-diming myself on every purchase I ate, drank and shopped however I want. No financial or dietary restrictions!

In Seattle we hit up:

• Pike's Place Market
• Perennial Tea Room
• Biscuit Bitch at Caffe Lieto
• Multiple bars on Capitol Hill

The next day we drove to Portland via the coastal scenic route, stopping briefly in Aberdeen (be still my 14-yr-old-Nirvana-obsessed-self) and Astoria. As a country gal I loved seeing the lush green backroads of both states.

In Portland we trekked to:

• Happy Knits
• The Cultured Caveman (A paleo food cart! My one good food choice the whole trip.)
• Voodoo Doughnuts
• Groove Suite (My birthday night dancing destination!)
• A TON of restaurants and bars
• Multnomah and Wahkeena Falls (A short drive outside the city.)

That's the super abbreviated round-up--we hit up a lot of Portland but most of it was walking around and stopping wherever looked good, rather than crossing set destinations off a list. We were lucky enough to have gorgeous, non-PNW weather the whole weekend there (sunny, 60s & 70s) so we wound up getting an unexpected spring vacation.

And now I'm back in good ol' Massachusetts, where the temps are still in the 40s and 50s and everything is brown. Sigh. Paradise never lasts!

Silence

Not a whole lot to share going on here at Chez Emma. I've sent off several garments into the world to await their publishing fate, but mum's the word so I have to wait to share them with you. Some smaller accessories are on my needles right now, those too remaining secret. In other, more general news:

• If you follow me on Twitter you've noticed that I'm single and beginning to explore the world of online dating. It's interesting, to say the least! With the exception of being catfished once, I've had a pretty good success rate (of at least having non-boring first dates) and there are a few great guys I am now getting to know.
• I painted my bathroom this Sunday, quelle excitement! Whoever previously painted it chose a disgusting booger yellow color, and painted the trim to match. We now have more appropriate cool blue walls with white trim.
• Hungering for some stylish, fiber-y goodness to read? I have a piece on neon knits over at the Webs blog (also features my new haircut) and a Wallpaper Cowl styling post for Holla Knits. Ch-ch-check 'em out!

Handmade Holidays

So I'm a little late on this one--sorry! Things have been crazy over here, both in the designing and personal sense. Here's a quick round-up of the few handmade gifts I made this past holiday season.

A pair of Corseted Mitts for my little sister, in Dream in Color Classy.

A bunny nugget for my Secret Santa at work

The manicure prize pack from the HK Holiday KAL--crocheted the amigurumi nail polish and sewed the clutch bag behind it all

I also did some crafty work in the kitchen! I made coffee infused bourbon and lavender rosemary infused vodka for my parents. It was my first time playing with infusing alcohol, sooo easy! I followed 'recipes' for the first time since I was afraid of screwing it up, but next time I think I'll make up some combinations of my own. In the sweets department, I made peanut butter cups, apple cider caramels, and dark chocolate almond coffee sea salt bark. These went to my parents and I brought the extras into work where they were well-received.

All in all, pretty pleased with myself! I was happy to be able to give some great handmade gifts without stressing myself out.

December Photo-A-Day Challenge

I did it! To see the prompt for each day, check out Fat Mum Slim's original post explaining the challenge.

As silly of a goal as this was, I'm pleased with myself that I managed to complete it. I think I only posted one day late! This was a great exercise in creativity--it encouraged me to take photos of subjects I wouldn't normally and encouraged me to take more Instagram photos overall. I tried to mix it up and use as many filters as possible but I don't think I caught them all. I'd like to do more photo-a-day challenges in the future and hopefully will accrue enough photos to steal Katie's idea of making an Instagram wall.

2012 In Review

Top Row, L-R: Holla Back Tank, Little Whiskers, Erquy, Portico, Wavy Gravy Mittens Bottom Row, L-R: Wallpaper Cowl, Holla Back Pullover, Dreamer's Braided Cardigan, Striated, Scallop of the Sea

Goodbye 2012, it's been a blast! Above are my projects finished this year (I technically started my Holla Back Tank in the end of 2011 but finished it in January.) 10 total, 5 of which are my own designs--very cool! I started designing in the fall of 2011 so I really took off this year. I already have designs lined up for 2013 and can't wait until I can share them all with you!

