Mister DeMille, I'm Ready for my Close Up

Hi everyone - I just put a new cap design up in the pattern shop. It's called Gloria since it's inspired by the turban look of uber-vampy silent movie actress Gloria Swanson.


Thanks again to my mom for modeling this one! (That's my mum in front of the mums). You're on the home-page!

Knitted Cephalopod and Bug Armada

Hi everyone - I'm thrilled to let you know that my Octopus, Squid, Kraken, Inchworm, and Pillbug knitting patterns are now available at String Yarns in NYC! I did shop samples in Koigu Kersti, which is a fabulous worsted weight multi-colored yarn. So gorgeous! So soft! Such brightly colored little critters! But I'll let the pictures speak for themselves...

If you work in a yarn shop and would like to sell these patterns, I'd love to hear from you. Or if you'd like to see them at your favorite yarn shop, ask them to get in touch!

Beautiful Mirabilis-es

One of the funnest parts of knit designing is seeing how much fun everyone is having with your patterns. Check out a few of these gorgeous Mirabilis-es!

First up: Oiyi. She was one of my test-knitters back in December. She's an awesome and thorough tester, I absolutely love her work, and her photography is gorgeous! Her post shows the full evolution of the blanket, too.

Images by Oiyi - full post here

Yarn: Lion Brand Wool-Ease in Gold

Next, a bold red Mirabilis by Tawana - Tawana's a member of my Stitch 'n Bitch, and often brings her daughter KJ. KJ is just about the sweetest toddler ever. This was a total thrill for me - it's one of the first times I'd seen one of my designs all knit up in person, and in use as a stroller blanket, too!

Images by Tawana - full post here

Yarn - Lorna's Laces Shepherd Worsted in Bold Red

And last, here's Vanessa's. Vanessa runs the online yarn shop The Fiber Fix. The Madelinetosh Worsted she used for this blanket is downright dreamy.

Images by Vanessa - Ravelry project page here. Check out her shop here.
Yarn: Madeline Tosh Worsted in Cherry

You can see more Mirabilis-es in progress here on Ravelry:


And the pattern is available here in the Molting Yeti pattern shop:

Lace-y and Loop-y in Blue Bamboo

Just a quick note to let y'all know that I've added the Lace and Loop Scarf that's published in the Knitting Pattern a Day Calendar to the Molting Yeti shop!

This complex scarf breaks the barrier from fancy into fabulous. Gravity-defying loops of I-cord wrap the neck, while a spreading bell of simple lace dangles below. It's as fun to wear as it is to make!

While you're over at the shop, check out the other site updates - an errata page (overdue, but hey), and a way-updated "about" page, complete with the most beautiful yeti drawing ever. Don't believe me? Here it is!:

Thanks again to the deliciously talented Maria Sputnik, who drew it!

Helix aka the Pine Cone Blanket

A gorgeous and sophisticated addition to the Molting Yeti pattern shop, meet Helix, aka the pine cone blanket.

This beautiful, substantial, sophisticated blanket mimics the natural spiral pattern found on sunflower heads and pine cones. Two sets of spirals emerge from the center, intersecting as they grow. Simple pinwheel construction with no piecing or seaming make this a quick and enjoyable knit.

This blanket was featured at the juried Mathematical Fiber Arts Exhibition at the 2009 Joint Mathematics Meetings in Washington, DC (it spirals in two directions - what's not for a mathematician to love?). But don't fret - there's some fussy counting in the beginning as the pattern establishes itself, but it's smooth sailing after that!

Gigantimon Site Update, and Look out Pittsburgh, Here I Come!

I've been working like crazy over the last couple months preparing for the next big step in my knit-designing career - selling wholesale to yarn shops. I've updated all of my patterns with a simplified, professional, and consistent look, and with some downright gleeful formatting. My designs are all about having a gigantic sense of fun - I try to make objects that are fun to wear and fun to play with, and write patterns that are fun to make and even fun to read. Oh, and beautiful, too! I hope you'll agree.


Thanks yet again to my amazing crew of test knitters for helping make this magic happen! I couldn't have done it without you!

Full-color printed patterns on fancy glossy paper are now available in the shop, and at wholesale rates to yarn shops - If you'd like your local yarn shop to sell Molting Yeti patterns, don't hesitate to get in touch!

I also put together a help page with links to tutorials on all of the trickier moves used in my patterns. I hope people will find it useful!

...And, if any of you are in the Pittsburgh area this weekend, be sure to find me at the Fifth Annual Pittsburgh Knit and Crochet Show! It promises to be an awesome time, with vendors galore and some really awesome classes. You can't miss me - I'll be the guy in the boa!

Oh Christmas Tree, I Shall Knit Thee!

Whenever I'm around my sisters at the holidays, I like to sing a version of O Tennenbaum in which all the words are "Oh Christmas Tree." Try it some time. It's fun.

