Mission Control East

Rocket Boy #1 (aka Chief Technology and Social Media Officer) reminds me that I am way overdue for a post here... RocketBoy Knits is currently at Mission Control East, enjoying some New England sun and salt water and working on some new patterns. I wanted to post a photo, but Blogger and my iPad are not playing nicely right now, so it will have to wait... It's always inspiring for me to be here, so there will be plenty to share in the future. - stay tuned! In the meantime, hope you are having a great summer.

Queen Anne Mitts Ravelry purchase link...

Queen Anne Mitts

A couple of years ago, I introduced the Queen Anne Cowl pattern (details here: http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/queen-anne-cowl--fingering-sock-weight-version)I loved the combination of the beaded rib pattern with a leafy panel that looks much harder to do than it really is. The Queen Anne neighborhood of Seattle had been an important part of my daily orbit for the previous few years, home to both my job at Hilltop Yarn and the Rocket Boys' time at pre-school. About the time I was creating the pattern, all that changed - Rocket Boys aged out of pre-school, and Hilltop closed. I found that one of the little things I missed was the drive along a winding stretch of road near cemetery, where huge old trees arched over the road creating the nicest sort of tunnel. So, when it came time to name the cowl, I chose "Queen Anne" to keep that memory alive. After that, I got caught up in other projects, but always knew that I was not done with that stitch combination. This winter, I finally returned to create the mitts that I felt the cowl needed to go with it. When I designed the Rose Hill Mitts pattern, I realized that there was a lot of demand among women for fingerless mitts in multiple sizes, particular larger ones, so this mitt comes in three sizes. All take less than 200 yards, so that the cowl and mitts can be knit from one 400 yard skein of fingering weight sock yarn. Of course, there are many of those to choose from, but the models are knit in Hazel Knits Artisan Sock.

February Purples...

At this time of year, I always find it hard to get motivated to do just about anything. The grey, wet Pacific Northwest winter has seeped into my bones and any prospect of warm weather and sun to drive it out is a long way off still. It's way too easy to just grind to a halt and hunker down. Maybe it's no accident, then, that I suddenly realize I have tried to stuff way more into the next several weeks than I meant to. I have a project I'm finishing up for Knit Picks (Bulky yarn FTW!), one new pattern about to go into testing, and contemplating another to try to cram in before Vogue Knitting Live hits the Seattle area at the beginning of April, not to mention a proposal to write up and knitting new models for older patterns to display in the Hazel Knits booth at VK Live! February Blues? Ain't nobody got time for that! It's all about the February purples right now...

Spitfire!

The Spitfire Scarf and Cowl pattern, which I previewed here back in November, is out at last! It took a little longer than I expected, but is a far better pattern for having the extra time in the lab. Shorthand is a necessary part of pattern writing, or every knitting pattern would resemble War and Peace, but some patterns are not as willing to be shorthand-ed as others...Spitfire turned out to be one of those. Luckily for me, I had a fantastic tech editor, and some excellent and patient test knitters to help me through the process. I'm so happy with the result. Spitfire has options for both a scarf and a cowl, and was knit with tosh vintage. The scarf uses two skeins, the cowl, just one. This is the second in a series of motorcycle-inspired designs that will be appearing throughout 2013. It is also the design that inspired the Huntress Shawl (posted about that here last summer)and is constructed the same way. Can anyone guess what part of the motorcycle inspired this one?

Vroom! First pattern of the year!

Much of my catalogue of designs has been inspired by the natural world, from forests to oceans. That will probably always be an important source of ideas for me, but about a year and a half ago I found a completely new focus for many of the designs I plan to release this year. Here at RocketBoy Mission Control, motorcycles are a BIG deal. My husband was riding on the back of a vintage BMW with his dad when he was in elementary school, and he has passed the love on to both of the RocketBoys as well. And then there are the uncle and aunt and various friends who ride...) There are always things to tinker with, other bikes to be ogled and rides to be schemed on, even when the weather is not conducive to riding. One of the benefits to moving from Maine to Seattle is definitely the longer riding season! For years, I had wanted to come up with some knitting ideas beyond an intarsia picture of a motorcycle, and they finally snuck up on me by surprise. In the end, it was the little details of the bikes right here in my very own garage that worked their way into my brain and have been emerging as patterns... The first of this is the pattern shown above, The Moto Cowl. The overlapping buttoned front panels with asymmetrical edge are inspired by the classic American black leather biker jacket, and give an extra layer of protection from the wind and cold. Excellent for walking in the park, or riding with the Wild Ones...

Holiday Sale!

Rocketboy #1 has just informed me that these few days in the early 20's of December are "the slowest, most torturous of the entire year." In truth, we are a family of mixed traditions and have actually been celebrating for a couple of weeks already, so he has nothing to complain about! but even so, this image from my favorite of all classic holiday tv specials reminds me of the two Rocketboys waiting and groaning about how long it will be til there are presents to open. Are you feeling that way too? Is there a packeage of yarn, or a new needle set under your Christmas tree that is driving you crazy in anticipation? To spread some holiday cheer, there is a sale currently going on in the Rocketboy Knits Ravelry store - all patterns in the store are 25% off through the 31st. Some of them are even fast enough that you might manage to finish before Christmas... or you can gift a pattern to a knitting friend through Ravelry, or treat yourself to a new pattern to go with that new yarn! Here's the link: http://www.ravelry.com/designers/jennifer-chase-rappaport Whatever and whenever you celebrate, I wish you a joyful season!