Free Pattern: Boreal Headband

I created a new project and pattern for my most recent two-handed stranded colorwork class.  I am now offering this pattern as a free download at my Ravelry Pattern Store.

The double layer headband was designed as a teaching project in two-handed, stranded Fair Isle knitting. It could also be used for swatching your colorwork knitting in-the-round as you check gauge for a larger project. There are two versions: one for worsted weight yarn and one for bulky weight yarn. 

© Carolyn Kern

Pattern: Boreal Headband by Carolyn Kern

Worsted weight version made with Cascade Yarns Cascade 220,

100 yd (91 m) MC, 30 yd (27 m) CC

 US 7 (4.5 mm) and US 5 (3.75 mm) needles

© Carolyn Kern

Pattern: Boreal Headband by Carolyn Kern

Bulky weight version made with Cascade Yarns Eco+,

50 yd (46 m) MC, 30 yd (27 m) CC

 US 10 1/2 (6.5 mm) and US 10 (6 mm) needles
 

Though, I will always think of this technique as "Fair Isle", this is not entirely accurate.  Here is an interesting quote from the Wikipedia article Fair Isle (technique), as it appeared on April 21, 2013:

"Some people use the term "Fair Isle" to refer to any colourwork knitting where stitches are knit alternately in various colours, with the unused colours stranded across the back of the work. Others use the term "stranded colourwork" for the generic technique, and reserve the term "Fair Isle" for the characteristic patterns of the Shetland Islands."

For some time now, I have been planning to post a short "Stranded Colorwork Tutorial".  Look for this in the not too distant future. 

I Have Two Winners!

I am very happy to say that I did have more than two comments to my post, My Beginning -- A Blog Giveaway.  If you read my post you know that February 5, 2011 was the day I officially became a knitwear designer.  On that day I uploaded two of my knitting patterns to Ravelry.com.  Since then knitters everywhere have been able to download them for free.

My first two patterns were Both Sides Now...

and TATU (Try A Toe Up) Sock...

Two years ago, I worked late into the evening to get everything right.  Since that night "Both Sides Now" has been downloaded 876 times and "TATU" 1069 times.

Late last evening, I used a "random sequence generator", this one, to select two winners (from all who commented to "My Beginning -- A Blog Giveaway").  The winner of my first prize, one skein of Zitron Trekking 6 fach 6 ply in the variegated green colorway, is Retired Knitter!  The winner of my second prize, two skeins of Patons Classic Wool Worsted in the natural mix colorway is Emily!  Congratulations, Retired Knitter and Emily!  Please email your mailing address to me at ckknit@yahoo.com.

Thanks to everyone who participated!

My Beginning -- A Blog Giveaway

I became a "Knitwear Designer" on February 5, 2011.

It was on that date that I first uploaded two of my knitting patterns to Ravelry to make them available to knitters everywhere.  Before that I spent a great deal of time reading all the Ravelry help pages about creating a Ravelry store and setting up a designer page.  I thought a lot about how I did not want there to be just one pattern (it had to be two from the start), and I fussed with my photography.

Ravelry requires that patterns be .pdf files for uploading.  I do not have Adobe software to create or edit .pdf files, but I found and downloaded "Cute PDF Writer" software.  It converts Microsoft Word documents into .pdf files.  It has worked very well for me ever since.

I chose two of my "teaching" patterns.  I have been professionally teaching knitting since 2006, and I always like to teach knitting projects from my own patterns whenever possible.  A tech editor reviewed these patterns, but she changed very little.

 Pattern: Both Sides Now

Yarn: 310 yds Patons Classic Wool Worsted,

100% Pure New Wool

Color: 00229 Natural Mix

This first pattern was from my earliest teaching days.  The Classic Wool Worsted by Patons was one of my favorites at Michael's where I taught from 2006-2008.  I had two partial skeins of this yarn in my stash, but they were not the same dye lot.  I went to Michael's this past weekend and bought two new ones.  I was glad to see that they still carry it.

The second pattern I uploaded to Ravelry on that same day in February was one that I originally designed in 2009 to teach toe-up sock knitting.

Pattern: TATU (Try A Toe Up) Sock

Yarn: 300 yd Zitron Trekking 6 fach 6 ply

75% Wool, 25% Nylon

Color: 1809 Green Variegated

This pattern was written for a class that I taught at an LYS, Cozy Cabin, which has since gone out of business.  I have an identical skein of this yarn that my mother bought at Cozy Cabin.  (It has been keep quite safely in a plastic bin for the last three years.)

 
These patterns have been offered as free downloads for almost two years now.  They have each been downloaded hundreds of times.  People like free patterns.

Now for my BLOG GIVEAWAY in honor of my two years in the design world:
The two prizes will be the yarn shown in this blog post.  There is more than enough of each yarn to make my designs as shown.  All that you have to do for a chance to win some yarn, is to leave a comment to this post.  (It can be about this post or any of my other designs... or really anything at all!)  On the evening of February 5, 2013 I will gather the commenter names (I do hope that I will have at least 2!) and use a random sequence generator to pick two winners.  The first name that I draw will get the sock yarn (as it has a higher retail value).  The second name I draw will get the worsted.  The winner's names will be announced in a blog post on February 6.  (I will provide an email address at that time, so that winners may contact me with their mailing addresses.)

Good Luck and I am looking forward to your comment!!!