Home and away and back again

It's official -- The Garden is Bigger than All of Us. The peppers are especially prolific (and photogenic):Those are Super Chili (remember them?), Cayenne, Serrano, Jalapeno and Hot Portugal peppers. Someone may have gotten a little bit carried away in the hot pepper section of the garden centre.

There are also all kinds of interesting people to meet out in The-Bigger-than-All-of-Us Garden, such as this Fellow (Lady? I never can tell with bugs):
Hello! You have lovely beady-looking compound eyes, Mr./Ms. Mantis!

In knitting news, progress continues on the Strawberry socks:I'll also have you know that we are mere days away from their pattern release.

Progress has also begun on Clerkenwell, the new socks for Gentlemen:I've decided that just about everything looks three times better when it's photographed at Czehoski. Oh, and I kinneared Mick there (it was my first time):What a charming little place...and the fact that it's a mere three doors down from Romni Wools? You Torontonians really are fortunate.

Cupcakes v. Gnomes: and the winner is...

Thank you to everyone who helped decide the outcome to of that eternal question: Cupcakes...or Gnomes? Because of your participation, we now have an answer, and that answer is...

Gnomes! The Gnome socks will be knit and published first, and will be followed shortly thereafter by the Cupcake socks.

Having used a random number generator, I've determined that the winner of the copies of each pattern (when they are respectively released, is...

The Bon! Congratulations! I will be sending you the patterns as gifts on Ravelry when they are available.

Thanks again!

Get Balearique (Socks!)

The Balearique Socks' pattern has just been released!Believe me when I say that I am over the moon. This is the most fun you can have with teeny, tiny cables without driving yourself completely bonkers.

Please note that one gets a bit of (what I consider to be) a break while working the foot of these socks; the twisties get less complicated and are even easily-memorized.

The best part? These are sized for Gentlemen's feet (but easily converted to the Ladies' size by changing needles.) If you've been searching for that perfect pair of fancy socks to make for someone special (even if that person is yourself,) these are the socks for you.

As was mentioned in a previous post, this particular pair has gone off to live with Chris Coco, the inspiration for the socks, himself.

The pattern is available here on Ravelry (now,) and in my Etsy shop (soon.)

Cupcakes or Gnomes? Answer and win!

ETA: The voting is now closed. Thanks to everyone who participated!

The Strawberry socks are going to be finished today (and the pattern will be released very, very soon,) but one vital question remains:

Who would win in a fair fight..?

Cupcakes......or gnomes??I'm turning both mitten patterns into sock patterns (yup, you heard me!) and I'm trying to decide which to work first, but I just can't choose. I'm going to need your help on this one!

So! Leave your response to the question "Who would win in a fair fight -- cupcakes or gnomes" (and the creative reasoning behind your decision, if you like) below in the comments and I'll randomly select a commenter to win a copy of both sock patterns as soon as they are released (remember that each pattern retails for $6 USD.) The polls will close on Saturday, 24 July at 8 a.m. EST.

Who will it be? Cupcakes or gnomes?

Socks take flight

ETA: The socks have made it to their recipient and he loves them! I just heard (literally) this morning and you can too, as Chris mentions them (and me) on Melodica, his weekly online radio show. Listen here: Melodica 19 July 2010 (1st anniversary special) -- the socks and I are mentioned shortly after the 5-minute mark. We're also on his blog.I'm pleased to report that the Balearique Gentleman's Socks were completed(!) and duly posted off to England about a week ago. They should be arriving at their final destination shortly, if they haven't already (fingers crossed.)I hope their recipient is/will be as pleased with them as I am.

As for you, my dear sock enthusiasts, I hope to have the pattern out (featuring both gentlemen's and ladies' sizing, achieved by switching needle sizes,) this week (by 24 July at the latest.)

I'm in Knitty --> Mystery + Manners mittens

After waiting for what seemed like forever for the new Knitty to go live, I can finally show you these:These are Mystery + Manners, my first pattern in Knitty and the second of my patterns inspired by Flannery O'Connor (the first being Flannery, of course.)I am just so thrilled to know that they're out there -- wild and free, for everyone to enjoy. I hope you'll knit them and that they'll make you (or someone you care about) very, very happy.

Selling, socks, and sun

This July is proving to be a month of milestones for me -- a pattern to be published in the upcoming issue of Knitty and now this: The Purple Purl is now carrying SpillyJane Knits patterns in shop! This makes them the first Canadian purveyor of my patterns (other than me, of course,) so if you're in the Toronto area, stop by and say hello to my stuff. If you need another reason to pop in, all patterns by Canadian designers (including mine!) are 20% off for the entire month of July (as if you need another reason to visit a yarn store!)

Speaking of patterns, look who just needs their toes knit on:The Balearique Gentlemen's Socks are going to be finished today! Soon they'll be soaring across the ocean to their new home. I'll be working on the pattern this afternoon, as this heat wave we're having is making the even the thought of sitting on my porch unbearable. I wish I could bottle days like this and take the tiniest of swigs in the middle of a cold, grey November. That said, if you're an Achillea, you're loving this sun and heat. I, unfortunately, am not, but I'll endure it for their sake.