Dawn Brocco's Life & Design Blog

On pair #13 for CIC. Used up all the Eco+ I had left over from the 4 baby blanket designs I've done, and now I'm working on the small Peace Fleece stash I have.

No desire, lately, to knit on designs after night falls, it's enough just trying to keep warm. The days are usurped with other work. I'm finding that this winter I am resting more - not slaving til 11 pm, but trying to stop by 9 and sit and knit on the CIC socks til hubby gets home from work.

In between printing orders, I've been creating a kind of catalog for a new rep. As she shows patterns last, I wanted to create design files that would fill 1 thin binder, instead of lading her down with 3 larger, and much heavier, binders full of complete design copies. I figure that this way, she'd be more likely to show the designs if it wasn't a burden.

My other reps do it differently - they let the shop owners browse the binders first while the rep unloads all the yarns etc. And because those reps also rep Brown Sheep yarns, I created a separate binder holding just the 22 or so designs I've done in BS yarns, so the rep can point out these particular designs, while they're showing the BS yarns.

But, it's taken days to create image files of the cover of each design, then add vital design specs. I'm finally done and just need to print it all out.

I also have a design sample I made a year or 2 ago, and never wrote the pattern. I didn't like the look of the neck cable and rib nor the front folded-back knit hem edges with the bright gold clasps, and the yarn is rustic and no longer available - Helvetia Shepherds 2-ply.

So, I knew I'd need a new sample anyway and rethink the front closure and neck edge. I decided recently that I could use another really warm sweater to wear in the house with this cold weather, and would wear this cardigan, once I got it the way I like it.

I like the more muted-in-tone aran braid buttons I used, when I adapted my aran tunic a month or so? ago, and I decided to use them on this cardigan/jacket. So, I've snipped off the clasps and ripped out the front bands and will rip back half the neck and do some decreasing, so it lays better. I like the sturdiness of crochet buttonbands, so will try that first. Then, of course, is the task of finding another heavy worsted yarn to use for the next sample, but in red, not ordinary ecru.

And, I added a new yarn shop added to my retailers page today:
The Shaggy Sheep
Bonnie Brandenburg
theshaggysheep@sbcglobal.net
828 S. 8th St., Manitowoc, WI 54220
920-682-3152

So, that's it for me today.
Onward!