The freshest latest in the Molting Yeti Shop is not one, not two, but three Christmas Trees to knit and adore. They knit up simply and quickly, and they'll make a great centerpiece, stocking stuffer, or huggable softie for anyone on your naughty or nice list this season. Plus there's three of them, so you can knit yourself a triumvirate of tactile tannenbaums, or a veritable tree trifecta! I hope you'll have as much fun making them as I did!

Starfish!

The starfish pattern that's published in the new One-Skein Wonders is now available as a download in the shop, too! So head on over.

Phineas!

I'm thrilled to announce a new pattern in the Molting Yeti shop - a scarf called Phineas. A whole new take on the meaning of "tube scarf," Phineas makes a perfect last-minute gift. Even if your gift give-ee sees what you're up to, she'll never guess what it'll look like when you're done. The pattern is named for Phineas Balk, inventor of the pneumatic tube.





Thanks again to Connie for photographing and Heather for modeling!

Spira Mirabilis

Here's the latest addition to the Molting Yeti pattern shop - a totally spiral-tastic baby blanket! Alternating between stockinette stitch and simple fishnet lace, this blanket spirals as it grows.

Logarhythmic spirals are really cool - they occur in nature as the shape of spiral galaxies, the arms of cyclones, the paths of hawks to their prey and moths to light bulbs (which is extra cool 'cause moths are really aiming at the moon, which would be a truly gigantical spiral indeed), and the nerves of the cornea. Jakob Bernoulli was fascinated by their properties - especially that the shape of the spiral remains the same as it grows, and called them "spira mirabilis", which is a pretty awesome name.

If you'd like to make a Mirabilis for a new miracle in your world, head on over to the shop for the pattern.

Cubit the Inchworm Eases on Down the Road

Hi everybody - please join me in welcoming Cubit the Inchworm into the fold! The pattern is now available in the shop. There's also a three-fer deal if you want to knit all three bugs.

A cubit is an old unit of measurement that meant "the length from your elbow to your fingertips," or about 18 inches, which is extra fitting 'cause that's how big this inchworm is! Enjoy!

Doodlebugs Ho!

It's been one heck of a week! I had a wonderful if sweltering birthday party with mucho friends and rose-petal scones and presents, visited with the uberfabulous Sascha, flew a kite at the beach, got published in Knitty, got taken out for yet still more birthday fabulousness, and saw Kung Fu Panda! Whew!Without further ado, here's today's big news - the Doodlebug pattern is live in the shop - it's probably the simplest toy pattern I've come up with so far - it's worked on straight needles with some simple seaming - I hope you'll enjoy it!

Eisenia the Earthworm is Ready for her Close Up

Brand new in the pattern shop, meet Eisenia the Earthworm! This easy pattern includes three patterns in one - a mama worm, worm babies, and a worm egg. Hope you like it!

Knitted Vermicompost! Yippee!

Live in a teeny apartment but wish you could compost? You can! All you need is some compost worms (red wrigglers aka eisenia foetida), some newspaper, and a plastic storage tub with some holes punched in it. There's a whole book about it here and the wikipedia article is pretty good too. You can order worms online or find a source locally - in NYC I know you can get them from the Brooklyn Botanical Garden and the ecology center stalls at the Brooklyn and Union Square farmers' markets.

And, um, if you want to knit your own squiggly friends, the pattern's almost done! Mama worm, worm egg, baby worms all in one! Food scraps and casings not included.

Sing Ho! For the life of an Octopus! Sing Ho! For Pulpo!

I've finally finished the octopus pattern! Meet Pulpo, my favorite new eight-legged friend. He's got a big head, and lots of long legs (only the standard compliment of eight this time!) Continuing my obsession with radial symmetry, he's totally symmetrical, except for his googley eyes. And did I mention the pleating? Well, there's pleating! It's really, really fun to do, at least if you're me.

Hmmm... why do I think he's a boy? I've just been reading about octopi on Wikipedia - they don't have any bones, and they're really, really smart but don't live very long because their hormones (endocrine secretions) "are the cause of genetically programmed death" after they reproduce. Ok, so I'm glad I'm not an octopus, even if it means I only have two arms. Oh, and also in the UK they're honorary vertibrates. I rather like that.

Anywho, the pattern is now available over in the shop.

Pulpo is go!

Just off the needles, here's the knitted octopus!

Radial symmetry, pleating, and googley eyes - oh yeah!

Pattern coming soon - hopefully faster than the last time I said that... stay tuned!

The Squid Has Landed!

The honeymoon of two eloping star-crossed squid is suddenly fraught with danger when disapproving aunt T-Rex finds them and gives chase. Run, squids, run! They thrash their trusty giant land-grub into a lather....

....which is my roundabout way of announcing that I've finally finished the squid pattern! It's rather gratuitously illustrated (there's 16 snaps, showing how to do just about every step), and you can get it the pattern in the shop.

...and, of course, it's also my roundabout way of offering a first peek at another big thing I've been working on lately - my giant grub! More squid lovelies:




Hooray!