Some other great moments of 2012:

• Started this blog and joined Twitter, both of which have helped me make new awesome online friends and develop my relationship with existing ones. I love knowing that I'm connecting with people all over!
• Continued to grow my animal herd by taking in Tsuki, our second cat, and Josie, a lady bunny friend for Mr T.
• Discovered the paleo/primal food community. I'm not always 100% with it but I'm really happy that it's helped me be more mindful about what I eat and it's increased my creativity in the kitchen.
• Shot the Shit Knitters Say video with work, which was SO MUCH FUN and snowballed into a much bigger hit than I had expected.

See ya next year, world! And watch out, I'm planning to OWN THAT MOTHER.

Scallop

I finished my Scallop of the Sea!

This was super addictive knitting. Even if the KAL wasn't keeping me on track, anything with stripes always keeps me going, it's that "one more stripe" aspect!

Katie made the lining for me so she could shoot the photo tutorial, which meant even less work on my end. It kind of felt like cheating, to go from knitting to sewing in a fully-made lining!

Now I just need to find the perfect strap, since I am sooo not a clutch kind of girl. Hands free for dancing, that's the way I usually rock it out!

Experimentation

I decided to try something different and fun this month--the December Photo a Day Challenge! I don't consider myself a photographer, though I did take it in high school and have fond memories of developing my own film. For this, I'm simply using my phone camera as an exercise in dedication (completing a task I said I will), memory (remembering to take a photo each day), and to see a month's worth of photos come together! I'm posting them to Twitter and Instagram tagged with #fmsphotoaday if you'd like to follow along, but I'll post them all here at the end of the month in a photo roundup post. I've been working on a little selfish knitting with some sparkly holiday-themed self-striping yarn by Gynx Yarns.

It's Glitz Sock in Party Dress. As soon as Laura posted it to Twitter I knew I HAD to have it. Immediately started singing "Silver & Gold" from Rudolph in my head! I'm doing toe-up stockinette socks with an afterthought heel, perfect veg-out knitting before the designing grind starts up again (hint: it will very soon!)

I also managed to snag 2 1/4yds of fabric on Friday that I've had my eye on for months.

It looks just like knitting (I think) and it's in such perfect bright colors. Original price was $12.99/yd, which is too pricey for my tastes for jersey fabric--no matter how cool the print! But time was on my side and my total for those 2 1/4yds was $12 and change, SCORE! I have just enough to squeak out a Furstenberg-esque classic wrap dress. I need more work appropriate dresses since a lot of mine are tight and/or short, so this will perfectly fill that niche. (What can I say, I have a weakness for clubby clothing.)

In a few weeks I can share some handmade holiday gifts I've been working on--and they're not all knitting or sewing related. Stay tuned! Looking to squeeze in some last-minute handmade gifts yourself? The Holla Knits Holiday KALs are going strong and if you're ambitious there's still time to jump in, especially for Black Swan.

Saturday Sewing

My left wrist has been sore since yesterday (I blame pushups) so I decided to take a knitting break this weekend. Gotta stay busy and crafty somehow...it's sewing time! I picked up this kids t-shirt in the after-Halloween clearance sale....last Halloween. This one's been sitting in my to-do pile for over a year! I technically fit into the shirt before the recon, but not in a very comfortable or publicly-appropriate way. So I added side panels, redid the neckline to make it bigger and added the bottom band for some length. Plus a cute but non-functional button at the neckband because, why not?

Luckily, our laziness in taking the spiderweb decorations off the porch has served me well by providing a seasonally appropriate backdrop!

