Tuesday, November 29, 2011

New matching fingerless gloves pattern - for gal and guy!


New Northwest Red Matching Mitts pattern available now on Ravelry and Etsy. Yay! This is a very easy, quick pattern. You can make BOTH pairs in one day, easily! What a great way to knock out a couple of gifts on your list at once. They are so fun and fast...I hope you'll check them out :) Happy Knitting!




Sunday, November 27, 2011

would love your input

I am going to design some new crochet patterns in the near future, to balance it out a bit. What type of items do you like to crochet? What would you like to see? I have some ideas, but would love to get some input. In the meantime, check out this cool tutorial!! Thanks for your help :)

Sunday, November 20, 2011

What Would Jane Knit?


If you haven't seen this yet, please check it out! SUCH a lovely magazine for anyone who loves Jane Austen or the clothing from that era. The latest version of Pride & Prejudice has become my very favorite movie to watch when I'm feeling a little under the weather or just want to have a lazy day. Next time I'll choose one of these gorgeous patterns to work on while I watch. I'm currently reading Northanger Abbey, too. I'm just a bit obsessed. The Jane Austen Book Club is also a delightful movie to check out, if you haven't seen it yet.

Here are a few of my favorite patterns from the issue:





The printed magazine is on backorder for a bit, but you can still buy the digital version on Zinio.com.

Thursday, November 17, 2011

Featured on Become.co.uk

So excited to be a part of blogger interviews posted on shopaholic.become.co.uk. More blogger interviews will be added in the coming weeks. Please check it out here to learn more about my addiction to knitting and how it started :)

http://shopaholic.become.co.uk/2011/11/editors-pick-unforgettable-blogs-6/

Glad to be a part of this! So fun...

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

The Sienna Cowl


Here's the newest Red Ribbon Fox Knits design: The Sienna Cowl. It is knit from less than 1 skein of Malabrigo Worsted yarn (color shown is Ronoake). 

It's available for purchase on Etsy and Ravelry: 

This pattern is a quick, interesting knit that results in a cute cowl that can be worn pinned, as shown above, unpinned, or as a cute head scarf to keep your ears warm, as seen below.

ALSO, if you are new to knitting charts and want to learn to read them, this is a great pattern for you! The chevron seed stitch border is presented in a simple, easy-to-follow chart. Trust me, you can do it! It will expand your knitting horizons to be able to knit from charts. Seriously!

I hope you'll try this pattern. Isn't Malabrigo just the best??!!





Monday, November 14, 2011

Lately...

Here is what I've been up to lately:

Clockwise from top left: lovely fall in our front yard, GORGEOUS cowl sent as a gift from lovely Ravelers, Mattie shows off her winter raincoat, my handmade fox ring I created in my metals class.

I have been quite busy. And because I forgot to post this when I finished it, here is a sweater I have completed recently. I've been wearing it all of the time! The yarn is amazing, Berroco Voyage. Squishy and soft and lovely. The pattern is from this book, also by Berroco. You'll notice my cowl neck is a bit different. It looked funny when I just left it like the pattern says, so I folded it a bit and tacked it down. I love it this way! Proof that all is not lost when a knit doesn't turn out exactly like you expected. I am much happier with this style of cowl neck than that in the original design. I love happy accidents like this.


I'm currently working on a sweater for Pinky, finally! He always thought he would never wear one, but I think the chill here in the Pacific NW is getting to him, too. We went to Close Knit a few weeks ago and he showed me yarns he liked. He picked out a purple! SO proud of him for choosing a more unique man color. I'm making this pattern, Cambridge Jacket, by Ann Budd. Here is a crappy photo, because I can't find a larger one.

Pinky's will be out of this purple heather from Cascade 220, Rainier Heather, which is appropriately named for where we now live :) It's a really nice darker purple with lots of flecks of color.


Unfortunately, I've got knitter's elbow and wrist from working on it so far, so I haven't gotten as much done as I'd like. I recently switched to continental style knitting (or 'picking') instead of English style ('throwing'), but the gauge and fabric were a bit loose and uneven on my swatch for this sweater. (Yes, I actually did a swatch!). I decided to go back to English style knitting on this project because it is mostly stockinette and shows any inconsistencies in your knitting. I am already regretting it, just from a physical standpoint. The fabric looks great and even and I'm getting the right gauge, but I love the new style because it doesn't hurt me!! Try it out if you are having any pain in your right hand. It really did help me.

I cannot believe Thanksgiving is NEXT WEEK! Whew. Craziness. This is the first year I will be cooking for a large group of people. Pinky's sister and her family and brother and his wife are coming to our house this year. We are also having a couple of friends join us who aren't traveling. We'll have 3 boys and 3 dogs and a baby and 8 adults!! Wish me luck :)

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone and send me any favorite recipes for leftovers, if you have them. Turkey tetrazzini is one of my favorites! Not so healthy, but so yummy and comforting. Pretty much just noodles, turkey, cream of soup and cheese on top. How can you go wrong? Have a lovely one and enjoy your friends and family! 

xoxox

Wednesday, November 9, 2011

Now offering Skype lessons!


I am so excited to now offer knitting and crochet lessons over Skype! Woohoo!!

I've tested it out with a friend of mine (who has a super cute blog here!!) and we've had amazing success. She is a properly addicted knitter now :) So if you or anyone you know is looking to learn to knit, or crochet, or sharpen their skills in either, please contact me through email at: laura[at]redribbonfox[dot]com.

I will give you more details through email, but the great thing is, you don't have to go anywhere! My schedule is fairly flexible so there are a variety of times we can schedule. Each lesson is 1 hour and is $25, paid through Paypal. Easy peasy!

I'm so excited, again I'll say it. I really love teaching knitting and crochet and love getting people totally addicted to it like I am. Please contact me or spread the word. Happy Knitting! xoxoxo