Giveaways & KALs

Thanks to everyone who entered the Striated giveaway! The winner is Anne Sowell--check your email Anne! Holla Knits has announced their next KAL, a holiday accessories KAL. If you need some last-minute knitted gifts, or just want to sneak in a little selfish knitting time this KAL is perfect for both! Katie is going to be leading the KAL for my Wallpaper Cowl, Allyson is leading a super-quick Black Swan KAL and I'm in charge of the Scallop of the Sea KAL!

Mmm....yarn scallops!

All KAL patterns are half off (yes, only $2!) until their respective KALs begin. The Scallop of the Sea KAL runs from Monday, November 19th through Monday, December 17th. If you're nervous about the sewn lining, Katie is putting together an AWESOME photo tutorial to ease your multi-craftual fears!

And like all Holla Knits KALs, there will be awesome prizes! For Scallop of the Sea, you have a chance to win a Katie Canavan pattern/yarn kit, a 2013 HK subscription, one of Katie's patterns or some Christmas ornaments handmade by Katie. I'm super stoked about one of the prizes I'm offering for the Wallpaper Cowl KALers--a holiday manicure set! I hoard nail polish like I hoard yarn and want to turn someone else on to my obsession. Especially if you love playing with color, nail polish is a great beauty hobby!

Striated

I have a new self-published pattern! Meet Striated, a chunky two-color slipped stitch hat.

All photos by Lindsey Topham

Huge thanks to the wonderful people at Malabrigo! I originally submitted this idea to the Malabrigo Quickies program. They didn't accept it, but Alex offered to send me the yarn for this project anyways--my first official yarn support! Two squishy, delectable soft skeins of Malabrigo Chunky wound up in my mailbox and I'm so glad I had the opportunity to finally work with this yarn. I used Mariposa as the variegated main color and Pearl Ten as the contrast color.

I designed this hat to be unisex, and Lindsey's husband Ken graciously agreed to have his photo taken as my "male model." What a good sport, and he proves that this is a men's hat too!

All photos by Lindsey Topham

Columns of slipped stitches help break up a variegated yarn but the design rocks in solid colors too, as one of my testers proved. Chunky weight means it flies off the needles, so it’s perfect for gift knitting or when you need a quick accessory fix. The best part? If you use Malabrigo Chunky or a yarn with similar yardage, you can get two hats by reversing the colors on the second hat! You and a friend or family member can have coordinating Striateds to wear together.

Star shaped crown decreases

And one lucky reader can have a Striated to coordinate mine! I'm giving away the leftover yarn used in my sample, enough to make a Striated of your very own in Pearl Ten with Mariposa accents. Just leave a comment on this post by Thursday, November 8th at 11:59PM EST. Don't forget to include a way for me to contact you! I'll post the winner here on Friday.

Halloween Party Photo Post

Our Halloween party was Saturday night and it was a smashing success!

I was Fionna from the gender-swapped episode of Adventure Time. Super easy costume, just had to make the skirt and the hat (which has two ears, one is folded down in the photo.) I also helped make Erik's costume:

He was a dead version of Nibbler from Futurama, hence the limp eyestalk. I helped him make his headpiece and made the cape and shirt. I have to say, I was probably more excited than one should be about their boyfriend wearing a diaper. I was happy that he went all the way and got into character! Halloween is important, yo!

We had a bevy of jello shots, including ones that glowed under black light thanks to this awesome site.

The night also included: homemade cupcakes, mini tacos, a bonfire with s'mores, face painting and lots of music and dancing! It was the perfect mix of new friends and old, everyone mingled with ease and there were no cliques. Halloween is my favorite holiday and I'm glad we celebrated it with style! Now the weather just needs to behave so I can go to another party tomorrow night!

I

Since Webs is so graciously giving away the yarn to make my Wallpaper Cowl,  I thought I'd post a few other color combos I picked out to give you some ideas! Photos by Lindsey Topham for Webs/Valley Yarns.

Northfield in Camel & Deep Water, Huntington in Arctic

Northfield in Natural & Avocado, Huntington in Harvest Orange

Northfield in Stone Blue & Chestnut, Huntington in Mustard

Northfield in Mauve & Haze, Huntington in Porcelain Blue